The NBAA said it began giving the annual award in 2018 to recognize young people “driving meaningful change and big results across all segments of business aviation.” 

• READ MORE: NBAA Presents Jared Isaacman with 2023 Meritorious Service to Aviation Award

The NBAA’s Young Professionals in Business Aviation (YoPro) program hosted this year’s honorees during the NBAA convention in Las Vegas in October. 

“We are pleased to announce the newest class of Top 40 Under 40 business aviation professionals,” the NBAA said in its announcement of the award winners. “This class represents a wide range of expertise in business aviation. It truly demonstrates that the next generation of leaders is here, and the industry is in good hands for a successful future.” 

John Dowd, King Schools’ vice president of marketing, nominated Golden. 

“Pilots for 50 years have used King Schools to pass their FAA exams and for pilot training,” Dowd said. “Samuel is a member of a new generation of technically proficient, digitally savvy young pilots who are ensuring the future of King Schools is in good hands. Samuel is part of the team that is using video and social media to share courses and researching AI’s virtual and augmented reality possibilities.”

• READ MORE: King Schools Launches Envision Flight Edu-Con

Golden is an experienced pilot with a commercial airplane single-engine land certificate and an instrument rating. He also holds advanced and instrument ground instructor, and remote pilot certificates. He manages the King Schools’ digital advertising and social media programs, which have helped drive increases in the company’s market share and social media engagement.

“Samuel has had a significant role in keeping King Schools relevant in a fast-changing, competitive market,” said John and Martha King, founders of King Schools, in a statement. “Our advertising and overall communication with our customers have greatly benefited from Samuel’s work. We are very pleased and proud to see Samuel receive this well-deserved award.”

The post King Schools’ Samuel Golden Receives NBAA Top 40 Under 40 Award appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

JetNet has also acquired Asset Insight, the company announced.

Market Data

The pre-owned market, in particular, appears to have peaked in mid-2021, with roughly 3,600 aircraft sold, Cardarelli said.

However, with just around 1,000 aircraft in used inventory, the market still exhibits symptoms of the past two years and the influx of demand from new-to-aviation buyers. In fact, it’s the lowest level of inventory since 2006, the beginning point of JetNet data.

“[It’s a] very depleted market of inventory,” Cardarelli said. In trying to predict what the rest of the year would hold, he based the assessment both on historic action as well as changing assumptions. “[Q4] is always a very robust quarter,” he said. “And last year was particularly robust. Of all the transactions in 2021, it was 29.5 or [29.6] percent of those that occurred in the fourth quarter. If we have so robust a quarter again, that gets the net total up to 3,000, maybe 3,100—not getting anywhere near the 3,600 that we did before [in 2021].”

The book-to-bill ratio reported by the “top 5” OEMs in business aviation—Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Gulfstream, and Textron Aviation—shows that the backlogs have been replenished after taking a hit in 2020 with the pandemic. They show a total of $47 billion in backlog overall, but JetNet consultant Rolland Vincent said in the update he doesn’t expect those levels to be sustained.

The lag between order and delivery tends to “bring demand down,” Vincent said.

Asset Insight

JetNet’s acquisition of Asset Insight was announced by JetNet CEO Greg Fell. “We’ve had the opportunity to work with Asset Insight as a partner over the course of many years and know how strategic the company’s valuation and cost-of-ownership products are to our customer base,” he said. “Tony Kioussis [president and CEO of Asset Insight] is a highly respected and talented expert in the aviation industry who we are excited to have join the JetNet team.”

Asset Insight is an experienced aviation-focused valuation firm, and the creator of eValues, a real-time valuation tool.

The post JetNet Acquires Asset Insight, Reviews 2022 Market Data to Date appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

FlightAware announced Tuesday it is launching the ability of its AeroAPI—a query-based flight tracking and status product—to deliver historical aircraft data to current subscribers. The capability adds to the company’s ability to provide information to clients from January 2011 through the present.

