Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has obtained FAA type certification for the G700, the Savannah, Georgia-based company announced Friday.

The milestone paves the way for deliveries of the long-awaited business jet—initially projected for the first quarter of 2024—to begin,

• READ MORE: What’s Next in New Aircraft

“We have successfully completed the most rigorous certification program in company history with the G700,” Gulfstream president Mark Burns said in a statement. “The G700 brings a new level of performance and cabin comfort to business aviation and is doing so while meeting the highest certification standards our industry has ever seen.”

• READ MORE: Engine Certification Brings Gulfstream G700, G800 Closer to Market Debut

The G700 is powered by two Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines and able to accommodate up to 19 passengers. 

According to the manufacturer, the certification of the G700 confirms new performance improvements, “giving customers increased flexibility and airport availability: a balanced field length takeoff distance of 5,995 feet and a landing distance of 3,150 feet (standard [International Standard Atmosphere] day, sea level), both shorter than originally anticipated.”

• READ MORE: New Gulfstream G700 Beats Projections During Testing

In September, Gulfstream said the G700 had a range up to 7,750 nm at Mach 0.85 or 6,650 nm at Mach 0.90, which represented a gain of 250 nm at both speeds compared to original projections. The aircraft’s top operating speed was Mach 0.935, and its cabin altitude was reduced to 2,840 feet.

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Embraer has agreed to sell 90 of its E175 jets to American Airlines Group Inc. with purchase rights for 43 additional jets in a transaction valued at more than $7 billion.

Under the companies’ agreement, Embraer will deliver the E175s with 76 seats in American’s standard two-class configuration. Embraer said the E175 is among the most popular regional aircraft, and the company has sold 837 of them since 2013. The latest firm order for 90 will be added to the Brazilian aerospace company’s first-quarter 2024 backlog and represents the airline’s largest single order of E175s.

• READ MORE: Embraer Says Deliveries, Backlog Rose in 2023 but Supply Chain Woes Slowed Results Overall

“Over the past decade, we have invested heavily to modernize and simplify our fleet, which is the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers,” said American Airlines Group CEO Robert Isom. “These orders will continue to fuel our fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers.”

American said its strategy includes transitioning its fleet of regional aircraft to larger, dual-class models in place of its older 50-seat, single-class aircraft, which the company expects to retire by the end of the decade. The airline said it will continue to serve small and medium-size markets with larger regional jets.

• READ MORE: Embraer Says It Will Join United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund

“The E175 is truly the backbone of the U.S. aviation network, connecting all corners of the country,” said Arjan Meijer, president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. “One of the world’s most successful aircraft programs, the E175 was upgraded with a series of modifications that improved fuel burn by 6.5 percent. This modern, comfortable, reliable, and efficient aircraft continues to deliver the connectivity the U.S. depends on day after day.”

The post American Airlines Closes $7 Billion Embraer Jet Order appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

2023 was a good year for aircraft deliveries, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) year-end General Aviation Aircraft Shipments and Billings Report.

GAMA found that aircraft shipments rose across all segments compared to 2022, coming in at 3,050 airplanes and 962 helicopters delivered in 2023. The numbers represent year-on-year increases of 9 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively. Overall airplane billings for last year rose 2.2 percent to $23.4 billion while total helicopter billings increased 11.2 percent to $4.4 billion.

“For the first time in more than a decade, the general aviation manufacturing industry has eclipsed 4,000 aircraft delivered,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “In addition to this strong showing, there are robust and growing order backlogs for all segments of aircraft. This is a testament to the resilience of our industry and the integral role that general and business aviation plays in our communities.”

Breaking down the numbers, piston airplane deliveries were up 11.8 percent from 1,505 in 2022 to 1,682 in 2023. Turboprop shipments also surged, hitting 638 delivered last year and improving 9.6 percent over the previous year. While business jet deliveries saw the least change, the segment still increased 2.5 percent with 730 delivered.

On the rotorcraft side, 209 piston helicopters shipped last year, up from 194 in 2022. Turbine helicopter deliveries jumped 10.4 percent. GAMA noted that fourth-quarter data from Leonardo Helicopters was not available when the report was published, so it excluded Leonardo’s Q4 2022 data from its comparison.

• READ MORE: GAMA Reports Year-Over-Year Increase in Aircraft Shipments In a ‘Governed’ Recovery

“While the deliveries from 2023 are very encouraging, our industry faces headwinds from ongoing supply chain issues, workforce shortages, uncertainty and unpredictability from global regulators, and shortsighted efforts aimed at curbing business and general aviation, particularly in Europe,” said Bunce. “As civil aviation’s innovation incubator, our entire GA industry is focused on new aircraft and technologies that will lead the way in safety and sustainability for the entire aviation sector. This progress is dependent on having effective, predictable, and accountable regulatory processes, and a supportive business environment.

“Therefore, it is crucial that the U.S. Congress passes a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, a fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill for the FAA, and a tax measure, which is pending, that promotes research and development.”

GAMA’s full report is available on its website.

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VistaJet said its fleet flew 200,000 hours in 2023, an increase of 17 percent over the previous year, and its share of the private aviation market reached a total of 5 percent, driven by growth across its business units.

VistaJet said its worldwide presence continued to improve last year with more than 50 percent of its total flight hours logged outside the U.S. During 2023 the private aviation company expanded its operation in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East in response to increased demand.

• READ MORE: VistaJet Announces Global 7500s Coming to Fleet in 2020

VistaJet said it also expanded its Global 7500 members program to guarantee the availability to clients of the Bombardier Global 7500 ultra-long range jet on every major continent. Additionally the company increased the proportion of flight hours from its program subscription clients. New subscribers who commit to a three-year term have grown at record rates for the past three years and account for about 60 percent of on-fleet revenue for the group. 

During the year, the group operated roughly 87,000 flights, or 18 percent more than the previous year and 80 percent more than pre-pandemic levels. VistaJet expects those numbers to continue upward this year.

“2023 was another year of successful performance in our business,” said Thomas Flohr, VistaJet founder and chairman. “Despite having to react to deep economic shifts and complex geopolitical uncertainty, we produced double-digit growth across all markets—achieved whilst refurbishing and upgrading our fleet ahead of schedule, further improving our service standards and significantly increasing aircraft availability.

• READ MORE: VistaJet Makes History with $7.8 Billion Bombardier Order

“Today, Vista is a truly global and recognizable brand all around the world, thanks to the 20 years in which we have delivered an unmatched service to our clients, and we are well placed to further increase our market share over the next two decades.”

Last spring, Flohr defended the company after critics suggested net losses and debt threatened its continued viability. In a CNBC interview, Flohr said VistaJet has been transparent with investors regarding its financial structure and that the company is profitable based on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

The company said it has identified a market of more than 24,000 jets that it considers underutilized. These aircraft could potentially be used to boost efficiency across the industry in the same way that the members fleet of more than 300 aircraft has been “optimized to deliver the best service at the best possible rates.”

