Falcon Field Stakeholders Urge Council To Reject Landing Fee Proposal
A coalition of flight schools, pilots, instructors and aviation businesses at Falcon Field Airport has asked the Mesa City Council to reject a proposed $30 per‑landing fee that would apply to general aviation, including training flights. The fee, slated for council discussion on March 12 and a possible vote on March 23, could dramatically raise operating costs for flight schools that perform multiple takeoffs and landings per lesson. Stakeholders warn the charge may force schools to raise student fees, cut activity, or relocate, threatening the airport’s training ecosystem and local jobs. They also question the use of ADS‑B data for fee collection, citing a recent Arizona bill that would prohibit it.
Picture of the Day: March 12, 2026
AVWeb’s Picture of the Day showcases a vintage, ski‑equipped DC‑3 flying low over Antarctica’s Darwin Glacier. The image captures the historic aircraft operating in one of the planet’s most extreme environments. It underscores the enduring capability of legacy planes when...
Fort Worth Police Helicopter Makes an Emergency Landing
Fort Worth Police Department’s Bell 505 helicopter, known as Air One, made an emergency landing at Meacham International Airport on Saturday night after a mechanical issue arose at roughly 100 feet altitude. The aircraft was responding to a call when the pilot...
SkyDrive Reaches eVTOL Certification Plan With Japanese Regulator
SkyDrive announced an agreement with Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau on a General Certification Plan for its SD‑05 eVTOL, defining the compliance pathway for type certification. The plan complements existing structural, motor and noise certification submissions currently under review. Earlier this...
Pentagon, FAA Plan Counter-Drone Laser Testing in New Mexico
The Pentagon and FAA will conduct a weekend test in New Mexico of a high‑energy counter‑drone laser, examining how the beam interacts with aircraft‑grade materials and validating automated safety shut‑off mechanisms. The trial also measures eye‑safety impacts for aircrew and...
Houston Aviation Museum Suspends Operations
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum in Houston announced it will cease operations effective March 2, 2026, citing a “perfect storm” of financial pressures. Housed in the original 1940 Art Deco terminal adjacent to Hobby Airport, the museum has long relied on volunteers and...
Survey: Private Pilot Flight Training Cost Passes $16,000
The 2026 State of Flight Training Survey from Redbird Flight shows the median cost to earn a private pilot certificate has risen above $16,000, with students typically completing training in about 24 weeks. The report also details median costs of...
NTSB: Rain, a Missing Gasket, and a Rushed Preflight
The NTSB concluded that a restored Grumman American GA‑7 crashed shortly after takeoff because water entered the fuel system through a missing rubber gasket on the right fuel cap, a defect that went undetected during both the aircraft’s annual inspection...
Skyryse Plans ‘Universal’ Autoland for Helicopters, Airplanes
Aviation automation firm Skyryse announced a universal emergency autoland capability for both helicopters and airplanes, integrated into its SkyOS flight operating system. The feature leverages SkyOS’s fly‑by‑wire architecture and onboard sensors to autonomously manage approach, descent, and touchdown after a...
Russ Meyer, Former Cessna Chairman And Citation Program Leader, Flies West
Russell W. “Russ” Meyer Jr., former chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company, died on March 4 at age 93. He steered Cessna from 1975 to 2003, overseeing the rise of the Citation business‑jet family into a market cornerstone. Meyer’s...
First Blue Angels Shows Canceled Over Security Concerns
The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels have canceled their first two 2026 air shows—El Centro on March 14 and Lemoore on March 21‑22—citing heightened security as the military escalates force‑protection measures amid ongoing operations against Iran. Both installations moved to Force Protection Condition Bravo,...
Washington Lawmakers Eye Repeal Of Luxury Aircraft Tax
Washington state lawmakers are moving to repeal a 10% luxury aircraft tax slated for April 1, 2026, which would have applied to non‑commercial aircraft sales or leases above $500,000. Strong pushback from the aviation community, including Paine Field tenants, led the bill’s...
