A SyberJet SJ30-2 twinjet set an as-yet-unofficial east-to-west U.S. transcontinental speed record on a nonstop flight between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Diego. According to SyberJet Aircraft, the light jet averaged a speed of 505.3 mph over its flight time of 4 hours 7 minutes, with Gordon “Gordy” Bryan at the controls and company CEO Trevor Milton aboard.

This tops the previous C-1.f class record of 339.4 mph, set by an Embraer Phenom 300 in 2013, an increase of about 48%, SyberJet said. The company expects the National Aeronautic Association and Fédération Aéronautique Internationale to certify the record within 90 days.

Milton said the flight reinforces the SJ30-2’s performance credentials. “The results are fantastic,” he said. “This is exactly the kind of moment that can’t be disputed and cements the legacy of SyberJet as the fastest and farthest flying light jet in the world.”

The FAA-certified SJ30-2 underpins SyberJet’s next aircraft, the SJ36, which will be powered by Williams International FJ44-4A engines. SyberJet expects the SJ36 to have a 3,000-nm range, Mach 0.88 cruise speed, and 49,000-foot service ceiling. Certification is planned for 2032.

NBAA-BACE 2026 attendees can see the SJ30-2 at the static display area at Henderson Executive Airport (KHND). SyberJet is also planning an SJ36 debut at SyberJet World, to be held in Las Vegas during NBAA-BACE.

Brazilian, European, and U.S. aviation regulators have all now approved the Embraer Phenom 300EV, making it the first light jet certified with the Garmin Emergency Autoland system. The triple FAA, EASA, and ANAC certifications come only a month after Embraer announced the 300EV. Deliveries of the new model are slated to start in late 2028.

Other improvements to the new Phenom model include an autobrake, rudder-by-wire system, more payload and range, and an updated galley. Gogo Galileo connectivity is also available as a factory option.

According to the Brazilian manufacturer, the Phenom 300EV is the largest business aircraft so far equipped with Garmin Emergency Autoland, which autonomously flies the jet safely to the nearest suitable airport in the event of pilot incapacitation. To support these automated control functions, Embraer has developed its own Multipurpose Electronic Controller (MEC), which enhances handling, reduces pilot workload, and simplifies maintenance. The MEC also controls the rudder-by-wire system.

The Phenom 300EV has an increased range of up to 2,055 nm with up to four passengers and NBAA reserves. This enables nonstop flights between locations such as New York City to Aspen and Dubai to the Maldives.

Jetcraft is upbeat about the preowned business aircraft sector for the remainder of 2026, anticipating balanced growth opportunities in a midyear report issued this week. The broker concluded that the market is emerging more stable from the post-pandemic adjustments that some commentators have interpreted as a slowdown.

For the rest of this year, Jetcraft indicated that increased output of new-production aircraft and changes in tax rules could be key drivers of trading conditions. “Production rates are gradually improving, inventory is beginning to recover in selected segments, and policy changes—including the introduction of 100% bonus depreciation in the U.S.—may encourage additional activity before we ring in a new year,” said Jetcraft CEO Chad Anderson.

According to the company, it was both “inevitable and necessary” that the post-Covid surge in demand was curtailed, and in its wake the business aviation market is more robust. Its first-half 2026 report made no direct mention of the ongoing military conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine, or macroeconomic concerns over U.S. government debt and inflationary pressure. However, the company did acknowledge significant variations in market conditions in different regions.

For instance, limited inventory in North America has resulted in aircraft being sourced from Europe, where national economies are generally weaker. According to Jetcraft, the Middle East and Southeast Asia continue to generate strong demand for large-cabin business jets.

A Cessna Citation X+ experienced an in-flight fire and electrical failure that investigators could not trace to a specific cause, leading to loss of control during landing in Jamestown, New York, on Aug. 5, 2024, according to a newly released NTSB final report. The business jet was destroyed after it struck terrain short of the runway and then was consumed by post-impact fire. Only the two pilots were aboard; one sustained serious injuries while the other received only minor injuries.

The flight crew was attempting a precautionary landing at Chautauqua County/Jamestown Airport (KJHW) when the accident occurred shortly after 10 a.m. local time. The airplane departed Chautauqua County/Dunkirk Airport (KDKK) in New York about 10:03 a.m., bound for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE).

