✈️ The VIP Seat Weekly

Your business aviation hot takes, served fresh

February 11, 2026 | Season 3 Episode 6 Companion

Good morning and welcome back to the VIP Seat. This week we have AOPA drama (yes, really), Super Bowl aviation insanity, and a unicorn that actually makes sense. Sit back, buckle up, and let's take off.

This Week’s Episode is Brought To You By:

REAL Jet is built for travelers who want reliability, access, and a real human being on the other end of the phone — someone who knows you, your preferences, your routines, your style. 

With REAL Jet, you get decades of industry experience, 24/7 access to more than fifteen hundred premium aircraft, and a flexible, commitment-free booking model. No memberships. No long-term contracts. Just a team that anticipates your needs and makes every detail feel effortless — the way private flying should be. 

With REAL Jet, you feel the difference from the moment you book. 

REAL People. REAL Trust. REAL Jet.

AOPA Leadership Shakeup

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) board removed President and CEO Darren Pleasance after approximately one year of service. The organization announced that Pleasance would be stepping out of the day-to-day role to serve in an advisory capacity. That's nice corporate speak for he got fired, or at least that's what people are saying online.

The official story? Pleasance wouldn't relocate from his home in Bend, Oregon to AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland. Here's the thing though: the board knew he lived in Bend when they hired him. They agreed he could commute via his own aircraft. So either something else is going on, or someone had a serious change of heart about remote work. Our money is on there being more to this story.

By all accounts, Pleasance was the made-in-the-lab CEO for AOPA. Former Cisco and McKinsey experience, actual GA pilot, genuinely obsessed with airplanes. Plus, let's be real, a lot of what these association presidents do is being on the road at events like Oshkosh and Sun 'n Fun, not sitting in an office in Frederick. The location argument doesn't quite add up.

The decision has sparked a mini rebellion, with industry members filing petitions and pushing back hard on the board's decision. Meanwhile, the organization has appointed the CFO and another executive as interim co-CEOs while they search for a permanent replacement.

Oh, and if you're wondering what's at stake here: former CEO Mark Baker was pulling in about $1.6 million in reportable compensation (not including benefits). That's a lot of $50 annual memberships. We'd probably move to Frederick for that kind of money. Just saying.

Read more about the AOPA leadership change 

Skyryse Raises $300M, Achieves Unicorn Status

Skyryse just raised $300 million at a $1.15 billion valuation, officially joining the unicorn club. In a market where companies like Joby are struggling to raise capital and watching their stock prices slide, this is actually pretty remarkable.

Here's why we think Skyryse is different: they're not trying to reinvent the wheel (or rotor, as it were). Instead of building a whole new aircraft category and begging regulators to create a certification pathway, they're making existing helicopters dramatically easier to fly. It's a joystick. No rudder pedals. The system keeps you in the envelope at all times. Preston flew the simulator and never crashed, which for a non-rotor guy is saying something.

The tech is legitimately cool. They're working on an STC for the Robinson R66 right now, with military applications for platforms like the Blackhawk already in testing. The UI is so intuitive you don't need deep aviation expertise to interface with it. Think about what the sport pilot certificate did for light fixed-wing aircraft, but for helicopters.

This could actually be the path to that whole "where's my flying car" dream people have been chasing. Not some sci-fi eVTOL that needs entirely new regulations, but helicopters you can actually fly without spending years getting rated. Tour operators could let people fly their own tours. Rural residents could actually use helicopters for daily transportation. It fits within the existing regulatory framework (mostly), which is a huge advantage.

Read more about Skyryse's funding round →

FAA Funding Bill Blocks Single-Pilot Research

Buried in the recent government funding package was a provision that prohibits the FAA from using federal funds to research single-pilot operations for commercial aircraft. Translation: airline pilot unions, particularly ALPA, got what they wanted.

Look, we get it. Two pilots in the cockpit makes sense for safety. If something happens to one, the other can land the plane. Totally reasonable. But here's the problem: blocking research doesn't just maintain the status quo, it's actively regressive.

Think about where technology is heading. Garmin has autoland that can literally land a plane if the pilot becomes incapacitated. Automation keeps getting better. Maybe research would conclude that two pilots are absolutely necessary forever. Great! Lock it in. But you have to do the research to know that. Saying "we're not even going to study whether this could work" is just kicking the can down the road.

