World’s Only Airworthy Yak-7B Takes Flight at Wanaka
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)...
How to Read the Sky Like a Pilot
Quick Facts Cloud FamiliesHigh (cirrus), Middle (alto), Low (stratus), Vertical development (cumulus/cumulonimbus) Key Warning SignsAnvil-shaped cumulonimbus (thunderstorms), lenticular clouds (mountain wave turbulence), rapidly building cumulus (convection) Wind...
471 Pages to Reinvent How America Trains Pilots
Quick Facts ReportComprehensive Modernization of Part 141 Training Organizations Length471 pages Prepared ByNational Flight Training Alliance ReleasedApril 1, 2026 Comment DeadlineApril 10, 2026 (10 days) Key ProposalsCentral Management Office, SMS for all schools,...
Artemis II: Fighter Pilots Fly to the Moon
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 Space Launch...
Delta Picks Amazon Over Starlink for In-Flight Wi-Fi
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 Installation...
Spy Plane Caught Naked Over Texas
Quick Facts AircraftBoeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint RoleSignals intelligence (SIGINT) and electronic surveillance SpottedOver Greenville, Texas — photographed with paint completely stripped FacilityL3Harris maintenance depot, Greenville–Majors Airport Fleet Size17...
The X-65: A Jet With No Moving Control Surfaces
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 Wingspan30 feet...
GCAP Sixth-Gen Fighter Lands Its First £686M Contract
Quick Facts ProgrammeGlobal Combat Air Programme (GCAP) Contract Value£686 million ($905 million) ContractorEdgewing (joint venture: BAE Systems, Leonardo, JAIEC) Partner NationsUnited Kingdom, Italy, Japan GenerationSixth-generation combat aircraft Target In-Service...
Italy Blocks US Warplanes From Sicilian Bases
Quick Facts EventItaly blocks US military aircraft from using NAS Sigonella for Iran-bound strike missions DateLate March 2026 BaseNaval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily ReasonUS failed to notify Italy in advance; bilateral agreements require prior consultation for...
Battered but Biting: Inside Iran’s Air Defence Network
Quick FactsLong-Range SAMsS-300PMU-2 (Russian, 200 km range) and Bavar-373 (indigenous, 200–300 km range)Medium-Range SAMsKhordad-15 (150 km), Mersad (modernised MIM-23 Hawk), Talash family (60–200 km)Short-Range / Point DefenceTor-M1, Azarakhsh, Zubin, Ya Zahra-3,...
English
Recent Comments