Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2025

Many aspiring pilots feel discouraged before they even start training, believing that their height disqualifies them from taking to the skies. This misconception can shatter dreams and rob the aviation world of potential top-notch pilots. Heres the truth. There is no specific height requirement or limit in the civil aviation industry. Military aviation does have height requirements, but they vary based on the aircraft and service.

Pilot 59

Pilot Cockpit Airplanes General Aviation 59

Aerotime

APRIL 3, 2025

The automatic pilot (autopilot) has to be one of aviations finest technological inventions. Yet, it is also one of the earliest, having been introduced (in its most rudimentary form) in 1912, just nine years after the Wright Brothers first took to the air in their powered Wright Flyer in 1903. Since those early days, the autopilot has developed enormously, both in terms of capabilities and functionality.

Weight-Shift-Control 305

Weight-Shift-Control Cockpit Pilot Stability 305

Cranky Flier

APRIL 1, 2025

In the post-pandemic world, airlines have been struggling to figure out how to deal with the massive variability in demand by day-of-week. Every airline has been forced to make adjustments, but now Spirit is going one step further. It will stop flying on off-peak days entirely. Just recently, Spirit began to transition to this plan. In June of 2024, off-peak days operated at 95 percent of the peak day departure numbers for the airline.

Airplanes 211

Airplanes Airline Airlines 211

AV Web

APRIL 4, 2025

The FAA has ordered a $127.50 software upgrade for 157 Boeing 787s in the U.S. fleet to fix a potentially problematic glitch with their radios. Apparently, the radios will randomly toggle between active and standby frequencies without pilot input. “The uncommanded frequency changes could result in missed communications between the flight crew and Air Traffic Control,” the agency said in an AD issued more than a month ago.

Air Traffic Control 121

Air Traffic Control Airplanes Pilot 121

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 4, 2025

PRESS RELEASE The Lockheed Constellation C-121A, widely regarded as one of the most elegant and visually striking airliners ever built, is set to return to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2025. This historic aircraft will be on display for the duration of the 72nd annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in convention, taking place from July 21-27 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Tail 128

Tail Airline Airlines 128

Aerotime

APRIL 3, 2025

Wizz Air announced on April 3, 2025, that it will be investing 14 billion over the next three years to enhance the customer experience it provides to its passengers. This plan, called Customer First Compass, aims to be comprehensive in its scope, covering four major customer touchpoints: product, price, service and communications. Although no specific figures have been provided by the carrier about the exact allocation of this investment among the airlines different areas, the official announcem

Approach 282

Approach Airline Airlines 282

Cranky Flier

APRIL 4, 2025

Delta Adds Sun Flying Delta Air Lines announced new service to the Caribbean , along with Mexico and Central America today, including two new nonstops from its Atlanta hub: Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The winter flights will begin December 20 and operate through April 12, both operating daily. Also for DL, Detroit will add Saturday only-service to Grand Cayman while increasing frequencies to Nassau and Cancn.

Cargo 165

Cargo Airline Airlines Airplanes 165

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 4, 2025

In August 2023, we covered the news that the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) in Pensacola, Florida would be transferring their PBY-5A Catalina, Bureau Number 46602, to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Hawaii (read the original article HERE ). Now, we have received news that the aircraft, which has been displayed outdoors on the flight ramp of Pensacola since 1987, will undergo a complete restoration at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan, before it is sent to Pearl Harbor, and is now in

Hangar 119

Hangar Pilot 119

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

Boom Supersonic CEO and Founder, Blake Scholl has claimed that China has entered the race as plans for a COMAC supersonic jet emerged. On March 29, 2025, the South China Morning Post reported that pubished documents suggested that the Chinese state-owned aerospace firm COMAC, was moving forward with plans for commercial supersonic flight with the introduction of the C949.

