John DeLeeuw of American Airlines would Take Over the Controversially Vacant Spot

Amid controversy from his firing of NTSB Vice Chair Alvin Brown earlier this year, President Trump is pushing to fill the board’s empty spot with Captain John DeLeeuw. The nominee flies Boeing 787s at American Airlines and serves as the carrier’s Managing Director of Safety and Efficiency.

USAF Pushing Weapons & Mission Systems Integration, Sustainment Planning

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.

Legacy Kits Move to Retirement With Thousands in the Air

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 iconic birds have been on the market for decades, earning thousands of happy customers around the world before the spotlight shifted to the newer lineup.

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

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 h

MOSAIC-Centric Event Set For November 6-8, 2025... DON'T Miss It!

After a master strategy meeting this last 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. 

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

Narrows Gap As Airbus Records Just Four More

Boeing announced it delivered 57 commercial aircraft in August 2025 to record its best August since 2018 and trailed its European competitor Airbus by just four deliveries for the month, tightening the gap from 19 fewer deliveries in July.

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 offic

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