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. 

Absence Of Military Teams Crippling Shows Nationwide

As we noted a few days ago, the government shutdown has halted all performances of military flight demonstration teams and is causing air shows nationally to reconsider and even cancel their plans if performances are heavy with military demo teams. That is the case with the Orlando Air Show, which on October 22 officially cancelled. It had been scheduled for the weekend of October 25-26 at the Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB).

Popular Demand Spurs Production In Europe To Resume

Diamond Aircraft is responding to a wave of popular demand from flight schools, clubs, and owners by restarting the production line for its Katana 2-seat single-engine piston airplane. The Katana is well-known for its performance, reliability, and value in the training environment.

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

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: UAL v WX Balloon?, NASA Reopens Artemis III, Anti-Aero Menendez, Electric Aircraft Cooling

Jared Isaacman, who was initially nominated for the role of NASA Administrator by President Donald Trump and then had his nomination withdrawn, met with SecTrans Sean Duffy on October 13, who interviewed him again for the position. However, reports have emerged that Secretary Duffy is interested in the role himself. The start of a new era of possibilities for recreational aviation is here now on the effective date of the MOSAIC – Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification – rule from the FAA. For recreational flyers, the new rule has high training standards that have been tailored for the enjoyment of flying. It retains the necessary basics of aircraft operation, navigation, weather, and airport procedures. Additional elements not required for basic flight ops are available for subsequent training. With the shutdown of the U

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: 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

Succeeds Scott C. Donnelly Who Becomes Executive Chairman

Textron announced that its Board of Directors promoted Lisa Atherton, currently President and CEO of Bell Textron, to the role of President and CEO of Textron Inc., effective January 4, 2026. She will succeed Scott C. Donnelly, who will become Textron’s Executive Chairman to lead its Board of Directors and provide advice and counsel to the CEO.

FAA Slows Traffic To Maintain Safe Operating Margins

The FAA says that the growing absence of air traffic controllers are contributing to thousands of delays in commercial flights at airports nationwide, particularly at the larger hubs like Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Newark, and others.