BluFly 🛩
@blufly.media
A humans-in-the-loop feed for the aviation community. If made by people and flying between the surface and the Kármán Line you'll find it on BluFly. Read the current issue at https://blufly.media/2025/11. (📸 ©2024 Cheryl Goodwin | Good 2 Go Photography)
We've been wondering what the @bas.ac.uk has been up to, of late. Turns out, we've been looking in the wrong place. 'Ice Cold Katy', one of their De Havilland Twin Otters, has been somewhere a lot warmer and a lot more humid, as described in this new 'long read' from Tabitha Taylor Buck. | 🛩️ 💺 🥇
Carbon sink or carbon source? Science flights over the changing Amazon Rainforest - British Antarctic Survey
Ice Cold Katy, one of British Antarctic Survey’s Twin Otter aircraft, has been facilitating groundbreaking climate science over the Amazon Rainforest.
www.bas.ac.uk
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
We've been wondering what the @bas.ac.uk has been up to, of late. Turns out, we've been looking in the wrong place. 'Ice Cold Katy', one of their De Havilland Twin Otters, has been somewhere a lot warmer and a lot more humid, as described in this new 'long read' from Tabitha Taylor Buck. | 🛩️ 💺 🥇
The 2025 edition of the Recreational Aviation Foundation's photo contest has wrapped up, and this is just one example, amongst many, of the beautiful work submitted this year. Check out all the other winners with the link. (📸 Jim Stevenson | RAF) | 🛩️ 🥇 | 🔗 www.theraf.org/2025-raf-pho...
November 21, 2025 at 6:49 PM
The 2025 edition of the Recreational Aviation Foundation's photo contest has wrapped up, and this is just one example, amongst many, of the beautiful work submitted this year. Check out all the other winners with the link. (📸 Jim Stevenson | RAF) | 🛩️ 🥇 | 🔗 www.theraf.org/2025-raf-pho...
An example of the outstanding collection of images of the London Gliding Club's Dunstable 'clubhouse', with thanks to the excellent staff at the Royal Institute of British Architects. (📸 Christopher 'Kit' Nicholson (1904-1948) | RIBA Collections) | 🛩️ 🪽 🎨 🥇 | 🧵 1/2 | 🔗 www.ribapix.com/search?q=Lon...
November 21, 2025 at 2:51 PM
An example of the outstanding collection of images of the London Gliding Club's Dunstable 'clubhouse', with thanks to the excellent staff at the Royal Institute of British Architects. (📸 Christopher 'Kit' Nicholson (1904-1948) | RIBA Collections) | 🛩️ 🪽 🎨 🥇 | 🧵 1/2 | 🔗 www.ribapix.com/search?q=Lon...
The latest news from Skyfly: in what amounts to a real feather 🪶 in their cap, Skyfly has recruited uniquely experienced test pilot Elliot Seguin to lead their US-based flight test program. If you're not already familiar with Seguin's work, they introduce him in this new press release. | 🛩️ ⚡️ 🚁 📰
Skyfly Conducts First Piloted Flights in North America and establishes US-based Flight Test Team - Skyfly
Experienced test pilot Elliot Seguin will lead the US team, working to expand the Axe's flight envelope.
skyfly.aero
November 19, 2025 at 5:36 PM
The latest news from Skyfly: in what amounts to a real feather 🪶 in their cap, Skyfly has recruited uniquely experienced test pilot Elliot Seguin to lead their US-based flight test program. If you're not already familiar with Seguin's work, they introduce him in this new press release. | 🛩️ ⚡️ 🚁 📰
Okay, this ticks ✅ a lot of boxes. (📸 LEGO) | 🛩️ 🔍 🥇
Old Flying Club & Hangar | LEGO® Ideas
“A mile of highway will take you a mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere” – anon. I present to you Old Flying Club & Hangar, my latest Lego IDEAS pr…
beta.ideas.lego.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Okay, this ticks ✅ a lot of boxes. (📸 LEGO) | 🛩️ 🔍 🥇
« Design and Flight Test of an Air-Launched Medical Aid Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle » by Samuel A. Cherkauer, Carson J. Karle, Evan M. Hiland, Cameron N. Brown, Isaac R. Wetherbee, Jordan P. Richert, Danielle C. McCormick, Jacob M. Sander, … | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🏫 📡 🥇 | 🧵 1/2 | 🔗 www.mdpi.com/3567564?utm_...
