Also: Tidal Flight And DeltaHawk Collab, Russian Drone Strikes, Vertical Aerospace Transition, Power Bank Rules
The FAA aims to accelerate the deployment of AAM, or advanced air mobility vehicles. The new technologies are full of potential to transform aviation, expand connectivity in rural America, reduce road congestion in urban areas, and enhancing medical and emergency transport services. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and AeroVironment announced their collaboration successfully completed the first-ever air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition system from a Block 5 MQ-9A Reaper UAS and marks the first time a Switchblade has been launched from an unmanned aircraft. The SB600 was successfully integrated with the MQ-9A and flight testing was conducted from July 22-24 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds Test Range in Arizona. Personal aviation company Jetson recently completed the first-ever delivery of its ONE electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and to none other than Oculus and Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey. This comes as Jetson works to shift its business overseas, establishing new headquarters in California. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
Airborne-NextGen 09.16.25 is chock full of info in this Weekly News Episode, Tuesday, September 16th, 2025... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Holland Lee, Sophie Hurlock, Brianne Cross, Christopher Odom, and Laura Hutson, and is supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, and Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, this episode covers:
SecTrans Duffy Reveals Plan To Accelerate AAM Vehicles
GA-ASI And AeroVironment Launch Switchblade 600 From Reaper UAS
First-ever Jetson ONE eVTOL Delivery Goes to Oculus Founder
Tidal Flight And DeltaHawk Collab On Hybrid Powerplant
Russian Drone Strikes Force Poland to Respond
Vertical Aerospace Ready For Transition Flight Testing
FAA Asks Airlines to Crack Down on Power Bank Rules
Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again next week for the next edition of "Airborne-NextGen" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, next week!
@2025 Aero-News Network, Inc., ALL Rights Reserved.
Also: ATAC Contract Win, Starship Suit Tossed, Dutch Tax Oppo, ERAU Prescott ATC Training
DJI has brought the first-ever compact drone to feature a 1-inch sensor, its Mini 5 Pro, to the market… the European and Canadian market, that is. Government suspicion and tariff policies are preventing the drone maker from bringing its one-of-a-kind creation to the US, cutting one of the company’s biggest spenders from the launch. Just ahead of a live flight demonstration, two electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft built by the self-proclaimed ‘largest flying car company in Asia’ collided mid-air. XPeng’s technology unit, AeroHT, first drew headlines in 2021 with the X2: a sleek fifth-generation prototype that traded wheels for propellers, utilizing design characteristics from the XPeng P7 sedan. Andrew Kyle White of San Diego, age 37, pled guilty to federal criminal charges after admitting he twice illegally landed a small aircraft on the US Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island. The second time he landed there he stole a Navy truck and used it to damage gates on the island. White pled guilty to one felony count of theft of government property exceeding $1,000 and one misdemeanor count of illegal entry into a naval installation. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Spirit Airlines filed for its second bankruptcy in less than a year at the end of last month, and its competitors are now suggesting that this may be the beginning of the end. Speaking at an industry conference on Thursday, United CEO Scott Kirby called the ultra-low-cost carrier approach a “fundamentally broken business model” and argued that customers have already voted with their wallets. The Illinois Aviation Academy at DuPage County Airport (KDPA) in West Chicago, Illinois, announced it has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to train Vietnamese pilots under internationally recognized standards. IAA will now be able to support Vietnam’s burgeoning demand for pro pilots. Owners and operators of Piper’s M-Class line of single engine piston and turboprop-powered aircraft undertook three days of safety content, presentations and camaraderie at the 2025 Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) Convention in picturesque Lake Geneva, WI from Sept. 11-14. More than 260 attendees traveled to this year’s event in Lake Geneva, WI. Kenosha Regional Airport welcomed more than 70 Piper M-Class aircraft to the 2025 PMOPA Convention. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!