Following recent acquisitions, VistaJet has undertaken a broad program to refurbish many of its aircraft, including 93 during 2023. Today, 230 VistaJet aircraft have been updated to the company’s silver=and-red liver, and offer a more standard list of cabin amenities.

The post VistaJet Says Flight Hours Grew 17 Percent to 200,000 Last Year appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Embraer announced that its deliveries rose 13 percent and backlog grew 6.9 percent to $18.7 billion during 2023. The company said growth in deliveries of its E2 series jets and record backlog in services and support operations helped its results, but continued supply chain delays hurt its overall performance.

Embraer delivered 75 aircraft during the fourth quarter of 2023, including 49 executive jets, 25 commercial jets, and one C-390 military jet. For the full year, the company’s deliveries totaled 181 aircraft, an increase of 13 percent from 160 in 2022.

• READ MORE: Embraer Deliveries Up 30 Percent in Third Quarter

The Executive Aviation unit ended the year with a total of 74 light jets delivered, marking a 12 percent increase over 2022 and the highest volume in seven years. Deliveries of medium jets rose 14 percent to 41 aircraft. The backlog grew by $400 million to $4.3 billion.

Embraer’s Defense & Security unit won a deal to supply its C-390 Millennium military transport jets to South Korea, making that country the first C-390 customer in Asia. Last year Austria and the Czech Republic also selected the C-390 in 2023, as did the Netherlands in 2022.

• READ MORE: South Korea to Buy Embraer C-390 for Military Transport

The Commercial Aviation unit reported a 12 percent increase in deliveries of E-Jet aircraft to 64. Within the E-Jet family, deliveries of the E2 models more than doubled to 39 aircraft in 2023. The backlog rose to 298 aircraft, or a total of $8.8 billion. Highlights for the year included the Canadian carrier Porter Airlines placing an order for 25 E195-E2 passenger jets, adding to previous existing firm orders for 50 aircraft.

Embraer’s Services & Support business backlog grew to $3.1 billion in 2023, its highest-ever level. The company said growth momentum benefited from its earlier announcement of a deal that has doubled its maintenance service capacity for executive jets in the U.S. The expansion includes the addition of three executive aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities at Dallas Love Field, Texas (KDAL); Cleveland, Ohio (KCLE); and Sanford, Florida (KSFB).

The post Embraer Says Deliveries, Backlog Rose in 2023 but Supply Chain Woes Slowed Results Overall appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The business jet market, paralleling the flight path of the general economy, is leveling off after two years of post-COVID soaring. The flattening is more pause than plateau, says Rolland Vincent, head of the market research and consultant company bearing his name in Plano, Texas.

“Nothing surprises me,” says Vincent. “We were on a sugar high in 2021 and 2022, fed by essentially free money. Now with middle single-digit loan rates, we’re getting back to a more normal market.”

Adds Ron Epstein, senior equity analyst at Bank of America: “The COVID recovery was kind of a weird thing. We’re getting back to a normal [growth] trajectory pre-COVID.”

Rising interest rates haven’t yet been much of a damper on new aircraft sales, as up to 60 percent to 70 percent of purchases now are all cash or 50 percent cash down/50 percent financing. Less than one-third involve a large loan. Some buyers look at 6 percent aircraft loan rates in relation to the 8 percent returns they’re making on investments, so they’re choosing to finance aircraft purchases rather than tying up cash.

The current market cooldown is more related to supply chain snags, particularly as noted by the heads of Bombardier, Dassault, and Gulfstream. Éric Martel, Bombardier’s CEO, says fewer of the firm’s suppliers have problems, but the remaining ones have systemic issues that need remedial work. Bombardier has its own specialists embedded with key suppliers to provide support should issues arise.

Dassault chief Éric Trappier points out that supply chain issues in 2023 are worse than last year, partly from the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some materials, such as titanium, are in short supply, and European aerospace manufacturer’s energy costs have soared. In mid-July, Trappier disclosed that sales had slowed in the first half of 2023 as compared to the same period in 2022 in large part because of the war in Ukraine.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns says that while supply chains are constricted, the Savannah, Georgia, firm began reordering parts and materials two years ago, resulting in fewer challenges. Phebe Novakovic, CEO and chairman of General Dynamics, Gulfstream’s parent company, has modestly scaled back projected deliveries for 2023.

There’s an upside to supply chain snags, says Epstein, because “it prevents anybody from spoiling the party because it forces production discipline.” Simply put, manufacturers cannot flood the market with an oversupply of airplanes.

Market growth also is being constricted by aircraft certification delays. Similar to many other organizations, the FAA encouraged many employees to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several staff members have been reluctant to move back to FAA offices after experiencing the freedom and flexibility of their remote workplaces. Industry observers claim sparsely staffed FAA certification offices are creating long delays in paperwork processing.

In addition, the FAA has doubled down on its aircraft certification checks in the wake of the Boeing 737 Max debacle, delaying by several months the type certification of the Dassault Falcon 6X and Gulfstream G700 and G800, plus potentially the Beechcraft Denali in 2025.

Prospects for smaller turbofan aircraft already in production remain bright. Cirrus, for instance, delivered 90 single-engine SF50 Vision Jets in 2022, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) aircraft shipment report. Demand for the entry-level Vision Jet remains strong because it’s an easy step up from Cirrus’ piston singles, owing to its combination of docile handling, human-centered flight deck design, passenger amenities, and top-notch customer support. It’s very similar to the success that Cessna enjoyed 50 years ago when it introduced the mild-performing, twin-turbofan Citation 500 as a modest step-up product from its 300- and 400-series piston twins.

The Vision Jet is the only turbofan aircraft as of yet to offer both a standard airframe parachute system and Garmin Autoland—branded Safe Return—providing unsurpassed peace of mind to occupants. Similar to the long-term growth plan that Cessna had with its Citation500 family, Cirrus is expected to develop faster, higher, and farther-flying turbofan aircraft as follow-on products to the Vision Jet. As FLYING previously reported, Cirrus Aircraft filed for a $300 million initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to provide funds for new aircraft development and increased pro-duction capacity, among other growth goals.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cirrus Vision Jet G2+

Deliveries in the light jet twin-turbofan market continue slowly to decline, in large part because of the steep drop in demand for Embraer Phenom 100-series aircraft, once the most popular light jet by a wide margin.

Phenom 100 deliveries soared during its first two full production years (2009-2010) for the 100, with Embraer producing nearly 200 units. The Phenom 100 completely eclipsed its archrival, the Cessna Citation CJ1+, a light jet that was $1 million more expensive and somewhat slower. The Phenom 100’s introductory price was on par with the Cessna CE-510 Mustang, but its cabin cross section was nearly as big as the Learjet 45. The Phenom 100’s tall stance and airstair door made it look even larger than its actual size, adding to its perceived value. Owner pilots also favored the Phenom 100’s Garmin G1000 avionics package over the CJ1+’s Collins Pro Line 21 system.