The data includes on-demand real-time flight status updates, flight tracks, future flight schedules, and other flight events specific to any airport, airline fleet, flight, or tail number. The new release offers the addition of historical flight status and times, complete flight tracks, and static track images for any flight or tail number.

Programs can be subscribed at a standard level (starting at $100/month) or premium level ($1,000/month), with total pricing based on usage.

The Largest ADS-B Listening Network?

The division of Collins Aerospace explained at a press conference at the 2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that it continues to invest in its own network of terrestrial ADS-B receivers. The current network stands at more than 35,000 total stations that listen for transponder signals in more than 200 countries—possibly the largest ground-based network. Each receiver is roughly the size of an iPhone, according to James Sulak, president of FlightAware.

He went on to explain how the company takes the data received to create the flight objects. 

“We’re taking out the most meaningful, most helpful information there and putting it together, in the very first iteration of the story of the flight—this flight data object,” said Sulak. “This is our largest ongoing engineering effort that we have at FlightAware. We’re investing thousands of man hours on an ongoing basis—every single year.”

By doing so, Sulak concluded, they are “enriching the stories of these flights.” Sulak also answered questions addressing privacy concerns with the data sharing, pointing to the FAA’s LADD (Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed) program, which it coordinates with and facilitates.

The post FlightAware’s AeroAPI Brings Historical Aircraft Tracking Data to Light appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Daher’s leadership highlighted the company’s sustainability efforts in a press conference on Monday, along with updates to both aircraft programs and its recent acquisition and expansion in Florida.

Didier Kayat, CEO of Daher, spoke of the company’s growth plan to establish a commensurate footprint in North America to the one it has in France. “Daher America is growing—as you know, we have acquired a huge facility not far from here in Stuart. We [have] now more than 1,200 employees in America, present in nine different locations. We told you five years ago we wanted to become as American as we are European, and we have done the first steps of that.”

With the acquisition from Triumph Aerostructures of the facility in Stuart, Daher also hopes to develop its relationships with other OEMs, including Boeing. “We are here to grow our relationship with Boeing, because [the Stuart operation] is one of the major suppliers of subassemblies for the 767,” Kayat said. And thanks to that acquisition, Boeing is now as important to Daher’s turnover as Airbus is to the company in France.

Milestone in the TBM Series

The TBM series now has marked 1,114 deliveries, with a special celebration for the 1,100th delivery to a U.S. customer. Kayat remarked on the success of the program, harkening back to when the Daher family acquired the SOCATA (Société de Construction d’Avions de Tourisme et d’Affaires) assets from EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space). 

“When we acquired SOCATA in 2008,” said Kayat, “they told us the TBM ‘is an old plane, it’s ending its life, so you have to reinvent the TBM and find a new project, to remain an aircraft manufacturer.’ We thought, on the contrary, that the TBM had a good reputation, and what we’ve done for 15 years now shows it.”

• READ MORE: Daher Marks 1,100th Delivery of TBM Series

Sustainable Growth

Kayat also outlined the updates the company is making to encourage and support sustainable aviation, both in its own operations and among its customer base. One example: the Me & My TBM app used by owners and pilots to compete against each other now features “eco” challenges within its scoring matrix. 

“Sustainability in aviation is crucial,” Kayat said. “We think it’s important to start integrating that into our communication.”

The effort is so important to Daher that it now will deliver and operate all aircraft from its primary TBM development and production facility in Tarbes, France, with sustainable aviation fuel. “The path is quite clear for us…from October 17, all of the planes leaving Tarbes will have sustainable aviation fuel.”

Kodiak 900 Program Updates

Senior vice president of Daher’s Aircraft Division Nicolas Chabbert provided an update on progress with the company’s latest revisioned model, the Kodiak 900, which it debuted at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh last summer. The FAA-certificated turboprop addresses the desire to go faster—and with it, Daher has found a new market slice to tap into.

