Hydrogen Takes Off, Dulles People Movers and Freeman Goes FBO Shopping

✈️ The VIP Seat Weekly

Your business aviation hot takes, served fresh

Season 2, Episode 24 | November 19th, 2025 | Episode Companion

🛫 The Runway Report

The top 5 stories from this week's podcast that are moving the needle in bizav

🛫 NBAA Releases a Standard SOP Manual

The NBAA, in partnership with CAE and FlightSafety, has released a fully standardized SOP manual for business aviation. Historically, operators have created manuals by copying bits and pieces from other operations and adjusting them over time. With thousands of Part 135 and Part 91 operations all doing things slightly differently, consistency has been nearly impossible.

This new manual changes that. Training centers are already adopting it, which means pilots, maintenance directors, and chief pilots will all be working from the same baseline. It brings business aviation closer to the level of standardization you would see in airline operations, especially around callouts, flows, and cockpit communication.

What this means:
This is a major safety win. Consistent procedures reduce confusion, reduce error chains, and make pilots more interchangeable across operators. It also reduces reliance on “tribal knowledge” that exists only inside certain flight departments.

The bigger picture:
The FAA has been working on standardized training programs for new aircraft types. The industry is slowly shifting from a fragmented environment to one where common procedures and curriculum define the baseline. This is part of a larger modernization wave.

Read more: NBAA

⚡ Pipistrel’s Electric Velis Electro Earns Canadian Certification

The Pipistrel Velis Electro continues to lead real electric progress. Already certified by EASA, it is now fully certified in Canada. Unlike many EVTOL concepts that generate headlines with little substance behind them, the Velis Electro is a proven, flying aircraft used as a trainer around the world.

It also currently operates in the United States under a Light Sport exemption. This makes it one of the most practical and widely deployed electric aviation platforms in real-world use.

What this means:
For flight schools and early adopters, this provides a quiet, low-cost training option that reduces fuel burn to zero. It also gives regulators a working example of certified electric propulsion, rather than theoretical designs.

The bigger picture:
Batteries still face serious limitations around range, density, and weight. While the Velis is a strong proof of concept, long-haul electric aircraft remain unseen. Still, this is meaningful momentum toward electrification, and far more tangible than the majority of EVTOL concepts circulating today.

Read more: AvBrief

🚐 Dulles Mobile Lounge Accident Injures 18

A Dulles mobile lounge collided with a terminal this week, injuring 18 passengers. These towering “people movers” have been a controversial and outdated part of Dulles infrastructure for decades. They can carry over 100 people, provide limited seating, and offer no seatbelts. Many international passengers encounter them immediately after long-haul flights, often while juggling luggage and fatigue.

And apparently, these vehicles have been involved in more than a dozen incidents over the last decade, including at least one fatality. The lack of restraint systems contributes to higher injury risk during abrupt stops or collisions. We think this means that its riskier to get on a people mover than a commercial aircraft, statistically?

What this means:
This incident highlights the safety flaws of using aging people-mover systems that are no longer aligned with modern airport design standards. Many airports have retired similar systems in favor of rail or underground transport.

The bigger picture:
Airports nationwide are facing infrastructure decisions as facilities age. Dulles’s mobile lounges represent a legacy system from another era, and incidents like this accelerate pressure to update passenger movement strategies.

Read more: Avweb

🛩️ FAA and DOT Cancel Private Jet Restrictions at 12 Major Airports

During the FAA shutdowns last week, private jet travel was restricted in 12 major airports and limited at the 40 top airports in the country. Now that the ban has been lifted, it may have opened the door for future regulation on private aviation travel. When you give an inch, they may take a mile… Some activist groups have already gotten loud about banning private travel altogether.

What this means:
The precedent has now been set to limit GA travel into major airports, so there may be a push for policies to limit travel at the hubs.

The bigger picture:
Competition for slots at major airports is ongoing, and tensions will continue between commercial airlines, local governments, and business aviation. This decision, however, may have longer term ramifcations.

Read more: Private Jet Card Comparisons

📍 Waco FBO Changes Hands

The FBO in Waco, Texas has officially changed ownership. Freeman Holdings Group has purchased the Texas Aero, the lone provider at the Waco regional airport. These regional FBO transactions often fly under the radar but are early signals of larger consolidation patterns within aviation services. Ownership changes can bring improvements in service, shifts in pricing, and expanded capabilities depending on the new operator’s strategy.

What this means:
Operators flying into Waco may see changes in the coming months, ranging from facility upgrades to fuel pricing adjustments.

The bigger picture:
As interest rates move and aviation spending remains strong, more FBOs across secondary markets may be acquired or consolidated. These moves often indicate broader trends about capital flows into aviation infrastructure.

Read more: AIN online

🤳 Mile High Madness

This week's wildest aviation content from social media

The Airbus Barking Dog Sound. Jessie finally solved the mystery behind that unmistakable Airbus whine during pushback. It is the PTU, the Power Transfer Unit, and now you can impress your seatmate with this newfound wisdom.

The Shark Jet. The Embraer ProfitHunter appeared again with one of the most outrageous liveries in aviation. It looks artificial, but it is completely real and remains one of the boldest paint jobs flying.

🎧 This Week's Episode

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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)