Asking prices for preowned business jets are softening, dropping by 2.4% month over month and by 6.2% year over year (YOY) in November, according to market valuation analyst Sandhills Global. In its latest market report, Sandhills noted that prices decreased by nearly 5% YOY in October as well, but were slightly up from September by 1.8%.

“Inventory levels of used jets continue to climb,” said Brant Washburn, controller department manager for Sandhills, which owns products such as Aircraft Cost Calculator, AircraftEvaluation, Charter Hub, and Aviation Trader. “We’re also seeing inventory growth continuing in the used turboprop market. But while asking prices were up slightly in November for turboprops, asking prices of used jets took a more noticeable downward turn.”

In November, the global inventory of preowned business jets actually declined by 3.3% month over month but was still up 4.7% from a year earlier. Inventory of super-midsize jets has experienced the biggest jump, up 15.6% YOY and 5.5% month over month. Meanwhile, light-jet asking values declined the most from October, down 4.1%, and large jets saw the steepest YOY drop at 6.8%.

Looking at just the U.S. and Canada, turboprop inventory levels in November inched up by 0.7% from October, but are up by 9.2% YOY. Their asking values are down by 1.2% from a year earlier.

EcoPulse, the distributed hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator aircraft developed jointly by Daher, Safran, and Airbus, has completed its flight test campaign. During a press conference in France on Tuesday, the partners reported that the project has provided “crucial insights” into the potential design, certification, production, and operation of such an aircraft.

Since its first flight from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport in the southwest of France on Nov. 29, 2023, the EcoPulse demonstrator accumulated 100 flight hours in around 50 sorties. The last of the flights was in July, and since then, the partners have been assessing the data collected.

The propulsion system generated a network voltage of about 800 volts DC and a power output of 350 kilowatts. According to engineers involved in the work, the flight tests demonstrated “unprecedented onboard electric power levels for distributed electric propulsion.”

One example of the tests conducted demonstrated that the synchro-phasing of the six sets of propellers driven by Safran’s electric motors reduced noise levels inside the aircraft, which was based on Daher’s TBM single turboprop model. The EcoPulse’s flight control computer, which was primarily designed to maneuver the aircraft, replaced traditional control surfaces by instead adjusting the distribution of electric power between the so-called ePropellers.

A Queensland couple stranded for three days in a remote area of northern Australia was rescued by LifeFlight's Mount Isa-based helicopter team. The dramatic operation, led by newly recruited pilot Michael Adair, involved navigating 300 nautical miles of harsh outback terrain and marked his first mission in Australia.

The couple’s ordeal began when their four-wheel drive was swept off the Burke Developmental Road into Clark Creek by a surge of floodwater. Unable to contact emergency services due to the remoteness of the location, the pair endured extreme heat, bug bites, and exposure while subsisting on muddy river water. They also faced the constant threat of crocodiles.

Emergency services were alerted when the couple failed to arrive at their destination in Kowanyama as expected. Flooded roads prevented the Queensland Police Service from reaching the site, necessitating a helicopter rescue.

LifeFlight’s helicopter, piloted by Adair and accompanied by flight examiner Mark Overton, located the couple near Clark Creek, 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Kowanyama.

The couple, who had lost all their belongings in the floodwaters, managed to escape their vehicle through a passenger window and rescue their two dogs, which were also brought to safety. The dogs joined the six passengers aboard the helicopter for the flight to safety.

Adair described the experience as “not only a really technically challenging mission but one with a perfect outcome.”

MD Onboard’s chief advisor of aeromedical services, Surendra Sodhi, will join King’s College London emeritus professor of mental health and cultural diversity Dinesh Bhugra on December 11 at MEBAA in Dubai to discuss mental health in aviation. Sodhi and Bhugra’s speaker session is at 2 p.m. Gulf Standard Time (GMT +4) and is titled, “Fly High, Stay Grounded—Navigating Mental Health in Aviation.”

In the U.S. earlier this year, the FAA updated its Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners (AME Guide) to streamline the AME decision-making process and to implement less restrictive guidelines for pilots with a history or diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or related conditions, provided they meet certain criteria—with more extensive review necessary for multiple conditions, certain medications, or a history of self-harm. And the focus on mental health is not limited to one country or culture. The aviation community worldwide is setting aside stigma and shining a light on the needs of the industry.

While airlines can offer support programs to employees, smaller business or private flight departments can lack the resources to implement them. To help fill the gap, the MD Onboard platform, part of established telehealth company Northwell Health, launched earlier this year as a remote aviation medical advisory service and is now expanding to new markets, including the Middle East. MD Onboard’s proprietary app connects crews directly with paramedics for triage during in-flight emergencies.

The FAA is clarifying which fall protection standards should apply to human external cargo (HEC) helicopter operations in a draft revised policy statement. HEC operations include line workers repairing or inspecting powerlines from a hoist line or while standing on skid structures of hovering helicopters or carriage of people via hoist.

According to VAI, “This decision ensures uniformity, enhances safety, and promotes operational compliance with existing local, state, and federal safety rules.”

There were discrepancies between various standards that applied to full-body harnesses used in HEC operations, including FAA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, VAI noted. “These discrepancies created a fragmented operational framework, posing significant compliance challenges for operators and utilities alike.” VAI recommended that the FAA adopt a consensus American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard to address these discrepancies. The new FAA policy will adopt the ANSI standards.

“This policy change is a testament to the importance of collaboration between industry and regulators,” said VAI president and CEO James Viola. “By adopting the ANSI standard, the FAA has not only enhanced safety but also simplified the regulatory landscape for operators and utilities working to maintain our national power grid.”

ANSI standards also will enable “greater innovation in harness design that both meets ANSI specifications and better protects utility line workers,” he explained.

AIN Media Group this week confirmed a packed 2025 calendar of special events to connect industry leaders, plus buyers and suppliers, across the business aviation industry. The company will also bring its distinct brand of independent news coverage from air shows and conventions worldwide, including new events in Europe and Asia: the Business Aviation Asia Forum and Expo (BAAFEx) in Singapore and the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany.

The new year starts with AIN’s Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit West gathering in Scottsdale, Arizona, from January 27 to 29. The CALS events bring together industry leaders to share knowledge and insights on key issues facing the industry. CALS East will convene from July 14 to 16 in Boston, and in September AIN will stage its first CALS Europe event at Basel in Switzerland from September 15 to 17.

March sees the debut of BAAFEx as Asia’s long-awaited new business aviation trade show (March 4 to 6) at the Changi Exhibition Center.

On March 27, AIN will stage its inaugural FBO Awards Dinner at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. The event will honor the top-performing business aviation service providers based on the magazine’s long-running survey of aircraft operators.

In April, attention shifts to Europe, where AIN will distribute its latest monthly edition at the Aero Friedrichshafen show (April 9 to 12).