Already facing a bevy of civil fraud lawsuits from unhappy customers, AeroVanti CEO Patrick Britton-Harr has been indicted for criminal wire fraud in Federal District Court for the District of Maryland. The six-count indictment alleges that Britton-Harr misappropriated nearly $15 million from almost 100 “Top Gun” members who paid $150,000 each. These funds were supposed to be used to purchase or lease five Piaggio P.180 turboprop twins, and entitled each member to 100 prepaid flight hours.

However, the U.S. government alleges that, between April and October 2022, Britton-Harr diverted $14.75 million of AeroVanti’s escrowed member funds to personal bank accounts controlled by himself and/or his wife. According to the indictment, the funds were used in part to purchase $65,000 worth of jewelry; boats worth $80,000, $125,000, and $306,000; and $30,000 for rent at several properties in Florida.

In addition to misappropriation, the government alleges that Britton-Harr “attempted to conceal his scheme by borrowing additional funds to purchase aircraft that he already falsely claimed to have purchased with Top Gun unit holder funds.” It claims he obtained $1.5 million from AeroVanti investors to purchase an aircraft already in its fleet that was in the process of being repossessed.

Britton-Harr is currently free on $100,000 bond. He is also facing federal civil charges related to 24,000 false Medicare claims allegedly billed by Provista Health, another one of his companies.

Business aircraft charter, management, and sales company Pinnacle Aviation has acquired Part 145 repair station Aviation One. The purchase enables Scottsdale (Arizona) Airport-based Pinnacle Aviation to expand into retail maintenance and offer mobile repair services. Aviation One's 25,000-sq-ft hangar at nearby Mesa Airport will be retained but has been rebranded as Pinnacle Aviation Maintenance.

According to Pinnacle Aviation, adding mobile maintenance will enable the provision of AOG services in the Southwest U.S. The expanded retail maintenance capability covers service for owners and operators of business aircraft manufactured by Beechcraft, Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer, Dassault Falcon, and Gulfstream, among others.

Maintenance capabilities include phase checks, pre-purchase inspections, annual inspections, line maintenance, structural repair, and avionics troubleshooting. To accommodate growth in its maintenance business, Pinnacle Aviation is hiring A&P and avionics technicians.

“The addition of the Part 145 certificate and facility is a strategic investment in the future of Pinnacle Aviation,” said Curt Pavlicek, founder and president of Pinnacle Aviation. “We’re now equipped to serve not only our managed fleet but also aircraft owners across the region who are looking for a maintenance partner they can trust. This move broadens our capabilities and further reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional service at every level.”

FAA administrator nominee Bryan Bedford stressed the importance of moving rapidly forward with ATC modernization rather than getting distracted by a privatization discussion. Appearing before the Senate Commerce Committee during his confirmation hearing this morning, Bedford, who is president and CEO of Republic Airways, also committed to remaining in the position for the full five-year term.

During the hearing, Bedford was repeatedly pressed by committee members who were both in favor of and opposed to his past stance on changing the 1,500-hour requirement for Part 121 pilots. He responded that his focus is on “the urgent need to modernize the air traffic control system,” but added that he is for “structured training” and pledged not to support actions that would compromise training or pilot safety.

As for privatization, Bedford recalled being in the White House in 2017 to discuss the overhaul of the ATC system. “It didn’t work out so well,” he said. “And if we’re honest, it was because industry hijacked the conversation and turned it into a privatization debate. Now is not the time for that debate.”

Pointing to his stewardship at Republic, Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said, “The FAA is sorely in need of his steady leadership.” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) stressed, “We must have an administrator who is an unwavering champion for safety, who strengthens safety standards rather than seeking a way around them.”

Harmony Aircraft Services has opened a private hangar at Malta International Airport (LMML). The France-based maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider specializes in supporting Dassault Falcon jets, as well as ATR regional airliners.

