2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Surf Air Technologies subsidiary will develop "SurfOS" software

Surf Air Mobility Introduces Software for Electric Aircraft 

Charles Alcock

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

The company intends for its hybrid-electric aircraft to need no more than 300 feet for takeoffs and landings

Electra Exceeds STOL Performance Targets in Test Flights

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

The Army and Air Force are also eyeing the hybrid-electric aircraft

U.S. Navy Assesses Electra eSTOL Aircraft for Ship-based Operations 

Gregory Polek

Small Business Innovation Research contract explores blown-wing tech

Electra Wins $1.9 Million Army Contract for Wind Tunnel Tests

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

The operator is a spinoff from AAM infrastructure group Skyportz

Wilbur Air Will Operate Electra's eSTOL Aircraft in Australia

Surf Air Mobility has confirmed its intention to include Electra’s hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft in its planned fleet. Under an agreement announced on Thursday, the U.S. regional air services group said it has secured “preferred delivery positions” for 90 of the nine-passenger aircraft, which are expected to be able to take off and land in just 150 feet.
Electra aims to certify its aircraft under FAA’s Part 23 rules in 2028 and expects to start flight testing a full-scale prototype in 2026. Surf Air said it will deploy the aircraft with its Southern Airways Express and Mokulele Airlines subsidiaries.
The two companies will work together to define the most suitable routes for the eSTOL blown-wing design, with Electra maintaining that sectors of between 50 and 500 miles will be the most cost-effective. Under the agreement, Surf Air may also lease the aircraft to other operators providing lift for its regional air mobility network. According to Electra, Surf Air’s “aircraft-as-a-service” approach to providing finance and support for smaller Part 135 operators will help new entrants refresh regional air service with new routes. 
Surf Air is already working&nbsp;to convert the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2024-01-05/east-african-airlines-commit-surf-air-mobilitys-plan-electrify-cessna">Cessna Grand Caravan </a>aircraft to run on a hybrid-electric powertrain it is developing. It has also committed to acquiring&nbsp;Regent’s 12-seat Viceroy electric sea glider.
“[Electra’s] innovations around hybrid-electric, short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft—which can essentially take off and land on a football field-sized space—will unlock tremendous opportunities within the changing landscape of regional air mobility,” commented Surf Air Mobility CEO Stan Little. “We intend to leverage our leading position to become the definitive launch platform for new advanced air mobility aircraft technologies, such as Electra.”
As of January, Electra was reporting provisional sales agreements with around 36 prospective operators covering more than 2,000 of its aircraft. Last year, it started flight testing a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-11-20/electra-starts-flight-tests-hybrid-electric-stol-technology-demonstrator">two-seat technology demonstrator</a> called the Goldfinch.

Managing Editor

Surf Air Mobility Adds Electra's eSTOL Aircraft to Future Fleet Plans

The December 19 announcement by public charter operator JSX that it will renew and expand its fleet with up to 332 hybrid-electric aircraft potentially marks one of the biggest decarbonization initiatives in commercial air transport to date. The agreements with three manufacturers—Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace—include aircraft seating between 9 and 30 passengers, which JSX feels could be the start of a step-change in regional air services across the U.S.
The three agreements include&nbsp;a letter of intent with Electra for 82 of its nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft (32 firm orders and 50 options), up to 150 of Aura Aero’s 19-seat Era model (50 firm plus 100 options), and up to 100 of Heart Aerospace’s 30-seat ES-30 (50 firm and 50 options). According to JSX, it aims to start operating the first of the new aircraft in 2028, without saying which of the three new types will be delivered first.
Also undisclosed for now, are the financial terms for the three provisional sales agreements and whether any deposits have been paid. The three manufacturers have yet to confirm list prices for their aircraft, but the total value of all 332 potential purchases is likely to be considerably more than $2 billion. It is unclear how JSX intends to finance these transactions, and whether any leasing arrangements might be involved.
The Texas-based company’s fleet currently includes 48 of Embraer’s 30-seat ERJ145 aircraft, providing up to 120 public charter flights daily under DOT Part 380 and FAR Part 135 rules to 24 U.S. destinations. Its flights generally operate from private aviation terminals, separate from the main commercial airline terminals at airports.
In October, JSX pushed back against a notice from the FAA that it intends to rethink what services it will permit under Part 380 charter rules. This comes after sustained <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-10-05/battle-airlines-jsx-appeals-support">protests from Part 121 scheduled airlines</a>. In Tuesday’s announcement, the operator pointed to last week’s call by the Biden Administration for the air transport industry to cut carbon emissions and create new jobs as evidence of political support for investments in electric aviation technology.
<article class="align-center media media--type-image media--view-mode-default">
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/JSX%20Hybrid%20Electric%20Route%20Map.png" width="7194" height="4250" alt="JSX's planned U.S. route map for hybrid-electric aircraft">

