Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 1, 2025

On this day in aviation history, January 1, 1914, the world’s first scheduled airline began service. This was the St. PetersburgTampa Airboat Line, which offered air travel across Tampa Bay, Florida in a Benoist XIV flying boat. While the service would be brief, it foretold what the future of air travel would entail. Situated on the western portion of the Florida peninsula, Tampa Bay is home to the cities of St.

Airline

One Mile at a Time

JANUARY 1, 2025

Its not often we see American leading the way when it comes to inflight service, so heres a small but noteworthy victory, as reported by @xJonNYC. American expands premium cabin espresso offering American Airlines is expanding the planes and cabins on which it serves espresso-based drinks. Thanks to a recent change, American now offers espresso in first and business class on Boeing 777s (777-200ERs and 777-300ERs), Boeing 787s (787-8s and 787-9s), and Airbus A321Ts.

Airline

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

With advancing aircraft technology and rising globalization, air travel continues to expand, resulting in higher demand for longer flights. The longest commercial routing is currently being operated by Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR , with an almost 19-hour flight between New York (JFK) and Singapore (SIN) covering a total distance of over 9,500 miles.

Airline

AV Web

JANUARY 1, 2025

This article originally appeared in IFR Magazine: Generative AI and machine learning are two interrelated technologies revolutionizing how we interact with computers and data. At their core, both aim to harness the power of algorithms to analyze and generate insights from vast amounts of data. Machine Learning is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that involves training algorithms to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data.

Air Traffic Control

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

The crew of Horizon Air Flight 2041 reported a bird strike shortly after taking off from Anchorage Airport at 11:40 on December 24, forcing a return to the airport. The airlines Embraer 175LR registration N648QX had struck a bald eagle but landed in Anchorage at 12:09 with no injuries to passengers or crew.

Airline

Flyertalk

JANUARY 1, 2025

With the coming of the new year, the airline announced a complete rebrand of their frequent flyer program, simplifying it to The British Airways Club with new ways to earn Tier Points. New Program Includes Tier Points from Credit Card Spending, Milestone Benefits When the new program goes into effect on April 1, 2025, flyers will be able to earn Tier Points towards status in numerous ways.

Threshold

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

It can be difficult for new airlines to compete with established airlines like Delta Air Lines , American Airlines , United Airlines , and Southwest Airlines. While these airlines may have already claimed most of the busy and profitable routes, there are still crumbs to be had. Low-cost and ultra-low-cost airlines now make up around 34% of the US airline market share (around average for the rest of the world).

Airline

One Mile at a Time

JANUARY 1, 2025

Link: Apply now for the Aeroplan Credit Card The Aeroplan Credit Card ( review ) is a popular co-branded airline credit card, which is quite lucrative. The card offers a unique Pay Yourself Back feature, which you wont find on many airline cards. This has been adjusted a bit for 2025, so lets cover the details of how it works. Chase Aeroplan Card Pay Yourself Back basics With the Aeroplan Credit Card s Pay Yourself Back feature, cardmembers can redeem their Aeroplan points for 1.25 cents each to

Airline

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) opened in March 1946 and has since grown to become the fourth-busiest airport in the world, processing more than 79 million passengers in 2023, of which almost 75 million were international passengers.

Airline

Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 1, 2025

By James Kightly, Commissioning Editor, Images: Howard Mitchell A rare Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer STOL transport, universally known as the “Twin Pin” was started up, checked out, and taxied at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), at Illawarra, NSW, Australia on December 23, 2024. At the controls were veteran pilots Don Hindle and Bob Small who, as HARS report, have “flown their fair share of aircraft in their long careers.” Blowing burnt oil after startup

Ferry Flight

AV Web

JANUARY 1, 2025

Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Gogetair has taken a different approach to the issue of avgas availability worldwide. While there are a number of piston engines capable of operating on more readily available jet fuel, late last year, Gogetair flew its top-of-the-line G750 aircraft with a Turbotech TP-R90 turboprop engine. Rated at roughly 122 shaft horsepower, the French-built TP-R50 is a regenerative turbine with a heat exchanger to mix intake air with exhaust gas to be reinjected into the comb

Center of Gravity

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

Turkey's military aviation has taken another step in its development with its new TAI Hrku-II turboprop trainer flying for the first time. This comes after Turkey's indigenous TAI KAAN multirole fighter jet flew for the first time in early 2024. Turkey is already a noted player in advanced drones or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles ( such as the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV ).

