Today’s Top Pick is a 1991 Antonov An-2 Turbine Amphibian.

The Antonov An-2, a Russian design dating to 1947, has been a common sight in Soviet and former Soviet countries for decades. Pilots in the U.S. have been fascinated by these utility aircraft for their load-carrying and slow-flight capability, short-field performance, and versatility.

The aircraft for sale here is set up for adventure, like a recreational vehicle that happens to fly. The An-2 has a roomy cabin that historically has been used for hauling cargo but is easily adaptable for passengers. With the addition of amphibian floats, there are few places that this aircraft cannot access. The turbine conversion promises to boost the aircraft’s load capacity significantly and add a few knots of cruising speed as well. Just imagine the reaction when you taxi to the dock in this machine.

This 1991 Antonov AN-2 has 19,089 hours on the airframe and was converted from its original Shvetsov 9-cylinder radial engine to a Garrett/Honeywell TFE-331-12 turbine engine and a Hartzell five-blade propeller. Its panel includes a three-screen Garmin G3X Touch, L-3 Avionics Skywatch 497 active traffic, Electronics International FP5L fuel totalizer, and  remote camera system for confirmation of gear position. The aircraft is equipped with carbon fiber floats and comes with a Honda generator for remote power and charging.

Pilots who have always wanted an RV with wings for exploring far beyond the nearest runway should consider this 1991 Antonov AN-2 amphibian, which  is available for $1.8 million on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

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The new program, in which Textron Aviation collaborates with aviation sustainability company 4AIR, is scheduled to begin in January 2024. Under SustainableAdvantage, which will be available to eligible customers who own and operate Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker turbine aircraft, customers will receive factory-direct support, maintenance, and modifications from Textron through its global network of service centers.

• READ MORE: General Aviation Has a Great Sustainability Story To Tell

“Owners have increasingly become interested in solutions that mitigate the carbon footprint of operating their aircraft,” said Brad White, Textron Aviation’s senior vice president of global parts and programs. “SustainableAdvantage provides them the opportunity to have a seamless option to offset their carbon emissions through a Textron Aviation approved program and supplier.”

SustainableAdvantage will connect owners to 4AIR, a pioneer in offering comprehensive sustainability solutions for business aviation. These include carbon offsets that reduce emissions elsewhere and can be claimed against the carbon footprint of operating aircraft.

• READ MORE: A Sustainable Purchase for Textron

“Our relationship with Textron Aviation acknowledges the many strides we have made in the industry to make sustainability more accessible,” said Nancy Bsales, chief operating officer of 4AIR. “We are excited to provide Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker owners with sustainable solutions that address and meet their environmental commitments and goals.”

For owners who choose to join SustainableAdvantage, 4AIR will provide an annual report documenting their offset purchases. 4AIR also offers monitoring and compliance reporting requirements for the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and the European Union, French, and United Kingdom Emissions Trading System (ETS).

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Total billings are on track to surpass 2022 as well, with $14.478 billion in airplane billings through the third quarter, and $2.695 billion in helicopter billings thus far. Totals through Q3 2022 were $14.117 billion and $2.557 billion, respectively.

• READ MORE: Aircraft Deliveries Up in Q3 Across All Segments

Positive upticks in each segment point to the resilience of the OEMs involved, in spite of lingering supply chain and workforce issues, and the compounding global instability wrought by conflict in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. With the recent appointment of a permanent FAA administrator, the industry looks to achieve better results in aircraft certification and other processes requiring agency collaboration and approval.

“General aviation is the planet’s aerospace technology incubator that drives safety and sustainability benefits to our transportation systems and economies,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA president and CEO, in a statement. “We are laser focused on safety, technology, and sustainability initiatives to maintain and expand our industry’s steadfast growth into the future. To achieve this, it is imperative that there is stability within our industry’s regulatory bodies, and having a new permanent leader at the top of the FAA is a great start. It is also essential that Congress act now to pass an FAA reauthorization bill that provides the new administrator and agency with the necessary direction and tools to strengthen and enhance the aviation system.”