NASA Study Finds Urban Residents More Sensitive To Air Taxi Noise
NASA’s VANGARD study, conducted Aug‑Sept 2025, surveyed 359 volunteers in major U.S. metros to gauge annoyance from 67 simulated air‑taxi sounds. Participants heard the noises without visual cues, ensuring pure acoustic assessment. Early results show urban residents report higher irritation...
No Injuries After Door Separates From Aircraft In Alaska
A Grant Aviation GA‑8 Airvan lost its left rear sliding door while en route from Eek to Bethel, Alaska, on Feb. 28. The aircraft continued to Bethel and landed safely with no injuries reported. The incident is being monitored by...
Sporty’s Debuts ‘The Active Runway’
Sporty’s announced the launch of “The Active Runway,” a new Facebook hub that consolidates content from its multiple aviation platforms. The hub will deliver articles, videos, training tips, reviews, and commentary in a single, easily accessible feed for pilots. While...
PA-28 Crashes Into Phoenix Neighborhood
A Piper PA-28 training aircraft crashed into two homes in north Phoenix just before 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, striking a residence and landing in a neighboring backyard. The flight instructor, a student pilot, and a homeowner were taken to hospital with...
Piper Aviation Museum Marks 40 Years With Planned Expansion
The Piper Aviation Museum is reopening for its 40th season and has approved a 9,600‑square‑foot expansion at its historic Piper Aircraft engineering building in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Attendance has hit record levels, pushing the current 30,000‑square‑foot facility to capacity. The...
Engine Issue Forces Emergency Landing at LAX
United Airlines forced a Boeing 787‑9 to return to Los Angeles International Airport on Monday after the aircraft’s left engine exhibited a malfunction, prompting an emergency landing about an hour after takeoff. Smoke continued to plume from the engine for...
FAA Radar Data Program Launches at UAS Test Site
The FAA has launched its Radar Data Pilot Program at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in Grand Forks, North Dakota, granting the first non‑federal access to an unfiltered radar data feed. The data will be fed into Vantis, the...
Tuition-Free A&P Program For High School Students Coming to Michigan
Jackson County Airport‑Reynolds Field in southern Michigan is establishing a tuition‑free Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) training school for high‑school students, targeting an initial cohort of 30 juniors and seniors. The program, slated to begin in September 2027, is funded by...
Pilots Petition Starlink Following Shift to New Speed Tiers
Starlink has restructured its in‑motion service, capping standard Roam and Priority plans at 100 mph ground speed and launching two aviation‑specific tiers. The Aviation 300MPH tier costs $250 per month for 20 GB, while the Aviation 450MPH tier is $1,000 per month...
Senate Bill Would Mandate APRT At Contract Towers
Senators Tim Sheehy and Jeff Merkley introduced bipartisan legislation requiring the FAA to equip more than 90 federal contract towers with Airborne Position Reference Tools (APRT). The Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act mandates installation within a year and provides...
Utah Airpark’s Future Uncertain After Business License Denial
Fairfield’s West Desert Airpark, a public‑use airport in rural Utah, had its business license renewal denied by the town council. The denial coincides with a pause on related permits as officials re‑examine the Airpark Mixed‑Use Zone and overlay ordinances. The...
FAA Revokes StarFlite Aviation Air Carrier Certificate
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order revoking StarFlite Aviation’s Part 135 air carrier certificate after uncovering systematic falsification of pilot training records. Between 2019 and 2024, management entered false competency checks for at least ten pilots, including the chief...
America’s 250th To Shape AirVenture 2026 Programming
The Experimental Aircraft Association will weave the United States’ 250th anniversary into AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. The event, July 20‑26 at Wittman Regional Airport, adopts the theme “Celebrating the Freedom of Flight,” tracing aviation’s evolution from the Wright brothers to modern...
New Report Examines Women’s Advancement In Aviation
Oliver Wyman and IAWA released the second edition of Lift Off To Leadership, analyzing how women progress into leadership across aviation and aerospace. The study surveyed roughly 250 global leaders in 2025 and included executives from airlines, manufacturers, MROs, leasing...
