Aviation Daily Digest — September 19, 2026

# Aviation Daily Digest — September 19, 2026

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

Top stories

• How Much Do Fighter Pilots Earn Vs. Commercial Airline Pilots In 2026? — Simple Flying. A closer look at what pilots earn in both fields around the world.
• Why The US Navy Waited A Decade To Give Super Hornet Pilots The Air Force's Life-Saving Auto GCAS — Simple Flying. The US Navy is finally bringing Auto-GCAS to its F/A-18 fleet, adding a critical layer of protection against potentially fatal ground collisions.
• The 12,460-Mile Test Flight That Just Put Airbus Years Ahead Of Boeing's Stalled 777X — Simple Flying. The Airbus A350-1000ULR has bought about a leap forward in the ultra-long-haul space.
• Air New Zealand's Last Grounded Boeing 787 Just Left The Australian Desert After 9 Months — Simple Flying. The airline has now finally put the Trent 1000 disruption behind it.
• 2 Of 3: ANA Unveils 2nd Pokémon-Themed Aircraft Of 2026 With Inaugural Flight To Honolulu — Simple Flying. ANA’s Green Pokémon Jet has entered international service, extending a themed-aircraft relationship that began nearly three decades ago.
• How Much Does A Delta Premium Select Upgrade Actually Cost On Its Longest Routes? — Simple Flying. What you'll be paying for a wider seat and more legroom.
• 5 Air Force Bases Spending Billions To Prepare For The B-21 Raider's Arrival — Simple Flying. The B-21 may be the aircraft of the future, but getting it to the flight line requires rebuilding bases designed for bombers of the past.
• Delta Air Lines Planning To Open Minneapolis–St. Paul Airbus A350 Base In Early 2027 — Simple Flying. Delta's deeper MSP footprint could unlock seasonal long haul links and modernize aircraft on key transatlantic flights.
• Why Every Astronaut Since 1964 Has Flown The Same Jet That NASA Must Now Replace — Simple Flying. A new era is on the horizon for America's astronaut program.
• Joby technology flies Caravan autonomously across US without safety pilot input — AeroTime. Alongside the achievements of the Wright brothers, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, it’s hard to say where Joby’s… The post Joby technology flies Caravan autonomously across US without safety pilot input appeared f…

Pilot community highlights

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Jobs of the day

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