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Keyword: aviation

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  • Ready for take-off: experimental air-taxi spotted in skies over Oakland

    03/12/2026 11:19:32 PM PDT · by Libloather · 41 replies
    California Post ^ | 3/12/26 | Pierce Sharpe
    A flying taxi took a spin over San Francisco Thursday — and the Bay Area’s tech crowd was there to watch. The small electric aircraft from Joby Aviation flew across San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate Bridge during a demonstration flight that drew reporters and industry guests to the St. Francis Yacht Club. The flight is part of the company’s push to launch electric air taxis — small vertical takeoff planes designed to carry passengers on short trips of roughly 10 to 50 miles. Joby’s aircraft seats four passengers and uses six propellers. The company says rides could cost...
  • U.S. Officials Investigating “Mystery Drone” Incident Over Barksdale Air Force Base That Prompted Security (yesterday, 3/9/2026, primary hub for B-52 Stratofortress fleet)

    03/10/2026 2:37:57 AM PDT · by RoosterRedux · 35 replies
    The Debrief ^ | Micah Hanks
    Sightings of an unmanned aerial system over Barksdale Air Force Base (BAFB) early on Monday morning resulted in a shelter-in-place order, prompting officials to temporarily raise the threat level at the facility. For a short period, the base’s Force Protection Condition level was temporarily raised to FPCON Charlie, indicating an incident potentially indicative of a form of terrorist activity targeting U.S. personnel or facilities. Text message alerts were sent out regarding the incident shortly before statements were shared on social media, directing base personnel at BAFB to take shelter. Postings on social media shortly thereafter indicated that the threat level...
  • Tehran’s "Ghost Fleet" Obliterated: IDF Reveals Secret Strike on Iran’s Quds Force Transport Planes

    03/09/2026 4:27:54 PM PDT · by Enterprise · 18 replies
    https://www.jfeed.com ^ | MAR 9, 2026 | Gila Isaacson
    Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) has released new details on Saturday's IAF strike that destroyed the Quds Force's air transport network inside Iran.More than 16 transport aircraft were struck and destroyed, along with additional components located in the vicinity of Tehran's airport. The aircraft had been used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force to arm and finance Iranian-backed terror proxies across the Middle East. According to AMAN, Tehran's airport had been under close intelligence surveillance for years, with suspicious takeoffs and landings tracked and flagged through a broad collection and analysis effort spanning multiple intelligence units. In an...
  • Airstrikes alone unlikely to result in regime change in Iran, expert warns: "It has never worked"

    03/08/2026 9:41:33 AM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 87 replies
    CBS News ^ | March 6, 2026 | Stefan Becket
    U.S. and Israeli airstrikes alone are unlikely to result in the ouster of the Iranian government, according to an expert in air campaigns, who said that the risks are growing for a more drawn-out war that could spread beyond the Middle East. Robert Pape, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago who has studied air power for three decades, told CBS News 24/7 that history does not support the idea that bombing alone can unseat a regime and install a more friendly leader. "The fact of the matter is, for over a century, states have been trying...
  • 50 Israeli Fighter Jets, With Mossad Help, Rain Hellfire On Tehran Bunkers

    03/06/2026 1:37:27 PM PST · by MeanWestTexan · 41 replies
    NDTV World ^ | March 6, 2026 | Samiran Mishra
    Israeli fighter jets carried out a major strike in the heart of Tehran early on Friday, targeting an underground bunker built beneath the leadership compound of Iran's supreme leader. The Israeli Air Force said approximately 50 jets took part in the operation, guided by precise intelligence from Israel's Military Intelligence and coordinated with Mossad. The target was the underground bunker constructed for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli military described the bunker as serving as "a secure emergency asset" intended for Khamenei to manage fighting during a conflict. It was never used by Khamenei because he had already been eliminated in...
  • Qatar Shoots Down Two Iranian Su-24 Fencer Tactical Bombers

    03/05/2026 3:01:09 PM PST · by MeanWestTexan · 20 replies
    The Aviationist ^ | March 2, 2026 | Stefano D'Urso
    The Qatari MoD says the Qatar Emiri Air Force has shot down two Iranian Su-24s, as well as seven ballistic missiles and five drones. As the third day of combat operations against Iran draws to an end, the Qatari Ministry of Defense has announced that the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) has shot down two Iranian Su-24 Fencer tactical bombers on Mar. 2, 2026. These would be first two Iranian aircraft confirmed to have been shot down since the start of the conflict. Additionally, the MoD says the QEAF intercepted seven ballistic missiles through air defenses, while five drones were...
  • U.S. Military Reportedly Shoots Down DHS Drone in Texas: ‘Our Heads Are Exploding’

