A Navy student pilot was at the helm of a F/A-18 Hornet jet that crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment complex yesterday. According to the AP the student and his instructor ejected the plane shortly before it slammed into the building's courtyard at 170 miles per hour. No serious injuries or deaths were reported, and equipment malfunction is believed to be responsible for the crash. more ›

As promised, pilots competing in this weekend's Red Bull Air Race has been getting their practice flights in since Wednesday. The event has pilots racing 10-20 feet above the Hudson River between the Central Railroad/ Statue Cruises Ferry Terminal and Ellis Island adjacent to Liberty State Park, Jersey City. The event's organizers also note that they have "coordinated with precise alignment and cooperation with local authorities on both sides of the Hudson river" as well as the FAA and other agencies "to ensure a safe and exciting race event for spectators, residents and our highly-skilled pilots." Battery Park TV caught video of some of the practice runs: more ›

After a pilots' strike over wages forced Spirit Airlines to cancel flights since last Saturday, the airline has reached a deal with the pilots and says flights will begin again tomorrow. However, the strike won't be over until the pilots sign a back-to-work agreement; Sean Creed, a Spirit captain and union rep, told the AP, "I think our people will be more than willing to assist the company in getting itself back together and fully operational as soon as we possibly can." more ›

The world-renowned British Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, will fly over our skies later today. The 25-minute show will begin at 6:30 p.m. over the New York Harbor, and the spectacle is best viewed from the shores of South Beach on Staten Island. At 6:55 the nine-pilot team will make their way towards the Statue of Liberty for a flyby (which will occur at 6:58), so if you can't make it to Staten Island, there's still a chance of catching a glimpse. From the press release:

The Red Arrows Statue of Liberty flyby at 6:58 pm will be at a northeast direction, coming up New York harbor, past Brooklyn/Staten Island, the Statue of Liberty, and further up the Hudson River. The Red Arrows will then turn around and retrace their steps, flying back to the Atlantic Ocean the same way they came in.