Ambitious Plan Updates With State-Of-The-Art Components In All Areas

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy revealed an ambitious plan to build a brand new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system that will modernize every area of the system’s infrastructure and every component in those areas. The plan is backed by the broadest coalition of aviation groups ever seen.

A Piece of History Reclaimed From the Rubble of Time

After a lengthy restoration from a collection of scrap off Taroa island, the Military Aviation Museum announced the first flight of their A6M3 Zero–probably the first Model 32 variant to fly since the factory made them in 1945! The Zero was put through its paces by the Military Aviation Museum’s Chief Pilot Mike Spalding. His notes are quite positive about the aircraft, a testament to the inherent quality of the vintage Mitsubishi design. "It handled very nicely and light on the controls. With only a couple small tweaks to the control trims and a couple other very minor adjustments, which are to be expected after a first flight, we will be ready for another flight (me and the plane)."

Feds Target Spike in Laser Incidents Near Sea-Tac and Spokane Airports

The FBI recently announced cash rewards of up to $10,000 for tips that help investigators catch those involved in laser strike incidents in Washington state. This aims to tame the drastic spike in laser pointer events on planes approaching Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane.

Fighter Misses Landing on USS Harry Truman, Goes Overboard

The US Navy is mourning its second $60 million loss in just over a week, with both incidents involving an F-18 falling from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) aircraft carrier and into the Red Sea. The more recent fighter failed to catch the arresting cables and went overboard.

Also: Rotax Service Instruction, LAA Jabiru Alert, New AMA Boss, FlightSimExpo

ANN’s Jim Campbell got an hour in the SLEEK Blackshape Prime last week along with a chance to wring it out a bit in order to investigate its performance and capabilities. The current generation of tandem hotrods are getting a lot of attention... but the Prime appears to deserve it. Our low-wing composite test bird was powered by a Rotax 915 and an MT prop, retractable gear and a lavish bubble canopy that makes one feel like they are flying a goldfish bowl... The Porto Aviation Risen has gotten a LOT of attention for a non-stop Trans-Atlantic run to oshkosh last year, distinctive looks and some impressive cruise speeds... but now, Porto reports that they have conducted necessary flutter analysis to make sure that the bird can handle the speeds demonstrated to this point. DirectFly USA brought several of its best-sellers, the Alto NG, to this year’s SUN ‘

Also: Hartzell Pathfinder Carbon Prop, RAF Flyby, Qatar's BIG Boeing Order?, ‘Luxury Aircraft Tax’

Three MB-339 jets from the Italian Air Force’s aerobatic demonstration team, dubbed Frecce Tricolori, collided mid-air during an airshow display. Luckily, despite some substantial damage to the planes, no injuries were reported. One of the aircraft hit two others while in formation. The three pilots quickly moved to get their aircraft on the ground. After a lengthy restoration from a collection of scrap off Taroa island, the Military Aviation Museum announced the first flight of their A6M3 Zero–probably the first Model 32 variant to fly since the factory made them in 1945! The Houthi rebels recently lost three out of their four aircraft, including two Airbus A320s and one A330, due to Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s primary airport. All airline and airport employees had been evacuated before the strikes, leaving no human fa

Six Waves Included Historic Lancaster, Red Arrows, F-35s, And More

The Royal Air Force executed a memorable reminder and celebration on May 5, 2025, of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe or VE day, signifying the end of World War II in Europe which was officially May 8. Six waves of RAF aircraft conducted a large formation flight over numerous sites in England concluding with a flyover of Buckingham Palace in London.

Also: Tricky Golf Course Deadstick, Textron Special Olympics, Artemis II, FlightSimExpo!

Stratolaunch conducted the second successful launch and recovery of its Talon-A2 autonomous vehicle in a flight that exceeded its previous speed beyond Mach 5, also for the second time. Stratolaunch is focused on expanding its hypersonic flight testing to support US defense objectives in its return to hypersonic flight since the end of the X-15 program in 1968. 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. 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

Herb Seems Long Forgetten, Klyde...

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Department Expands All-Bell Fleet, Adding Public Safety Capabilities

Bell Textron announced the delivery of two Bell 407 GXi helicopters to the Chicago Police Department, expanding the operational capabilities of its Helicopter Operations Unit to provide additional public safety command-and-control for its first responders.