Airplane Geeks Podcast

Our guest purchased the assets of planemaker Sonex and restarted the company. In the news, Customs and Border Protection officers at airports, Eclipse 500 spare parts availability, a Spitfire kit plane, recreating cockpit voice recorder audio from spectrograms, and a new website to track ATC modernization progress.

Guest

Stephen Osborne is the owner and founder of Top Aviation Services and the president and CEO of The Osborne Company. Shortly after planemaker Sonex shut down, he purchased its assets and reopened operations as Sonex Aviation LLC.

Sonex has a history of providing the recreational aviation community with innovative and affordable aircraft kits, powerplants, and accessories. The company is a leader in the homebuilt space and works to cultivate new pilots and airplane builders through educational efforts.

Stephen describes how he quickly moved to purchase the Sonex assets, resume shipping kits, and set the tone for the company’s future. Sonex has a strong “work family” environment that serves not only employees but also customers and vendors. As Sonex moves forward, its success will be built on those core values and the mission to make aviation affordable for everyone.

Stephen is a military veteran and former U.S. Army Captain and FAA-certificated commercial pilot. Top Aviation provides FAA-certified flight training for Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, and Commercial, as well as discovery flights and aircraft rentals at KTOP in Topeka, Kansas. The Osborne Company is a general contracting firm specializing in the design and installation of electric vehicle and aircraft charging infrastructure across the United States.

Group photo of employees, courtesy Sonex.

Aviation News

Feds Mull Pulling Customs From New York, LA, Chicago, and Other Airports in ‘Sanctuary Cities’

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has suggested removing Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in so-called sanctuary cities where local authorities do not assist federal immigration investigations. Those cities include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco international hubs. In a recent congressional hearing, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics.”

Airlines and business groups warn of chaos if US restricts international flights

In a joint statement, the U.S. ​Chamber of Commerce, Airlines for America, the National Retail Federation, U.S. Travel, and other groups said the move “threatens to cause unnecessary chaos throughout the nation’s air transportation system.”

“Any reduction in Customs and Border Protection operations at major U.S. gateway airports threatens to cause unnecessary chaos throughout the nation’s air transportation system. International aviation networks are highly interconnected, and operational changes at a small number of gateway airports will quickly ripple across the country, negatively impacting travelers, cargo shipments, supply chains, and the communities that depend on those connections. Airports and airlines rely on stable, predictable federal inspection services to keep people and commerce moving safely and efficiently. We urge DHS to avoid actions that would create unnecessary operational and economic consequences for communities nationwide. As the United States prepares for growing international travel demand, DHS should avoid actions that would create unnecessary bottlenecks and economic consequences for communities across the country. Now is the time to strengthen America’s gateway infrastructure, not weaken it.”

See also, Airlines urge Trump administration not to curb international flights in feud over ‘sanctuary cities’

Eclipse Aero Says It Has about 3 Years of Parts in Stock

Eclipse supplier Resurgent Aviation Solutions (RAS) says on its webpage that the company “has elected to wind down all business operations and liquidate all remaining assets. All finished goods will be made available for outright purchase using an auction format. The liquidation will be completed over several auctions over the next two months.”

Spitfire could return to production 90 years after first flight

An original Supermarine Spitfire will set you back about £3 million. The new Aerolite Spitfire Type 433 has been constructed at a cost of about £750,000. The composite kit plane is touring the UK this spring and summer at air shows and military and classic motor festivals.

Great British Supermarine Ltd, is the manufacturer. Chief executive Jeremy Meeson, said: “The moment is right to reimagine the Supermarine Spitfire because today’s materials, propulsion, and digital engineering finally let us evolve an icon without losing what made it exceptional.”

A PDF let the internet hear the final words in the cockpit of a UPS plane as it crashed. The NTSB now wants it taken down

The NTSB does not release cockpit voice recordings made during an accident. Other evidence from investigations is released to the public, including photographs, videos, maps, and other data. During a two-day investigative hearing on the UPS flight 2976 accident, a PDF file was released that showed an analysis of the spectrogram of the audio recorded by the CVR.