Jet

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 1, 2025

With the rise in the prevalence of drone flight, drone pilots are now at a stage where they are expected to operate within long-established aviation standards. Part of these standards is understanding how weather conditions can affect the flight performance of their drones. To this end, drone pilots are expected to understand weather forecasts in the form of METAR and TAF reports.

AGL

The Aviationist

JANUARY 1, 2025

Originally designed as a medium bomber, the B-47 also had a lesser known and more secretive role in the Cold War, serving in a reconnaissance role as the RB-47 to monitor the Soviet military and its Warsaw Pact allies. Shot down just two months after the famous U-2 incident, the RB-47 also made overflights behind […] The post Boeings B-47 Stratojet Goes Cold War Spying: The story of the RB-47 appeared first on The Aviationist.

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 1, 2025

ou might ask what these itemscheese, wine, computers, and airplaneshave in common. Well, as they would say in the popular TV game show Jeopardy, What are items commonly imported into the United States? Even as the U.S. has been known as the hub of aviation for decades, the fact is more and more prospective owners are choosing to import aircraft from other countries.

Pilot

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

A United Airlines transpacific flight to Hawaii was recently diverted to its airport of origin due to a technical glitch with the aircraft. The flight was on a Boeing 757 plane, which is over 20 years old. While Uniteds 757 fleet continues to reliably transport passengers across the US and on international flights, the carrier will gradually phase them out in the coming years, replacing them with new-generation narrowbody planes.

Airline

The Aviationist

JANUARY 1, 2025

The Skyhawks supporting the RCAF have been upgraded by Top Aces to the A-4 Advanced Aggressor Fighter configuration, which includes advanced capabilities and an arctic splinter camo to replicate near-peer threats at lower costs. Top Aces, the private ADAIR (Advanced Adversary Air) company which provides adversary, or Aggressor, training in support of multiple militaries, is […] The post Top Aces Continues to Support Royal Canadian Air Force’s Training with Upgraded A-4 Skyhawks appea

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

Low-cost carriers, which specialize in operating flights with the lowest possible unit costs, attempt to optimize every aspect of their flights, hubs, loyalty programs, and maintenance systems to reduce the amount they spend to operate each service. While traditional legacy airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines historically attempt to cater to business travelers with lavish inflight offerings and more comfortable cabins, low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines , Fr

Airline

Flyertalk

JANUARY 1, 2025

Flyers talking to The New York Times report they are allegedly experiencing bedbug problems across numerous flights with Turkish Airlines. Bedbug Reports with Turkish Logged Throughout 2024 According to flyers talking with the newspaper, the bedbug issue dates back to earlier in 2024. In March, a flyer says she found a bedbug on her seat when she was flying from Johannesburg in South Africa to Istanbul.

Airline

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

The Gulfstream G700 is a part of the G650 business jet family introduced in October 2019. The manufacturer stretched the airframe of the G650 by 10 feet (3.0 m) and incorporated a new wing and improved engines to offer a high-performance ultra-long-range business jet. The longer cabin can features up to five living areas, offering a luxurious passenger experience.

Jet

AV Web

JANUARY 1, 2025

As the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft (better known as the Warthog) is being phased out of U.S. Air Force service, increasing numbers of airframes are finding their way into storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The USAF relegated 39 of the popular A-10s to Davis-Monthan in 2024 more than double the number re-assigned to the base’s 309 th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) the previous year.

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

Business travelers' role in generating carbon emissions within the aviation industry is extensive, and the future of decarbonized global travel will undoubtedly revolve around finding easy and environmentally-conscious ways to get those traveling for work to their destinations. According to research from the Environmental & Energy Study Institute , around 10% of US carbon emissions come from commercial aircraft or business jets, far outpacing the amount of carbon emitted by commercial and bu

Jet

AV Web

JANUARY 1, 2025

Though it has faced some recent setbacks , the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) is celebrating the renewal of a maintenance agreement with the National Park Service (NPS) involving three airstrips within the Death Valley National Park in California. The five-year Memorandum of Understanding extends an agreement between RAF and NPS that was originally established in 2008.

Drag

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

Pilatus Aircraft is one of the largest manufacturers of general aviation and private aviation aircraft in Europe. The company was first founded in December 1939, when it was originally formed to manufacture the Spitfire fighter aircraft in Switzerland for the Swiss Air Force. However, the Swiss government instead decided to purchase completed aircraft from Messerschmitt, a German aircraft manufacturer, instead.

