The Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) rolled out two safety initiatives to bolster training of its members during its annual convention and fly-in, held November 1 to 3 in Austin, Texas. Featuring an exhibit hall and 29 educational sessions, the convention drew more than 300 attendees and 65 owner-flown aircraft.

Safety initiatives unveiled included the M-Class Elevate training program and M-Class Standardized Instructor Pilot (MSIP) program. M-Class Elevate was designed to provide owners and pilots with consistent, quality training to reduce accidents, while the corresponding MSIP program recognizes certified flight instructors (CFIs) with experience in Piper M-Class training and who are committed to the Elevate program, PMOPA said. The inaugural MSIP class counts 23 participating CFIs.

“M-Class Elevate was created by leading M-Class flight instructors, with guidance from external training experts from other owner-pilot associations, to provide a comprehensive curriculum based on best practices in owner-flown aircraft training to help pilots become safer and more proficient,” said PMOPA CEO Mike Nichols.

The program focuses on risk management and decision-making, aeronautical knowledge and systems, avionics and panel instruments, and flight procedures and training. Pilots receive the basic curriculum through initial training and undergo recurrent training to delve deeper into specific content areas.

PMOPA’s next convention will be held Sept. 11 to 14, 2025, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

The Aerospace Supply Chain Resiliency Task Force has released a comprehensive report to U.S. Congress, outlining key vulnerabilities in the nation's aerospace sector and offering recommendations to strengthen its long-term resilience. Including contributions from GAMA, the task force highlighted several critical areas in the supply chain requiring immediate attention to mitigate risks and ensure the sector’s continued stability.

“The aerospace supply chain…involves tens of thousands of suppliers from all over the globe which provide parts, platforms, and systems that require regulatory approval for use and installation, all of which may not be easily replaced or substituted,” GAMA v-p of government affairs Paul Feldman said. “It is essential that both government and industry work together to ensure its stability, particularly in addressing these vulnerabilities.”

Several top concerns are identified in the report, including labor shortages, critical material dependencies, and the health of supporting infrastructure for the National Airspace System. The document points to supply-chain challenges for raw materials critical for manufacturing aircraft components and systems, many of which are sourced from foreign markets. Geopolitical uncertainties and increasingly strict environmental regulations make it difficult to secure these materials.

It also is a challenge for the aviation industry to attract and retain skilled workers due to required specialized technical training and competition from other industries. An aging workforce and broader labor market trends compound this issue.

Global brokerage Air Charter Service (ACS) has seen a significant uptick in business in the Greater China region, noting that both its Shanghai and Hong Kong offices are enjoying their best year yet in terms of charter numbers.

Calling the results “remarkable,” ACS noted that its air charter revenue is up across all three of its offices in the region, also including one in Beijing. In Hong Kong, revenue is up by 18% year over year, and charter numbers are up by 40% thus far in Shanghai.

“This year has seen the growth plans that we put in place last year really start to pay dividends,” said ACS CEO Justin Bowman. “Last year, we identified that we needed to better focus on targeting the second largest economy in the world, and so split our other Asia-Pacific operations from the Greater China market.”

He noted that the company’s leadership of James Royds-Jones, regional director for Greater China, and Wanny Wu, deputy regional director and head of Mainland China offices, implemented those plans, managing a team of 50 in the region.

ACS entered the region 16 years ago in Hong Kong and built on that presence with offices in Beijing and Shanghai, both of which Royds-Jones said are “thriving.”

Western U.S. FBO chain GateOne has added a new location—and its first in California—with the acquisition of JetWest, the lone service provider at Salinas Municipal Airport (KSNS).

A fixture at KSNS—a gateway to the state’s Monterey/Pebble Beach coastal region—since 1976, the facility offers a 4,500-sq-ft terminal with pilot lounge, snooze room, showers, kitchenette, conference room, crew cars, onsite restaurant, car rental, shuttle van, and courtesy golf clubs for play at a local course. Specializing in quick turns, it also features a heated 6,400-sq-ft hangar that can accommodate midsize business jets, as well as a more-than-10-acre ramp.

“I am excited about this new venture and look forward to merging GateOne and JetWest,” said GateOne president and CEO Thomas Mathew. “I expect a seamless transition as our well-trained staff—deeply familiar with the needs of the Salinas aviation community and its customers—will advance the impeccable reputation JetWest cultivated throughout its 40-plus year history.”

The FBO will now join the Avfuel-branded dealer network and offer its contract fueling, in addition to the Avtrip customer loyalty program. The addition brings the GateOne family to five locations, including Cedar City Regional Airport (KCDC) in Utah; Stinson Municipal Airport (KSSF) in San Antonio, Texas; Northwest Wyoming Regional Airport (KGCC); and Chandler Municipal Airport (KCHD) in Arizona.

