Also: The Aircraft That Delivered, Breakthroughs and Breakdowns Report, Aero-Standouts, Aero-Stumbles 

Welcome to a special episode of Airborne Unlimited... with a look back at 2025 and what it all might mean for 2026. Call it The Aero-News Aviation Reality Check — 2025 Edition, bit make no mistake... in one form or another, these are the stories, companies, planes and products that distinguished aviation this year. While there was a;lot to cover and much that we really didn't have th s[pace for, we wanted to offer some kudos to planes, products, powerplants and programs that deserved serious kudos... as well as those who most definitely did N

Industry Speaks Against Section 373 of the National Defense Authorization Act

Section 373 of the newly passed National Defense Authorization Act isn’t sitting well with much of the industry, sparking public frustration from the National Transportation Safety Board, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and Washington, D.C. officials. Their statements all serve as a warning to Congress, claiming that the provision undoing necessary safety protections put in place after January’s deadly mid-air collision.

Committee Meets December 17 To Evaluate Status Following Prime Integrator Selection

Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, announced his call to convene a hearing titled, “FAA’s Plan for ATC Modernization: Evaluating Progress, Ensuring Accountability and Results” on Wednesday December 17, at 2:30 pm EST.

ANAC Clears Way For Operations By Capable, Multi-Role Aircraft

Daher Aircraft announced that its Kodiak 900 has received its airworthiness certification from the Brazilian ANAC, or Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil, enabling the larger and faster version of the venerable Kodiak 100 for operations in a country that has a compelling need for modern, highly capable multi-role aircraft.

Airbus CEO Admits They Will Lose The Crown in 2025 Despite Winning in Deliveries, Backlog

Boeing is shaping up to earn the gold medal for aircraft orders in 2025… but what does that really mean for the competition? The answer is not much, as Airbus remains firmly ahead in deliveries and backlog despite not having tariffs on its side for much of the year.

Also: Project Talon, McFarlane Acquisition, Sky-Tec Service, JPL Earth Helo Tests

Bombardier has earned a round of applause from the business aviation community, celebrating the formal entry into service of what it calls the “fastest civil aircraft since the Concorde.” Keys to the first Global 8000 were turned over to loyal customer and GFL Environmental CEO Patrick Dovigi on December 8. The Global 8000 comes with a headline-grabbing Mach 0.95 top speed, a certified 8,000-nautical-mile range, and a cabin altitude of just 2,691 feet at cruise. California Representative Darrell Issa (CA-48) announced the finalized 2026 National Defense Authoriz

Sure, Real Estate in LA is Expensive…but How About Airport LA Real Estate? 

Archer Aviation announced the completion of phase one in its acquisition process, putting them on track to have their own playground in Hawthorne Airport of California. They are going for the master lease from the City of Hawthorne along with the associated subleases, which will grant control of the real estate of the airport complex. They plan to acquire the FBO and passenger terminal in 2026 as part of phase 2 of the transaction. Once complete, that will grant full control. 

Also: Airbus Acquisition, USCG Helo Sniper, Remember Pearl Harbor, New Thunderbird 1

Gulfstream’s newest addition to its next-gen lineup, the super-midsize G300, is officially airborne. The jet lifted off from Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), staying in the air for 2 hours and 25 minutes. The crew took the aircraft to 30,000 feet and cruised at Mach 0.75, checking off the major boxes needed to kick off the flight-test campaign. The Trump administration has officially locked in its pick to spearhead the biggest upgrade to America’s air traffic control system in decades. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bed

Also: AirVenture Tkts, Pipistrel TC, Samson Patent, Kolb Aircraft Resumes Production

The FAA has released an updated set of advisory circulars to support the transition to the long-awaited Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule, offering new direction for pilots, instructors, and light-sport repairmen. The documents, published November 14, aim to align long-standing guidance with the performance-based system that will replace the outdated light-sport framework when MOSAIC takes effect in 2026. Dynon has released SkyView HDX software version 17.4, bringing a fresh round of upgrades and quality-of-life improvements to its flagsh

Also: Cosmonaut Kicked Out, Airbus Scales Back, AF Silver Star, Russian A-60 Clobbered

