After a full week in Las Vegas, something I try to avoid for the sake of my liver and my marriage, I’m finally back in the safe confines of my Dripping Springs office, ready to share my perspective on last week’s proceedings. For me, BACE is akin to a family reunion: seeing old, familiar faces and making new connections. This time around was especially exciting, as it was my first time attending as a CAM, which opened many doors and led to invitations that have never been part of my purview. With that, let’s dive in…
This week at the conference, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford left the door open on the Citation single-pilot exemption. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the first FAA authorization of its kind for an electric VTOL. Pratt & Whitney Canada unveiled the certified PT9. SyberJet staged the show's flashiest unveiling. Gulfstream showed a G400 that first flew from Dallas Love Field. StandardAero consolidated its Texas engine work at DFW. Steven Udvar-Hazy tells the story of arriving in America with $5. And NASA's Jared Isaacman and astronaut Charlie Precourt took the Horizon Stage on opening day.
These stories, and many more, if you keep reading.
The Show: NBAA-BACE 2026
NBAA-BACE Highlights: Exhibitor Presence, Aircraft Displays, and Venue Details
Held from Oct. 20 to 22, NBAA-BACE spanned two main venues: the Las Vegas Convention Center and Henderson Executive Airport (KHND), which hosted the static aircraft display. Aviation Week reported over 700 exhibitors, approximately 100 making their event debut, and nearly 80 aircraft on display. According to NBAA's official summary, the event drew more than 100 first-time exhibitors and maintained a steadily active show floor. Final attendance figures haven’t been released yet, though current estimates place the crowd between 16,000 and 18,000 attendees.
The Aircraft Connection featured a broad roster of manufacturers, including Aviat, Boeing Business Jets, Bombardier, Daher, Dassault Falcon, Epic, Gulfstream, Honda Aircraft, Piaggio, Pilatus, Piper, Textron Aviation, and SyberJet.
Event programming encompassed more than 100 educational sessions, alongside 24 maintenance sessions offering FAA IA credit. Attendees accessed dedicated zones such as the Career Zone, Military Connect, and Collegiate Connect, while presentations took place on the Flight Deck, Content Creator stage, and the newly added Horizon Stage. Notable additions to the schedule included the launch of an invitation-only Private Capital Aviation Forum (to which I wasn’t invited…) and a new market intelligence partnership between NBAA and Rolland Vincent Associates.
Marking the fourth year of NBAA-BACE's five-year run in Las Vegas, the convention will return to the city from Oct. 19 to 21, 2027. In 2028, the event will head to New Orleans, representing its first gathering there since 2001.
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen couldn’t attend as he undergoes cancer treatment. He was recognized across the convention, with attendees wearing sunflower lapel pins distributed in his honor.
Reflecting on the event's scope, NBAA interim Chief Operating Officer Dan Hubbard remarked, "If it happens in business aviation, it happens at NBAA-BACE."
The Headliners
Duffy Announces First FAA eVTOL Authorization, for BETA's ALIA
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on stage Oct. 21, alongside BETA Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark, that the FAA granted BETA a special airworthiness authorization to conduct market survey flights with the ALIA A250 eVTOL. AvWeb reported it’s the first of its kind for an electric VTOL aircraft. BETA completed its first flight under the authorization Oct. 20.
The authorization lets prospective operators evaluate the aircraft under FAA limitations. It isn’t type certification and doesn’t approve scheduled commercial passenger service. Bedford said, "The FAA is committed to working with American innovators to safely integrate these new aircraft into our national airspace." Clark said the authorization will help operators assess how the aircraft could fit their businesses.
Bedford Leaves the Door Open on Citation Single-Pilot Privileges
Bedford spoke Oct. 21 in a wide-ranging session moderated by NBAA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Kristie Greco Johnson. FlightGlobal reported he told the opening-day audience the FAA's air traffic control modernization will succeed where NextGen didn’t. He described the plan as a "great plan."
