AeroVanti Shutters Amid Fraud Charges

The future of private aviation membership club AeroVanti remains uncertain amid reports that the company has largely shuttered operations. Various sources claim the company has not made payroll since June 6, left a long trail of unpaid bills that resulted in at least one aircraft being repossessed, is the target of an FAA enforcement investigation that could produce criminal charges, and is the subject of civil litigation alleging fraud. The FAA investigation is believed focused on the fact that AeroVanti was operating under Part 91F when it should have been flying under more stringent Part 135 regulations.

Scott Hopes, appointed just six days ago as the company’s CEO, also is under investigation for allegedly destroying public documents in his former position as a Manatee County, Florida administrator, which he left in February. Hopes has denied any wrongdoing. Aerovanti did not respond to AIN's requests for comment at press time.

In a civil suit filed on behalf of AeroVanti clients on May 22, plaintiff attorneys allege that the company engaged in widespread fraud, including running a network of “sham” companies designed to purposely defraud customers and “exaggerating the rapid growth of new members, the number of aircraft in its ‘fleet,’ and the significant amount of investor-led funding received to support expansion.”

API Taps West Star Chattanooga for Falcon Winglets

Aviation Partners (API) tapped West Star Aviation’s facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as an authorized winglet installation center for Dassault Falcon 50, 900, and 2000-series jets. The company’s facilities in East Alton, Illinois, and Grand Junction, Colorado, already serve as authorized installation centers for API on the same models. The addition of a third facility in Chattanooga reflects West Star’s continuing expansion of its installation capabilities.

“API’s winglet installation relationship with West Star goes back almost 20 years, starting with the Hawkers at Grand Junction in 2004, and more recently the Falcons at East Alton in 2010,” said Aviation Partners president Gary Dunn. “We look forward to many more years of this great partnership, offering expanded slot availability to our mutual customers, as we bring Chattanooga online.”

API winglets for Falcon aircraft offer increased range—up to 5 percent at Mach .80 and 7 percent at long-range cruise—and improved climb, including higher initial cruise altitude and faster time to climb. West Star and API estimate that winglet installations will take about five business weeks to complete.

The addition of blended winglets has gained popularity at the time of aircraft ownership change, as new owners can take advantage of post-acquisition downtime and financing. Other owners opt for the modification during C-checks, dry bay mods, avionics upgrades, interior refurbishment, or as a stand-alone project.

Honeywell Adding HUD to Its Avionics Portfolio

Honeywell, which has not manufactured its own head-up display (HUD) as part of its avionics offerings, plans to acquire HUD assets from Saab and integrate a HUD with its Anthem and Epic avionics systems. The acquisition “is subject to certain closing conditions, including the accomplishment of certain development milestones,” according to Honeywell.

Once the deal is concluded, Honeywell will manufacture the HUD, according to Andrew Barker, v-p of integrated avionics. The acquisition includes Saab’s HUD overhead projection unit (OPU) intellectual property, which he said “will enable us to design, manufacture, and deploy our own OPU.” The OPU includes the combiner glass on which HUD imagery is projected. “Honeywell will be the manufacturer, and it will be a Honeywell-led operation.”

Honeywell plans to offer the HUD as an integrated feature of its new Anthem avionics suite but also for aircraft equipped with Primus Epic flight decks, as well as for standalone retrofits.

Honeywell’s move brings new competition to the HUD market. HUDs installed in Epic flight decks on business jets are either made by Collins Aerospace (Gulfstream) or Elbit (Falcon). Collins also makes the HUD in Embraer’s Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600. Garmin has developed a HUD for Textron Aviation’s Citation Longitude, and certification of that system is pending. “We are planning [to serve] all the markets that we play in—business aviation, airline, and military platforms,” Barker said.

Eagle Copters Selects Camp’s Aircraft Health Management

Eagle Copters has selected Camp Systems’ Aircraft Health Management (AHM) services for its fleet of 50 helicopters. Camp provides integrated connectivity between planning, compliance, and maintenance activities. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, since 1975, Eagle has provided helicopter leasing, completions, product development, engineering, and MRO services for various helicopters.

