Flight Safety Information - July 3, 2026 No. 130 In This Issue : Incident: LATAM Chile A320 at Montevideo on Jul 2nd 2026, engine problem : Incident: Avianca B788 near Lajes on Jul 1st 2026, engine indication : Pilot’s licenses ‘suspended’ before fatal plane crash : Man arrested after shining laser at police aircraft in NW Harris County : Wisk, Boeing Sued over eVTOL Software Safety Claims : FAA Awards $1.776 Billion in Grants for US Airport Infrastructure Projects : Gulfstream G800 Goes the Distance on Record Flights : FAA Proposes Noise-Based Certification for Supersonic Aircraft : Can Archer's Safety-Focused Aircraft Design Support Future Growth? : Embraer reports 65 aircraft delivered in Q2 2026, up 48% quarter-over-quarter : World's largest passenger aircraft returns to Colorado : AOPA's Rusty Pilots initiative passes milestone : 70th Anniversary Of Grand Canyon Crash That Led To Formation Of FAA : Calendar of Events Incident: LATAM Chile A320 at Montevideo on Jul 2nd 2026, engine problem A LATAM Chile Airbus A320-200, registration CC-BLE performing flight LA-2399 from Montevideo (Uruguay) to Lima (Chile), was departing Montevideo's runway 25 when shortly after becoming airborne the right hand engine (CFM56) began to emit streaks of flames. The aircraft stopped the climb at about 3000 feet and entered a hold before returning to Montevideo for a safe landing on runway 25 about 90 minutes after departure. Uruguay's Air Force reported the aircraft suffered a malfunction in one of its engines. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Montevideo about 7 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b54656&opt=0 Incident: Avianca B788 near Lajes on Jul 1st 2026, engine indication An Avianca Boeing 787-8, registration N792AV performing flight AV-55 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Bogota (Colombia), was enroute at FL310 near Lajes, Azores Islands (Portugal) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Madrid,SP (Spain) due to an indication for the left hand engine (Trent 1000). The aircraft maintained FL310 and landed safely on Madrid's runway 32R about 2:40 hours after turning around. The airline reported the passenger will continue to Bogota on a different aircraft. Aerocivil reported the aircraft diverted due to a fault indication for the left hand engine. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Madrid about 29 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b5414d&opt=0 Boeing 737-881 (WL) - Anti-Ice Malfunction (Japan) Date: Friday 3 July 2026 Time: c. 08:50 Type: Boeing 737-881 (WL) Owner/operator: ANA Wings opf All Nippon Airways (ANA) Registration: JA69AN MSN: 33912/4228 Year of manufacture: 2012 Engine model: CFMI CFM56-7B Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 154 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: near Osaka International Airport/Itami (ITM/RJOO) - Japan Phase: Initial climb Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Osaka-Itami Airport (ITM/RJOO) Destination airport: Sendai Airport (SDJ/RJSS) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Boeing 737 800 of All Nippon Airways (ANA), operated by ANA Wings as ANA/NH731 from Osaka/Itami to Sendai, suffered malfunction of anti-ice system just after takeoff from Itami at 08:50 LT. The flight turned back to Itami where a safe landing was carried out at 09:45 LT. No reported injuries. The flight continuted with a replaced aircraft (JA64AN) and two hours of delay. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/573304 Pilot’s licenses ‘suspended’ before fatal plane crash NTSB releases preliminary report on plane crash near Cordova ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A pilot with a ‘suspended’ commercial and medical certificate was killed last month when his plane crashed in mountainous terrain southeast of Cordova. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report Thursday detailing what led up to that plane crash. The pilot Michael “Mike” Grimes, 51, has also previously gained national attention after his 30-foot sailboat ran aground on New Smyrna Beach in Florida and then he abandoned it. “Our beaches aren’t your dumping grounds,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood from Volusia County posted on Facebook after Grimes was charged with a felony violation of the Florida Litter Law in 2024. On WKMG he was even more direct. “Grime, who was an environmental terrorist, thinks it’s OK to dump your (expletive) on our beach and then tell the tax payers of Volusia County, ‘ha, you figure it out.’” A family member told NTSB that Grimes left Brownsville, California, on the afternoon of June 15 and was en route to Fairbanks, where he was relocating with his girlfriend to pursue a job as a bush pilot after taking a year off from