Flyer Magazine

NASA has created many experimental aircraft over the years and operated many others. In the week Artemis II flew to the Moon and around it for the first time in 53 years, we pick our favourites… and it’s an eclectic mix, we admit. Especially since one of us (DAVE!) mis-understood the brief. No matter, watch, listen and let us know your thoughts!

PLUS

In the News
Great Britain’s Vertical Aerospace has flown the all-important transition test flight, going from vertical take-off to wingborne flight - and raised shedloads of investment cash in the process
Poacher turned gamekeeper? AOPA is to deliver the CAA’s Airspace Infringement Courses in place of GASCo
Piper wing spars are back in the news. Could yours be affected?
Andrewsfield Airfield is back in operation. Hooray!
Sun n Fun starts in Florida next week. Yes, it’s both sunny and fun but also followed by AERO at Friedrichshafen on the banks of Lake Constance in Germany

What Caught My Eye
Ian rants (his second one) about AI slop in aviation 
Dave finds a brilliant, gorgeous Pitts Model 12 for sale
Ed is enlightened by a flight review of the Spirit SE-1 by an occasional FLYER contributor

Links: 
Euro GA link in description -
Spirit SE-1 Review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTzwVQ6f1AA
Join the Flyer club - https://flyer.co.uk/membership/
Pilot Careers Live April 18th - https://www.pilotcareernews.com/live/heathrow-april-2026/

#aviationnews #nasa #generalaviation #aircraft #pilots

£10k? £15k? £20k? We run through some of the figures, some of the options and remember our first solo flights - which vary from a flex-wing microlight to a glider to a Piper Cub!

Plus, in the News:
Sonex Aircraft closes
Avid founder and designer, Dean Wildon, RIP
Microlight Awards + video chat with Owain Johns, CEO of the BMAA
The Reno, sorry Roswell Air Races are back and this time all the really fast guys will be there
Update on fuel prices

In What Caught My Eye:
Ian wonders about a spectacular forced landing in Oregon’s immense Snake River Canyon
Dave is excited about Pussy Galore’s Piper
Ed speculates on the future of a new light twin from Poland

Plus:
SkyDemon tip
Weekend weather forecast
Latest FLYER Club news including four new free landings for members
Weekend events

Links: 
Freedom Fox Adventures Hell's Canyon p1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPn1Vh-ebAs
Freedom Fox Adventures Hell's Canyon p2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrPiSsMzU_4
Sonex shutting down - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl9H0N_r8kE&t=3s

#aviationnews #learntofly #generalaviation #aircraft #pilots

Oil prices are rising quickly and the £3 litre of 100LL avgas is a definite possibility. In some parts of Europe, it’s already close. We take a look at current UK, Europe and USA prices, talk to the suppliers for their view and ask where’s it going?

Plus, in this week’s News
Swift Fuels 100R unleaded avgas is approved for hundreds more aircraft
We look back at the life of Mike Melvill, kitplane builder, test pilot and first civilian astronaut
Ultimate High is having a GA Safety Day at Goodwood
Loganair trials electric aircraft in the Highlands & Islands
Greenland’s legendary Narsarsuaq Airport us to close
£190k job at the CAA to sort out airspace mess

In What Caught Me Eye this week:
Dave finds a simulator of a Thruster microlight for those days when it’s too windy to fly the real thing.
Ian fancies a blend, a blended wing aircraft that is. Two are due to appear at April’s AERO Friedrichshafen show.
Ed finds a seven-tenths scale Junkers Ju-87 Stuka replica for sale. Will he ever stop making that Stuka dive bomber sound?

Links
Thruster simulator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqGnECqInpI
Stuka replica https://www.swarbirds.com/ju-87-stuka-replica
Send your “Welcome to The FLYER Show” videos to: [email protected] via https://wetransfer.com/

#aviationnews #fuelprices #generalaviation #aircraft #pilots

The sale of the busiest General Aviation airport in the UK to Horizon Aero Group has collapsed. What do the two local councils which own the airport do now? We visit the airport - still functioning and busy - and look at what it could be.

