This week, a significant milestone in aviation history took place in California's skies as Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, collaborating with NASA, successfully conducted the inaugural flight of the X-59. This innovative supersonic research aircraft is engineered to travel faster than sound without the disruptive sonic boom that has historically restricted supersonic travel over land. The X-59, an elegant, needle-nosed experimental jet, departed from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in P

The spirit of adventure and innovation that has long defined American backcountry aviation reached new heights, literally, when a factory-stock CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL climbed to a verified altitude of 37,609 feet above sea level. The flight, conducted on October 28, 2025, shattered expectations and set an unofficial world altitude record for Cub-type aircraft, eclipsing a benchmark that had stood for nearly three-quarters of a century. Piloted by Jon Kotwicki of Fly8MA Fli

By Garth Calitz The North American X-15A-2 represents one of the most striking chapters in the history of hypersonic flight. It was a radical, purpose-designed modification of an already groundbreaking rocket plane, testing the limits of materials, aerodynamics and pilot endurance. Unlike a sleek airshow performer, the X-15A-2 functioned as a rugged flying laboratory. It was stripped down, elongated, and reinforced to address one primary question: how does a piloted vehicle p