Latest from Key.Aero
Explore the latest news and features by our world-class aviation journalists. Stay up to date on the latest military aviation developments, commercial airline news, historic restoration projects, flight simulation releases and much more.
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Historic
Lodestar being returned to its former glory at Pima
Lockheed R5O-5 Lodestar 12481 is close to completion at the Pima Air and Space Museum following a typically thorough restoration
Mosquito veteran Flt Lt Colin Bell celebrates 103rd birthday
Celebrating his 103rd birthday on Tuesday 5 March, Flt Lt Colin Bell shows no sign of slowing down as he looks back over an action-packed year
Night terrors – Luftwaffe onslaught
Twelve US bombers were lost during a 30-minute onslaught by Luftwaffe night intruders. Ian McLachlan describes the Americans’ ordeal
Restored Bücker ready to fly in Spain
An example of the CASA-built version of the famous trainer is ready for flight
NATO AIRPOWER: THE FIRST 20 YEARS
Andrew Thomas reviews air power during the first 20 years of NATO’s existence
Military
Pentagon unveils $850bn FY25 budget request and eyes further aircraft retirements
Released on March 11, the $849.8bn FY25 President’s Budget for the US Department of Defense (DOD) represents an increase of $7.8bn in spending when compared to the FY24 base request. The $167.6bn procurement budget includes $61.2bn for new military aircraft and related systems
Carl Vinson completes first Indo-Pacific deployment with Block III Super Hornets
The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) – the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 1 (CSG-1) – returned to its homeport at NAS North Island in San Diego, California, on February 23, after completing a four-month deployment to the Western Pacific region and marking the end of the first operational cruise for the service’s new F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornets
Brazil bids fond farewell to legacy Hercules fleet
The Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB; Brazilian Air Force) bid a fond farewell to its remaining C-130 Hercules tactical transports at Galeão Air Base (AB) in Rio de Janeiro on February 29, with the type having flown more than 377,000 operational flight hours over the past 60 years
Commercial
Boeing 737 MAX – One step forward, two steps back?
At the end of 2023, the Boeing 737 MAX appeared to have turned a corner, regaining the trust of airlines and passengers alike after two high-profile accidents. Then there was the Alaska Airlines incident in January 2024. In the March 2024 issue of Aviation News Mark Broadbent reports the latest developments
Southwest Airlines - how it pioneered the low-cost model
In a recent Key Publishing special magazine on low-cost carriers, Gordon Smith explores Southwest Airlines path to success with special insights from the late Herb Kelleher
Take-off boost for A330neo
The Airbus A330neo is to undergo a series of performance enhancements that will increase its take-off weight by around 2.6 tonnes.
Bound for Brisbane
American Airlines is launching new services from Dallas/Fort Worth to Brisbane, Australia, in October using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft
Seeing the solar eclipse from the sky
Delta Air Lines is offering a special flight from Austin to Detroit on April 8, 2024, for passengers who want to experience a total solar eclipse from the sky.
Flight Simulation
P-47D Razorback ready for take-off
Aeroplane Heaven has released the Republic P-47D Razorback for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Bundaberg Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator released
Impulse Simulations has announced Bundaberg Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator is out now.
Old Warden Aerodrome for Microsoft Flight Simulator
The latest destination from Burning Blue Design is Old Warden Aerodrome for Microsoft Flight Simulator.