    02/26/2026 7:34:29 PM PST · by Miami Rebel · 38 replies
    Mediaite ^ | February 25, 2026 | Michael Luciano
    The U.S. military shot down a Customs and Homeland Security drone on Thursday evening, which led to the abrupt closure of airspace over Fort Hancock, Texas, lawmakers said. At 6:30 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration closed the airspace, citing “special security reasons.” The FAA’s official notice of the closure currently says the closure will remain in effect until June 24. As it turns out, the “special security reasons” involved a friendly fire incident in which the U.S. military shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a laser-based anti-drone system. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), the top Democrat...
  • The Longest Dogfight: 1952 (Royce Williams)

    02/25/2026 6:47:25 AM PST · by chrisinoc · 9 replies
    YouTube ^ | October 10, 2025 | The History Guy
    A heroic battle, the longest dogfight in the history of US Naval aviation, was forgotten, buried among the closest held secrets of the cold war, for over sixty years.
  • Air Force One will sport Trump’s preferred paint job, after Air Force again reverses course

    02/20/2026 8:34:54 AM PST · by re_tail20 · 59 replies
    cnn ^ | February 18, 2026 | Alexandra Skores
    President Donald Trump’s preferred paint colors will be applied to the new planes which will serve as Air Force One, an Air Force official tells CNN. The new heavily modified Boeing 747s, which the military designates VC-25B, will be painted red, white, gold and dark blue, a color scheme proposed during Trump’s first term in office but reversed by the Biden administration. “Air Force One is going to be incredible,” Trump said in 2018. “It’s going to be the top of the line, the top in the world. And it’s going to be red, white and blue, which I think...
  • San Francisco Bay Area sees 600 private jets leave the city after Super Bowl LX

    02/12/2026 5:40:25 PM PST · by MinorityRepublican · 22 replies
    HITC ^ | Tue 10 February 2026 | Aaditya Krishnamurthy
    The San Francisco Bay Area experienced a sharp spike in private jet departures in the immediate aftermath of Super Bowl LX. Hundreds of aircraft left regional airports within hours of the game ending at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The scale of the post-game exodus highlighted the intense travel demands created by the NFL’s biggest event. Flight tracking data showed roughly 600 private jets departing the Bay Area following Super Bowl LX. The surge represented an increase of more than 1,100 percent in departures across five regional airports compared to the previous Sunday. San Jose Mineta International Airport served as...
  • Raytheon Coyote Block 3NK reusable interceptor taking down an entire drone swarm (video)

    02/12/2026 10:20:42 AM PST · by yesthatjallen · 31 replies
    X the insider papaer ^ | 02 12 2026 | The Insider Paper
    "New footage shows a Raytheon Coyote Block 3NK reusable interceptor taking down an entire drone swarm using its onboard non-kinetic electromagnetic (EM) weapon." Video at link.
  • Pentagon-FAA dispute over lasers to thwart cartel drones led to El Paso airspace closure, AP sources say

    02/11/2026 1:41:22 PM PST · by CedarDave · 27 replies
    The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 11, 2026 | Seung Min Kim, AP
    WASHINGTON — The sudden and surprising airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday stemmed from the Pentagon's plans to test a laser for use in shooting down drones used by Mexican drug cartels, according to three people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity to share sensitive details. That caused friction with the Federal Aviation Administration, which wanted to ensure commercial air safety and the two agencies sought to coordinate, according to two of the people. Despite a meeting scheduled later this month to discuss the issue, the Pentagon wanted to go ahead and test the laser, prompting...
  • Mexican cartel drones disabled after forcing El Paso airspace closure

    02/11/2026 6:53:53 AM PST · by DFG · 55 replies
    NY Post ^ | 02/11/2026 | Caitlin Doornbos
    Drones operated by Mexican drug cartels entered US airspace late Tuesday, forcing a brief closure of the skies over El Paso, Texas, a Trump administration official told The Post Wednesday morning. “Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace,” the official said. “The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.” The Federal Aviation Administration initially announced a 10-day restriction on air traffic over the border city, effective at 11:30 p.m. local time (1:30 a.m. ET Wednesday). Fewer than eight hours later, the FAA wrote on X: “The...
  • Best Evidence That D.B. Cooper Survived? (video)

