Introduces FLRAA to Get ‘Twice as Far, Twice as Fast’

The US Army recently introduced its new Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). The rotorcraft aims to replace parts of the existing UH-60 Black Hawk fleet and expand the reach of the Army’s Air Assault. FLRAA is slated to become operational in 2030, despite tests not being expected until 2027 or 2028.

57-Year-Old Guilty of Flying an Unregistered Aircraft Without a License

A 57-year-old man from Palmer, Alaska was convicted on December 4 after nearly causing a mid-air collision last year. He was found guilty of operating an unregistered aircraft, and flying it without a pilot's license. He now faces a $250,000 maximum fine and up to three years in the can per count.

Potential Insider Share Sale Hints at New Record for the Aerospace Giant

SpaceX is reportedly exploring an insider share sale that could bump the company’s total value to $350 billion. If finalized, this figure would mark a dramatic increase from its $210 billion valuation following a tender offer earlier this year. It would place SpaceX as the world’s most valuable private company.

70-Year-Old Florida Man Now Facing Felony Charge

A 70-year-old man from St. Petersburg, Florida is facing criminal charges after purposefully pointing a laser at a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office helicopter. In Florida, “knowingly and willfully” shining a laser pointer at an aircraft is a third-degree felony. The officers were able to pinpoint the man responsible while in the air.

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The FAA has confirmed it issued two Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) in New Jersey covering the U.S. Army’s Picatinny Arsenal in Dover and the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County. The restrictions were issued after requests from “federal security partners” and reports of questionable drone activity near the areas affected. The FBI is said to be investigating the reported sightings of mysterious drone activity over Central New Jersey. Entrepreneur, pilot, philanthropist, and passionate spaceflight advocate Jared Isaacman has been nominated to be the next NASA administrator, announced by President-elect Donald Trump. Isaacman brings an exceptional passion for aviation and spaceflight to the table. As a 16-year-old he founded Shift4, an online payment service which turned into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. H

Accepted Into FAA Part 5 SMS For Air Operations

Joby Aviation announced it has been approved for an FAA Part 141 certificate for its flight training academy as well as its acceptance into the FAA Part 5 Voluntary Safety Management System (SMS). With the Part 141 certificate the Joby Aviation Academy is able to deliver streamlined pilot training. This will enable the company to efficiently and economically develop its own pipeline of qualified pilots to crew its commercial air taxi operations.

Also: DPEs & Basic Med, ERAU ATC Program, Snead State, RCAF PC-21s

Airbus continues to push out ever-more outlandish proposals to see its concept of extended Minimum Crew Operations (eMCO), which is nothing more than a euphemism for single-pilot operations, become reality for widebody aircraft filled with passengers during cruise flight. The EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program has been making a difference since 1963 for young people pursuing aviation careers and has recently passed a significant milestone, as 600 scholarship recipients have completed flight training and earned pilot certificates. Elektra Solar recently put the first aircraft from its Elektra Trainer Fixed-Gear (FG) family into service. The electric aircraft will be used to train students at the Lorenzen Flight School in Landshut, Germany. The Elektra Trainer has been flying since 2011 and is a member of the German ultralight class. It is a modified version of the compan

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Hard to believe, but NASA has delayed the Artemis II and Artemis III missions, AGAIN, which were expected to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972, until 2026 and 2027. The decision was made to allow engineers to continue testing on the Orion crew capsule. Tickets for EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 are on sale. The convention will be held from July 21-27, 2025, at Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 2025 will be the 72nd annual occurrence of “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” This event surrounds the theme of ‘One Week: Endless Possibilities.’ The FAA recently published new restrictions on color vision exams, replacing the original paper testing book with ‘modern digital testing equipment. The regulation will take effect on January 1, 2025. The modif

Massive Aviation News Event Started 2024 Off With a Plethora of Exciting Info

Last year, we introduced the SnF Innovation Preview in which 25 companies introduced over 30 new planes, products, engines, accessories, and more… in other words… a LOT of news. Rotax previewed the powerful 916iS, CubCrafters showcased the Carbon Cub UL, Bose introduced the A30, Aerox revealed the Boomula… and so much more. This year, we went beyond that... way beyond all that, with a larger selection of news announcements that covered ALL aspects of sport, general and commercial aviation... all at the start of the 50th Annual SUN n FUN Aerospace Expo... the undisputed start to the aviation year. This year was also a major news-breaker... especially with the announcement that the DeltaHawk Diesel engine folks were working with Piper Aircraft on an STC for the PA44 Seminole. It also hosted the first forma

U.S. Air Force Adds To Total 168 Aerial Refuelers

Boeing was awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) worth $2.38 billion to produce a5 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial tankers under the Lot 11 procurement. Boeing now has a total of 168 of the multi-mission aerial refueling aircraft on order globally that will serve both U.S. and international allies.