NTSB: ALERT Act Falls Short Of Safety Recommendations
The National Transportation Safety Board warned Congress that the proposed ALERT Act falls short of its safety recommendations following the Jan. 29, 2025 midair collision near Washington National Airport. While the bill would address some suggestions, it does not require...
Pilot’s Widow Sues Boeing, GE Following UPS Crash
The widow of UPS pilot Dana Justin Diamond has filed a wrongful‑death lawsuit against Boeing, General Electric and maintenance firm VT San Antonio Aerospace. The suit, lodged on Feb. 25 in Jefferson County Circuit Court, blames design, manufacturing and upkeep failures...
UAvionix Adds ForeFlight Integration, Autopilot Coupling To AV-30-C
uAvionix released AV-30-C software version 3.2.1, adding ForeFlight integration and autopilot coupling for certified aircraft. Pilots can sync a ForeFlight‑planned route to the AV‑30‑C and let the autopilot follow GPS‑steered waypoints, with in‑flight edits reflected instantly. The feature requires an...
U.S. Laser Strikes Decline For Second Year
Pilots logged 10,994 laser strikes to the FAA in 2025, marking a 14% drop from 2024. The decline reflects a robust pilot reporting culture that fuels FAA outreach and law‑enforcement collaboration. California, Texas and Florida accounted for the bulk of...
Thrust Flight Awarded Phoenix Police Training Contract
Thrust Flight has been awarded a five‑year contract to provide fixed‑wing pilot training for the Phoenix Police Department’s Air Support Unit, beginning in March. The program will train roughly two students per year across private, commercial, instrument, and instructor ratings...
Who’s Watching for Human Trafficking in Aviation?
Former FAA rotorcraft director David Downey has petitioned the agency to amend Parts 121 and 135 so that airline and charter employees receive mandatory human‑trafficking recognition and response training, a requirement he says Congress already mandated but the FAA has not codified....
NTSB Warns First Responders of Ballistic Parachute Hazards
The National Transportation Safety Board issued safety alert SA‑102 warning that ballistic parachute recovery systems can remain active after a crash, posing a danger to first responders. These rocket‑powered devices, like Cirrus CAPS, may deploy unexpectedly if activation cables stay...
Boulder Airport Sets Timeline For Phasing Out Leaded Avgas
Boulder Municipal Airport aims to start offering unleaded aviation fuel by late 2026, ahead of Colorado’s 2030 statewide leaded‑avgas phase‑out. The draft transition plan, due by Jan. 1, 2026, outlines annual reviews but omits specifics on fuel type, infrastructure, and financing. To...
Archer Sues Vertical Aerospace Over Valo eVTOL Design
Archer Aviation has filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas accusing Vertical Aerospace of infringing multiple patents tied to Archer’s Midnight eVTOL design. The complaint alleges that Vertical’s new Valo aircraft copies patented V‑tail, fuselage, wing, and flight‑control...
Tecnam Rolls Out MOSAIC-Aligned Line
Tecnam unveiled the MOSAIK59 product family to meet the FAA’s new MOSAIC rule, which bases Light Sport Aircraft eligibility on a 59‑knot clean stall speed rather than weight limits. Existing models such as the P92 Echo MKII, P2008 and Astore...
5-Year-Old Spots Manual Issue, Gets Southwest Tour
A five‑year‑old Colorado boy spotted a mismatch in Southwest Airlines’ cockpit training graphics and reported it to the carrier. Southwest clarified the inconsistency stemmed from differing display perspectives rather than a safety error. CEO Bob Jordan invited the child and...
Airbus Presents Rotorcraft Concepts For NATO Study
Airbus Helicopters, together with Collins Aerospace, Raytheon and MBDA, has submitted two next‑generation rotorcraft concepts to NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities study. The proposals include a conventional helicopter and a high‑speed compound aircraft that share common systems, training and maintenance...
Pilots Win Court Fight Over Housing Near California Airport
A Santa Cruz County judge ruled that Watsonville violated the State Aeronautics Act and CEQA by approving a 21‑unit housing project inside the safety zone of Watsonville Municipal Airport. The court ordered the city to adopt state‑mandated airport compatibility standards...