Airports must run smoothly around the clock each and every day to allow aircraft to come and go with ease. From the biggest airports in the world to the small strip down the street, managers at each are essential to ensuring safe, consistent, and smooth operations around the clock.

Airport managers do everything from ensuring that taxiways and runways are clear of objects and debris to verifying that terminal areas are clean, navigational aids are functioning, and all regulations are complied with.

How to Become an Airport Manager

Airport managers are often required to have a degree in aviation management or an equivalent field. However, some managers instead have relevant experience managing FBOs, which themselves provide services to small transient aircraft such as training flights and business aircraft. Other airport managers come from federal jobs with the FAA.

Many airport managers are Accredited Airport Executives (AAE). To become one, applicants must take a multiple-choice exam; complete a research project or advanced degree; and complete an interview. Enrollees in the training program must, among other requirements, have already worked at a public use airport for at least one year and have a four-year college degree or equivalent public airport management experience.

Working in management at a smaller airport may be a good steppingstone for those who eventually want to graduate to larger operations. Though on a smaller scale, managing a smaller airport may give the opportunity to handle a wider array of tasks, from airfield painting and cleaning to regulatory issues and working directly with the FAA.

A major benefit of FBO employment is that FBOs are often the main managing organization of smaller public-use airports, giving prospective candidates airport employment opportunities with a relatively easy point of entry.

Other leadership roles at bigger airports, such as leading a certain department or company at the airport, may help make the transition to full-on airport management easier. Such would make it easier to build connections with people in higher positions to seek mentorship, recommendations, and promotions.

How Much Do Airport Managers Earn

The salary of an airport manager can vary depending on location and the size of the airport managed. However, the average salary for an airport manager in the United States is $46,280, with a range from about $30,000 to nearly $70,000. Managers of larger airports, and airport systems, may make over $100,000.

Airport salaries can vary widely across the country. Many airports are taxpayer-funded, so employee salaries come out of a government budget. However, some airports are entirely self-sustaining and make money from facility fees, concessions, fuel sales, and flight instruction to fund themselves.

Airport management is a high-quality career for aviation enthusiasts and those uninterested in flying or airline operations. Airport operations tend to be quite unique on a day-to-day basis, offering consistent challenges and opportunities for growth. Working for an airport can be an effective method of growing your passion for aviation and earning a high income over time.

Looking for pilot jobs? FindaPilot.com posts new openings every day. Get a 20% discount on any plan. Just use the promo code AG20 when purchasing a plan. You’ll get a 20% discount on your first three months as a member.

This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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Luckily, there are a number of routes a new hopeful pilot can take to progress toward their long-term career goals.

Which job a new pilot takes can be an important decision. Pilots want work that will provide them with quality experience that will benefit their long-term goals.

Among the most important things to do to build the right qualifications is to build connections with others in the aviation industry. Whether in a flying or non-flying job, a brand-new pilot can pick positions that will bolster their qualifications and relationships for significant benefit.

Non-Flying Jobs for Student Pilots

New pilots at the very start of their careers—those just beginning to learn to fly—often choose to work in aviation on the side to fund their training.

Most notably, many work at FBOs at airports big and small to build connections with the crews passing through to pick up passengers or reposition planes. Getting face time with seasoned pilots and reputable charter companies can help budding pilots gain valuable insights and even get an edge that will improve their job prospects down the line.

• READ MORE: How to Become a Charter Pilot

Other student pilots choose to fuel planes or work on the ramp at big international airports, often for major airlines or contractors who manage large contracts. These jobs help new pilots get the feel of working for major airline operations. They can get a sense for how to get around big airports, witness airline schedules firsthand, and manage real-world delays along with the pilots upfront.

Many detail companies also hire student pilots. These new pilots will become comfortable caring for planes and gain new respect and appreciation for the aircraft they fly themselves. Other potential non-flying jobs include airport operations, aircraft maintenance, and airport customer service.

A Pilot’s First Flying Job

Once a pilot is fully qualified to fly for a living, the next question is which flying job will be the best transition from being a student to a professional pilot. A pilot must, once again, be able to gauge which jobs will serve their long-term career goals the best.

Pilots find their first job in a number of different ways. Some use the connections built in previous positions to their benefit, and others work for organizations that have already employed them. In addition, some pilots find creative ways to advertise services such as ferry flights, air tours, or aerial refueling.

• READ MORE: How to Land a Helicopter Pilot Job

Some pilots turn to services such as FindaPilot.com to find jobs. FindaPilot connects pilots looking for work with operators who need crewmembers to operate specific flights. Services such as this can be a great way for new pilots to connect with reputable operators and fly high-performance, complex aircraft to build high-quality time for their careers. Many pilots use services such as FindaPilot as launching pads to accelerate their careers into the next stage.

Flight Instructing

Many new pilots choose to become flight instructors for their first aviation job. Teaching new pilots can be an excellent way to build time quickly while also learning to work with a variety of personalities, students, and situations.

Different flight schools also give instructors the opportunity to operate in different environments. Part 61 schools often promote independent decision making without close guidance from company standard operating procedures, while Part 141 schools help instructors learn to operate in structured, airline-esque environments. Whichever direction new instructors choose, they are sure to gain valuable experience towards their long-term goals.

Instructing is a great way to learn from your own experience and to become intimately familiar with the knowledge and skills you are expected to know. New students keep instructors on their toes and ask intriguing questions that challenge instructors to study, grow, and expand their knowledge.

Banner Towing

Some new commercial pilots opt to become banner towing pilots. These pilots tow large advertisements behind them over beaches, malls, and other tourist attractions.

These jobs give pilots the opportunity to learn in congested airspace—multiple banner tow aircraft often fly in the same area—at low altitudes. This demands heightened situational awareness and attention that helps pilots learn to be aware of their surroundings and take prompt action to correct unusual situations.

• READ MORE: Congress Shells Out Millions to Aid Pilot Shortage

These jobs especially tend to operate with aircraft that require specialized training. Many, for example, use tailwheel airplanes that have unique operating characteristics as opposed to the now-more-popular tricycle gear airplanes. This additional experience gives banner tow pilots experience that helps them stand out from other applicants.

Banner tow pilots often fly for hours at a time multiple times per day, making banner towing a great way to build a lot of flight time quickly. Many new pilots thus use banner towing as a great way to gain the experience they need for airline or charter flying in a relatively short amount of time. This is particularly the case in markets that have flyable weather conditions year-round, such as in Florida or Arizona.

Charter Flying

Some pilots are lucky enough to become charter pilots early on in their careers. These jobs often involve operating as second in command of light jets, such as the Cessna Citation line.

These jobs are often, but not always, acquired through connections built earlier in their careers but can often come through online advertisements through social media channels or dedicated advertising agencies.

Charter jobs are especially valuable because they allow pilots time in multiengine turbine aircraft, the exact type of planes that pilots will be flying later on in their careers. The more experience pilots have flying these types of aircraft, the more attractive they’ll be later on with other operators.

Not all charter flying involves point-to-point hops in private jets or turbine aircraft, however. Some pilots start off as ferry pilots, when they get hired to fly an airplane one-way from point to point for maintenance, a system upgrade, or for delivery to a new owner.

This type of charter work can give pilots experience flying a wider array of aircraft to a wider range of destinations across the country. This variation is again valuable for pilots looking to work for operators that fly to more places or over longer distances at a time. Being able to handle a wider array of situations, aircraft, and geographic locations gives ferry pilots an edge over pilots used only to the same part of the country.

Survey Flying

Still other pilots choose to fly for aerial survey companies. These companies are enlisted to fly regular patterns over specified areas to take pictures, scout land, or check areas for damage. Some pilots patrol pipelines for damage as well.

Survey pilots often work side-by-side with photographers or IT specialists who operate imaging or mapping equipment on behalf of the client company. This provides pilots with the experience of operating a specific mission with certain parameters and constant distractions. This requires the pilot to divide their attention between flying the airplane and completing their task in a way that is both efficient and safe.

Though pilots, of course, train in division of attention throughout their training, flying survey provides a real-world way of dividing attention that cannot be simulated in a training environment.

There are plenty of ways pilots can build experience toward becoming professional aviators. Each job has strengths that will help pilots grow towards their long-term career goals, whether they be airline flying, corporate aviation, or contract work.

There is no one specific way to become a professional pilot—and it’s possible to be successful no matter which route is taken.

The post Best Jobs for New Pilots appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On a sunny Saturday in late summer 2023, I found myself itching to try something new. I’d been hearing whispers about a charming little pizzeria called Miss Bea Havin, tucked away at the Colorado Plains Regional Airport (KAKO) inside the Hayes Aviation FBO. A quick online search turned up rave reviews and tantalizing images that sealed the deal. My girlfriend, Alex, usually hesitant about airport dining after one too many trips to the Greeley-Weld County Airport (KGXY) cafe, was surprisingly on board for this adventure.

We grabbed an Aspen Flying Club Cessna 172S from Colorado Air and Space Port (KCFO), where filing the flight plan and preflight checks went off without a hitch under clear skies. Taking off from KCFO is always a bit of a thrill—there’s something fun about saying “space port tower” on the comms. We hit our cruising altitude of 7,500 feet and, as expected in the Rocky Mountain region, ran into a bit of turbulence.

I had scoped out the airport layout beforehand using ForeFlight’s Airport 3D View and cross-checked it with Google Maps, so I felt pretty confident about our approach. Descending toward Akron, the scene below buzzed with excitement, possibly a county fair setting up, complete with rides and stalls. We made a smooth entry into the pattern, despite Alex starting to feel a bit queasy—a first for her in general aviation, thanks to the bumpy ride.

Landing with a slight left crosswind, we taxied over to transient parking right in front of Miss Bea Havin. We noted the distinctive logos of Hayes Aviation and Miss Bea Havin for a photo op on our way out. Stepping inside, the FBO felt welcoming. There was a cozy dining area with high tops and traditional tables. Chef Gordon Johnson was right there, chatting with some customers before taking our pizza order—pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, and mushrooms.

As our pizza began its journey in the oven, Johnson shared the story behind Miss Bea Havin. The restaurant emerged from a blend of local aviation passion and culinary ambition. Johnson, having returned home in 2021, wanted to create a community hub that combined his deep roots and extensive restaurant experience. After many strategy sessions and navigating through red tape, Miss Bea Havin was launched, named in tribute to L.G. Hayes, a World War II B-17 pilot and father of the airport manager, Randy Hayes, whose stories of flying an aircraft called Miss Bea Havin added a rich layer of history to the place.

When the pizza arrived, it was nothing short of amazing. We let it cool just a tad before diving in. I have to admit, it exceeded my expectations—far outpacing any pizzeria I’ve tried back in Denver. The ingredients were fresh, the flavors bold, and the crust just perfect. We couldn’t finish it all, so we boxed up the leftovers, thanked Johnson for the hospitality, and made our way out.

As we departed, I noticed a sleek Embraer Phenom 100 had joined our Cessna on the ramp. Its pilot, also drawn by the allure of Miss Bea Havin’s pizza, shared our sentiment: It’s definitely a pizza worth flying for. 

The post Pie in the Sky: In Pursuit of the ‘$300 Pizza’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The FBO network and aviation services provider on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Germany’s Lilium to electrify its network of more than 100 FBOs. The partners will transform existing U.S. airport infrastructure to accommodate the manufacturer’s flagship Lilium Jet, a seven-seat eVTOL design for regional air mobility (RAM) services.

Lilium intends to launch RAM operations worldwide, including in the U.S., as early as 2026.

“Atlantic’s extensive presence across major U.S. cities and expertise in ground infrastructure development and premier customer service will be invaluable in establishing a robust network that supports the Lilium Jet throughout the U.S.,” said Sebastien Borel, chief commercial officer of Lilium.

According to Lilium, Atlantic operates sites at more than 30 airport locations within its planned U.S. launch markets, which include Florida, Texas, Southern California, and the Northeast corridor. The German firm is the sole eVTOL manufacturer with certification bases from both the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and FAA, allowing it to fly on either side of the Atlantic.

The company’s flagship, seven-seat Jet is designed to fly routes between towns and inner cities, cruising at 162 knots on trips spanning 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm). It began production of the first models in late 2023.

Together with Atlantic Aviation, the manufacturer hopes to plan a network of hubs that will support Lilium Jet operators. The partners will ensure current and future vertiports are compatible with the aircraft and give operators access to “strategic points” within Atlantic’s network.

Lilium and Atlantic will focus on infrastructure deployment and operations at existing and upcoming Atlantic sites, honing in on the passenger experience. Strategic planning will be molded around considerations such as aircraft flight paths, charging capabilities, passenger facilities, and operations forecasting.

“This collaboration underscores our firm conviction in the transformative potential of eVTOL technology in reshaping regional travel, and we are dedicated to furnishing the technology-agnostic infrastructure and assistance required to bring this vision to fruition,” said John Redcay, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Atlantic.

Atlantic in January also partnered with eVTOL air taxi manufacturers Archer Aviation, Joby Aviation, and Beta Technologies, with separate deals to electrify Atlantic terminals for Archer’s Midnight, Joby’s S4, Beta’s Alia, and other electric aircraft models.

Joby said its agreement will initially focus on FBOs in New York and Los Angeles. Archer too is eyeing those markets in addition to San Francisco and Miami, while Beta is targeting the East and Gulf Coasts. All three manufacturers have hinted that more sites are on the horizon.

Joby, however, diverges from Lilium and the rest of the pack when it comes to charging.

While Lilium, Archer, Beta, and a host of other eVTOL manufacturers back the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) endorsement of the combined charging system (CCS)—a set of design standards also proposed for the electric ground vehicle industry—Joby has proposed its own standard, the global electric aviation charging system (GEACS). 

Both standards would accommodate any model of electric aircraft. Among the key differences between the two are that CCS is intended for both electric air and ground vehicles. Atlantic, Clay Lacy Aviation, and other FBO networks have said they intend to install both CCS and GEACS chargers, while others such as Signature Aviation have so far only committed to one.

Lilium last month partnered with electric charging infrastructure provider Star Charge, from which it placed a “first order” for 120 CCS-compatible chargers. The manufacturer expects these systems will substantially lower charging time, reducing turnaround time and maximizing hours in the sky.

Before charging the Lilium Jet, the systems will support the launch of Lilium’s Pioneer Edition model: the planned launch version of its flagship aircraft, with a $10 million price tag.

A total of 50 Pioneer Edition models will be sold to business and general aviation operators worldwide, intended for private, premium, and shuttle operations. Lilium says its go-to-market strategy of selling to the premium segment first will diversify its revenue stream.

The approach is predicated on vertiports and charging infrastructure being ready for the Lilium Jet’s intended launch in 2026—which is where partners such as Atlantic come in.

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The post Lilium Plans to Electrify More Than 100 Atlantic FBOs appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The firm on Thursday announced a formal partnership with Signature Aviation, a FBO network for business and private aviation, to install systems at three East Coast airports, with discussions underway to include additional locations.

The first multimodal Beta charger is already installed and online at Signature’s Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (KMHT) terminal in New Hampshire, which the company said is the state’s first such system.

“Manchester is emerging as one of the top high-tech hubs in the Northeast, and we are honored that Manchester-Boston Regional Airport was chosen as Signature and BETA’s first operational electric aviation site,” said KMHT director Ted Kitchens. “This interoperable charging station will help enable Manchester and southern New Hampshire to have better access to electric aviation, which will bring us better regional air mobility as we move into this exciting new era of electric transportation.”

Additional chargers—which Beta said will come online this summer—are being installed on Signature terminals at Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK) in Maryland and Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (KCHO) in Virgina.

“As one of the leading private terminal operators anywhere in the world, Signature takes a forward-leaning approach to best serve their broad base of aviators,” said Nate Ward, head of network development for Beta. “Beta has long been focused on building a reliable, accessible network of chargers for aircraft, and this collaboration represents another important pathway toward scaling our network.”

Beta’s chargers are designed to be multimodal and interoperable, accessible to the company’s aircraft, other developers’ electric models, or any electric air or ground vehicle.

The systems adhere to the international combined charging system (CCS) standard, which has also been proposed as the standard for electric ground vehicles. In September, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) endorsed the CCS alongside Beta, Archer Aviation, Lilium, Volocopter, Overair, Boeing’s Wisk Aero, and several other electric air taxi manufacturers.

Joby Aviation, one of Beta’s U.S. competitors, has proposed its own charging standard—the global electric aviation charging system (GEACS)—which it touts as an alternative to the CCS. In the electric ground vehicle space, Tesla’s North American charging system (NACS) is gradually supplanting the CCS as the industry standard. But Beta and others are pushing for the latter to become the norm in aviation.

Signature is Beta’s third FBO partner. The partnership follows a deal with Atlantic Aviation to install systems at New York’s Elmira Regional Airport (KELM), Birmingham International Airport (KBHM) in Alabama, Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (KJAN) in Mississippi, and Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (KBAF) in Massachusetts. The Elmira site is already online.

Beta in February also partnered with FBO network AvFlight to inaugurate an electric aircraft charger at Golden Triangle Regional Airport (KGTR) in Columbus, Mississippi. The partners said it was the first such system to be installed in the state.

Now Signature, which bills itself as world’s largest private aviation terminal operator, is getting in on the action.

“We are thrilled to further solidify our partnership with Beta, which underscores our unwavering commitment to shaping the future of aviation through our sustainability initiatives in Signature Renew,” said Derek DeCross, chief commercial officer for Signature Aviation. “Together with Beta, we’re not only creating greater access to electric aviation but also unlocking new possibilities in regional air mobility for our guests, all while championing sustainability and innovation in the aviation industry.”

Signature earlier this week rebranded to emphasize its focus on aviation hospitality, customer experience, and sustainability. The firm achieved carbon neutrality across its entire global network in 2022 and last year said it pumped its 25th million gallon of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The company’s three East Coast sites now join Beta’s U.S. charging network, which spans the coast from Vermont to Florida and extends as far west as Arkansas. Chargers have now been installed at 19 locations, with another 50 sites in the permitting or construction process, Beta said Thursday.

Within the manufacturer’s network is the first electric aircraft charger installed at a Department of Defense (DOD) base. Customers include the DOD, regional and state-owned airports, FBOs, and even other electric aircraft developers.

Beta is already using the sites to charge its all-electric aircraft. It stopped at several charging stations in October during a 12-state, 1,500 nm journey to Eglin Air Force Base’s Duke Field (KEGI) in Florida, where it recently concluded an initial three-month deployment for the U.S. Air Force.

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The post Beta Technologies, Signature Aviation to Install Electric Aircraft Chargers at 3 Airports appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now for this week’s top story:

Clay Lacy Aviation to Bring Electric Air Taxis to FBOs

What happened? Clay Lacy, the famed aviator, is thought to have flown more hours on turbine aircraft than any pilot in history. But Clay Lacy Aviation, the company Lacy founded (and no longer has any association with the founder), is looking to fly electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and other futuristic designs out of its FBO network in Southern California in partnership with Overair.

Old dog, new tricks: Clay Lacy Aviation is one of the oldest private jet charters and fleet operators in the Western U.S., with two full-service FBOs in Southern California and a third in the works on the East Coast. But the experienced provider is embracing the new generation of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, such as Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL air taxi.

The partnership will center around the development of vertiports at Clay Lacy Aviation’s John Wayne Airport (KSNA) and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) locations, as well as a concept of operations for Butterfly and other AAM aircraft that could fly in the region. Overair has similar agreements with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington, Texas.

Air taxis for all: This week’s collaboration follows Clay Lacy Aviation’s agreement with Joby Aviation to install the latter’s global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) at John Wayne. Overair, however, has backed the combined charging system (CCS) standard widely used by electric ground vehicles and endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Both GEACS and CCS are designed to be universally accessible to electric aircraft—each could charge Overair’s Butterfly, for example. But Joby has clashed with some of its air taxi rivals, with each side asserting their framework as the industry standard. Clay Lacy Aviation, though, plans to build electric infrastructure at its FBOs that will support both charging system proposals.

Quick quote: “Clay Lacy Aviation is committed to installing the electrical infrastructure to support all makes and models of electric aircraft, both fixed wing and eVTOL, to encourage the adoption of electric flight. In planning our new FBO development at John Wayne Airport, we are speaking with multiple OEMs and our local utility provider to ensure that the electric infrastructure we build out can support both CCS and GEACS charging protocols,” Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation, told FLYING.

My take: Joby and CCS-supporting competitors, such as Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, each argue their proposed framework will be the sole industry standard. They may be right about there being one winner—major OEMs and operators will probably design and plan for one standard rather than both. It’s just easier that way.

But what if they’re wrong, and both standards can coexist? Clay Lacy Aviation and Overair appear to believe in a multipolar world, with both GEACS and CCS infrastructure fitting into the ecosystem. Atlantic Aviation, another FBO network, recently partnered with Joby, Archer, and Beta to install both kinds of chargers at its sites. These moves may be contingency plans should one system supplant the other. But either way, FBOs are building infrastructure to support both.

For what it’s worth, both CCS and the North American charging system (NACS) developed by Tesla have been viable options in the electric ground vehicle space. But CCS is slowly losing out as Ford, General Motors, and other large automakers switch over to NACS.

Deep dive: Clay Lacy Aviation, Overair Partner to Bring Air Taxis to Southern California

In Other News…

Historic Astronaut Crew Begins Research at Space Station

What happened? The multinational crew of Axiom Mission 3—or Ax-3, the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station chartered by Houston-based Axiom Space—arrived at the orbital lab and began conducting more than 30 experiments. The crew will research microgravity, space botany, and even methods of preventing cancer.

Astronauts around the world: A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the crew of Ax-3—the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station—docked Saturday morning. The crew, comprising Spanish, Turkish, Swedish, and Italian nationals, joined space station occupants from the U.S., Europe, and East Asia.

The combined crews will work together for two weeks studying a wide array of low-Earth orbit (LEO) activities. Astronauts are exploring how microgravity, for example, affects neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and are even using it to try to prevent and predict cancer. Other studies focus on plant growth, remote planetary exploration, and the effects of zero gravity on astronaut stress.

Deep dive: First All-European Commercial Astronaut Crew Begins Research at Space Station

North American Manufacturers to Ship $1.3B Worth of Electric Aircraft to India

What happened? JetSetGo, an Indian fleet operator and marketplace for private jet and helicopter charters, ordered up to 280 electric aircraft in three separate deals with a combined value of $1.3 billion. Each aircraft—Overair’s Butterfly, Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7, and Electra.aero’s hybrid electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL)—offers different advantages.

Mix and match: JetSetGo said the combination of the three aircraft will create an “optimal mix” to serve five use cases: airport transfers, regional connectivity, intercity commute, intracity shuttles, and urban air taxis. The agreements lock it into 150 firm orders: 50 from each manufacturer for a combined $780 million. But each includes options for more aircraft.

Overair’s Butterfly introduces two technologies never before seen in eVTOL aircraft, designed to reduce energy demand and enable smoother flights. Horizon’s X7 employs a unique “fan-in-wing” configuration and blends features of a conventional aircraft with an eVTOL. And Electra’s design can take off and land with just 150 feet of runway.

Deep Dive: India’s JetSetGo Orders $1.3B Worth of Electric Aircraft from 3 Manufacturers

And a Few More Headlines:

• Vertical Aerospace founder Stephen Fitzpatrick committed $50 million to keep the air taxi manufacturer liquid through mid-2025.

• NASA and Archer partnered to test electric air taxi battery systems for potential use in spaceflight.

• Electra topped 2,000 preorders for its nine-seat hybrid eSTOL following its agreement with JetSetGo.

• Walmart partner DroneUp became the latest drone delivery firm to earn new flight permissions from the FAA.

• An attempted first lunar landing by a private company ended before reaching the moon as Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander returned to Earth.

On the Horizon…

Chinese-made drones could be transmitting sensitive U.S. information back to China, at least according to the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The agencies released a report emphasizing the Chinese government’s outsized control over domestic company data—and urging American firms to avoid buying drones from DJI and other Chinese manufacturers.

DJI, though not specifically named in the guidance, has already pushed back on the allegations and characterizations made by the U.S. government. The company, responsible for an estimated 7 in 10 consumer drone sales worldwide, has been the target of seemingly endless bans from U.S. lawmakers, who have decried its drones as “TikTok with wings.”

As the U.S. attempts to restrict drones, the U.K. is embracing air taxis. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched a consultation for vertiport design proposals, with the aim of installing the eVTOL hubs at existing airfields nationwide. As in the U.S., the strategy is to leverage existing infrastructure for early operations of air taxis and other AAM aircraft.

Finally, European Commission officials this week said they intend to release a draft of the first comprehensive European space law by March. The finer details of the legislation are largely a mystery, though the expectation is it will address safety and sustainability concerns and harmonize space regulations across European Union member states.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California
• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

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The post FBOs, Meet AAM appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Soon, a very different kind of Butterfly—the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi from manufacturer Overair—may grace the Golden State’s skies following a partnership between Overair and Clay Lacy Aviation. The FBO network and infrastructure developer is working with the manufacturer to introduce advanced air mobility (AAM) services across Southern California.

The core focus of the strategic collaboration will be on vertiports and a concept of operations for Butterfly and other AAM aircraft. Clay Lacy Aviation will spearhead the development of electric charging infrastructure and operational logistics.

“Ultra-quiet, all-electric aircraft bring the promise of convenient and efficient transportation, easing traffic congestion and reducing travel times,” said Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation.

Overair, meanwhile, will bring expertise in aircraft integration, certification, and maintenance, as well as flight path planning and user and vertiport software. The manufacturer will also work to get the public on board for AAM services.

“AAM is an ideal addition to Southern California’s transportation network, creating a new option for fast, safe, and quiet transportation in the region,” said Valerie Manning, chief commercial officer of Overair. “We have been working with our partners at Clay Lacy [Aviation] for over a year and are delighted to announce our shared plan. We are confident that this strategic collaboration will leverage our respective strengths.”

Standing up vertiports will be a key component of the partnership, providing Clay Lacy Aviation hubs out of which to fly Butterfly. The vertiports figure to feature heavily in Overair’s concept of operations for AAM services in the region, which will dictate exactly how Butterfly and other air taxis fly.

Overair completed its first full-scale Butterfly prototype in December, joining a handful of manufacturers to have actually built an eVTOL design. The aircraft—designed to fly a pilot and up to five passengers on 100 sm (87 nm) zero-emission trips, cruising at 174 knots—is expected to begin flight testing this year.

“As we continue to make strides developing Butterfly, we’re also focused on partnering with infrastructure leaders to ensure that operations using this new mode of transit can be scaled quickly and efficiently,” said John Criezis, head of mobility operations at Overair.

Overair and Clay Lacy Aviation intend to install electric charging infrastructure across Southern California, starting with the latter’s FBO locations at John Wayne Airport (KSNA) in Orange County and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) in Los Angeles. 

According to the partners, their intent is to cover the broad needs of all AAM operators rather than a single standard. Overair, for example, is one of many eVTOL manufacturers that signed onto the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) endorsement of the combined charging system (CCS) standard for electric aviation.

CCS is designed to support all electric vehicles, ground or air. It’s the most widely used global standard for electric ground vehicles but is steadily losing out to Tesla’s North American charging system (NACS) alternative. For air taxis, Joby Aviation is pushing its global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) as the industry standard.

A pair of CCS supporters—Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies—have publicly clashed with Joby over which system should be adopted universally. Clay Lacy Aviation, however, intends to build infrastructure that fits both proposals.

“Clay Lacy Aviation is committed to installing the electrical infrastructure to support all makes and models of electric aircraft, both fixed wing and eVTOL, to encourage the adoption of electric flight,” Cutshall told FLYING. “In planning our new FBO development at John Wayne Airport, we are speaking with multiple OEMs and our local utility provider to ensure that the electric infrastructure we build out can support both CCS and GEACS charging protocols.”

Joby this week agreed to install GEACS chargers in the New York City region, following a partnership with Atlantic Aviation to electrify FBO terminals in New York and Los Angeles. Both Archer and Beta also signed partnerships with Atlantic to add CCS systems at other company locations. Joby will also install a GEACS charger at Clay Lacy Aviation’s John Wayne FBO.

It’s possible that one system will entirely supplant the other as OEMs and operators pick a side—a scenario that appears to be unfolding in the U.S. electric ground vehicle industry. But whether CCS or GEACS wins out, Clay Lacy Aviation intends to be able to serve both.

Overair’s agreement with Clay Lacy Aviation comes on the heels of similar arrangements with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington, Texas, to launch AAM services in the North Texas region. The manufacturer plans to deliver aircraft to customers in India and South Korea, working with local partners to develop infrastructure and operational plans.

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On Wednesday, Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation joined Beta Technologies in collaborating with Atlantic Aviation, an FBO network and aviation services provider, to add electric charging stations to Atlantic locations across the U.S. The new infrastructure will open up the airfields to Joby’s S4, Archer’s Midnight, Beta’s Alia, and other electric air taxi designs.

Atlantic’s goal is to build technology-agnostic aviation infrastructure—in other words, it plans to work with a variety of firms to electrify its terminals. Joby said its agreement will initially focus on FBOs in New York and Los Angeles. Archer is also eyeing those two markets, in addition to San Francisco and Miami.

Beta, which announced its partnership last week, is targeting the East and Gulf coasts. The firm has already installed a system at New York’s Elmira Regional Airport (KELM) and agreed to add infrastructure to Birmingham International Airport (KBHM) in Alabama, Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (KJAN) in Mississippi, and Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (KBAF) in Massachusetts.

All three manufacturers have hinted that more sites are on the horizon. In addition, each will work with Atlantic to study how its air taxi design can operate safely alongside traditional aircraft.

Joby and Beta did not provide timelines for their initial projects, but Archer said its early systems will come online in 2025.

“These initial eVTOL vertiport locations will provide a launching pad for future expansion across Atlantic’s portfolio and ensure that our Midnight aircraft has safe, centrally located landing facilities for our future passengers,” said Nikhil Goel, chief commercial officer of Archer.

In addition, a memorandum of understanding between Archer and Atlantic calls for the two to enter a strategic partnership down the line, based on Archer’s commitments for landing and infrastructure investments.

Beta, meanwhile, expects its collaboration to produce a “template” for FBO-OEM relationships. The blueprint would speed the execution of host site agreements (HSAs), which permit manufacturers such as Beta to install electric infrastructure at sites they do not own. Doing so would help the industry prepare for the first passenger-carrying air taxi flights in the U.S., which are expected to begin in 2025.

Clash of the Chargers

While Joby, Archer, and Beta are all working with Atlantic, they will be delivering slightly different systems. In fact, Joby has publicly clashed with Archer and Beta over the firms’ conflicting charging frameworks, both of which attempt to set the industry standard.

Interestingly, Archer will actually be installing Beta’s charging systems at Atlantic sites. The firms partnered in November to expand the latter’s infrastructure under the combined charging system (CCS) standard, which was originally developed for electric ground vehicles to make chargers accessible to any automobile. As part of the deal, Archer purchased several Beta systems and expanded the latter’s network to the West Coast.

The CCS has been proposed as a standard for electric aircraft and was recently endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), which enjoys significant sway in the aviation industry. Beta and Archer contributed to the endorsement, which also garnered support from Boeing’s Wisk Aero, Lilium, Volocopter, Overair, and other air taxi manufacturers.

Beta describes its solution as an “interoperable rapid charging system” for all kinds of electric aircraft and ground vehicles alike. According to Beta and Archer, “several top OEMs” in the aviation industry are designing for the CCS-aligned systems.

As of Monday, Beta chargers are online at 17 locations nationwide, with a further 55 sites in the permitting or construction process. The network includes the first electric aircraft charger at a U.S. Department of Defense site, which was delivered in September to Eglin Air Force Base’s Duke Field (KEGI) in Florida. Earlier in the year, Beta flew its electric conventional take off and landing (eCTOL) aircraft to the base, testing chargers in its network along the way.

“Over the past several years, Beta has been focused on deploying a reliable, well-distributed network of fast chargers to enable the entire advanced air mobility industry, and we are aligned with the team at Atlantic on our mission,” said Nate Ward, head of charge network development at Beta.

Joby’s Alternative

One of the few large manufacturers to snub GAMA’s endorsement of the CCS was Joby, which has come up with its own standard—the global electric aviation charging system (GEACS).

Like CCS, GEACS—which was unveiled the same day Beta and Archer announced their partnership—calls for chargers to be widely accessible. Joby also agrees with its rivals that air taxi manufacturers, not industry outsiders, should be the ones to build the charging systems. But while the proposals have similar aims, there are a few key differences.

Unlike Beta’s system, Joby’s includes a coolant mechanism that keeps batteries at an optimal temperature during charging. Beta opted instead to separate the two systems. Joby’s charger also includes several DC channels, which can be used to juice up multiple isolated battery packs simultaneously. Conversely, Beta’s system requires only one channel—its and Archer’s air taxis concentrate the battery packs in a single location, while Joby’s spreads them across the airframe.

Joby also intends to use an Ethernet connection to download data—such as battery charge level and temperature—while the aircraft charges. That means operations won’t be bogged down by ground personnel. Beta and Archer have not mentioned such a system.

“Through more than 30,000 miles of all-electric vertical flight with full-scale prototype aircraft, our team has fine-tuned a ground support system that allows for the simultaneous recharging of  multiple battery packs, external coolant exchange, and secure data offload after flight—making it suitable for all electric aircraft,” said JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Joby.

According to the manufacturer, GEACS is already in place at its flight test center in Marina, California, and Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) outside Los Angeles. In addition, at least one other FBO is interested in the system. Joby last week partnered with Clay Lacy Aviation to install chargers at its John Wayne Airport (KSNA) terminal in Santa Ana, California. Clay Lacy Aviation replaced Atlantic as a service provider at John Wayne in 2020.

It’s still unclear which standard—CCS or GEACS—will win out in electric aviation. But for the industry to be accessible, chances are only one will be adopted.

A parallel conflict is unfolding in the electric ground vehicle industry, which may or may not be a harbinger for electric aircraft. In that space, the CCS is steadily losing ground to the North American charging standard (NACS) developed by industry leader Tesla, as Ford, General Motors, Toyota, and other automakers switch over. The NACS is equivalent to GEACS—an alternative standard proposed by a firm unsatisfied with the industry’s recommendation. The comparison isn’t perfect, however, since Joby has yet to reach the scale of Tesla.

If it can, Joby has a real chance at setting the industry standard, despite its rivals’ support of the CCS. But as each manufacturer looks to increase industrywide reliance on its tech, Beta and Archer will likely fight fiercely to be the top dog.

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Air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation on Monday signed a definitive agreement with Clay Lacy Aviation—which operates full-service FBOs at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) in Los Angeles and John Wayne Airport (KSNA) in Orange County, California—to install the first electric charging system in the region.

The installation will be part of Clay Lacy Aviation’s planned $100 million redevelopment of the FBO terminal at John Wayne Airport, also announced Monday.

“Since our founding more than 50 years ago, Clay Lacy [Aviation] has been committed to improving lives for our community, employees, and clients, leading the industry on safety and service while taking action to reduce emissions in both our ground and air operations,” said Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation. “We’re excited to be working with Joby to install Southern California’s first air taxi charger, and we look forward to the greater convenience it will bring to the Orange County community.”

Since replacing Atlantic Aviation as a service provider at John Wayne in 2020, Clay Lacy Aviation has operated out of a temporary facility at the airport. Renovations will comprise two phases: a new terminal and a pair of 37,800-square-foot hangars will come online early this year, with two 35,000-square-foot hangars joining them in mid-2025.

The charger being added to the airfield derives from Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS), which the manufacturer released at the end of 2023. The GEACS interface is already in use at Joby’s flight test center in Marina, California, as well as Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) outside Los Angeles. The company in September delivered its first air taxi prototype to Edwards, where it began crewed flight tests the following month.

According to Joby, GEACS is designed to support safe and efficient operations for all electric aircraft under development, including the company’s own design.

“The charging technology we have developed is optimized to support our whole industry, from air taxis delivering short range city flights to more conventional electric aircraft flying longer distances,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “Joby made the specifications for the universal charging interface freely available to the wider industry in November 2023 to help accelerate the transition to clean flight. We’re therefore very pleased to see it being adopted in this key market.”

Joby’s stated goal is to make its service as accessible as possible, using a “safe and ultra-fast” system compatible with any electric aircraft. Accordingly, infrastructure developers and network operators would only need one type of charger to support the entire industry.

Joby’s charger includes multiple DC channels, which can juice up multiple isolated, redundant battery packs at the same time. A coolant system keeps the batteries at an ideal temperature during charging, eliminating the need for onboard thermal management systems.

Notably, the vehicles will communicate with the system directly. Joby will use an Ethernet connection to download flight data alongside normal charging operations, including data on battery charge level and temperature. That means operations won’t be bogged down by ground personnel.

Once complete, GEACS will be published as a freely available interface control specification. But it won’t be the only charging framework out there.

Two rival eVTOL air taxi manufacturers, Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, partnered to push their own nationwide adoption of Beta’s air taxi chargers, making the announcement within hours of Joby’s. Archer purchased several Beta systems in a show of commitment.

The companies’ alternative pitch is for electric air taxis to adhere to the combined charging system (CCS) standard, which is used by several U.S. electric car manufacturers—with the notable exception of Tesla, the industry leader. Tesla developed its own standard, the North American charging standard (NACS).

The CCS was endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association in its Interoperability of Electric Charging Infrastructure report released last year. Both Archer and Beta contributed to the recommendation, as did Boeing’s Wisk Aero, Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility, Lilium, Volocopter, and Overair.

Archer and Beta maintain the CCS is the standard to which the top aviation OEMs are designing for. Joby, meanwhile, has claimed other electric aircraft companies will soon announce their decision to use its standard.

Unlike Joby’s system, Beta’s charger includes a separate coolant mechanism. And because the battery packs in Archer’s and Beta’s designs are in one location, the firms have no need to charge multiple packs at once. Joby’s battery packs are spread across the airframe.

Both Joby and Archer and Beta hope the industry will adopt their in-house system, which would foster some level of dependence upon their tech. For what it’s worth, in the automotive space, Tesla’s NACS—the analog to GEACS—won out, and more manufacturers, such as Ford and General Motors, are switching over from CCS.

“Today’s announcement marks a key moment on the path to delivering our air taxi service in the Greater Los Angeles area,” said Bevirt. “We’re taking concrete steps to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support our future service and we’re grateful to be working with an industry pioneer like Clay Lacy Aviation to lead the way on bringing sustainable aviation to Southern California.”

Joby’s air taxi will fly a pilot and up to four passengers on routes spanning up to 100 sm (81 nm), cruising as fast as 200 mph (174 knots). The home-to-airport shuttle service is expected to produce zero in-flight emissions and a noise footprint “radically lower” than existing helicopters.

The installation at John Wayne adds the airfield as a node in the company’s Southern California network, Joby said. In partnership with Delta Air Lines, the manufacturer also plans to launch service in Los Angeles, as well as New York City and other airports served by Delta. Los Angeles is scheduled to be one of the company’s earliest U.S. launch markets, with commercial service expected in 2025.

Monday’s announcement follows Joby’s watershed flight in New York City in November, during which it became the first company to complete electric air taxi flights in the city. Germany’s Volocopter also participated. The demonstrations came shortly after New York City announced plans to electrify the historic Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB).

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Originally called the Temple Army Air Field, the airport dates back to 1942 when it was a training base for the U.S. Army Air Forces . Following the end of World War II, it was sold to the city of Temple and renamed Draughon-Miller Airport, after two Temple aviators who died during the war. 

Andrew Hill, the manager for the recently opened FBO, said that a benefit of being a “growing but small-town airport” is the close relationship that it is able to build with airfield tenants and visitors. 

“Our motto is ‘Exceptional Service Without Exception,’ and our new customer service team, which hadn’t existed yet at the airport, has done a great job with that and are representing the TEAC brand well,” Hill said. “A highlight as we are going out to sell the FBO to the world is our geographical location. We’re centrally located between the major metropolitan areas in Texas and are a great halfway point for East to West Coast travel. And we’ll park you under the awning, which is not very common for a municipally run FBO to have an aircraft awning that will fit up to a Global Express to keep you out of the rain and the heat, which we get plenty of. We will be able to care of those cross-country transient customers and have the quickest quick turn in in style—and [have] some of the best fuel prices.”

The FBO itself has always been owned and managed by the city. And by design, Temple Executive Air Center will vary greatly from its predecessor, especially when it comes to the design of the facility and customer service philosophy.  

“We knew that with this new facility we wanted to rebrand and remarket ourselves,” Hill said. “A city-owned and operated FBO doesn’t always get good marks or recommendations from pilots. They usually think of high prices and terrible customer service. So, we followed their (and FBO consultant) advice, tweaked it a little bit, and came up with a brand-new name. We decided to market it as a separate entity from Draughon-Miller Airport, so that it has the look and feel of a privately owned FBO with great customer service and amenities,”

Although the airport has been in operation for more than 80 years, pilots will see many new investments to its infrastructure. The city of Temple explained some of the recent monetary investment in the airport and its facilities. 

“In the last five years, the airport has completed a $1.2 million taxiway refurbishment to allow better aircraft access to existing hangars and areas of improved land for development, completed $1.9 million on transitioning airfield lighting to LED, $2.9 million on providing eight shovel-ready plots for future corporate hangars, and currently have a $600,000-plys project to revitalize various ramp areas and repaint our main runway 16/34,” the city said in a press release. “We also currently have a $3 million dollar project in the design phase to realign taxiway D crossing at the approach of Runway 03, while extending that runway 500 [feet], a plan to use our IIJA grant money ($1.2 million) by [fiscal year 2026] to extend a taxiway to create aircraft access to future development area, and finally a future plan to extend the aircraft parking ramp for aircraft parking.”

Sean Parker, the airport’s manager, added additional detail, explaining that the recent changes have been planned for some time. 

“Prior to my arrival in 2019, the city realized that the current FBO, which originally was built in 1956, [had been] updated as well as expanded some in 2002,” Parker said. “The Temple Economic Development Corporation has been doing a fantastic job on bringing some Fortune 500 companies to our area, and they understand the need to cater a little bit better to these folks that are either visiting their businesses here in Central Texas or coming here to look at possibly moving part of their company or expanding here.”

According to the city of Temple, operations have grown by 35 percent since 2019, and 40 percent of fuel sales in 2023 have come from transient traffic. The airport authority is looking toward the future and senses a continued interest from transient and based aircraft, as well as anticipating an influx of on-field development. Of the airport’s 922 acres, there is more than 50 acres of improved land with access to water, sewer, power, and connection to paved surfaces, as well as more than 200 acres of unimproved land. 

The airport’s 73 T-hangars are presently fully leased, which Hill noted is “a marker of people’s desire to be at our airport. We’re here to support that and love to see the growth and development that’s coming.”

Parker echoed Hill’s excitement about the prospects for the facility.

“As far as private, corporate, and commercial hangars, we probably have I’d say around 200,000 square feet,” said Parker We have two large commercial hangars that both themselves are just under 100,000 square feet. But everything is full. Everybody helps us out with our long T-hangar waitlist and other waitlists by subleasing to other folks to help out with that and get more airplanes inside hangars. We are currently working with some property companies that are interested in possibly building more T-hangars.

“And, of course, we’ve got various people that we’re working with in different stages of building more hangars here, both corporate and private.”

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