A Samaritan’s Purse humanitarian flight was hijacked on Tuesday, December 2, while attempting to supply a mobile medical unit in South Sudan. Authorities were able to meet the aircraft on the ground and take the suspect into custody without further incident. The aircraft involved was one of the organization’s Cessna Grand Caravans that operates solely within Africa. The FAA has taken an unusually cooperative step towards pilot mental health reform, reducing the stabilization wait time for approved antidepressant medications from 6 months to just 3. Though t

Acquisition Makes Spirit’s Commercial and Aftermarket Operations Part of Boeing

Boeing has checked off all the boxes on its Spirit AeroSystems acquisitions, officially absorbing the company’s commercial aircraft manufacturing and aftermarket affairs. The combined operation will also be launching a new standalone defense business under the banner “Spirit Defense.”

Also: Electra Goes Military, Miami Air Taxi, Hypersonics Lab, MagniX HeliStrom

Amazon’s Prime Air drones are back in the spotlight after one of its newest MK30 delivery drones struck an overhead internet cable in Waco, Texas. The incident serves as an unnerving replay of safety concerns that surfaced just two months ago involving back-to-back collisions with a crane in Arizona. The more recent event occurred on November 18. The drone, registered  N139PA, had just wrapped up a delivery when it “clipped a thin, overhead internet cable,” according to Amazon. The maiden flight of LandSpace’s ZhuQue-3 rocket on December 3 was one

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Reflections on War’s Collective Lessons and Cyclical Nature

The exigencies of war ought be colorblind. Inane social-constructs the likes of racism ought break down precipitously amongst men thrust together into combat’s equal-opportunity abattoir. Faced with a common, indiscriminate enemy, human beings ought perceive—suddenly, and with perfect clarity—the immateriality of color, creed, religion, and the myriad trivialities by which they fatuously divide themselves in peacetime.

South Korean University’s Flight Training Program Growing

Frasca International, a provider of flight simulation technology for training, announced that Hanseo University in South Korea is purchasing a new Level 5 Cessna 172 Flight Training Device, the seventh Frasca device to join the school’s fleet.

The Flight Crew Felt A Bump/Thud In The Back Of The Airplane, Which They Thought Was Caused By Something Falling Into The Aisle

Analysis: About 10,000 ft mean sea level during a repositioning flight, the flight crew felt a bump/thud in the back of the airplane, which they thought was caused by something falling into the aisle from the lavatory. The flight crew observed that the landing gear unsafe light was illuminated. The flight crew stated that they followed emergency/abnormal airplane checklist items and reset the landing circuit breaker, which did not retract the landing gear.

When He Next Looked Outside He Was Surprised To See That The Airplane Had Drifted To The Left

Analysis: The pilot of the vintage, tailwheel-equipped airplane was departing from a turf runway. The pilot described that as he initiated the takeoff toward the west, and into the setting sun, he looked inside the airplane to verify the engine instruments. It took his eyes several seconds to adjust to the shaded cockpit and when he next looked outside he was surprised to see that the airplane had drifted to the left and he was no longer able to see the runway edge markers.

Aero Linx: Michigan Helicopter Association (MHA)

The Michigan Helicopter Association (MHA) exists to bring together people who share an interest in helicopters, including private, commercial, police, and EMS operations, to enjoy fellowship, learn from one another, and celebrate the role of rotorcraft and heliports in Michigan aviation.

Lost Communications Loss of the ability to communicate by radio. Aircraft are sometimes referred to as NORDO (No Radio). Standard pilot procedures are specified in 14 CFR part 91. Radar controllers issue procedures for pilots to follow in the event of lost communications during a radar approach when weather reports indicate that an aircraft will likely encounter IFR weather conditions during the approach.

Things To Know When You Send A News Release

Aero-News gets hundreds of releases every week, ranging from industry giants like Boeing and Cessna to the smallest of flying clubs and the most quaint of air shows. After having seen the best and the worst in press releases over the years, we have some ideas to help companies do so much more to help themselves, both with ANN and with the general media.

“Our air traffic control system is in need of modernization, and Congress made a major investment in improving the system earlier this year and is working to continue investing in this effort through annual appropriations... I look forward to hearing from Administrator Bedford on next steps to implement a new air traffic control system, including the role of the recently announced Prime Integrator Peraton, additional resources needed and the current state of aviation safety.” Source: Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, has announced a call to convene a hearing titled, “FAA’s Plan