Strong Q&A Format Helps Pilots Cut Through Confusion

The AFE25 MOSAIC Town Hall turned out to be one of the weekend’s most substantive events, giving sport aviators a rare opportunity to question industry experts directly and get candid, practical answers about the rapidly evolving MOSAIC environment. Moderated by Aero-News Network Editor-in-Chief Jim Campbell, the Town Hall featured an experienced panel including Madison Nortz (EAA Government Advocacy), Meredith Holliday (Holladay Aviation), Travis Marshall (Pik West Insurance), and Ric Peri (AEA VP of Government & Industry Affairs). Between them, they brought deep operational, regulatory, insurance, and instructional perspectives to an audience hungry for clarity.

Company Claims to Offer a Turnkey Solution for Buying and Owning Sport Aircraft

Gratia Aero believes it has cracked one of experimental aviation’s most persistent challenges: making sportplane ownership accessible. The company has turned itself into a coordinated ecosystem that considers not only buying and building a new plane, but also learning to fly it, maintain it, and insure it.

Agency’s New Protocol Reduces Medication Stabilization Time from 6 to 3 Months

The Federal Aviation Administration 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 this is, in itself, a basic change, it reflects years of industry efforts that seem to finally be getting the attention they deserve.

ANN Analysis — A Safety System Hijacked for Profit, and a Community That’s Had Enough

The Affordable Flying Expo didn’t just showcase new aircraft and ideas — it exposed a brewing aviation scandal that is rapidly turning into a flashpoint for general aviators across the country. Knowledgeable pilots arrived angry, and for good reason: ADS-B, the system the FAA swore would never be used for enforcement or billing, is now being weaponized as a cash register. Florida is the latest and loudest battleground. Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM) has teamed with Vector Solutions, a company that pitches airports on a no-effort way to make money off the backs of aircraft owners. They capture publicly broadcast ADS-B data, matc

Round of Advisory Circulars Impact Pilots, Instructors, and Light-Sport Repairmen

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.

Also: Trailblazing Aviator Betty Stewart, Wind Farm Scrutiny, Chatham Ban Overturned, Airbus Shares Dive

A Thunderbird pilot, ID'ed alternately as Thunderbird 5 or Thunderbird 6, (but not yet confirmed officially) ejected from his/her Lockheed Martin F-16CM-52-CF Fighting Falcon Wednesday (12-03-25) during a training mission in California. The accident occurred near Trona Airport on an unoccupied dry lake bed area south of the airport in San Bernardino County. The pilot ejected safely just before the airframe impacted the ground. Air India somehow misplaced a 43-year-old Boeing 737-200 and forgot about it for over a decade. The Kolkata airport did

Manufacturer Reduced Its Commercial Aircraft Target from 820 to 790

Airbus has backed down from its initial 2025 commercial aircraft delivery target, cutting its projection from 820 aircraft to approximately 790 after dealing with defects affecting thousands of A320-family aircraft. The adjustment, announced on December 3, comes as the company recovers from one of its most significant share plunges in years.

Also: IAE Acquires Diamond Trainers, Army Drones, FedEx Pilots Warning, DA62 MPP To Dresden Tech Uni

The danger to the flight training industry and our future pilots is clear. Donald Frano, a member of the Central Florida Pilots Association, posted a statement as an urgent warning about the increasing number of airports using or considering using a third-party vendor to send landing fees to pilots based on ADS-B data. This began in Florida and is a growing threat that the aviation community needs to stand up to and strongly oppose. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, has thrown

Air Transat Pilots Have Been Negotiating For Almost A Year

Way too close to the Christmas holidays, Air Transat pilots have set the stage for a potential strike later this week. In the official notice to airline management, (as required under the Canada Labour Code), ALPA issued a 72-hour strike notice, which could begin as early as 0300 ET this Wednesday, December 10. “There is still time to avoid a strike but unless significant progress is made at the bargaining table, we will strike if that’s what it takes to achieve a modern contract,” said Capt. Bradley Small, Chair of the Air Transat Master Executive Council (MEC).