Airborne 09.17.25: 787 Pilot Busted, 1st Production Ascend, Sling 4 Cocaine Haul
Also: Douglas Day Event, Tidal Flight And DeltaHawk, Runway Lighting Systems, Supersonic Regs
British Airways suspended one of its pilots who was drunk while traveling as a passenger and caused a disruption in the cabin, with the captain returning to the departure gate at Edinburgh Airport (EDI/EGPH) and delaying the flight to London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) for more than 90 minutes. Textron Aviation announced the rollout of the first production unit of its new Citation Ascend business jet from its manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kansas. The FAA is expected to certify the aircraft later this year. The Citation Ascend is the newest member of the 560XL series of business jets, and employees held a special celebration to note the program milestone. At the scene of a plane crash that killed 46-year-old Australian pilot Timothy Clark, authorities came across nearly 200 kilograms of cocaine… and, oddly enough, it was completely covered in SpaceX branding. Brazilian officials are now investigating in hopes of learning where the drugs were headed and what went wrong on the way. The crash occurred at around 1:30 pm on Sunday, September 14. The aircraft, an Airplane Factory Sling 4 registered in Zambia, went down in a sugarcane field near Coruripe, in Brazil’s northeastern Alagoas region. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Also: Tidal Flight And DeltaHawk Collab, Russian Drone Strikes, Vertical Aerospace Transition, Power Bank Rules
The FAA aims to accelerate the deployment of AAM, or advanced air mobility vehicles. The new technologies are full of potential to transform aviation, expand connectivity in rural America, reduce road congestion in urban areas, and enhancing medical and emergency transport services. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and AeroVironment announced their collaboration successfully completed the first-ever air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition system from a Block 5 MQ-9A Reaper UAS and marks the first time a Switchblade has been launched from an unmanned aircraft. The SB600 was successfully integrated with the MQ-9A and flight testing was conducted from July 22-24 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds Test Range in Arizona. Personal aviation company Jetson recently completed the first-ever delivery of its ONE electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and to none other than Oculus and Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey. This comes as Jetson works to shift its business overseas, establishing new headquarters in California. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
Airborne 09.15.25: Last Call For RV-3/4/6, Second B-21, Dubai Show Bars Israelis
Also: New NTSB Nom, Plan To Accelerate AAM, New GAMA Members, SC CAP Wing Honors Duke
Van’s Aircraft is giving potential buyers their final chance to pick up a kit for the RV-3, RV-4, and RV-6 aircraft before they move into retirement once and for all. The deadline for orders is September 30, 2025. After that, no more empennage, fuselage, wing, or finish kits will be offered for the three models. Northrop Grumman announced that the second B-21 Raider stealth bomber flew from Palmdale, California, to Edwards Air Force Base after conducting a strenuous test flight. At Edwards, the U.S. Air Force will move forward with integration of weapons and mission systems as well as sustainment upgrades developed through an enhanced software package. Some Israeli weapons manufacturers have been refused entry to one of the world’s biggest aerospace expos in the United Arab Emirates after receiving letters from the organizers of the Dubai Air Show in November. This comes at a time when the anger of Gulf states grows as Israel continues its offensive action in Gaza, and more pointedly after a strike in Qatar that targeted Hamas political leadership. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne 09.12.25: Bristell Cert, Jetson ONE Delivery, GAMA Sales Report
Also: Potential Mars Biosignature, Boeing August Deliveries, JetBlue Retires Final E190, Av Safety Awareness
Czech plane maker Bristell was awarded its first FAA Type Certification for the B23 two-seater, assisting its effort to get on the US flight training map. The bird totals more than 1,100 delivered since 2009. Nearly 100 B23s are already flying in the United States. Personal aviation company Jetson recently completed the first-ever delivery of its ONE electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and to none other than Oculus and Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey. This comes as Jetson works to shift its business overseas, establishing new headquarters in California. The recently published Second Quarter 2025 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report, compiled by GAMA, shows a solid uptick in shipments for the first half of this year compared to last. Business jets and piston airplanes both stood out, though helicopters and turboprops weren’t quite so promising. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Also: SUN ‘n FUN’s EarlyBird, Rotax Advanced Start, Girls in Aviation Day, Lockwood RV-916!
The recently concluded Midwest Aviation Expo, hosted by the Mt. Vernon Outland Airport is a modest but overtly positive event in the sport aviation scheme of things. Led by Airport Boss Chris Collins, one of the best in the business, the event has been going on for 17 years and emphasizes a close and personal opportunity for companies to display their wares and for potential customers to spend time looking them over... There are a LOT of SportPlanes out there and while ANN’s Chief Test Pilot, Jim Campbell, has flown well over a 1000 unique types, there are still a lot of birds on his “Must-Fly’ List. One of them was the Flight Design F2. Jim says the F2 IS NOT a modified CT series bird... it is distinctively different and is most definitely not your Father’s CT. The Rotax 912iS powered F2 is a spacious, easily accessible high wing, trike geared, side by side bird devoid of wing struts and utilizing two mongo-sized doors on either side. Another bird that was long awaited for a test flight was the Vashon Ranger... possibly the only real LSA configured bird on the field using an honest-to-God Continental O-200 powerplant... just like we all flew in way too many Cessna 150s back in the day... but undoubtedly a bullet proof engine. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!