As Gogo Business Aviation nears the launch of Gogo Galileo, the company’s new Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) global broadband satellite service, it’s receiving unprecedented demand for the new service. That demand has been accelerated with the development of 27 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) across Gogo’s dealer network. Those STCs will unlock a total addressable market of more than 18,000 aircraft globally, many of which have not had access to broadband connectivity prior to Gogo Galileo.

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) helicopter pilot candidates will train in twin-engine Airbus H135 helicopters under a contract signed by SkyAlyne and Airbus Helicopters. SkyAlyne is a joint venture between training provider CAE and KF Aerospace, formed to provide H135s for RCAF helicopter pilot training as part of Canada’s Future Aircrew Training Program.

Under the contract, SkyAlyne will acquire 19 H135s along with a support and services package, assistance with developing ground-based training, and release-to-service engineering support. Completion and delivery of the helicopters will take place at Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Fort Erie, Ontario, following installation of avionics, communications, and other cockpit modifications.

New RCAF pilots will learn to fly in the H135s, which will also be used for instrument instruction and tactical training. “A full-spectrum training aircraft, the H135 facilitates the development of core skills while providing twin engines and advanced avionics, allowing easy and safe pilot transition to more complex helicopters in the RCAF’s fleet,” according to Airbus.

“Entering into this partnership with SkyAlyne and the Department of National Defence is a historic moment for Airbus Helicopters in Canada,” said Dwayne Charette, the Canadian division’s president. “This contract marks Airbus Helicopters’ successful entry into the Canadian military market.”

DG Fuels has chosen Moorhead, Minnesota, as the site of a $5 billion sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility. With a planned capacity of 193 million gallons of SAF a year, the plant—which will use agricultural and wood waste as feedstock—would represent half the annual jet fuel usage at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (KMSP). It is expected to be operational by the end of this decade.

The news was greeted with enthusiasm by the Minnesota SAF Hub, which looks to establish the first large-scale SAF production value chain in the region and its leadership in the Greater MSP Partnership. This move represents the most significant commitment yet toward establishing commercial-scale SAF production in the state.

Additionally, it furthers the hub’s key goals of creating demand in order to attract supply, partnering with the state of Minnesota to incentivize and de-risk the SAF market, and ensuring that the benefits of the state’s SAF economy will accrue statewide.

“This exciting announcement demonstrates how building a new SAF economy in Minnesota will create opportunities that stretch from the tarmac of KMSP to every corner of the state,” said Greater MSP Partnership president and CEO Peter Frosch.

Earlier this year, DG Fuels announced similar projects in Louisiana (118 million gallons of annual SAF production by 2028) and Nebraska (193 million gallons by 2030).

FreeFlight Systems and Air Dallas Instruments have entered into a strategic partnership to equip Beechcraft King Airs with FreeFlight’s 5G-tolerant RA-5500 radar altimeters. This collaboration will provide King Air operators with advanced altimeter technology, enhancing safety, and reliability in congested airspace.

Danny Barnfield, president of Air Dallas Instruments, noted that the partnership enables the company to offer King Air operators the ability to upgrade older analog altimeters with modern, 5G-tolerant solutions. "This initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to advancing safety and performance in aviation technology," Barnfield said.

Radar altimeters, responsible for 55 essential functions in avionics, are vulnerable to interference from 5G signals. This concern is critical, as interference can affect pilots across various environments, not just in urban areas.

FreeFlight’s Terrain series radar altimeters use digital processing to ensure accurate altitude readings, mitigating the risks associated with 5G interference. "Our advanced radar altimeters represent a significant upgrade for King Air operators, providing peace of mind for safety and situational awareness," said Shane LaPlante, v-p of sales and marketing at FreeFlight Systems.

According to FreeFlight, the RA-5500 (part of the Terrain series) is the only 5G-tolerant radar altimeter offering a fully digital processing solution. It serves as a self-contained retrofit, providing a direct replacement for legacy analog altimeters.

Blade Air Mobility and eVTOL aircraft developer Supernal are exploring how they will launch commercial advanced air mobility (AAM) services. Through a recently announced partnership, the companies will study various early use cases, gathering data that will shape how the Hyundai subsidiary completes development of the four-passenger aircraft it aims to bring to market in 2028.

In a related recent announcement, business aviation group Clay Lacy Aviation said it is working with Supernal to prepare its FBOs to receive eVTOLs. Initially, the companies will focus their efforts on Clay Lacy’s bases at John Wayne Orange County and Van Nuys airports in Southern California before rolling out services across the wider U.S. network.

Clay Lacy previously signed agreements to develop vertiport operations at its FBOs with two other eVTOL aircraft developers: Overair and Joby. According to Scott Cutshall, Clay Lacy’s president of real estate and sustainability, these collaborations are part of the group’s commitment to sustainable aviation. The company is the first in the world to be accredited under NBAA’s Sustainable Flight Development program.

Private flight provider Blade has been looking to expand beyond its business jet and helicopter business model for some time. It already has partnership agreements with other eVTOL aircraft manufacturers, including Eve Air Mobility and Beta Technologies.