BCA editors and our business aviation colleagues from the Aviation Week Network have hand picked the stories we published in 2017 that you won’t want to miss.

Molly McMillin
Managing Editor, The Weekly of Business Aviation

It’s difficult to beat the 2017 Purchase Planning Guide and its updates and performance and comparison tables. As for stories, I recommend Fred George’s Operators Survey about the Bombardier Learjet 70/75 in the April issue as well as David Esler’s “New Concepts in Charter,” part one and part two, in the April and May editions.

Michele Markarian
Director, Strategic Accounts, Air Charter Guide

The two articles that really caught my attention, because they were a little outside of the box, were “Team Green” by Kirby Harrison in the October issue and “A Somber Secret” by Patrick Veillette in the August issue.

People outside of the industry always think of business aviation as an energy hog, but Harrison highlights those companies, from manufacturers to FBOs, that are taking responsibility to ensure a cleaner, greener environment.

Veillette outlines a bold, comprehensive and honest look at pilot depression, which is amplified by lack of sleep and exposure to certain compounds and vapors in the cabin. Both are very informative and engaging articles.

Justin Marciniak
Product Manager, BCA

“ATC Privatization — Pro & Con” by David Esler, February 2017

In the summer of 2016, I attended the NATA Aviation Business Conference on Capitol Hill. The big issue facing the alphabet organizations at the time was a House proposal to create, as David Esler describes it in his article, “a nonprofit, self-financed, non-share air traffic control and modernization corporation modeled after Nav Canada.” The FAA would be out of the air traffic control business. Would business aviation be out of luck?

Not quite yet. ATC privatization loomed over NBAA-BACE once again this autumn. The issue remains unresolved and precarious for now. And Esler’s piece remains evergreen.

His feature is a valuable reader service and resource about the issue because he gives space to explain the positions of the interested parties in depth, not in sound bites.

It is also a fascinating political conflict story involving perhaps unexpected alliances, influence and compelling arguments.

Paul Wyatt
Data Analysis Manager, AC-U-KWIK
Consulting Editor, Aircraft Bluebook

“Reaching the Unreachables” by Fred George, May 2017

Fred George’s article “Reaching the Unreachables” focused on poor risk assessment that plagues several in the corporate pilot ranks. Fred describes an exercise that was used by Jerome I. Berlin, Ph.D., that puts living pilots in a simulated scenario that forces them to apologize to family members after their deaths … haunting as Fred conjectures in the article what that conversation might be like for pilots of the GIV that crashed in Bedford in 2014.

Bettina Gentile
Product Director, Air Charter Guide

I loved this two-part report on how modern technology and habits have changed the business charter world. From “common carriage” concepts to “member-only” clubs, private charter as we know it has and will continue to change. Because I’ve been with Air Charter Guide since 1996, I especially enjoyed this latest study of the historical business aviation evolution and current skyscape.

Elizabeth Zlitni
Director of Sales, Business Aviation

This two-part series provided insight into Part 135 operators and the changes in the wake of technology. With an overview of membership, fractional, crowd-sourcing and traditional charter, we learn the options available in private flight. It’s a “Festivus for the rest of us” who don’t or can’t own their own jet.

“Driving Drones” by Bob Howie, July 2017

This informative article pieced the connection for the many ways aerial flight creates business opportunity. It was nice to read about the journey this couple navigated as Lone Star Drones makes its way as a business-centric organization.

William Garvey

Editor-in-Chief, BCA