Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom
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A dramatic video shows the moment a Cessna 172 struck a paraglider over Austria, tearing through the canopy and sending the woman into an emergency descent before she deployed her reserve parachute and survived. The collision happened on May 23, 2026, near Piesendorf, close to Zell am See in Austria’s Pinzgau region, according to Austrian media reports citing police. The 44-year-old paraglider pilot from Upper Austria had launched from Schmittenhöhe, a mountain popular with paragliders, and was flying toward Piesendorf when the Cessna approached from behind and collided with her parachute above the Pinzgauer Hütte. Video recorded by the paraglider…
As the conflict in Vietnam raged, the UH-1 Huey was modified into a gunship, but the ubiquitous helicopter was slow and underpowered at times, thus prompting the need for a dedicated attack aircraft. Bell Helicopter had anticipated the eventual need for a pure attack helicopter and had already started research and development even before the conflict in Southeast Asia. This gave Bell the upper-hand when the Unites States Army would request just such a machine for close air support and escorting troop transport helicopters over the dense jungles of Vietnam. Bell’s Early Efforts 1958 saw the Bell D245 Combat Reconnaissance…
The FAA approved an AI-augmented collision avoidance system years ago. The current debate over SMART misses what the regulatory architecture already settled. By Vincent E. Bianco III ATC Correspondent, Leeham News & Analysis Vincent Bianco III. May 24, 2026, © Leeham News: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already approved an artificial-intelligence-augmented collision avoidance system that takes authority away from Air Traffic Control (ATC) in critical moments. It has been operational on commercial aircraft for years. Its decision logic was derived using machine-learning techniques. When it issues an instruction in a conflict event, the pilot follows the system, not the…
US Central Command said on May 23, 2026, that its forces have redirected 100 commercial vessels since beginning a maritime blockade of Iran on April 13, with two carrier strike groups and a Marine expeditionary unit anchoring an enforcement effort supported by “more than 200 aircraft and warships.” The announcement comes six weeks into the blockade. CENTCOM said more than 15,000 soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen are now committed to the mission, which has disabled four vessels and allowed 26 humanitarian aid ships to pass since enforcement began. Carrier airpower at the center An F-35C Lightning II from VMFA-314 prepares…
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has flown its MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft for the first time with Saab-supplied airborne early warning (AEW) pods, opening a development effort the two companies aim to conclude with a full-capability demonstration later in 2026. The manufacturer announced the milestone on May 21, 2026. Validation flight at Desert Horizon The validation sortie took place on May 19, 2026, from GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon flight operations facility in Southern California, using a company-owned MQ-9B. The AEW sensor itself is branded LoyalEye and is being provided through a partnership with Saab, first unveiled in 2025. GA-ASI said the…
GE Aerospace is rolling out its 360 Foam Wash jet engine cleaning system across its global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) network, the company announced on May 22, 2026, broadening the deployment of a technology originally developed with Middle East customers. A foam-based alternative to water wash The system replaces conventional water wash with a proprietary foam injected into the engine gas path to remove dust and particulate buildup. According to GE Aerospace, the process lowers exhaust gas temperatures, improves compressor efficiency, and restores performance margins. When applied on-wing, it can also extend time on wing and reduce fuel burn.…
Russia fired an RS-26 Rubizh “Oreshnik” intermediate-range ballistic missile at the Bila Tserkva area in Kyiv Oblast during a large overnight combined strike on Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed on May 24, 2026. The launch was carried out from the Kapustin Yar range in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast. It marks the third confirmed combat use of the system. The Ukrainian Air Force said it tracked 690 weapons between 18:00 on May 23 and the morning of May 24, with Kyiv designated as the main direction of attack. Alongside the Oreshnik, the package included two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, three 3M22…
Aero Linx: Private, Sport, or Ultralight? There are three basic pathways to becoming a pilot here in the U.S.: You can become a full-blown private pilot, you can get there a bit faster and cheaper by becoming a sport pilot, or you can fly on your own as an ultralight pilot. It all really depends on two things: what you want to fly, and how many people — if any — you want to take with you.
Directly Behind An aircraft is considered to be operating directly behind when it is following the actual flight path of the lead aircraft over the surface of the earth except when applying wake turbulence separation criteria.