During the recent 110th Indy 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sweet Helicopters flew more than 600 passengers between four pickup locations and temporary landing zones next to turn two at the Speedway. The passenger number exceeded Sweet Helicopters’ previous record of 500 passengers last year.

Due to the closing of the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport on Dec. 15, 2025, Sweet Helicopters had to relocate one of the pickup locations and set up a temporary heliport with tents and restroom facilities. The company used nine helicopters to fly race teams and fans.

“The 110th running of the Indy 500 proved to be an instant classic and our biggest event of the year,” said Bob Bailey, Sweet Helicopters’ executive director of business development. “We love seeing so many happy race fans enjoying the comfort and convenience of flying with us.”

Bailey added, “The demand for this service has grown year after year, and we’ve always risen to the challenge. Just five years ago, we were transporting less than half as many people. This is only possible through the hard work and professionalism of our amazing pilots and technical team.”

One of the more common ways that pilots find themselves in a bit of hot water with the FAA is when previously undisclosed past medical history diagnoses are discovered.

Rest assured that I will not leave you hanging. In most cases, the pilot will ultimately maintain their FAA medical certification even after the previously unreported medical situation came to light. The pilot may have their tail between their legs for a while and some homework to do, but usually things work out favorably.

Before visiting with an AME to obtain a new medical certificate, pilots must fill out FAA Form 8500-8 through the online MedXPress platform. This virtual process has been mandatory for more than a decade.

In the application, several medical questions are asked, including medications taken (item 17), past medical history (item 18, these reports continue with each subsequent medical exam indefinitely), and separately in a section for medical evaluations throughout the past three years (item 19).

Suffice it to say that if the FAA requests information via the small sampling of questions on the application, there are good reasons for doing so. While these reasons are not always obvious at first glance, they do relate to aviation safety.

Flexjet has acquired London-based business aircraft brokerage The Jet Business, building on the fractional ownership provider’s reach in the private aircraft sales, procurement, and advisory segments, the company announced today. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

As part of the acquisition, Flexjet is merging its FXSolutions brokerage with The Jet Business under a single platform. The Jet Business will retain the brand while tapping into the expanded resources, infrastructure, and global reach that Flexjet brings. Steve Varsano, the well-known industry leader and founder of The Jet Business, was named president of Flexjet and will be tasked with focusing on international product innovation and global expansion.

The Jet Business will support the acquisition of aircraft entering the Flexjet fleet, as well as the transition for those exiting service. Flexjet said the integration of the aircraft acquisition and disposition capabilities within its global platform will provide it with greater strategic control over fleet quality, modernization, and life cycle planning.

Meanwhile, The Jet Business clients will have access to a new offering, Flexjet Solutions, which includes operational support, pre-purchase inspections, maintenance infrastructure, AOG response resources, and aircraft management.

The acquisition will expand Flexjet’s European footprint, which includes a sales center in London’s Mayfair district and a tactical control center at Farnborough Airport. Flexjet is further planning to open a terminal at Farnborough Airport in the next few months.

Aviation real estate developer High Flying Hangars has signed a lease agreement with the city of Manassas, Virginia, to build a $20 million, 35-unit private hangar complex at Washington, D.C.-area dedicated general aviation gateway Manassas Regional Airport (KHEF). Groundbreaking is expected by year-end, with a targeted completion in late 2027.

“Manassas is a very important GA airfield,” said company founder and CEO Kenny Hinkes. “It’s right under the Dulles Class B airspace, and it provides significant resources to the city.”

Plans for the five-acre site on the west side of the field include seventeen 2,000-sq-ft hangars; the same number of 3,600-sq-ft hangars, suitable for light jets and turboprops; and one larger hangar, with its size yet to be determined.

With a waiting list for aircraft shelter at KHEF stretching up to three years, and other nearby airports also at full capacity, the developer noted more than half of the projected hangar units are already taken.

“There’s no shortage of demand for hangars at Manassas, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide owners with what they desire, while including amenities that greatly improve the hangar ownership experience, such as full insulation, heating, private restrooms, and premium power doors,” added Lisa deFrees, the company’s senior v-p of sales and marketing.

EBAA is pressing for a reboot of the European Union’s decarbonization policy, including reform of the emissions trading scheme (ETS). In a policy brief released this week to its members, the industry group said that it sees the imminent rotation of the presidency of the Council of the EU as an opportunity to get policies to better reflect the realities of business aviation.

From July 1 to December 31, under the EU’s six-monthly rotation process, the Irish government will assume the presidency of the council, giving it significant authority to prioritize the policy agenda for the 27 EU states. “Dublin will be responsible for steering council work at a time when transport policy is increasingly being shaped by three priorities: competitiveness, decarbonization, and security,” said EBAA director of public affairs and communications Róman Kok. “For business aviation, this is not just a change in the institutional calendar. It is a political window that will influence how the EU balances climate ambition with operational reality.”

EBAA is encouraged by what it sees as the Irish government’s “broad and ambitious transport agenda.” The association indicated that its lobbying efforts will focus on the transition to decarbonization being workable for both EU citizens and businesses, with reporting obligations and compliance rules that are not excessively burdensome.

The FAA has expressed “significant concerns” about the Mesa, Arizona city council’s decision to impose landing fees at Falcon Field Airport (KFFZ). In a letter to Mesa mayor Mark Freeman, city manager Scott Butler, and airport director Corinne Nystrom dated April 13, but only recently obtained by AOPA, the agency noted that the plan “may be inconsistent with the city’s federal obligations, both grant assurances and Surplus Property Act conveyance obligations.”

Approved by the city in March, the measure would charge more than $20 per landing for all airplanes weighing less than 6,000 pounds based at the airport, with 10 free landings a month. Some have described this as a tax on flight training activities for the several flight schools that call KFFZ home. Transient aircraft under that weight limit would be charged $24.35 per landing.

In the letter, Michael Helvey, director of the FAA’s office of airport compliance, stated, “The city’s landing fees structure may unreasonably interfere with, or limit, legitimate aeronautical activities. Any attempt to limit operations or specific types of operations, through landing fees, is not permissible.” He added, “The city’s unusual landing fee structure has the potential for systemwide impacts and thus must be assessed.”

Gulfstream G200 Crash Claims Two in Dominican Republic

FAA Proposes $336,000 Penalty against Planet Nine Air for Alleged Violations

Bombardier Global 8000 Business Jet Sets First Speed Record

Merlin’s Autonomous C-130J Passes Critical Design Review

Successful Emergency Landing after Cirrus Vision Jet Engine Failure