Tue, Nov 18, 2025
Also: Duffy Predicts ‘Mass Chaos’, Modern Skies Coalition, More Impacts, Archer Buys Hawthorne
With only a few months of preparation—and minimal outside media support—the first-ever Affordable Flying Expo successfully unfolded over three energetic days this past week. According to exhibitors and attendees, (not us), it was a success. As with any first-time event, there were lessons learned. Thankfully, we had the expert team from the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo by our side. Two and a half years and 1,000 flight hours after its unveiling captured the attention of business aviators across the world, Textron’s Cessna Citation Ascend has earned FAA type certification. The first few jets have already rolled off the production line and are expected to enter service later this year. In a minorly tearjerking yet hopeful letter from Kenai Aviation owner Joel Caldwell, it was confirmed that the Alaskan regional
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
Initiative Connects Main Destinations Around City
Abu Dhabi announced on November 10, 2025, it is commencing on the world’s first vertiport network as a first step in remaking urban transportation. The project will connect several strategic destinations across the city with electric VTOL aircraft while also providing fast travel options that save time with lower emissions.
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
Also: Embraer Nixes Next-Gen Turboprop, Boeing $1B Expansion, 12 Class B Airports Closed To GA, Relief Flight Downed
The CAF Gulf Coast Wing’s AC-47 “Spooky” gunship has taken to the air once again. The Vietnam-era aircraft made its return to flight to honor fallen veteran Lt. Col. Paul Mendes. The flyover was held during the Vietnam Veteran Parkway Dedication ceremony. Mendes, a decorated Green Beret and three-tour Vietnam veteran, was among the last American soldiers evacuated from Saigon in 1975 and later played a key role in recovering missing US personnel. Boeing offered a new contract to the more than 3,200 workers at its facilities in the St. Louis area, with increased bonuses and adjusted terms as the company tries to end the walkout that has now lasted more than three months. NBAA is bluntly shutting down any claims that business aviation has been exempted from the FAA’s new traffic reduction measures. The cu
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
Also: VerdeGo Contract, Medi-Carrier, Gambit 6 UCAV, Blade Urban Air Mobility Pilot
Archer Aviation has inked a deal for control of Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), also known as Jack Northrop Field, in Los Angeles for $126 million in cash. This marks a major shift in its strategy to build a localized urban air-mobility network and test next-gen aviation tech. The 80-acre facility offers roughly 190,000 square feet of terminal, hangar, and office space in a dense urban setting. Joby Aviation announced the start of power-on testing of the first of its FAA-conforming aircraft built for TIA, or Type Inspection Authorization, that is the lead-up to “for credit” flight tests with FAA pilots operating the aircraft. Joby will now proceed to conduct thousands of hardware and software integration tests prior to the start of flight testing. Three Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station watched as their Shenzhou-20 return cap
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
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.
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
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.
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
Pilot Reported That He Purchased The Airplane Earlier That Day
Analysis: The pilot reported that he purchased the airplane earlier that day and completed a condition inspection that afternoon. The previous owner suggested performing a couple of touch-and-go landings and some air work in preparation for the planned flight to the airplane’s home base. The pilot stated that the takeoff, climb, crosswind, and downwind legs of the traffic pattern were normal. While on the base-to-final turn, the airplane was high, and when the pilot reduced engine power, it developed a high sink rate. He did not correct the sink rate with additional power, and the airplane landed short of the runway.
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
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 evaluate the most enjoyable, and most affordable, solutions to flying, operating, and owning aircraft in the 21st century.
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Tue, Nov 18, 2025
From 2016 (YouTube Edition): Hear the Story of the CAF B-29 Named “FIFI”…
While at EAA AirVenture 2016, our ANN video crew headed out to get some shots of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) B-29, known as “FIFI”. We met up with Steve Zimmerman, who was the aircraft commander for “FIFI” on this year’s trip to AirVenture. Zimmerman provides a great overall background of the airplane, how it flies, and what kind of original equipment it still has installed. As Zimmerman describes the various items, our camera crews do a great job of picking up exactly what he was talking about. You’ll also see some great World War II film clips of the B-29’s in action.
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