The Fight Against Public Charters is Heating Up

Utah-based SkyWest recently launched its new subsidiary, SkyWest Charter, to operate both on-demand charters for individuals and companies and public charters to provide scheduled air services to underserved markets. The new charter subsidiary plans to operate 30-seat regional jets under the FAA’s Part 135 and DOT’s Part 380 certifications.

The public charter business model has been in existence for more than four decades. However, SkyWest’s plan is stuck in a holding pattern due to objections by the Air Line Pilots Association and American Airlines.

BJT: 13th Annual Readers’ Choice Survey

NetJets and Gulfstream drew the strongest rankings for overall impressions of lift providers and manufacturers, respectively, in our 2023 Readers’ Choice survey. The survey attracted nearly 1,300 respondents and incorporated many questions that we didn’t ask in previous years.

Subscribers told us how and how much they fly privately and what they like least about airline travel. They also rated lift providers and aircraft manufacturers and picked their favorite jets, turboprops, and helicopters. Here are the results.

From the Archives: Honda Unveils 2600 ‘Concept’ Jet

Honda Aircraft lifted the curtain and unveiled a “concept” of its next aircraft—a larger light jet with a transcontinental range of 2,625 nm and with a midsize-jet cabin that seats up to 11 occupants—at NBAA-BACE 2021 in Las Vegas. A mockup of the fuselage with stub wings and engines on pylons was on display at the show.

The configuration of the HondaJet 2600 is similar to the original HondaJet HA-420, with Honda Aircraft’s patented over-the-wing-engine-mount design. This allows for additional space in the cabin because many engine systems do not need to be installed inside the aft fuselage, while also lowering vibration and noise for passengers.

Safety Talk: NBAA's Carr on Tackling Today's Challenges

Doug Carr, NBAA’s senior v-p of safety, security, sustainability, and international operations, spoke with AIN about the heightened attention to safety resulting from the several close calls that have captured public attention this year.

Carr noted the "significant acknowledgment that things aren't going as we expected based on these near collisions" and added, "There's a decent amount of 'almost happens' and that has got everybody's attention right now." He detailed what NBAA is doing in response.

RTX To Supply Engines and Nacelles for X-66A Demonstrator

Boeing has enlisted Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace as key partners in the development of the X-66A aircraft for NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project. The two RTX group companies will, respectively, supply geared turbofan engines and nacelles and engine accessories under an agreement announced on Tuesday.

The X-66A airframe features a transonic truss-braced wing with extra-long, thin wings attached to the fuselage with diagonal struts. The Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project has attracted $425 million in funding from the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan, as well as some $725 million from Boeing and its partners.

FutureFlight: Opener Rebrands as Pivotal, Unveils Helix Evtol

Opener Aero, the company behind the BlackFly personal eVTOL aircraft, is rebranding and introducing its first production aircraft. Now operating under the name Pivotal, the California-based company is getting ready to begin accepting orders for its first scalable production vehicle, called Helix, in early 2024.

Just like the BlackFly, the Helix is a single-seat, fly-by-wire eVTOL aircraft designed for recreational use and short-hop travel. The design features two 14-foot cantilevered tandem wings mounted on the front and rear of a small fuselage, with four electric propellers mounted onto each wing. With this so-called “tilt-aircraft” architecture, the entire aircraft tilts to transition between hover and cruise.

BJT: Eclipse Watchers May View Solar ‘Ring-of-Fire’

An annular solar eclipse, also called a “ring-of-fire eclipse,” is occurring today. This phenomenon occurs when the moon is at or near its farthest point from Earth. As a result, it seems smaller than usual and doesn’t completely block the sun when their paths cross. Instead, at the eclipse’s peak, we see the moon surrounded by a ring of solar light—the “ring of fire.”

The eclipse will be fully visible only along a narrow path from Texas to Oregon, but if you’re a business jet owner, you may have been able to fly to a city where you could get a “ringside” seat for the event.

BACE Recall: How UAM Helped Me Beat My Boss

As determined as my boss, AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber, was to win, there was absolutely no way he was going to beat me in a race between the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall and Henderson Executive Airport (KHND).

That’s because he was driving a rented, late-model Ford Escape and I was flying in Blade Urban Air Mobility’s (UAM) Airbus EC130 operated by local outfit Maverick Helicopters. In partnership with NBAA, Blade has been operating helicopter shuttles for NBAA-BACE attendees between the convention center and static display for $99 one way. NBAA and Blade are pitching the shuttle flights as a demonstration of what UAM can offer. Thurber had zero chance of beating me to KHND.

BACE Recall: NBAA Returns to Vegas with Hybrid Approach

As the 2021 NBAA-BACE returned as an in-person event, it occupied a new home at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s recently opened West Hall. It also had health and safety protocols that included mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations and a new hybrid approach to reach attendees on-site, as well as remotely.

At the same time, the show brought back numerous familiar features. The nearly sold-out exhibit floor hosted many of the major well-known exhibitors, with the exception of Gulfstream Aerospace and a few others. There also was a static display at Henderson Executive Airport, dozens of educational sessions, keynote general sessions, and major product announcements, in addition to the traditional Corporate Angel Network reception and fundraising event on Wednesday evening.