Boom’s XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft successfully completed its second test flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California, this week. Chief test pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg was at the controls for the flight, which involved the retraction and extension of the landing gear for the first time.

During the flight, tufting was applied to the right wing to verify aerodynamic characteristics. This flight also demonstrated the new digital stability augmentation system, or roll damper, which was added based on lessons learned from the first flight. The initial flight occurred in March, when the aircraft reached an altitude of 7,120 feet and a speed of 238 knots. Boom is targeting its first supersonic flight this year.

“Successful completion of XB-1’s second flight is yet another milestone in a year that has moved Boom closer than ever to delivering supersonic flight to the world,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “I am proud of the team for their work to address refinements to XB-1 following its first flight, and we continue to target breaking the sound barrier by the end of this year.”

It was tough for both buyers and sellers to follow the wild changes that occurred as the effects of Covid pinched the market so tightly from 2020 to 2022. Then, there was the counter-reaction of the market building up inventory and prices falling gradually over the course of 2023 and 2024.

We have tracked inventory very closely since the beginning of 2022 when the market reached its lowest level of supply we have ever seen. Here are some pieces of data we collected that are noteworthy takeaways. At Leading Edge, we track 46 types of aircraft weekly, from the Pilatus PC-12 to the Global 7500, Falcon 8X, and Gulfstream 650, as well as everything in between. Newer models and older models make up a comprehensive view of the corporate aircraft market.

Across those 46 types, here are what we feel are interesting points:

• In March 2022, approximately 1.48% of the fleet was for sale.
• One year later in March 2023, that had risen to 3.72%.
• And another year later in March 2024, it rose to 5.65%.
• Today, it is 6.46% and has been between 6.35% and 6.46% from June until now.

The business jet market remained resilient in the second quarter of the year despite declining flight hours and increased inventory levels compared with a year ago, according to Global Jet Capital’s (GJC's) Q2 Business Aviation Market Brief released this week.

The lender noted that in the second quarter, OEMs reported strong order intake and a nearly 2% backlog growth, while flight operations rose by 6% over Q1 of this year and departures remained 14% above Q2 in pre-Covid 2019. “Due to the industry’s inherent value proposition—including personal safety, flexibility, productivity, and comfort—there has been a systemic expansion of the user base with a substantial proportion of these new users continuing to utilize business aviation in 2024,” GJC stated.

As supply chain and labor issues continue to resolve post-pandemic, airframers increased production and revenues, causing the industry-wide book-to-bill ratio to decline from 1.3:1 in Q1 to 1:1 in Q2. That level is not expected to change through the remainder of the year.

Led by older aircraft, the available aircraft inventory continued its rising trend in the second quarter, reaching 7.7% of the existing fleet. According to GJC, inventory of on-market aircraft older than 13 years has risen 11.9% thus far in 2024, compared with 5.1% for aircraft 12 years old and younger. With the increase, aircraft 13 years old and older represent 71% of all listings.

The FAA has published proposed special conditions that apply to the interaction of systems and structures for the Skyryse One supplemental type certificate (STC) program, which aims to certify a fly-by-wire universal operating system in a Robinson R66 helicopter. Skyryse’s Sky OS operating system will also be adapted to a variety of aircraft to meet the company’s goal “to bring about a new era in flight, with a goal of zero fatalities, and where piloting any aircraft is simple and safe.”

As is typically the case with special conditions, the FAA and Skyryse have already spent many months working on what the conditions will cover, and the issuance of the proposal is no surprise to the company. The public is invited to comment on the special conditions and can do so through October 15.

According to a Skyryse spokesman, “The release of today's special conditions rulemaking is a great milestone showing we're continuing to move towards certification on our expected schedule with the support of an active and engaged FAA team.”

The reason for requiring special conditions is that the modifications that Skyryse is doing to the R66 aren’t covered in existing certification regulations, according to the FAA. The modification includes replacing the R66’s hydraulically boosted mechanical flight control system with fly-by-wire (FBW) flight controls and a single-control pilot interface.

Charter operator Jetvia has launched a fractional ownership program for its Bombardier Learjet 60 fleet. Announcing the new program yesterday, the Texas-based company said it will offer financing based on a 25% down payment on shares at a 5% interest rate.

Jetvia, which is providing the financing in-house rather than through a third party, said its approach would lower the barriers to private jet ownership. It contrasted its offering with that of its rival SkyShare, which offers third-party financing with a 35% down payment.

The new offering includes a new daily rate option of $6,000. Alternatively, owners can pay a monthly management fee of $12,500 for a one-sixteenth share.

The company, which recently rebranded from ATI Jet, said the daily rate would be advantageous for customers who want to fly legs exceeding two hours by allowing them to pay only when they fly rather than committing to fixed fees each month. For example, it would benefit a client flying from Aspen to Miami round-trip five or six times per year.

The Jetvia program guarantees aircraft availability with 72 hours' notice, with no repositioning or overnight charges. The company said it would guarantee the buyback of fractional shares at a 50% repurchase price.

Jetvia operates 20 Learjet 60s and said it plans to add 30 more by 2028. 

A Bell UH-1B helicopter that crashed following engine failure on June 22, 2022, was being inspected under less stringent requirements than should have applied, according to the NTSB.

Damage to the T53-L-11D turboshaft engine’s compressor section, gas-producer turbine, and exhaust diffusor rear bearing cover was not detected, and following the engine failure, the helicopter ran into powerlines during an attempted forced landing. All six onboard were killed.

The flight was part of the “7th Annual Huey Reunion” celebration held at Logan County Airport in Logan, West Virginia. During the event, visitors were invited to fly in the helicopter, and one person could pay a “required” donation of $250 to fly from the right seat for 30 minutes, with no experience required, according to the NTSB.

The helicopter’s operator, Marpat Aviation, held a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental exhibition category issued by the FAA’s Charleston, West Virginia Flight Standards District Office. However, Marpat Aviation “did not hold a living history flight experience exemption for the helicopter,” the NTSB explained, “which would have allowed the helicopter to be operated for compensation.”

As part of the special airworthiness certificate, the FSDO had issued operating limitations that included specific inspection standards. “We found that the inspection standards...did not have sufficient scope and depth for inspecting former military turbine-powered rotorcraft…” the NTSB wrote.

Alpha Wingman is adding West Star Aviation and its 200 technicians to its platform, which provides aircraft operators with information and access to comparative aircraft support services.

"Joining forces with Alpha Wingman amplifies our reach,” said Gary Lee, vice president of AOG at West Star Aviation. “With the country's largest full-service AOG network, we are committed to delivering unparalleled efficiency and quality around the clock."

“Our platform’s capabilities extend beyond just connecting operators with maintenance providers. It is also a tool for analytics, internal management, and efficiency enhancement,” said Andy Nixon, co-founder of Alpha Wingman.

Alpha Wingman users can request quotes, review service provider profiles, communicate directly, and manage all necessary paperwork within a single interface. Service requests are matched with providers based on their specific capabilities. Its platform employs a 300-mile ping radius for AOG services. For all other services, providers are alerted if the job aligns with their expertise.

The platform eliminates ghost inventory by allowing users to submit unlimited parts requests by airframe. This ensures that all requests are visible and accounted for, preventing any overlooked or untracked inventory.