We Like the Epic E1000 AX, Freaconomics Blames Bizav

✈️ The VIP Seat Weekly

Your business aviation hot takes, served fresh

This week: We're covering major sponsorship shifts, legal victories for charter operators, manufacturing milestones, and policy debates that could reshape our industry.

Season 2, Episode 17 | September 25th, 2025 | Episode Companion

🛫 The Runway Report

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

1️⃣ Flyhouse Takes Over College GameDay from Wheels Up

In a significant sponsorship shift, Flyhouse has announced a new collaboration with ESPN as the official private aviation provider for College GameDay and Monday Night Countdown, effectively ending Wheels Up's long-standing relationship with the sports network.

What this means: This marks another major marketing investment for Flyhouse, following their partnerships with the New York Jets, NHL events, and SailGP. Are these broad-market sponsorships effective targeted customer acquisition in the charter industry? We discuss.

The bigger picture: While college kids wearing Flyhouse hats might not represent their core demographic, the real value may lie in client entertainment and deal-closing opportunities rather than top-of-funnel brand recognition.

2️⃣ Federal Court Victory: JSX and By-The-Seat Operators Win Big

The federal appeals court has overturned Westchester County Airport's attempt to force JSX and other by-the-seat operators out of private terminals, delivering a decisive win for the industry.

Key ruling: The court found that Westchester's terminal-only requirements constitute "access restrictions" under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990, which requires DOT approval for such limitations. The airport's 2005 rules were ruled preempted by federal law.

Industry impact: This precedent should make other airport authorities think twice before trying to regulate private aviation out of existence. The ruling reinforces that airports receiving federal grants must provide nondiscriminatory access and can't arbitrarily exclude legitimate operators.

Looking ahead: While this is a clear victory, airlines and their allies will likely continue pushing back against by-the-seat services. Operators like JSX, Aero, and Blade should stay vigilant as the political and regulatory pressure continues.

3️⃣ Epic Aircraft Reaches 100-Delivery Milestone

Epic Aircraft has delivered its 100th certified E1000 single-engine turboprop, marking a significant milestone for the Oregon-based manufacturer just five years after achieving certification.

The numbers: Starting with zero deliveries in 2020 due to COVID-19, Epic delivered 9 aircraft in 2021 and ramped up to 26 in 2024 - a 288% increase. The fleet has now accumulated over 41,000 flight hours.

Why it matters: The E1000 is square in the single engine turboprop battle against the TBM 960 and the Piper M600. Here’s the numbers:

• Max cruise speed of 333 knots (faster than most turboprops)

• Range of 1,560 nautical miles

• Service ceiling of 34,000 feet

• All-carbon fiber construction

• Advanced Garmin G1000 NXi avionics

Our Take: We like it. It could really have some legs in the private aviation industry, especially as air taxi providers may consider it for short hops up and down the west coast or in the densely populated northeast.

4️⃣ ATC Debate Heats Up: Freakonomics Takes on Business Aviation

The recent two-part Freakonomics Radio series on air traffic control privatization has put business aviation back in the crosshairs, featuring NBAA President Ed Bolen defending the industry against charges of blocking system improvements.

The accusations: Transportation policy expert Dorothy Robyn argued that corporate jets consume as many ATC resources as airliners but don't pay their "fair share." She specifically called out NBAA as the main obstacle to ATC reform, while giving general aviation pilots a pass.

The response: Bolen pushed back on the podcast, emphasizing business aviation's support for ATC modernization while opposing privatization. He noted that 85% of business aviation companies are small and mid-sized businesses, and argued that airlines would control a privatized system to serve their own interests.

The stakes: With Congress recently approving $12.5 billion for ATC upgrades, this debate is far from academic. Business aviation faces a coordinated effort to paint it as obstructionist, making effective messaging and genuine engagement more critical than ever.

Our take: The industry needs better talking points that address legitimate questions about resource allocation and fair share contributions, rather than relying on standard talking points from decades past.

5️⃣ M&A Update: Bell Air Acquires Red Wing from Vista Global

Vista Global continues reshaping its portfolio, selling Red Wing Aeroplane Company to Bell Air, which immediately rebranded the operation as Jet Excellence.

The transaction: The acquisition includes Red Wing's fleet of Citation X aircraft, which Vista had been trying to sell for some time. The deal allows Vista to focus on its heavy aircraft operations while giving Bell Air significant fleet expansion.

Leadership team: Bell Air brings on Michael Vargo, a former Mountaineer executive with Citation X expertise, alongside founder McQueen Campbell. If anyone can make these older, challenging airframes work economically, this team has the right background.

Industry trend: This represents the healthy M&A activity we like to see in the charter industry, as operators achieve scale and efficiency through strategic combinations.

🤳 Mile High Madness

This week's wildest aviation content from social media

More Detailers Spreading Fake News: Once again, there’s some funny numbers going around on instagram. These people make our jobs hard….

udetailers

144K followers

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✈️ The Final Approach

This week saw a lot of business aviation news. Stay vigilant out there against people trying to smear biz av. Get your talking points. And let them know how much of a huge impact our industry has on the world, for good. Stay cool, and we’ll see you next week.

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)