NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first taxi test on July 10, the initial movement of the experimental jet under its own power. The test took place at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and signals the start of the final phase of ground testing before first flight.

Conducted by NASA and Lockheed Martin personnel, the low-speed taxi test was led by NASA test pilot Nils Larson. The team monitored the X-59’s steering, braking, and stability as it moved across the runway to validate system performance and ground-handling behavior. Over the coming weeks, the aircraft will continue taxi testing at gradually increasing speeds, culminating in a high-speed run that will take the X-59 to the verge of liftoff.

The aircraft is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight by replacing the traditional sonic boom with a significantly quieter “thump.” Data collected during the flight campaign will be used to help establish noise thresholds for future supersonic operations over land.

NASA intends to share its findings with U.S. and international regulators to support rulemaking based on real-world supersonic noise performance. The X-59 is designed to fly at Mach 1.4 at 55,000 feet while producing no more than 75 perceived decibels on the ground.

Ask a second grader what they want to be when they grow up, and you might not be surprised to hear: YouTuber. At age seven, many children spend more time watching YouTube and Netflix than reading books or playing outside. Their heroes aren’t necessarily astronauts or pilots—they’re online personalities with ring lights and followers.

Meanwhile, aviation—especially business aviation—is nearly invisible to them.

And yet, research shows that by age seven, kids are already forming ideas about their future careers. Granted, they’re not making final decisions, of course. But they are eliminating options based on gender stereotypes, perceived attainability, and what they’ve been exposed to.

If they’ve never met a pilot, technician, scheduler, or flight attendant, they’re unlikely to imagine becoming one. Especially if that second grader is a girl or a person of color.

So, how do we compete with the likes of YouTube? How do we make aviation just as exciting to a second grader as an unboxing video? It starts with storytelling, representation, and access. And we, as an industry, need to show up, early and often. We must market to the influencers on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and we must reach parents.

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee yesterday approved a $23.3 billion budget for the FAA in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, more than a $2.3 billion increase over the agency’s funding in the current year and including enough for the hiring of 2,500 air traffic controllers. The FY2026 transportation, housing, and urban development (THUD) bill passed 35-to-28 after a nearly eight-hour markup, drawing opposition from Democrats over funding measures primarily involving the HUD side of the bill.

For the FAA, the bill represents a significant boost in air traffic control funding with $10.368 billion allocated to fully fund ATC operations and the largest yet budget—$5 billion—for the facilities and equipment account. This would represent a $1.824 billion increase there alone.

The $13.48 billion overall operations budget would mark a $269 million increase from FY2025, albeit still $90 million below the administration’s request. While other accounts scaled up, research and development funding would be cut to $230 million under the bill, a $50 million decrease from current levels. Airport Improvement Program funding would remain level at $4 billion.

NBAA welcomed the bill, saying it contains several important provisions to enhance aviation safety, security, technology, and workforce development. NBAA praised a measure that reiterates opposition to transferring operation of the ATC system to a not-for-profit, independent, private corporation.

North American Flight Services, the lone FBO at New York’s Saratoga County Airport (5B2) for more than two decades, has unveiled its new $32 million facility. The complex includes a 20,500-sq-ft, two-story terminal featuring natural materials.

Inside the terminal is an airy sunlit atrium lobby, 20-seat conference room, pilot lounge with a pair of snooze rooms, business center, balcony on the second floor with panoramic views of the airport, and “Alexi’s at the Airport,” a full-service restaurant slated to open later this year.

Part of a major airport construction project started in late 2023, the new development at the Avfuel-branded FBO also includes a 20,000-sq-ft heated hangar that can accommodate aircraft up to a Gulfstream G500. North American Flight Services will retain its former 1960s-era 12,000-sq-ft terminal for use during peak periods, such as race days at the famed Saratoga Race Course.

“We are beyond excited to welcome guests to our beautiful new facility,” said company owner Frank Zilka. “These enhancements were thoughtfully designed with pilots, crews, and passengers in mind, offering the comfort, efficiency, and capabilities today’s aviation professionals expect.”

For the past 17 years, aircraft sales and airport information website GlobalAir has published an FBO specials page that highlights camping, cookout, and fuel deals for pilots flying to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the annual EAA AirVenture show.

“I love this promotion,” said Abigail Sheets, director of GlobalAir’s Airport Resource Center. “It’s a win-win—FBOs who celebrate EAA AirVenture via discounts and specials can spotlight their ramp at no extra cost. Transient pilots can quickly scan for savings in their flight path using our interactive map, which pinpoints each FBO. I am extremely thankful to EAA for allowing us to put this together, and even more thankful that they host such an amazing and core event in aviation.”

More than 130 deals this year include fuel discounts up to $1.50 per gallon and free meals, along with no landing or overnight tiedown fees. FBO listings on the Airport Resource Center are free, although sponsored listings are also available.

Fuel discounts aren’t limited to avgas, and FBOs such as Atlantic Aviation in Casper, Wyoming, are offering discounts on each gallon of jet-A. With weather sometimes the bane of cross-country travelers, Gregory Municipal Airport in South Dakota is opening the doors of its large hangar for free weather-induced overnight stays.

Aerospace engineering and technology company Send is providing free access to Oshkosh Airport (KOSH) ATIS and airport information via Send’s MyTIS FBOLink app.

Pilots can download the FBOLink app, sign up for an account, and obtain KOSH airport and weather information when connected to the internet or the cellphone network, without having to be within radio range of the airport. This is especially helpful for pilots flying to KOSH for EAA AirVenture 2025 and not within radio range of the ATIS broadcast, according to Send founder David Gray. If something happens that temporarily closes the airport, pilots can get the information quickly using FBOLink and MyTIS, well before they can receive the ATIS broadcast. While some pilots have access to the internet using airborne connectivity systems such as Gogo air-to-ground or satcom services, low-flying pilots can often get a cellphone signal, according to Gray, and pick up the MyTIS information.

The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh notam that gives pilots guidance on how to fly the KOSH arrival includes a link to the FBOLink app. MyTIS information comes from an antenna and receiver installed at the Basler Flight Service FBO, and Send uses AI to transcribe the KOSH ATIS so that it can be retransmitted to FBOLink users. This free KOSH MyTIS service will be available until the end of AirVenture on July 27.

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