Piston, Turboprop Market Strength

Drivers in the change clearly come from the lighter end of the GA space, with the increase in piston and turboprop shipments for the nine-month period coming in at 11.9 and 14.6 percent, respectively. The major piston OEMs—including Cirrus, Diamond, Piper, Tecnam, and Textron Aviation—are all on track with higher overall deliveries through the third quarter over 2022 totals, with Cirrus marking the largest gains.

On the turboprop side, Epic is still working to improve its production rate, matching last year’s year-to-date Q3 numbers with 10 deliveries thus far. Pilatus has seen the largest gain with 66 units through Q3 versus 47 over the same period, though Daher, Piper, and Textron Aviation have also posted higher numbers against 2022.

Jets Hang On

With a modest increase of 2 percent, the business jet segment has held its own, but marginally. Delays in the certification of the Dassault Falcon 6X, which finally crossed the finish line over the summer, and the Gulfstream G700—which still has not yet secured its FAA TC—provide some clues. Honda Aircraft Company has also come in below last year’s rate, with 12 delivered through Q3 as opposed to 13 through the same period last year of the HA-420. However, Embraer has pushed ahead, with 66 deliveries on the books of the Phenom 100 and 300 series, and Praetor 500/600s.

Nine-Month Aircraft Shipment and Billing (Q1 through Q3)

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The new location will include nearly 40,000 square feet of floor and office space. According to Dassault, the facility will be capable of accommodating up to five Falcon aircraft at a time as well as having enough room for its upcoming Falcon 10X business jet model. It will hold repair station certifications from the FAA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), Argentina’s National Civil Aviation Administration, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bermuda, and Uruguay’s National Civil Aviation and Aviation Infrastructure Directorate.

• READ MORE: Dassault To Build Major Maintenance Facility in Florida

“Dassault Falcon Jet Catarina will be able to perform line maintenance up to ‘B’ level checks for Brazilian-registered Falcons in the Falcon 7X and Falcon 2000 family as well as a prepurchase evaluation (PPE) program for customers considering purchasing a pre-owned Falcon,” the company said. “PPE operations include a thorough physical evaluation of the aircraft, systems operational checks, and a detailed record search.”

Dassault noted that the Catarina MRO will be authorized for line maintenance and most major inspections on Falcon 50, 900, 2000, 7X, and 8X models. In addition, the site will offer line maintenance on CFE-738, Honeywell TFE731, and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A, PW307D, and PW308C engines. Other capabilities include a full service battery shop and nondestructive testing (NDT) procedures, including penetrant and eddy current testing. 

The facility is scheduled to open in early 2024.

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Today’s Top Pick is a 1973 Dassault Falcon 20F-5.

The Dassault Falcon 20 helped form a wave of speedy early business jets that included the Lear 23, North American Sabreliner, and Lockheed JetStar. The Falcon 20, whose design was based on the company’s Mystère fighter, sought to combine the power and performance of military jets with the luxurious accommodations that appealed to business travelers.

The aircraft’s big break came in the early 1970s when parcel delivery company Federal Express, now FedEx Corp., purchased a fleet of the jets to help start its then-new air express package operation. Company executives picked the Falcon over competing models because of its combination of speed and adaptability to the specialized mission. The jet also was a hit with business customers who appreciated its performance and style.

This 1973 Dassault Falcon 20F-5 has 16,545 hours on the airframe, 2,510 hours on the engines, and has recorded 13,197 landings. The panel includes dual Collins VHF-22D radios, Collins VIR-32 navigation radios, FMS with GPS, Fairchild cockpit voice and flight data recorders, a Collins AP-105 autopilot, dual Collins DME-42s, and a Collins ALT-55B radar altimeter.

The aircraft’s air-conditioned cabin seats nine passengers and two crew, was refurbished in 2020, the same year the exterior was repainted. The cabin includes a galley, sound system, and aft lavatory.

Pilots looking for a jet with high performance, vintage European style, and a roomy cabin should consider this 1973 Dassault Falcon 20F-5, which is available on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

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Ultralong-range, large-cabin aircraft run a close second in delivery quantities, but score more than 60 percent of the sales revenue. The five largest purpose-built business jet manufacturers now have 18 to 24 month backlogs, says Vincent. Gulfstream, Bombardier, and Dassault have $40 billion in total orders, 80 percent of the first half of 2023 market. 

