Competition Awards $320k to Eight Prototype Winners Ahead of Final Fly-Off

The GoAERO Prize is getting ready to enter its home stretch, naming the eight new prototype winners that are now one step closer to flying their emergency-response aircraft at NASA Ames in 2027. The organization is handing out $320,000 across the teams, assisting the transition from early concepts to real, flying hardware.

Manufacturer Learning Valuable Lessons from CCA Loss Against General Atomics & Co.

As the race for the “autonomous wingman” continues, Lockheed announced their latest entrant into the market as Project Talon, a modular UAS they hope hits the sweet spot between cost and performance. Events back East have really demonstrated the value of affordable uncrewed systems over fancy ones. Their recent loss against General Atomics and Anduril for the CCA contract further drove the lesson home: There’s no place for a 30 -million-dollar drone in 2026 and beyond. Talon takes that lesson to heart, with a 50% parts reduction, lower weight, and quicker manufacture, but there's still a long way to go, as they look to flight testing in 2026...

Also: AirVenture Tkts, Pipistrel TC, Samson Patent, Kolb Aircraft Resumes Production

The FAA has released an updated set of advisory circulars to support the transition to the long-awaited Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule, offering new direction for pilots, instructors, and light-sport repairmen. The documents, published November 14, aim to align long-standing guidance with the performance-based system that will replace the outdated light-sport framework when MOSAIC takes effect in 2026. Dynon has released SkyView HDX software version 17.4, bringing a fresh round of upgrades and quality-of-life improvements to its flagship experimental avionics suite. The update centers on improving usability, expanding hardware compatibility, and ensuring the system remains current with global data models and evolving technology. Attendees and exhibitors of the Affordable Flying Expo were the first to hear about a powerful new ini

Immersive 3D Visualization Tool Accelerates Learning, Improves Decision-Making

CAE announced at Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 it is expanding the use of its proven, advanced 3D visualization technology, CAE Ridge, to its Air Traffic Services training program. CAE Ridge leverages immersive and collaborative scenarios that accelerate learning and improve operational decision-making to enhance the training of air traffic control professionals.

Provo MRO Transforms Owners’ Vision Into Distinctive, Elegant, And Personal Project

The Provo, Utah, full-service MRO facility of Duncan Aviation recently turned out a striking and distinctive paint scheme on a Pilatus PC-12 that helped the owners transform the aircraft into an elegant and patriotic display for its owners.

Options For P550 UAS Could Extend Deal To $42M

AeroVironment and its partner Parry Labs have been awarded a 3-year contract with a base value of $13.2 million plus options that could grow to $42 million to provide the U.S. Army with its newly developed P550 UAS for its Long Range Reconnaissance program.

Also: Cosmonaut Kicked Out, Airbus Scales Back, AF Silver Star, Russian A-60 Clobbered

A Samaritan’s Purse humanitarian flight was hijacked on Tuesday, December 2, while attempting to supply a mobile medical unit in South Sudan. Authorities were able to meet the aircraft on the ground and take the suspect into custody without further incident. The aircraft involved was one of the organization’s Cessna Grand Caravans that operates solely within Africa. The FAA has taken an unusually cooperative step towards pilot mental health reform, reducing the stabilization wait time for approved antidepressant medications from 6 months to just 3. Though this is, in itself, a basic change, it reflects years of industry efforts. Under the revised policy, airmen and air traffic control specialists may now submit Special Issuance medical packages after maintaining a stable dose of an approved antidepressant for at least three continuous months. The maid

Boeing-Spirit Merger May Take Some Time

A New York Stock Exchange Notice says trading of Spirit AeroSystems will be suspended on December 8th, adding a little angst to the market. Boeing needs to fulfill certain closing conditions before they can roll Spirit back into the fold, but some are saying the acquisition could be completed early this week.

Also: IAE Acquires Diamond Trainers, Army Drones, FedEx Pilots Warning, DA62 MPP To Dresden Tech Uni  

The danger to the flight training industry and our future pilots is clear. Donald Frano, a member of the Central Florida Pilots Association, posted a statement as an urgent warning about the increasing number of airports using or considering using a third-party vendor to send landing fees to pilots based on ADS-B data. This began in Florida and is a growing threat that the aviation community needs to stand up to and strongly oppose. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, has thrown his full support behind the bipartisan Mental Health in Aviation Act (MHAA) by joining as a co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation. The bill intends to destigmatize mental health issues in aviation, train aviation medical examiners, and make it overall easier for aviation professionals to seek and receive mental health treatment without fearing the loss of their careers. The Federal Go

Also: Trailblazing Aviator Betty Stewart, Wind Farm Scrutiny, Chatham Ban Overturned, Airbus Shares Dive

A Thunderbird pilot, ID'ed alternately as Thunderbird 5 or Thunderbird 6, (but not yet confirmed officially) ejected from his/her Lockheed Martin F-16CM-52-CF Fighting Falcon Wednesday (12-03-25) during a training mission in California. The accident occurred near Trona Airport on an unoccupied dry lake bed area south of the airport in San Bernardino County. The pilot ejected safely just before the airframe impacted the ground. Air India somehow misplaced a 43-year-old Boeing 737-200 and forgot about it for over a decade. The Kolkata airport didn’t forget about the airplane though, and continued to add parking fees. The airline was oblivious until recently, when it received a parking bill that, over a 13-year period, accumulated to a total of 10 million Indian Rupees, about USD$120,000. Dynon has released SkyView HDX software version 17.4,