Australian Pilot Timothy Clark Was Killed in the Accident

At the scene of a plane crash that killed 46-year-old Australian pilot Timothy Clark, authorities came across nearly 200 kilograms of cocaine… and, oddly enough, it was completely covered in SpaceX branding. Brazilian officials are now investigating in hopes of learning where the drugs were headed and what went wrong on the way.

Airport Crucial Base For Heroes Of Palisades and Eaton Fires

The Santa Monica Airport Authority, The Spirit of Santa Monica, and its Douglas Day committee announced a community event in support of keeping the airport open and to honor and celebrate the firefighters who were vital aerial assets during the Palisades and Eaton fires. Douglas Day will be held Sunday, September 21 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm local time.

Caused Disturbance In Cabin Traveling As Passenger

British Airways suspended one of its pilots who was drunk while traveling as a passenger and caused a disruption in the cabin, with the captain returning to the departure gate at Edinburgh Airport (EDI/EGPH) and delaying the flight to London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) for more than 90 minutes.

Developing Hybrid Powerplant With Jet-Fueled Piston Engine For Polaris Aircraft

Tidal Flight, a developer of electric amphibious aircraft for regional air travel, and DeltaHawk Engines, a manufacturer of DHK jet-fueled piston engines, announced a collaboration to certify a hybrid powerplant using DeltaHawk’s engine for the Polaris hybrid-electric seaplane.

Says Proposal To FAA Poses ‘Extreme Safety Risk’

Rainmaker Technology requested FAA approval to deploy cloud-seeding flares on small drones, but is being opposed by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, who told the FAA that Rainmaker’s plan “fails to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety” and “poses an extreme safety risk.”

Spirit Airlines Recently Filed for its Second Bankruptcy in Under a Year

Spirit Airlines filed for its second bankruptcy in less than a year at the end of last month, and its competitors are now suggesting that this may be the beginning of the end. Speaking at an industry conference on Thursday, United CEO Scott Kirby called the ultra-low-cost carrier approach a “fundamentally broken business model” and argued that customers have already voted with their wallets.

Also: New NTSB Nom, Plan To Accelerate AAM, New GAMA Members, SC CAP Wing Honors Duke

Van’s Aircraft is giving potential buyers their final chance to pick up a kit for the RV-3, RV-4, and RV-6 aircraft before they move into retirement once and for all. The deadline for orders is September 30, 2025. After that, no more empennage, fuselage, wing, or finish kits will be offered for the three models. Northrop Grumman announced that the second B-21 Raider stealth bomber flew from Palmdale, California, to Edwards Air Force Base after conducting a strenuous test flight. At Edwards, the U.S. Air Force will move forward with integration of weapons and mission systems as well as sustainment upgrades developed through an enhanced software package. Some Israeli weapons manufacturers have been refused entry to one of the world’s biggest aerospace expos in the United Arab Emirates after receiving letters from the organizers

Also: SUN ‘n FUN’s EarlyBird, Rotax Advanced Start, Girls in Aviation Day, Lockwood RV-916!

The recently concluded Midwest Aviation Expo, hosted by the Mt. Vernon Outland Airport is a modest but overtly positive event in the sport aviation scheme of things. Led by Airport Boss Chris Collins, one of the best in the business, the event has been going on for 17 years and emphasizes a close and personal opportunity for companies to display their wares and for potential customers to spend time looking them over... There are a LOT of SportPlanes out there and while ANN’s Chief Test Pilot, Jim Campbell, has flown well over a 1000 unique types, there are still a lot of birds on his “Must-Fly’ List. One of them was the Flight Design F2. Jim says the F2 IS NOT a modified CT series bird... it is distinctively different and is most definitely not your Father’s CT. The Rotax 912iS powered F2 is a spacious, easily accessible h

MOSAIC-Centric Event Set For November 6-8, 2025... DON'T Miss It!

After a master strategy meeting this last week on the grounds of the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo campus, details have been completed for the first MOSAIC-dedicated, MOSAIC-centric Affordable Flying Expo (AFE25). With the rule officially announced, AFE25 stands to be the best opportunity for MOSAIC-interested folks to get their questions answered and for the industry to show the aviation community that they are ready to serve this expanding niche. 

Also: Potential Mars Biosignature, Boeing August Deliveries, JetBlue Retires Final E190, Av Safety Awareness

Czech plane maker Bristell was awarded its first FAA Type Certification for the B23 two-seater, assisting its effort to get on the US flight training map. The bird totals more than 1,100 delivered since 2009. Nearly 100 B23s are already flying in the United States. Personal aviation company Jetson recently completed the first-ever delivery of its ONE electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and to none other than Oculus and Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey. This comes as Jetson works to shift its business overseas, establishing new headquarters in California. The recently published Second Quarter 2025 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report, compiled by GAMA, shows a solid uptick in shipments for the first half of this year compared to last. Business jets and piston airplanes both stood out, though