Samwise Aeronautical Mechanics
Thursday, July 2, 2026
FAA Proposes Ending 53-Year US Ban on Civilian Overland Supersonic Flight
The FAA on 30 June proposed repealing the USA’s ban on civilian overland supersonic flight, in place since 1973, and replacing it with a noise-based standard allowing operations in a regime called “Mach cut-off.” The proposed rule would prohibit aircraft from generating sonic boom overpressure exceeding 0.11 lb per square foot at the surface. In the Mach cut-off regime, atmospheric conditions cause shockwaves to refract back into the atmosphere rather than reaching the ground. Boom Supersonic demonstrated Mach cut-off in February 2025. The FAA will accept public comments for 45 days; separate rules governing supersonic take-off and landing noise are planned later in 2026.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Dowty Propeller Expertise Seen as Critical to GE Aerospace RISE Open-Fan Program
GE Aerospace has highlighted the expanding role of UK subsidiary Dowty Propellers in the CFM International RISE open-fan technology demonstrator, calling the propeller maker’s turboprop expertise essential to the program’s success. At a 30 June briefing at Dowty’s Gloucester factory, GE vice-president Arjan Hegeman explained that the roughly 4-metre-diameter fan blades spinning at approximately 1,000rpm demand engineering approaches drawn from turboprop rather than conventional turbofan design. Dowty, with four decades of composite propeller blade production since 1984, has completed initial tests of the RISE blade-retention system. The demonstrator engine is scheduled to fly in 2029, with GE increasingly emphasising durability alongside fuel efficiency.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Trump Administration Moves to Approve GE F110 Engine Sale to Turkey for Kaan Fighter
The Trump Administration has moved to approve the export of GE Aerospace F110 turbofan engines to Turkey, intended to power early production variants of the Turkish Aerospace Industries Kaan fifth-generation fighter. Turkey has sought 80 F110-129E engines, with 10 already delivered in September 2025 for prototype testing. The sale, valued at over $700 million, is proceeding without formal congressional review, drawing criticism from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Turkey’s domestically developed Tusas Engine Industries TF35000 is not expected to power the Kaan until Block 30/40 variants around 2032. The NATO summit hosted by Ankara on 7–8 July is a timing factor.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
FAA Issues Airworthiness Directives Restricting US Aircraft Operations in Canada Over 5G Risk
The FAA on 30 June issued airworthiness directives restricting operations of approximately 1,000 US-registered transport aircraft in Canadian airspace, effective 1 July, after Canada removed its 5G airport exclusion zones. Affected Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, and 787 variants lacking interference-tolerant altimeters face landing prohibitions or operational limitations when Lower C-band 5G signals are present. Roughly 7,000 aircraft with already-updated altimeters are unaffected. In May 2026, Boeing reported certain configurations would not demonstrate tolerance to radio altimeter interference under Canada’s new 5G environment. Airlines must update aircraft flight manuals to incorporate the revised operational restrictions.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
FAA Signals Mandatory US Fleet Altimeter Upgrade as Cellular Firms Face 5G Rebate Obligation
The FAA announced on 1 July it will issue a rule this summer requiring all US aircraft to upgrade radio altimeters to resist interference from upcoming 5G Upper C-band transmissions. An estimated 59,000 altimeters on 41,000 aircraft will require modification at a cost of at least $4.5 billion. The FCC is set to vote on 22 July on a proposal to auction Upper C-band spectrum, specifying that auction winners must fund rebates to offset operator upgrade costs. The FAA’s January proposal calls for upgrades between 2029 and 2032. Industry groups, which initially called the timeline impossible, agreed in March a 2029 target was achievable given financial support.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Airbus Quietly Withdraws A319neo from Active Sales as A220-300 Claims the Segment
Airbus has ceased actively promoting the A319neo to airline customers, effectively withdrawing the smallest member of the A320neo family from commercial sales. The airframer confirms it will still build the variant on request but is no longer marketing it, with the A319neo absent from recent Airbus narrowbody line-up presentations. Only 57 firm orders have been placed since re-engining, less than 0.5 percent of all A320neo-family commitments. The A220-300, an optimised design rather than a shrink of the A320, holds 56 percent of the 100–160-seat market compared to the A319neo’s 3 percent. Fourteen undelivered A319neo aircraft remain in the backlog.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Embraer Takes Full Ownership of EZ Air Interior After Acquiring Safran's Stake
Embraer on 1 July completed its acquisition of Safran’s 50 percent share in EZ Air Interior, a Chihuahua, Mexico-based cabin-component manufacturer that produces galleys, lavatories, flooring, and overhead bins for the E-Jet family. The deal also included Safran assets in Jacarei, Brazil, covering engineering and manufacturing work specific to E-Jets, though Safran retained unrelated Brazilian operations. EZ Air was established in 2012 as a joint venture between Embraer and Zodiac Aerospace; Safran acquired Zodiac in 2018. Chief executive Francisco Gomes Neto said the acquisition reflects Embraer’s strategy to expand and vertically integrate its industrial operations.
Sources: FlightGlobal Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Embraer Praetor 500E Wins Simultaneous FAA, EASA, and ANAC Type Certification
Embraer’s Praetor 500E midsize business jet received simultaneous type certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Brazil’s ANAC on 30 June. The triple certification follows a similar milestone for the larger Praetor 600E the previous month. The 500E features nine-passenger seating, electronically-controlled leather seats, touchscreen-controlled air vents, LED cabin lighting, and additional headroom over the original Praetor 500. The aircraft offers a range of 3,340 nautical miles; the related 600E reaches 4,018 nautical miles. Embraer Executive Jets chief executive Michael Amalfitano described the result as triple certification achieved ahead of schedule. First deliveries are planned for 2029.
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.