• READ MORE: Daher Unveils FAA-Certified Kodiak 900

“We expect that the audience at NBAA will see that this airplane can be another part of their fleet, and [allow them to] operate the fastest single-engine, non-pressurized aircraft,” Chabbert said. The new model doesn’t overlap the mission of the Kodiak 100, in fact—the company has not lost a single order on the 100 to the 900 following the announcement at AirVenture. Instead, they took orders for seven 900s at that show. 

It also features the largest cabin that Daher currently produces, said Chabbert, with double club seating that makes the aircraft very versatile. It’s powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140A engine, which is the largest one in the class from the engine manufacturer. According to Chabbert, it was important to the company that in the development of the updated Kodiak, it would use the same amount of fuel to achieve the desired speed targets—and they beat that goal. 

“If you look at the fuel calculation, it’s a nice reduction—a fuel savings of about 9 percent,” Chabbert said.

Integration of the Kodiak line into the company’s ecosystem continues with the expansion of TBM Care into Daher Care, to cover the utility turboprops from a customer support standpoint.

Special missions will also play a critical role in the expansion of the Kodiak’s play in the market, with Daher receiving multiple proposals from various law enforcement, firefighting, and other government and non-government organizations around the U.S.

Most Kodiak 900 orders thus far are within the U.S. and North America, though the company is working with several European prospects. Chabbert noted the company still awaits EASA validation on the Kodiak 900: “The EASA certification is almost done. We’ve completed all of the test flights and served every request. It was an interesting second validation process—the reverse of [what] we experienced with the TBM 960—and in fact we are making very minor changes to meet with the requirements from EASA, which were endorsed by the FAA.” They expect final paperwork “within weeks.”

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At a press conference addressing big sustainability questions at NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition on Monday, Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Almafitano gave an energizing overview of the company’s broad plan to lead the development of the “future ecosystem” for aviation, calling it the company’s “fiduciary responsibility” as well as the right thing to do from a corporate ethics standpoint.

Almafitano pointed to the new buyers entering into the equation over the last five years—in all segments, including fractional, charter, whole, new, and used aircraft—as one critical model to follow. “People are access,” he said, noting that overall young people are starting to travel 20 years sooner than in previous generations. The way to reach them is to target the experiences that drive their purchase decisions, and model the clean energy they expect, not just from a propulsion standpoint but from a corporate one too, including parts and services that register reduced or zero-carbon emissions. 

Four Areas of Focus

Though Embraer Executive Jets is comprised of eight verticals, Almafitano covered four in his presentation, including:

• Zero-emissions propulsion
• Autonomous flight
• AI [artificial intelligence] and data science
• Industry 4.0—which is the application of big data to how the company builds products, such as the use of adaptive manufacturing.

With more than 1,600 executive jet aircraft delivered, 980-plus operators, and a footprint touching more than 70 countries, Embraer is poised to disrupt. When looking at the company’s investment in advanced air mobility with the Eve electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, he talked about taking concepts from the single-pilot operated Phenom models and using those lessons learned to enable autonomy.

“Safety first, quality always,” he said was the driving philosophy—and security as part of safety, “otherwise you have a missile” in the event of a hostile takeover of an autonomous aircraft by a malevolent actor.

New Full-Flight Sim for Praetor 500/600

In partnership with FlightSafety International, Embraer also announced the upcoming availability of a full-flight simulator (FSS) for the Praetor 500 and 600 at FlightSafety’s Orlando location, beginning in the second quarter of 2023. Embraer’s fleet of Praetor aircraft in service now tops 200 units.

“With Praetor jet deliveries increasing consistently, we have realized the need to offer additional capacity for training to our customers worldwide. The new full-flight simulator will provide Embraer’s customers with the latest technological aircraft updates, bringing the highest level of service to the market,” said Johann Bordais, president & CEO of Embraer Services & Support.

