Share this story Quick Facts What It IsThe FAA practical test for an Instrument Rating — the licence to fly in clouds, fog, and low visibility PrerequisitesPrivate Pilot Certificate, 50 hours cross-country PIC, 40 hours actual or simulated instrument time, instrument...
Share this story Quick Facts What It IsAborting an approach and climbing away instead of landing When It’s RequiredUnstable approach, runway not in sight at minimums, traffic on runway, wind shear, ATC instruction Accident Factor~83% of approach-and-landing...
Share this story Quick Facts AircraftLockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II 2027 Budget Request85 F-35s total — 38 for the Air Force, remainder for Navy, Marines, and allies Engine Contract$6.6 billion for Pratt & Whitney F135 engines (Lots 18 and 19) Contract...
Share this story Quick Facts AircraftBoeing B-52H Stratofortress Deployment BaseRAF Fairford, England (8 B-52s and 15 B-1s forward-deployed) Primary WeaponGBU-31 JDAM (2,000-lb GPS-guided bomb, ~$80,000 each) Payload CapacityUp to 20 x 2,000-lb JDAMs or 30 x 1,000-lb...
Share this story Related: F-15E Down Over Iran — Crew Fate Unknown Quick Facts EventRescue of F-15E Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) shot down over Iran DateApril 5, 2026 — approximately 36 hours after shootdown on April 3 Aircraft LostF-15E Strike Eagle (494th Fighter...
Share this story Quick Facts AircraftYakovlev Yak-7B (Flugwerk reproduction, ZK-YKB) StatusOnly airworthy Yak-7B in the world First FlightMarch 26, 2026 — Omaka Aerodrome, Blenheim, NZ OwnerMike O’Rourke (New Zealand) Restored ByJEM Aviation, Blenheim (Jay McIntyre)...
Share this story Quick Facts MissionArtemis II — first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 (1972) Launch DateApril 1, 2026, Kennedy Space Center, Florida CrewCDR Reid Wiseman, PLT Victor Glover, MS Christina Koch (NASA), MS Jeremy Hansen (CSA) SpacecraftOrion MPCV atop...
Share this story Quick Facts AirlineDelta Air Lines Provider SelectedAmazon Leo (Project Kuiper LEO satellite constellation) RejectedSpaceX Starlink Aviation Aircraft Equipped500 (approximately 40% of fleet) SpeedsUp to 1 Gbps download, 400 Mbps upload per aircraft...
Share this story Quick Facts AircraftAurora X-65 CRANE ProgrammeDARPA CRANE (Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors) BuilderAurora Flight Sciences (Boeing subsidiary) Key InnovationActive Flow Control (AFC) — no traditional flaps, ailerons, or rudder...
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