John Vining Discusses At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025

ANN’s Jim Campbell spoke with John Vining, North American Sales Manager for SD Planes, at the 2025 EAA AirVenture Air Show and Fly-in in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John said the company is manufacturing the 51% kit in the Czech Republic right now and they are available in the U.S. He said there is interest as he sold three kits last year and two the year before. The airplane is classified “EAB” that is, Experimental Amateur Built, and based on its performance it can be flown with a Sport or Private pilot license. It can be configured with lights for legal night flight.

Also: MOSAIC Town Hall, Lockheed Martin Venus, Electric Aircraft Cooling, Korea Taps Archer

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is at the front end of a year-long AI policing experiment, putting a completely autonomous, $200,000 squad car equipped with thermal imaging drones to the test. The so-called Police Unmanned Ground (PUG) Patrol Partner was developed and donated by Policing Lab and Perrone Robotics. The SUV comes on a Ford Explorer platform, fitted with 360-degree cameras, thermal sensors, license plate readers, and a rooftop drone dock. U.S. National Parks have prohibited the use of drones for any reason – absent a special permit – since 2014, yet increasing numbers of drone pilots have ignored the ban, and there are some reports that it’s gotten noticeably worse since the government shutdown, although that is not entirely clear. Conducting illegal drone flights can lead to penalties of up to $5,000 and six months in ja

Also: Orlando Air Show Cancelled, ATC Staffing Shortages, CH-47F Block II Chinooks, Sustainable $$

More than a decade of hard work, legal setbacks, and community advocacy has finally come to fruition, with MOSAIC officially becoming a final rule on October 22, 2025. Around three-quarters of the entire GA fleet now falls under the sport aviation category. The October 22 date is the initial effective date, with additional reforms scheduled for July 2026. Diamond Aircraft is responding to a wave of popular demand from flight schools, clubs, and owners by restarting the production line for its Katana 2-seat single-engine piston airplane. The Katana is well-known for its performance, reliability, and value in the training environment. The company will be building the Katana at its facility in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, and the DA20i will be powered by the Rotax 912 iSc3. One of the more intriguing features of the 2025 Affordable Flying Expo, scheduled fo

While Flying North Along The Beach At About 300 Ft Above Ground Level, The Pilot Reported That The Engine RPM Dropped To About Idle

On September 28, 2025, at 1126 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Searey, N2090S, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Stump Pass, Florida. The private pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the preflight, taxi, and takeoff were all normal with no observed anomalies. After departing from Manatee Airport, Palmetto, Florida, the pilot stated he flew for about an hour and a half in the local area.

Aero Linx: European Association of Aviation Training and Educational Organisations (EATEO) Welcome to the “ European Association of Aviation Training and Education Organizations–EATEO”. EATEO aspires to be the European voice for driving the best aviation training and education practices and to provide a common forum for its Members, enabling them to contribute to aviation safety and other fields of civil aviation , to defend their common interests in European as well as international fora and to support them in their efforts as regards promotion of their training activities and the securing of new business.

As Long As You Ask Us, It's Usually OK

It's a question the ANN staff is asked too many times per week to count. The message usually goes something like this: "I really enjoyed the story Aero-News did on (fill in topic here.) I'd love to post it on my blog/newsletter/website... is that OK?"

On-Course Indication An indication on an instrument, which provides the pilot a visual means of determining that the aircraft is located on the centerline of a given navigational track, or an indication on a radar scope that an aircraft is on a given track.

“It also gives us the hard data we need to shape requirements, reduce risk, and ensure the CCA program delivers combat capability on a pace and scale that keeps us ahead of the threat.” Source: Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink, commenting as 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.

Completes South Texas Aeromedical Operator’s Fleet Renewal

Bell Textron hosted a special ceremony during the Air Medical Transport Conference to celebrate the delivery of a new IFR-ready Bell 407GXi to HALO-Flight of Corpus Christi, Texas. HALO-Flight has a long history with Bell, and this delivery was the final aircraft in the nonprofit aeromedical service provider’s fleet renewal.

To Discuss ‘Poor Little Lambs: The Baa Baa Black Sheep’ Story

The Commemorative Air Force’s Airbase Georgia announced it will be hosting a special presentation by aviation historian Stephen Chapis, who will discuss his new book, “Poor Little Lambs: The Baa Baa Black Sheep Story,” a long-awaited chronicle of the 1970s hit television series on NBC that celebrated World War II aviators and sparked a passion for vintage military aviation in an entire generation.