Duncan Aviation this week rolled out its most intricate aircraft paint job yet, transforming a white Cessna Citation CJ3+ with factory stripes into a kaleidoscope of 46 colors, with flies, flowers, and other hand-laid details that all accentuate the eyes that watch over the tarmac and pierce the skies. The artwork reflects the imagination of Duncan Aviation chairman emeritus Robert Duncan and his wife, Karen, along with the paint shop team, the MRO said.

While the Duncan CJ3+, N1RD, was originally in standard livery, “Robert and Karen Duncan saw something else. They saw a blank canvas…They saw an opportunity to challenge the team, open the doors of Duncan Aviation’s new Lincoln paint hangar with a statement, and create an aircraft that could not be mistaken for anyone else’s,” Duncan Aviation explained. Karen wanted to know, “How outrageous can we get?” and Robert embraced it.

Duncan Aviation lead designer Hannah Mann said the process began two years ago. “We were all really excited to come up with something truly unique.” Robert and Karen began with inspirational artwork, and then artists from Duncan’s paint and design teams were invited to submit ideas. About 30 initial submissions were winnowed into 15 updated concepts. The selected concept ultimately came from paint master specialist Troy Reinke.

The work leans into Mexican art and culture, given the Duncans’ ties with Puerto Vallarta.

Not all aircraft management companies are created equal. Most of them follow the rules while others break them—at your peril. As enterprises for profit, management companies almost always try to win your business, but can they also earn your trust?

Ranging in fleet size from one to more than 300 aircraft, management companies (managers) use different business models, manage a variety of aircraft types, and offer varying scopes of service, all purportedly for your convenience, safety, and comfort. They can earn revenue from management fees and, if permitted, air charter flights.

Perhaps the most important function of managers is selecting, hiring, and/or deploying crew for owner and charter trips. Managers provide many other services, which include assisting with hangar searches and lease negotiations; administering engine maintenance programs; arranging insurance coverage under their fleet policy; directing maintenance, inspections, and repairs; interacting with the FAA; keeping detailed flight records; preparing budgets; paying vendors; distributing your share of charter revenue; and directing logistics for each trip.

No management company relationship will be perfect, but you can and should do due diligence before selecting one. Although making a choice of a manager takes time, it is worth the investment because, if these positive attributes align with your expectations and diligence, you are likely to enjoy a positive aircraft management experience.

The NTSB cited “the flight crew’s failure to properly configure the airplane [flaps 15 degrees] for takeoff in a high-density altitude environment” as the probable cause of a July 20, 2024 runway excursion by a Hawker 900XP during an aborted takeoff at Colorado’s Telluride Regional Airport (KTEX). According to the final report, the crew’s failure to use checklists was a contributing factor; the analysis noted that the crew also departed with a 12-knot, gusting to 17, quartering tailwind that exceeded the airplane flight manual’s 10-knot maximum. The lower fuselage sustained substantial damage from the accident, but there were no injuries.

KTEX, elevation 9,069 feet msl, sits on a 1,000-foot mesa, surrounded by rising, mountainous terrain. The aircraft, N526FC, had arrived earlier that day via Runway 9 before unloading passengers; the accident flight was a positioning flight to Miami Executive Airport (KTMB) without passengers, and with the right seater as pilot flying.

Performance calculations for departure on 7,111-foot Runway 27, which the crew selected, showed a 6,800- to 6,900-foot takeoff distance with flaps at 15 degrees. The airplane weighed approximately 24,374 pounds at the time of the accident, the NTSB report notes.

Estimated density altitude at the time of the accident was 11,244 feet msl—2,175 feet above field elevation. The NTSB noted that the crew attempted to depart with a tailwind component that exceeded the AFM operational limitation.

The G600 TXi paired with the GFC 600 transforms legacy CJ1 and CJ2 flight decks with high‑resolution touchscreen displays, digital attitude data, and a modern autopilot system. This overview explains how improved visibility, streamlined interfaces, and integrated control enhance situational awareness and reduce pilot workload. View the complete guide to Garmin G600 TXi and GFC 600.

Charter operator Japan Biz Aviation has signed a memorandum of understanding with SkyDrive that could lead to the launch of operations with the latter’s three-seat SD-05 eVTOLs. The agreement, signed on Thursday, furthers SkyDrive’s effort to work with air operator certificate (AOC) holders that could support plans for eVTOL air-taxi services.

