Charter operator JetSafe has launched an aircraft ownership and membership program centered on the single-engine Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. While customers will be able to buy shares in Vision Jets, JetSafe will operate the aircraft under its Part 135 certificate instead of Part 91K fractional-share regulations. Jets will be positioned at regional primary service areas, with the first in the Southeast U.S. Each primary service area will cover 700 nm, a reasonable nonstop distance for a Vision Jet carrying passengers.

Shares are available in 20% or 10% increments, starting at $275,000 for a 10% share. Shared Visions will use preowned Vision Jets, starting with one jet that JetSafe is now offering to shared-ownership buyers. The program will also offer memberships for nonshareowners, who will be able to buy 35-hour annual block-time contracts.

The ownership contracts are for three years, according to JetSafe president Kyle Hankinson, with an early termination provision after one year. Owners will be able to sell their shares based on prevailing market prices and based on their amount of share interest.

“The Shared Visions program satisfies a market need for low-cost regional shared ownership and membership solutions,” said Hankinson. “Our program is perfect for couples looking for a quick getaway or for regional corporate travelers seeking a better alternative to traditional charter or airlines.”

Gulfstream Aerospace’s 71% increase in orders, to $4.3 billion, in the third quarter was driven by G800 sales, according to analyst Jefferies. The OEM’s backlog now extends to more than two years of aircraft production, given Jefferies’ delivery forecast of 156 Gulfstream jets this year and 160 next year. This growth will be mostly driven by the G800, the analyst said, with an estimated 13 of the ultra-long-range jets to be handed over this year, rising to a forecasted 20 next year.

Notably, Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO of Gulfstream parent General Dynamics, said on Friday during an earnings call that most of the G800 orders are from existing G650/650ER customers who are looking to upgrade, while those for the G700 are “incremental” and thus additive.

She attributed much of Gulfstream’s sales growth to the North American market, as well as its strategy of replacing the “entirety of the Gulfstream fleet with new products.” The aircraft manufacturer’s G700 and G800 entered service over the past 18 months, and its in-development G300 and G400 are poised to enter service in 2027 and 2028, respectively, according to Jefferies.

Meanwhile, those hoping that Gulfstream’s next announced jet is supersonic will be left disappointed with Novakovic’s remarks from Friday: “We have yet to see a business case that even remotely works” for a supersonic business jet.

Business aviation mogul Kenn Ricci and his wife Pamela have established a pair of endowments at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), with the contributions funding two faculty chairs aimed at fostering innovation.

Ricci, the principal of Directional Aviation Capital—which lists aviation companies such as Flexjet, Sentient Jet, 4Air, Nextant Aviation, Everest Fuel, Sirio, and Tuvoli among its brands—joined the university’s board of trustees last year.

“We want to encourage bold thinking about the growth and advancement of aviation,” said Ricci, who has spent his entire career in the aviation industry and has championed evolving developments such as supersonic and laminar-flow technologies. “In creating these two chairs—the Ricci Family and the Flexjet Chair for Aviation, Aerospace, or Space Innovation—we are supporting the kind of educators who will instill an ethos of problem-solving in their students, which inevitably will lead to innovation.”

The gifts to ERAU will add two faculty positions, and like most endowed chairs in higher education, they will be awarded to industry leaders in their fields and will provide a stipend to the faculty member, as well as funds to conduct research. The goal is to attract top talent and drive student innovation at the university.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has introduced a bill that would enable essential FAA and TSA employees to get paid during the government shutdown. Co-sponsored by Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), S.3031, the Keep America Flying Act of 2026, calls for continued payment for air traffic controllers and other essential FAA employees, along with certain TSA workers, “during the period in which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2026 are not in effect (i.e., the government shutdown).”

Other covered FAA employees would be “essential operational personnel whose services are required for the safe and orderly operation of the National Airspace System,” while the TSA employees covered would be those engaged in “screening operations, aviation security duties, or related mission-support functions necessary to carry out security screening.” In addition, the bill would facilitate payments to FAA and TSA contractors supporting those employees and would be retroactive to October 1.

The Senate is considering taking up the legislation this week for a vote. However, another bill to ensure all essential government workers are paid—those who must work through the government shutdown—failed to win Senate support last week.

Air traffic controllers missed their first full paycheck today (they received partial payment on October 14), and staffing shortages at facilities have continued to cause delays throughout the National Airspace System.

Duncan Aviation founder Donald Duncan's great-grandsons PK and Harrison start careers with the company.