flying. Grimes’ commercial pilot certificate was suspended on June 4, 2025, because of “multiple enforcement actions,” according to the NTSB report. Grimes’ most recent valid medical certificate also expired in March 2025. “It was a little bit of a surprise to the investigative team, obviously, when the FAA called and let us know initially that he was suspended and did not have a current medical. Again, we’re going to be looking at everything towards probable cause,” Clint Johnson with the NTSB said. The FAA is putting together a list for National Transportation Safety Board listing what those enforcement actions are. Grimes’ wife of nearly 30 years, Amber, previously told Alaska’s News Source that he had been flying for over two decades and loved to take her and their daughters on flights. “We would hop in the plane and take a family trip for the weekend and go to an event,” Amber said. “We would fly friends and family out for lunch and joke that we were going out for a hundred-dollar hamburger because the price of fuel.” Family remember California pilot lost in tragic Alaska plane crash According to witnesses, Grimes arrived at Yakutat Airport on the afternoon of June 17. The report states he was flying an “experimental” Piper PA-20. Once he arrived in Yakutat, Grimes was told that no 100LL aviation fuel was available. A family member told the NTSB that Grimes then purchased about 45 gallons of automotive gas from a local gas station. The NTSB says this is also something investigators are following, both using gasoline to run the plane, which can be possible with the right conversations to the plane, and that Grimes didn’t know he couldn’t buy aviation fuel in Yakutat. Witnesses stated that Grimes attempted to leave Yakutat Airport but then returned because the “ceilings too low and tops too high.” According to the family member, Grimes spent the night in Yakutat and on the morning of June 18 he purchased another 15 gallons of automotive gas from the local gas station before leaving. Investigators believe Grimes was headed to Cordova on June 18, but he had not filed a flight plan or communicated to any air traffic control facility. The report states that archived audio files revealed Grimes departed Yakutat on June 18 at about 10:28 a.m. At the time of departure, visual meteorological conditions stated ceilings were few at 5,500 feet and overcast at 7,500 feet with 10 miles visibility and light rain. “The weather evaluation is something that we’re going to be looking at very, very closely, obviously. Fairly good weather in Yakutat at departure, but obviously in Cordova, a completely different situation,” Johnson said. The report states that the instrument meteorological conditions called for six miles visibility, mist, ceilings broken at 600 feet and between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., local conditions were forecast to be four miles visibility with light drizzle, mist and ceilings at 600 feet. According to the report, radar tracking data did not record the plane’s flight path that day. NTSB states they believe the airplane impacted the steep, mountainous terrain around noon. The impact was about 44 miles southeast of Cordova, at an elevation of about 1,190 feet above mean sea level. A post-crash fire incinerated much of the wreckage. The airplane was reported overdue to the Juneau Flight Service Station that evening by a concerned relative. The airplane wreckage was discovered on June 19 by the Alaska Army National Guard. However, due to the crash location, they were unable to reach the site until June 25. The examination was then delayed due to adverse weather conditions at the accident site. The report details that several parts of the plane were destroyed by the post-crash fire. During recovery efforts, the fuselage tubular frame and control cables to the tail were cut, and the tail section fell 30 feet downhill from the fuselage. Grimes’ body was found in the plane. His remains were transported this week back to the Bay Area of California to his family. https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/02/pilots-commercial-certificate-suspended-before-crash-enforcement-actions/ Man arrested after shining laser at police aircraft in NW Harris County Authorities say the man repeatedly illuminated an aircraft assisting deputies searching for an assault suspect early Wednesday. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A man was arrested this week after authorities said he repeatedly pointed a laser at a police aircraft assisting deputies during the search for an assault suspect in northwest Harris County. The incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. July 1, after deputies with Harris County Precinct 5 responded to an assault in progress at a business along FM 529 near North Fry Road. The assault suspect fled before deputies arrived, prompting a search of the surrounding area. Deputies used a drone during the search, while the Harris County Sheriff's Office Air Support Division assisted with a helicopter or airplane. Authorities said an unrelated man repeatedly aimed a laser at the aircraft while it was conducting aerial surveillance. The man was found about a mile from the original call and arrested on a charge of illumination of an aircraft by intense light, a Class A misdemeanor. Authorities did not release additional information about the assault investigation or identify the suspect who fled. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/man-arrested-laser-police-aircraft-harris-county/285-c5001aba-5d9a-41d6-8140-7370de0c5ed7 Wisk, Boeing Sued over eVTOL Software Safety Claims Fired software manager alleges retaliation, discrimination Wisk Aero's fifth-generation Cora prototypes sit in the company's hangar in Hollister, California, as a sixth-generation aircraft crosses the apron outside. A former Wisk Aero software engineering manager is suing California-based eVTOL developer Wisk and parent company Boeing in Santa Clara County Superior Court, alleging that she was fired for reporting that the company’s autonomous air taxi software failed basic aviation safety testing requirements. Wisk is developing a pilotless, four-passenger eVTOL aircraft it intends to certify and bring into commercial service by 2030. Briahna O’Neill, the plaintiff, led software integration for the aircraft’s vehicle management system (VMS), the software that controls its flight and navigation. Her complaint, filed June 29, alleges that the VMS software contained known defects and lacked basic verification steps—including unit testing and root-cause analysis—required under DO-178C, the FAA-recognized standard for aviation software. She says Wisk leadership pressed her team to cut testing further to preserve a first-flight deadline for the company’s sixth-generation aircraft. That deadline was May 2025. Wisk’s Gen 6 aircraft did not fly until December, seven months later. O’Neill was fired on March 31, 2025, 12 days after formally reporting her concerns through Wisk’s internal safety-reporting system and 10 days after raising them directly with the company’s head of safety, according to the filing. A Wisk spokesperson declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. In a statement to The Seattle Times, O’Neill said, “I spent years at Wisk believing in the company’s mission and in the future of this technology…When I raised safety concerns to the company, I did so because I believed it was the right thing to do, not just for myself but for every passenger who would one day fly with this technology.” “Wisk’s response was not one of accountability,” she added. “It was retaliation.” The Software Dispute The safety complaint centers on the DO-178C standard, which requires thorough verification processes such as unit testing and root-cause analysis of defects before software can fly. O’Neill’s team began integrating Wisk’s ground control software with the VMS in 2024 and found the VMS software contained “spaghetti code”—a term software engineers use to describe code that is disorganized to the point of being difficult to test or fix, according to the complaint. The team responsible for it, led by senior director of avionics and onboard autonomy Steve Alwin, had allegedly not performed any unit testing. By January 2025, the VMS carried roughly 1,200 known defects, compared with 12 to 15 in the ground control software O’Neill’s team had built, the complaint states. Assigned in December 2024 to lead integration testing ahead of Gen 6’s planned May 2025 first flight, O’Neill proposed a testing timeline that chief technology officer Jim Tighe allegedly declined to authorize. The dispute escalated in March 2025, when Alwin told her Wisk didn’t have “the luxury of waiting another two weeks.” Head of aircraft development Guillaume Beauchamp allegedly proposed hiring 100 new engineers and running extra shifts through the weekend to accelerate the schedule—an offer O’Neill characterized to a colleague as compressing months of remaining work into a single evening. Alwin ultimately decided the team would test less to hold the May deadline. On March 19, O’Neill filed a formal safety report, stating that the testing cuts violated DO-178C. She was fired 12 days later, on March 31; her manager cited an “environment that hinders collaboration” and “program delays.” The complaint frames the firing as retaliation under California Labor Code sections 1102.5, the state’s whistleblower protection statute, and 6310, which bars retaliation against employees who report unsafe working conditions. Certification under Pressure This software