Closest View Yet of F-22 Raptor With Stealth Tanks and Stealth Pods
New high‑resolution photographs reveal a Lockheed Martin F‑22A Raptor equipped with stealthy external fuel tanks and twin equipment pods. The pods appear to house an infrared search‑and‑track (IRST) or similar optical targeting system, while the tanks feature low‑observable shaping to cut radar signature. Both items have been in development for years but this is the clearest visual confirmation to date. The configuration was observed during a test flight, indicating imminent integration into operational fleets.
This European Airline Wants to Charge Premium Fares But Offer Low-Cost Vibes as Latest Cost-Cutting Plan Is Derided as ‘Cheap...
Lufthansa, Europe’s flagship carrier, is piloting a "light cleaning" concept on short‑haul flights, cleaning only Business Class cabins while economy sections and lavatories are serviced on demand. The trial runs on 20 routes between March 16 and March 29, targeting...
The Cuban Air Force Pilot Who Defected to the US with His MiG-23, Borrowed a Cessna 310, Flew Back to...
On March 20, 1991 Cuban Air Force pilot Orestes Lorenzo Perez flew his MiG‑23 to NAS Key West, seeking political asylum in the United States. After months of diplomatic deadlock, he raised $30,000 to purchase a 1961 Cessna 310 and,...
Ethiopian Airlines Is the Latest Airline to Join JFK’s New Terminal One
Ethiopian Airlines announced it will relocate from Terminal 7 to the new JFK Terminal One when the facility opens in 2026. The move makes the carrier the latest Star Alliance member to join the $19 billion redevelopment of New York’s flagship airport. Ethiopian’s...
Maris-Tech Integrates Quantum Gyroscope with Edge AI for Resilient Navigation
Maris‑Tech Ltd. and Quantum Gyro are merging a nuclear‑magnetic‑resonance (NMR) quantum gyroscope with Maris‑Tech's edge‑AI platform to build a resilient navigation system. The hybrid architecture targets bias drift under 0.01 degrees per hour, a precision level previously limited to large,...
NASA Asks For Shuttle Relocation Ideas
NASA has issued a Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) to create a Multimodal Transportation Multiple Award IDIQ contract for moving flown space vehicles, ranging from full‑size Shuttle orbiters to small capsules like Orion. The solicitation seeks industry input on engineering...
JetBlue Pilots Sue Airline Over ‘Blue Sky’ Partnership With United That They Fear Will Lead to Job Losses
JetBlue pilots, represented by ALPA, have filed a lawsuit to force full arbitration over the airline’s new "Blue Sky" partnership with United, which they claim threatens the jobs of more than 4,600 pilots. The partnership, announced in May 2025, allows...
Air India Made Passengers Endure A 14-Hour Flight To Nowhere — It Sent An Ex-Delta Plane Without Enough Oxygen For...
Air India’s Delhi‑Vancouver flight 185 turned back after seven hours when the airline discovered it had dispatched an ex‑Delta Boeing 777‑200LR lacking the mandatory emergency‑oxygen system for high‑terrain routes. The aircraft, registered VT‑AEI, was part of a leased sub‑fleet not approved...
Study Compares CNC, SLM, Extrusion For UAV Part
A recent Sustainability study compares CNC milling, Selective Laser Melting (SLM), and metal extrusion (MEX) for producing a VTOL UAV component. The analysis evaluates material efficiency, energy consumption, capital investment, and post‑processing labor across a single functional part. Results show...
Italian Eurofighters Intercept Russian Su-30 That Violated Estonian Airspace Over the Baltic Sea
On 18 March 2026 a Russian Navy Su‑30SM entered Estonian airspace for about a minute, prompting the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission to scramble Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons from Ämari. The Su‑30, flying without a flight plan or radio...
Hundreds of Jobs to Be Created at Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Ryanair is expanding its aircraft maintenance facility at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, adding four new bays to bring the total to ten. The £40 million investment, underpinned by more than £15 million in public funding, will generate roughly 450 engineering jobs and 60...
Podcast: Building the Defense Backbone: Precision Aerospace & Defense and FACT II (FACT)
Precision Aerospace & Defense Group and FACT II Acquisition Corp announced a $310 million business combination, turning the defense‑supplier roll‑up into a publicly traded entity via a SPAC. The deal, disclosed in December, positions Precision to build an EBITDA‑positive network of critical...