November 17, 2025 at 4:23 PM
« Design and Flight Test of an Air-Launched Medical Aid Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle » by Samuel A. Cherkauer, Carson J. Karle, Evan M. Hiland, Cameron N. Brown, Isaac R. Wetherbee, Jordan P. Richert, Danielle C. McCormick, Jacob M. Sander, … | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🏫 📡 🥇 | 🧵 1/2 | 🔗 www.mdpi.com/3567564?utm_...
When BluFly was just getting started, we had Scale Model Saturday, focused on the very best, museum-quality scale aircraft models. One of the perennial stars of that was @flypastrush.bsky.social. Here's his latest blog post, and there's also a mailing list to which you can subscribe. | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🔍 🥇
1/48th Hasegawa TF-104 Starfighter converted to CF-104D | Fly Past Rush
Hasegawa's F-104 series was initially released in 2000. The 1/48th Hasegawa TF-104 Starfighter kit followed in 2006. This is their dual seat NATO version.
www.flypastrush.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:12 AM
When BluFly was just getting started, we had Scale Model Saturday, focused on the very best, museum-quality scale aircraft models. One of the perennial stars of that was @flypastrush.bsky.social. Here's his latest blog post, and there's also a mailing list to which you can subscribe. | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🔍 🥇
With weather turning distinctly wintry ❄️ here at the home office, it was delightfully cruel timing for the ADVANCE Paragliders newsletter to arrive and have it feature this 'Postcard from Hawaii'. 🌺 Some folks have all the luck. Exquisite photos and an interesting story to go with them. | 🛩️ 🪽 📍 🇺🇸 🥇
ALOHA KĀKOU
Emerald green mountains, endless white sandy beaches, turquoise sea – experiencing Hawaii from a bird's eye view is a paradisiacal experience. Keal Pontin regularly lets the tropical wind carry him ov...
www.advance.swiss
November 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
With weather turning distinctly wintry ❄️ here at the home office, it was delightfully cruel timing for the ADVANCE Paragliders newsletter to arrive and have it feature this 'Postcard from Hawaii'. 🌺 Some folks have all the luck. Exquisite photos and an interesting story to go with them. | 🛩️ 🪽 📍 🇺🇸 🥇
We prefer stories written in the past tense of accomplishments actually having been — well — accomplished. ✅ This announcement seems to meet that bar with uncrewed, BVLOS, cargo drone operations approaching what we might have imagined as the technology evolved over the past few years. | 🛩️ 📡 🚁 ⚡️ 📰 🥇
Milestone Story: Skyways Delivers Precision Under Pressure with Historic Long-range, Offshore Cargo Drop
Skyways, Skyports, and RWE completed Germany’s first autonomous offshore wind resupply mission, proving dependable long-range BVLOS cargo logistics.