testing dispute has come to light at a critical time for Wisk. The Boeing subsidiary is one of eight projects recently selected for the U.S. eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which allows participants to conduct limited commercial operations ahead of full type certification. Dan Dalton, then Wisk’s vice president of commercialization and airline development, told AIN in April that the company is “actively looking at what those commercial opportunities could look like” under the program, and he did not rule out passenger flights on the Gen 6 aircraft within the program’s three-year window. Beauchamp, the same executive the complaint says pushed to compress the testing schedule, described the current Gen 6 prototypes to AIN in March as “company conforming” rather than built to the additional oversight and documentation required for FAA-conforming aircraft. Wisk CEO Sebastien Vigneron has said publicly that the eIPP is meant to ensure “the regulatory environment is as ready as our aircraft” by the time Wisk launches commercial service. Undisclosed Incidents O’Neill’s complaint describes two flight-testing incidents that Wisk hasn’t addressed publicly. In April 2022, according to the filing, a fifth-generation prototype called Cora nearly collided with a hangar structure during testing; days later, the same aircraft veered off the runway after landing. Wisk’s internal safety team investigated both incidents and attributed them to schedule pressure and inadequate coordination, warning in its report that the company had developed a “normalization of deviance,” the complaint states. Separately, the complaint alleges that the City of Fremont ordered a Wisk facility to cease operations in 2025 over code violations including fire hazards, seismic risks, and inadequate electrical safety. A Wisk spokesperson declined to comment to AIN on the Fremont shutdown, the near-collision, or any other allegations made in the complaint, citing the pending litigation. O’Neill’s complaint also includes claims of gender discrimination and retaliation tied to her pregnancy and maternity leave, which she took in 2023. She alleges that Wisk delayed her promotion for months after a less-qualified male colleague was advanced ahead of her, and cites the case of a male director who cursed at then-CEO Gary Gysin in 2022 and was encouraged to seek anger management support rather than disciplined, which she contrasts with her own termination after raising workplace concerns. A Familiar Pattern at Boeing Wisk’s alleged safety-versus-schedule culture seems to mirror problems at Boeing, which took full control of Wisk in May 2023 after buying out Kitty Hawk, the firm’s only other shareholder. The 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people, were ultimately traced to MCAS, a flight control software system that relied on a single sensor input and could push the aircraft into an unrecoverable dive. A subsequent FAA investigation found that Boeing engineers had faced pressure from managers to limit safety analysis and testing to meet production schedules and hold down costs. Boeing’s safety troubles resurfaced in January 2024, when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in flight, prompting another FAA-ordered overhaul of the company’s safety and quality processes. The Max 7, Max 10, and 777X certification programs remain delayed. O’Neill alleged that Boeing exercises “significant control” over Wisk as a joint employer, and that roughly a quarter of Wisk’s workforce as of July 2025 consisted of Boeing employees “on loan.” The complaint names several Boeing personnel as having decision-making authority over Wisk’s staffing and technical direction. Wisk has not said whether the software issues described in the complaint have since been resolved. The company’s Gen 6 flight-test program isn’t waiting for an answer. A third prototype is expected to join the fleet before certification, Beauchamp told AIN in March. Wisk maintains that it is on track to enter commercial service by 2030, under a regulatory framework that could allow some of that flying to happen before full type certification is complete. A case management conference in O’Neill’s lawsuit is scheduled for December 2 in Santa Clara County Superior Court. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2026-07-02/wisk-boeing-sued-over-evtol-software-safety-claims FAA Awards $1.776 Billion in Grants for US Airport Infrastructure Projects Home » News » Infrastructure » FAA Awards $1.776 Billion in Grants for US Airport Infrastructure Projects The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced 1.776 billion USD in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants for airport infrastructure projects across the US. The funding will support runway and taxiway rehabilitation, terminal improvements, safety upgrades and other infrastructure works at airports in 46 states. What better way to celebrate America than investing in its future. We’re ushering in the Golden Age of Transportation and rebuilding our airport infrastructure is critical to making that vision a reality. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are building an aviation system worthy of our country’s incredible history. Among the largest individual allocations are 88.8 million USD for pavement projects at Denver International Airport, 74 million USD for runway rehabilitation, apron expansion and lighting upgrades at Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field, and 62.4 million USD for runway and lighting rehabilitation at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Houston Hobby Airport has been awarded 62.2 million USD for runway construction, while John F. Kennedy International Airport will receive 47.6 million USD for taxiway construction and the reconstruction of an aircraft rescue and firefighting building. Orlando International Airport has been allocated 36 million USD for terminal, taxiway and lighting rehabilitation, while Oakland International Airport will receive 28.1 million USD for taxiway rehabilitation. The grants are being distributed through FAA airport funding programmes and are intended to support infrastructure renewal, operational safety and capacity improvements at airports across the country. The FAA is prioritising improving our nation’s airports and ensuring we issue grants quickly and efficiently. This funding does more than just rebuild runways and taxiways, it modernises the travel experience for American families, ensuring our airports are safe and ready for the future. The FAA has published details of the grant allocations through its airport funding data visualisation tools, which identify projects supported by the Airport Infrastructure Grants and Airport Improvement Programmes. https://airportindustry-news.com/faa-awards-1-776-billion-in-grants-for-us-airport-infrastructure-projects/ Gulfstream G800 Goes the Distance on Record Flights To date, Gulfstream aircraft have achieved 815 speed records fleet-wide Gulfstream G800 logs more record flights The Gulfstream G800 logged two milestone record flights in June 2026. A G800 set the company’s overall 800th city-pair record flight on a route from Reykjavik, Iceland, to the OEM’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia. And on June 28, a G800 logged the fastest and farthest flight for a business jet, completing an 8,303-nm mission from Melbourne, Australia, to Moline, Illinois, in 16 hours 56 minutes. Gulfstream recently set its overall 800th city-pair speed record and then subsequently completed what the company claims is the farthest and fastest flight in business aviation history. The missions highlighted the Gulfstream G800’s speed (Mach 0.935 Mmo) and 8,200-nm range. Earlier last month, a G800 secured the milestone city-pair speed record on a flight from Reykjavik, Iceland, to the OEM’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia. The ultra-long-range twinjet flew 2,973 nm in 5 hours 52 minutes at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.91. Then, on June 28, a G800 completed a separate record-setting mission from Melbourne, Australia, to Moline, Illinois. The twinjet covered 8,303 nm in 16 hours 56 minutes, averaging a cruise speed of Mach 0.85. “With every new aircraft, Gulfstream continues to push the boundaries of performance for our customers,” said company president Mark Burns. “Reaching our 800th city pair speed record and completing the farthest, fastest flight in our industry’s history demonstrates the strength of our next-generation fleet and the advanced capabilities of the G800.” To date, Gulfstream aircraft have achieved 815 speed records fleet-wide, including 15 set by the G800 since entering service in August. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2026-07-02/gulfstream-g800-goes-distance-record-flights FAA Proposes Noise-Based Certification for Supersonic Aircraft The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it will soon take the latest step towards enabling civil supersonic flights over the continental United States. A newly-proposed rule aims to set a noise-based certification standard for supersonic aircraft, whilst the FAA has also announced plans to propose another rule regarding land and takeoff noise standards for supersonic aircraft later this year. The newly-proposed rule would see the introduction of noise-based certification for supersonic aircraft Together, these two actions will aim to give manufacturers the appropriate guidance necessary to finalise their designs. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said: Advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, noise reduction, and new operational concepts will eliminate the old sonic boom. This means we can ultimately repeal the ban from the 1970s on supersonic flight over U.S. territory while minimising noise impacts to residents in communities along the route and near airports. The FAA has stated that it aims to finalise both rules by mid-2027. https://airportindustry-news.com/faa-proposes-noise-based-certification-for-supersonic-aircraft/ Can Archer's Safety-Focused Aircraft Design Support Future Growth? Key Takeaways ACHR expands flight testing to validate aircraft systems and support regulatory certification. ACHR advances Midnight certification through compliance, testing and system validation activities. ACHR certification progress supports future aircraft deliveries and commercial deployment plans. Archer Aviation Inc. (ACHR Quick QuoteACHR - Free Report) continues prioritizing safety as it advances the development of its Midnight electric aircraft. The company is designing the aircraft with multiple layers of redundancy across flight-critical systems, helping enhance operational reliability while supporting certification and future commercial operations. This safety-focused approach is expected to strengthen Archer's position in the emerging electric aircraft market. Redundant aircraft systems play an important role in next-generation aviation by helping maintain safe operations in the event of individual component failures. Archer's Midnight aircraft incorporates redundancy across key flight systems, including propulsion, power and flight-control architecture. These design features are intended to improve overall system reliability while supporting compliance with stringent aviation safety standards. The company's emphasis on safety also complements its broader aircraft development strategy. By integrating redundant systems into the aircraft from the design stage, Archer aims to strengthen operational resilience while enhancing future passenger confidence and commercial adoption. This approach positions ACHR to meet evolving regulatory and customer expectations as electric aircraft enter commercial service. As the electric aircraft industry continues to mature, safety-focused design is expected to remain a key competitive differentiator. Archer's continued investment in redundant aircraft architecture strengthens its long-term growth prospects while supporting the commercialization of its Midnight platform. Companies Advancing Safety-Focused Aircraft Design Electric aircraft developers continue strengthening aircraft safety through redundant flight-critical systems and resilient vehicle architectures. Companies like Joby Aviation, Inc. (JOBY Quick QuoteJOBY - Free Report) and Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (EVTL Quick QuoteEVTL - Free Report) are also advancing capabilities in this area. Joby Aviation is developing its electric aircraft with multiple redundant flight-critical systems designed to support safe, reliable and certifiable commercial operations. Vertical Aerospace is incorporating redundant propulsion, power and flight-control systems into its electric aircraft to enhance operational reliability and support aircraft certification. https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2947563/can-archers-safety-focused-aircraft-design-support-future-growth Embraer reports 65 aircraft delivered in Q2 2026, up 48% quarter-over-quarter Embraer has reported deliveries of 65 aircraft in Q2 2026, marking the Brazilian aircraft OEM’s strongest second-quarter delivery performance over the past 16 years. Deliveries increased 48% quarter-over-quarter (qoq) and 7% year-on-year (yoy). In H1 2026, Embraer delivered a total of 109 aircraft, around 20% more than the 91 aircraft delivered in H1 2025, supported by continued progress in the company’s production levelling initiatives. Commercial Aviation delivered 20 new aircraft during Q2 2026 – six of which were E195-E2 models, Embraer’s largest aircraft currently in production in the segment. The business unit’s volume increased 100% in comparison with Q1 2026, when it delivered 10 aircraft, and 5% in comparison with Q2 2025, when it delivered 19 aircraft. Executive Aviation delivered 45 aircraft during the quarter, up 55% qoq from 29 aircraft in Q1 2026, and up 18% yoy from 38 aircraft in Q2 2025. Growth was driven by higher deliveries across both small and medium jet segments, reflecting sustained demand and continued operational execution. There were no deliveries in the Defence & Security segment during the quarter. Embraer continues to expect deliveries between 80 and 85 aircraft in Commercial Aviation (midpoint up 6% yoy) and between 160 and 170 aircraft in Executive Aviation (midpoint