When Soviets Faked a Flyby of 28 Myasishchev M-4s to Pretend They Had a Credible Fleet of Bombers, the US...
In July 1955 the Soviet Union staged a fly‑by of Myasishchev M‑4 bombers, looping ten aircraft and re‑using eight to give the illusion of a 28‑plane fleet. Western observers, convinced the USSR now fielded a credible intercontinental bomber, pressed Congress...
ESA to Purchase SpaceX Crew Dragon Mission to ISS
The European Space Agency announced it will purchase a dedicated SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to the International Space Station, creating the ESA Provided Institutional Crew (EPIC) mission. The EPIC flight is planned as a medium‑duration stay of roughly one month,...
UK Open to Expanding GCAP as Poland Signals Interest
The United Kingdom’s defence secretary said Britain is open in principle to discussing the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with additional nations, as Poland signals interest in joining. Healey stressed that the core partnership of the UK, Japan and Italy...
Royal Navy Seeks Rapidly Deployable Drone Picket Ships
The Royal Navy’s Project HORUS is launching a fast‑track effort to acquire uncrewed picket ships equipped with advanced sensors for persistent air‑search capability. The Ministry of Defence demands delivery within four to six months, with platforms capable of autonomous operation...
China’s J-16D EW Jet Seen Flying with PL-15 Missiles Possibly for the First Time
China’s PLAAF J-16D electronic warfare jet was photographed on March 17, 2026, carrying two PL-15 beyond‑visual‑range air‑to‑air missiles and three RKZ930‑xx jamming pods, marking the first known flight appearance of this weapons combination. The J-16D, a specialized variant of the...
Subscriber Update on Production, Deliveries, and Orders
AirInsight’s March 2026 subscriber update shows both Boeing and Airbus struggling to keep narrow‑body production ahead of deliveries. Boeing resolved a 737 MAX wiring fault, produced 120 jets through March 18 and delivered 113, with a short‑term delivery lag expected to clear...
NASA Shifts From Boeing and SLS Towards SpaceX for Moon Missions
NASA has proposed a new Artemis architecture that moves translunar injection and lunar landing responsibilities from the SLS/Orion stack to SpaceX's Starship. Artemis III in 2027 will serve as a low‑risk LEO docking rehearsal that mirrors the new flow. Artemis...
Flights to Atlanta Resume With Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines announced the resumption of scheduled flights between Addis Ababa and Atlanta, launching service on May 21, 2026 with Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 aircraft. Economy seats are priced as low as $999, but tickets must be purchased...
Loganair Makes UK Aviation History with First All-Electric Flight
Loganair completed the United Kingdom's first all‑electric commercial flight, operating BETA Technologies' ALIA CTOL between Glasgow and Dundee. The aircraft carried freight, mail and medical supplies as part of a two‑week demonstration across the airline’s network. The trial showcases practical,...
Embraer E-Freighter Programme Wins Prestigious Aviation Week Award
Embraer’s E‑Freighter programme captured the 2026 Aviation Week Program Excellence Award in the OEM category, highlighting the rapid conversion of the E‑Jet platform into a certified freighter. The E190F was developed in just 29 months, delivering a 13,500 kg payload, 40%...
The Airlines See Only Sunshine and Rainbows
At the JP Morgan Industrials Conference, U.S. legacy carriers reported record‑breaking demand as Q1 closed. Delta, American and United each logged multiple top‑sales days or weeks, while JetBlue and Frontier lifted revenue outlooks. United disclosed a $4.6 billion jet‑fuel cost hit and...
Blue Angels CO Tells Why the Team Chose the A-4 over the F-14 and A-7 to Replace the F-4
After a series of F-4J Phantom II accidents and high fuel consumption, the Blue Angels were ordered to replace their aircraft in the mid‑1970s. Program manager Ken Wallace evaluated the F‑14 and A‑7 but rejected them due to cost and...
SpaceX Starship V3 Initiated a Ten Engine Static Fire
SpaceX completed the initial activation campaign for the Super Heavy V3 booster, loading cryogenic propellant and conducting a ten‑engine static fire on Starbase Pad 2. All ten Raptor 3 engines ignited, confirming the new engine design’s start‑up reliability. The test was cut...