However, the NTSB was not aware “that advances in image recognition and computational methods have enabled individuals to reconstruct approximations of cockpit voice recorder audio from sound spectrum imagery.” Subsequently, the NTSB closed public access to all dockets.

Spectrogram of the spoken words in a clip from Airplane Geeks Episode 895. Frequencies are on the vertical axis, and time is on the horizontal axis.

NBAA Welcomes New Website to Track ATC Modernization Progress

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) expressed its support for a new online dashboard developed by the Department of Transportation and the FAA to provide updates on the status of modernization of the country’s air traffic control (ATC) network. The Modern Skies dashboard provides information on ATC modernization projects already underway and updates at more than 4,600 FAA sites across the country, along with a map overlay detailing specific efforts.

Mentioned

Rob Mark and Max Trescott were shortlisted for the Aerospace Media Award in the Best Multimedia category for Episode 26 of NTSB News Talk – March 25, 2026 LaGuardia Plane Crash Into Fire Truck + Rob Mark on Losing a Pilot Friend. The Aerospace Media Awards will be presented on the evening of 19th July at No 8 Northumberland Avenue, London. The 2026 Call for Nominations closed with a record 700 nominations.

Amelia Earhart is back in Harbour Grace as stolen statue returns home

Infighting, court battles could put long-hyped air taxi breakthrough in jeopardy

An Air Taxi Lands in Manhattan, but You Can’t Fly in It Yet

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, Rob Mark, and David Vanderhoof.

We speak with the founder and CEO of Points Path, which helps travelers get the most up-to-date pricing from both Google and airlines.

Guest

Julian Kheel is the founder and CEO of Points Path, a browser extension that helps you make informed travel purchases. Points Path performs the same flight search with Google Flights for each of its covered airlines, but requests prices in points or miles rather than cash. The results are then combined with Google’s results, so you see the most up-to-date pricing available from both Google and the airlines themselves.

In the free extension, Points Path offers award pricing for the frequent flyer programs of Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, and United. Paid Pro tier and Founders Club members also get access to Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, Avianca, Emirates, Etihad, Qantas, Qatar, TAP Air Portugal, Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Australia. All tiers include domestic and international flights on the airlines themselves, as well as flights with partner airlines.

The free version of the Points Path extension includes real-time, true round-trip points pricing for US domestic airline programs, as well as bank transfer programs for those airlines, indicators when a transfer bonus is in effect, and deal recommendation arrows. Points Path Pro is a paid upgrade that adds more airlines, price-tracking alerts, a 7-day points calendar, and other features.

Julian has extensive industry knowledge. He was previously Editorial Director of The Points Guy, as well as CNN’s Senior Editor covering travel and credit card rewards, and also worked as a consultant for the “Big 3” airlines. He has appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Bloomberg Surveillance, and other TV programs to discuss frequent-flyer miles and has been quoted on travel rewards in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and many other national publications.

Julian was kind enough to offer Airplane Geeks listeners a discount code for the Pro version. Use airplanegeeks15 at checkout.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, Brian Coleman, and our Main(e) Man Micah.

U.S. Navy E/A-18G Growler jet collision, Boeing’s China order, the new target for air traffic controller staffing, new United flight attendant contract, domestic flight lengths, Boeing civil suit award, and a tribute to a flight instructor.

Aviation News

Growlers Collide at Air Show, Four Good Chutes

Two U.S. Navy E/A-18G Growler jets collided midair during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. All four Washington-based pilots ejected. The jets exploded upon impact with the ground. The Gunfighter Skies Air Show (May 16-17, 2026) was a free event open to the public and featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

The Growler is a variant of the Super Hornet with advanced sensors and jamming pods. The VAQ-129 “Vikings” EA-18G Growler Demo Team showcases the platform for tactical jamming and electronic attack.

