A short briefing every morning: what’s new in the world of private jets, plus an aircraft, a priced route, a fact and a story from the archive.
Vertical Aerospace opened a dedicated Valo eVTOL assembly centre at Cotswold Airport on September 25, 2026. The site is intended to build certification-conforming aircraft and early production examples before a larger factory is named.
Read the brief →The Kodiak 900 stretches the rugged Kodiak 100 utility turboprop by nearly four feet, adds a more powerful PT6A-140A engine and aerodynamic fairings, and lifts cruise speed to 210 knots. It retains the type's exceptional short-field and unpaved-strip capability, positioning it as an executive-capable backcountry aircraft for owners who value versatility over speed. Range 1,129 nm, 7 seats, about $3,500,000 new and roughly $700 an hour in fuel and maintenance.
Full profile →A pilot's initial type rating on a large business jet is a two- to four-week simulator course that can cost $30,000 to $70,000, and pilots must return for recurrent training every six to twelve months. (FlightSafety International and CAE course pricing)
More numbers →8,093 nautical miles, about 19h 01m in a large jet, roughly $247,854–$386,711 one-way for four — about $79,321 a seat.
Price this route →Gulfstream's G800 earned FAA and EASA certification on 16 April 2025, with range confirmed at 8,200 nautical miles at Mach 0.85, 200 more than projected. The first delivery followed within weeks. It effectively replaced the G650ER, whose last airframe was delivered that summer after roughly 590 units. Gulfstream said the G800 was already the fastest-selling large jet in its history, with early deliveries going to fractional operators and existing G650 owners keen to trade up. It gives buyers 200 nautical miles more range than the G700 in a slightly shorter cabin.
The full timeline →Jordan's registration reads like a resume: 23 for his jersey, 6 for his championships, MJ for his initials. The tail number moved from his elephant-print Gulfstream G550 to a new G650ER in late 2024, with the paint referencing the 1988 Air Jordan 3 sneaker.
The story →MOSTLY TRUE — There is usually no TSA-style queue, no shoe removal and no liquids bag. But 'no security' is an overstatement: your identity is checked against the manifest, the crew and the FBO (private terminal) have their own screening rules, international flights go through customs and immigration, and larger aircraft or certain airports trigger formal screening programmes. It's fast and civilised, not lawless.
The evidence →