Also: Purdue In Space?, 4 SpecOps Lost In Helo Crash, Solid-Fuel Ramjet, Ultra-High Airspace Over FL The US Army recently confirmed its plans to thin out its active duty aviation ranks, cutting 6,500 positions as it phases in unmanned systems. The changes are slated to begin in the coming months and continue through fiscal year 2027. Currently, about 30,000 soldiers serve in aviation roles ranging from pilots to support crews. By the time the cuts are finished, roughly one in five of those positions will be gone. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced that the FAA met and exceeded its goal for hiring air traffic controllers for Fiscal Year 2025 by bringing on 2,026 new controllers. The goal was 2,000 controllers, and the number of new hires is 20 percent more than the previous administration hired from January to September 2024. The US Air Force is well on its way to flying its next-generation fighter, with the first of many F-47 jets reportedly in the early stages of manufacturing. The service is hoping to get the stealth fighter airborne sometime in 2028… a relatively ambitious target for a plane lacking a suitable engine. The USAF was vague on what “beginning to manufacture” actually means and, while the F-47 only exists in prototype form from a shadowy testing campaign, he stressed that the service is “ready to go fast.” All this — and MORE in today’s episode of Airborne-Unlimited!!!