www.skyways.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:48 PM
We prefer stories written in the past tense of accomplishments actually having been — well — accomplished. ✅ This announcement seems to meet that bar with uncrewed, BVLOS, cargo drone operations approaching what we might have imagined as the technology evolved over the past few years. | 🛩️ 📡 🚁 ⚡️ 📰 🥇
We've had this well-written and illustrated opinion piece from @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social on hand for some time, but it’s still relevant. What do you say? Do you think there are other aircraft that could be added to this list? Or perhaps there are some listed here that ought not to be? | 🛩️ 📍 🏴 🥇
Five aircraft that pioneered commercial aviation | National Museums Scotland
Many have become accustomed to air travel, with the low-cost of airline tickets allowing regular flights to Europe and beyond. It is hard to believe that i
www.nms.ac.uk
November 13, 2025 at 3:49 PM
We've had this well-written and illustrated opinion piece from @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social on hand for some time, but it’s still relevant. What do you say? Do you think there are other aircraft that could be added to this list? Or perhaps there are some listed here that ought not to be? | 🛩️ 📍 🏴 🥇
Fred is a legend for many avgeeks like us: « Creating a Community of Mentors to Support the Next Generation of Pilots ▫️ Fred North's worldwide mentoring programme connects young aviators with veteran peers to enhance safety. » (📸 Airbus Helicopters) | 🛩️ 🚁 🧰 🥇 | 🔗 www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/...
November 13, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Fred is a legend for many avgeeks like us: « Creating a Community of Mentors to Support the Next Generation of Pilots ▫️ Fred North's worldwide mentoring programme connects young aviators with veteran peers to enhance safety. » (📸 Airbus Helicopters) | 🛩️ 🚁 🧰 🥇 | 🔗 www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/...
Highly respected, UK-based freelance journalist @markep.bsky.social has been busy again and has just published an interesting new article just out on the BBC website. His previous work includes the noteworthy 'N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia'. (📸 Outbound Aerospace) | 🛩️ 🥇
Blended wings: The sci-fi aircraft concept that could appear at an airport near you
The concept of blended-wing aircraft – where fuselage and wing are all one structure – is not new. But this radical design might soon be a credible concept for airliners.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Highly respected, UK-based freelance journalist @markep.bsky.social has been busy again and has just published an interesting new article just out on the BBC website. His previous work includes the noteworthy 'N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia'. (📸 Outbound Aerospace) | 🛩️ 🥇
New Season of Behind The Wings® on @pbs.org: this excellent series returns for a seventh season, with complementary 'behind the scenes' podcasts, and episodes on the Hurricane Hunters and the enduring F-16. (📸 @noaa.gov | SrA A. Schwier-Morales, USAF) | 🛩️ 🎙️ 📹 ⚔️ 🥇 | 🔗 wingsmuseum.org/resources/po...
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 PM
New Season of Behind The Wings® on @pbs.org: this excellent series returns for a seventh season, with complementary 'behind the scenes' podcasts, and episodes on the Hurricane Hunters and the enduring F-16. (📸 @noaa.gov | SrA A. Schwier-Morales, USAF) | 🛩️ 🎙️ 📹 ⚔️ 🥇 | 🔗 wingsmuseum.org/resources/po...
From Jennifer Chu for MIT News: « [R]searchers don’t yet know how these unconventional designs might respond to lightning strikes. ¶ MIT aerospace engineers are hoping to change that with a new physics-based approach that predicts how lightning would sweep across a plane with any design … » | 🛩️ 🏫 🥇
Lightning-prediction tool could help protect the planes of the future
A new model predicts how lightning would sweep across any airplane, including those with experimental designs. The tool generates a zoning map of the plane, showing which sections require more or less...
news.mit.edu
November 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
From Jennifer Chu for MIT News: « [R]searchers don’t yet know how these unconventional designs might respond to lightning strikes. ¶ MIT aerospace engineers are hoping to change that with a new physics-based approach that predicts how lightning would sweep across a plane with any design … » | 🛩️ 🏫 🥇
We're total fans of meticulous restorations — keepin’ ’em flyin’ — and this looks like another one being undertaken by the Airbase Georgia of the Commemorative Air Force. A great update on a really interesting P-47 Thunderbolt project. | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🥇 | 🧵 1/2 | 🔗 commemorativeairforce.org/news/airbase...