Video: Deep Intel on the Growler Midair at Idaho Airshow

https://youtu.be/eR6yXoyaarY?si=o_ZO4iqfplgNIfNG

Boeing China Order Disappoints, Stock Falls

Last week, we reported that Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was joining President Trump on his visit to China. There was anticipation for a 500-airplane deal, but it appears the negotiation resulted in a 200-airplane purchase. No other details were available at the time.

FAA cuts target for air traffic control staffing

The FAA has a new target for air traffic control staffing: 12,563 certified controllers. The previous target was 14,633 controllers. That’s a reduction of 2,070 controllers, or 14%.

Controller overtime costs have gone up more than 300% since 2013, according to a National Academies of Sciences report. Air traffic is up, but time spent on position managing air ⁠traffic has gone down. The ​FAA said, “Deploying modern staffing models and scheduling tools will improve controller staffing efficiency and reduce the need for excessive overtime.”

The FAA said about 11,000 certified controllers are deployed, 4,000 are in training, including 1,000 who were previously fully certified and are training ‌at new air traffic control facilities.

United Flight Attendants Ratify Contract — Top Pay Will Exceed $100/Hour, $740M Lump Sum Payout

United Airlines flight attendants ratified the tentative agreement that was reached in March. Almost 89% of eligible union members voted, and of those who did, 82% approved the contract. Flight attendants get their first raise in 5.5 years, almost 20% over the life of the contract.

Short flights are popular. Will they last?

There are many more scheduled short domestic flights in the U.S. than long ones, but over the past 10 years, the number of flights of 500 miles or less has decreased, while the number of longer flights has increased. 

Jury awards $49.5M to family of Boeing 737 MAX crash victim

Samya Stumo was a 24-year-old who was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, in 2019. Like other victims’ families, Stumo’s family brought a civil suit against Boeing. Most of those other suits were settled out of court. Stumo’s family did not reach a settlement, and the case went to trial focusing on compensation. Boeing had previously admitted liability.

A federal jury in Chicago awarded $21 million for Stumo’s death, $16.5 million for the family’s loss of companionship, and $12 million for the family’s grief.

4 killed in medical plane crash in Capitan Mountains identified

The Australia News Desk

Steve Visscher’s tribute to Gary Bittle, his flight instructor and friend.

Gary Bittle and Steve Visscher

Mentioned

FIFI, taken from the backseat of Gunfighter, a P-51 Mustang, by listener Chris.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, Rob Mark, and Erin Applebaum.

AirAsia places a large A220 order, a Frontier jet collides with a pedestrian, Boeing hopes for a mega-deal in China, power banks in the cabin are in the cross-hairs, the Senate hopes to save the last three Tomcats, and FedEx plans to return MD-11s to service. Also, preliminary information about AvCon 2027, upcoming airshows and fly-ins, and a detailed explanation of weight and balance for airliners.

Aviation News

Air Asia orders for 150 A220s, giving program a big boost; launches high density version

AirAsia becomes the launch customer for a 160 PAX high-density version of the Airbus A220 currently under development. The order from the Malaysian LCC brings total A220 orders to more than 1,000. Airbus wants to increase the production rate to 14 per month, and this order will help. Deliveries could begin in late 2027 or early 2028.

Credit: Airbus

Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital A (the holding company of AirAsia), said “My philosophy has been built on a very strong network. Two of the driving factors of AirAsia’s network are that 60% of our routes are routes that were never done before. We go into secondary and tertiary cities. And the second underlying principle of what we do is frequency. So, obviously, we’ve bought a lot of A321s, which have 244 seats. Not every route pairing could fill 244 seats.”

Person who jumped perimeter fence is hit and killed by Frontier plane during takeoff on Denver runway, airport says

A person crossed the perimeter fence and a runway at Denver International Airport and was subsequently struck and killed by a departing Frontier Airlines plane, Flight 4345. The flight was aborted, and a brief engine fire was extinguished. Twelve people reported minor injuries in the evacuation, and five were taken to local hospitals.

