In this week’s VIP Seat podcast, we talk about:

No Rest for Weary Pilots

European carriers are fighting a new FAA airworthiness directive on the Boeing 787 that aims to restrict the recline on crew seats; during a rapid decompression event, the cockpit door can swing open and strike crew members in the head, potentially a fatal blow. European regulations, however, allow pilots to nap (“Controlled rest”) in the cockpit, and argue the seat recline is essential for the quality of the rest for crew members.

VistaJet Battles Press, Competitors

The Wall Street Journal picked up the ongoing battle between AirX and VistaJet. The highly public (via LinkedIn posts by CEO John Matthews) dispute involves the AirX leader and employee’s Whats App text groups and posts doubting VistaJet’s financial performance. VistaJet has accused the CEO, and his team, of “malevolent, negligent and egregious conduct” in a lawsuit that claims over $400 million in damages. Fitch has maintained VistaJet’s bond ratings, and the firm’s EBITDAR grew from $663 million in 2022 to $704 million in 2023 after a 17% increase in flight activity.

Aircraft Thief is on the Run in California

Despite an extensive search by police using drones and canines, a would-be aircraft thief in Sonoma is still on the run. The suspect breached the airport in an area where fence construction is underway and attempted to steal not one but two aircraft. The suspect first approached an aircraft idling and was thwarted by the mechanic kicking him away, and then proceeded into the hangar to attempt to steal another.

Jet In and Out, now just Out

Jet Aviation purchased Jet In’s Milwaukee FBO just a year after construction. Jet Out sells tenant-in-common aircraft ownership and had previously claimed that the FBO allowed it to reduce costs for its owners: “Jet Out saves money by owning its own FBO at MKE. It has in-house maintenance. It only flies new, more reliable, efficient aircraft that are under warranty.” Private Jet Card Comparisons had estimated of its Cessna Citation 4 GEN2 program: “If you estimate the residual value at the end of your five-year contract of 50%, based on 250 hours of flying per year, you come out at $5,231 per hour.”

Hot Air Balloon Strikes Radio Tower, Again

Last week, at the world-famous Albuquerque hot air balloon festival, one of the balloons struck and collapsed a radio tower. This is not the first time the tower has been struck; while there were no fatalities, the last time the tower was struck, the passengers had to climb down the radio tower to safety. Also, “A balloon bumped into a power line earlier this week in Albuquerque on the festival’s third day, leaving nearly 13,000 customers without power for almost an hour.” (Associated Press). While hot air balloons only account for around 1 fatality per year, one study found that in 83% of accidents one or more fatal consequences occur.