Meanwhile, Europe is going to keep researching this. So will other countries. The U.S. is basically saying we're going to stick our fingers in our ears while the rest of the world explores what's possible. This doesn't just affect airlines either. It has implications for eVTOL manufacturers, autonomous flight systems, and anyone working on advanced aviation technology.

Read more about the single-pilot research restriction →

Super Bowl Sets Business Aviation Records

If you thought Super Bowl ticket prices were crazy, wait until you hear about the private aviation numbers. Over 800 business jets descended on the Bay Area, with San Jose Airport alone handling 300+ aircraft. This is what happens when the ultra-wealthy all want to be in the same place at the same time.

Two hours after the game ended, 95 jets departed the Bay Area. The total post-game surge was around 500 departures. That's 1,100% more than a normal Sunday at San Jose. The controllers earned their pay that night.

But here's where it gets truly wild: the special event fees. San Jose charged $40,000 just for widebody aircraft to park. Not fuel. Not handling. Not overnight fees. Not hangar. Just the cover charge to get in the door. Light jets paid $5,410. Very light jets paid $4,830. Even if you flew all the way out to Hayward, you're still paying $1,300 for a light jet.

Remember, these fees have exploded from around $500 when they first started to well over $5,000 for most jets today. And people keep paying. Every airport in the Bay Area hit capacity. That's pure supply and demand at work. When you can charge $10,000 to park and still sell out, you're going to charge $10,000.

Read more about Super Bowl private aviation →

Mo Money Mo Problems: Grant Cardone Edition

Grant Cardone is selling his Bombardier Global 7500, which he's called the "love of his life." The reason? Bitcoin crashed. Except then Bitcoin went back up and now he's asking Twitter which ultra-long-range jet he should buy next: Falcon 10X, G800, or Global 8000. So maybe it's not actually about Bitcoin.

The aircraft is listed at "call for price" and has just 190 hours total time with Starlink-ready specs. It's basically new. And if you know anything about Grant's history with aircraft, this sale makes perfect sense once you understand the game.

Here's the pattern: Buy an aircraft in December. Take bonus depreciation. Sell it the next year. Buy another aircraft in December. Take bonus depreciation again. Rinse and repeat. As long as you're using it for legitimate business purposes (and creating social media content about your private jet definitely counts), you can keep this cycle going while minimizing recapture. (Not tax advice… we’re just news commentators, folks).

Grant previously went through a whole public saga leaving Gulfstream for Bombardier, negotiating deals, creating content around the purchase process. The man knows how to blend tax optimization, social media content creation, and genuine aviation enthusiasm into one package. We're not even mad about it. It's actually kind of impressive.

So if you're in the market for a barely-used Global 7500 from a very enthusiastic previous owner, give them a call. Just know that whatever he buys next will probably be for sale again in about 12 months.

Read more about Grant Cardone's aircraft sale →

✈️ Mile High Madness

Jessie's Pick: There is no such thing as a G-VI, Robert. Inspiring speech. Wrong airplane. If you’re buying a Gulfstream, you should probably know what it’s called. The “G-IV, V” naming convention ended decades ago. There’s a G650. There’s a G600. But a G-VI? That’s a song lyric, not a jet. Private aviation isn’t just flex culture — it’s a technical industry built on precision. If you’re going to talk about the asset, at least learn the model.

We love Robert… but aviation geeks do not forgive.

Preston's Pick: When the fire suppression system does more damage than the fire. Accidental hangar foam discharge. Multiple jets covered. Millions in potential corrosion damage. Yes, fire protection matters. But when one misfire creates a second disaster, we have to ask — is this the best solution? Safety isn’t just stopping fires. It’s preventing unnecessary damage, too.

🎧 This Week's Episode

Missed the podcast? Catch up on the full episode at the links below! We would LOVE if you would give us a 5 star review, and share with your friends!

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Website 

The VIP Seat Weekly is the companion newsletter to The VIP Seat podcast. We give you the business aviation hot takes for your commute.

Jessie’s Links:
Private Aviation Safety Alliance
FlyVizor
LinkedIn

Preston’s Links:
Prestige Aircraft Finance
Private Jet Insider (Newsletter)
LinkedIn
X (Formerly Known as Twitter)
FastJets