Hera Initiative Seeks To Move the Needle in Bizav Careers

Hera Aviation Group, a nonprofit organization created to help companies and individuals manage modern workplace issues such as retention and family dynamics that keep women (and men) from participating in aviation careers, has launched the Hera Initiative to help companies deal with these issues. Hera was founded by corporate pilot Jessica Webster, a mother of two children who has faced her own challenges with workplace discrimination against caregivers.

The initiative is focused on four key elements: education outreach, mentoring, internships, and other ways to welcome new entrants, and ongoing career coaching and development. The spur for creating the initiative is that Hera found that even with enlightened and welcoming companies and hiring programs, a significant number of female professional pilots were giving up on their careers after going through all the steps to gain certification and become employable.

BJT: Starting a Flight Department

When it comes to outright aircraft ownership, you basically have two choices: hire a management company to handle operations and maintenance or set up your own corporate flight department. Done right, either option will afford you convenience and safety. What it really comes down to is cost versus control.

Hiring a management company is often the less-expensive alternative and offers many advantages. So if you want to start your own flight department, be prepared: it is a task whose difficulty and cash requirements are on par with those of a complex, capital-hungry business startup.

Sponsor Content: C&L Aviation

What is an ERJ 135, 140 & 145 Semi-Private Jet Conversion?

Looking to offer your passengers a first-class experience with a “hop-on” jet service? There’s a variety of customizable options available for converting an ERJ 135, 140, or 145 to a semi-private aircraft—from complete interior reconfiguration to unique exterior paint—to make your jet service stand out above the rest.

From the Archives: Marquis Card Founder Is Back

Kenny Dichter, founder of jet-card innovator Marquis Jet, is re-entering the private aviation market with the launch of Wheels Up, a new private members club. The new company is set to place an $800 million order for 105 Beechcraft King Air 350i twin turboprops, with deliveries of the eight-passenger aircraft due to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, running through 2018.

According to Dichter, the choice of the latest King Air model will “redefine the entry point” for private aviation service offered through a closed-fleet model. The company is also working with Beechcraft to develop customized versions of the 350i to include Wi-Fi connectivity in the cabin. Dichter said the King Air is an ideal choice, providing superior storage and range/payload compared with other aircraft.

Safety Talk: Rep. Graves on Protecting 'Gold Standard'

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) took over the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as chairman this year as Congress kicked off work on a comprehensive aviation bill to reauthorize the FAA’s programs and address a host of other issues. Congress faces a September 30 deadline to reauthorize the agency.

He talked with AIN about his desire to provide stability at the FAA, boost safety, and foster general aviation and advanced air mobility through a comprehensive reauthorization bill. Graves discussed the first-ever title dedicated to general aviation in a reauthorization bill and the desire to get a bill completed as expeditiously as possible.

BJT: Places To Stargaze

Stargazing can be amazing, but perhaps not if you're in your own backyard. You need to get away from the bright lights of cities and suburbs to places where the universe can really dazzle you.

All 10 of these locations fill the bill. Every one of them has been designated as an International Dark-Sky Place by the International Dark-Sky Association, which works to protect night skies from light pollution.

FutureFlight: Bristow Pilot Test Flies Beta's Alia

Bristow has conducted its first flight test with Beta Technologies’ Alia aircraft, one of several new advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles that the helicopter operator intends to add to its worldwide fleet of rotorcraft. A senior pilot from Bristow took the Alia prototype out for a spin on August 22 to conduct a “qualitative evaluation” of the six-seat air taxi, Beta announced yesterday.

With Bristow’s AAM program manager Bryan Willows at the helm (accompanied by Beta test pilot Chris Caputo), the aircraft took off from Beta’s flight test center in Plattsburgh, New York, at 10:30 a.m. local time and clocked about 55 minutes in the air. “During the flight, Willows completed a standard flight profile featuring stalls, slow flight, and takeoffs/landings,” a Beta spokesperson told AIN.

NTSB Data Shows Enviable Part 91K Accident Record

Fractional operations under FAR Part 91K have an exceptional safety record, according to the newly expanded NTSB final accident report database. To date, there have been no reported fatal accidents and few with serious injuries.

NTSB data shows that between 2006 and 2021, Part 91K fractional operators were involved in 13 accidents and serious incidents. Only two resulted in serious injuries to passengers.