Textron Aviation comes in fourth with a $6.8-billion backlog. Embraer trails in fifth place, but Vincent notes his data does not include NetJet’s order for up to 250 3,200 nm range Praetor 500 jets worth more than $5 billion. NetJets says that the Embraer Phenom 300 is its top requested light jet, helping to bolster Embraer’s order backlog. 

Vincent says that iQ produces “independent, quarterly” research. Four to five hundred owner-operators are contacted four times per year to ask about operations, mood, and purchase intentions. Currently, 55.9 percent of those surveyed believe the market has passed its low point, clearly reflected in the “white hot” demand for business aircraft in 2021 and 2022. 

A soft market correction is in progress. Used aircraft retail transactions have declined to about 2,500, and there are nearly 1,500 pre-owned aircraft on the market in 2023. Aircraft inventories are beginning to correct to historically normal 6.6 percent of the fleet for sale on the used market. But pricing remains strong, notes Paul Carderelli, Jetnet iQ’s sales vice president. 

Vincent believes that taxes, regulation, risk, and border violence in Ukraine, Israel, and possibly Taiwan could be major factors in the future health of the business aviation industry. Operators gradually are becoming more optimistic, and the outlook for 2023 and 2024 is positive. He’s ruled out the risk of a major recession in the U.S. because of strong employment numbers and other indicators, but says that Europe, owing mainly to the economic downturn in Germany, is in a slight recession. 

Business aviation’s main challenges are to create a “sustainable future,” reconstruct “talent pipelines,” improve the “industry’s image,” and adapt to requirements of younger buyers who like the mobility provided by business aircraft but don’t necessarily want to own and operate them. 

A large majority of Jetnet iQ respondents believe that the benefits of business aviation are not well understood by the general public and new entrants into the market will have different requirements and priorities than those over 45 years of age.

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The campaign is considerably broader in scope than NBAA’s and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)’s No Plane, No Gain advocacy program, which launched in February 2009 in the wake of the big three automakers being skewered by Congress and the media for using business jets to fly to Washington, D.C., to seek federal bailouts to avoid bankruptcy. Climbing Fast now replaces No Plane, No Gain.

• READ MORE: No Plane, No Gain

Climbing Fast seeks to educate the public and promote a positive image of business aviation as an ecological means of flying people where they need to go, when they need to go for the benefit of all sectors in the community. It was announced and explained by Bolen, NBAA chairman Monte Koch, GAMA president and CEO Peter Bunce, and GAMA chairman Eric Hinson at a Tuesday morning press breakfast at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas. Bolen said that coalition includes the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Helicopter Association International, the International Aircraft Dealers Association, the International Business Aviation Council, the National Aircraft Finance Association, the National Air Transportation Association, and Women in Corporate Aviation, among advocacy organizations. 

Bunce said business aviation is under attack by European legislators who seek to prohibit any new investment in corporate aircraft. He pointed to the role that GA agricultural aircraft, converted into water bombers, have played in helping to suppress the 2023 Greek wildfires. Bolen added that helicopter operators volunteered to transport more than 35 tons of relief supplies to survivors in Lahaina in the aftermath of its devastating 2023 wildfires. GA aircraft thus provide benefits to entire communities, not just those who operate them. 

Hinson highlighted business aviation as an “innovation incubator,” citing its being an early adopter of ADS-B In, satellite navigation, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF/bio-jet). Bolen said that business aviation is well on its way to attaining net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century, noting that business aircraft emissions have been slashed by 40 percent in the past four decades and that today’s new jets are 30 percent more fuel efficient than the aircraft they replace.

• READ MORE: Net-Zero Emissions Target Set By ICAO for 2050

Achieving net zero is critically dependent upon boosting production of bio-jet SAF, the green replacement fuel for fossil jet-A. Currently SAF production stands at about 0.1 percent of all jet fuel consumed, close to 100 million gallons per year of the 100 billion gallons consumed by all aviation users. Hinson suggests that a federal government mandate to blend in a small percent of SAF—for example, 5 percent—into fossil jet fuel by 2030, similar to the federal government mandate to blend in ethanol to auto gas, would provide a strong incentive for fuel producers to increase SAF production. He further suggests that future “blend creep” mandates, increasing the required proportion of SAF in jet-A by a series of deadlines, would enable the aviation industry to achieve 100 percent use of SAF by 2050. As for available bio-jet feedstocks, he cited the U.S. Department of Energy’s Billion Ton Update, a report that provides clear and convincing evidence that the U.S. has well in excess of a billion tons of dry mass biofuel feedstock, part of which could be refined into bio-jet SAF. 