On air traffic control, Bedford said Congress has committed an initial $12.5 billion, and the FAA has requested another $30 billion. He called airspace redesign the area with the greatest potential gains and said the FAA must keep hiring controllers at a record pace. He said NextGen improved safety but "never got integrated into something that would actually help airplanes move more efficiently." On telecom outages, he said fiber alone won’t remove vulnerabilities when channels share the same physical infrastructure, and he described backup plans using low-Earth-orbit satellites and mobile applications. He said the agency met more than 98.5% of its annual goals through September and expects to publish Flight Plan 2027 soon.
Bedford also highlighted SMART, the Strategic Management of Airspace Routes and Trajectories initiative, which uses AI to analyze flight trajectories and find conflicts and open capacity before departure. Asked whether it would serve on-demand operators, he called it "a huge improvement for business aviation," because today operators have "zero visibility into access into the national airspace system."
On the single-pilot issue, the FAA rescinded the exemption Sept. 29 for certain Citation 500-series jets, including the Citation I, II, V, Ultra, Bravo and Encore, citing training noncompliance and 18 years of accident data. NBAA and the Citation Jet Pilots Association dispute the comparison, which was based on aircraft counts rather than flight hours. Bedford said the FAA would consider proposals such as enhanced training or a supplemental type certificate, but only if they deliver an equivalent level of safety. "If we can't get to at least an equivalent level of safety, we shouldn't be entertaining it," he said. He called the STC route "an interesting process" that was "worthy of scrutiny." The FAA has announced no policy change and no timeline. Johnson said there’s "some compelling data that might provide a path."
Isaacman and Precourt Talk X-59 and the Space Race on the Horizon Stage
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and former shuttle commander Charlie Precourt, an NBAA board member, held an opening-day fireside chat on the Horizon Stage. Isaacman said NASA's X-59 test data has been extremely encouraging so far, and the discussion drew interest from attendees throughout the session.
Udvar-Hazy Tells His Story: From Communist Hungary to Aviation's Biggest Lessor
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy (pronounced HAH-zee) received NBAA's Meritorious Service to Aviation Award, presented by Ross Perot Jr., following an opening-day conversation between the two. Udvar-Hazy told the audience he escaped communist Hungary as a child and started his life in America speaking no English and carrying $5 in his pocket. He spoke of the value of freedom in America and of his love for aviation.
He built on that start to reshape the airline industry. In 1973, he co-founded International Lease Finance Corp., which created new opportunities for airlines to put aircraft on their fleets without buying them outright and, according to the National Aviation Hall of Fame, influenced generations of airliner design and fleet development. He’s a pilot with more than 11,000 flight hours and a philanthropist who supported the annex to the National Air and Space Museum, now the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame announced the same week that Udvar-Hazy and Precourt are in its 2027 enshrinement class. NAHF President and CEO Aimee Maruyama announced the six-member class at a Monday reception on the eve of the show. The class also includes Mars Helicopter chief engineer J. Bob Balaram, model rocketry pioneer Vernon Estes, the late astronaut Judith Resnik and the late aviator and designer Neal Vernon Loving. The induction ceremony is Sept. 24, 2027, in Dayton, Ohio. Precourt flew four space shuttle missions, served as chief of NASA's Astronaut Corps, and serves on the NBAA and EAA boards.
Awards and Congressional Delegation
NBAA's wrap-up also listed Stephanie Goetz presenting the NBAA Safety Awards, and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves receiving the Silk Scarf Award. A bipartisan congressional delegation attended, including Reps. Rick Larsen, Jay Obernolte and Dina Titus and Sen. Tim Sheehy.
