Aviation Daily Digest — May 20, 2026

# Aviation Daily Digest — May 20, 2026

Your daily 60-second briefing for pilots, drone operators and aviation pros — auto-aggregated from the industry's top sources.

Top stories

• NTSB releases video of engine pylon separating from UPS MD-11 — AeroTime. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a video showing the left engine and pylon separating from… The post NTSB releases video of engine pylon separating from UPS MD-11 appeared first on AeroTime .
• UPS Cockpit Audio Reveals Moments Before Fatal Crash After Last-Minute Plane Swap — Simple Flying. New information comes during the first day of a two-day hearing in the nation's capital.
• 5 Reasons The US Air Force Continues To Operate The A-10 Warthog In 2026 — Simple Flying. While the Warthog has outlived its usefulness in many potential conflicts, it retains an evolving niche and has psychological value.
• How The B-21 Raider Stacks Up Against The B-2 Spirit, B-52, & B-1 Lancer — Simple Flying. The B-21 may not be able to carry the payloads of the B-1 and B-52, but it will allow the US to strike deep into heavily contested airspace.
• NTSB: Tuesday Focuses On MD-11 Pylon Bearing Reports — AVweb. Investigators questioned FAA, Boeing, UPS and maintenance witnesses on inspection and reporting processes.
• Here’s How Much More Range The Airbus A350-1000 Has Compared To The Boeing 787-9 — Simple Flying. A closer look at why this difference matters.
• US low-cost carriers move quickly to fill Spirit routes after shutdown — AeroTime. US low-cost carriers are moving to snap up pieces of Spirit Airlines’ network after the carrier ceased operations… The post US low-cost carriers move quickly to fill Spirit routes after shutdown appeared first on AeroTi…
• Japanese drone company eyes global defense market through Ukraine — DroneDJ. As low-cost attack drones continue reshaping modern warfare, Japanese drone company Terra Drone is now taking a major step deeper into the defense sector. The company has announced the operational deployment of its new…
• Origin Robotics secures multi-year framework agreement with Latvia for BLAZE deliveries — sUAS News. Origin Robotics, a defence technology company specialising in advanced unmanned aerial weapons systems, has secured
• Applied Aeronautics Introduces SkyBeam Heavy Lift Quadrotor Platform — sUAS News. Chicago, Illinois – Applied Aeronautics today announced SkyBeam, a modular heavy lift quadrotordesigned for demanding

Pilot community highlights

_The community is quiet today._

What pilots are talking about (X / Twitter)

_No fresh aviation Twitter activity captured._

Jobs of the day

• FAA Seeks to Recruit Contracted ATCs to Its Ranks — Confidential

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