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We urge our members to submit VAI’s updated comments to the FAA on the proposed Part 108 beyond visual line of sight drone rule by 11:59 pm eastern (UTC-5) tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 11. The agency reopened the comment period for a short window, and this round focuses on electronic conspicuity and right-of-way. These decisions will set a baseline for how drones and crewed aircraft share the airspace where vertical flight operates every day.

(CNN) – The FAA has lifted a temporary flight restriction for airspace around El Paso International Airport (KELP), only hours after ordering a 10-day shutdown.

(AIN) – India’s aviation sector is pressing the country’s regulators to step up efforts to create a legal framework for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The process appears to be lagging despite India Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the industry to “leapfrog straight into aerial mobility.”

(WLKY/Associated Press) – The whirling of helicopter rotors might be the most feared sound in ski racing. Helicopter rescues in Alpine ski racing require close collaboration between local medical staff, team physicians, and pilots.

(Cowboy State Daily) – From this week through March, people in Wyoming might see blindfolded bighorn sheep or deer flying around, slung in harnesses under helicopters. No need to worry: poachers are not taking the animals. Rather, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is transporting them for population studies, disease testing, and other research.

(AirMed&Rescue) – M1 has received a $699 million contract from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to provide pilots and mechanics for CAL FIRE’s fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft over five years.

(Business Insider) – The OEM is testing new software that allows helicopter crews to control a team of drones while flying at high speeds.

(Dallas Innovates) – The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is providing $750,000 for researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington to study how to improve next-generation aircraft safety during frequent landings and unexpected impacts.

Texas-based Bell is displaying the helicopter at this week’s World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The new, 75,000-sq.-ft. facility at Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA) near Phoenix will expand Garmin’s capacity for aircraft certification and flight-testing activities.