Aviation is so much bigger, more diverse, and more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. It wasn’t just the aircraft that made my life’s work worthwhile. My happiness wasn’t limited to the friendships I made, the destinations I discovered, or the challenges I faced and overcame. It was all of it. Every day was different. Every flight an experience I cherished.
Community celebration planned at SMO
The Spirit of Santa Monica presents Douglas Day 2025, a free community celebration honoring Santa Monica’s legacy of aviation innovation and community resilience on Sept. 21.
Fly Kansas Air Tour prepares for takeoff
Stops on this year’s tour include airports in Wellington, Anthony, Strother Field, Augusta, Eureka, Parsons, Emporia, Herington, and Salina.
Sling Pilot Academy integrates AI into flight training
The collaboration will bring NAVI AI’s tools directly into the hands of student pilots and instructors, supporting everything from ground school preparation to real-time flight analytics and post-flight debriefs, according to officials with Sling Pilot Academy.
Pilot accidentally moves fuel selector to off
Probable Cause: Fuel starvation due to the pilot’s incorrect movement of the fuel selector valve to OFF, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Picture of the Day: Seaplanes in Russia
Sergei aka asa34 submitted this photo and note: “Large aviation holidays have become more frequent. Here is a photo shot of one in Penza, Russia, of the seaplanes that attended. I also participated in my Tobago Socata TB10.”
A community celebration of aviation
Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI) in California has a rich aviation history that has evolved over several decades. Having last visited in 2013, I was curious to see the current incarnation of the airport’s annual fly-in, renamed Fire in the Sky: Watsonville Airport Open House.
Proposed rules would give drones right of way under 400 feet AGL
An analysis of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released in August 2025 aimed at enabling enabling autonomous unmanned aerial system (UAS) operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) shows the proposed rule will have implications for all users of the National Airspace System “in ways large and small,” according to officials with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
Bristell B23 gets FAA nod
The two-seat Bristell B23 from BRM AERO has received Type Certification from the FAA under Part 23 regulations, “marking the first certified variant in the company’s B23 series and opening new opportunities in the rapidly expanding U.S. pilot training market,” said officials with the Czech Republic-based company.