Bunce said U.S. farmers are potential strong allies of SAF advocates, citing U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s September 12 statement urging conversion of part of ethanol production for SAF. Vilsack says 16,700 farms, mostly small family owned, and 6.9 millions acres of arable land have been lost in less than seven years. That land could be used to produce millions of tons of biofuel feedstocks. Bunce says that ethanol-to-jet promises a 40 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, perhaps greater as conversion processes are improved. 

Bolen added that now there are eight, not just six, primary SAF feedstock “pathways,” including ethanol-to-SAF, municipal solid waste, cellulosic waste, camelina, jatropha, halophytes, salt water algae, power-to-liquid conversion, and sun-to-liquid. 

Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets, commented that 54 percent of respondents in a recent survey of business aircraft operators say they intend to use SAF, if it’s available. This is up from 31 percent of respondents in Embraer’s 2019 operator survey. 

All panelists agreed that federal government incentives and international agreements will be needed to scale up production to meet increasing demand and reduce the eye-watering price disparity between SAF jet-A and fossil jet-A. Panelists also noted that commercial airlines will be the largest consumers of SAF by wide margins in the future, making it even harder to supply SAF to small GA airports.

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The modular layouts can be combined for a total of 144 unique cabin configurations, seating between 13 and 25 passengers depending on the design. Three color schemes are available on Select jets. While the company outfits a number of Boeing models for VIP use, BBJ Select is available solely for the 737-7.

• READ MORE: Boeing Sees Strong Demand for Bizliners

“Boeing Business Jets is offering customers a new, streamlined approach to designing a unique, comfortable, and functional interior for our BBJ 737-7 jet,” said BBJ president Joe Benson. “For customers who may not have the time or desire to create a fully bespoke interior, BBJ Select offers pre-designed options to outfit their cabin, which allows us to offer the jet at a very attractive, fixed price.”

According to BBJ, the Select program saves time and money by removing costs for “one-time engineering and related work for the installation of a clean sheet cabin design.”

The company has partnered exclusively with completion centers Aloft AeroArchitects and Greenpoint Technologies for the program, with Boeing overseeing the design, build, and delivery of the aircraft. The setup allows customers to sign a single contract with Boeing rather than multiple ones for the aircraft and completion work.

While no firm orders have been announced, BBJ reports that the first Select jets could be ready to enter service in 2026.

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The CJ3 Gen2 mock-up will be featured on the static display at the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Conference & Expo this week in Las Vegas.

The CJ3 brings together several important changes determined through an extensive customer feedback process, as outlined in the briefing ahead of the show. Key updates include:

• An added 4.5 inches of extra legroom for the pilot
• Integrated autothrottle technology 
• Connectivity via Garmin’s GDL60 streaming
• Optional enhanced vision system (EVS)
• Swivel seating
• RGB accent lighting
• USB-C power at every seat
• Wireless charging 
• Executive tables 
• Ample storage 
• Externally serviceable lavatory featuring CoolView skylights for natural light 
• Optional modern sink and vanity

flyExclusive Is Launch Customer

At the press conference Monday in Las Vegas, Textron Aviation announced that flyExclusive will be the first to receive the Citation CJ3 Gen2 when it is projected to enter into service in 2025. 

The private jet services provider adds to the ambitious fleet modernization program it announced in 2022, including 30 CJ3+ platforms. FlyExclusive operates a fleet of Cessna Citations, including the Citation X, Citation Sovereign, Citation Excel/ XLS, Citation CJ3 /CJ3+, and Citation Encore and Encore+ models. 

“FlyExclusive customers expect the best, and we believe the best planes money can buy are built and serviced by Textron Aviation,” said Jim Segrave, founder, chairman, and CEO of flyExclusive. “We take pride in being the fleet launch customer for the Citation CJ3 Gen 2, building on our decades-long relationship with Textron Aviation. I am excited that our fractional customers will get to invest and travel in the top light jet in the world.” 