Avex, a division of The Blackhawk Group, is investing $5 million to remodel and modernize its Performance Center at Camarillo Airport (KCMA) in Southern California. The project will expand and upgrade customer and pilot spaces and build on Daher TBM aircraft support.

The remodel will include a refreshed customer lounge, private workspaces, upgraded pilot lounge with ramp access, and new conference and flight-planning rooms. A design center will allow owners to visualize custom upgrades and avionics installations, while a community hub will serve as a meeting place.

“This investment represents our commitment to the future of the Avex Performance Center in Camarillo—modern, elevated, and designed entirely around the customer experience,” said Blackhawk Group CEO Chad Cundiff. “Our team is dedicated to providing an environment that mirrors the excellence, innovation, and performance of the TBM aircraft itself. This builds on other investments in the aircraft and its support, including our recent certification of the XP66D Engine+ upgrade for the TBM 700 series.”

According to the company, the project signals a long-term commitment to supporting TBM owners, operators, and pilots. “We are investing for the long haul, ensuring the TBM community always has a world-class home base in Southern California,” Cundiff said.

European helicopter operator Heli Austria is installing the StableLight four-axis autopilot in its Airbus H125 helicopter. The installation is taking place at Heli Austria’s facility in Sankt Johann im Pongau, Salzburg.

StableLight, which was developed jointly by Thales and StandardAero, is based on Thales’ Compact Autopilot System and received FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for the H125 in November 2023. In addition to stability augmentation, StableLight adds stabilized climb flight attitude recovery, auto hover, auto pull-up terrain avoidance, and other typical helicopter autopilot modes. “This enhances mission capability and can help to reduce risks in critical flight phases and adverse conditions such as inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions,” according to Thales and StandardAero.

“Operational and pilot safety are very important to Heli Austria,” said Roy Knaus, CEO, Heli Austria. “We have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to be the European launch customer of this proven product. The added safety features and reliability [are] a welcomed advantage to our pilots.”

According to Andrew Park, general manager, StandardAero, “The adoption of our StableLight autopilot system demonstrates their commitment to safety and innovation. Once certified by EASA, European H125 operators will be able to reach a new level of safety and efficiency of helicopter operations with the StableLight system.”

“The aircraft is registered in Europe and will return to normal operations without the autopilot until the EASA validation is achieved,” a StandardAero spokesman explained.

Milwaukee-based private aviation company Jet Out is expanding its national network with the opening of a base at Dallas-Fort Worth and the launch of several new owner-focused programs. These include a click-to-book empty legs portal and a curated partnerships program.

The company’s vertically integrated fleet model, built around co-ownership and co-lease programs, connects regional bases in Milwaukee, Scottsdale, Fort Lauderdale, and now Dallas-Fort Worth. Jet Out’s new empty legs portal enables owners to instantly book repositioned flights across its network, supported by a 20-person concierge and dispatch team. The company will also introduce a broker feed allowing select partners to view premium inventory, pricing, and availability.

Jet Out’s new partnerships program extends benefits beyond flight operations, offering access to luxury, travel, and hospitality brands for members and their families. Founded in 2018, the company positions its Co-Ownership and Co-Lease models as lower-cost, highly personalized alternatives to traditional fractional ownership.

Operations from Dallas-Fort Worth are expected to begin by year-end with two Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2s and a full complement of pilots, maintenance staff, and sales personnel. The company expects its fourth base to reduce repositioning flights, increase accessibility, and strengthen connections across its fleet.

Britten-Norman, which manufactures the Islander family of utility twin-engine aircraft, has launched a brokerage and trade-in service. Announcing the new service on Monday, the company said it will help operators to replace their existing fleets with new-build Islanders that are now being produced on the Isle of Wight in southern England.

Luxembourg-based operator CAE Aviation is the launch customer for the new business unit. It is trying to sell a pair of BN2A-21 Islanders that are currently equipped for surveillance missions, but which could be reconfigured to carry 10 passengers or cargo.

In addition to handling the sales process, Britten-Norman can also refurbish aircraft for new owners. The company said it can handle all aspects of the import/export process, as well as ensuring that operators have access to aircraft before they are able to take delivery of new models.

In its expanded factory, Britten-Norman is gradually increasing production rates of new Islanders, which can be powered by either turboprop or piston engines. The brokerage service is available to clients worldwide.

“Operators want a straightforward way to refresh their fleets with minimal disruption,” said Charlotte Britton, the group’s head of sales. “Our brokerage and trade-in service ensures customers can advance to the next generation of Islanders while keeping existing aircraft in service until the new ones are ready, making the process efficient and fully managed by Britten-Norman.”