up 6% yoy) in 2026. https://www.laranews.net/embraer-reports-65-aircraft-delivered-in-q2-2026-up-48-quarter-over-quarter/ World's largest passenger aircraft returns to Colorado Lufthansa is the sole airline serving Denver International Airport with the A380 aircraft, the largest passenger aircraft in the world. DENVER — The world's largest passenger airplane is flying back into Colorado. The Airbus A380 returns to Denver International Airport (DIA) for a second summer season beginning Thursday, with Lufthansa operating flights between Denver and Munich for a second season. A flight departed Munich at 11:54 a.m. Thursday and will land in Denver at 1:45 p.m. Thursday. The return flight is scheduled to take off from Denver at 4:15 p.m. The Denver-Munich route will operate daily with a total of 509 seats. Last year, the aircraft first operated between Denver and Munich from April 30 to Oct. 24, before flights were suspended for the winter season. Lufthansa said nearly 350 flights (arrivals and departures) were operated in 2025, contributing to an increase in international passengers at DIA by six percent through September. “This is the second consecutive summer season that Lufthansa’s A380 aircraft is serving the Denver and Rocky Mountain region, which reinforces the high level of commitment that we have to the market as we once again increase capacity for these busy travel months,” said Dirk Janzen, Vice President Passenger Airlines Sales, The Americas, Lufthansa Group. “We’re also excited for our Denver customers to experience our newly introduced, premium onboard service that focuses on more choices and greater flexibility.” In March 2026, Lufthansa celebrated 25 years since the inauguration of nonstop service between Denver and Frankfurt Airport. May marked 10 years since the 2016 launch of Lufthansa’s nonstop Denver and Munich flights. “We are grateful to Lufthansa for trusting Denver with the investment of their largest passenger aircraft,” said DIA CEO Phil Washington. “[DIA] has never experienced such an overwhelmingly positive response to a specific aircraft type, and the A380 has engaged all passenger types – from aviation enthusiasts to families to business travelers – and also enhanced [Denver airport's] operational profile.” https://www.9news.com/article/travel/denver-international-airport/lufthansa-a380-returns-to-denver/73-6d8c486e-3c1a-4623-bda8-de97853301ec AOPA's Rusty Pilots initiative passes milestone Free program helped 15,000 pilots reactivate In 2007, David Wing was just starting his commercial training when the economy turned, his flying club started selling off its airplanes, and work got too busy for him to fly regularly. Like many lapsed pilots, he hoped he would get back into the air, perhaps in retirement, or, he says “perhaps not, time would tell.” But: “Spoiler alert! I took the Rusty Pilots seminar a month before retiring last year, and I’m back flying!” he said. Wing (an appropriate name, right?) is one of 15,000 pilots and counting that the AOPA Rusty Pilots program has helped return to the skies since 2014. Funded by the AOPA Foundation, the Rusty Pilots program is a fun, interactive study that gives you all the information you need to get current again. AOPA offers three Rusty Pilots learning tracks. You can attend an in-person Rusty Pilots seminar; join a live Rusty Pilots webinar; or take the self-paced, online course. You can also participate in any combination of these tracks, or you can complete all three. Rusty Pilots tracks are free for AOPA members. Pilot certificates never expire. Once a pilot, always a pilot. You never have to take another test or worry about another checkride. All you need is a flight review (formerly known as a biennial flight review). A little brush-up with your local certificated flight instructor, enough flights to demonstrate competence again (minimum one hour), and you’ll be back in the air. Wing attended an in-person seminar at his home airport in Williamsburg, Virginia, sponsored by the Tidewater Flying Club, which he joined. After 17 years away from flying, and after just 10 hours with a CFI, he renewed his instrument currency. “It was faster than I thought,” he said. “Before I knew it, I was a pilot again.” He bought a 2017 Cirrus SR22T G6 two months later. “You never really forget your passion. If aviation resonated with you earlier in life enough to become a pilot, you'll be amazed how quickly it becomes familiar all over again once you immerse yourself back in it,” he said. “My advice: really do the immersion and commit to it. The resources now available to you to help with the re-familiarization are immense compared to what they used to be. Take advantage of them.” Wing now has 442 total hours, his instrument rating, and a high-performance endorsement and