A Bipe With Folding Wings, Convertible Cockpit and Aerobatic Goodness!
Sometimes it enough just to be cute... but it doesn't hurt to have a whole lot of other attributes to with one's cuteness... and the Comet FK-12 has that game down pat. A two seat tandem bird, the FK-12 is distributed in the USA by Hansen Air Group.
The aircraft is currently available, as a non-aerobatic mount with a Rotax 912S, while an aerobatic version, using a Lycoming AEIO-233 is in development. A taildragger, the aircraft boasts conventional stick and rudder controls and cruise speeds in the 90-100 knot range. A magnificently designed convertible enclosure system allows one to choose a two pilot bubble canopy, a dual pilot open cockpit arrangement or a single bubble enclosure for one pilot. Each of these cockpit systems can be changed out in a matter of minutes.
With over 100 FK-12 Comets flying worldwide, the design is still fairly new to the USA, but gaining interest rapidly. Heading for availability as an LSA bird, the aircraft has previously been available in Europe as an amateur built kit. A short test flight at Sebring, with a far aft CG (but within limits) and pretty much a gross weight load, offered the better part of 1000 FPM in a climb to 2500 feet and a pretty good slow speed capability down to and through 40 knots. 355 knots is the posted stall speed. ANN is looking forward to a full flight test of the Lycoming powered aerobatic version shortly.
An NTSB Preliminary report is shedding some light on the Rob Holland tragedy. And there now seems to be a mechanical element as a prime suspect. The flight was destined for LFI, where the airplane made a normal approach to the runway and when it was over the end of the runway, it leveled off about 50 ft above the runway and flew straight down the runway for several hundred feet. ‘The airplane then “porpoised” twice, pitched “straight up,” rolled 90° to the left and descended to ground impact.’ Airbus is resurrecting a former trade war tactic by redirecting aircraft deliveries to US airlines through other countries to avoid President Trump’s tariff chaos. The move is part of a broader effort to minimize the financial impact of proposed import duties on civil aircraft. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be throwing some extra cash at ATC Academy graduates, new hires, and controllers who opt to work past retirement age. Under the new cash incentive program, the FAA will grant $5,000 bonuses to all ATC academy graduates or new hires upon completion of initial qualification training. Graduates who are assigned to 13 facilities and have faced other struggles throughout their hiring and training process could even get a $10,000 bonus. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne 05.02.25: Joby Crewed Milestone, Diamond Club, Canadian Pilot Insurance
Also: Sustainable Aircraft Test Put Aside, More Falcon 9 Ops, Wyoming ANG Rescue, Oreo Cookie Into Orbit
Joby Aviation has reason to celebrate, recently completing its first full transition from vertical to horizontal flight with a pilot on board. This puts the aircraft one step closer to achieving commercial operation. The manufacturer’s all-electric air taxi demonstrated its in-flight transition capabilities for the first time in 2017. General aviation manufacturer Diamond Aircraft recently launched its official flying community, Diamond Flying Club (DFC), and its connected online portal. Through this, members can register their profile, share stories, and presumably talk about how much they love their DA62. “Pilots in Canada have faced numerous issues related to eligibility, aircraft type, age, and costs, all of which have impeded their ability to take to the skies. COPA aims to remove these obstacles with its new insurance program that will make flying more accessible for everyone. Launching this spring, the Aviators Canada Insurance Program (ACIP) is uniquely tailored to the needs of Canadian pilots and aircraft owners,” they said in the announcement. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Dynon Avionics has made a strategic investment in Trig Avionics. This investment brings Trig into the Dynon Group of companies and strengthens a long-standing partnership between the two innovators in general aviation. Dynon Avionics was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Woodinville, Washington. The U.S. Navy lost an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet in the Red Sea when it rolled off the USS Harry S. Truman while it was being towed. A factor in the incident was that the Truman was making hard turns to avoid Houthi fire. All personnel involved in towing the aircraft were able to avoid being dragged and are safely accounted for. Fairbanks pilot Kenneth Jouppi is being forced to forfeit his Cessna 206 Stationair after ‘knowingly’ using it to transport a six-pack to a dry village… 13 years ago. Jouppi, as the owner of KenAir LLC, was found guilty of a misdemeanor bootlegging charge after he assisted a passenger loading their cargo into the aircraft. These boxes and bags contained around 72 bottles of beer, however, and Alaska State Troopers were standing by with a warrant. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne 04.30.25: LIFT eVTOL Accident, Musk-FAA NDAs, Med Applications
Also: Boeing Reports, Airbus-Spirit, USAF CV-22 Milestone, ANN/Oshkosh 2025 Stringers
