Advancing the art, sport, and science of aviation since 1905

From the President's Chair: The Integrity of the Record

Dear NAA Members,

Setting records and reaching new milestones are constants in aerospace. We all share the ambition to go faster, fly higher, and push further into space. At the National Aeronautic Association, we have served as the sole official validator of American air and space records since 1905. From homebuilt experimental aircraft to major milestones like Artemis II, our mission remains unchanged: ensuring our nation’s aviation and space achievements are certified with absolute accuracy and integrity.



Today, aerospace moves faster than ever, and performance data is shared instantly across the globe. Yet, across every sector there is a fundamental distinction between self-reported telemetry and an officially certified record.

Internal flight data reveals what systems believe occurred. Independent verification proves what actually occurred under strict, standardized oversight.

That objective standard relies on a precise, end-to-end process:

• Sanction Application: Before taking off, teams submit a formal application to establish the applicable sporting codes, record rules, and required instrumentation.
• Field Supervision: If required, Official NAA Observers inspect the aircraft on the ground, verify payloads, seal data recorders, and document precise departure and arrival parameters.
• Data Review and Validation: Post-flight data is reviewed for completeness, integrity, accuracy, and compliance with the applicable record rules. Instrument calibration, system bias, environmental conditions (if relevant), and any required corrections are evaluated as applicable to the particular record type.
• Official Certification: Following a thorough review by our Contest & Records Board, the achievement is entered into the U.S. National Records and submitted to the FAI globally.

Whether it is an air sport benchmark, a piston-engine speed run, or a transcontinental business-jet flight, every attempt receives the exact same impartial scrutiny. Record validation relies not only on aircraft capability, but on the air traffic and piloting infrastructure behind every flight, championed daily by affiliate members like ALPA, NATCA, and ATCA.

Without this process, a performance is only claimed to have been achieved. Through independent verification and official certification, it becomes a recognized part of aviation history.

Working alongside our distinguished affiliate partners, including GAMA, AOPA, EAA, and AIA, we remain dedicated to advocating for safety, technical innovation, and flight accessibility across all sectors of American aviation. 

To learn more about the NAA or to apply for a record sanction, visit naa.aero or contact our team directly at admin@naa.aero.

Amy

Amy Spowart

President and CEO

National Aeronautic Association

Remembering Bernald Smith

Captain Bernald Smith of California, USA, who has passed away at the age of 99. This extraordinary pilot and devoted champion of aviation made a lasting impression on both FAI and the air sports community.

His long life, dedicated to volunteering in many organizations related to aviation, is a testament to an exceptional sense of duty. In recognition of his efforts, Bernald was rewarded not only with a substantial list of medals and diplomas, but also with the immense and indefatigable respect of his friends and colleagues.

To keep reading, click here.

Beyond the Runway: eSTOL & eVTOL Redefine Flight

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and next-generation flight control systems are changing how pilots interact with aircraft and where flight operations can take off, enabling greater regional connectivity without the need for extensive infrastructure.

• Short-Field Regional Air Connectivity: NAA Corporate Partner Electra.aero is pioneering hybrid-electric blown-wing eSTOL (electric short takeoff and landing) technology. By operating in spaces as small as 300 feet, Electra is unlocking regional air mobility across thousands of community airports and suburban hubs.
• Universal Flight Automation & Safety: Aviation technology innovator Skyryse, recently honored as a finalist for the NAA Collier Trophy, is advancing flight-control safety through its universal flight operating system, SkyOS™. The system, which is based on fly-by-wire technology and features simplified vehicle operations, is helping to enable intuitive flight management and emergency Autoland facilities on both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.

Together with technical and uncrewed systems leaders at AUVSI, VAI, and AIAA, the NAA supports the development of frameworks that enable new rotary, electric, and autonomous platforms to integrate safely into national airspace.

Business Aviation: Redefining Speed, Range, and Efficiency

Across the business aviation sector, manufacturers and operators are continuously pushing the boundaries of civil flight. Working alongside industry partners like the NBAA to promote safety, efficiency, and advocacy, the community is demonstrating an unyielding commitment to technological innovation, flight-deck automation, and passenger wellness.

