Iconic Superfortress Forced to Push Back the Start of the 2025 Tour

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. The iconic bomber had been undergoing typical preseason checks.

Aircraft Forced to Land in California’s Riviera Country Club

The Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, which also happens to be a host for the 2028 Summer Olympics, turned into an emergency landing site for a Cessna 172 on May 2. The pilot was apparently experiencing engine issues and was unable to make it to Santa Monica as planned.

Manufacturer Coordinates Ninth Special Olympics Airlift

Mega general aviation aircraft manufacturer Textron Aviation is calling all Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker owners to coordinate athlete transport for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. This will be the ninth airlift event since 1987. Since the inaugural event, the SOA has carried upwards of 10,000 people to the Special Olympics World Games and USA Games.

Wichita Supplier Pauses 737 Work as Backlog Clogs Production Line

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.

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 pr

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: 787-Billion Pax, Ryanair Buying Chinese, Ballooning HoF, ERAU MX Competition

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 thro

High-School Soph Aspires To Become Airline Pilot

By Ted Luebbers The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 in Leesburg, Florida announced that the 2025 Ray Aviation Scholarship winner is Abdiel Hernandez from Tavares, Florida, a 16-year-old finishing up his sophomore year at Tavares High School.

Also: EDMO Adds MicroAir, Starbase City?, B-29 Doc Goes To Reading, MX Provider Sued

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

Two Cessna Caravans Move Dev, Testing, Certification Forward

Merlin, with its global headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts and developer of autonomous fixed-wing aircraft flight technology, announced the start of flight operations at Quonset State Airport (KOQU) in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, bringing its testbed program closer to home where the company’s two Cessna Caravans will continue flight test and development operations.