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 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">JSX plans to significantly expand its services to smaller U.S. cities with its new hybrid-electric aircraft (Image: JSX) </div>
 
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"Today's order of hybrid-electric aircraft exemplifies our commitment to achievable, customer-friendly, carbon-reducing solutions that will offer the lower costs essential to providing vital air service to smaller communities across the country," said JSX CEO and co-founder Alex Wilcox. "As the network airlines order ever-larger aircraft it is inevitable that more and more small markets will be abandoned. Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace are visionary organizations that share in JSX's commitment to serving smaller communities, working together with us to weave sustainable regional air travel back into the fabric of American commerce and freedom of movement."
In April 2021, JSX signed a letter of intent with California start-up Odys Aviation covering provisional orders for 200 of its nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft, plus options for 400 more. The current status of <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-11/odys-secures-funding-develop-hybrid-blown-wing-evtol-aircraft">this agreement</a> is not known.&nbsp;
In May, French start-up <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-21/aura-aero-scores-new-orders-hybrid-electric-airliner">Aura Aero</a>&nbsp;unveiled the design for the ERA (which stands for electric regional aircraft) and said that the design for the aircraft is now frozen. This will feature eight electric motors, a pair of turbogenerators, and four battery packs, and it has a projected range of up to 1,000 miles.
<article class="align-center media media--type-image media--view-mode-default">
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/ERA-JSX-%C2%A9AURA%20AERO.png" width="2250" height="1500" alt="Aura Aero's 19-seat Electric Regional Aircraft">

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 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">France-based Aura Aero is developing the 19-seat Electric Regional Aircraft (Image: Aura Aero)</div>
 
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Sweden’s Heart Aerospace expects the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-15/heart-unveils-plans-30-seat-electric-regional-airliner-new-backers">ES-30</a> to have a hybrid-electric range of 250 miles, which would decrease to 125 miles&nbsp;when flying solely on battery power or increase to 500 miles&nbsp;when carrying just 25 passengers. The Swedish company says it now holds 250 firm orders, plus options and purchase rights for 120 more and letters of intent covering another 191 units.
Virginia-based <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-11-20/electra-starts-flight-tests-hybrid-electric-stol-technology-demonstrator">Electra</a>&nbsp;is developing a blown-wing design that it says will allow the aircraft to use landing sites as compact as 300 by 100 feet. Its unnamed aircraft is expected to have a range of up to 500 miles. In November, the company started flight-testing a sub-scale technology demonstrator called the EL-2 Goldfinch. Its backlog of firm orders and commitments for more than 1,800 aircraft also includes operators such as helicopter group Bristow.
<article class="align-center media media--type-image media--view-mode-default">
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/JSX%20Electra.png" width="1970" height="1100" alt="Electra's nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft">

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 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Electra’s nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft uses a blown-wing design to be able to land and take off from no more than 300 feet of runway. (Image: Electra)</div>
 
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Charter Operator JSX Says It Will Buy a Trio of Hybrid-Electric Aircraft

