Supersonic business jet hopeful Spike Aerospace is hailing last week’s release of the FAA notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on supersonic flight over land as taking a step closer to making such operations a reality. The NPRM, Spike added, marked the “first significant modernization of U.S. regulations governing civil supersonic flight in more than 50 years” and “represents meaningful progress toward a vision that has guided our company since its founding.”

Release of the NPRM is critical for Spike, Boom, and other potential entrants in a niche long stalled in the civil aviation market. Spike has been designing a Mach 1.6 S-512 Diplomat business jet that could take to the skies later this decade with potential service entry in the early 2030s.

The company praised the FAA’s approach of shifting toward a performance-based framework that recognizes aircraft technology advances while balancing noise concerns on the ground. “Although the FAA’s proposal does not authorize unrestricted commercial operations, it acknowledges that advances in aerodynamics, propulsion, computational modeling, and aircraft design justify reexamining regulations written for another era,” it said.

Covering only supersonic cruise over land, the NPRM would permit these operations without a special authorization if sonic boom overpressure at the surface stays no higher than 0.11 pounds per square foot. By relying on a performance-based framework, the NPRM encourages innovation based on that measurable performance, Spike maintained.

Gulfstream Aerospace has become the first business aviation company to complete a high-altitude flight-test campaign demonstrating the potential for 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to reduce contrail-forming particle emissions at altitudes up to 50,000 feet, the company said.

The campaign marked the first 100% SAF flight for the Gulfstream G800 and its Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engine. Researchers paired the G800 with a specially modified G700 converted into a flying emissions-measurement laboratory. Flying in close formation, the two aircraft captured measurements of particulate matter and contrail-forming atmospheric characteristics at altitudes higher than those flown by most airliners, but typical for business jet missions.

Researchers compared jet-A, low-sulfur jet-A, and 100% hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) SAF, which contains no sulfur or aromatics. Preliminary results suggest a significant measurable reduction in the particulate emissions that contribute to contrail formation when operating on neat SAF.

“As aviation continues its work in optimizing environmental efficiencies, Gulfstream is focused on advancing solutions that deliver measurable impact today while shaping a more sustainable future for flight,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns.

Preparing for the campaign required months of work, including modifying the G700 cabin to integrate in-flight emissions instrumentation. Pilots trained in simulators to execute formation profiles designed to capture near-field emissions and contrail evolution several miles in-trail.

NATO has officially selected Saab’s GlobalEye platform—a missionized Bombardier Global 6500 business jet—as its next “eyes in the sky” solution. In a move set to end more than four decades of reliance on U.S.-originated systems, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte today confirmed the alliance will begin negotiations with Saab to buy up to 10 GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft.

If the deal is finalized, Sweden-based Saab will have won the contract over U.S. alternatives such as the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail and L3Harris-modified AERIS platform. NATO states have increasingly signaled an intent to reallocate their increased defense spending amid sustained criticism from the Trump Administration—as evidenced by Canada's selection of the GlobalEye platform in May.

Saab president and CEO Micael Johansson is “confident that GlobalEye is the right choice for the Alliance, delivering proven capability, adaptability, and long-term operational advantage.” The selection builds on other existing firm orders for GlobalEye from the UAE, Sweden, and France.

NATO’s pivot to GlobalEye follows an uncertain procurement process initially centered around the E-7A Wedgetail, which is a modified Boeing 737 platform. In November 2023, a consortium of seven NATO partners announced it was to collectively acquire six units, with the first aircraft expected to reach initial operational capability by 2031. This followed the selection of the E-7 by the U.S. Air Force earlier that year.

The FAA awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract on July 1 to upgrade and continue operating the U.S. aircraft tracking network through 2045. A contract value was not disclosed.

Under the contract, L3Harris will upgrade more than 700 ground stations that deliver real-time, satellite-based flight positioning data to air traffic controllers nationwide. The company will also deploy security measures to protect airspace data and expand surveillance capabilities to track emerging entrants in the National Airspace System (NAS).

“L3Harris is propelling the FAA’s modernization vision forward by delivering an advanced surveillance infrastructure that will define the future of our airspace system and ensure increased safety for all air travelers,” said Kathy Crandall, president of mission networks, space, and mission systems at L3Harris. “By expanding network capacity, we’re ensuring the United States remains the global leader in air traffic management.”

L3Harris said it operates the largest terrestrial air traffic surveillance network in the world, integrating thousands of data sources and delivering information to hundreds of FAA and government facilities through a 24/7 network operations center. According to the company, the award builds on nearly two decades of operations supporting the FAA’s surveillance system.