Jet 311

Jet Airplanes Airline Airlines 311

Cranky Flier

MARCH 31, 2025

I have never cared about elite status, not even a little bit. Would an upgrade be nice? Sure, but I don’t travel enough to have high enough status to think that I’d ever actually get one. And I’m not tall, so I really don’t care much about extra legroom either. Living in Southern California, there are different airlines that are better for different routes.

Airline 147

Airline Airlines 147

AV Web

APRIL 2, 2025

Airbus’s sudden postponement of its hydrogen aircraft development program in February set an ominous tone for what has been cited as among the most promising future aviation technologies but that’s all history now. The planemaker announced at its annual forum last week that its plans for its ZEROe concept just got bigger. It unveiled a bigger and more capable airliner with four propellers, whose electric motors are each powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Airline 119

Airline Airlines Aviation Technology Airplanes 119

Vintage Aviation News

MARCH 29, 2025

On a quiet Virginia afternoon, the Military Aviation Museum ‘s Messerschmitt Me 262 replica returned to the skies for the first time in over a decade. The museums chief pilot, Mike Spalding, took off at 3:14 PM and landed safely at 3:45 PM, marking a significant milestone in the aircrafts journey back to operational status. Back in February, the Military Aviation Museum announced that its Me 262 replica was on track to return to flight , with the goal of making an appearance at EAA AirVent

Pilot 131

Pilot Airplanes 131

Aerotime

APRIL 3, 2025

A fractured axle caused by overheating led an Aer Lingus flight to land in Belfast without one wheel, according to a report from the United Kingdoms Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). On October 31, 2023, during its return flight from Edinburgh Airport (EDI), the aircraft, an ATR 72-212, executed an ILS approach and successfully landed on Runway 04 at Belfast City Airport (BHD).

Runway 278

Runway Approach 278

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

United Airlines has received the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration for its first Starlink-equipped aircraft type, paving the way for further installation on other aircraft. The airline plans to install this technology across its entire fleet of regional jets by the end of this year.

Airline 111

Airline Airlines Jet 111

AV Web

MARCH 30, 2025

Airbus says it is considering using an open rotor engine on its replacement for the A320. The company has been working with CFM to develop the engine, which has primary and secondary counterrotating turbine vanes on the outside of the engines rather than being encased in a nacelle. Exposing the turbines makes the bypass ratio a lot bigger and that improves efficiency.

Jet 118

Jet Airplanes 118

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 3, 2025

Last June, we published an article about the Planes of Fame Air Museum of Chino , California, beginning an extensive overhaul of their Curtiss-built P-47G Thunderbolt, US Army Air Force serial number 42-25254 (which you can read HERE ). Now, the museum has made a major milestone in this project by reinstalling the Thunderbolt’s freshly overhauled Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. 3/4 view of the Planes of Fame’s Curtiss P-47G Thunderbolt, 42-25254, with its newly overhau

Firewall 128

Firewall Hangar Pilot 128

Aerotime

APRIL 4, 2025

Few people in the airline industry can match the entrepreneurial record of Carlos Muoz. In just under a decade, Muoz launched two of Europes most successful airlines. After the sale of his first success, Vueling, to Iberia (now part of the International Airlines Group), he launched Volotea in 2012, an innovative low-cost carrier connecting Europes small and mid-sized cities.

Airline 275

Airline Airlines Pilot Tail 275

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 1, 2025

Flights divert all the time, for a variety of reasons. However, this is definitely one of the more eye-catching diversions that weve seen in some time. American 787 flies from New York to Dallas in 12+ hours This incident happened yesterday (March 31, 2025), and involves American flight AA167, scheduled to fly from New York (JFK) to Tokyo (HND). The flight was operated by an eight-year-old Boeing 787-9 with the registration code N829AN.