SpaceX’s Starship V3 Is Almost Ready and It Will Change Space Travel Forever
SpaceX is gearing up for an April test flight of Starship V3, the next‑generation launch system featuring a taller Super Heavy booster and upgraded Raptor 3 engines. The new vehicle boosts low‑Earth‑orbit payload capacity to roughly 200 tons, a dramatic jump from...
10 Steel Marvels of Aviation
During World War II and the early post‑war period, aircraft designers turned to steel when aluminium was scarce or when extra protection was essential. Notable examples include the German Henschel Hs 129 and Soviet Ilyushin Il‑2, both featuring steel “armoured tubs” that...
After More Than Four Years, Ukraine Is Preparing to Reopen Its Airspace to Commercial Flights
Ukraine is forming a special working group to prepare the safe reopening of its commercial airspace after more than four years of total closure following the 2022 Russian invasion. The group will involve the civil aviation authority, ICAO, IATA and...
Press Release: Greenpoint Delivers VVIP BBJ 787-9 Interior Completion
Greenpoint Technologies, a Safran company, has delivered a VVIP Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 787‑9 interior completion to an undisclosed client, reinforcing its leadership on the 787 platform. The project showcases Greenpoint’s vertically integrated execution model that combines design, engineering, manufacturing,...
Press Release: Honeywell, Boeing and Reading Advance Contrail Sensing
Honeywell, Boeing and the University of Reading have launched Project MIST, a joint effort funded by the UK Aerospace Technology Institute to develop an aircraft‑mounted humidity sensor. The prototype aims to close data gaps in high‑altitude moisture measurements, improving contrail...
FAA Clears Boeing 777-9 to Begin First Part of TIA Phase 4 Certification Trials
The FAA announced on March 17 that Boeing received clearance to start Phase 4A of the Type Inspection Authorization for its 777‑9, the first segment of the five‑phase certification program. Phase 4A will involve extensive air‑ and ground‑based system tests, mirroring the workload...
Turkish Airlines Launches Flights From Third London Airport
Turkish Airlines inaugurated a new service linking Istanbul Airport to London Stansted, marking its third London gateway. The launch was celebrated with a ceremony attended by airline and airport executives. The carrier now operates from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh and...
Delta Flight to Taipei Makes Emergency Diversion After Passenger Uses the ‘N Word’ On Flight Attendant
Delta Air Lines diverted its Seattle‑Taipei flight to Anchorage after passenger Malcolm Martin used a racial slur and threatened a flight attendant, prompting a Level 3 threat designation and cockpit lockdown. An FBI affidavit shows Martin was charged with interference with...
ESA to Incentivise the Use of European Launchers for LEO Cargo Return Initiative
The European Space Agency announced a €50 million incentive to encourage the use of Ariane 6 or other European launchers for its ALADDIN demonstration missions, part of the LEO Cargo Return Services program. Up to €420 million per contract will be awarded, split...
Iran War: Qatar Airways Evacuates Four Widebody Airplanes to a Deep Storage Facility in the Aragon Mountains
Qatar Airways evacuated four Airbus A330 wide‑bodies from Doha to Tarmac Aerosave in Teruel, Spain, after the Iran‑Qatar conflict shut Qatari airspace in late February. The deep‑storage facility, known for housing aircraft long‑term, offers protection from desert sand and corrosion....
The Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse
The Boeing B‑1B Lancer, a long‑range strategic bomber, narrowly avoided cancellation after the Vietnam era left policymakers wary of heavy bombers. Reagan’s 1981 intervention revived the program, leading to the B‑1B’s first flight in October 1984 and operational deployment at...
AerCap: Right Time for New Airbus Order – Frontier Order Restructured
AerCap announced its first direct Airbus order since 2017, committing to 100 A320neo family jets—23 A320neos and 77 A321neos. Forty‑five of the aircraft are converted options from last year’s Spirit Airlines deal, while the remaining 55 are brand‑new. Airbus will...
Oliver Explains: Why Is Airline IT so Clunky?