A HEXA electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft experienced a component failure while performing demo flights at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Though it was able to land without an issue, the bird and its twin will remain grounded until event organizers say otherwise. The HEXA is manufactured by LIFT Aircraft. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been busy spearheading a multi-million dollar communications project at the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency that regulates the same airspace Musk’s SpaceX flies through. Employees pulled into this project, charmingly named “Project Lift,” have claimed that they have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements. As airmen medical applications reach an all-time high, the FAA is turning to the public to review questions, comments, and concerns about the certification process. Many of these suggestions were offered during a recent listening session with aviation stakeholders. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Also: Boom Gears Up, Archer-UAE, Sierra Space Replicates Impacts, CRS-32 Mission
United Airlines has opened a partnership with JetZero that could eventually put it on course to receive 200 Z4 “all wing” aircraft. The design aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 50 percent. The investment was pushed through under United Airlines Ventures, which was created specifically to “support our efforts to find innovative companies that can enhance the customer travel experience and help the airline lower its carbon footprint,” explained UAV head Andrew Chang. The MQ-9A Reaper recently surpassed 1,000 flight hours in training exercises with the US Marine Corps. The milestone was met during a set of Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) courses. The USMC has been operating GA-ASI’s MQ-9A Reaper drones since September of 2018, though they were initially under a Company-Owned/Company Operated (COCO) lease agreement. For the fourth time since 2017, Congress is reviewing a bill that could completely reshape low-level drone flight in the US. The Drone Integration and Zoning Act would allow all 90,000 of the nation’s local governments to regulate drones below 200 feet as they please. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
Airborne 04.28.25: Onerous FAA Med Policy, Aviation WX, NFL Team v AeroVanti
Also: Airplane-Helo Risks, AirVenture Showcasing Korean War, United Purchasing JetZero Birds, Boom Gears Up
The FAA announced that the agency will not move ahead with its policy of issuing denials of incomplete medical applications when the prior long-standing policy was to defer them until the applications were complete. The agency said it will instead work with the aviation community to establish initiatives that will give pilots information on best practices to facilitate their medical applications as well as assist the FAA in processing applications deferred by AMEs. A recent report from the National Weather Service, showing vacancies as high as 40% in some forecast offices, has the industry bracing for lower accuracy and slower data reporting. The agency has already begun cutting several weather collection methods in more heavily affected areas. Aviation charter company AeroVanti is adding to its long list of lost lawsuits with sports teams, being forced to hand over $3.4 million to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The case alleges that AeroVanti failed to pay its sponsorship fee. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne 04.25.25: Rob Holland Goes West, NYC Heli Ban, Jepp/ForeFlight
Also: Flight Hour Reqs, Gulfstream Records, Boeing NGAD Award, TX Pilot Jailed
The staff of Aero-News is heartbroken to report that Rob Holland lost his life in an as yet inexplicable landing accident. Flying in to Langley Air Force Base, Thursday, Holland was a featured performer for the Air Power Over Hampton Roads airshow. He had been inbound form Nashville (KBNA) when the flight went awry... Vertical Aviation International is calling on its members to help prevent Introduction 0026-A from passing an upcoming vote. If their mission fails, only electric and essential helicopters will be allowed to operate using NYC heliports. Int. 0026-A was proposed on February 8, 2024, in the New York City Council. It aims to reduce noise by regulating helicopter operations at city-owned heliports. Boeing announced it is selling off parts of its Digital Aviation Solutions business to private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo in an all-cash transaction worth $10.55 billion as Boeing strengthens its cash position and focuses on its core business of manufacturing airplanes and key technical operations. The assets Boeing is shedding include Jeppesen, ForeFlight, AerData, and OzRunways. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne-Flight Training 04.24.25: GA Refocused, Seminole/Epic, WestJet v TFWP
Also: Cal Poly Aviation Club, $$un Country, Arkansas Aviation Academy, Teamsters Local 2118
In response to two recent general aviation accidents that made national headlines, more than 5,000 pilots have joined the “National Pause for General Aviation Safety.” This is a six-month campaign launched in April 2025 by the Air Safety Institute. The initiative, backed by the FAA and 22 other aviation organizations, urges GA pilots to slow down, refocus, and maybe—just maybe—stop flying into trouble. Epic Flight Academy and Seminole State College of Florida (SSC) have signed an agreement that enables pilots trained at Epic to transfer certifications as college credit hours toward a degree at SSC. A maximum number of 27 credits can be applied toward an Associate degree. An associate degree at Seminole State College requires 60 credit hours, so a pilot who goes from Private to CFI at Epic can get credit for nearly half that total. ALPA Canada, who have worked alongside the pilot leadership of WestJet and WestJet Encore to hinder WestJet management’s efforts to hire pilots through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), are boasting that WestJet management will no longer pursue the hiring of any pilots through the TFW Program. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!