Potential 600-aircraft Boeing mega-order from China hinges on Trump-Xi summit

President Donald Trump’s business delegation is visiting China, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is reportedly attending. Thirteen Chinese domestic carriers operate 97 737 MAX aircraft, and Boeing is hopeful that with Trump’s help, as many as 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and about 100 widebody jets can be ordered. In April 2026, Ortberg said, “Without the administration’s support, I don’t think we’ll see any near-term large orders out of China. It really is something that would be tied to the effort from the administration.”

The CAAC does not simply rubber-stamp Western approvals. It runs a parallel, sovereign certification process based on the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) signed by the US and China in 2005, with the operational details specified in the Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (IPA).

Airlines Are Cracking Down on Portable Power Banks

According to ICAO, power banks caused more reported airplane fires and thermal runaway incidents than any other lithium-battery device in 2025. FAA data shows that airlines reported lithium battery events involving fire, smoke, or extreme heat nearly twice a week on average in 2025. Airlines ban power banks in checked luggage and are now implementing new rules for these devices brought on board.

‘Maverick Act’ saves last 3 F-14 Tomcats from destruction

The US Navy has just three remaining F-14D Tomcats. The aircraft were retired in 2006, but the U.S. Senate wants to ensure that those three jets survive and maybe even fly. S. 4161, the Maverick Act, passed by the Senate but not yet enacted, authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to transfer the three F-14D Tomcats to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama. The Commission could put the aircraft on display or operate them at “an airshow … or a commemorative event to preserve United States naval aviation heritage.”

FedEx’s MD-11 comeback to start with short cargo flight to Miami

FedEx hopes to repair and return to service 29 grounded MD-11 freighter aircraft. The company proposes to send technicians to 16 locations worldwide, where they will remove the engine pylons and transport them to maintenance facilities in Indianapolis and Memphis. There, Boeing redesigned bearings will be installed, and the pylons will be returned to the aircraft. MD-11 operations were halted after the November 4, 2025, crash of UPS Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky.

See: FAA Ends MD-11 Grounding After Boeing Review

Mentioned

AvCon is billed as “The world’s only convention built for aviation fans by aviation creators.” The organizers say,  “Based on the success of 2026, we’ve extended this – so for THREE amazing days, we’re taking over the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Orlando, Florida for panels, merch, meet-ups, and good old-fashioned AvGeek fun. Whether you’re a YouTube fan, private pilot, model collector, or airline loyalty nerd — join us aboard.” May 21, 21 & 22 2027” [sic]. Hyatt Regency, Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Stories about Flying: When a Standard Instrument Departure Becomes Hazardous to Your Professional Health. A routine instrument departure turns into a career-defining moment when poor cockpit communication and rushed decisions lead to a serious ATC deviation. In this episode, Rob Mark shares how one flight exposed the dangers of weak Crew Resource Management—and the hard lesson that remaining silent can be just as risky as making the wrong call.

The Great State of Maine Airshow, July 11 and 12, 2026, at Brunswick Executive Airport (former Brunswick Naval Air Station) and featuring the Blue Angels, the F-35 Demo Team, and the C-17 Demo Team.

The 29th Annual Spurwink Farm Pancake Breakfast and Fly-In, Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM.

Why Insurance Breaks The Uber-In-The-Air Fantasy

Video: United — Safety in Motion

https://youtu.be/Jep3RR2yEXA?si=4N4BMvuZtmTAAK0s

Video: A Hundred Years of Safety – Delta’s 2025 Centennial Safety Video

https://youtu.be/mnOLUnExHvw?si=6alarZQtV1keuXF2

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, and Rob Mark.

Spirit Airlines shuts down, aircraft technicians are in short supply, Sonex reopens while WACO closes, China Eastern Flight 5735 was intentionally crashed, NTSB’s United 1382 final report, United 169 truck strike, ground vehicle transponders, and the Jeju Flight 2216 accident in South Korea.