More From the Stages
John Travolta hosted a pilot talk with Bombardier. Dan Drohan of Solairus and Steve Varsano of The Jet Business discussed recent acquisitions at the Newsmakers Lunch. Xyla Foxlin and Dr. Susan Northrup, the FAA's Federal Air Surgeon, discussed mental wellness and fitness for duty. Caitlin Locke, an FAA safety leader, joined the Meet the Regulators program, and NBAA Flight Deck sessions covered cybersecurity, standard operating procedures, radio altimeters, maintenance capacity, market trends, and AI.
Products and Announcements
Pratt & Whitney Canada Unveils the Certified PT9
Pratt & Whitney Canada introduced the PT9 turboprop Oct. 21. The engine is certified by Transport Canada, and the company is pursuing FAA and EASA approval. It’s designed for roughly 1,700 to 2,300 shaft horsepower, placing it between the PT6 and PW100 families. Pratt & Whitney Canada claims 33% more power at altitude and 20% lower fuel consumption than previous-generation engines. No aircraft application or launch customer was announced. Production is planned for Lethbridge, Alberta, and the company said the PT9 supplements the PT6 line rather than replacing it.
Textron Aviation Shows the Citation CJ3 Gen2
Textron Aviation displayed the Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen2 alongside the Longitude, Latitude and Ascend. The CJ3 Gen2 is the latest generation of the CJ3 light jet. Textron first unveiled it at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas in October 2023, with entry into service expected in 2025. NBAA and Aviation Week described this year's appearance as the aircraft's show debut.
The cockpit centers on the Garmin G3000 touchscreen avionics suite, now paired with Garmin autothrottles that reduce pilot workload and provide flight-envelope protection. An Enhanced Vision System is optional, and a GDL60 datalink handles remote flight-plan transmission, automatic database updates and wireless transfer of diagnostic data. Pilot legroom grew by 4.5 inches.
The cabin received the most visible changes. A redesigned entryway step and assist handle come with improved lighting. New seats on floor tracking offer an optional swivel, and ambient RGB accent lighting, USB-C power at every seat, wireless charging in the main cabin, top-loading executive and slimline tables, and lighted side pockets round out the main cabin. Buyers can choose a fixed side-facing seat, an expanded refreshment center, or a folding side-facing seat for an extra passenger or luggage. Options include a high-power outlet for a coffee machine, ice and trash storage, and a cabin master control switch panel.
The lavatory gets CoolView skylights for natural light, an optional new sink and vanity with a dedicated water supply, and external servicing. The aircraft is compatible with sustainable aviation fuel and can be delivered with SAF onboard.
Standard seating is 10 occupants, maximum range is 2,040 nautical miles and maximum payload is 2,135 pounds. Third-party listings show the same two Williams FJ44-3A engines as the prior CJ3+, so the performance numbers carry over. Lannie O'Bannion, Textron's senior vice president of global sales and flight operations, said at the 2023 unveiling the aircraft was "designed to feel as good to the pilot as it does to the passenger."
Gulfstream Shows the G400 Test Aircraft
Gulfstream displayed its G500, G600, G700 and G800, plus a G400 test aircraft and G400 and G300 mockups. The first fully outfitted G400 flew Oct. 14 from Dallas Love Field (KDAL), a 2-hour, 46-minute flight to 48,000 feet, Gulfstream announced Oct. 19. The aircraft has an 11-passenger layout. Gulfstream hasn’t set a certification date. President Mark Burns said the aircraft "continues to perform exceptionally well" in the certification program. A separate experimental G400 flew Miami to Las Vegas in 4 hours, 8 minutes at an average of Mach 0.89 on a blend of sustainable aviation fuel.
SyberJet Unveils SJ36 Mockup, Reborn SJ34 and a Proprietary Avionics Suite
SyberJet staged by far the flashiest showcase of the conference, unveiling the SJ36 with a light show, smoke and hundreds of attendees, of which I was one. To be clear, what was unveiled is a full-scale mockup of a concept, not an aircraft. It hasn’t flown, and SyberJet hasn’t published a target certification date.
