“The Palo Alto stopover confirmed—yet again—that flight schools and aero-clubs are no longer just curious about electric training; they are ready to buy. In just a few days we logged more than 50 sorties, with 8 flights per day. We welcomed dozens of walk-up visitors and converted that interest into firm purchase agreements on the spot. Operators told us the math is undeniable: a five-dollar energy bill per flight hour, virtually no engine maintenance, and the freedom to fly extra evening circuits without disturbing the neighborhood.” Source: Gregory Blatt, H55 Co-Founder & Mission Director, discussing the experience of the Swiss electric aircraft developer, H55, having completed over 50 demo flights in the Palo Alto stop of its Across America tour. 

All Event Equipment, Setup, Merch Destroyed: Donations Needed!

The National STOL Series suffered a devastating loss when the truck towing the event trailer was involved in an accident in Montana. The truck flipped, caught fire, and both truck and trailer were destroyed in the subsequent fire. Thankfully no one was injured but all the equipment used in putting on events was lost.

Critical Care Flight Nurse Who Pioneered Aviation Telemedicine

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced that Joan Sullivan Garret has been chosen to be this year’s recipient of the prestigious Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for her innovative and longtime work in aviation telemedicine.

RFI For Advanced 30,000 Lb-Thrust For Future Single-Aisle

Boeing issued a Request For Information to industry engine manufacturers for advanced ducted propulsion systems in the 30,000 lb-thrust sector that would be useful for powering a potential future single aisle replacement aircraft for the 737.

Proposed ‘Blue Sky’ Allows Dual Booking, Mutual Points Usage

Spirit Airlines is urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to reject a proposed partnership between United Airlines and jetBlue, claiming it is anticompetitive and could prompt other larger carriers to court similar deals.

Enabling NAVAIR To Mitigate Avionics Obsolescence In All C/KC-130T Variants

Astronautics Corporation of America announced the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR, is upgrading all variants of its Lockheed C/KC-130T aircraft at NAS Patuxent, Maryland, with its AF14700 RoadRunner electronic flight instruments package to mitigate the obsolescence of avionics and improve operational safety.

Well-Known Business Leader, Veteran, Philanthropist, Aviation Advocate

The National Business Aviation Association noted the passing on June 21, 2025 of Frederick Wallace Smith, a well-known and respected business leader who founded overnight shipping company FedEx who was a strong advocate for business aviation throughout his pioneering career.

Regs For Aviators, Flight Crews, Maintenance Technicians

Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc. (ASA) announced that its 2026 edition of the FAR/AIM Series will be available in mid-July, with the FAR/AIM for aviators and FARs for both flight crew and aviation maintenance technicians.

Demos Showcase Rapid Conversion Suppression Kit

Airbus Defense and Space announced the success of a series of test retardant drops and demonstrations of its A400M firefighting kit in Nîmes-Garons, France. The tests were run by the Entente-Valabre’s Test and Research Center (CEREN) as an independent assessment of the A400M firefighting kit.

Aircraft Parachute System (CAPS) Was Deployed About 293 Ft Above Ground Level, Which Was Too Low To Allow For Full Deployment Of The Parachute System

Analysis: The day before the accident, the pilot and the flight instructor brought the airplane to a maintenance facility due to a low engine manifold air pressure (MAP) indication. The owner of the maintenance facility adjusted the MAP via a set screw on the bottom of the slope controller (turbocharger controller), while the instructor performed ground runs to verify it. The instructor then took a facility maintenance technician on a 30-minute post-maintenance flight. There were no anomalies noted during that flight.