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The promise? To take the light jet category up a notch, and attempt to translate a “midsize jet experience” to a smaller platform—one capable of transcontinental U.S. trips. In doing so, Honda Aircraft anticipates an increase in mission flexibility for owner-pilots while keeping operating costs—and fuel burn—in check. The proposed design may attain up to 20 percent increased fuel efficiency over other light jets and up to 40 percent over midsize jets with which it expects to compete.

In the cabin, the midsize feel would continue, with “a holistic focus on the cabin experience encompassing space, comfort, and productivity,” according to the company. 

“The HondaJet Echelon was born to create a new category that transcends the travel experience on conventional light jets,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, in a preview statement. “Expanding mobility skyward has been Honda’s long-lasting dream, and the HondaJet Echelon marks the exciting next chapter while showcasing a classic Honda story of a product that creates new value for people.” 

Common Type Pursuit

One key element to the new model, designated the HA-480 within the HondaJet family, is Honda Aircraft’s pursuit of a common type rating to the Elite II’s basis, the HA-420. The bid will be made possible by the use of the Garmin G3000 flight deck architecture, along with flight control response and feel, and single-pilot operation in parallel. On the production line, which will run alongside that of the Elite II, Honda Aircraft is targeting as much parts commonality as possible given the change in fuselage and cross section.

Yes, the Echelon will be a bigger jet, however, with an estimated wingspan of 56 feet, length of 57 feet, and tail height of 16 feet, plus a maximum takeoff weight of 17,500 pounds.

Amod Kelkar, chief commercial officer for Honda Aircraft, has been named the program manager on the HondaJet Echelon, a project he has been deeply involved with since joining the company as vice president of customer support in 2021. In an interview with FLYING, Kelkar indicated that the Echelon makes a play for changing the blend of customers for the HondaJet series. “We have, effectively, three types of customers,” said Kelkar.

“The first one is the owner-operator who are also pilots, so they have their own aircraft, they fly their own aircraft, using it for personal [trips] or for business. Their utilization is in the zone of 150 hours per year. Then we have…corporate customers, not necessarily corporations. Those have a bit higher utilization, I would say, around 250 to 400 hours a year per aircraft, and they fly strictly for B2B type of visits. And then the third segment is in terms of utilization is the highest, but in terms of numbers is the smallest, is the charter and fractional ownership,” which files roughly 1,400 to 1,500 hours per year.

While 85 percent of current customers are in the first two segments, the Echelon is deemed likely to appeal to the Part 135 and Part 91K operators that can leverage its range to suit New York to Florida or Caribbean destinations with seats full.

HondaJet Echelon Milestones

While the name marks an important step in the process to bringing a new aircraft into the product line, other key milestones have recently been achieved by the OEM.

First, the company installed the first structural test rig in the fourth quarter of 2021, not long after the program was officially announced. Since then, the manufacturer has exited the concept phase and competed its preliminary design review, which fixes in place critical markers within the program. 

Also, Honda Aircraft celebrated the official power-on ceremony for the Echelon’s advanced systems integration test facility (ASITF) at the company’s Greensboro, North Carolina, headquarters on August 30, 2023. 

Honda Aircraft targets the next aircraft level critical design review in the summer of 2024, with “select long lead fabrication already in progress,” according to a statement from the company. The OEM will produce the Echelon within the company’s current footprint at Greensboro, with early build processes to begin in 2024. 

First flight is projected for 2026, with type certification targeted for 2028.

Sustainability Efforts

Honda Aircraft also has taken its place in the race to more efficiency with its participation in the 2023 NBAA-BACE Sustainability Pledge, “demonstrating a commitment to make NBAA-BACE a more eco-friendly event,” according to the company. “In addition, Honda Aircraft Company is utilizing the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Book and Claim [SAFC] Program for its ferry flights to and from NBAA-BACE to promote the deployment of SAF and support the industry’s commitment to carbon neutrality.”

HondaJet Specs

Engines: Williams International FJ44-4C
Avionics: Garmin G3000
Configuration: 1 crew + 10 pax or 2 crew + 9 pax
NBAA IFR Range: (1 crew + 4 pax)* 2,625 nm
Maximum Cruise Speed*: 450 ktas
Maximum Cruise Altitude*: FL470

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