Samwise Aeronautical Mechanics
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Dassault Falcon 10X Completes Maiden Flight at Bordeaux-Mérignac with Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X Engines
Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 10X completed its maiden flight on June 19 at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, with test pilots Sébastien Dupont de Dinechin and Fabrice Dougnac taking off at 11:10 a.m. for a two-hour, 30-minute evaluation. The crew assessed handling qualities and systems at 15,000 feet before climbing to 40,000 feet and accelerating to Mach 0.82. Powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engines delivering more than 18,000 pounds of thrust each, the aircraft features the widest cabin cross-section of any business jet—9 feet, 1 inch wide and 6 feet, 8 inches tall. Certification and entry into service are both targeted for 2027.
Sources: GlobeNewswire, AeroTime
FAA and EASA Pledge Closer Cooperation on Automated Cockpits, Streamlined Certification, and Emerging Aviation Risks
The Federal Aviation Administration and European Union Aviation Safety Agency concluded their 2026 International Aviation Safety Conference on June 18 in Chantilly, Virginia, pledging closer cooperation across a range of safety priorities. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet outlined joint commitments including enhanced information sharing, data-driven safety management systems, streamlined approval processes for new aviation technologies, accelerated integration of automated cockpit systems, modernized pilot training, and improved coordination on cyber threats, GPS interference, and extreme weather. The three-day conference, held under the theme “Safety Together: Innovation, Integration and Trust,” brought together approximately 400 senior aviation professionals from regulators, manufacturers, airlines, and industry associations worldwide.
U.S. Air Force Awards Production Contracts to Anduril and General Atomics for First Operational Collaborative Combat Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force awarded engineering, manufacturing development, and production contracts to Anduril Industries and General Atomics on June 18, selecting the two companies to build the military’s first operational Collaborative Combat Aircraft—autonomous drone wingmen to fly alongside crewed fighters. Anduril’s YFQ-44A and General Atomics’ YFQ-42A will progress to production, with at least 150 combined aircraft to be delivered by the end of the decade. The contracts were awarded four months ahead of schedule. A separate parallel competition among Anduril, Shield AI, and Collins Aerospace will determine which company provides the autonomy software package for the platforms.
Sources: Military Times, Aviation Week
Transport Canada Launches Crew-Licensing Review After Former Air Canada Captain Charged with Flying Without Airline Transport Credential
Transport Canada has initiated a review of its crew-licensing processes after Peel Regional Police arrested former Air Canada captain Geoffrey Wall on June 1 for allegedly using fraudulent pilot credentials. Wall held a commercial pilot licence but allegedly lacked the airline transport pilot licence required to serve as captain—including on Boeing 777 operations. Police allege he was assigned to more than 900 domestic and international flights between 2009 and 2025, collecting over $2.9 million in salary. Transport Canada issued a Civil Aviation Safety Alert on June 12 urging airlines to scrutinize crew document authenticity, and has since launched a formal interview review to identify gaps in its oversight framework.
Sources: FlightGlobal, AvBrief
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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