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.
Pilots
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.
Sporty’s and PilotWorkshops launch Real World Flight Review course
The course pairs Sporty’s Flight Review online video course with PilotWorkshops’ Real World VFR program, Sporty’s officials explained.
Picture of the Day: It’s an uphill journey
Nathan Mackey submitted this photo and note: “An H-295 Helio Super Courier from JAARS Inc. in Waxhaw, N.C., taxis up to the top of Strawberry Ridge airstrip in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The airstrip, which is just 1,150 feet long, has a significant slope on the last half of Runway 8. The pilot must basically employ full power to get to the top of the airstrip, turn around, and take off downhill. This strip and others like it are used as a ‘final exam’ for JAARS pilots who are completing their training and then will await their overseas assignments.”
The Titanic Thought Trap
The Titanic Thought Trap, officially known as the Normalization of Deviance, is the faulty thinking that doomed the Titanic and — almost — my beloved 1963 Cessna 182.
Caravan flies 7,000 miles without a pilot
Joby Aviation recently completed a first-of-its-kind demonstration of its autonomous flight technology, logging more than 7,000 miles across more than 40 hours in a Cessna Caravan without a pilot.
Diamond Fest celebrates homecoming
Diamond Fest, the official “Diamond Homecoming” at the company’s Canadian headquarters in London, Ontario (CYXU), was held Sept. 5-6, 2025, in conjunction with Airshow London SkyDrive, a drive-in air show.
Direct to consumer aviation insurance firm launches
The new company is active in five states — Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, and Virginia — with officials seeking regulatory approval to expand across all 48 contiguous states.