Operation Airdrop Brings Rapid Relief In Natural Disasters

Texas-based Operation Airdrop is part of the National Business Aviation Association’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) database of individuals and organizations in business aviation that respond to calls for relief mobilization during major natural disasters.

Air India 787 Dreamliner Switches Moved To ‘Cutoff’ After Takeoff

In the wake of the preliminary report released by the India Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) indicating that the fuel switches for both engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner involved in the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in June had been moved from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff,’ both Boeing and the FAA have said the fuel switches in Boeing commercial aircraft are safe.

Centennial Airport Hosts Across USA Tour Stop

H55, electric aircraft production company based in Switzerland, conducted a series of flights at Centennial Airport (KAPA) outside Denver, Colorado, where the airport elevation is 5,858 ft MSL on days that were 970 F and the resulting density altitude at takeoff was 9,500 ft. The aircraft took off smoothly and provided a climb of 500 fpm using a normal runway distance.

After 70 Years On the Market, There’s Still a Little Room for Improvement

Cessna’s long-running Skyhawk now features a solid-state dual electronic ignition system in all new production aircraft, reducing maintenance costs, improving efficiency, and adding another touch of polish for the type’s 70th anniversary. A dual Lycoming electronic ignition system is now standard on all new Cessna Skyhawk aircraft regardless of trim, replacing the dual magneto ignition system. Fewer moving parts, simplified solid-state electronics, and (probably) a reduction in weight all result in small improvements across the board, whether you're a lucky dog buying one brand-new in 2025, or one of the rest of us...scooping one up used in 30 years.

Pushing To Roll Out Air Taxi Service In 2026

Joby Aviation said it is scaling up its production of its aircraft by initiating production at its remodeled component plant in Dayton, Ohio, and will double the capacity at its main manufacturing facility in Marina, California, as it races competitors to roll out air taxi service in 2026.

From 2021: The Inside Skinny On What Being An ANN Oshkosh Stringer Is All About

By ANN Senior Stringer Extraordinare, Gene Yarbrough The annual gathering at Oshkosh is a right of passage or a pilgrimage to Mecca for many. However the rank and file public rarely have the opportunity to experience the FULL Oshkosh experience. Oshkosh, like onions and ogres, is a multi-layered microcosm within the enigma of the greater Wisconsin county in which it transpires. The Aero-News Network stringer has opportunity, and if so inclined, the access to every aspect of general aviation including the "behind the scenes" view few even know exist.

An Amazing Experience Awaits The Chosen Few...

Oshkosh, to us, seems the perfect place to get started on watching aviation recover the past couple of years... and so ANN is putting EXTRA effort and resources into our coverage of Oshkosh 2025... just a little under 90 days hence. We are now undertaking the process to seek talented stringers to help us present Oshkosh and the sport and general aviation community to the world around us. If you ever thought about joining us, this is THE year to do it. IF YOU want to be a part of this unique adventure, speak up NOW, rather than later, because we're going to be looking for the best volunteer folks we can find and are planning to do so ASAP. You've been warned (grin)....

Also: New FAA Head, Space Tracking Initiative, Vertiia's New CEO, Wright Electric 

Jetson got an unusual invite from the GOPR Polish Mountain Rescue Team: Try out a pair of their production single-seat eVTOLs in a rescue scenario. The team travelled to southern Poland with some Jetson ONEs in tow, trying out a number of practice scenarios in the local mountainscape. Bell Helicopter has been down-selected for Phase 2 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s SPRINT X-Plane program. This is a positive turn of DARPA phrase that indicates Bell will move forward in the Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) X-Plane program and complete their design for a demonstrator. They’ll go as far as construction, ground testing, and certification of the aircraft eventually, and hopefully snag some plush contracts along the way. China’s space program took a bold step forward as two of its satellites in geosynchrono

Also: Hydroplane Update, VoltAero Debuts HPU 210, MD State Police Helos, Jetson ONE Rescue Demo

Barely a month after the first major Boeing 787 accident, a preliminary report indicates that something may have been amiss in the cockpit. The tragedy took the lives of 241 people in the aircraft (with one improbable survivor) and another 19 souls on the ground. The prelim notes that, "The aircraft achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 Knots IAS at about 08:08:42 UTC and immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec. The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. NBAA is pushing back in a big way on a recent report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) that it says provides an incomplete and inaccurate depiction of business jet emissions and pr

"OIQ"???—What The Heck Is That?

Pay attention, Oshkosh exhibitors... this is IMPORTANT. The OIQ is something essential for those of you doing any kind of business at AirVenture 2025— it's your OSHKOSH INNOVATION QUOTIENT, and it can be critially important to the success of your efforts. It determines your relevance, your ability to innovate, and your value to the aviation world.  And this year, we think there is no better way to display it than one of the most anticipated episodes of ANN's award-winning Airborne news program—dramatically scheduled for the Friday before AirVenture opens the gates.