From its base at Tokyo Haneda Airport (RJTT), Japan Biz Aviation operates a fleet that includes several Bell 429 helicopters and HondaJets. According to SkyDrive, Japan Biz might provide eVTOL air-taxi flights as part of its existing collaboration with Japanese railway companies, although the announcement did not say how many SD-05s it might buy.

Most of SkyDrive’s sales agreements in Japan have so far been placed by customers who do not currently hold an AOC. The company has reported provisional orders worldwide for 427 SD-05s, which it aims to start delivering in 2028, with customers based in countries such as Indonesia.

“We are working to promote business jet and helicopter charters as a new mobility option for travel around Japan,” said Japan Biz Aviation representative director Shin Koizumi. “This MoU is an important additional step forward that further broadens our business scope, allowing us to apply the operational know-how developed through our ongoing businesses to the new fields of eVTOL and advanced air mobility.”

Hughes Aerospace has added Slackline Awareness to its Hughes Flight Intelligence platform, which is available in the free Hughes Apple iOS app. It provides access to more than 7,000 known and reported slackline locations worldwide to help pilots evaluate slackline risks during preflight planning and moving-map route analysis.

Slacklines are made of high-strength webbing suspended between trees, poles, towers, or other structures, according to Hughes Aerospace, and they “are often nearly invisible from the air and can present a significant hazard during low-altitude operations.” A helicopter crashed in Arizona after hitting a slackline whose location had been posted in a notam, but it was undetermined whether the pilot saw the notice.

Hughes Flight Intelligence provides a variety of information in the app, including automated route analysis; georeferenced moving maps with VFR, IFR, and terminal procedure charts; real-time weather; notams for departure, destination, and planned route; FAA camera access; night-vision goggle planning information; icing forecasts; flight recording and playback; SMS reporting; and helicopter procedures.

“Every flight begins with decisions,” said Chris Baur, pilot and Hughes Aerospace CEO, as well as co-chair of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team. “Hughes Flight Intelligence was built by pilots to bring the critical information needed for safe flight into one place. Every enhancement we develop has one purpose—to help pilots identify hazards sooner, better understand risk, and return home safely after every flight.”

Tuvoli recently announced the first AI Symposium for Business Aviation (AISBA), co-founded with NATA and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s David B. O’Maley College of Business. The event is scheduled for September 15 and 16 at Embry-Riddle’s campus in Daytona Beach, Florida, with an opening reception on September 14.

A full-day strategic symposium on September 15 at the Henderson Welcome Center makes up the core program, with an optional half-day practical workshop on September 16 at the O’Maley College of Business. The symposium, aimed at business aviation leaders, intends to provide a framework for evaluating and applying artificial intelligence (AI) across the sector.

According to Tuvoli, the program will address AI use cases, strategic considerations, and applied learning across multiple tools and platforms rather than any single product or provider. Sessions will gather operators, brokers, technology developers, regulators, and Embry-Riddle faculty and students to examine applications spanning decision-making, business performance, and customer engagement. The optional workshop features two parallel tracks: one for professionals new to AI and one for more experienced users exploring advanced use cases.

Greg Johnson, president and CEO of Tuvoli, remarked that AISBA was created “because this industry deserves a serious, independent forum to examine what AI actually means for how we run our businesses—not a conference about technology for technology’s sake.”

One of the more interesting airplanes on display at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh show might be CubCrafters’ newest model: the turbine-powered Carbon Cub ULT. Designed under the new MOSAIC rules for light aircraft, the ULT is powered by TurboTech’s TP-R90 turboprop engine, and it can be flown by pilots who qualify under the new FAA Sport Pilot rules, with no type rating or special endorsement required.

Deliveries are planned in 2027, while CubCrafters continues flight testing the ULT at its Yakima, Washington headquarters. CubCrafters is now accepting deposits for the $690,000 (base price) ULT.

Manufactured with composite materials, the ULT traces its heritage to the Carbon Cub UL, with a “focus on lightweight performance and unleaded fuel compatibility,” according to CubCrafters. The “T” in the new airplane’s moniker reflects the turbine engine married to the lightweight airframe.

TurboTech’s TP-R90 features regenerative turbine technology, which captures and recycles exhaust heat, thus retaining energy that would normally be wasted. Fadec simplifies engine operation, including push-button engine starting and single-lever power control for the engine and DUC Hélices composite propeller. According to CubCrafters, the ULT’s turbine engine burns about the same amount of fuel as the gasoline-powered Carbon Cub UL, which is less than five gph during cruise.

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