The company describes the SJ36 as a single-pilot jet bridging the light and midsize categories, with a claimed range of more than 3,000 nautical miles, a cruise speed of Mach 0.88 and seating for nine including pilots. The engine wasn’t specified. The launch price is $14 million, down from $16 million, with deliveries expected to begin in 2032. The company also announced the SJ34, a remake of the SJ30 and replacement for the FAA-certified SJ30-2, with seven seats, larger Williams engines, a claimed range of up to 2,500 nautical miles and a $10 million launch price. SJ34 deliveries are expected to begin in 2029. These figures are the company's own and haven’t been independently verified. AIN reported SyberJet secured letters of intent for more than 50 SJ36s after the unveiling.
Both aircraft use SyberVision, SyberJet's in-house avionics suite, which includes six 4K touchscreen displays, over-the-air updates and SyberPilot AI-assisted flight. The first 250 customers can join the Passage One program, which includes tip-to-tail coverage for 1,000 hours or five years, up to 100,000 gallons of fuel and two pilot type-rating training slots.
SyberJet Aircraft’s CEO is Trevor Milton, who founded Nikola, a Phoenix startup that promised hydrogen and battery-electric semi trucks. Nikola went public in 2020 and was briefly worth more than Ford, until a short seller’s report revealed that a promotional video of its truck “in motion” was really the truck rolling down a hill. Milton resigned that year, and Nikola filed for bankruptcy in February 2025. A federal jury convicted him in October 2022 of securities fraud and wire fraud for misleading investors about the company’s technology. He was sentenced in December 2023 to four years in prison and a $1 million fine, and President Trump pardoned him in March 2025. At the show, Milton said, among many other things, “There is simply no jet like the SyberJet.”
I have my opinions on this one, and I'll write about them in a separate piece soon.
Bombardier Marks 40 Years of Smart Services
Bombardier marked 40 years of its Smart Services programs, announced Oct. 21 at a customer evening during the show. More than 1,500 aircraft representing over 11 million flight hours are enrolled, in a customer fleet of more than 5,200 aircraft supported by 10 service facilities in six countries. Smart Services Elite adds coverage for major components, including landing gear overhauls, along with parts shipping, technical publications, a guaranteed flight-hour rate for the term and Mobile Response Team cost coverage. Bombardier displayed the Global 8000, Global 6500 and Challenger 3500.
Also on the Floor
CAE announced four more full-flight simulators across the Americas. Thrive displayed the first two aircraft in its fractional program, which Honda Aircraft's Arulean Air unit backs. Daher previewed the first North American-built TBM, with deliveries planned for 2027. Pilatus showed a cabin divider by Lufthansa Technik, and Cirrus marked 10 years since SF50 certification. Advanced air mobility displays included Beyond Aero's hydrogen-electric ONE, the DTA JP1 two-seat hybrid-electric eVTOL and the Regent Seaglider simulator. TRU Simulation showed Veris flight training devices for the Cessna Skyhawk and Grand Caravan EX.
Texas
StandardAero Moves Grapevine PT6 Operations to DFW
StandardAero is moving its Grapevine PT6 operations to a DFW location, AIN reported Oct. 21. The company's stated rationale is to consolidate Texas engine services at one location with foreign trade zone status.
Texas Charter and Fractional Departures Up 6% in Week 41
Texas recorded 3,004 Part 135 and Part 91K departures in Week 41, up 5% from the previous week and up 6% from the same week of 2025, according to WingX data published Oct. 15 by Private Jet Card Comparisons. Across all tracked business jets, Texas recorded 6,158 departures, up 10% from the previous week and flat year over year. The report covers Oct. 5 to 11, the week before the show. Worldwide, WingX counted 43,423 charter and fractional departures, up 3% from a year earlier, and 81,524 business jet departures overall. Week 42 data hadn’t been published when this edition was prepared.