Also: Astronaut Pettit & Cosmonauts Return, Malaysia Wants Boeing Slots, Germany Nixes Typhoon Sale, More Boeing Woes
The CAF’s restored C-47 Skytrain “Ready 4 Duty” arrived at Maxwell AFB (KMXF) in Montgomery, Alabama, on April 17 for the first stop in its Navy to Victory tour recognizing the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. The tour will cover 12,000 miles as it makes 30 stops in 7 countries in the USand Europe, returning home to Lancaster, Texas on July 4. For the fourth time since 2017, Congress is reviewing a bill that could completely reshape low-level drone flight in the US. The Drone Integration and Zoning Act would allow all 90,000 of the nation’s local governments to regulate drones below 200 feet as they please. The concept was first introduced under the name ‘Drone Federalism Act’ in 2017. The bill changed to its current title, ‘Drone Integration and Zoning Act,’ when Senator Mike Lee brought it back to Congress in 2019, 2023, and now in 2025 as S.1249. After a major NOTAM system outage caused a nationwide ground stop in 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration finally decided that it is ready to make a change. The agency is working with CGI Federal to get an upgrade in place sometime this year. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne-NextGen 04.22.25: NYC eVTOL Network, ForgeStar-1, Drone Safety Day
Also: CiES Documents, Hypersonic Tech, SKYTRAC Health Monitoring, Skyryse
Archer Aviation announced a blueprint for an eVTOL network in New York City that would connect travelers between Manhattan and nearby airports in New York and New Jersey that would use existing aviation assets like helipads in the city and airports as nodes for travelers looking to save travel time. In preparation for an upcoming In-Space Advanced Manufacturing (ISAM) mission, UK-based startup Space Forge has officially shipped its ForgeStar-1 satellite to the US. The work aims to harness space’s extreme conditions to create materials unavailable here on the blue planet. The company’s first rendition of the microwave-sized in-space manufacturing satellite, titled Forgestar-0, launched on a Virgin Orbit rocket in January 2023. However, a failure of the spacecraft’s fuel filter caused Forgestar-0 and several other research satellites to land in the Atlantic Ocean rather than orbit. Drone Safety Day (DSD) is the FAA’s annual campaign dedicated to educating the drone community of the importance of flying safely and highlight the good that drones contribute to our community. DSD highlights the benefits of safe drone operations with in-person, virtual, and hybrid events in focus areas such as Education, Environment, and Emergencies. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
Airborne 04.21.25: Charter bust, VeriJet Woes, Visual Approach Risks
Also: Sun Country CEO to Spirit, Indian AF Rafale Jets, Archer-United, Avflight Grows
Federal prosecutors recently filed a lawsuit against an uncertified charter flight company and its owner, citing at least 237 flights with suspicious operations. If proven true, each flight comes with at least 16 FAR violations. Verijet is being forced to chalk up $328,000 for a default judgment, won by a customer who claims that he was denied the 100 flight hours that he purchased. On January 15, 2023, Brandon Kruse dropped $275,000 on a Verijet JetCard that would give him 100 flight hours in the operator’s Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet fleet. He was charged an additional $20,625 in Federal Excise Tax on the purchase, bringing his tab to $295,625. In light of several recent blunders, the FAA has published a new Safety Alert For Operators (SAFO) regarding risks associated with visual approaches. It aims to remind carriers and pilots of how important it is to listen to ATC when it’s possible, and speak up when it’s not. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne 04.18.25: Gulfstream G800 TC, Wingsuit Records, Bad Heli Mechanic
Also: Silver Airways Bankruptcy, China v Boeing, Intense HeliRescue, Boeing Potty $$$