Also: Commercial A/C Certification, GMR Adds More Bell 429s, Helo Denial, John “Lucky” Luckadoo Flies West
CAF’s Col. Mark Novak has accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours in the two remaining airworthy B-29 Superfortress aircraft, Fifi and DOC, a feat that has not been accomplished in at least 65 years. Col. Novak has been a member of the CAF for more than 30 years and began flying Fifi in 2012 as the Second in Command. One year later he upgraded to Pilot in Command and flew the aircraft until 2022... On Friday, September 5, Texas pilots learned the hard way exactly how important it is to use tie-downs, with one plane being flipped by 75-mile-per-hour wind gusts and coming to rest on another. Several planes and hangars were damaged in the storms, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. The FAA has pushed back the expiration date for the Port-au-Prince flight ban from September 8, 2025, to March 7, 2026. The restriction, originally set to last just 30 days, was implemented in November 2024 after multiple American aircraft took gunfire while attempting to land in Haiti’s capital. The FAA order bars US civil aviation from operating below 10,000 feet in designated Haitian airspace around Port-au-Prince. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne-NextGen 09.09.25: Textron Nixes ePlane, Joby L/D Flt, Swift Approval
Also: Space Command Moves, Alpine Eagle, Duffy Names Amit Kshatriya, Sikorsky-CAL FIRE Collab
Textron eAviation is putting the development of its Nexus electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on hold, meaning its first flight is no longer part of the 2025 agenda. The manufacturer claims that its current aircraft lineup takes priority over the Wichita-based eVTOL project. The Nexus, a four-passenger, single-pilot design designed to serve short urban routes, was slated for tethered flight testing this year. Joby Aviation announced the completion of a first-of-its-kind demonstration of its autonomous flight technology in logging more than 7,000 miles of autonomous operations in over 40 flight hours, including the successful completion of a 4,925 mile ferry flight across the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii. The demonstration flights were part of the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) exercise led by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) from July 10 to August 8, 2025. Swift Fuels 100R unleaded fuel has earned ASTM production specification approval. This 100-octane blend is the company’s third to pass the milestone, with its UL94 being on the market for over a decade. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
Airborne 09.08.25: Swift Fuel Approval, ‘Diamond Lil’ Roars, SnF26 Tkts On Sale!
Also: Carrier Landings Not Required, UAL To Tel Aviv, ATC in College, EMAS Systems Stop 2
Swift Fuels 100R unleaded fuel has earned ASTM production specification approval. This 100-octane blend is the company’s third to pass the milestone, with its UL94 being on the market for over a decade. The Commemorative Air Force’s iconic B-24, Diamond Lil, is working hard to maintain its status as the only regularly flying Liberator. It recently accomplished its first engine run in more than a year and is now progressing through extensive testing and inspections before getting back in the air. Diamond Lil was grounded in April 2024 after routine inspections revealed weather damage to her fabric-covered control surfaces. Who said we can’t be excited for Florida’s favorite airshow year-round? EarlyBird Tickets for SUN ‘n FUN’s 52nd annual aerospace expo, celebrating ‘Red, White, and Blue at 52,’ have officially gone live. The 2026 event will be held on SUN ‘n FUN’s Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) campus from April 14 to 19. It is centered on the Americana theme, with the recently unveiled event poster paying tribute to the 250th anniversary of America. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Also: Sikorsky-CAL FIRE Collab, Big WestJet Order, Southwest Fined, AA's 1000th Mainline Aircraft
The folks at Deltahawk took us up on an invitation to join us at the Midwest Aviation Expo in Mt. Vernon Illinois... where Jim Campbell conducted a reacquaintance test flight in their SR20 testbed... 2 and half years after he flew it the first time... the first aviation journalist to enjoy the distinction. The next generation of Deltahawk Diesel, as installed in the SR20 is an astounding 277 pounds lighter... The aviation world, occasionally, has to put up with its share of nutballs... this time from a 57-year-old man from North Bend, who is now facing 17 charges after police say he broke into the GA area of Southwest Oregon Regional. Joby Aviation announced the completion of a first-of-its-kind demonstration of its autonomous flight technology in logging more than 7,000 miles of autonomous operations in over 40 flight hours, including the successful completion of a 4,925 mile ferry flight across the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne 09.04.25: Textron Nixes EPlane, Space Command!, CO MidAir
