“I am highly confident that discovery will show improper, politically motivated behavior by the FAA... NASA puts their faith in (SpaceX) for all astronaut transport to and from the (Space Station), but somehow (FAA) leadership thinks they know better…” Source: Excerpts from some posts by Elon Musk published on social media, calling out FAA leadership for what he sees as 'lawfare' against him and his companies. 

T-38 Graduates May No Longer Get Fighter Assignments

The U.S. Air Force has made the tough decision to change up their aircraft assignment policy, forcing a number of T-38 pilot graduates to receive non-fighter posts. This change follows the extremely present and ever-growing shortage of military aviators. For now, the Air Force is attempting to up their recruitment to ease the deficit.

Flight Test Program Accelerating

Boom Supersonic announced its demonstrator aircraft XB-1 successfully completed its third test flight less than three weeks after the second flight. The flight was piloted by Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg for his second flight at the controls. Boom is testing key systems and performance as it systematically expands the flight envelope. The pace of test flights is picking up on its way to the target of supersonic flight before the end of the year.

Personal Jet Prototype Joins Other Sonex/Monnett Aircraft

Sonex Aircraft announced that the original SubSonex proof-of-concept personal jet prototype is now a resident of the EAA  Aviation Museum’s collection in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The historic aircraft joins the original prototype Sonex and other aircraft designed by John Monnett. The display will be reorganized and includes the Sonerai I prototype, the original Moni motorglider prototype, and the Monex racer.

Pilots And Maintainers Move To F-35 Lightning

As the retirement of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II continues, the Air Force inactivated the historic 354th Fighter Squadron, which has flown the A-10 since 1991. The transition away from the slow-flying ground attack jets has been under way for years as the Air Force moves to the newer, more advanced F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. 

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While everyone enjoys a classic warbird, there's a certain kind of buyer who looks fondly at the "Twin Mustang" of yore, one of the USAF's last piston fighters to serve. Truthfully, the XP-82 isn't quite as simple as a conjoined Mustang, despite its looks. Originally designed to provide fighter coverage to long-ranged bomber sorties, the XP-82 (later F-82 upon adoption) was born into the waning years of prop fighters. SpaceX expressed exasperation over the state of Flight 5, noting that "Starship and Super Heavy vehicles for Flight 5 have been ready to launch since the first week of August." The Flight 5 test will include their "most ambitious objective yet: attempt to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and catch it in mid-air." On September 10, a Delta Airbus A350 and an Endeavor Bombardier CRJ900 were involved in a collision on the ground at Harts

Alleged Launch License Violations Lead To Fines

The FAA has issued proposed civil penalties against SpaceX for allegedly failing to follow license requirements during two launches in 2023. The penalties are in line with guidelines set by statute, the agency said. SpaceX submitted a request in May 2023 to the FAA to revise its communications plan to add a new launch control room in Hangar X and to remove the T-2 hour readiness poll from its procedure. On June 18, SpaceX conducted the launch of the PSN SATRIA mission using the unapproved launch control room and omitted the T-2 hour poll from the launch sequence.

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One of two private aircraft that launched from Apatity Airport near Murmansk in the Russian Federation with filed flight plans to Arkhangelsk was apparently mistaken for a drone and was fired upon on September 11. The airspace surrounding the Murmansk and Apatity airports had been closed under a temporary flight restriction (TFR) due to Ukrainian drone activity. The EAA recently expressed its concern about a new FAA policy that would limit Phase I testing operations. The order, 8130.2K, is expected to take effect on October 27. Order 8130.2K cuts down on the number of airports permitted for Phase I flight testing. Boeing workers have gone on strike. This follows their 94% vote to reject the manufacturer’s proposed contract on September 12. The 33,000-worker strike is expected to freeze Boeing’s operations at its Seattle hub and

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The 16th MidWest Aviation Expo is now history... and it sure was a good show. The ANN team sent four of our top folks to the event and came away impressed with the quality of the aircraft we saw and flew and the fact that the industry is soldiering on despite the fact that MOSAIC has been oft delayed and is creating a lot of uncertainty among manufacturers and buyers. The latest version of Aeropilot’s L600 was a focal point of RT Aviation’s display at the 2024 Midwest Aviation Expo. Test flights in the aircraft were offered throughout the weekend. The light-sport Legend 600 is an all-composite, high-wing, strut-braced two-seater. Its empty weight is a mere 739 lbs, though it still produces impressive performance and easy handling with a climb rate of 1378 fpm and 108kt cruise speed. Piston Aviation exhibited several of their light-

Will Complete Training In India Before Heading To IndiGo Airlines

Skyborne Airline Academy and IndiGo Airlines welcomed 19 new cadets to the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program in their recent Letter of Intent (LOI) ceremony. The cadets begin flight training at Skyborne’s Vero Beach Regional Airport (KVRB) in Florida. They will complete the conversion of their FAA certification in India and their type rating on the Airbus A320.