The Week in Business Aviation - November 13
November 13, 2020
Signature Flight Support.
Demand For Pilots Plunges, But Retirements Will Drive Recovery
In 2019, the business and commercial aviation sectors were promoting career pathway programs as a hedge against the yawning gap in pilot supply and demand expected in the coming decades.
Bizav International Procedures Training Expert Guy Gribble Dies
Guy Gribble, whose aviation career spanned military and airline flying and international procedures training for business aviation, died Oct. 26 after a protracted battle with cancer.
Supersonic AS2 Completes Wind Tunnel Tests
Supersonic aircraft developer Aerion has taken a further step towards finalizing the design of its Mach 1.4 AS2 business jet by completing low- and high-speed wind tunnel test campaigns on both sides of the Atlantic.
Textron Rejects Tender Offer By Xcalibur Aerospace
Textron, parent company to Textron Aviation, Bell and other subsidiaries, has rejected a “purported” tender offer from London-based Xcalibur Aerospace to acquire Textron common stock, the company says.
Textron Aviation Marks First Delivery Of King Air 360
Textron Aviation has marked the delivery and entry-into-service of its first Beechcraft King Air 360 turboprop, an upgraded and redesigned King Air 350i.
XO Expands Light Jet Fleet As Membership Grows
Private aviation provider XO, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is increasing its U.S. fleet by 30% with the addition of 15 Citation light jets to complement its super midsize jet offerings.
Avionics Sales Down 27% In 2020, AEA Says
Business and general aviation avionics sales fell 33.4% in the third quarter compared to a year ago, while sales during the first nine months of 2020 have fallen 27%, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) 2020 Avionics Market Report.
FAA, Aireon Sign Space-Based Surveillance Agreement
Aireon on Nov. 12 announced an agreement with the FAA allowing the agency access to its satellite-routed aircraft surveillance data to evaluate different air traffic control (ATC) applications.
Sony Unveils Drone Development Project
Japan’s Sony Corp. has announced the start of a drone development project aimed at video production for the entertainment and other industries.
As Signature Aviation reports flight activity stabilizing to around 80%, demand for pilots plunges but will retirements drive recovery? Take a look at our roundup of this week’s business aviation stories