News of a first flight is always exciting and the maiden sortie of Gulfstream’s G400 on 15 August was no exception. Less than a month later, on 12 September, I was delighted to stand on the bright, windswept ramp alongside Gulfstream’s Farnborough Airport, UK service facility witnessing DC Aviation signing Europe’s first G400 order. Another new business aviation era is dawning.
The EVA team visited London Biggin Hill Airport earlier in September for ACE 2024, the well-regarded Air Charter Expo, organised by the Air Charter Association and very well attended. We took the opportunity to catch up with the teams at VOO and Oriens Aviation, plus Luxaviation UK’s George Galanopoulos and Kevin Ducksbury, chair of the Air Charter Association. The fact that we came away with video interviews and a close look at the PC-12NGX is a strong hint towards our expanding digital portfolio, sitting alongside and complementing the print magazine.
EVA Media’s World of Business Aviation podcast, while interpreting the sense of ‘business aviation’ in the broadest possible terms, continues to attract a variety of interesting guests from across the world of aviation, with more lined up. Shows, including the NBAA-BACE event in Las Vegas, at which you might be reading these words, provide fertile ground for video content and the EVA team will be there ready to interview, tour, chat and film, while busily gathering information and thoughts for magazine articles too.
Couriers willing, this autumn 2024 edition of EVA Magazine will be available on the NBAA-BACE show floor, and we have therefore unashamedly adopted a US bias, speaking with leaders from West Star Aviation, Western Aircraft, Duncan Aviation and Skyservice for an inside look at the North American MRO market.
Our cover story, from Sheltair, examines the wide-ranging FBO and real estate operations of a true family company – hopefully we’ve done justice to the enthusiasm Senior Vice President FBO Operations Leonel Rivera has for his employer, colleagues and for simply going to work each day!
We’ve also taken the opportunity to catch up with developments among business aviation’s engine makers. Executives from Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney Canada and GE Aerospace share their thoughts at a time when new aircraft and variants are keeping the engine OEMs busy.
Europe’s FAI Aviation Group and F/LIST feature too, both with links to the US and global business aviation markets, while the latest news from AXIS Flight Simulation, CAE and Loft Dynamics has an influence across the industry. Finally, while plans are already being made for MEBAA in December, do consider adding the Irish Business and General Aviation Association’s annual conference to your agenda. Held close to Dublin on 14 November, it promises to build upon last year’s excellent event.
