Check out https://affordableflying.net/attend/ Right Away and Get YOUR Tickets To the Affordable Flying Expo!

OK.... with a little over a month to go, it’s time to get serious! Thanks to the folks at Sun n Fun, we have a highly professional online ticketing apparatus at our disposal for next month’s Affordable Flying Expo. And we have other good news... use the code “AFE2025” and you can get $5 OFF the adult ticket price of $15 or even more for a three day pass. After an insane amount of work on the part of the ANN crew and more than a little hand holding by the event experts at Sun n Fun, the Expo is shaping up. We have an amazing series of seminars and forums in the works as well as a LIVE Friday Night Town Hall in which we will be dissecting MOSAIC in as great a detail as we can muster. 

Civilian And Foreign Performers Can’t Fill The Bill

With the shutdown of the U.S. government progressing into its fourth week, air shows across the country are feeling the bite as all U.S. military participation – both static and aerial performances – have been withdrawn for the third straight weekend and likely the fourth one approaching.

Isaacman, Duffy May Both Want Job

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur who was initially nominated for the role of NASA Administrator by President Donald Trump and then had his nomination withdrawn, met with Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy on October 13, who interviewed him again for the position.

Safety, Noise Still Big Concerns 6 Months After Fatal Heli-Tour Crash, Gives Anti-Aviation Folks Reason To Grab Spotlight

U.S. Representative Rob Menendez (NJ-08) sent letters to two agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, requesting them to take immediate action to address safety risks and noise issues associated with helicopter traffic in New Jersey.

Also: Global 8000 Records, Cockpit Window Crack Mystery, Daher Brazilian Ops, Senators Push ADS-B/Safety Reviews 

Boeing has been approved to churn out up to 42 MAX jets per month, giving it some leeway from a cap that was set early last year after a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight mid-air. This comes just a month after the FAA partially restored the manufacturer’s right to certify planes that roll off the line. Flexjet filed a lawsuit against Honeywell in 2023 related to non-fulfillment of a Mechanical Services Agreement the two companies entered into in 2018. Under the MSA, Honeywell was supposed to provide MRO services on several engine types used by Flexjet, but even from the beginning had challenges keeping up with the pace of those services. Textron has confirmed that it will be retiring its eAviation business unit… but only its name. Programs within the sector, including Pipistrel, the Nexus eVTOL, and

Also: SkyFly’s Axe Prototype, USAF CCA, AV Expands Switchblade, DropShip Cargo Drone 

Air New Zealand has taken its first big step toward electric aviation, flying the US-built BETA ALIA CX300 out of Tauranga Airport as part of what the airline calls a “technical demonstrator” program. The aircraft, on a four-month lease from BETA Technologies, will tour several New Zealand cities as the carrier evaluates its performance and gets its crews situated with the new systems. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup fast approaching, the White House is turning its attention to the airspace above with plans for a $500 million drone program. This is aimed at helping state and local governments counter potential drone threats and keep pace with ever-advancing aviation technology. The effort centers on safeguarding airspace over the 104 soccer matches scheduled across the United States next summer. Textron has confirmed that it will be reti

$461M Deal Raises Total Contract To 18 Aircraft

Boeing announced that the U.S. Army has awarded it two separate contracts for the purchase of nine CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters, a deal worth $461 million. The company said the order increases the number of aircraft under contract to 18.

Manufacturer Expands Used Servicable Materials Inventory to Ease Pressure on Suppliers

In true Halloween fashion, a new Boeing program is looking to bring in more to-be-retired aircraft parts to give operators more steady access to replacements. The planemaker estimates the Used Serviceable Materials (USM) market to be worth upwards of $7 million, meaning the project could be a financial lifeline for both Boeing and commercial operators.

Also: DHS Under Fire, Air New Zealand, ALPA Praises Bipartisan Bill, Spirit Budget Cuts

The Minnesota Pilots Association has issued an advisory regarding overflights of the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northwestern Minnesota. Turns out, the Red Lake Tribe of the Chippewa Indians passed a resolution denying the Air Force permission for low-level overflights and simultaneously, banning all flights below 20,000 feet above the reservation. DJI is taking its ‘Chinese Military Company’ label back to the Pentagon in hopes of regaining access to the US market. Judges decided just last month to uphold the DoD’s claims that the company is tied to the Chinese Communist Party despite dismissing much of the evidence. The ruling came in the form of a 49-page opinion that rejected most of the Defense Department’s accusations, including claims that DJI is owned by, controlled by, or directly affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. An

Also: USAF Pilots, Advanced Aircrew Academy, ATC Hiring, Hop-A-Jet Sues

Pan American is attempting a comeback. Aviation merchant bank AVi8 Air Capital, alongside Pan American Global Holdings, has officially kicked off the Part 121 airline certification process to reestablish what was once the picture of aviation luxury. Avi8 claims that it has “assembled a world-class team to lead the certification effort and has received strong initial support from aircraft lessors and key vendors.” Spirit Airlines is announcing further cuts to its workforce as its long-running bankruptcy restructuring drags on. The carrier announced that it will furlough 365 pilots in early 2026, marking another blow to a company already in survival mode after filing for Chapter 11 protection for the second time. OK.... with a little over 2 weeks to go, it’s time to get serious! Thanks to the folks at Sun n Fun, we have a highly professional online t