By Garth Calitz The Republic XF-84H was an exceptional aviation experiment: a turboprop fighter featuring a supersonic propeller, producing an astounding level of noise and earning a reputation that has endured long after the aircraft vanished from the skies. There are aircraft that are remembered because they were successful. Others are remembered because they changed aviation. And then there are aircraft remembered simply because engineers were brave enough, or perhaps opti

Few aircraft have changed the way people move, work and respond to emergencies quite like the helicopter. From battlefields and remote agricultural fields to offshore oil platforms, city police departments and rescue operations, rotorcraft have become an indispensable part of modern aviation. Few manufacturers have been as closely associated with that evolution as Bell. Over the decades, Bell aircraft have been involved in some of the most significant developments in vertical

The arrival of electric air taxis in the United Kingdom has moved another step closer to reality, with Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic signing a definitive multi-year agreement to develop and launch commercial electric air taxi services across the UK. Announced at the Farnborough International Airshow on 22 July 2026, the agreement turns a partnership first announced in 2025 into a binding commercial framework and establishes Virgin Atlantic as Joby’s exclusive airline part

French aircraft manufacturer Elixir Aircraft and turbine engine developer Turbotech have taken a significant step toward the future of general aviation training by launching the Elixir Turbine Industrial Program. The announcement, made at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, follows a successful year of flight testing and formalises the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will guide the aircraft toward certification and commercial service by 2030. The agreement ma

By Garth Calitz Walk into any flying club, airport pub or hangar on a Saturday morning and mention the words "best avionics" if you want to witness a debate that makes discussions about oil brands or tailwheel versus nosewheel seem positively civilised. Within seconds, pilots will divide into tribes. Coffee will be spilt. Someone will begin drawing wiring diagrams on a serviette. An avionics engineer will quietly walk away before being asked for a quote. The truth is, there h

The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat has reached another significant milestone in its development, becoming the first collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to participate in the multinational Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, providing valuable insight into how autonomous aircraft could operate alongside crewed fighters in future coalition operations. Held across the Western Pacific in June, the biennial exercise brought together forces from the United States and allied nations to refine joi

Electra has taken another significant step toward bringing its innovative EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft to market after achieving an important certification milestone with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Virginia-based aerospace company announced that the FAA has officially closed the G-1 Issue Paper for the EL9 Ultra Short aircraft, establishing the certification basis for the company's nine-passenger hybrid-electric design. The milestone marks the complet

Cape Town-based drone pilot and videographer Luke Bell has pushed the boundaries of unmanned aviation after setting a new Guinness World Record for the longest flight by a multirotor drone. His specially developed "Endurance Drone" remained airborne for an impressive 4 hours, 21 minutes and 39 seconds, establishing a new benchmark for electric multirotor endurance. The achievement represents the culmination of months of engineering, testing and refinement. Rather than relying

By Garth Calitz 30 June 2026 marks 58 years since one of the most ambitious aircraft ever built first took to the skies. On 30 June 1968, the Lockheed C-5A Galaxy made its maiden flight from Lockheed's production facility in Marietta, Georgia, introducing a military transport aircraft unlike anything the world had seen before. At the controls was Lockheed chief engineering test pilot Leo Sullivan, who guided the massive prototype through a successful 84-minute first flight. F

Puma Energy has bolstered its status as a top aviation fuel supplier in Africa by winning a substantial new contract, enhancing the company's influence in one of the world's rapidly expanding aviation markets. Through a competitive multi-airline jet fuel tender with the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Puma Energy gained an advantage over competitors TotalEnergies and Vivo. Puma will provide the majority of the fuel volumes for key airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines and