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Yes, the FLYER team is off to Europe’s top General Aviation show staged at Friedrichshafen Messe which just happened to be adjacent to the local airport, on the shore of Lake Bodensee in southern Germany. Aircraft, avionics, engines, propellers and a zillion accessory and service providers from all over the world descend on what is a stunning location. This week on The FLYER Show we preview the show, looking at some of highlights we’ve already heard about. In the News British Airways opens its 2026 fully funded airline pilot training programme Garmin launches a new pilot watch with InReach satellite comms and much more MagniX proposes an electric power system for Vans RV-10 kitplane The Alto NG 600kg microlight kicks off its UK type approval process  New 7-blade prop for the Piper M700 Fury French maker Aura Aero is awash with cash to build more of its two-seat aerobatic aircraft Europe’s business aviation show, EBACE, cancels with just weeks to go What Caught My Eye this week Dave is getting wound up about the Chipmunk’s upcoming 80th anniversary Ian ponders the little known Sreya Aviation Envoy which promised so much but delivered… well what? Ed finds a bunch of aviation geeks building a 60% scale replica of a late 1950s V-bomber Links Video: Essential advice for BA’s 2026 pilot sponsorship course https://youtu.be/1oOYxjb3_YE?si=oVE7HDudJ8dss8kD FLYER Club membership: https://flyer.co.uk/membership/ Pilot Careers Live April 18th - https://www.pilotcareernews.com/live/heathrow-april-2026/ #aviationnews #aero #generalaviation #aircraft #pilots

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 P***y 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 aviationRed 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 purposeDave sees Aerobility being given an all-electric Pipistrel two-seater to take disabled people flyingEd 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

Will your revalidation refresher flight turn into a test? That's one of the top three takeaways from this week's news of CAA licensing changes. Others include: Microlights are OK for Commercial Pilot Licence training and there are dark clouds ahead for instructors using a Pilot Medical Declaration. Plus: Return of the IMC Rating.   In the news we discuss: ·   Tayside Aviation faces dissolution leaving students out of pocket ·   Mooney Aircraft thrown a lifeline ·   Aerotech to close ahead of Coventry Airport's final day ·   Airfield Petition receives 10,000+ signatures ·   Microlight hero Malcolm McBride RIP   In What Caught My Eye, Dave fantasises over a final flight for Coventry's Nimrod,  Ian congratulations the pilot of NASA's Canberra after a belly landing, and Ed tinkers with Shuttleworth's de Havilland Comet (and sits in the pilot seat making noises).   Links: #FLY2026: https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=139024 Airfield petition (ends 1 February!):  https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/732869 CAA Wave 2 Comment Responses: https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-publications/publications/documents/content/cap3212/ Nimrod final engine run: https://youtu.be/hLgdt0uOgZs?si=5Lh5eraMdEKpFdHo Shuttleworth Collection: https://www.shuttleworth.org/ #aviation #aviationnews #pilots #generalaviation #flying

We visit Compton Abbas Airfield to talk with new Accountable Manager Ben Perkins and Head of Aviation James Wolstenholme about some welcome changes coming up at one of the UK’s most picturesque airfields, set in the Dorset countryside. Plus we run through this week’s top news stories including: French Superstar: latest 2026 Daher TBM 980 Update on the grounded N-reg aircraft Launch of Pooleys Dawn to Dusk Competition 2026 Update on the Colin Hales and LAA situation Flying scholarships at Goodwood Flying School Popham Airfield: 1 day left to act This week we also have ‘What Caught My Eye’ with Dave in rapture over a US YouTuber strapped to the loading ramp of an RAF A400M flying the Mach Loop (yes, you read that right), Ian on the very public row between Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary and X’s Elon Musk, and Ed spots an ad for a very thirsty (and expensive) aircraft, a 1963 Howard 500. Links: Popham Airfield consultation: https://flyer.co.uk/feature/save-popham-airfield-now-is-the-time/ Pooleys Dawn to Dusk 2026: https://flyer.co.uk/2026-international-dawn-to-dusk-competition-announced-by-pooleys/ Sam Eckholm A400M Mach Loop video: https://youtu.be/g60IkGJwkjU?si=uGi9FGHUhlJKZy3F Howard 500 advertisement: https://www.platinumfighters.com/inventory/1963-dee-howard-500/ Send us your “Welcome to The FLYER Show’ video: Via WeTransfer to [email protected] #aviation #aviationnews #pilots #generalaviation #flying

This episode of The Flyer Show takes a look at the latest general aviation news, brings you your weekly SkyDemon tip, and of course your weekend weather outlook. The team discusses the FAA decision that has grounded N-registered aircraft held in trust with Southern Aircraft Consultancy, and what the possible solutions might be.  There's the latest in the Colin Hales/LAA story, the financial position of Lydd Airport, the proposed sale of Gloucestershire Airport and the consultation around Popham Airfield. #aviation #aviationnews #pilots #generalaviation #flying  The links! Join the Flyer Club - https://flyer.co.uk/membership Pilot Careers Live - https://www.pilotcareernews.com/live/ Popham Consultation - https://www.pophamairfieldmatters.org/ That FAA grounding story - https://flyer.co.uk/n-registered-aircraft-held-in-trust-with-southern-aircraft-consultancy-grounded/ A&P investigates G100UL (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/@mluvara

In this episode of the FLYER Show – the first of 2026! – we bring you the latest general aviation news and we look forward to general aviation flying in 2026, including launching our #FLY2026 challenge! - SkyDemon top tip covering flight log analysis - First real-world emergency landing using Garmin’s Autoland system - Rotax 916-powered Bristell B23 gets EASA certified - Cirrus Aircraft deliver their 11,000th SR aircraft and launch the G7+ model for 2026 - Plus time is getting critical to make your voice heard in the consultation threatening Popham Airfield. Looking ahead to flying in 2026, learn about the winners of our #FLY2025 Challenge, and are you ready for #FLY2026 Challenge? Plus there’s reflections on GA, microlighting and gliding activity, and previews of major aviation events such as AERO Friedrichshafen, the LAA Rally, Popham Microlight Trade Fair, Oshkosh and SleapKosh. A comprehensive episode for anyone interested in aviation, flying, aircraft engineering, aviation news and staying active as a pilot in the UK. #aviation #aviationnews #pilots #generalaviation #flying #aircraft  The links! Join the FLYER Club - https://flyer.co.uk/membership Pilot Careers Live - https://www.pilotcareernews.com/live/ #FLY2026 - forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=139024