Jet 104

Jet Airline Airlines Pilot 104

AV Web

APRIL 4, 2025

Tariffs will add millions of dollars to the cost of an airliner and destroy a free trade system that has created a massive export surplus for the U.S. industry according to aerospace officials canvassed by MSNBC on Thursday. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg just happened to be testifying at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday and diverted from the topic at hand (Boeing’s progress on improving quality control) to comment on the tariffs that will affect raw materials and parts it uses i

Airplanes 113

Airplanes Airline Airlines 113

Vintage Aviation News

MARCH 29, 2025

Seventy-six years ago today, on March 29, 1949, the P-51C Mustang Thunderbird set a new transcontinental speed record in the United States. Flown by former Army Major Joseph C. De Bona, Thunderbird departed Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California, at approximately 6:20 AM. Over the next five hours, the cobalt-blue Mustang carved a path into the record books, cruising at 30,000 feet and averaging an astonishing 490.625 miles per hour.

Pilot 119

Pilot Hangar 119

Aerotime

MARCH 31, 2025

Germanys Lufthansa Group has declared that, from summer 2025, all ITA Airways flights at Frankfurt and Munich airports will be managed from Lufthansa terminals. On March 30, 2025, the German airline group announced that this change means ITA and other Lufthansa Group airlines will operate under one roof at all the Group’s hubs. The move follows a previous announcement in February 2025 , where the German airline outlined detailed plans for incorporating the newly acquired Italian carrier in

Airline 280

Airline Airlines 280

One Mile at a Time

MARCH 29, 2025

If reports are to be believed, a fight broke out in the air traffic control tower at Washington National Airport (DCA), and it got so bad that blood was spattered on control consoles. Bloody fight breaks out at Washington DCA tower The Daily Mail reports on an event that reportedly happened on Thursday, March 27, 2025. According to sources, two air traffic controllers traded punches, when a fight erupted inside the control tower at Washington National Airport.

Air Traffic Control 127

Air Traffic Control Airline Airlines 127

Simple Flying

MARCH 29, 2025

US airline trade association Airlines for America (A4A) has warned Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) it will take legal action if the airport goes ahead with planned flight reductions. The airport is looking to cut over 4% of flight movements as it tackles noise pollution, but US airlines have said they will contest the flight cap in court, arguing that the 'Balanced Approach' ethos has not been met sufficiently by the airport.

Approach 119

Approach Airline Airlines 119

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 3, 2025

The photographers who flew on Aviation PhotoCrew’s mission on April 2nd were treated to an exquisite surprise when Starfighter Aerospace’s TF-104G unexpectedly appeared in their viewfinders, posing for a series of dramatic photographs. Starfighter Aerospace’s Chief Pilot, PierCarlo Chiacchi, took off from Cape Canaveral around 2:00 PM and rendezvoused with Aviation PhotoCrew’s Short SC.7 Skyvan.

Payload 131

Payload Hangar Pilot 131

Aerotime

APRIL 4, 2025

Virgin Atlantic has made a return to Canada, launching direct services between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Maiden voyage Flight VS 147 departed London at 18:02 local time on March 30, 2025, arriving at Toronto Airport at 20:42 local time. Virgin Atlantic are in Toronto with @richardbranson Daily flights to London!

Airlines 302

Airlines Airline 302

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 2, 2025

Yesterday, United Airlines teased that it would announce new routes today. Well, the details have now been revealed , and there are some very cool additions however, theyre not all from the US. United boosts Pacific network with three new routes United will be launching flights to two new destinations in Asia and one new destination in Australia. Specifically, the Star Alliance carrier will fly to Adelaide, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Wide-Body Aircraft 113

Wide-Body Aircraft Airline Airlines 113

Simple Flying

APRIL 2, 2025

When Emirates revealed yesterday that it would be branching out into the field of package delivery, many assumed that it was little more than a harmless April Fool's joke. After all, the UAE flag carrier did so with a rather implausible photograph depicting one of its Airbus A380s parked on a suburban street. However, the airline has since revealed that its announcement had more than an element of truth.