• Pushing the Speed Barrier: Ultra-long-range flagship platforms are elevating the top tier of international travel, pushing maximum speeds up to Mach 0.95 while offering 8,000-nautical-mile ranges. These achievements combine high-speed transoceanic capability with breakthrough cabin-altitude standards that significantly reduce passenger fatigue.
• Setting Global Endurance Benchmarks: Long-range business aircraft continue to demonstrate extraordinary endurance, completing missions over 8,200 nautical miles. Through rigorous cross-country and oceanic flight tests, next-generation platforms regularly set new city-pair speed records, showcasing the upper limits of modern business flight.
• Light & Midsize Market Strength: Fleet operations across the light and midsize jet sectors continue to see record production and delivery numbers worldwide. Driven by highly efficient light jets and transcontinental midsize aircraft, the sector highlights how advanced aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, and smart cabin design serve daily operational needs.
• Light Jet Precision & Specialty Performance: In the specialized light jet category, precision engineering continues to deliver remarkable performance. With sea-level cabin pressurization at 41,000 feet and high-speed regional capabilities, light jets continue to set and hold official closed-course speed and distance records.

Together with partners across the business aviation ecosystem, the NAA remains proud to support the entire industry by providing independent

observation, auditing, and official certification of the records and achievements

that define the future of flight.

Join the National Aeronautic Association as we honor the pioneers, visionaries,

and leaders who shape the future of flight.

Each year, the National Aeronautic Association gathers leaders from across the aerospace defense industry, government, and civil aviation to celebrate extraordinary accomplishments in flight, engineering, and public service.



The NAA Fall Awards Dinner is an evening dedicated to mathematical and scientific excellence, mathematical certainty, and the enduring spirit of aviation progress. We invite our members, awardees, sponsors, and aviation enthusiasts to join us for an inspiring evening of recognition and networking.

Did You Know? ✈️

In the summer of 1905, just eighteen months after the Wright brothers’ historic flight at Kitty Hawk, aviation was still widely viewed by the public as an unpredictable county-fair novelty. But a visionary group of leaders in New York recognized something much bigger: if powered flight was going to change humanity, it needed standardized rules, objective official timing, and international oversight.

On June 7, 1905, they incorporated the Aero Club of America - the precursor to today’s National Aeronautic Association!

Almost immediately, ACA leadership recognized that flight knew no national borders. In October 1905, delegates from the Aero Club of America traveled to Paris to meet with representatives from seven other nations, including France, Germany, Great Britain, and Italy. Together, they founded the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) to serve as the world's governing body for aeronautical records and air sports.

The ACA was granted exclusive authority as the U.S. representative to the FAI. That meant no American pilot could set an internationally recognized world record or compete in sanctioned international events without the ACA’s direct oversight and official certification.

Today, over 120 years later, the NAA continues that uninterrupted mandate as the sole National Air Sport Control (NAC) authority for the United States, safeguarding the integrity of every major American aerospace milestone on the world stage.

On the Radar: What We’re Following Across Air Sports & Aerospace

Keep updated on important developments, production milestones, and historical anniversaries in the fields of commercial, defense, and experimental aviation.

• Boeing has opened its fourth 737 assembly line in Everett, Washington, which is the company's first such line outside Renton. The move is intended to increase production capacity to meet global demand for single-aisle aircraft and strengthen supply-chain resilience. Read the announcement on Boeing MediaRoom.
• 20th Anniversary of the Historic Stratospheric Glider Record - August marks 20 years since aviation pioneers Einar Enevoldson and Steve Fossett soared an unpowered sailplane into the stratosphere over Patagonia, reaching 50,722 feet. That milestone laid the groundwork for the pressurized Perlan 2 glider, which is sponsored by NAA Corporate Member Airbus, later ascended to an incredible 76,124 feet, proving that engineless aircraft can reach the edge of space.
• Explore the project at Airbus Perlan Mission II
• The world's top aerobatic pilots are descending on Mason City, Iowa, for the 33rd FAI World Aerobatic Championship. Team USA’s precision aviators will fly against elite international competitors in power aerobatics, with live streaming available globally for air sports fans.
• Dates: August 23 – September 2, 2026
• Location: Mason City Municipal Airport, Mason City, Iowa
• This autumn, Skydive Arizona plays host to the 2026 FAI World Skydiving Championships. Team USA athletes will compete across Canopy Piloting, Formation Skydiving, and Speed Skydiving for world championship gold.
• Dates: October 17 – 24, 2026
• Location: Skydive Arizona (Eloy, Arizona)

Stay up to date on all FAI Competitions and Aerospace events by clicking here.

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