Business aircraft owners and operators, as well as airlines, are bracing for potentially violent protests expected in Brussels between December 15 and 17. A consortium of political groups operating under the name Code Red has called for a “weekend of mass action against aviation.”

A notice from Code Red has called for volunteers to prepare to join as-yet-unspecified protests around the Belgian capital. It said the "target” will be identified closer to the planned dates, and it offers civil disobedience training. Brussels National Airport seems likely to be a focal point.

The Code Red alliance includes groups commonly associated with protests against air transport and private aviation, including Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace. Other groups with wider political agendas are sponsoring the event, including anti-capitalist and poverty action organizations.

On Wednesday, eco-protesters from a Portuguese group called Climáximo broke into Cascais-Tejo Regional Airport. According to the group's media posts, they damaged a Bombardier Global Express with paint and chained themselves to its wheels. In a protest that mirrored multiple similar events in Europe this year, the protestors said they intended to “denounce the luxury flights of the super-rich and the criminal hypocrisy of world leaders traveling to the COP28 [climate change conference] in a mode of transport that is the pinnacle of climate injustice.”

Police were called to the Portuguese airport but it is unclear what action was taken.

“Incidental findings” are those that are discovered by surprise while researching something else. This happens more frequently than expected in both medical and non-medical research. These findings are typically unrelated to what was being researched in the first place.

When working up a diagnostic analysis of a medical problem or during routine screening procedures, incidental findings often present no clinical concern but at times may be of great significance. In fact, they may immediately present themselves as something far more important than what was being researched in the first place. They may very well require more immediate attention than the condition that was being evaluated.

One of the reasons why pilots worry about doing medical tests is due to their understandable concerns about “opening a can of worms” with the FAA. However, opening the proverbial can of worms might save a pilot’s life.

A recent example from my AME practice came from when we were working up a pilot after a seemingly minor change in their FAA-mandated screening electrocardiogram. In this instance, part of the evaluation included an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart) to assess the anatomy of the heart valves and surrounding musculature. What was found was a rare cardiac tumor.

Production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in 2023 doubled to 600 million liters versus last year, but it accounted for just 3 percent of the overall output of renewable fuel worldwide, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The group also projected that the production of SAF will triple next year to 1.875 billion liters, accounting for only 0.53 percent of aviation’s fuel needs and 6 percent of all renewable fuel capacity. IATA attributes the small percentage of SAF output to the allocation of other renewable fuels coming online this year.

“This allocation limits SAF supply and keeps prices high,” said IATA director-general Willie Walsh. “Aviation needs between 25 percent and 30 percent of renewable fuel production capacity for SAF. At those levels, aviation will be on the trajectory needed to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Until such levels are reached, we will continue missing huge opportunities to advance aviation’s decarbonization. It is government policy that will make the difference.”

The Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) agreed on a global framework to promote a level of SAF used in international aviation to result in 5 percent less carbon intensity by 2030. Refiners will need to produce about 17.5 billion liters of SAF to reach that goal.

European Rotors, jointly organized by the European Helicopter Association (EHA) and EASA, saw attendee numbers grow to more than 5,400 people, 231 exhibitors, and 23 aircraft on display. The event was produced by Helicopter Association International; it was held in Madrid and hosted by the Asociación de Trabajos Aéreos y de Emergencias (ATAIRE), the Spanish Helicopter Association.

The four-day event included a Spanish Day, highlighting the country’s contributions to the rotorcraft industry.

“Our friends at ATAIRE were instrumental in the success of this year’s show,” said EHA executive director Isabella Abbate. “They were truly excited to introduce their country and industry to the rest of the helicopter industry, and we are sincerely grateful for their work to make this show so successful.

"One of the reasons we chose to bring the show to Spain is because of the strength of the rotorcraft industry there,” she said. “Our assessment proved to be correct, as their contributions included a significant presence on the show floor, during Spanish Day, and throughout the show as a whole.”

ATAIRE president Eduardo Consejo added, “One of the goals of the show is to facilitate business between companies and buyers, and the data shows that the Madrid show met that challenge.”

Next year’s European Rotors is scheduled for Nov. 4 to 7, 2024, in Amsterdam.

Vaunt—a mobile application firm that launched last month—is looking to put a different spin on the industry-wide problem of empty passenger seats on private jet repositioning flights. The company, which charges an annual, all-inclusive $1,000 membership fee, has partnered with fractional and jet card company Volato, giving Vaunt access to its HondaJet fleet schedule to market empty leg flights.

Rather than attempting to sell those empty legs to existing private jet customers, the company is marketing these flights to those who normally do not fly privately but are curious about it. “There’s a big market out there of people who aspire to fly private, but don’t have the means, and may never have the means due to the inherent cost of flying private,” said Vaunt president Nicholas Cooper.

Cooper said nearly 2,500 empty legs have been put in the Vaunt app since testing began earlier this year. They are typically listed two to three days in advance of the flight, meaning members must react and plan quickly for the one-way trips.

There is no additional fee for the flight, and after submitting their name recipients are typically confirmed one day before departure. They get use of the entire aircraft and can bring up to three other passengers. Vaunt members receive the full Volato customer experience and there is no limit on how many flights they can take.

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) named Cassandra Bosco as the recipient of the 2023 Frank G. Brewer Trophy in honor of her “lifetime of leadership and service as an effective advocate for shaping and cultivating the next generation through aviation education.” Residing in the National Air and Space Museum, the Brewer Trophy recognizes those who have made contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the U.S.

"Few people in our industry have the drive and passion that Cassandra has," said NAA president and CEO Amy Spowart. "Her impact has created meaningful exposure and lifelong opportunities for all who desire a place in our industry, especially women and minorities."

Bosco, who has been involved in industry advocacy for four decades, was a founding board member of Women in Aviation International (WAI), where she played a leading role in establishing the organization’s Young Professional Advisory Group, Super Mentor Program, and Jobs Connect platform.

The co-chair of the Aviation Accreditation Board International Industry/Educator forum, Bosco also launched a successful “Leadership for Women in Aerospace and Aviation” program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University that has drawn more than 2,200 attendees to date. 

“So many past Brewer recipients have been lifelong friends and mentors and an inspiration for my own passion for aviation education. I am humbled to be included among this esteemed group of professionals," Bosco said.