Bristow Group has stepped up its plans to be the launch operator for Electra.aero’s hybrid-electric STOL aircraft by placing deposits to secure an initial five delivery positions. The agreement announced on Wednesday is based on a memorandum of understanding the helicopter operator signed with Electra in 2021. It covers&nbsp;a preorder for up to 50 of the aircraft, which&nbsp;will be able to carry nine passengers or cargo.
According to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-03/helicopter-veteran-seeks-leading-role-advanced-air-mobility-revolution">Bristow</a>, it plans to deploy the blown-wing aircraft for passenger flights of between 50 and 500 miles, with type certification and entry into service targeted for 2028. The Houston-based group, which is active in the offshore oil and gas support market, did not disclose the size of the deposit placed to secure the orders.
Bristow has already established partnerships and made provisional sales agreements with multiple eVTOL aircraft developers. These include Volocopter, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-08-23/bristow-pilot-test-flies-betas-alia-electric-airplane">Beta Technologies</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-12/bristow-commits-ordering-100-chaparral-vtol-freighters-elroy-air">Elroy Air</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-18/bristow-plans-lilium-jet-evtol-purchase-part-wider-partnership">Lilium</a>, Overair, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-22/bristow-expands-fleet-electrification-plan-orders-vertical-aerospace-evtols">Vertical Aerospace</a>.
“With this early delivery position, Bristow looks forward to being among the first advanced air mobility companies to add the Electra eSTOL aircraft to our fleet and offer our customers the advantages of this new class of aircraft,” said Dave Stepanek, the operator’s executive vice president and chief transformation officer. “Bristow provides safe, efficient, sustainable, and accessible air travel solutions to our customers, and Electra’s eSTOL aircraft aligns perfectly with our vision while enabling new markets at substantially lower operating costs.”
<h3 class="subheading">Airports Not Required for Short-takeoff Aircraft</h3>
The as-yet-unnamed aircraft is expected to take off with ground rolls as short as 150 feet, allowing it to operate from short landing strips of around 300 feet in length, including sites in urban areas. The company is projecting an operating range of up to 500 miles and speeds of 200 mph and expects its ability to access places not previously open to fixed-wing aircraft to support multiple new civil and military applications.&nbsp;
Blown-wing technology (sometimes referred to as "blown lift") involves an aerodynamic effect in which—by increasing the flow of air over the wing—the lift is generated at a much slower airspeed than with conventional aircraft. This is a key factor in the anticipated <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-28/how-electra-plans-deliver-fixed-wing-payload-and-range-helicopter-habitats">STOL performance </a>of Electra’s design and also is expected to improve energy efficiency.
According to Electra, more than 30 prospective operators have placed preorders for more than 1,700 of the aircraft. This backlog is provisionally valued at more than $6 billion.
“We deeply value our partnership with Bristow Group and the 75-plus years of experience they bring to our development program as our principal launch operational customers,” said Electra’s chair and CEO, John Langford. “This cash deposit is a real show of confidence in our eSTOL aircraft and a validation of our development roadmap.”
Earlier this month, Electra started test flights with the two-seat technology demonstrator it is using to develop the full-scale production aircraft. The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-12/electra-rolls-out-estol-technology-demonstrator-aircraft-ahead-flight">EL-2 Goldfinch</a> first took off from the company’s headquarters at Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia on November 11 for an all-electric flight&nbsp;and used hybrid-electric power for a second flight on November 19.
<figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center">
<article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-default">
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/Electra%20FirstFlight_Credit%20Taylor%20Mickal_Electra.jpg" width="2043" height="1362" alt="Electra has started test flights with its EL-2 Goldfinch technology demonstrator aircraft" title="Electra has started test flights with its EL-2 Goldfinch technology demonstrator aircraft. (Electra/Taylor Mickal)">

</div>
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Electra has started test flights with its EL-2 Goldfinch technology demonstrator aircraft. (Electra/Taylor Mickal)</div>
 
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<figcaption>Electra has started test flights with its EL-2 Goldfinch technology demonstrator aircraft. (Electra/Taylor Mickal)</figcaption>
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Bristow Places Deposits for Early Delivery of Electra's eSTOL Aircraft

