Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

The Air Force told lawmakers it needs a fighter fleet of 1,558 manned, combat-coded fighters to carry out and sustain operations at a low risk, nearly 300 more than it has now. In an August report signed by Air Force Sec. Troy Meink, which was obtained by Defense News, the service said it needs to “grow to minimize risk” over the next decade, as it focuses on modernizing its current fifth-generation and legacy fighter fleets. Congress ordered the Air Force to produce this report, titled “Long-Term USAF Fighter Force Structure,” as part of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.An Air…

French investigators have released their preliminary report into a near-miss incident that took place at Nice Airport (NCE) in the south of France last month. On a dark September evening, a landing Nouvelair Airbus A320 came within 10 feet of an easyJet Airbus A320 when it mistakenly attempted to touch down on the departing runway occupied by the latter aircraft. The alarming incident made headlines for the serious nature of the unplanned runway incursion by the Tunisian aircraft, and because of how unthinkably bad the consequences could have been were it not for last-minute evasive action. Now, the BEA report…

As airline pilots on frequency marveled at the achievement, a Rotax-powered CubCrafters Carbon Cub set a new light-aircraft altitude record, climbing to 37,609 feet over California on October 28, 2025, and surpassing a benchmark that had stood for 75 years.  The flight, which some social-media users initially dismissed as an AI-generated spoof, has been verified by FlightAware data and confirmed by CubCrafters. It occurred with special FAA approval and coordination from the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).  The remarkable achievement — a climb to 37,609 feet in a factory-stock Carbon Cub UL — was made by flight instructor and YouTuber Jon Kotwicki, who launched from San Luis Obispo Airport (SBP) and reached the record…

Two drones raised alarms in the South Estonia region of Estonia on Oct. 17 when they appeared near the Reedo military barracks, resulting in one of the drones being shot down, according to an Estonian press report this week.The base, home to Estonia’s 2nd Infantry Brigade, currently houses U.S. troops of the Army’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. Defense News requested a comment from U.S. Defense Department sources but had not received a response at the time of publication.The drones appeared at 4:30 p.m. One was downed with an anti-drone rifle, Liis Vaksmann, Estonian Defense Forces Headquarters spokesperson, told Estonian…

Lufthansa is the fifth-largest operator between Europe and the United States by passengers. In the 12 months to July 2025, the Star Alliance member carried 5.4 million round-trip passengers. Only Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and British Airways carried more people. These figures are from examining the latest US Department of Transportation data. Compared to the 12 months to July 2024, Lufthansa’s US traffic rose by a healthy 6%. It benefited from the launch of Munich-Seattle and Frankfurt-Raleigh/Durham routes, but Frankfurt-Minneapolis has shifted to its leisure unit Discover Airlines. Despite Lufthansa being the fifth-largest carrier, it grew at…

Thai SmartLynx, an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) specialist airline and a partner of Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI provider, has received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). This achievement marks a major milestone for Thailand’s aviation industry as Thai SmartLynx becomes the first Thai-based ACMI operator, offering fleet capacity solutions to meet seasonal and operational needs across Thailand and the wider region. Thai SmartLynx is also the first airline in Thailand to obtain an AOC under CAAT’s new Thailand Civil Aviation Regulations on Air Operations (TCAR OPS) framework. Modelled…

Earlier, I shared some initial thoughts on our stay at the Reykjavik EDITION, which I enjoyed, for the most part. As I mentioned in passing in that post, we had an interesting experience in the restaurant, which I’d like to cover. I have to give the hotel and restaurant credit, because it’s the best service recovery I’ve experienced in a long time. Why we had dinner at TIDES at the Reykjavik EDITIONReykjavik has a really vibrant food scene, which you wouldn’t necessarily expect. We enjoyed several great meals outside the hotel, but also decided to have dinner at the hotel…

Air travel is rebounding strongly in the post-pandemic world, and amid that global surge, one country stands out: Turkey (the Republic of Türkiye). According to recent analysis, Türkiye is showing the strongest airline capacity growth this year, surpassing even larger aviation markets. In our article, we’ll explore how and why Türkiye is leading in capacity expansion for 2025, and what role its major carriers, especially Turkish Airlines, its subsidiary AJet, and Pegasus Airlines are playing in fueling that growth. Türkiye’s strategic geographic position between Europe and Asia has long made it a natural maritime and trade hub, and, in the…

Aero Linx: Classic Jet Aircraft Association (CJAA) The CJAA Formation and Safety Team (FAST) Mission is to be the sole authorized provider of formation training and certification for members of the Classic Jet Aircraft Association. Such activities will be in accordance with the National FAST protocol and CJAA. CJAA representatives will also serve as the liaison and signatory representatives to the National FAST Board.

During A Low Pass Over A Gravel Bar, The Airplane’S Tailwheel Impacted An Area Of Rough, Uneven Terrain Analysis: The pilot reported that he was flying low-level over various remote gravel bars looking for a suitable one to land on. During a low pass over a gravel bar, the airplane’s tailwheel impacted an area of rough, uneven terrain, which pivoted the nose of the airplane down, resulting in a hard, inadvertent landing. The main landing gear wheels subsequently impacted a 3 ft high gravel berm, and the main landing gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left…