Also: Daher Climate Policy, Boeing Reveal, Another Laser Whacko, Spirit Proceeds
Textron eAviation is putting the development of its Nexus eVTOL aircraft on hold, meaning its first flight is no longer part of the 2025 agenda. The manufacturer claims that its current aircraft lineup takes priority. President Donald Trump announced on September 2 that the U.S. Space Command will relocated from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama. The city has a long and rich history going back to the 1950s and Wernher Von Braun’s rocket team and has been a major hub for space and defense companies. One person was killed and three others injured in a mid-air collision at the Fort Morgan Municipal Airport (KFMM) in Fort Morgan, Colorado, at about 10:40 am MT on Sunday August 31. The two aircraft, an Extra EA-300/LC and a Cessna 172M, each had two occupants and were attempting to land on runway 14 at the uncontrolled (non-towered) airport when they collided near the runway threshold. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne 09.24.25: Scaled Model 437, Sergei Sikorsky, Base Jumpers Sue
Also: British Airways Has Limits, Drone Pilot Sentenced, USAF Warrant Officers, Dallas ATC Outage
After more than a year being grounded for modifications, the Scaled Composites Model 437 “Vanguard” has returned to flight testing. The aircraft first flew in 2024, quickly taking a break from the skies as it prepared to serve as the airframe for Northrop Grumman’s Beacon autonomy test program. Sergei Sikorsky, whose father, Igor, founded Sikorsky Aircraft decades ago, passed on September 18 at 100 years old. He spent 41 years building his father’s legacy in the industry, taking Sikorsky’s groundbreaking developments and shaping them into some of the most renowned military helicopters in history. Yosemite National Park has been off limits to BASE jumpers for nearly 50 years. Now, a nonprofit called BASE Access is suing in federal court, arguing the ban is unconstitutional and that Yosemite should reopen to legal jumps. BASE jumping was born in Yosemite in the late 1970s, when skydivers Mike Pelkey and Brian Schubert jumped from the 3,000-foot El Capitan cliff. However, the National Park Service quickly moved to shut it down... All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
NASA announced it has awarded Blue Origin a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) task order with an option to deliver its VIPER exploration rover to the South Pole region of the Moon, where it will search for volatile resources such as ice and collect scientific data to support future exploration at the Moon and Mars. This award calls for Blue Origin to deliver the VIPER, or Volatile Investigating Polar Exploration Rover to the lunar surface in late 2027 as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign. DJI has brought the first-ever compact drone to feature a 1-inch sensor, its Mini 5 Pro, to the market… the European and Canadian market, that is. Government suspicion and tariff policies are preventing the drone maker from bringing its one-of-a-kind creation to the US, cutting one of the company’s biggest spenders from the launch. Uber Technologies and Flytrex announced their entry into a strategic partnership and the first investment in drone delivery made by Uber to signify a major step forward for autonomous logistics. The new service will begin with pilot markets for Uber Eats in the U.S. by the end of 2025. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
Airborne 09.22.25: Young Eagle Target, Tragic Cirrus Crash, Boeing Suit
Also: Medical Helo Shooting, Citation Latitude Starlink Upgrade, RCAF 15 Wing Upgrades, Helo Rescue
The EAA has its sights set on a monumental goal: To reach the 2.5 million mark for Young Eagles flown by next summer’s AirVenture fly-in and air show at Oshkosh. During this year’s AirVenture in July, the tally stood at a little more than 60,000 flights short. That’s when the discussion about reaching 2.5 million began in earnest. EAA took note that Young Eagles pilots recorded almost 63,000 flights during the 30th anniversary of the program in 2022-23. A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field near Macon County Airport (1A5) in Franklin, North Carolina, on September 18, missing an elementary school by just a couple hundred feet. All three occupants, songwriter Brett James, wife Melody Carole, and step-daughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson, tragically lost their lives in the incident. Three months after 260 people were killed in an Air India 787-8 crash, families of four victims have filed what will likely be the first of many lawsuits against both Boeing and Honeywell. They accuse the manufacturers of product defects and negligence, referencing an alleged issue with the fuel cutoff switch that could have caused the plane to lose power on takeoff. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