The post Embraer Illuminates Plans for Aviation’s ‘Future Ecosystem’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The company announced the new cabin on Monday at the 2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), in Orlando, Florida. The Executive Cabin features three workspaces: the Office Suite, the Conference Suite, and the C-Suite. The areas aim to enable collaboration, productivity, and networking, and each is 12 feet in length.

Within the configuration and seating options is the modular furnishing, the Nuage Cube. Nuage—which means “cloud” in French—in its cube expression is intended to float around and change form much like a cloud, perhaps transforming from a footrest to a table when deployed in flight. For takeoff and landing, the Nuage Cube will be stowed in a dedicated compartment. 

Those taking delivery of the Global 7500 and 8000 may also spec four living areas depending on their needs. The Nuage interior includes new seats as well, with independent side tables. The Conference Suite hosts a large credenza with a flip-up monitor for presentations and other gatherings in the space. 

The Global 8000 is in flight testing, proving its projected 8,000-nm range and top speed of Mach 0.94—test pilots have gone supersonic in the process of performing certification profiles, according to Bombardier. The Global 8000 is projected to enter the market in 2025.

Sustainable Efforts from Bombardier

With $6.5 billion in revenue, 14,700 employees, and 5,000 aircraft in service, Bombardier has weathered the combination of the pandemic and its own corporate machinations. Éric Martel, president and CEO of Bombardier, outlined the company’s recent realignment and growth in employment. “When we relaunched the company, service [has been] a major pillar of growth,” he said in the press conference at NBAA-BACE. “This year alone we added a million square-foot service center space.”

Those service facilities have opened in Singapore and Melbourne, Australia, with the facility in Biggin Hill, London (EGKB) opening later this fall. A fourth facility, at Miami’s Opa-Locka Airport (KOPF), will open on October 31.

Martel spoke of the company’s alignment with the industry’s sustainability goals, including the use of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in its aircraft, now up to a 50 percent blend. It’s also seeking aerodynamic improvements to support reduced emissions, including its EcoJet, which utilizes a blended wing concept.

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Honda Aircraft Company announced Monday at the 2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that the updated Hondajet Elite II will have increased range and autothrottle—and, most exciting in our minds, Garmin’s Autoland system.

“The HondaJet Elite II once again pushes the boundaries of its category on all fronts of performance, comfort, and style,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company. “We are also excited to take our aircraft forward on the journey of automation by bringing new technologies to the market next year.” 

Safety—and Added Range

FLYING bestowed its 2021 Innovation Award on Garmin’s Autoland, which also secured the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy last year. The recognition stemmed from the advance in safety represented by the system, and Honda Aircraft cited this as a primary reason for its adoption on the Elite series.

In a statement released to FLYING, the company said, “This direction encapsulates the continuous effort to improve the HondaJet through automation, augmentation, and situational awareness technologies, to enhance operational safety and reduce pilot workload while aligning with global Honda’s commitment to advances in safety technology.”

Honda is also adding another key update to the Elite series, increasing the model’s range to 1,547 nm. It will retain its fuel efficiency as well, keeping its leadership position in the very light jet class. Ground spoilers will also come with the new model, improving takeoff and landing performance.

Performance, Avionics, and Style Updates

In total, the upgrades creating the Elite II form a substantial step up for the series. To summarize those features, we look at areas of performance, avionics, and style.

