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Snoop Dogg's Jet to Eve's $230M raise: Private Aviation in the Headlines

Plus, we break down some key safety statistics on this week's show.

AuthorAuthor

Jessica Naor & Preston Holland
August 20, 2025

✈️ The VIP Seat Weekly

Your business aviation hot takes, served fresh

This week: EVE Air Mobility goes public with Brazilian government backing, FAA teases automation framework announcement, pilot intoxication incidents pile up, solar plane altitude record barely improves, and 2025 safety trends worsen.

Season 2, Episode 12 | August 20th, 2025 | Episode Companion

🛫 The Runway Report

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

1️⃣ Brazil Backs EVE eVTOL with Government Cash

Dance Dancing GIF

Gif by leschlogl on Giphy

The Scoop: EVE Air Mobility went public on both Brazilian and US stock exchanges with backing from BNDESPAR, Brazil's development bank subsidiary. They raised capital via registered direct offering at $4.85/share, though the stock slid to $4.26 after trading over $7 in July.

Our Take: While US eVTOL companies struggle for private funding, Brazil's putting government money behind Embraer's urban air mobility play. Smart move - Brazil already has extensive heliport infrastructure and helicopter commuting culture due to safety concerns. This signals serious sovereign support for the technology.

2️⃣ FAA Plans to Plan Automation Framework (Eventually)

The Scoop: The FAA announced they'll soon release an automation framework document to clarify their approach to autonomous flight systems. This comes as pressure mounts from government officials to make actual progress on semi-autonomous and pilot-assisted flight technologies.

Our Take: Nothing moves faster than the government planning to have a plan to have a plan. But seriously, we need this - from Garmin Autoland to pilot-assisted vision systems, automation is already here. The question isn't whether it's coming, it's how fast the FAA can catch up to reality.

3️⃣ Pilots Gone Wild: Naked Bar Crawls and Sobriety Tests

flying den haag GIF by Rotterdam The Hague Airport

Gif by rotterdamthehagueairport on Giphy

The Scoop: Two pilot intoxication stories hit the news: an EasyJet captain showed up naked in a hotel bar 13 hours before his flight (replaced by backup crew), and body cam footage surfaced of a Southwest pilot doing roadside sobriety tests before a flight.

Our Take: Eight hours bottle-to-throttle isn't just a guideline, it's life-or-death serious. The naked bar incident is funny until you realize this represents a real alcohol problem in commercial aviation. Also, are field sobriety tests better than just a good old fashioned breathalyzer?

4️⃣ Solar Plane Sets Unimpressive Altitude Record

The Scoop: Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan set a new electric solar plane altitude record of 9,521 meters (31,200 feet) - barely beating his own 2010 record by 300 meters. He was aiming for 10,000 meters but fell short during the 5-hour flight.

Our Take: After 15 years of development, gaining 1,000 feet isn't exactly revolutionary progress. The 80-foot wingspan carrying 200 square feet of solar panels shows the massive engineering challenges. Cool tech demo, but we're nowhere near practical solar aviation.

The Scoop: ICAO reports global aviation accidents rose to 95 in 2024 (up from 66 in 2023), with fatalities jumping to 296 from 72. Jessie's flyingprivate.org data shows 2025 Part 135 incidents tracking toward 2022's worst levels despite increased traffic.

Our Take: This isn't just media coverage - the trend is real and concerning. Post-COVID training gaps, green pilots, and systemic issues are showing up in the data. Time to get back to SMS basics and take every incident seriously, even the minor ones that don't make headlines.

Links: ICAO safety report | Check out flyingprivate.org incident tracking

🤳 Mile High Madness

This week's wildest aviation content from social media

Jessie's Snoop Dogg & Dog Duo: The hip-hop legend posted photos flying private with his actual dog, and we're pretty sure that's the most "smoking allowed" aircraft in the sky. Celebrities are back to flaunting private jet usage instead of hiding it - refreshing honesty in the post-shame era.

Preston's Grant Cardone Mystery Machine: Spotted a Falcon 900 with "10X" branding at OPF, registered N10X. This is neither the Gulfstream he sold nor the Global 7500 he was supposedly buying. Plot twist: he was posting about hiring pilots for a 2024 Global 7500. Grant doesn't do anything subtly, so the mystery continues.

⚡ Quick Hits

Other stories on our radar

  • Jessie's Aviation Week Op-Ed - Watch for a spicy piece on air traffic control privatization dropping this week

  • Preston's Bloomberg Radio - Appearing after Labor Day to demystify private aviation for the masses

  • Theme Music Needed - Still looking for Mile High Madness intro music from talented subscribers

🎧 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 start review, and share with your friends!

✈️ The Final Approach

From government corruption to media bias to international trade wars, this industry faces challenges from every angle. But when the New York Times editorial board can't get basic tax facts right, you know we're dealing with agenda-driven journalism, not reporting. Keep fighting the good fight, and keep those fact-checks coming.

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

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