The facility is located in the Safi Aviation Park in Malta and will have some space available for storing aircraft. Harmony has made the investment to boost its activities across the Mediterranean region, including work for operators based in Libya.

“The launch of Harmony Aircraft Services Malta marks a transformational leap in our ability to control quality, reduce downtime, and better serve our customers with tailored aviation support,” said Pierre-Olivier Edouard, the group’s CEO. “It’s not just a hangar, it’s a foundation for next-level service delivery and strategic independence.”

The company’s main MRO base is at France's Lyon-Bron Airport (LFLY) where, as part of the Dassault FalconCare program, it is approved to work on types such as the Falcon 10/100, 50, 2000, 900, 7X, and 8X. It also develops supplemental type certificates for modifications, including flight recorder and ADS-B installations.

Garmin today unveiled G5000 Prime for Part 25 transport-category aircraft, following the announcement in October that it is moving to touchscreen-controlled flight decks starting with G3000 Prime. Although much of the functionality is similar to G3000 Prime, the G5000 version features “a crew-centered user interface that is designed to streamline workflows and help crews quickly assess information,” the Olathe, Kansas company said.

Like G3000 Prime, G5000 Prime has more memory and faster processing speeds with multi-core processors, as well as gigabit system connectivity. Touchscreen primary display units have higher refresh rates and are edge-to-edge sunlight-readable with fingerprint-resistant glass. Secondary display units (SDUs) are used for data and system control and can also host multifunction applications. SDUs have 40% more screen area compared to G3000 and G5000 touch controllers.

Aircraft that will be equipped with G5000 Prime will have integrated autothrottles and emergency descent mode, and pilots will be able to set up an emergency return to help deal with problems after takeoff. Performance will include takeoff and landing data, and Garmin will make load-planning applications available from its AeroData portfolio, “allowing for a seamless operational integration and reducing crew workload during preflight and initialization.”

Aircraft OEMs are expected to announce their selection of the G5000 Prime avionics suite shortly.

Haven Aviation Services Group has expanded its network of MRO facilities with the acquisition of Executive Air Maintenance at Austin Straubel International Airport (KGRB) in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The MRO is a tenant of FBO provider Avflight. 

The addition of the Green Bay operation expands Haven’s MRO capabilities in the Upper Midwest region. Services offered in Green Bay will complement the Haven MRO network’s turboprop and light- and medium-jet maintenance capabilities. Plans call for adding more services and infrastructure during the rest of this year. 

“Green Bay is the right next step for our growing network,” said Haven Aviation Services Group CEO Travis Lamance. “We’re investing in people, infrastructure, and capability.”

Haven is advertising positions for maintenance technicians at the new base. “This acquisition represents another major step forward in our mission to deliver exceptional aircraft maintenance services across the country,” said Marc Bennett, chief revenue officer. “We’re equally excited about welcoming new team members from the Green Bay area into the Haven team.”

As it prepares to open an engine overhaul facility next year in Lincoln, Nebraska, Duncan Aviation technicians have completed factory authorization training on the Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW500 and started the first overhaul. PW500 and PW300 engines will be maintained and overhauled in the new facility, which will be a P&WC designated overhaul facility.

Technicians from Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln and Battle Creek, Michigan locations, along with its rapid response team members, participated in the four-week, hands-on training with two P&WC instructors. During the class, the technicians disassembled and reassembled a PW545A and learned turbine wheel and assembly balancing, how to use appropriate tools, and how to clean, inspect, and repair parts.

The PW500 undergoing overhaul will be tested in Duncan’s engine test cell, then added to the company’s rental pool. Aircraft that are powered by the PW500 include several Cessna Citation models and the Embraer Phenom 300. 

“It is always nice to put what we know through the maintenance manual into practice,” said Duncan Aviation engine team leader Brian Harms. “Performing the training hands-on is a great way to learn.” 

The PW500-series engine, he added, “is well built, the tolerances are tight, and it performs well. It has a good reputation in the industry and is reliable.”