In this week’s news:
Sale of Gloucestershire Airport collapses
Consultation over the airspace above Manston Airport in Kent when it reopens
Update on the new MD 564 ‘hotrod’ helicopter
Entries open for TopNav 2026, the navigation competition that takes place in May
Enthusiasts building a replica of a 1911 Helpman 1, an early aeroplane in the Netherlands

In What Caught My Eye this week
Ian chases a bigger Bird Dog (that’s a Cessna btw)
Dave marvels at two microlight pilots heading for Iceland
Ed is enthralled by the latest aeroplane from Lego, the legendary DC-3

Plus events, SkyDemon tip, the weekend’s weather forecast and FLYER Club news

Links 
FLY2026 - https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=139024
Top Nav - https://rin.org.uk/page/TopNav
Lego DC-3 https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/douglas-dc-3-pan-am-airliner-11378
Welcome to the Flyer show videos send to - [email protected] - Via WeTransfer

#aviationnews #gloucestershire #generalaviation #aircraft #pilots

What flying competitions can you take part in as a General Aviation pilot? There’s a surprising number of events and a wide range of sports, from air racing to short take-off and landing (STOL) competitions. For the tourers, there’s the Pooleys Dawn to Dusk Challenge, navigation exercises or precision/rally flying.

The SkyDemon tip is about integrated AIPs and airfield guides.

In the news we discuss:
Old Sarum Airfield wins planning appeal
Bicester Airfield hangar restored
New helicopters everywhere at the Verticon trade show
Fuel prices

In What Caught My Eye this week:
Annabel intercepts a video from Sam Rutherford
Dave spots a Spitfire
Ed finds a real-life fantasy hangar that’s straight out of a Bond movie

Links:
FLY2026 - https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=139024

Attend/Enter Real Stol event -https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iYGU1REw62u-sArdKHEr3HDIyO-FWFARUD3v8vYDjtE/edith

Spitfires.com circumnavigation - https://www.spitfires.com/spitfire90

RRRA - https://www.royalaeroclubrrra.co.uk/

British Aerobatics - https://www.aerobatics.org.uk/

Top Nav - https://rin.org.uk/page/TopNav

Precision Flying World Championship 2026 - https://wpfc2026.pl/

British Precision Pilots Association -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1687052261663401

Welcome to the Flyer show videos send to - [email protected] - Via WeTransfer

#aviationnews #generalaviation #aircraft #pilots #airrace

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has sent the strongest signal yet that ADS-B electronic conspicuity will become mandatory for most aircraft operating in UK lower airspace. Why? How? When? We don’t know all the answers yet but here’s what we do know.

Plus, in the News:
90th anniversary of the Spitfire’s first flight - and news of a very special Spitfire event at Shuttleworth
Italian manufacturer announces a new twin-engine aircraft, the Pioneer 800 Twin
Latest update on Van’s RV-15, one of the most eagerly awaited kitplanes ever
Popham: SkyDemon releases a heatmap showing GA flights into and out of the Hampshire airfield which puts paid to the argument “it’s not important”

FLYER Club news
Four free landing vouchers for March 2026 plus new webinars and club opportunities coming up

In What Caught My Eye this week:
Dave revels in the return of AFORS.com, the crazily designed but highly addictive website packed full of aircraft for sale

Ian discover the Bellanca Airbus (later renamed to Aircruiser), a sesquiplane. What’s that? Watch and find out!

Ed is reminded of the time a Russian Ilyushin IL-96 airliner made a short-field landing on grass… and survived

LINKS
FLYER’s #FLY2026 Challenge https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=139024

CAA Electronic Conspicuity report https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-publications/publications/documents/content/cap3217/

AFORS https://afors.com

IL-62 strip landing https://youtu.be/wGzGR2KrwxU?si=7jrLtu8HD_GG634s

Shuttleworth Spitfire Summer Airshow https://www.shuttleworth.org/events/summer-air-show

#aviationnews #generalaviation #aircraft #pilots #aircraftlanding

Which is the best app for finding information about that airfield you’re thinking of flying to?

In the news:
What’s happening at Andrewsfield?
What’s K59? Tecnam revamps fleet to fit new US sport pilot rules
General Aviation did well in 2025 but which aircraft were the big winners?