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

Partners Showcase the Battery-Electric R-66 Helicopter Demonstrator

Robinson Helicopters has officially entered the electric arena with an early version of the magniX-powered eR-66, which debuted at this year’s EAA Oshkosh AirVenture. The partnership opens the door to a zero-emissions alternative for the ever-popular turbine R66. At the center of the aircraft is the HeliStorm: a 330-kilowatt motor that operates at higher speeds of around 6,000-7,000 rpm. magniX pairs the motor with its Samson battery system, creating the full propulsion package for the eR-66. “This collaboration… will give us a foundation to determine

Also: USAF Reaper Accident, Baikonur Damage, Horizon eVTOL IFR/FIKI, New Glenn Update

Honda has outlined its clearest timeline yet for its entry into the world of electric vertical-lift, confirming that its first full-scale eVTOL prototype will be finished by the end of 2025. The inaugural flight is slated for March 2026, marking the company’s transition from years of under-the-radar development to a much more public testing phase. Arctus Aerospace announced it raised $2.6 million from Version One Ventures, South Park Commons, gradCapital, and several angel investors in a pre-seed round to accelerate the development of its large, unmanned ai

Also: Elfin 20 Journey, BASE Jumper Rescue, Pipistrel Makes Waves, EAA Hall of Fame, Affordable Flying Expo 2026

Like most of the industry, kit manufacturer Sonex has been hit by the ever-increasing costs of parts and materials, and is being forced to pass some of the burden off to customers beginning December 15. Still, Sonex’s prices remain well under par, with many of its complete airframe kits available for under $40,000. The company detailed the price shifts for Complete Airframe Kits, Quick Build Kits, and AeroVee engine packages. Produced jointly by the Aero-News Network and SUN ’n FUN—in addition to the pre-show SNF Innov

Also: SpaceX Starship Carries on, Hartzell Adds Lamar, Mar-a-Lago TFR Ooopppss, CAF Lobo Wing

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association issued the Third Quarter 2025 General Aviation Aircraft Shipping and Billing Report, covering results worldwide, and the result for the first nine months of 2025, when compared to the same period last year, show increased shipments in the business jet sector as well as an increase in the overall value of aircraft shipments. Airbus released an update on the deployment of precautionary fleet measures on its approximately 6,000 A320 family of aircraft. The actions were required after several aircraft experienced

Also: ‘Fat Albert’ Heads To UK, Samson Patent, Western Global Pilot Furloughs, 1700th Ipanema

An inflight incident that took place on a JetBlue flight from Cancun, MX, to Newark, NJ, on October 30 has resulted in serious cautions for the 11,300 aircraft in the Airbus A320 series. The scheduled flight, Flight 1230, required an emergency landing at Tampa, FL, with several people requiring hospitalization after a flight control issue and a sudden uncommanded pitch change. Cleveland officials are again attempting to close a beloved community airport, this time by exploiting a federal loophole. Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executiv

You Can Just Shake The Magic 8-Ball So Much, Klyde

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Third-Edition Resource Guide is Getting Ready… But It’s Waiting on You

The third edition of the SportPlane Resource Guide—soon to launch as the expanded, fully digital eSPRG—is almost ready for release. The layout is there, dozens of instructional chapters are written, and hundreds of aircraft write-ups are complete. This edition will be bigger, more detailed, and easier to update than the previous 1,100-page print version (probably settling in at more than 2000 pages!), with the potential to far exceed even our own anticipations with S-LSA, E-LSA, ultralights, avionics, and accessories. The only major thing slowing it down is one simple piece: more data from manufacturers.

Dozens of Companies Unveiled Innovative Products Ahead of the 51st SnF Aerospace Expo

Kicking off the 51st SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, we hosted the second annual SnF Innovation Preview to give more than 20 companies just enough time in the spotlight to debut their new planes, products, engines, accessories, and more… In other words… it was a LOT of news, and it’s all still up for your viewing pleasure.

With The eSPRG Only Weeks Away From Its Start Date, A-AF Will Help To Support Sport Flyers, Worldwide

With the all-new and all-digital SportPlane Resource Guide getting ready for publication early next year, the Aero-News Network is pleased to announce yet another addition to the Airborne video news programming roster… Airborne-Affordable Flyers. Dedicated to keeping people up-to-date on the most affordable aspects of sport and general aviation, Airborne-Affordable Flyers is one of our most exciting offerings yet. A-AF will delve into more than just the current LSA community, but look at all aspects of aviation to examine and ev

As He Released The Brakes To Begin Taxiing, The Brake Pedals Went To The Floor With No Braking Action

Analysis: The pilot reported that during engine start up, he applied the brakes to the cargo airplane and remained stationary while he received a taxi clearance. As he released the brakes to begin taxiing, the brake pedals went to the floor with no braking action. He pumped the brakes several times with no effect, so he feathered both propellers and shut down the engines. The airplane continued to roll and collided with a parked airplane on the ramp. 

