Hangar Debrief

Test & Fly

"Veterans Day 2026: how military service built general aviation, and how it still feeds the hangar"

The postwar boom of 1946 was flown by pilots the war had trained, more than 30,000 new light airplanes in one year. Eighty years on, military experience still counts toward an FAA commercial certificate (61.73) and an A&P (65.77), the GI Bill still pays for advanced flight training, and owners still fly veterans for free.

11 Nov 2026