Check out https://affordableflying.net/attend/ Right Away and Get YOUR Tickets To the Affordable Flying Expo!

OK.... with a little over a month to go, it’s time to get serious! Thanks to the folks at Sun n Fun, we have a highly professional online ticketing apparatus at our disposal for next month’s Affordable Flying Expo. And we have other good news... use the code “AFE2025” and you can get $5 OFF the adult ticket price of $15 or even more for a three day pass. After an insane amount of work on the part of the ANN crew and more than a little hand holding by the event experts at Sun n Fun, the Expo is shapin

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 h

Also: Beech M-346N, Metro Gains H160 EMS STC, New Bell Boss, Affordable Flying Expo Tickets NOW On Sale!

Purdue University’s Research Foundation and the Archaeological Legacy Institute have confirmed that they will be putting their quest to find Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra aircraft on hold until next year. The announcement blamed seasonal weather that would jeopardize the expedition if it continued to wait for Kiribati’s green light. SpaceX is clipping the wings on its Starlink Mini users. The company announced that starting November 7, 2025, the maximum supported operating speed for its Roam, Local Priority, and Global Pri

AURA AERO Opens First of Two Massive Production Sites for the ERA

French aircraft manufacturer AURA AERO has officially cut the ribbon on its first US production site at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 11,000-square-foot facility will house the INTEGRAL trainer program and the future launchpad for its 19-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft, the ERA.

One of The Most Difficult Undertakings We've EVER Pursued, Is Coming Together

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 continues to grow. 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 lineup. Dynon Avionics is inbound, as is Sensenich Props, Pik West Insurance, Gyrocopter Flight Training Academy and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators... and that ain’t all.

Also: AIR Loses eVTOL Demonstrator, USCG Getting New Helos, Freighter Fleet To Grow, US Army Falls Behind

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, in partnership with NASA, successfully completed the first flight of the X-59, an innovative, quiet supersonic aircraft designed to return the capability of supersonic flight to commercial air travel. The X-59 launched from the Skunk Works facility at the U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and landed near the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. King Schools is stepping up to help fill the gap left by the sudden closure of AceCFI, offering impacted CFIs a major discount to its

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.

MOSAIC-Centric Event Set For November 6-8, 2025... DON'T Miss It!

After a master strategy meeting this last week on the grounds of the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo campus, details have been completed for the first MOSAIC-dedicated, MOSAIC-centric Affordable Flying Expo (AFE25). With the rule officially announced, AFE25 stands to be the best opportunity for MOSAIC-interested folks to get their questions answered and for the industry to show the aviation community that they are ready to serve this expanding niche. 

Collab With Teledyne FLIR On NDAA-Compliant Lynx And Orus-L

Teledyne FLIR OEM, developer of thermal imaging technologies, together with Gremsy, provider of UAV payload and gimbal solutions, announced a collaboration under its Thermal by FLIR program, leading to the introduction of Gremsy’s new NDAA-compliant ORUS-L and Lynx payloads for equipping drones with state-of-the-art aerial thermal intelligence capabilities.

Fielded For Initial Autonomous Launched Effects-Short Range Program

AEVEX, developer of autonomous solutions for defense, announced the U.S. Army has selected its Atlas Precision Strike System for its initial Launched Effects-Short Range fielding effort. The announcement comes after a successful user demonstration event and a series of soldier-led tests that validated the operational readiness of the system and its ability to deliver autonomous precision effects to further the Army’s priorities for modernization.

Klyde Bemoans Missing A Bit Of History

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

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

Also: UAL v WX Balloon?, NASA Reopens Artemis III, Anti-Aero Menendez, Electric Aircraft Cooling

Jared Isaacman, who was initially nominated for the role of NASA Administrator by President Donald Trump and then had his nomination withdrawn, met with SecTrans Sean Duffy on October 13, who interviewed him again for the position. However, reports have emerged that Secretary Duffy is interested in the role himself. The start of a new era of possibilities for recreational aviation is here now on the effective date of the MOSAIC – Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification – rule from the FAA. For recreational flyers, the new rule

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

Also: USAF Pilots, Advanced Aircrew Academy, ATC Hiring, Hop-A-Jet Sues

Pan American is attempting a comeback. Aviation merchant bank AVi8 Air Capital, alongside Pan American Global Holdings, has officially kicked off the Part 121 airline certification process to reestablish what was once the picture of aviation luxury. Avi8 claims that it has “assembled a world-class team to lead the certification effort and has received strong initial support from aircraft lessors and key vendors.” Spirit Airlines is announcing further cuts to its workforce as its long-running bankruptcy restructuring drags on. The carrier announced that it will

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.