just recently flew for public benefit flying organizations SkyHope and Pilots N Paws. “I got my instrument rating in 2000 but never used it. Twenty-five years later, my IPC this past year was in actual IMC, and it was the first true instrument experience I have had (except for a surprise encounter early in my instrument training). Now I fly almost every flight under IFR.” Back in the game If you’re like more than 500,000 other pilots (that’s right, half a million), you’ve taken a little break from flying. Maybe more than a little. However long you've been away, getting back in the left seat is within reach. The AOPA Rusty Pilots program has helped more than 15,000 inactive pilots return to flying. Yes, it will take some time, work, and money, but if you take one step at a time, you too can return to flying. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2026/july/02/aopas-rusty-pilots-initiative-passes-milestone 70th Anniversary Of Grand Canyon Crash That Led To Formation Of FAA United Air Lines Flight 718 Struck Trans World Airline Flight 2 On June 30, 1956 This year marks the 70th anniversary of a deadly mid-air collision, which killed 128 passengers and crew and which started a new era of air traffic control safety, leading to the creation of today’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In acknowledgement of the tragedy, the National Park Service and its partners are hosting two days of programming in the park and in nearby Flagstaff, Ariz., where family members of the victims continue to highlight the accident’s enduring impact. “A lot of people ask me who I consider to be the most important pioneer in Grand Canyon history, and I give a very unconventional answer to that,” said Thomas Sulpizio, the president of the Grand Canyon Historical Society, in an interview with SFGATE. “The true pioneers are the 128 people that perished. The sacrifice those people made shocked a nation into action, and made them pioneers of modern aviation safety and air traffic control.” “The 1956 mid-air collision over Grand Canyon National Park remains one of the most significant events in both park and aviation history,” a National Park Service spokesperson told SFGATE in an emailed statement. “While this is a tragic chapter in the park’s history, park rangers have long shared the story with visitors, particularly at Desert View and other locations where the event and its significance to aviation history are interpreted.” Following the crash, Congress held a series of hearings and ultimately passed laws such as the Airways Modernization Act of 1957 to improve air-traffic control equipment, hire more air traffic controllers, and standardize the use of radar, homing beacons, cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders. In 1958, Congress also passed the Federal Aviation Act that established the Federal Aviation Agency (now the FAA). The act gave the fledgling agency control over air safety and established a new administrator appointed by the president. Then-President Dwight Eisenhower chose General Elwood P. Quesada as the first FAA administrator. The accident involved two of the largest commercial aircraft in service — a Douglas DC-7 Mainliner and a Lockheed L-1049A Super Constellation — at the time, and was then the deadliest aviation disaster in history. The two commercial airliners had departed from Los Angeles International Airport just minutes apart. The two planes eventually passed into uncontrolled airspace, meaning the pilots were operating under visual flight rules for avoiding collisions, a practice more commonly known as “see and be seen.” The planes were carrying a combined total of 128 passengers and crew, all of whom were killed. https://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=17D73773-CA87-4C90-93F2-7FB948897AF7 CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course 7 to 9 July 2026; Woburn MA 01801 USA : APSCON/APSCON Unmanned 2026 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL - July 13-17, 2026 . EAA AirVenture Oshkosh - July 20–26, 2026 . July 20-24, 2026 | Farnborough, UK - Farnborough Airshow 2026. . ICAO/EASA Third Global RSOO/RAIO Forum for Aviation Safety — September 29–30, 2026, in Georgetown, Guyana., https://www.icao.int/events : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 22-23 September 2026 . IATA World Maintenance & Engineering Symposium (23-25 June, Madrid, Spain) . ISASI - BOSTON 2026 - September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026 . Global Aviation Conference Frankfurt- 29-30SEP2026 - Frankfurt, Germany . 79TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT MONTREAL | NOVEMBER 10-12, 2026. . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV . 2027 ACSF Safety Symposium - April 6-8, 2027 - ERAU Daytona Beach, FL Curt Lewis