Two of Eagle’s leading products include the Bell 407HP and the Eagle Single, the latter of which replaces the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 Twinpac engines on the Bell 212 with a single 1,130-shp Ozark Aeroworks T53-17A or -B engine. Ozark recently acquired the type certificate for the T53 from Honeywell.

Adam Bartlett, Eagle category manager, said employing Camp allows the company to “streamline our aircraft maintenance records management” and integrate with Corridor aviation service software and a dedicated team of helicopter analysts to resolve compliance challenges for customers. “Camp AHM empowers operators to streamline their operational processes by easily demonstrating compliance,” added Ty Harris, helicopter group sales director.

For the first time ever: Streaming-level connectivity for smaller biz aircraft. 

SmartSky is wowing large cabin customers across the country, and now SmartSky LITE delivers the same dependable, responsive and secure connectivity to smaller aircraft. Connecting to what’s most important is as effortless in the air as it is on the ground.

Senate Measure Would Link FBO Pricing to Airport Grants

In a move that continues an ongoing dispute between pilots and FBOs and airports, the Senate has included a provision in its version of the comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill that would tie pricing and disclosures for fuel and other services to Airport Improvement Program fund grant assurances.

AOPA has long pushed for full disclosure of FBO pricing and has contended actions taken by FBOs on that front have not gone far enough. Further, AOPA has urged Congress to mandate airports to provide ramp space for aircraft that do not need services without having to pay FBO fees. FBOs and airports, however, have argued that a blanket mandate would not work at all airports and that it does not take into account expenses FBOs must pay.

The Senate provision does not require mandatory transient ramp space. It does, however, call for FBOs that operate facilities at three or more public-use airports where fuel, parking, and other services are offered to general aviation aircraft to publicly disclose all prices and fees in an “open and conspicuous manner.” Along with disclosure, the provision said, “the airport owner or operator will not impose unreasonable fees for transient aircraft parking.”

NATA has expressed opposition to the language and said it was working with a bipartisan group of Senators to offer an amendment that would strike this language from the FAA bill.

Verijet Expands Vision Jet Service to Canada

Verijet, the world’s largest operator of Cirrus Vision Jets, has expanded its service footprint to Canada. After operating in the U.S. since 2019, the air-taxi company began offering service in the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America last year.

Florida-based Verijet has 23 of the single-engine light jets in its fleet, and it stated that the move north of the border will allow it to meet the growing need for personalized and upscale air travel. Company founder and CEO Richard Kane noted the deep economic ties between the two neighboring countries, which exchange more than $2.6 billion in goods and services on a daily basis.

"We are thrilled to offer cross-border Canada service, supporting our Canadian investors and clients, and we will explore a Canadian AOC for intra-Canada operations as we grow our service,” company co-founder and chief experience officer Allison Kane told AIN. “The cross-border stage lengths are in the sweet spot for Verijet, delivering the lowest environmental impact at the most reasonable price points with unparalleled safety."

Banyan Named SmartSky Installation Partner

Fort Lauderdale-based MRO Banyan Air Service has been named an authorized sales and installation partner for SmartSky Networks’ air-to-ground connectivity systems. According to the company, it is authorized to install both the SmartSky Flagship system for midsize- to large-cabin jets, as well as the Lite system for business turboprops and light jets.

“As a sales and installation partner for SmartSky, we have experienced the system ourselves,” said Banyan Air Service avionics director Danny Santiago. “We are pleased to say it delivers an impressive connectivity experience, as advertised, and we are excited to bring this game-changing product to our customers, especially streaming-level performance for smaller corporate jets.”

“Banyan is one of the most highly regarded aircraft service facilities in the country and is known for offering customers world-class service as evidenced by their industry accolades year after year,” said Aria Bahawdory, director of MRO account management for SmartSky. “This expertise makes Banyan the perfect fit to meet the growing demand for SmartSky’s industry-leading in-flight connectivity performance.”

F-35 Defies Gravity During Paris Air Show Aerial Display

F-35A pilot Major Kirstin "Beo" Wolfe took to the skies above Le Bourget to impress attendees at the recent 2023 Paris Air Show. She is the U.S. Air Force's first female F-35A demonstration team commander.