    02/08/2026 5:00:55 PM PST · by MAGA2017 · 23 replies
    D.B. Cooper Sleuth ^ | 1/29/26 | D.B. Cooper Sleuth
    With no actual proof informing the public one way or the other about D.B. Cooper's survival, we have to make arguments using circumstantial evidence. For years the biggest piece of circumstantial evidence used against his survival might turn out to be the biggest indication of his survival. Just my two cents.
  • Zipline charts drone delivery expansion with $600M in new funding

    02/06/2026 4:16:04 PM PST · by ProtectOurFreedom · 12 replies
    TechCrunch ^ | January 21, 2026 | Kirsten Korosec
    U.S. autonomous drone delivery and logistics startup Zipline said Wednesday it will set up operations in Houston and Phoenix early this year, as part of an expansion that will be propelled by $600 million in fresh investment. The round, which values the company at $7.6 billion, will be used to expand to at least four U.S. states in 2026, the company said. Several existing and new investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, and Tiger Global participated in the funding round. Founded in 2014, Zipline developed its own drone delivery ecosystem, including the logistics software,...
  • Inside the CIA's efforts to preserve a Cold War icon at agency headquarters

    02/06/2026 1:12:46 PM PST · by DFG · 14 replies
    CBS News ^ | 02/06/2026 | Olivia Gazis
    At CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, an imposing spy aircraft stands outside the main entrance — a relic from a pivotal era of Cold War intelligence gathering that, in its time, pushed aerospace technology to its limits. But its stationary, terrestrial home amid birds and bugs, instead of at Mach 3 speeds and altitudes of 80,000 feet, meant it risked falling apart. "The A-12 is prime real estate here at CIA headquarters," Robert Byer, CIA's museum director, told CBS News in an interview, noting employees pass by it daily. But, he added, "this plane was not built with the idea...
  • Korean War Hero Earns Medal Of Honor For Secret Mission That Involved Lots Of Dead Soviets

    02/06/2026 3:28:01 PM PST · by devane617 · 31 replies
    OutKick ^ | 02/05/2026
    Korean War hero Royce Williams is being awarded the Medal of Honor, and his actions are something not even Hollywood could have dreamed up. Congressman Darrell Issa announced on Wednesday that President Donald Trump officially informed Williams of his MoH. The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award. It is only awarded for actions so heroic that oftentimes, the person earning it is killed. Williams is still with us in 2026, and his once-secret actions are now out in the public. Buckle up for one of the most insane war stories you'll ever hear.
  • Pilot, trooper killed in helicopter crash during officer-involved shooting

    02/05/2026 2:10:19 PM PST · by Paul R. · 10 replies
    (KPHO/Gray News) via KFVS-12 ^ | 2/5/2026 | By David Baker, Mitchell Koch and Debra Worley
    A helicopter responding to assist officers in Arizona with an active shooter situation crashed, killing both the pilot and a trooper who was a paramedic on board, authorities said.
  • Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 06:29 PM EST 01.29.26

    01/30/2026 1:23:25 AM PST · by SmokingJoe · 27 replies
    X ^ | 01/30/2026 | Trump Posts from Truth Social
    Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 06:29 PM EST 01.29.26 Based on the fact that Canada has wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700, and 800 Jets, one of the greatest, most technologically advanced airplanes ever made, we are hereby decertifying their Bombardier Global Expresses, and all Aircraft made in Canada, until such time as Gulfstream, a Great American Company, is fully certified, as it should have been many years ago. Further, Canada is effectively prohibiting the sale of Gulfstream products in Canada through this very same certification process. If, for any reason, this situation...
  • NTSB simulation shows Black Hawk barely visible before fatal collision with CRJ700

    01/27/2026 11:43:04 AM PST · by DFG · 45 replies
    Flight Global ^ | 01/27/2026 | Ryan Finnerty
    The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a cockpit simulation of the fatal 2025 collision between a passenger jet and a US military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport. That incident on the night of 29 January 2025 killed 67 people, including all 64 aboard an MHIRJ CRJ700 operated by PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, that was on final approach to land. The remaining three victims were crew aboard a US Army Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk operating in a formerly active helicopter route along the Potomac River. During a 27 January public hearing, NTSB officials...