We’re Hiring Editors, Developers, Video Journalists, Oh My!

Yes, despite the last few years being one of the most unpredictable stretches in aviation media we can remember, ANN is still standing… and somehow, still expanding. The pandemic didn’t exactly make life easy, but we’ve come through it with enough energy to tackle our next round of projects. Fortunately for you, they are already stacking up faster than we can keep up with. Moving forward, we’ll be ramping up efforts on an expanded “Airborne Unlimited,” launching the third version of the SportPlane Resource Guide in a digital format, rolling out coverage for all the greatest airshows, and diving into new Aero-Reality programmin

SportPlane Resource Guide (NG) Volume 3 is Bigger, Bolder, and a Whole Lot Easier to Carry

The SportPlane Resource Guide has, like many old kit builds, been collecting dust for years. Over the next year, the book is finally getting a third edition…and this time, it's going digital -- uit HAS to... its simply too big to carry around. Aero-News Network is well on its way to debuting the new e-book with a renewed focus on affordable, entry-level flying mach

And That's But One Of Over A Dozen Major Developments Planned For The Next Year Or So

Aero-News Network is now available on Roku and Amazon FireTV! That’s right folks. You can now get your daily dose of aviation news… right on the ol' giggle box! This is an EPIC development for our network, one of many to come, and we’re thrilled to offer you this new way to watch our news programming. Whether you’re a traditional website reader, podcast listener, or YouTube subscriber, we’re dedicated to giving you quality, honest, aviation news that you can trust and broadening our reach and audience aggressively in the coming years, so that we may both Grow and Inform the aviatio

Brand New! Avoid The Need For A Comeback... Get Your Marketing Right, Right Now!

Some time ago, the Aero-News Network, responding to numerous requests, established a marketing and communications sister company by the name of AEROPRENEUER... and it's been doing amazing work under these difficult circumstances -- and getting results! We're getting rave reviews from our clients, and working hard to earn the trust of a number of new marketing partners along the way. ANN's Amber Cedroni has come up with a few tips to help aero-businesses stay alive in these tough times, and

Whether You’re a Reader, Watcher, or Listener, ANN Has Got the Coverage You Need

Aero-News Network has been delivering aviation and aerospace news for thirty years (!!!), and by now, we’ve wiggled our way onto just about every platform out there. Whether you’d rather read, watch, or stream, there’s a way to keep ANN in your daily routine. Here’s a quick rundown of where you can find us...  

Aero Linx: T-34 Association, Inc. The T-34 Association was formed in July 1975 so that individuals purchasing then military surplus T-34As had an organization which would provide support for these aircraft.  The idea was to share operating and maintenance information to all members.  As the popularity of the T-34 Mentor grew over the years so did the T-34 Association.  Today there are over 600 members in the Association and many are not aircraft owners. 

Decision Altitude (DA) A specified altitude (mean sea level (MSL)) on an instrument approach procedure (ILS, GLS, vertically guided RNAV) at which the pilot must decide whether to continue the approach or initiate an immediate missed approach if the pilot does not see the required visual references. 

Update: This Is How To Get To Us!

Aero-News relocated its Global Headquarters from one aviation centric location some time ago... near Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine... to a spot near both Cecil Field and Herlong Airport. Aero-News Network 1335 Kingsley Ave., #831, Orange Park, FL, 32067. 863-299-8680

“Legislation like the Mental Health in Aviation Act is still imperative to hold the FAA accountable for the changes they clearly acknowledge need to be made... We cannot wait years and years for reforms to be cherry-picked while larger systemic issues are swept under the rug.” Source: From a portion of a statement issued by the Pilot Mental Health Campaign, as the Federal Aviation Administration takes 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 this is, in itself, a basic change, it reflects years of industry efforts that seem to finally be getting the attention they deserve.