Joshua Collins has been named General Manager of DAS Aviation's Cedar Hill facility.

Garmin updated its Pilot app for Apple devices with three changes: a redesigned Flights page, an expansion of SmartCharts for Canada and Mexico, and improvements to support for the FISK VFR Arrival ahead of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026.

The new Flights page replaces the previous Trip Planning page and consolidates route planning, weight and balance, fuel planning, and flight briefing into a single interface. Quickset cards allow users to enter data and expand to view additional details. The update aligns the mobile app experience with Garmin Pilot Web.

SmartCharts, previously available in the U.S. and Bahamas, will expand to Canada and Mexico in August for Garmin Pilot Premium subscribers. Pilots operating in those regions will gain access to the continuous descent final approach path on the vertical profile view, which Garmin said supports a more stable glide path for nonprecision approaches. Cold-weather altitude adjustments will be available for cold-temperature-restricted airports in Canada and the U.S. For pilots operating across multiple regions, a worldwide subscription option is available.

For AirVenture, the FISK VFR Arrival SmartCharts procedure now includes additional labels to identify waypoints and key details, colored runway dots and squares matching those used by air traffic control, and a direct link to the EAA AirVenture notam. Beginning July 9, users can also load the FISK procedure as a standard terminal arrival route into compatible Garmin avionics.

Elevate Jet added four aircraft to its managed fleet program in June, including types ranging from turboprop twins to ultra-long-range jets. Three of the four airplanes will enter Part 135 charter service this year.

A Beechcraft King Air 360, based at Henderson Executive Airport (KHDN) in the Las Vegas metro area, joins as a dedicated corporate employee shuttle, operating exclusively under Part 91.

Joining the fleet from the Boston metro area, a Dassault Falcon 2000LXS will operate under Part 91 before entering Part 135 charter service in the fourth quarter. Based in the Miami metro area, a Bombardier Global Express XRS is undergoing an interior refurbishment and will be available for charter beginning in August.

Rounding out the additions, a Bombardier Challenger 605 based in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina metro area will enter charter service in the second half.

Elevate Jet has managed private aircraft since 1995 and holds Argus Platinum and Wyvern Wingman safety ratings.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) named Cambridge High School of Milton, Georgia, the first-place winner of its 2026 Aviation Design Challenge. Corona del Sol High School of Tempe, Arizona, placed second, and Greenville Technical Charter High School of Greenville, South Carolina, placed third.

The project required teams to redesign the airplane to carry maximum cargo weight at maximum speed between two remote, high-altitude locations in the French Alps. Judges evaluated entries on simulated flight performance, a design-change summary, a video presentation, and a test-flight checklist.

Cambridge High School’s team—Clark Benner, Adam Gould, Morgan Smith, and Christian Seawright—adjusted the airplane’s wing aspect ratio, adopted a V-tail configuration, and fitted a larger propeller along with redesigned landing gear. More than 70 high school teams from 31 states entered the competition. Participants used the “Fly to Learn” curriculum to study flight principles and airplane design, then applied that knowledge to modify a Cessna 208 Caravan for a mission flown in X-Plane simulation software.

“The 2026 GAMA Aviation Design Challenge participants showcased some very creative and innovative design concepts,” said James Viola, GAMA president and CEO.

The International Aircraft Dealers Association Foundation funded a technology grant program supplying computers and flight controls to participating schools that requested assistance. The winning team will receive a CubCrafters manufacturing experience and demonstration flights.

Jeppesen ForeFlight’s online insurance brokerage is adding aircraft owner insurance and will begin making this available at EAA AirVenture 2026, which opens July 20. ForeFlight Insurance Agency launched in April with its first product: flight instructor and renter insurance. Now ForeFlight Insurance will enable owners to shop online and compare prices from various insurance underwriters.

Similar to how its renter and instructor insurance products work, ForeFlight Insurance simplifies the process of obtaining insurance quotes for aircraft owners. Applications are all done online, with some information pre-filled from ForeFlight’s digital logbook (for customers who use this).

“You can receive multiple quotes,” said Connor Hailey, director of insurance. “You can compare them side by side, with the primary goals being transparency and ease of use. A lot of pilots experience that [the process] is opaque, that it takes a long time to get quotes, and that you’re never certain that what you’ve gotten is the best that you’re going to get, or if it’s what you just had presented to you for other reasons.”

Owner’s insurance is available in two customer categories: pleasure or business flying—in other words, flying for recreation or transportation but not for commercial operations.