Gulfstream Aerospace announced that its all-new Gulfstream G800 long range bizjet has received type certifications from both the U.S. FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA. Its certification performance capabilities were higher than anticipated. The certification numbers confirm enhanced performance for the aircraft. Chilean wingsuit pilot Sebastián ‘Ardilla’ Álvarez completed an incredible flight at the West Tennessee Skydiving center on March 22, 2025, at the Wings Field Airport (2TN2) in Whiteville, east of Memphis, under official FAI observation. Alvarez is a former Chilean Air Force pilot and skydiver and he completed the flight as part of the Red Bull Starman mission. The owner of California-based maintenance facility Light Helicopter Depot is facing decades in prison after he replaced a customer’s old parts with even older, more damaged ones. He and his company are charged with 10 counts, including eight related to this incident and two for wire fraud. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne Affordable Flyers 05.08.25: Blackshape Test, Risen, Alto NG Sells Out
Also: Rotax Service Instruction, LAA Jabiru Alert, New AMA Boss, FlightSimExpo
ANN’s Jim Campbell got an hour in the SLEEK Blackshape Prime last week along with a chance to wring it out a bit in order to investigate its performance and capabilities. The current generation of tandem hotrods are getting a lot of attention... but the Prime appears to deserve it. Our low-wing composite test bird was powered by a Rotax 915 and an MT prop, retractable gear and a lavish bubble canopy that makes one feel like they are flying a goldfish bowl... The Porto Aviation Risen has gotten a LOT of attention for a non-stop Trans-Atlantic run to oshkosh last year, distinctive looks and some impressive cruise speeds... but now, Porto reports that they have conducted necessary flutter analysis to make sure that the bird can handle the speeds demonstrated to this point. DirectFly USA brought several of its best-sellers, the Alto NG, to this year’s SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo. In the end, every single one sold and will be put to work in a flight training role. Demand has yet to slow, with this year’s production slots still filling up. Part of this can be attributed to the fact that the company’s prices have remained almost the same despite current import tax bumps. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!
Airborne 05.07.25: Talon A-2 Hypersonic, FIFI Under Repair, Spirit Furloughs
Also: Tricky Golf Course Deadstick, Textron Special Olympics, Artemis II, FlightSimExpo!
Stratolaunch conducted the second successful launch and recovery of its Talon-A2 autonomous vehicle in a flight that exceeded its previous speed beyond Mach 5, also for the second time. Stratolaunch is focused on expanding its hypersonic flight testing to support US defense objectives in its return to hypersonic flight since the end of the X-15 program in 1968. FIFI, one of only two flying B-29 Superfortresses, will be grounded for the next month or so for intensive repairs to two of its engines. Unfortunately, this timing means that the Commemorative Air Force will be forced to push back its 2025 AirPower History Tour. Spirit AeroSystems is temporarily laying off between 250 and 350 employees at its Wichita facility, citing an overproduction of parts for the Boeing 737. The furloughs, which begin May 12 and are expected to last about 30 days. They will affect employees working in 737 fabrication and composite thrust reverser components. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!
Airborne-NextGen 05.06.25: AF Uncrewed Fighters, Drones v Planes, Joby Crew Test
Also: AMA Names Tyler Dobbs, More Falcon 9 Ops, Firefly Launch Unsuccessful, Autonomous F-16s
The Air Force has begun ground testing a future uncrewed jet design in a milestone towards pilotless dogfighting. The YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A will be used to evaluate proposed focusing on propulsion systems, avionics, autonomy integration and ground control interfaces, helping to validate the performance of things as they are now while the USAF plans for future developments. A recent analysis claims that drones are responsible for up to two-thirds of near-misses with commercial aircraft at America’s busiest airports. The FAA has taken steps to avoid these events, but the spike in unauthorized drone flights certainly is not aiding their cause. Joby Aviation has reason to celebrate, recently completing its first full transition from vertical to horizontal flight with a pilot on board. This puts the aircraft one step closer to achieving commercial operation. The manufacturer’s all-electric air taxi demonstrated its in-flight transition capabilities for the first time in 2017. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