The article dissects why airline IT feels clunky, citing four core reasons. First, airlines rely on legacy systems built in the 1960s that are difficult and costly to replace, yet must handle complex functions like pricing, seat inventory, revenue sharing,...
Change Incorporation, Configuration Control, and the High Cost of Getting It Wrong
Boeing has assembled more than 30 Boeing 777‑9 airframes while the type certificate remains pending, exposing the program to extensive change incorporation work. Earlier, the 737 MAX grounding and 787 production flaws forced costly rework through shadow factories, taking months per...
That Time Wernher Von Braun’s Rocket Tried To Kill My Father (Repost)
On March 18, 1945, Germany’s Battery 485 launched a V‑2 missile from The Hague that struck London minutes later, narrowly missing the father of NASA Watch founder Keith Cowing. The V‑2’s groundbreaking propulsion and guidance technology was seized after the war and...
Boeing 737 MAX Deliveries Hit by Quality Glitch
Boeing disclosed a machining error at its Renton plant that left small scratches on wiring bundles in a batch of 737 MAX jets. The company is reworking the affected aircraft to meet its quality standards before delivery. While the issue...
Sirius Space Services Acquires AMM-42 as It Prepares for Inaugural Flight
Sirius Space Services has acquired AMM-42, a high‑precision metal‑component manufacturer employing 35 staff, to bring critical production capabilities in‑house ahead of its Sirius 1B demonstrator flight scheduled for early 2027. The purchase follows a previous acquisition of SERM and expands Sirius's...
Press Release: National Airlines Selects Viasat IFC for A330s
Viasat Inc. announced that its in‑flight connectivity solution has been selected for National Airlines’ three new Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline equipped the jets with Viasat’s GM‑40 Ka‑band terminal, delivering high‑capacity Wi‑Fi capable of HD video streaming and AI‑driven applications...
Better Airline Data Has Arrived
The U.S. Department of Transportation has upgraded its Origin & Destination Survey from the legacy DB1B to DB1C. The overhaul expands the sample size to 40% of tickets, shifts reporting from quarterly to monthly, and adds advance‑purchase buckets, tax inclusion,...
That Time Clint Eastwood Almost Drowned After Crashing in a US Navy Skyraider Off the Coast of Northern California
In September 1951 a US Navy AD‑1 Skyraider ran out of fuel and was forced to ditch off Point Reyes, Northern California. The aircraft’s pilot, Lt. F.C. Anderson, and his passenger, a 21‑year‑old Army private named Clint Eastwood, survived the...
Video Shows NATO Fighter Jets Soaring Through the “Greek Mach Loop” During Exercise Iniochos 2026
During Exercise Iniochos 2026, NATO fighter jets—including French Mirage 2000s, Greek F‑4 Phantoms, Slovenian PC‑9s and Hellenic F‑16s—flew low‑level through the famed Greek Mach Loop. The multinational air drill, hosted at Andravida Air Base from 2 March to 23 March, featured a full...
Iran War Threatens Boeing in More Ways than Just Airliner Orders
Recent hostilities in the Middle East, highlighted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have exposed a hidden vulnerability in Boeing’s supply chain. The disruption threatens the petro‑chemical feedstock needed for carbon‑fiber composites that underpin the 787 Dreamliner and...
Air India Flight From New York JFK Diverts to Ireland After Floor Started Vibrating At 33,000 Feet Above The Atlantic
Air India flight AI102, an Airbus A350‑900 en route from New York JFK to Delhi, diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland after passengers reported floor vibrations at 33,000 feet. The two‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old aircraft, originally built for Aeroflot, landed safely around 4:30 am, and...
Middle East Tensions Trigger Further Flight Cancellations on UK Routes
Airlines operating between the United Kingdom and the Middle East have cancelled a notable share of flights amid escalating regional tensions, with 18 of 133 outbound services (13.5%) and 23 of 134 inbound services (17%) scrapped as of 16 March. The...
Why Haven’t More Airlines Tightened Rules Around Lithium Batteries Despite Mounting Safety Concerns?
In January 2025 an Air Busan Airbus A321 caught fire on the tarmac in Busan after a passenger’s lithium‑ion power bank overheated, injuring seven people. The incident has intensified scrutiny of portable battery safety on aircraft. IATA recently issued new minimum...