Electra.aero has started test flights with the two-seat technology demonstrator it is using to develop its nine-passenger hybrid-electric STOL aircraft. On Monday, the company announced that the EL-2 Goldfinch first took off from the company’s headquarters at Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia on November 11 for an all-electric flight&nbsp;and used hybrid-electric power for a second flight on November 19.
According to Electra’s vice president and general manager, JP Stewart, the hybrid-electric flight lasted 23 minutes, reaching an altitude of 3,200 feet and covering a distance of around 30 miles. For both this and the earlier flight, Cody Allee was the pilot. "We have already explored the stability and control of the aircraft and will now start expanding the envelope at higher and lower speeds at higher altitudes, and will then work on STOL takeoffs and landings, as well as demonstrating the acoustics," Stewart explained to AIN.
Electra <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-12/electra-rolls-out-estol-technology-demonstrator-aircraft-ahead-flight">unveiled the Goldfinch</a>, which is about the size of a Cessna 172 light aircraft, at an event on June 12. Like the planned full-scale production aircraft, it features a blown lift wing design and a distributed electric propulsion system consisting of eight motors and a turbogenerator that recharges batteries in flight. 
Blown-wing technology (sometimes referred to as "blown lift") involves an aerodynamic effect in which—by increasing the flow of air over the wing—the lift is generated at a much slower airspeed than with conventional aircraft. This is a key factor in the anticipated STOL performance of Electra’s design and also is expected to improve energy efficiency.
<h3 class="subheading">Full-scale Prototype in Development</h3>
Flight data from the test campaign will be used to complete the design of a full-scale prototype that Electra aims to have ready to fly in 2026. It is targeting type certification under FAA’s Part 23 rules in 2028. The U.S. Air Force has contributed $30 million towards an $85 million fund also supported by private sector contributions to finance the work.
Work on a full-scale pre-production prototype is being supported by a&nbsp;previously announced strategic funding increase (STRATFI) partnership valued at up to&nbsp;$85 million. This includes $30 million from&nbsp;the U.S. Air Force's Afwerx Agility Prime program, as well as private investments and matching&nbsp;Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding.
In June, Electra announced that <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-22/safran-turbogenerator-power-electras-full-scale-hestol-prototype">Safran is developing</a> a 600-kilowatt electric propulsion system for the nine-passenger aircraft. This unit will include a gas turbine based on the French group’s Arrano turboshaft engine driving GeneUs electric motors.
The production version of the Electra aircraft will have ground rolls as short as 150 feet, allowing it to operate from short landing strips of around 300 feet in length, including sites in urban areas. The company is projecting an operating range of up to 500 miles and speeds of 200 mph and expects its ability to access places not previously open to fixed-wing aircraft to support multiple new civil and military applications.&nbsp;
“The aim of Electra is to fill a gap in air travel between 50 and 500 miles, where most trips today are made by automobile,"&nbsp;said Electra founder and CEO John Langford.&nbsp;"The key to saving time is to operate close in, which means getting in and out of small spaces quietly and safely, while still being fast enough to cover long distances. Electra will be able to take you from downtown Manhattan not only to [New York] Kennedy Airport but to Washington, D.C. It will bring air service to thousands of communities where air travel today is not a practical or affordable option. It also opens vast new opportunities for middle-mile cargo logistics.”
According to Electra, more than 30 prospective operators have placed preorders for more than 1,700 of the aircraft. This backlog is provisionally valued at more than $6 billion.

Electra Starts Flight Tests with Hybrid-Electric STOL Technology Demonstrator Aircraft

Safran Helicopter Engines will develop the 600-kilowatt&nbsp;turbogenerator propulsion system for the prototype of Electra.aero’s nine-passenger, hybrid-electric&nbsp;short-takeoff-and-landing (HeSTOL) aircraft, the companies revealed this week at the 2023 Paris Airshow.
Earlier this month, Electra <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-12/electra-rolls-out-estol-technology-demonstrator-aircraft-ahead-flight">rolled out a two-seat technology demonstrator</a> vehicle, which uses blown lift via distributed electric propulsion. It plans to be ready to fly the full-scale prototype in 2025 as it advances toward FAA Part 23 certification in 2028.
According to Electra, the Safran turbogenerator is the heart of the as-yet-unnamed eSTOL’s hybrid-electric propulsion architecture. The turbogenerator includes a gas turbine based on Safran’s Arrano turboshaft engine driving two GENeUS electric generators, as well as an electrical power management system. Safran said it has already ground-tested several types of turbogenerators at various power levels.
“We’ve closely evaluated the advanced air mobility market, and we believe the Electra eSTOL offers groundbreaking capability in a practical design that meets market needs of both today and tomorrow while being backed by a team with decades of experience to enable its success,” said Safran Helicopter Engines executive v-p of OEM sales Florent Chauvancy.
“We will be bringing to their project all the expertise we have independently developed in the field of hybrid-electric propulsion, combining electric and thermal energy sources, to develop the right turbogenerator for Electra’s first nine-passenger prototype aircraft.”
J.P. “James” Stewart, Electra’s v-p and general manager, explained that “hybrid propulsion is key to providing emissions and cost reductions while preserving useful payloads, ranges, and speeds.”

Electra

News

Surf Air Mobility Introduces Software for Electric Aircraft

Electra Exceeds STOL Performance Targets in Test Flights

U.S. Navy Assesses Electra eSTOL Aircraft for Ship-based Operations

Electra Wins $1.9 Million Army Contract for Wind Tunnel Tests

Wilbur Air Will Operate Electra's eSTOL Aircraft in Australia

Surf Air Mobility Adds Electra's eSTOL Aircraft to Future Fleet Plans

Charter Operator JSX Says It Will Buy a Trio of Hybrid-Electric Aircraft

Bristow Places Deposits for Early Delivery of Electra's eSTOL Aircraft

Electra Starts Flight Tests with Hybrid-Electric STOL Technology Demonstrator Aircraft

Safran Turbogenerator To Power Electra's Full-scale HeSTOL Prototype

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