From 2021: The Inside Skinny On What Being An ANN Oshkosh Stringer Is All About

By ANN Senior Stringer Extraordinare, Gene Yarbrough The annual gathering at Oshkosh is a right of passage or a pilgrimage to Mecca for many. However the rank and file public rarely have the opportunity to experience the FULL Oshkosh experience. Oshkosh, like onions and ogres, is a multi-layered microcosm within the enigma of the greater Wisconsin county in which it transpires. The Aero-News Network stringer has opportunity, and if so inclined, the access to every aspect of general aviation including the "behind the scenes" view few even know exist.

An Amazing Experience Awaits The Chosen Few...

Oshkosh, to us, seems the perfect place to get started on watching aviation recover the past couple of years... and so ANN is putting EXTRA effort and resources into our coverage of Oshkosh 2025... just a little under 90 days hence. We are now undertaking the process to seek talented stringers to help us present Oshkosh and the sport and general aviation community to the world around us. If you ever thought about joining us, this is THE year to do it. IF YOU want to be a part of this unique adventure, speak up NOW, rather than later, because we're going to be looking for the best volunteer folks we can find and are planning to do so ASAP. You've been warned (grin)....

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On his journey to become the first pilot to land solo on all seven continents, 19-year-old Ethan Guo hit a legal roadblock. He was arrested for altering his flight plan and landing in Antarctica without notifying ATC. Guo is an instrument-rated private pilot, allegedly with more than 700 hours of flight time. Via his Cessna 182Q Skylane, registered N182WT, he has already managed to land in all 48 contiguous states and cross the Atlantic three times. Four Vietnam Airlines pilots have been suspended as the carrier investigates a recent ground collision between a Boeing 787 and an Airbus A321, at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi. There were no injuries, and the planes were quickly swapped out for flights to continue. The U.S. Senate passed the budget reconciliation bill, aka President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, that contains $12.5 billion for the modernizati

Also: DarkAero Update, Electric Aircraft Symposium, Updated Instructor Guide, OSH Homebuilts Celebrate

The long-awaited Sonex High Wing prototype has flown... the Sonex gang tells us that the flight took place on the evening of Monday, June 30 2025, and was piloted by Sonex Advisory Board member Joe Norris. Admittedly; the flight was a brief one due to a passenger-side door latch issue. However, all engine temperatures were reported to be in the green and the aircraft was reported to have handled as-expected with only slight rigging adjustments needed. High on Jim Campbell’s flight test list, leading into Oshkosh 2025, is the Blackshape Gabriel... a close cousin to the Blackshape Prime he tested some weeks ago... to very positive result. He came away with solid opinions of the craftsmanship, handling and overall performance of the Prime, as well as the general attitude of the company folks he worked with, to whom integrity seemed to be

"OIQ"???—What The Heck Is That?

Pay attention, Oshkosh exhibitors... this is IMPORTANT. The OIQ is something essential for those of you doing any kind of business at AirVenture 2025— it's your OSHKOSH INNOVATION QUOTIENT, and it can be critially important to the success of your efforts. It determines your relevance, your ability to innovate, and your value to the aviation world.  And this year, we think there is no better way to display it than one of the most anticipated episodes of ANN's award-winning Airborne news program—dramatically scheduled for the Friday before AirVenture opens the gates. 

Klyde Has His Own Way Of Celebrating The 4th!

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

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Volocopter has resumed work towards the certification of its VoloCity eVTOL, this time under the guiding hand of Diamond Aircraft. The manufacturer filed for insolvency late last year before being saved in a $11 million deal this March. Volocopter had big plans: high-profile air show appearances, flashy partnerships with Honeywell and Mercedes-Benz, and a demo flight debut planned for the 2024 Paris Olympics... Swiss electric aircraft developer H55 completed over 50 demo flights in the Palo Alto stop of its Across America tour. The Bristell B23 Energic aircraft demonstrated the reliability of its electric propulsion system and the company said total purchase commitments garnered during the tour now account for the first two years of production. Searching through the debris of an assault on Ukraine led drone hunters to a startling discovery: Russia may b

Also: Netherlands Donates 18 F16s, 2 737s Collide On Ramp, E-7 Wedgetail Cut, AgEagle's 100th In S Korea

The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act was introduced in the House by Representative Bob Onder (R-MO) and in the Senate by Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), to federally restrict the use of ADS-B flight tracking data for non-safety-related purposes. The bills prohibit the use of ADS-B to assess fees or initiate enforcement actions unrelated to safety. 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. Volocopter has resumed work towards the certification of its VoloCity eVTOL, this time under the guiding hand of Diamond Aircraft. The manufacturer filed for insolvency late last year before

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A pro-Palestine direct-action protest group claimed credit for two of its members breaking into the RAF Brize Norton Airbase west of London during the early morning of June 20 and defacing two KC2 Voyagers while they were parked on the ramp by spraying paint into the engines and the aircraft exteriors, causing an as-yet unknown amount of damage. All racers have made it across the finish line for the 2025 women’s Air Race Classic, marking the end of a 2,426-mile journey that brought competitors from Fairhope, Alabama, to Spokane, Washington. The “Skybound Scotts” and “Frozen Force” teams led their respective categories. The race tradition started 96 years ago with the Women’s Air Derby, hosted in 1929 under the 1929 National Air Races. The Commemorative Air Force’s iconic B-29 Superfortress is getting rea

Also: 48th Annual Air Race Classic, Hot Air Balloon Fire, FAA v Banning 100LL, Complete Remote Pilot

The news Piper PA-18 Super Cub owners have been waiting for has finally arrived: CubCrafters announced the availability of an FAA-approved Supplemental Type Certificate, or STC, that increases the gross weight of the legendary aircraft to 2,300 lbs, more than 30% higher than the original specifications. The news comes after CubCrafters has been working on the down-low for years with industry partners including Lycoming, Hartzell, and others to make the Super Cub even better. On the heels of the first flight of yet another unique new type of aircraft to take flight with a Deltahawk diesel engine, their plans indicate that some three aircraft, the original SR20 (which ANN’s Jim Campbell flew two years ago), the Velocity V-Twin (Sporting TWO Deltahawks), and the recently completed RV-14 -- making for a total of four DH series engines to be