Also: Centauri Aircraft Valkyrie, Meet the Admin, Night Airshow, Pelton Intv'w

When we laid eyes on this critter, we fell in love… and then we learned the amazing story of this “Oshkosh Surprise” and were even more impressed… Less than $70K – fly away, 2 GPH, 100 mph or so, single seat, folding wings, and a classic look that catches eyeballs like honey catches flies. Jim says this is the coolest bird he’s seen at Oshkosh this year. The H55 program has been barnstorming the country for several months with an upgraded Bristell airframe, proving the technology, the installation, and the procedures necessary to lead the aero-biz into the future. It’s gonna be a wild ride… but at least it’ll be quieter! The folks at King Schools – John, Martha, Barry, and a whole lot more, have been busy. A new lot of scholarships are in the works, resources are being developed for today’s Airfr

New Zulu 4s Increase Audio Clarity While Chopping Unwanted Noise

While a good headset might not make or break your flying experience, it can certainly make your life easier. That’s the philosophy behind the new Zulu 4, the latest innovation from Lightspeed Aviation. With comfort, clarity, and pilot safety at the forefront, the Zulu 4 builds on Lightspeed’s mission “to save and protect lives” with features that go beyond noise reduction.

Scaling Down Workforce In Effort To Save Cash

Spirit Airlines announced it will be furloughing 270 pilots and downgrading another 140 as the company scales down its workforce to more closely match its downsized schedule and conserve as much cash as possible.

Aircraft Went Down Near Lake Shortly After Takeoff

Seven people were injured when a Czech-made single-engine Orlican M-8 Eagle (an aircraft that has been the subject of some concern) struggled to gain altitude after taking off from Palm Beach County Park Airport (KLNA) in West Palm Beach, Florida. The aircraft clipped the roof of a car before impacting the ground.

Cautious Museum Puts Solvency Ahead of Shows ’Til Next Year

Commander of the Valiant Air Command Bob Boswell took to Facebook to break the bad news: “This is to inform you of the status of the Air Show planned for March 2026. Our Event Center completion cost, as of today, is 32% over the initial planned construction cost and this percentage will increase as we continue to receive additional cost overrun billings." He explains that they could put the show on, but that would essentially gamble the very museum on good weather. If the show gets washed out, then they're stuck paying venders out of pocket without anyway to replenish the coffers.

Organization Counts 704,000 Attendees from 94 Countries

The numbers are in, and EAA AirVenture 2025 has once again outdone itself. According to the Experimental Aircraft Association, the event drew approximately 704,000 visitors to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, beating last year’s record by 18,000 and continuing a years-long trend of growing attendance.

Also: New Lakeland Fly-in!, Gleim's DPE, MOSAIC!

Nearly three-quarters of a century in the making, EAA is excited about the future… especially with the potential of a MOSAIC announcement within days or even sooner… At the same time, EAA has the responsibility to cater to much more of aviation, even beyond MOSAIC, and Pelton is ready to address that. Based on the lovely work done by Sandel years before, the Nighthawk program has been born, offering extraordinary Synthetic Vision displays and a modular architecture that allows for growth and improvements as the operator finds the need. The result is impressive… and surprisingly cost-effective. The Delta Force rolls on… with announcements of an agreement to build new 6 cylinder, 350HP engines for the Bushliner program as well as firewall forward kits for the RV-14… and example of which flew to Oshkosh from Oregon, boasting exceptional fuel savings… and

Also: Airbus Acubed Wayfinder FlightLab, Lightspeed Zulu 4, Pelton On Issues Plaguing GA

For the better part of a decade and certainly before the last several years in particular, the aviation world has breathlessly awaited the final rule for what we all know as MOSAIC… and now, the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, has left the Washington puzzle palaces to deliver it. The dream of flight can be had by anyone… and Able Flight has the noble responsibility of training those who might think that flight might be denied… by showing them how truly capable they are. This is one of aviation’s greatest endeavors. Sun n Fun 26 will celebrate the 250th anniversary of this nation and their own 52nd iteration… and they plan an extraordinary event featuring the Thunderbirds and all manner of aviation’s greatest planes, people and products… and oh yeah, ANN will be there! Airbus researches and invests in an am

Okay, It Won't Solve Everything Overnight, But it's a Small Start...

The FAA’s newest endeavor aims to add to the pool of qualified Air Traffic Controllers, addressing a shortfall that has been building for years. The new Control Tower Operator Partnership Program (CTO-P) will add a little more FAA overlap to the process of training novice controllers. They'll allow academic operators into the mix as long as they've got simulators up to par and a compatible curriculum. At the end of their training, students could fill seats at Federal Contract towers, helping to ease demand on the ground. At least, that's how the plan goes...

Duffy, Rochelau Take the AirVenture Stage to Unveil MOSAIC

Just a day into the world’s largest general aviation celebration, EAA Oshkosh AirVenture, two major US leaders entered the spotlight to give the community a much-delayed Christmas present: Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC). The ruling will go into effect in 2026.