November 6, 2025 at 6:11 PM
We're total fans of meticulous restorations — keepin’ ’em flyin’ — and this looks like another one being undertaken by the Airbase Georgia of the Commemorative Air Force. A great update on a really interesting P-47 Thunderbolt project. | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🥇 | 🧵 1/2 | 🔗 commemorativeairforce.org/news/airbase...
New from Conrad Hatcher writing for Skies Magazine, a detailed, thorough, and yet very readable article on this elegant new training aircraft. (📸 Tecnam) | 🛩️ 🥇
We fly the Tecnam P Mentor - Skies Mag
We fly Tecnam’s newest two-seat aircraft—a modern trainer for a modern student pilot.
skiesmag.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
New from Conrad Hatcher writing for Skies Magazine, a detailed, thorough, and yet very readable article on this elegant new training aircraft. (📸 Tecnam) | 🛩️ 🥇
An interesting new @darpa.mil program has just opened up: the « DARPA Lift Challenge » with $6.5M in prize money. All that's required 😉 is to have your team's drone fly one hundred and ten pounds over a five-mile circuit. (📸 Alan Clarke | DARPA) | 🛩️ 📡 ⚔️ 🏫 🥇 | 🔗 www.darpa.mil/research/pro...
November 4, 2025 at 4:48 PM
An interesting new @darpa.mil program has just opened up: the « DARPA Lift Challenge » with $6.5M in prize money. All that's required 😉 is to have your team's drone fly one hundred and ten pounds over a five-mile circuit. (📸 Alan Clarke | DARPA) | 🛩️ 📡 ⚔️ 🏫 🥇 | 🔗 www.darpa.mil/research/pro...
The « Conservation FLYer Featured Mission » for @lighthawk-org.bsky.social this month was in pursuit of the « protection for 62,500 acres of lands in Northwestern Maine ». An interesting read about this excellent work of this group. (📸 Jake Metzler) | 🛩️ 💺 🥇 | 🔗 www.lighthawk.org/what-we-do/c...
November 3, 2025 at 4:13 PM
The « Conservation FLYer Featured Mission » for @lighthawk-org.bsky.social this month was in pursuit of the « protection for 62,500 acres of lands in Northwestern Maine ». An interesting read about this excellent work of this group. (📸 Jake Metzler) | 🛩️ 💺 🥇 | 🔗 www.lighthawk.org/what-we-do/c...
We featured DarkAero's excellent newsletter 🗞️ last month, wherein they are sharing engineering details of their 'DarkAero 1'. Here's this month's, including a video with details of the wing centre section by President and Co-Founder Ryley Karl. | 🛩️ 📹 🥇 | 🧵 1/2
November 2, 2025 at 11:05 PM
We featured DarkAero's excellent newsletter 🗞️ last month, wherein they are sharing engineering details of their 'DarkAero 1'. Here's this month's, including a video with details of the wing centre section by President and Co-Founder Ryley Karl. | 🛩️ 📹 🥇 | 🧵 1/2
The November issue just dropped. 💥 It kicks off with an essay on remembrance appropriate for this time of year, triggered by the photo of this magnificent Lanc. Thence onwards to Avergreen, a new feature for viewing article photos and an adorable 🐸 little green frog. (📸 @goodnrg.bsky.social) | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🥇
November, 2025
A humans-in-the-loop feed for the aviation community — if made by people and flying up to the Kármán Line you'll find it on BluFly 🛩️.
blufly.media
November 1, 2025 at 6:02 PM
The November issue just dropped. 💥 It kicks off with an essay on remembrance appropriate for this time of year, triggered by the photo of this magnificent Lanc. Thence onwards to Avergreen, a new feature for viewing article photos and an adorable 🐸 little green frog. (📸 @goodnrg.bsky.social) | 🛩️ ⚔️ 🥇
October seems to have unofficially become lighter-than-air month. Therefore, it's right that we should wrap it up with its most modern of incarnations, focused on improving the accuracy of weather forecasting. Windborne's co-founder, John Dean, writes at length for @spectrum.ieee.org. | 🛩️ 🎈 📡 🤖 📹 🥇
What Makes WindBorne's AI Weather Forecasts so Accurate?