Around North America
Trump Drops Bombardier Tariff Threat at Kansas Rally
President Donald Trump dropped his threat against Bombardier at a rally near Wichita, Kansas, on Oct. 20, according to Wealth Professional. Bombardier shares rose about 4% Tuesday. The threat stemmed from a Sept. 7 Truth Social post. Bombardier employs about 3,500 people in the U.S., including about 1,500 in Wichita. Separate 50% Section 338 tariffs remain in place.
Around the World
EBAA Week Is Three Weeks Away
The European Business Aviation Association's EBAA Week runs Nov. 16 to 18 at Skyhall in Brussels, with Bombardier, Dassault and Textron committed as exhibitors.
Weather and Fuel
Texas Forecast, Oct. 26 to Nov. 1
Warm, near-seasonal weather covered most of Texas to start the week, with rain chances building from west to east toward the weekend. Highs stayed in the 70s and 80s across the state, slightly above average in North Texas.
North Texas (NWS Fort Worth): Forecasters called for highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s and lows in the mid-to-upper 50s Sunday and Monday, with south-southeast winds near 10 mph and mostly cloudy skies Sunday under cirrus. Isolated showers were possible Tuesday across the Big Country and western Central Texas. Rain chances increased Thursday in the Big Country and spread east through North and Central Texas over the weekend of Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. No watches, warnings or advisories were in effect as of 3:14 p.m. Sunday.
Central and South Texas (NWS Austin/San Antonio): Mostly cloudy skies and highs in the mid 70s to mid 80s were forecast Sunday, with fog over parts of the I-35 corridor and Coastal Plains through mid-morning. Highs stayed in the mid 70s to mid 80s through the week, with rain chances rising through the work week and the best chances Thursday and Friday, Oct. 29 and 30. The office listed no watches or warnings as of 10:36 a.m. Sunday.
Southeast Texas (NWS Houston/Galveston): Sunday was partly to mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s and light east to southeast winds of 5 to 10 knots, gustier near the coast. Clouds increased Sunday night with lows in the 50s to 60s. A Small Craft Advisory was in effect on the Gulf. The office's page didn’t carry extended temperature and rain detail as of 10:12 a.m. Sunday.
West Texas and Permian Basin (NWS Midland/Odessa): Isolated to scattered storms were expected Sunday afternoon and evening, mainly in southeast New Mexico and far West Texas, and "a storm or two may become strong to severe" with heavy rain and localized flash flooding possible. More widespread rain was forecast Monday as an upper-level system approached, with highs near or below normal. A warming and drying trend began Tuesday through Wednesday, and rain chances returned Thursday and Friday.
South Plains and Panhandle (NWS Lubbock): Precipitation chances continued daily Monday and Tuesday, with a short break Wednesday, Oct. 28, and storm chances returning the weekend of Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Slow-moving storms were capable of heavy rain Sunday. The Lubbock office's forecast was issued Saturday, Oct. 24.
Across the Red River (NWS Norman): Temperatures stayed above normal through the week and slightly cooler early in the week. Rain chances returned over the weekend, mainly in western Oklahoma and western North Texas, increasing late Sunday into early Monday. The office said impactful rainfall wasn’t likely. The forecast was issued Saturday, Oct. 24.
National Forecast, Oct. 26 to Nov. 1
The National Weather Service's national headline Sunday was heavy rainfall over the weekend in the Southern Plains and South Florida, with a storm in the Bering Sea off Alaska. NWS Norman described a slow-moving front that could bring heavy rain and severe weather from New Mexico into the western High Plains. NOAA's U.S. Winter Outlook, released this month, was headlined by El Nino. We couldn’t retrieve a full Weather Prediction Center national discussion or a current National Hurricane Center outlook for this edition, so detail for the Northeast, Midwest and West is limited to the items above.