Three years later, Textron Aviation responded by delivering Citation M2, a CJ1 variant with more thrust, Garmin G3000 avionics, a plusher interior than the Embraer, a 40-plus-knot cruise speed advantage, 160 nm more range, and a more attractive price tag than CJ1+. Within a few years, M2 took the sales lead from Embraer in this class and it clearly has maintained it. M2 steadily is catching the Phenom 100 in total sales, with Textron now having delivered more than 340 Citation M2 jets compared to Embraer’s 400-plus Phenom 100 aircraft.

M2 deliveries also surpass those of HA-420 HondaJet, despite the latter’s having a roomier cabin, higher cruise speeds and, arguably, the quietest interior in the light jet class. The Citation, however, offers superior runway performance and a roughly $800,000 lower price.

Veteran buyers also are keen on product support, giving Textron Aviation a major competitive edge over Embraer and Honda Aircraft, according to some industry observers. Textron Aviation delivered nearly double the number of M2 jets in 2022 compared to the HondaJet, and it’s on track to preserve a similar margin in 2023. Phenom 100 comes in a distant third.

Competition in the upper end of the light jet market is far different. Three competitors, Embraer’s Phenom 300E and Textron Aviation’s Citation CJ3+ and CJ4 Gen2 face off. The Brazilian offering has compelling advantages—biggest cabin volume, lowest cabin altitude, longest range, highest cruise speed, and smallest price. Phenom 300/300E deliveries, as a result, now exceed those of CJ3+ and CJ4 Gen2 combined. The Phenom 300 also siphoned off so many Learjet 75 orders that Bombardier was compelled to shut down production. Notably, the Phenom 300 has been the best-selling light jet for more than a decade. And it’s the only light jet to be purchased by all three major fractional aircraft operators—NetJets, Flexjet, and Airshare.

The upmarket Pilatus PC-24 resides in a class of its own, straddling the boundary between light jets and midsize aircraft. Its 18,300-pound max takeoff weight, fuel efficiency, single-pilot certification, and runway performance make it competitive. Its 500-cubic-foot cabin volume, flat floor, standard autothrottles, and 400-knot block speed nudge it into the midsize niche. The right engine has a special low idle rpm ground mode that enables it to double as an APU, thereby providing heating, air conditioning, and electrical power when the aircraft is parked. The PC-24 is the only jet in either class to have a 4.2-foot high by 4.1-foot wide aft cargo door. It can use unpaved runways, just like the PC-12 NGX turboprop. That increases the number of landing facilities it can use from 10,650 to 21,000.

Textron Aviation’s Citation Ascend, the fifth-generation Citation CE-560XL, is the last remaining truly midsize class jet. Gone are Citation III/VI/VII, Hawker800, Gulfstream G150, and Learjet 60. None had the 560XL’s blend of short-field performance, cabin comfort, operating economics, and low purchase price—though it won’t reach the market until 2025.

Ascend could be the last member of the venerable CE-560XL family, a placeholder to buy time for Textron Aviation to develop a clean-sheet replacement aircraft with more speed, more range, and more cabin volume. At nearly $17 million, Ascend’s price point puts it close to the $18 million Embraer Praetor 500, a super-mid-size aircraft with 70 percent more range, 40 to 70 knots more speed, and half again more cabin volume.

• READ MORE: Citation Ascend Mock-Up to Debut at NBAA

The Praetor 500 can fly nonstop between almost any two U.S. continental coastal cities at Mach 0.80 against winter winds. It has the lowest cabin altitude in its class, 5,800 inside while cruising at 45,000 feet. It boasts full-tanks, full-seats loading flexibility. It has a wet galley, vacuum lavatory, and optional Viasat KA-band SatCom connectivity. It’s the least expensive jet in FLYING’s Buyers Guide to boast fly-by-wire flight controls, a technology that used to be available only on the most expensive jets from Bombardier, Dassault, and Gulfstream. Topping all that, it beats Citation Ascend’s short-field performance on equal length missions. However, being much heavier than Citation Ascend, Praetor 500 burns 20 to 25 percent more fuel.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Embraer Praetor 500

The super-midsize class remains one of the most hotly contested sectors with offerings from Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Textron, as well as Embraer. All contenders feature two cabin sections, typically configured with double-club seating or a single-club section up front and a divan plus two facing chairs at the rear. Bombardier Challenger 3500, the latest variant of the Challenger 300 that entered service in 2003, sports a cabin with nearly the same cross section as a Gulfstream V, lower cabin altitudes to reduce fatigue, more comfortable and stylish Nüage chairs and numerous connectivity and convenience upgrades.

The Challenger 300 series has been the bestseller in class for two decades because of its combination of cabin comfort, performance, operating economics, and dispatch reliability. With fat margins and fuel problems, it’s a cash cow for Bombardier. However, some industry analysts maintain Challenger 3500 is due for a major refresh to keep it competitive in the long term.

The Gulfstream G280 is the performance leader, capable of flying four passengers 3,700 nm at Mach 0.80, and eight passengers 3,500 nm at the same speed. Its cabin is slightly narrower than Challenger 3500, but it’s longer, so the volume is virtually the same. The G280 features a wing derived from the GV airfoil, albeit one with different twist and improved winglets. Fuel efficiency rivals the best class, a result of the low drag wing, fuel-efficient HTF7250G turbofans and comparatively high cruising altitudes. For example, it can climb directly to 43,000 feet on an ISA+10 degree Celsius day. Demand for G280 is getting stronger, with Gulfstream delivering 24 aircraft in 2022, according to GAMA.

Textron Aviation’s Citation Latitude is the firm’s bestselling jet, with 42 deliveries in 2022. Passengers love this airplane, especially its roomy aft lavatory. This low-risk derivative of the Model 680 Sovereign+ offers the largest cabin cross section of any Citation yet to enter production but one with impressive structural efficiency. Its increase in empty weight is less than 360 pounds compared to Sovereign+, while its cabin is 4 inches higher and 11 inches wider. It features the first flat floor in a Citation, a 9.66 psi pressurization system that maintains cabin altitude below 6,000 feet and a Garmin G5000 flight deck. Cabin width is about 5 inches narrower, and floor width is 7 inches less than in the Praetor 500, thus its cross section is the leanest in class. The Latitude’s typical block speed is 400 knots, so it’s optimized for two- to three-hour trips even though it has a 6.5-hour endurance.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cessna Citation Latitude

The Latitude’s fraternal twin, the Citation Longitude, shares its cabin cross section, low cabin altitudes, and G5000 avionics package, but little else. The wing has a super-critical airfoil with 28.6 degrees of sweep at one-quarter chord. It’s powered by Honeywell HTF7000 series turbofans, considered best in class by Bombardier, Embraer, and Gulfstream. Normal cruises peed is Mach 0.80, so mission block times are nearly identical to those of Gulfstream G280.

The jet will fly four passengers 3,500 nm and eight passengers 3,400 nm at that speed, enabling it to cruise from New York to Paris, but not necessarily Paris to New York against winter headwinds. On typical two-to three-hour missions, the Longitude burns less fuel than the Latitude and its takeoff and landing distances are only slightly longer. Textron Aviation’s asking price is nearly $30 million, the highest in the super-midsize class, but that’s not dampening sales, again boosted by the company’s renowned product support and the air-plane’s unsurpassed low cabin noise levels. Textron Aviation delivered 26 units in 2022.

Embraer’s Praetor 600 is the value leader in this market niche. With a $21.5 million base price, it’s less than $2 million more than the Citation Latitude, yet it offers an extensive list of standard features. Along with the Praetor 500, it’s the only super-mid to have fly-by-wire flight controls. Its cabin cross is slightly smaller than either the Bombardier Challenger 3500 or Gulfstream G280 but larger than the Latitude or Longitude. Similar to the Citation Latitude and Praetor 500, there is no access to the unpressurized aft baggage compartment in flight. With a highest-in-class, 16,000-plus-pound fuel capacity, it can fly eight passengers 3,900 nm at long-range cruise. At Mach 0.80, range is close to 3,700 nm.

While orders are strong at all the jet manufacturers in FLYING’s Buyers Guide, storm clouds rapidly are forming in Europe. Climate change activists cut the airport security fence at Geneva International Airport (LSGG) in May and chained themselves to aircraft on display at the European Business Aviation Convention& Exhibition, calling for a total ban on private jets, decrying them as “toxic objects” and carrying signs that read, “Warning: Private Jets Drown Our Hope.”

Another environmental group sprayed orange paint on a Citation CJ1 at Sylt, Germany, in June, and a third splattered yellow paint over an Embraer Phenom 300E at Ibiza, Spain, in July, unfurling a banner that read, “Your Luxury = Our Climate Crisis.”

Dassault fully understands the threats posed by environmental protesters in Europe, warning that aviation bashing often translates into government regulatory policies. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (EHAM), for instance, plans to ban private jets after 2025. Dassault officials counter that all 2,100 Falcon Jets in service produce the same emissions as a single day of internet video streaming.

To put business jet aviation emissions into perspective, it’s constructive to first look at global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. In 2022, the total was 36.8 billion metric tons, according to the International Energy Agency. IAE says aviation represents 2 percent of total CO2 emissions, or 736 million metric tons. ICAO also quotes a 2 percent aviation share, based upon research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. GAMA claims that business aviation represents 2 percent of all aircraft emissions, or 14.7 million metric tons.

The World Health Organization, in contrast, reports the tobacco industry emits 84 million metric tons of CO2 every year, more than 5.7 times as much as business aviation. FLYING knows of no climate change activists who are protesting cigarette smoking.

“There’s [an] angle of class warfare here,” says Epstein, the Bank of America analyst.

Says another business aviation veteran: “Business jet owners are targeted as fat cats that don’t have to go through TSA. It’s not yet an existential threat in the U.S. But what happens in Europe eventually comes here.”

In light of growing public sentiment regarding the carbon impact of private jets, the business aviation industry has committed to slashing total CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2005. Transitioning from fossil fuel to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF or bio jet-A) can reduce overall aircraft CO2 emissions by 80 percent, according to the International Air Transport Association. Some SAF advocates claim up to 90 percent reduction, depending upon the bio feedstocks and production processes.

The challenges to making the jump from fossil jet-A to SAF are immense. Currently, the aviation industry uses close to 100 billion gallons of jet-A annually but only 14 million gallons is SAF, the majority of which was purchased by business jet operators, according to Timothy Obitts, CEO of Alder Fuels, a leading sustainable fuels company in Virginia. One big hurdle to scaling up SAF production is price. The wholesale cost of biojet is up to three times as much as fossil fuel, so FBOs are bound to charge a substantial premium for it, squeezing the already tight budgets of many light jet operators.

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Industry Groups Aim to Speed Adoption of SAF

“Scaling up production of SAF is beyond the scope of business aviation,” says Epstein. “It’s not happening anytime soon. It’s going to take a massive investment by government. And then business aviation can ride on the coattails.”

However, the underpinnings of the business jet sector remain strong.

“People want to travel by air,” Epstein says. “The industry needs to be aware of climate change pressures and manage them. Climate change activists aren’t the ones buying business jets.”

The post Jets: Reaching the Service Ceiling appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The market for pre-owned business aviation aircraft further stabilized through the end of last year, according to the International Aircraft Dealers Association’s (IADA) 2023 fourth-quarter market report.

IADA reported seeing “a subtle shift toward becoming a buyers’ market, with higher inventory and more reasonable prices.” The group expects a steady start to the new year but noted potential trouble spots, including a backlog carryover related to previous supply chain issues, disruptions because of global unrest, and uncertainties associated with a presidential election year in the U.S. The organization stated that the 2023 stabilization matched its previous predictions for the time period.

• RED MORE: IADA Predicts Larger BizAv Market Ahead

“IADA members have been predicting a more stable marketplace for over a year, and the 2023 market performed as expected,” said IADA chairman Phil Winters. “Our quantitative and proprietary sales data shows that buyers and sellers are coming together with regard to asking and offering prices, a positive change from the overheated conditions we’ve seen since the onset of the pandemic.”

IADA’s quarterly report data comes from a survey sent to more than 1,000 of its members, including association-accredited dealers and their certified brokers, OEMs, and IADA products and services members. Dealers and brokers surveyed reported completing 554 pre-owned aircraft transactions during the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to 470 in Q4 2022. Year-over-year numbers saw similar improvement.

“While annual business jet resale volume for IADA dealers was about one and a half percent higher in 2023, a more telling statistic showed an increase of 123 agreements to sell exclusively and 149 fewer new acquisition agreements, compared to 2022, reflecting more sellers than buyers,” said IADA executive director Wayne Starling. “Overall, our dealers closed 1,422 pre-owned biz aircraft transactions in 2023, compared to 1,399 in 2022.”

Of its survey respondents, IADA found that three-quarters are expecting midsize and larger jet pricing to fall and inventories to grow over the next six months. Eighty-five percent report believing that demand across aircraft size categories will remain stable or drop slightly over the first half of the year.

The post IADA Reports Pre-Owned Business Aircraft Market Stable in 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Private aviation company Volato has announced it is partnering with Florida-based Banyan Air Service to expand maintenance capabilities for its HondaJet fleet.

According to Volato, the agreement covers “full-scale maintenance services” for its HondaJets along with the sublease of a Volato hangar at Northeast Florida Regional Airport (KSGJ) in St. Augustine. Banyan will initially be subleasing the space for three years and service integration is already underway. Volto noted the move also establishes a new authorized HondaJet service facility in Florida.

“We are thrilled to partner with Banyan, increasing maintenance capacity for our expanding HondaJet fleet in the Southeast right in our own backyard,” said Volato co-founder and CEO Matt Liotta. “This initiative streamlines Volato’s operations and will support our fleet expansion, delivering both operational efficiency and cost savings compared to our previous in-house maintenance.”

Volato, based in Atlanta, grew its HondaJet fleet by 50 percent last year, finishing 2023 with 24 aircraft. The company, which calls itself the largest HondaJet operator in the United States, also has orders for 22 additional HondaJets with 10 scheduled for delivery in 2024. In addition, it has signed a letter of intent for HondaJet’s Echelon transcontinental light jet, which is still in development.

• READ MORE: Volato HondaJet Fleet Expands by 50 Percent in 2023

Volato officially went public late last year, with its stock trading on the New York Stock Exchange beginning December 4. The company offers fractional ownership, aircraft management, jet card, deposit, and charter programs. 

An FAA and EASA-approved repair station, Banyan Air Service is based at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) in Florida. It provides services including heavy maintenance, interior modifications, turbine engine service, structural repairs, avionics services, aircraft parts, and aircraft sales and management. The company has been in operation for 40 years.

The post Volato Signs HondaJet Maintenance Agreement with Banyan Air Service appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

While 2024 began with an uptick for global business aviation following the holiday period, results for the first week of the year declined compared with the same period in 2023, according to WingX’s weekly Global Market Tracker report.

Business jet traffic rose by 9 percent from the last week of 2023 to the first week of 2024, however, the recent results were 3 percent lower than in the same period a year ago. Turboprop traffic in the first week was slightly lower than a year earlier—about 0.1 percent. Combined Part 135 and Part 91 operations were 2 percent lower than a year ago. Meanwhile, scheduled airline traffic rose 12 percent from the first week of 2023, while cargo traffic decreased by 9 percent.

• READ MORE: WingX Reports Bizjet Activity Continues To Decline

“Global business aviation activity has started the new year slightly behind comparable 2023, which itself was a rebound on locked-down January 2022. The U.S. leisure market appears to be relatively weaker during the recent holiday period,” said Richard Koe, managing director at WingX. “In Europe, the U.K. and France markets were well back on last year, but this was offset overall by strong activity in Turkey and Spain.”

In North America, business jet traffic rose by 7 percent compared with the final week of 2023 but declined by 5 percent year on year. Over the last four weeks, business jet activity is trending 3 percent lower than a year ago. Among the jet categories, super midsize and ultralong-range jets began the year 2 percent ahead year on year while super light and very light jets declined more than 10 percent, WingX said.

Looking at the U.S. business jet market reveals a clear spike in demand on January 2 due to travelers returning from holiday destinations. Traffic at the top airports reflected this notable increase with second-ranked Palm Beach (KPBI) in Florida handling just seven fewer flights than top-ranked Teterboro (KTEB) in Jersey. Miami-Opa Locka (KOPF) and Naples (KPAF) in Florida, and Van Nuys (KVNY) in California round out the top five U.S. business jet airports.

WingX said Florida is “easily the busiest U.S. bizjet state so far this month,” and New York is the top destination for those flying from Florida airports. The Embraer Phenom 300 logged the most flights out of Florida airports, while the Challenger 300 and 350 series flew the most hours.

In Europe, business jet activity increased 3 percent year on year. France surpassed 1,000 business jet flights in the first week of 2024, making it the top market, though activity was 3 percent below last year. The second-ranked U.K.’s activity fell 6 percent year on year, while business jet activity in Spain rose 26 percent.

In Asia, business jet activity declined 2 percent from a year ago, while activity rose 2 percent in the Middle East year on year. Demand for business jets has been strong in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar at the start of the year, with an increase in traffic from a year ago, while activity in Israel in the first quarter is down 32 percent year on year.

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OnFlight Inc., a flight and maintenance operation based at Lunken Airport (KLUK) in Cincinnati, announced its approval as an Embraer-authorized service center by Embraer Executive Jets. In its new role, OnFlight will expand Embraer’s network of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.

As a Part 135 operator since 2000, OnFlight has worked with Embraer aircraft since 2011 and focused on them exclusively since 2016. With the latest authorization, the company expands to include work as a Part 145 repair station dedicated entirely to Embraer aircraft. Operations are expected to begin during the first quarter of 2024 at KLUK.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Embraer Praetor 500

“We have chosen to intentionally focus exclusively on Embraer’s product line, based on extensive knowledge of these aircraft, Embraer’s state-of-the-art technology, and overall quality of design and manufacturing,” said David Crockett, OnFlight’s president. “This singular focus ensures a high level of expertise and efficiency versus other independent alternatives who offer generalized service on numerous aircraft types and models, each presenting complex customer support challenges.”

Adding authorized service centers to its network is part of Embraer’s strategy to strengthen its presence in the competitive markets for light, midsize, and super-midsize business jets. The company’s product line includes the Phenom 100EX, Phenom 300E, Praetor 500, and Praetor 600.

“We are very pleased to deepen our relationship with OnFlight,” said Frank Stevens, Embraer’s vice president of MRO Services. “This new approval will allow us to meet the high demand across the entire Executive Jets network. Expanding our capacity, capability, and footprint is an important step to continue to bring value to our customers.”

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Airbus made the first delivery of an aircraft built at its newest assembly line for the A320 family of aircraft. The inaugural airplane is an A321neo for Pegasus Airlines, a low-cost carrier based in Turkey.

Airbus’ new final assembly line (FAL) is located within the former production plant for its A380 double-deck airliner, known as the Jean-Luc Lagardère building. The company said the new plant reflects its plans to modernize production and meet growing demand for the A321neo, which accounts for almost 65 percent of the order backlog for the A320 family.

• READ MORE: Airbus To Deliver 160 Jets, Boost Production In China

The A321neo is the largest variant of the A320 and boasts the best range and performance. The company said the aircraft’s fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions are more than 20 percent less than other models, and its noise footprint is 50 percent smaller when compared with the previous generation of single-aisle airliners.

More than 5,600 A321neos have been ordered by more than 100 customers. worldwide. Pegasus Airlines’ Airbus fleet totals 93 aircraft, including six A320ceos, 46 A320neos, and 41 A321neos. The airline additionally has 68 A321neos on order.

• READ MORE: Airbus Highlights Efforts to Cut Greenhouse Gases

The delivery to Pegasus Airlines marks the beginning of the ramp-up of the Toulouse FAL, which is expected to contribute to the company goal of producing 75 A320 family aircraft per month by 2026. Other Airbus FALs are located in Mobile, Alabama; Hamburg, Germany; and Tianjin, China.

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Private aviation company Volato is wrapping up the year with a fleet that has grown by 50 percent as of December 2023.

The company, which operates primarily HondaJets, took delivery of eight aircraft this year, three of which came on board this month. According to Volato, its growth strategy involves both acquiring new aircraft from Honda Aircraft Company and contracting with owners to manage their airplanes. Between new deliveries and management contracts, the company’s fleet now totals 24 aircraft.

“Volato’s measured and thoughtful approach to fleet expansion is critical to achieving our long-term plan for sustainable growth,” said Volato co-founder and CEO Matt Liotta. “We have been creative and judicious in acquiring HondaJets through the open market while continuing to receive new aircraft from our HondaJet factory order. The recent deliveries allow us to expand our capacity at a pivotal time in Volato’s growth and increase our capacity to support our growing customer base.”

Volato currently has orders for 22 additional HondaJet Elite IIs with 10 scheduled for delivery in 2024. The company noted that it has also signed a letter of intent with HondaJet for its new Echelon transcontinental light jet design. Currently in development, the HondaJet Echelon was introduced as the HondaJet 2600 at the 2021 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Conference & Expo with its official name announced at this year’s show.

• READ MORE: Volato Closes Deal for 25 HondaJets

About Volato

Volato offers fractional ownership, aircraft management, jet card, deposit, and charter programs. The company recently went public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger with Proof Acquisition Corp I (PACI). Volato’s stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on December 4.

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FlyExclusive has completed a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) EG Acquisition Corp., allowing the private jet charter provider to go public.

Plans for the transaction were first announced in October 2022. The merger was officially approved by EG Acquisition Corp.’s stockholders at a special meeting held last week. flyExclusive’s common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on December 28.

• READ MORE: FlyExclusive, SmartSky Expands Wi-Fi Partnership Ahead of IPO

“Today marks another milestone in our company’s mission to elevate the private aviation experience,” said flyExclusive founder and CEO Jim Segrave. “We built flyExclusive around the value that minutes matter for our customers, and this principle will continue to guide the disciplined approach that has defined our success in the industry.”

About flyExclusive

Headquartered in North Carolina, flyExclusive offers on-demand charter, Jet Club, and fractional jet services. The company recently secured a $30 million investment from the State of North Carolina to build a new pilot training center and headquarters. The facility is expected to include 10,000 square feet of space for up to five full-motion flight simulators, 14,000 square feet in classrooms and training space, and a 22,000 square-foot air operations center.

FlyExclusive also announced last October that it had added the 100^th jet to its fleet, which is made up of Cessna Citation Encores, Citation Excel/XLSs, Citation Sovereigns, and Citation Xs. According to the company, the October delivery makes it the second-largest operator of Cessna Citations in the world. FlyExclusive’s most recent purchase agreement with Textron Aviation covered options for up to 30 Cessna Citation CJ3+ jets.

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A celebratory aerial demonstration recently came together in the skies over France as an Air France Airbus A350-900 joined a formation of Alphajets from the Patrouille de France display team.

The airborne meet-up was part of a yearlong observance marking the 90th anniversary of Air France and the 70th anniversary of the Patrouille de France. The performance also served as a tribute to the French aviation industry. 

• READ MORE: Airbus Chooses New Honeywell Flight Management System

The event took place as the Airbus named “Les Sables-d’Olonne” made a ferry flight from the company’s assembly plant in Toulouse to the Air France global hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Members of the Patrouille de France team were conducting a positioning flight for an airshow in the Occitanie region.

Both organizations took full advantage of the occasion by combining the flights into a painstakingly planned, choreographed, and recorded demonstration mission called Athos A350. The project included eleven aircraft and produced “exceptional images,” the companies said.

• READ MORE: Patrouille de France Will Perform at Sun ’n Fun during North American Tour

“A month of preparation and thorough cooperation was required to plan this 45-minute flight down to the smallest detail, guaranteeing the highest level of safety. This groundwork prepared jointly by the Patrouille de France team, the Air France crew and the pilot of the camera-mounted aircraft was carried out in line with the highest standards,” said Eric Prévot, event manager and Athos A350 mission leader.

The film was directed by Eric Magnan of Airborne Films, a specialist in aerial footage, and shot from a Daher TBM 700 using a gyro-stabilized camera system. The film’s original music by composer Augustin Saldjian was performed by the Prague philharmonic orchestra.

The flight video can be viewed on YouTube.

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Dassault Aviation announced on Monday that its Falcon 6X business jet has officially entered service.

The Falcon 6X received its type certifications from the FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on August 22. Dassault noted that the model has since received some post-certification upgrades that required EASA approval.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Dassault Falcon 6X

“Dassault Aviation shares this remarkable occasion with its customers, who are sure to receive an exceptional aircraft,” said Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Éric Trappier.

The Falcon 6X flew for the first time in March 2021 and went on to log around 1,500 flight hours over the course of a two-year flight test campaign that wrapped up in May 2022. The company also readied a 6X full-flight simulator for pilots seeking a type rating in the jet, the first of whom began training in September.

The Pratt & Whitney PW812D-powered 6X offers a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.9, 5,500 nm range, and maximum takeoff weight of 77,500 pounds. The largest and most powerful aircraft in Dassault’s lineup, it measures 84 feet, 3 inches long and 24 feet 6 inches high with a wingspan of 85 feet, 1 inch. With a maximum cabin width of 102 inches and cabin height of 78 inches, the aircraft can be configured to carry up to 12-16 passengers.

The Falcon 6X comes equipped with the company’s digital flight control system (DFCS) and Honeywell Primus Epic-based EASy IV avionics suite. Other features include Dassault’s FalconEye heads-up display/combined vision system and FalconScan advanced diagnostics system, which the company says monitors and reports on 100,000 maintenance parameters.

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Volato has officially completed a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger with PROOF Acquisition Corp I (PACI), clearing the way for the private aviation company to go public.

Volato, which offers fractional ownership, aircraft management, jet card, deposit, and charter programs, announced its plans to become a publicly traded company last August. PACI shareholders approved the move at a special shareholders meeting on November 28. Volato’s common stock and warrants are set to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on December 4.

“We believe that this transaction provides not only the capital to accelerate our fleet growth and strategy, but also a level of transparency and institutional support that should make our product even more attractive to new fractional owners and private fliers,” said Volato CEO and co-founder Matt Liotta. “After founding the company in 2021 and quickly ramping to nearly $100 million of revenue in 2022, we are now positioned to build on this momentum as a public company.”

PACI also announced the closing of $12 million in private investments. Combined with funding from an earlier Series A funding round and the conversion of Volato convertible debt, the company reports that it has raised over $60 million in capital. The money is expected to be used to fund business operations and grow Volato’s fleet, which is made up primarily of HondaJets.

• READ MORE: Volato Closes Deal for 25 HondaJets

“This transaction and recent new investments come at an ideal time for Volato, as we see strong demand for our product in the market,” said Volato chief commercial officer and co-founder Nicholas Cooper. “The private aviation industry has undergone a secular expansion in recent years due to changes in customer behavior along with greater customer awareness of the options and solutions available for private travel.”

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Cirrus Aircraft has installed a second SF50 Vision Jet flight simulator at its Cirrus Aircraft Vision Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, the company announced on Tuesday. The simulator was built by Canada-based simulator manufacturer CAE.

The FAA-certified Level D Vision Jet simulator is intended for use in the Cirrus’ flight training program as well as to “to serve the company’s expansion plans.” Training activities at the Center include initial type rating and recurrent training for new and pre-owned aircraft owners. While it also provides training for the company’s SR-series, Knoxville is the only location that offers SF50 type ratings.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cirrus Vision Jet G2+

“Cirrus Aircraft is dedicated to providing world-class flight training and we are continually investing in the Vision Center campus to expand our capacity and offer ultramodern training resources,” said Cirrus Aircraft president of customer experience Todd Simmons.

The Knoxville Vision Center, which has been a Cirrus factory service center since 2016, currently offers an experience center, delivery center, flight training center, factory service center, and flight center with a hangar complex. Cirrus noted that it plans to further expand the campus next year.

• READ MORE: Cirrus Vision Jet Wins Collier Trophy

Winner of the 2017 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the single-engine Vision Jet features safety systems such as the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and Safe Return emergency autoland. The most recent version of the Williams FJ33-5A-powered jet, the G2+, offers a top cruise speed of 311 knots, 1,275 nm range, and 1,350 pound payload. Cirrus reports that the current SF50 fleet is made up of more than 500 aircraft with 1,055 people holding type ratings.

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Boeing has something extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving as the Federal Aviation Administration has granted type inspection authorization for the 737-10 Max. According to a statement from Boeing, this “clears the airplane to begin certification flight testing.”

“With more than 400 flights and nearly 1,000 flight hours, the 737-10 continues to perform well as we prove…its safety, reliability, and performance through a rigorous testing and certification process,” the company said.

In previous discussions, the aerospace giant indicated it anticipates FAA certification of the aircraft will take place in 2024.

• READ MORE: Congress Gives Boeing Clearance for 737 Max Certification

“The FAA granted type inspection authorization for the Boeing 737 Max 10. Safety will dictate the certification timeline,” the FAA said in confirming Boeing’s announcement.

The Boeing 737 Max 10 is the largest of the manufacturer’s single-aisle airliners. According to the company website, “the 737-10 is the largest airplane in the 737 Max family, providing more capacity and the lowest cost per seat of any single-aisle airplane.”

More information on the aircraft can be found here.

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The final 747—a 747-8 model—left the production line for its inaugural flight on February 1 this year. The crew traced a unique pattern in the sky: a queen’s crown underlaid by the numbers “7-4-7.”

Pilots have long held a deep connection to the airplane that Joe Sutter and his team built. I for one devoured the legendary engineer’s book, 747: Creating the World’s First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures, and witnessed from afar the genius woven into that airplane. I would have loved to have talked with Sutter, or Jack Waddell, Boeing’s chief test pilot who took the first 747 on its initial flight on February 9, 1969.

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Sutter and Waddell are no longer with us, though their legacy lives on in Boeing’s engineering corps. On the event of the final production unit’s departure from the factory at Everett, I sought out two of the pilots who know the airplane intimately from a more recent viewpoint within flight test operations. I spoke with them about one of the greatest airplanes of all time—and one that will still ply the airways for decades to come.

The Hands of Fate

Curt Gottshall, current engineering chief pilot for Boeing’s 747-8 program, and Kirk Vining, a former engineering project pilot on the 747-8 freighter and intercontinental passenger programs, both had an early connection with the airplane that would play out in in- credible ways over their careers.

For Vining, it was on his first flight lesson, just after takeoff with an instructor out of Anchorage International (PANC), seeing the 747 on climbout come under the wing as he tried his first left turn. For Gottshall, it was during his freshman year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, when he set the lock code to his briefcase to “7-4-7.”

READ MORE: The Last 747, Queen of the Skies

Vining took the desire to become an airline pilot with him to Wichita State University in Kansas, where he studied aeronautical engineering in pursuit of the four-year degree required to fly for the airlines at the time. But that degree led him to an internship and then a full-time role with local OEM Learjet as an engineering flight test pilot. There he had his first con- tact with FLYING too: “I hold a world record with Mac McClellan. He and I and Pete Reynolds flew the Lear- jet 31A from Aspen, Colorado, to Washington, D.C., [featured] in the November 1994 FLYING magazine. I have a little cameo in there—you can see my picture in the flight deck leaning forward trying to get my face in the photo.”

The experience in Part 25 certification testing set him up well to join Boeing in 2005. “The Learjet, though it’s small, the performance isn’t all that different than a 747,” says Vining, who noted that a couple of airlines have flown Learjets in the past with flight decks set up like that of the 747 to use in training their pilots.

First Contact with the Queen

Vining recalls well his first flight in any 747 model: “[It was] actually in the Large Cargo Freighter (LCF, also known as the Dreamlifter), the one that carries around parts for the 787. The pilot mentoring me on my first takeoff said, “Don’t worry, the LCF flies just like a 747”—but at that point, I hadn’t even flown a 747, so how was I supposed to know? After gaining more experience, I found the Large Cargo Freighter did fly like a 747-400. When we built the 747-8, we dialed it in to fly like the models before it as well.” Vining conducted the first flight of the second 747-8 to roll out of the factory.

INFOGRAPHIC: By the Numbers

Gottshall came to the 747 Classic models from the operations side before coming to Boeing. As a con- tract pilot for Japan Airlines, he transitioned from the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 as a captain, noting the differences between the DC-10 and the -100s, -200s, and -300s that JAL was flying at the time. “With the implementation of body gear steering [in the 747], the oversteer required—even though it’s longer, bigger, and with a higher stature—wasn’t quite as much as that required on the DC-10” to line up accurately on the runway centerline.

During his tenure with JAL, he also operated the 747 into airports that required a circling approach, such as Fukuoka International (RJFF), which at the time only had an ILS to one runway end. “Most folks with trans- port category type ratings have a ‘no circling’ limita- tion,” says Gottshall. “That wasn’t good enough for the [Japanese Civil Aviation Board] because they actually used [the circling approach]. So we had to go set up a syllabus to do the training. I believe it was in Wash- ington Dulles where we could actually do an approach, keep it in sight, and do the whole FAA demonstration so that we didn’t have that limitation on our license when we went back to Japan.” Gottshall recalls that the 747 handled the approaches quite well.

Graceful Flight Characteristics

Indeed, pilots who have flown the 747 relate that she’s a gentle giant, with relatively benign handling characteristics at low speeds, as well as surprising maneuver- ability for an aircraft with such mass and such a long wingspan—225 feet for the 747-8.

“I tested high speed and low speed in the 747-8, and demonstrated full aerodynamic stalls,” recalls Vining. “It stalls at full aft stick even better than a Cessna 172. It’s an amazingly light and flexible airplane for its size, so we designed the fly-by-wire ailerons [in the 747-8] to automatically help dampen out any vibrations and smooth out the ride.”

Gottshall agrees. “The 747—even at that large of a mass—is very maneuverable, so you have quite a large operational window. People think that you have to plan hundreds of miles in advance—it is true that if you want to have a perfect, steady trajectory, you need to think ahead. But it does have the capability and the maneuverability to make corrections and make them fairly aggressively. With the exception of the last thousand feet on the approach; you don’t want to be aggressive—you want to stay in that stabilized approach criteria.”

The primary difference between the flying that test pilots do against what pilots flying the line experience lies in the exploration of the flight envelope—on purpose. Gottshall compares it directly to his operational flight time. “When we go out and do things with flight test—especially post-production—we test to make sure that everything works, all of the relief systems work, all of the indication systems work, and things like that, which are [procedures] that we try very hard to stay away from in operations. [In normal ops] you don’t want to hear the overspeed warning come on, or you don’t want to see the load relief on the flaps. You plan and operate in a manner to try and stay away from all those things.

Truly Fond Memories

Gottshall notes that while the 747 is no longer in production, his role on the program continues, with work on continuous improvements to the 747-400 and 747-8, including a checklist of updates on the horizon.

The first jumbo jet will continue to fly on with the regular work made by the engineering teams to improve it.

As to what stands out to him the most about the 747, Vining sums it up well. “There’s so many things,” he says, “but whether it’s the feeling that you’re taxiing around in a three-story apartment building, or just the stall characteristics. It’s just such amazing performance, gentle behavior—and what a capable machine.

The 747 and the Last Flight Engineers

The lack of a globally connected, extensively reaching supply chain during the height of the 747’s operation in the 1980s and ‘90s meant that the flight crew’s navigator/engineer was an engineer in the British sense—a maintenance chief critical to keeping the aircraft engines and other systems healthy during its long-haul trips to Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Capt. Stephen Yeates, who flew the Classic -100, -200, and -300, and the -400 for British Airways during that period, recalls regular instances when the engineer truly enabled the show to go on.

“We lost a windshield piece to a bird strike over Pakistan and made an emergency landing in Karachi, which was an outstation at the time with little on-site maintenance capability. If we didn’t have the engineer on board, we would have been waiting far longer to get back underway.” Advances in technology also have played a significant role. “Nowadays, you have Rolls-Royce or GE monitoring engine performance from the ground, as opposed to the engineer along with you, always fiddling with the engines to keep them running perfectly,” says Yeates with a fondness for the incredible knowledge those engineers possessed.

Indeed, respect for the engineer runs across the board of those pilots we interviewed. Something’s lost, says Gottshall, in not having the deep knowledge that the engineer provided, and the extra mind to put to the task in the event of a complex abnormal or emergency situation. As it was with British Airways, “in Japan, there were professional flight engineers,’ recalls Gottshall. “They had been in that position for 20 or 25 years and knew every single possible piece of that airplane, right down to the nuts and bolts.”

“I’m just so privileged to have been able to share those years with it,” he concludes. To a pilot, the fond feelings for the 747 remain—and the opportunity to fly the jet goes on, we hope for decades to come. 

This article originally appeared in the May 2023 Issue 937 print edition of FLYING.

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The last 747 has rolled off Boeing’s production line, but the iconic jumbo jet still has plenty of history to make.

Atlas Air took delivery of a 747-8 freighter on January 31, 2023, marking the end of an era for an iconic aircraft that transformed air travel and made it accessible to the average person. From the 747-100 to the 747-400, and then the modern 747-8, The Boeing Company built both passenger and freighter versions, and many used 747s that began in passenger configurations were converted to freighters by third-party engineering firms.

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A live webcast of the delivery ceremony took place that afternoon. Thousands of people—including current and former employees as well as customers and suppliers—were on hand at the factory in Everett, Washington, to mark the historic occasion.

Most pilots may not realize that the 747 was originally designed—by the legendary aerospace engineer Joseph Sutter and his team—with freight in mind, unlike most airplanes built for passengers with a cargo variant.

The jumbo jet globalized trade in terms of range, size, and economies of scale it offered. The unique nose door allowed for long and outsized loads, and many of the main-deck pallets common today were developed in direct response to the introduction of the 747.

Flying the 747—as well as flying on the 747—was an experience that no other aircraft offered, with a staircase to the upper deck. It was so culturally and economically significant, and had such a unique figure, that it had its own nickname: Queen of the Skies.

Air Force One, which has carried U.S. presidents around the world for decades, is a special version of the 747 with the military designation VC-25. The jet was regularly seen on TV ferrying the Space Shuttle for NASA to Florida for launches.

On June 4, 2007, the Dreamlifter, a specially modified 747-400 used to transport major assemblies of the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, gained type certification from the FAA.

Boeing began deliveries of the 747-8 freighter a decade ago. The latest model is 18.3 feet longer than the 747-400 and accommodates four additional main-deck pallets and three lower-hold pallets. The same type of engines power it—the General Electric GENX-2B—as those on the 787 Dreamliner.

Although Boeing will no longer manufacture new 747s—and most passenger versions are retired in favor of more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets—the 747-8s are sure to grace the skies for several more decades, steadfastly contributing to the global economy.

The Final Customers

All-cargo airline Atlas Air will operate the final production 747 freighter for global logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel under a dedicated contract. The airplane bears the livery of Apex Logistics, a Hong Kong-based air-freight forwarder that K+N acquired in 2021. In total, Atlas received the final four 747-8s produced by Boeing. Two are assigned to Kuehne + Nagel, and one is flying under the control of Cainiao, the logistics arm of e-commerce platform Alibaba.

Atlas Air, based in Purchase, New York, is the largest operator of 747s in the world. As of the time of delivery, it will have 43 747Fs, including nine -8s. All told, it has 50 jumbo jets, including the seven 747s it flies as passenger charters for the military, sports teams, and other airlines, according to the FlightRadar24 database.

Other airlines still operating large 747 cargo fleets include Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, Kalitta Air, Korean Air, and Singapore Airlines. In passenger service, airlines include Lufthansa, Air China, Asiana Airlines, and Max Air at the time of publication. And Korean Air has operated 10 of the model 747-8, configured with six seats in first class, 48 in business class, and 314 in economy.

People hold fast to their memories and impressions of the 747. Graham Perkins, a senior vice president for sales and marketing at Atlas Air, grew up near the airport in Calgary, Alberta, and fell in love with the 747 at an early age. “All three major Canadian carriers flew the 747s into my city, and I would plane spot with my binoculars to see these giants coming and going,” he said in Atlas Air’s Tailwinds blog. “To say I was in awe of the size and grace of these aircraft would be an understatement. And it is something I still feel to this day every time I see a 747.”

Today, Graham works with shippers who need the 747 for airlift. “Knowing the capabilities and performance of these incredible aircraft makes my job to place these planes that much more enjoyable,” said Graham, who celebrated his 20th anniversary with Atlas in September. “It is a source of pride to know that we operate the largest fleet of 747s in the world, and our customers value this from us.

“A lot of [Atlas’] success and attitude to win was developed on the back of the 747 itself. We should all be very proud of that and very thankful for this incredible aircraft that changed aviation forever. Luckily, we will see our latest deliveries flying for the next 30 to 40 years, so our success will continue well into the future.”

No matter where the last flight takes place of the 747, there’s no doubt it will be long in the future, as it continues to function as a valuable part of the global supply chain. The jumbo jet’s impact on connecting the world cannot be overstated.

This column originally appeared in the May 2023 Issue 937 print edition of FLYING.

By the Numbers

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