Performance

• Range: 1,547 nm, NBAA IFR with four occupants
• Increased fuel capacity: additional space to carry more fuel 
• Increased gross weight: maximum takeoff weight of 11,100 pounds 
• Ground spoiler: optimizes takeoff and landing field performance with increased weight 

Avionics

Based on the Garmin G3000 already found in the Elite model series, Honda Aircraft will add the following to its avionics suite:

• Stabilized approach, with aural and visual alerting
• Optional autothrottle, to automate power management based on desired flight characteristics, available in the first half of 2023
• Optional Emergency Autoland from Garmin, which activates in an emergency situation to autonomously control and land the aircraft without human intervention, available in the second half of 2023

Style

Along with the updates to the airframe and avionics, Honda also listed a slew of new color and interior options for the Elite II, including:

• New “Black Edition” 
• New Black Sable signature exterior paint schemes 
• New corporate paint scheme 
• New interior colors 
• Onyx: a rich and warm neutral greige cabin theme with mid-tone wood accents 
• Steel: a modern light cool grey theme with high contrast marble accents 
• New optional aisle flooring with hardwood herringbone and plank patterns 
• Acoustic Enhancement: nose to tail acoustic treatment for a tranquil cabin experience 
• Sheepskin covers available as an option for pilot seats
• Additional 3-inches of legroom configuration available for crew seat with extended seat track as an option 
• Interior multi-color LED lighting with soft indigo nighttime setting 
• Ground illumination on the main entry door 
• Integrated exterior lights 

The post Honda to Add Autoland to Its New Model appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The maintenance base at DFW will provide service associated with structures, landing gear, wheels, brakes—the high-demand replacement items requiring regular attention on Gulfstream’s fleet of large cabin and long-range jets.

It’s a new facility from the ground up, and the process gave the team the ability to lay out flows from scratch. With a location on the airport adjacent to the cargo terminal, it is scheduled to go online late in the first half of 2023.

Workforce Additions

The workforce required to stand up such a facility is also another reason why the company looked to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, for expansion. “It’s not a new investment for us,” said Derek Zimmerman, in Gulfstream customer support, during a pre-event briefing with FLYING in September. Growth is challenging in times of restricted supply chains, he said, but “we recognized early on, [if we] build an awareness of and appetite for careers, and raise the visibility of aviation careers,” we build the workforce of the future. 

“We employ most of the experienced Gulfstream techs [already]—since we service most of our aircraft” within Gulfstream’s own facilities. The DFW area had been an active local labor market for Gulfstream, with institutions such as Tarrant County Community College on the Alliance Airport (KAFW), and Fort Worth and north Dallas hosting a lot of people with strong aviation skill sets.

Expanding at Mesa

Gulfstream also has been adding capacity at its Mesa, Arizona, facility, at the Phoenix-Mesa-Gateway Airport (KAZA), with an expansion similar in size to one the company occupies today. Again, the local workforce is critical to the decision to grow in the Phoenix area. At Mesa, there is a community college on site, GateWay Community College; and Arizona State University Poly Tech also has a presence at the airport.

Servicemen and women transitioning from active duty abound in the region, and the company had hired more than 100 people already as of mid-September. Gulfstream opened the facility with existing space, and will be taking advantage of additional space, to create the “largest, most capable” center in the region.

Gulfstream expects the expanding facility to open by the third or fourth quarter of 2023, based on the construction materials supply chain and workforce availability for fabrication.

Service in Nigeria

Gulfstream also announced on Monday that ExecuJet Nigeria is its newest authorized warranty facility, with crew training at FlightSafety International on the maintenance programs held in September. The large-cabin fleet is the most popular among ExecuJet’s constituents.

All told, Gulfstream will have 14 company-owned service centers and repair facilities worldwide. Five of these are through its agreement with Jet Aviation, which handles Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. These MROs are complemented by 20 authorized warranty facilities globally.

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Ahead of its opening for media day on Monday, 2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) saw the arrival of a parade of jets and turboprops into the Orlando Executive Airport (KORL) over the weekend.

Among them? Gulfstream Aerospace’s G800 test airframe, N800G—which FLYING took a tour of up in Savannah in September for a pre-event briefing—along with two G700 production-conforming test articles, fully outfitted inside with the luxurious interiors the company plans to debut to its customers with the new model.

Also on display? The G280, G500, G600, and G650ER.

More to come from Gulfstream in the morning, as FLYING launches its news coverage at the show, and BusinessAir TV.

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