Engine Failure Suspected As MD-11 Goes Down In Flames 

A fully loaded UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 headed from Louisville, Kentucky, to Honolulu, Hawaii, crashed shortly after takeoff and went down in a large fireball with at least 9 confirmed dead and 11 injured. An uncontained engine failure is suspected, according to a former Department of Transportation Inspector General.

Nearly 20% of A220s are Grounded, Many Airlines are Moving to Retire Them

The A220, once marketed for its profitability and efficiency, seems to be spending a lot more time parked than planned… and operators are starting to lose patience. Nearly 20% of the global fleet is grounded due to ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s PW1500G geared turbofan engines.

Starship Prepares to Return Humankind to the Moon

SpaceX has provided its most detailed look yet at Starship’s progress, positioning the towering vehicle as the backbone of NASA’s Artemis program and the company’s broader goal to make humanity multiplanetary. Starship, designed to be fully reusable and capable of carrying 100 metric tons to the Moon or Mars, is apparently being built at a pace rarely seen in aerospace.

Also: Drone Rulemaking Stalled, LA County FD Adds FIREHAWKs, Wilsbach Confirmed, CAF Honors Vet

Even with parts of the federal government on pause, Yosemite National Park isn’t letting BASE jumpers off easy. Park officials announced that three people were recently convicted for illegal parachute jumps off Yosemite’s formations amid a legal push to lift the 40-year ban against them. BASE jumping has been prohibited in all national parks since the 1980s. One of the more intriguing features of the 2025 Affordable Flying Expo, scheduled for November 6-8 at the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo campus is a Friday event we call the MOSAIC Town Hall. Scheduled for Friday, November 7th at 1800ET, the MOSAIC Town Hall will be presented in the nearby Prop 75 building and webcast LIVE via www.airborne-live.net and for the attending audience. Textron Aviation Defense announced production plans for the UJTS, or Undergraduate Jet Training System program. That

Also: Horizon Picks P&W PT6A, Army Buys 3 EagleNXT, First Hybrid-Electric Regional, Army Selects AEVEX

Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft was flown for the first time on October 31, 2025, as announced by the U.S. Air Force, who also confirmed that a decision about production of the CAA is still expected during FY2026 despite the ongoing government shutdown. The Air Force sent out a press release announcing the first flight but there were not many details about what the YFQ-44A actually did, how long it flew, or where it ended. Merlin, developer of autonomous flight technology for the defense sector, announced it has gained the Stage of Involvement 2 with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, an important step in the DO-178 certification audit cycle that enables regulators to have progressive visibility into the company’s software development program. The FAA finally has a decent excuse to put its drone

Includes 15 Cargo and 35 Passenger Models For Late 2025 Delivery

Shanghai-based eVTOL manufacturer AutoFlight announced that Falcon Aviation Services in Abu Dhabi has ordered 50 of its eVTOL aircraft consisting of 15 V2000CG CarryAll cargo aircraft and 35 V2000EM Prosperity passenger models.

Security Lines and ATC Delays Expected to Skyrocket Nearing Thanksgiving

The federal government shutdown is stretching into its second month with no clear end in sight, potentially making it the longest shutdown in US history. And, as if the situation isn’t bad enough, the busiest travel season of the year is fast approaching with bookings at an all-time high.

Production of Tail Kits Begins as Flight Testing Shows Promising Results

Sonex has announced another major step forward for its eagerly awaited Highwing model: a successful static load test of the aircraft’s horizontal tail section. With the hard part out of the way, production of the Tail Kit is set to begin, and customers will receive shipping timelines by mid-November.

Organization Calls on Longer-Range Aircraft As Jamaica Faces the Tragic Aftermath of Melissa

The National Business Aviation Association is putting its humanitarian arm to work, activating its Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Database as Jamaica faces the aftermath of the strongest Hurricane in its history. The move connects volunteer aircraft operators with relief coordinators to ferry supplies and aid into areas with massive power outages, blocked roads, and collapsed infrastructure.

Also: AFE25 Ticket Info, Flying Into AFE, Deltahawk Steps WAY Up, SnF Invaluable to AFE25

OK... this is an insane record... and one that is likely to stand for a while as we’re not sure there are many who would choose to challenge it. A next-gen CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL has climbed to a verified altitude of 37,609 feet above sea level over the California coast just a few days ago — setting what CubCrafters claims to be an unofficial new world altitude record for Cub-type aircraft (and let’s face it, it’s not likely that most Cub-types have seen anywhere near HALF that altitude. The Affordable Flying Expo is building up a healthy head of steam as additional exhibitors join the mix and the list of aircraft on display grows by the day. Recently, we received confirmation of the Deltahawk RV14 test vehicle, and added both Tecnam and JMB Aircraft added 5, possibly as many as 7 additional aircraft to the growing static display lin