Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom
Airplanes don’t stay at cruising altitude forever. Eventually, they must descend so that they can prepare to land. Top-of-descent points play an important role in this process. Air traffic controllers use it to maintain traffic flow, whereas commercial airlines use it to improve efficiency. For a better understanding of top-of-descent points in aviation, keep reading. What Is a Top-of-Descent Point? A top-of-descent point is the point at which an airplane begins its descent. It essentially represents the location in a flight path where the airplane transitions from cruising to descent. Cruising altitudes for commercial airplanes are typically around 35,000 feet.…
It was perhaps no coincidence that the CEO of Finnair, Turkka Kuusisto, chose the four-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to announce that the airline was “back to cruising altitude” following the shock of two existential crises. On February 24, 2026, from the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia next to the forests of Nuuksio National Park, Kuusisto spoke at a press event, explaining how Finnair had finally recovered from the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian air space closure following the start of the war in Ukraine. After President Vladamir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many…
Royal Air Force F-35B jets have shot down Iranian-launched one-way attack drones over Jordan in what the UK described as the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target in combat operations, as Britain moved to reinforce defenses around its main Middle East air base on Cyprus. The UK’s Ministry of Defence said the F-35Bs operated over Jordanian airspace alongside RAF Typhoon fighters and a Voyager tanker supporting the patrol. The shootdowns came amid a wider surge of Iranian drones and missiles launched across the region after US and Israeli strikes, pushing several countries to strengthen layered air defenses. US Head of Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper,…
The YFQ-44A CCA switched between Shield AI’s Hivemind and Anduril’s Lattice AIs during the same flight, completing tasks with both. Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) flew with Shield AI’s Hivemind and Anduril’s own Lattice autonomous flight programs, both companies announced on Feb. 26, 2026. Notably, the drone also switched between software mid-flight, completing a range of combat-representative test points with both. This allowed to demonstrate the software’s and hardware’s technical maturity, while being in harmony with the broad CCA development path envisioned by the U.S. Air Force. The new development came within two days of the drone…
The UK MoD has confirmed that its F-35B Lightning stealth fighters engaged and destroyed drones over Jordan, as it announces additional protective measures for RAF Akrotiri. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced via social media shortly after 1600 UTC on Mar. 3, 2026 after much speculation in the British press that the Royal Navy had been tasked to deploy the Type 45 air defence destroyer HMS Dragon (D35) and ‘helicopters with counter drone capabilities’ to guard Cyprus from further drone attacks. Shortly afterwards, an official press release with further detail was released by the Ministry of Defence where the announcement was…
This is only tangentially related to miles & points, but given the overlap between Real Housewives viewers and miles & points enthusiasts (I’ll let you deduce why), I figure this will interest a good number of people… Notable new Real Housewives cast member The cast for season 16 of the Real Housewives of New York City has just been revealed. There were rumors that the show might be canceled at this point, given that its popularity has gone down massively over time, as Bethenny Frankel loves to remind people (along with how no one has done more for Puerto Rico…
A United Airlines Boeing 787-9 returned to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) shortly after takeoff on March 2, 2026, and evacuated passengers on the taxiway after the crew reported a possible engine fire, authorities and the airline said. Video posted on social media showed the Dreamliner stopped on the airfield with smoke coming from the left engine as emergency vehicles surrounded the aircraft. Other clips showed passengers sliding down inflatable chutes and moving away from the jet while firefighters responded. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft returned to LAX at about 11:20 a.m. local time after a left-engine issue. The agency said it will investigate.…
From 2015 (YouTube Edition): Overcoming Obstacles To Achieve Their Dreams… At EAA AirVenture 2015, FedEx arrived with one of their Airbus freight hauling aircraft and placed it on display for AirVenture attendees to explore. While having the airplane on display added to the AirVenture adventure, there is more to the story. The crew piloting airplane was all-female. In the video you’ll meet two determined women who found a way to progress in aviation through fortitude and persistence. The interview starts in the left seat with Dolores Pavlectic, who is an A300/A310 Fleet Captain and, a Senior Manager of flight operations…
"NASA must standardize its approach, increase flight rate safely, and execute on the President’s national space policy. With credible competition from our greatest geopolitical adversary increasing by the day, we need to move faster, eliminate delays, and achieve our objectives. Standardizing vehicle configuration, increasing flight rate and progressing through objectives in a logical, phased approach is how we achieved the near-impossible in 1969 and it is how we will do it again." Source: Part of a sharply-worded report from NASA’s independent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel that deemed the existing plans too risky.
Aero Linx: The Honourable Company of Air Pilots We are a Livery Company of the City of London; a philanthropic membership organisation which represents and protects the interests and welfare of pilots and navigators and strives to encourage and assist all those (from any background) who wish to become a pilot.