Autonomous weather balloons surf air currents to gather data from remote locations, staying aloft for weeks.
spectrum.ieee.org
October 31, 2025 at 1:02 PM
October seems to have unofficially become lighter-than-air month. Therefore, it's right that we should wrap it up with its most modern of incarnations, focused on improving the accuracy of weather forecasting. Windborne's co-founder, John Dean, writes at length for @spectrum.ieee.org. | 🛩️ 🎈 📡 🤖 📹 🥇
The sixth annual iteration of this cost-free, virtual event, capably presented by H₂ maven @zeroavia.bsky.social. This year's line-up of sessions and speakers looks great. 'Must attend' for all those interested in hydrogen aviation. Many more details and event registration with link. | 🛩️ ⚡️ 📅 🥇
Hydrogen Aviation Summit 2026
The sixth annual Hydrogen Aviation Summit will explore the drivers and impacts of a shift to the electric era of flight across the world.
zeroavia.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:07 PM
The sixth annual iteration of this cost-free, virtual event, capably presented by H₂ maven @zeroavia.bsky.social. This year's line-up of sessions and speakers looks great. 'Must attend' for all those interested in hydrogen aviation. Many more details and event registration with link. | 🛩️ ⚡️ 📅 🥇
A brand new press release from LTA Research: « Pathfinder 1 Expands Flight Testing Area » wherein they are now « authorized to operate within an expanded flight envelope around the San Francisco Bay Area. » The accompanying image, below, is a stunner. | 🛩️ 🎈 ⚡️ 📰 | 🔗 ltaresearch.com/news/pathfin...
October 28, 2025 at 11:04 PM
A brand new press release from LTA Research: « Pathfinder 1 Expands Flight Testing Area » wherein they are now « authorized to operate within an expanded flight envelope around the San Francisco Bay Area. » The accompanying image, below, is a stunner. | 🛩️ 🎈 ⚡️ 📰 | 🔗 ltaresearch.com/news/pathfin...
This guest editorial from Mathieu Labs, writing for the Recreational Aviation Foundation, caught our attention. Mathieu was lucky to have Grandpa Bob in his life, and we think Grandpa Bob was likely thrilled to have Mathieu as his grandson. Do you have a 'Grandpa Bob' story? | 🛩️ 🥇
WORTH THE READ: MATHIEU LABS GUEST EDITORIAL - Recreational Aviation Foundation
Our many RAF supporters have such vast and varied experience, and we’re capturing some of their words of wisdom to share with you. This guest editorial is by Mathieu Labs, a pilot, and RAF Vice Presid...
theraf.org
October 28, 2025 at 6:09 PM
This guest editorial from Mathieu Labs, writing for the Recreational Aviation Foundation, caught our attention. Mathieu was lucky to have Grandpa Bob in his life, and we think Grandpa Bob was likely thrilled to have Mathieu as his grandson. Do you have a 'Grandpa Bob' story? | 🛩️ 🥇
We can't think of a better way to launch our recently announced, brand-new Avergreen imprint than with this great story by Jon Davison from 2016. Here's Part I of four parts featuring Jon's spectacular photography and eminently entertaining writing. Follow us for Part II, coming soon. | 🛩️ 🌲 🥇
Under African Skies
The first of four parts where Pilatus air-to-air photographer Jon Davison talks about shooting a PC-12 in the skies over Tanzania.
blufly.media
October 27, 2025 at 2:25 PM
We can't think of a better way to launch our recently announced, brand-new Avergreen imprint than with this great story by Jon Davison from 2016. Here's Part I of four parts featuring Jon's spectacular photography and eminently entertaining writing. Follow us for Part II, coming soon. | 🛩️ 🌲 🥇