Jet

The Aviationist

JANUARY 1, 2025

The Ukrainian Su-25s started using the French-made AASM Hammer guided bombs in June 2024, as the stocks of Soviet-made unguided munitions were depleted and Western ones started dwindling. A new video showing the Ukrainian Su-25 Frogfoot in action, posted online on Jan. 1, 2025, shows for the first time the Soviet-mad close air support aircraft […] The post Ukrainian Su-25 Seen Armed with AASM Hammer Bombs in Video for the First Time appeared first on The Aviationist.

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

A womans social media post has gone viral after she claimed she was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight due to her pet cats accident in its carrier during a turbulent landing, according to Newsweek and the New York Post. The woman, identified as Alex, shared her experience on X , which has since been viewed over 20 million times.

Turbulence

Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 1, 2025

By James Kightly, Commissioning Editor, Images: Howard Mitchell A rare Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer STOL transport, universally known as the “Twin Pin” was started up, checked out, and taxied at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), at Illawarra, NSW, Australia on December 23, 2024. At the controls were veteran pilots Don Hindle and Bob Small who, as HARS report, have “flown their fair share of aircraft in their long careers.” Blowing burnt oil after startup

Ferry Flight

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

Southwest Airlines is under fire after customers allegedly used a vulnerability in the airline's boarding procedure to fraudulently declare the need for wheelchair assistance. The issue was recently brought to light by an event on a trip between Florida and Puerto Rico , which infuriated other passengers and raised concerns about the fairness of the airlines policies.

Airline

Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 1, 2025

By James Kightly, Commissioning Editor, Images: Howard Mitchell A rare Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer STOL transport, universally known as the “Twin Pin” was started up, checked out, and taxied at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), at Illawarra, NSW, Australia on December 23, 2024. At the controls were veteran pilots Don Hindle and Bob Small who, as HARS report, have “flown their fair share of aircraft in their long careers.” Blowing burnt oil after startup

Ferry Flight

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

Mongolia's Hunnu Air plans to expand its fleet with the addition of a leased Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, according to a ch-aviation report, citing independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie, based in Singapore.

One Mile at a Time

JANUARY 1, 2025

One of the benefits of hotel credit cards is that they can help you earn elite status. Some hotel credit cards outright offer elite status, while others offer a certain number of elite nights toward a status tier. In this post Id like to share a guide to earning elite nights in the Marriott Bonvoy program using co-branded Marriott credit cards. Hopefully this is useful with it being a new year, as people start to consider their elite status strategy for 2025.

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

With Boeing unlikely to produce a middle-of-the-market aircraft anytime soon, what would be the next best aircraft to replace the 767-300?

One Mile at a Time

JANUARY 1, 2025

Most people probably dont look forward to paying their taxes. For those of us in the miles & points world , though, one silver lining is the potential to generate credit card spending at an attractive rate. Personally I pay all of my estimated quarterly and annual taxes by credit card, so in this post I want to take a closer look at why. Long story short, the credit card rewards that you can generate by using a credit card can more than offset the fee of doing so.

Threshold

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

A United Airlines Boeing 757 aircraft flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Kailua Kona International Airport (KOA) in Hawaii was forced to make an emergency landing at LAX due to a reported engine issue.

Airline

One Mile at a Time

JANUARY 1, 2025

With it now being 2025, I thought it would be fun to share my hotel elite status strategy for the coming year. While I think the value of airline elite status has decreased considerably over the years, I continue to greatly value hotel elite status , including for suite upgrades and more. As we start a new year, let me share a general overview of how Im approaching hotel elite status, what elite status tiers I am starting the year with, and intend to end the year with.

Approach

Simple Flying

JANUARY 1, 2025

Southwest Airlines is the worlds largest low-cost carrier and one of the largest airlines in the world. With a massive fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, the airline operates a robust schedule across the United States and beyond and has become a preferred carrier for many leisure and business travelers alike.

Airline

One Mile at a Time

JANUARY 1, 2025

In early 2024, Marriott and MGM launched a close partnership, with reciprocal opportunities to earn and redeem points, and take advantage of elite perks. The elite perks offered with this partnership have just been updated for 2025, so lets cover all the details of the partnership. MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy collaboration basics Marriott and MGM are in an exclusive long-term strategic licensing agreement, branded as MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy.