Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

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SmartSky Networks next-generation air-to-ground (ATG) network provides an unmatched connected experience inflight for both cabin and crew.

Banyan Air Service&nbsp;is completing the first installation of the SmartSky LITE air-to-ground connectivity system on an HA-420 HondaJet, the companies said late last week. The project supports&nbsp;the recent deal between Volato and SmartSky<a href="http://email.xenophonstrategies.com/c/eJw0zj2u6yAQQOHV2B0RzGADBcVrvA9-hhjFgTw8SW52f6VItz9H-rI3IRQ3k1dG2hW0W_W8e0SjjVqSQuUyFa3Kmg2YJaPGBVHN1YMELQFAWQkaL1AMrasNeqFIIedJyx9q_bH3dvIITNdK5yX1-3z4nflxTvhvgm2C7byHweft04jffdy-0QTbqx-Bu-Au6P-zPkQZIXHtLRyiHEQs3pV38TeL2spRrzuL1FujxPVV-TPBNg-feIQnv4iZxqRlqK23ozb6athrnZxKtsiMIcSsLVDJKSO6qLJUdmZfIMZIi4NoKS4qxoWMtavLUSKWNf0GAAD___AKaV8" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a>to equip Volato’s HondaJet fractional fleet of 20 new aircraft and paves the way for other HondaJets in service to feature the SmartSky system.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Banyan is an authorized HondaJet service center and plans to complete the installation in its facilities at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The companies expect project completion during this year’s second quarter following other maintenance and updates on the aircraft.
“This exciting installation project makes the groundbreaking technology pioneered by SmartSky available for Volato," said Banyan Air Service director of avionics Danny Santiago. “It is especially exciting because SmartSky LITE brings streaming-level, no-device-limits connectivity to light jets, for the first time ever. This will elevate the flying experience for owners and operators of this class of aircraft who are seeking a high-performing, streaming-capable, in-flight ATG connectivity solution for light jets like the HA420.”
Along with the installation deal, the two companies recently signed a&nbsp;strategic agreement&nbsp;for Banyan to provide full-scale maintenance for the HondaJet fleet on-site at Volato’s primary base in St. Augustine, Florida.&nbsp;
“Volato is hyper-focused on delivering the best possible customer experience,” said Volato CEO Mike Pracher. “With the addition of SmartSky technology to our HondaJet floating fleet, our customers will be able to live stream sports, make video calls, send large documents, and connect as they desire.”

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Banyan Air Service is completing the first installation of the SmartSky LITE air-to-ground connectivity system on a HA-420 HondaJet.

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In this article

HondaJet HA-420 Series

Volato

SmartSky Networks

Banyan Air Service

Honda Aircraft

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