FLYER Club News
Latest webinar on better radio use is live, plus four new free landing fees for March

In What Caught My Eye
Ian celebrates the Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) contest being staged this summer by the Real Aeroplane Club at Breighton (spoiler: it’s every bit a party as well as a STOL Fest)
Dave can’t wait to fly a Murphy Moose powered by a 550hp turboprop
Ed spots a bit of Piper history at the Vero Beach factory

Join the FLYER Club today https://flyer.co.uk/membership/

#aviationnews #generalaviation #airfield #pilots #weather

We set a maximum budget of £50,000 and went looking in the classifieds (and elsewhere) for two choices:  Hot (aircraft we’d really like) and Not (aircraft we’d rather not). Ian falls for a beautifully made Chilton monoplane, even though it’s too small him to fly. Dave eyes a Luscombe (no surprise there) and Ed goes for a Yak 50 even though it’s life limited (the Yak, not Ed).

In the news:

• GASCo starts winding up after 60+ years promoting safety in aviation
• Red Bull’s Dario Costa lets the train take the strain (and his Edge 540 aircraft)
• Pilot Careers: Opportunities with Jet2, the new Oxford Airline Training and Leading Edge

In What Caught My Eye:

• Ian is surprised to find a Dyn Aero (now SE Aviation) MCR4S with no windscreen, hard points and a distinctly different purpose
• Dave sees Aerobility being given an all-electric Pipistrel two-seater to take disabled people flying
• Ed spies the lesser spotted Pasped Skylark… that’s Pasped as in Pas-Ped, not Passed as in Expired.
  
  Join Today www.flyer.co.uk/membership
  
  Thanks to AFORS www.afors.com
  & Plane Selling plane-selling.com
  & Rare Aircraft www.facebook.com/primoresto

Britain’s airfields and airports are under threat. Popham, Coventry, Tollerton, Gloucester and Old Sarum are just some facing an uncertain future. This week we bring an update - likely to be the first of many.

In the news, we discuss:
Pilot Medical Declaration (PMD) - yet another CAA consultation
In the US, the powerful Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is in turmoil. Why?
AERO Friedrichshafen: fly in slots open and news of a FLYER Club special discount
Closet air racers: time to shine as Popham stages race school 
“30 feet… 10 feet… 5 feet… 15 feet… oops!” Garmin releases its Height Advisor (radar altimeter to you and me) for certified aircraft
Dawn to Dusk Challenge 2025 winners announced
PLUS Breaking News: new agent for Bristell certified aircraft in the UK

In What Caught My Eye this week:
Ian bursts with amazement at Monte Warne’s ‘Bubble Plane’
Dave salivates over this year’s Raduno in Italy
Ed whirls over a lightweight helicopter which flies on just 62hp

Links
CAA PMD Consultation https://consultations.caa.co.uk/ga/pilot-medical-declaration/
Register for Air Race School https://www.royalaeroclubrrra.co.uk/event-list
Pooleys 2026 Dawn to Dusk Challenge https://www.pooleys.com/dawn-to-dusk/
Tollerton Crowdfunder campaign https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-nottingham-airfield

Simple but effective tips to improve your R/T! ATC expert Darren Lewington gives three straightforward ways to transform mumbling and stumbling radio calls into a thing of fluency. 

In the news we discuss:
Cirrus launches Generation 3 Vision Jet with six seats and more than 30 tweaks
N-reg drama over: FAA starts to reissue aircraft certificates
Volocopter buzzing: Back with two electric helicopters
Pilot caught short: the story behind our lead item

In What Caught My Eye: 
Dave spots the truly gorgeous Junkers A50 Heritage landing on ice
Annabel returns tongue Thai-d from flying in Thailand
Ed finds a dream floatplane business and house for sale

Links (to follow)
Join the Flyer Club - https://flyer.co.uk/membership
Pilot Careers Live - https://www.pilotcareernews.com/live/
Thailand Flying Club - https://www.bfaflyingclub.com/
#FLY2026 - https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=139024
ATC Story Forum Link - https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=139106
Float Plane Business for Sale - https://www.barnstormers.com/classified-2025443-FLOAT-PLANE-OPERATION.html
Gamston treasure hunt - https://flyer.co.uk/event/aerial-treasure-hunt-retford-gamston-airport/

#aviation #aviationnews #pilots #generalaviation #flying