Detected And Tracked, NORAD Says Routine, No Threat

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it detected and tracked a single Russian Ilyushin IL-20 Coot surveillance aircraft that flew through the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone on August 20, but it did not penetrate either Canadian or U.S. airspace and posed no threat to national security.

Space Agency’s Funding Could Hit a 60-Year Low

The US government has cut NASA’s funding to the lowest it’s been since 1961… and more than 40 space missions are being sacrificed to make up for it. Programs on the chopping block are not just future concepts; many are spacecraft that have already been paid for and even launched.

Lawmakers Question Air Safety After a June Crash Killed 260 People

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is warning that the nation’s current staff shortage is posing an “existential threat” to the airspace. This concerning message comes just two months after an Air India plane crash killed 260 people, leaving just one passenger alive.

Collab With Stetson University To Get Handle On Lake’s Health

Researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are collaborating with Stetson University’s Institute of Water and Environmental Resilience using drones to capture aerial imagery of aquatic vegetation that will be used to train AI models to automatically classify plant life and examine the health of waterways such as lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water.

Also: Spartan Acquires, ICAO Warns, Mesa Standing Strong, Fight Against the ATC Shortage 

India’s primary aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is forcing IndiGo to the stand after learning that up to 1,700 of its pilots may have conducted training in unapproved flight simulators. The airline has two weeks to respond. The regulator says the lapses involve training for “critical airfield” operations into Leh, Kozhikode, and Kathmandu… all airports that demand extra preparation due to terrain, runway layout, or other unique challenges. Body cam footage was recently pulled from the arrest of David Allsop, a 52-year-old Southwest pilot who recently learned just how seriously sobriety laws are taken when it comes to bringing hundreds of people into the sky. He failed two sobriety tests before being arrested and having his license revoked. Newly released body camera footage shows police escort

Also: H55 Completes American Tour, Robinson Trade-Ins, Retired AV-8B Harrier, NS-35 Mission

Organizers of the iconic annual Air Race Classic will soon be opening registration for their spin-off event, called the Air Derby. This so-called “Twist on Tradition” condenses the usual four-day, 2,000-mile odyssey into a one-day exercise in precision, planning, and navigation. Registration opens on September 1, with flights allowed anytime between October 1 and 14… and yes, unlike the original event, it is open to both male and female pilots. The National Championship Air Races have revealed the official lineup of competitors for the 2025 debut event to take place in Roswell, New Mexico, on September 10-14. Steen Strand, CEO of Emteq Labs, was the first to note that Kirk Hawkins perished August 19 in a wingsuit accident... Strand Posted, "I have devastating news to share. We lost Kirk, my close friend and partner at ICON Aircraft, to a w

Delta, United Allegedly Sold Windowless Seat Tickets Without Flagging Them

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines could be facing class action lawsuits after passengers alleged they were charged premium prices for window seats that had no actual windows. The suits claim more than a million customers spent millions of dollars just to find themselves staring at blank interior walls for hours.

Also: iFly EFB, World Skydiving Day, Air Avionics, Two New CubCrafters Kits

After a master strategy meeting this past week on the grounds of the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo campus, details have been completed for the first MOSAIC-dedicated, MOSAIC-centric Affordable Flying Expo (AFE25). With the rule officially announced, AFE25 stands to be the best opportunity for MOSAIC-interested folks to get their questions answered and for the industry to show the aviation community that they are ready to serve this expanding niche. Van’s Aircraft RV-15 has officially gone into production. Wing kits will be the first off the line, with deliveries expected before the year’s end. Van’s Aircraft is an iconic name in the homebuilt community, with more than 11,000 aircraft flying worldwide. One of the many surprises at Oshkosh, this year, was not just the classic and classy new Spirit SE-1, but the all-new engine that powered it. Spirit Engineering d

Also: New A4A Head, NCAR Still Green Lit, Textron ATAC, E-130J Becomes “Phoenix II”

SecTrans Sean Duffy, shortly after receiving $12.5 billion for the same cause, is looking for lawmakers to put another $19 billion towards the ATC system overhaul. However, it seems that Congress won’t bite until it sees meaningful progress from previous efforts. Duffy is signaling that what’s been allocated so far barely scratches the surface of what he claims is needed for the full modernization effort… lucky for him, the proposal has already earned some high-profile support. The Federal Aviation Administration Office of Airport Compliance recently issued a Director’s Determination that takes the side of a Nashville skydiving center, finally putting an end to a six-year legal dispute. The agency pointed out multiple grant violations, unreasonable requirements, and purposeful inaction in its decision. Archer Aviation’s &ls

Autonomous eVTOL’s Rapid Deployment Enhances Battlefield Adaptability

AeroVironment, developer of multi-domain intelligent robotic systems, announced the delivery of its P550 Group 2 small UAS (sUAS) to the U.S. Army for its Long-Range Reconnaissance program to support training and operations for the Army’s Transformation in Contact brigades initiative.