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.

From 2017 (YouTube Edition): Pilots Competed For $10,000 For A First Place Finish…

Drone Racing came to the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo in January, with pilots competing for a $10,000 first prize. But the event was about more than just the money, according to Chris Thomas, founder and president of MultiGP, which organized the event. Thomas told ANN CEO and Editor in Chief Jim Campbell that the Sebring event was the first time MultiGP had worked with the FAA to conduct a drone race in close proximity to General Aviati

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 ev

We’re Hiring Editors, Developers, Video Journalists, Oh My!

Yes, despite the last few years being one of the most unpredictable stretches in aviation media we can remember, ANN is still standing… and somehow, still expanding. The pandemic didn’t exactly make life easy, but we’ve come through it with enough energy to tackle our next round of projects. Fortunately for you, they are already stacking up faster than we can keep up with. Moving forward, we’ll be ramping up efforts on an expanded “Airborne Unlimited,” launching the third version of the SportPlane Resource Guide in a digital format, rolling out coverage for all the greatest airshows, and diving into new Aero-Reality programmin

SportPlane Resource Guide (NG) Volume 3 is Bigger, Bolder, and a Whole Lot Easier to Carry

The SportPlane Resource Guide has, like many old kit builds, been collecting dust for years. Over the next year, the book is finally getting a third edition…and this time, it's going digital -- uit HAS to... its simply too big to carry around. Aero-News Network is well on its way to debuting the new e-book with a renewed focus on affordable, entry-level flying mach

And That's But One Of Over A Dozen Major Developments Planned For The Next Year Or So

Aero-News Network is now available on Roku and Amazon FireTV! That’s right folks. You can now get your daily dose of aviation news… right on the ol' giggle box! This is an EPIC development for our network, one of many to come, and we’re thrilled to offer you this new way to watch our news programming. Whether you’re a traditional website reader, podcast listener, or YouTube subscriber, we’re dedicated to giving you quality, honest, aviation news that you can trust and broadening our reach and audience aggressively in the coming years, so that we may both Grow and Inform the aviatio

Brand New! Avoid The Need For A Comeback... Get Your Marketing Right, Right Now!

Some time ago, the Aero-News Network, responding to numerous requests, established a marketing and communications sister company by the name of AEROPRENEUER... and it's been doing amazing work under these difficult circumstances -- and getting results! We're getting rave reviews from our clients, and working hard to earn the trust of a number of new marketing partners along the way. ANN's Amber Cedroni has come up with a few tips to help aero-businesses stay alive in these tough times, and

Whether You’re a Reader, Watcher, or Listener, ANN Has Got the Coverage You Need

Aero-News Network has been delivering aviation and aerospace news for thirty years (!!!), and by now, we’ve wiggled our way onto just about every platform out there. Whether you’d rather read, watch, or stream, there’s a way to keep ANN in your daily routine. Here’s a quick rundown of where you can find us...  

Aero Linx: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Our purpose is to ignite and celebrate aerospace ingenuity and collaboration, and its importance to our way of life. Our promise is to be your vital lifelong link to the aerospace community and a champion for its achievements. One Remarkable Fact Says It All: Since 1963, members from a single professional society have achieved virtually every milestone in modern American flight. That society is the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 95 corporate members, AIAA is the world’s largest technical society dedicated to the global ae

New Products And Programs From The Leader In Aviation News Online

The Airborne Partnership Initiative, we call it the API, is a plan developed by ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, to build a synergistic, industry-wide, aviation/aerospace news program. Our aim is to grow this program to include a significant portion, if not a majority, of the aviation world’s pivotal organizations, interests, and viewpoints.

Inner-Approach OFZ The inner-approach OFZ is a defined volume of airspace centered on the approach area. The inner-approach OFZ applies only to runways with an approach lighting system. The inner-approach OFZ begins 200 feet from the runway threshold at the same elevation as the runway threshold and extends 200 feet beyond the last light unit in the approach lighting system. The width of the inner-approach OFZ is the same as the runway OFZ and rises at a slope of 50 (horizontal) to 1 (vertical) from the beginning. 

"Aero-News has been working with SUN n FUN as their media partner for the better part of a decade and gotten to know their crew quite well... but this cooperative undertaking has proven to us that the folks that populate SUN n FUN are not only nice folks to work with... but incredibly talented to boot. ANN is just a few days shy of being 30 years old and we’ve learned quite a bit in that time... but the last few months of SnF tutelage have been a mind-blower. SUN n FUN, Aviation’s COOLEST event, is in the hands of some great people... and we’re proud to work with them and soak up a lot of knowledge along the way." 

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