Airline 126

Airline Airlines Cargo 126

Vintage Aviation News

MARCH 31, 2025

At Vultures Row Aviation, Chuck Wahl is reviving the legendary Vought F4U Corsair through meticulous restorations. The "Birdcage" Corsair (Bureau Number 02449) is nearing key milestones, including the installation of its landing gearthe first time on wheels since 1943. Chuck's dedication to preserving these warbirds goes beyond craftsmanship; its about keeping their legacy alive, one painstaking restoration at a time.

119

119

Aerotime

APRIL 2, 2025

Embraer is continuing its active pursuit of industrial cooperation plans outside of Brazil. On April 1, 2025, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkish Aerospace (TUSA-Trk Havaclk ve Uzay Sanayii), Turkeys state-owned aerospace company, to cooperate in the industrial and research domains. The initiative could potentially involve the building of an assembly line for Embraers E2 family of commercial airliners in Turkey.

Jet 280

Jet Airline Airlines 280

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 3, 2025

In this, I want to cover how to pre-order meals in Delta Air Lines premium cabins, including in domestic first class and Delta One business class. While Delta allows you to select your meal in advance when traveling in a premium cabin, the process isnt quite as straightforward as with American, so Id like to take a look at how that works (based on a recent flight experience).

Airline 104

Airline Airlines 104

Simple Flying

APRIL 2, 2025

An incident has surfaced involving a regional American Eagle flight in which the aircraft cabin was filled with haze upon landing. Any indication of a possible fire inside an aircraft can be extremely dangerous, and the American Eagle flight was promptly evacuated. Thankfully, no passenger injuries were reported.

Airlines 114

Airlines Airline 114

AV Web

APRIL 4, 2025

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has confirmed the Air Legends Foundation of San Antonio, Texas will bring its Lockheed C-121A Constellation to AirVenture this year, reprising a 2023 visit. The 72nd running of the AirVenture event will take place at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconisin, July 21-27. The Connie, wearing military livery, will be on display at Boeing Plaza.

Tail 103

Tail 103

Aerotime

MARCH 31, 2025

Virgin Atlantic has posted its 2024 financial results, which show an Earnings Before Interest and Tax profit (EBIT) of 230m (US$297 million), an almost five-fold increase over the 48 million (US$62.1 million) posted the preceding year. In terms of revenue, 2024 was a record year for the UK-based long-haul carrier. Virgin Atlantics revenues went up by 183m (US$236.7 million) to a total of 3.3bn (US$4.27 billion).

Cargo 268

Cargo Airline Airlines 268

One Mile at a Time

MARCH 29, 2025

In the past, Ive written a post comparing the major hotel loyalty programs , sharing what I view as the pros and cons of each. There are various factors to consider, ranging from a hotel groups global footprint, to elite recognition, to the points earning structure. For many people, the single most valuable perk of hotel elite status is upgrades to suites.

Threshold 113

Threshold Airlines Airline 113

Simple Flying

MARCH 29, 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into a frightening near-miss incident that occurred on Friday afternoon near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). A Delta Air Lines Airbus A319, operating as Flight 2983 and departing for Minneapolis, narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a US Air Force T-38 military jet, raising fresh concerns over aviation safety in one of the countrys busiest and most restricted airspaces.

Jet 114

Jet 114

Cranky Flier

MARCH 29, 2025

Summer Perspectives: Is US Growth Slowing Down or Speeding Up? – OAG I joined OAG for a webinar looking at summer demand which you can watch in its entirety right here. OAG did put out that stat showing a massive dip in demand between Canada and the US, but it looks increasingly like that’s not right. Still, demand is down, and it is an issue.

130

130

Aerotime

APRIL 2, 2025

United Airlines is expanding its reach into the Asia-Pacific region with the announcement of new flights to Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and the Philippines. The airline said that new flights will be scheduled to offer easier connections for travelers from across North America to help meet the growing demand for travel to the following destinations.

Airline 279

Airline Airlines 279