The Auto-GCAS’s capabilities can best be appreciated firsthand. During a 1-hr. 20-min. flight on the Air Force Research Laboratory/NASA F-16 testbed, this Aviation Week editor observed a variety of scenarios, many flown at extremely low altitudes and high speed, designed to show how the automatic ground collision avoidance system (Auto-GCAS) will prevent mishaps while allowing the full range of tactical flying without triggering nuisance fly-ups.

The super-heavy Antonov An-225 ``Mriya'' transport, which has been converted for use as a freighter, completed the first of 10 test flights on May 7 from an airfield near Kiev, Ukraine. It is scheduled to appear at Le Bourget next month for this year's Paris air show. Antonov paid $20 million to convert the aircraft, which was originally designed to transport the Soviet Buran space shuttle. The upgrade included the addition of modern navigation and communication avionics, a collision avoidance system and changes to reduce the aircraft's noise signature.