Fuel
Lowest Posted Jet A Prices at Texas FBOs
The cheapest full-service Jet A we found in Texas this week was at Addison (KADS), where Galaxy FBO (Phillips 66) posted $7.05 a gallon, according to AirNav listings checked Oct. 25. Addison’s other two FBOs share the same runway but not the same pricing: Million Air Dallas listed $8.15 as of Oct. 8, and Atlantic Aviation listed $8.92 as of Oct. 21. Pick the right ramp at Addison and you save almost $1.90 a gallon.
Outside Addison, City Terminal Flight Services at New Braunfels National (KBAZ) matched Million Air at $8.15. GlobalSelect (Avfuel) at Sugar Land Regional (KSGR) posted $8.17 to $8.21, and Henriksen Jet Center (Phillips 66) at Houston Executive (KTME) listed $8.75. At Dallas Love Field (KDAL), Signature Aviation Terminal 1 posted $8.78 as of Oct. 23.
Farther up the board, Cutter Aviation (Avfuel) at Georgetown (KGTU) listed $9.07, Jet Aviation at Houston Hobby (KHOU) listed $9.13, and Texas Jet (Phillips 66) at Fort Worth Meacham (KFTW) came in at $9.64. Most of these listings didn’t show an update date, so treat them as a snapshot, not a quote.
Prices at Austin were the highest we found. At Austin-Bergstrom (KAUS), Signature listed $11.38 on Oct. 23, Atlantic listed $12.19 on Oct. 25, and Million Air listed $12.29. At Austin Executive (KEDC), Henriksen Jet Center listed $11.10 on Oct. 20. Georgetown was about $2 per gallon cheaper than Austin Executive, 18 nautical miles to the north.
AirNav's pages didn’t label columns on several listings, so we matched prices to fuel types by order. AirNav also returned two different Galaxy FBO Jet A prices for Addison on different views of the same page, $7.05 and $6.25, so call before you plan around it. Million Air Dallas showed $7.25 in an older view dated Aug. 21 and $8.15 in a newer view dated Oct. 8.
Fuel Program and Discount Prices
Few FBOs publish contract or program prices. Texas Jet at Fort Worth Meacham lists AirBoss members at $9.24 for Jet A, 40 cents below its $9.64 full-service price. Signature at Love Field offers 50 cents per gallon off avgas on weekends, which doesn’t apply to Jet A. The FBOs at Addison, Austin, Georgetown, Houston Hobby, Sugar Land and New Braunfels accept Avfuel, World Fuel, Phillips 66 Aviation, AVCARD, Multi Service Aviation, AEG Fuels and Everest contract or card programs, but AirNav didn’t show program prices for them. Million Air Austin advertises member-only AirBoss discounts without a posted price. Texas Jet says it’ll honor its AirNav-posted prices.
National Averages
GlobalAir reported Oct. 2 that September's national average was $7.99 per gallon for Jet-A, a record for the year and nearly 28% above a year earlier. The 100LL average was $7.59, and blended SAF was $10.23. GlobalAir noted retail prices may lag any easing in wholesale supply. We couldn’t load current-week national averages or crude oil prices for this edition.
That's The Brief
The Week in One Sentence: NBAA-BACE drew more than 700 exhibitors to Las Vegas, Duffy announced the first FAA authorization of its kind for an eVTOL, Bedford left the door open to restoring Citation single-pilot privileges, Pratt & Whitney Canada unveiled the certified PT9, and Gulfstream's G400 flew out of Dallas Love Field.
About Our Sources
Show details came from NBAA's post-show press release, Aviation Week's show preview, AvWeb, Aviation International News, the National Aviation Hall of Fame and FlightGlobal, along with Clayton Corn's firsthand attendance at the show. Manufacturer details came from the companies' announcements as reported by those outlets. Fuel prices came from AirNav FBO listings and GlobalAir, and weather forecasts came from the National Weather Service offices in Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, Houston/Galveston, Midland, Lubbock and Norman. Activity figures came from WingX through Private Jet Card Comparisons. Each item was checked against a primary source where one was available, and items that couldn’t be confirmed were left out.