About three minutes after departure, the copilot reported smelling an electrical burning odor that he said dissipated. Both pilots subsequently smelled smoke, and multiple crew alerting system messages appeared. The crew diverted toward KJHW, but the pilot reported difficulty maintaining airspeed and pitch control.

During the approach, the airplane struck terrain and runway approach lighting about 200 feet short of Runway 25 and came to rest roughly after traveling 2,150 feet. A post-impact fire ensued, and the pilots exited through the main cabin door.

Investigators focused their examination on wiring located aft of the rear pressure bulkhead, where several conductors showed arcing, welding, and beading.

The sole FBO at Great Bend Municipal Airport (KGBD) in Kansas has been renamed BeckAir—a play on the name of new owner Dirk Becker, a professional pilot and flight instructor. He acquired the facility after former operator Coulson Aviation declined to continue its lease.

With its 7,852-foot main runway, KGBD began as a WWII bomber base, and the lobby of the FBO’s 5,000-sq-ft terminal harkens back to that era with historical photos and period memorabilia decorating the walls. It features a refreshment bar with fresh cookies and coffee; an eight-seat conference room that doubles as the pilot lounge; a flight-planning area/business center; and a crew car.

The World Fuel-branded facility has a 26,000-sq-ft hangar that can accommodate up to midsize jets, along with a 1,600-sq-ft maintenance hangar. A full-time A&P mechanic is on duty on weekdays and available on-call on weekends.

Thanks to KGBD’s location in the middle of the U.S., the FBO can offer quick turns on refueling stops.

“We pride ourselves on quick, professional, and personal service for each and every customer,” Becker told AIN. “Our goal is to get you back in the air as quickly as possible by providing quick turns in 15 minutes or less.”

Buckling of a Bell 206L LongRanger’s tail boom during a “vertical hop” oscillation on Sept. 26, 2024, was due to an “aeroelastic interaction between the helicopter’s main rotor blades and nodal beam system, which resulted in oscillations that exceeded the design limits of the tail boom,” according to the NTSB final report. “Contributing to the accident was the failure of the main rotor blade manufacturer to adequately publish the appropriate recovery technique for a known flight dynamics issue.”

The helicopter—N9984K, operated by JL Aviation of Boring, Oregon—was equipped with composite Van Horn Aviation (VHA) main rotor blades, which had replaced the Bell metal blades about five months before the accident. The VHA blades had logged 348.6 hours when the accident occurred. With no passengers and about 135 pounds of fuel, the helicopter was lightly loaded.

While cruising at about 100 knots and 1,000 feet agl near Fern Prairie, Washington, according to the NTSB, the pilot reported that “the helicopter suddenly exhibited a severe vertical oscillation, commonly referred to as a ‘vertical hop.’ Believing a catastrophic mechanical failure was imminent, he lowered the collective to initiate an emergency descent. Just before landing alongside a forest road, the pilot raised the collective and slowed the helicopter, and the vertical hop subsided. After landing, the pilot exited the helicopter and observed substantial damage to the tail boom and fuselage.”

Nancy Landon Kassebaum, the former Republican U.S. senator from Kansas who shepherded through one of the most monumental pieces of legislation for the general aviation industry, died on Friday in Manhattan, Kansas. She was 94.

Born in Topeka, Kassebaum served in the U.S. Senate from 1978 to 1997. Many in Wichita remember her mostly for her advocacy for the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 (GARA), which established an 18-year statute of repose that eliminated the long liability tail of general aviation aircraft.

Known as a consummate dealmaker who could work across the aisle, she was able to push the measure through the Senate with the agreement of some of the most ardent opponents to product liability reform.

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, who served as the legislative director for Kassebaum at the time, had noted the respect she garnered on Capitol Hill even as she navigated controversial issues. “She was tough. She was thoughtful. She was prepared, and people liked her. And she was tenacious,” Bolen had told AIN when recalling her work on GARA.

Following her passing, Bolen, who considered Kassebaum a friend and mentor, honored her contributions. “GARA would not have survived were it not for Sen. Kassebaum’s persistence and commitment to working in a bipartisan fashion to accomplish important things,” he said.