James Wynbrandt
Contributor - Business Aviation

A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air & Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley & Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Latest from James Wynbrandt

Regulations and Government

FAA Easing Aeromedical Rules for Mental Health Issues

FAA Revising Mental Health Cert Rules for Pilots
Dr. Susan Northrup FAA
Safety

Kern Urges ‘Thinking Differently’ about Aviation Safety

Convergent Performance CEO Tony Kern said there is a need for rethinking aviation safety approaches and programs.
Tony Kern, Convergent Performance CEO
Regulations and Government

Former Bizjet Escrow Exec Guilty of Drug Trafficking

Debra Lynn Mercer-Erwin was found guilty of money laundering, wire fraud, and two counts of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine.
Debra Lynn Mercer-Erwin
Aircraft

60 Years of Falcons Define Business Jet Evolution

The anniversary of the first flight of Dassault’s Mystère 20 is a business aviation milestone.
Charles Lindbergh, fourth from right, views the prototype Mystère 20
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Comlux Delivers First Completed ACJ TwoTwenty

Swiss VIP aircraft services specialist Comlux delivered the first completed ACJ TwoTwenty to launch customer Five Hotels and Resorts.
Five Hotels and Resorts ACJ TwoTwenty on approach to landing
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Lantal Intros Green Digital Carpet Dyeing Tech

Lantal introduced a dyeing technology that promises significant savings of time, cost, and environmental footprint in the production of aircraft carpeting.
Lantal textiles digital deep-dyed fabric swatches

Covid Meets Business Aviation—A Post-Pandemic Review

Three years following the beginning of the Covid pandemic: How did we survive, what has changed, and what did we learn?
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Aircraft

Attendance Soars at 2023 King Air Gathering

Attendance was up by 70 percent and vendor count nearly doubled at the 2023 King Air Gathering, marking a new era for the annual event.
King Airs parked in a row on grass at an airfield during King Air Gathering 2023
Charter & Fractional

Wheels Up Introduces King Air Access Program

Wheels Up hopes that the new UP King Air access program will lock in more customers at a discounted price.
King Air 350 operated by Wheels Up on taxiway
Maintenance and Modifications

Lufthansa Technik Reports Record Earnings in 2022

Aircraft maintenance and completions firm Lufthansa Technik reported record earnings in 2022 and is bullish on VIP refurbishment work.
Lufthansa Technik VIP interior completions employee works on wood finish in the company's back shop
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Companies Answer the Call for Onboard Voice Command

Voice control is finally coming to business aircraft cockpits and cabins.
Garmin Telligence voice command system
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Wipaire Debuts Aurora Interiors for Cessna Caravans

Wipaire has introduced nine cabin designs for the Cessna 208 Caravan and Grand Caravan EX.
Canyon Aurora interior by Wipaire
Training and Workforce

JumpHub Intros Non-rev Perks for Part 135 Ops

No-cost JumpHub offers non-revenue benefits, such as access to empty leg flights, to Part 135 operators and flight crews.
JumpHub app displayed on iPhone
Aircraft

Low-time Retired Boeing BBJ 747-8 Scrapped

Boeing 747-8 scrapped at one of the world’s largest aircraft boneyards.
Boeing 747-8
Cabin Interior and Electronics

AeroVisto, Vartan Team on Bizjet Cabin Refurb Service

AeroVisto Group and Vartan Aviation Group have partnered on “360°CabinService,” providing à la carte interior work for cabin refurbishment projects.
Passenger onboard business jet with Aero Visto cabin interior
Aircraft

Citadel Meets 'Hot' VIP Airliner Refurb, MRO Demand

VIP Airliner completion and MRO specialist Citadel Aviation reports doubling business amidst a “hot” market for aftermarket upgrades and service.
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Cabin Interior and Electronics

Primadonna Intros New-design Cabin Bed System

Primadonna's PrimaLux FlexFrame bed for business jets fits between two single club or conference seats and is topped by a memory foam mattress.
Aircraft cabin with Primadonna's PrimaLux FlexFrame bed installed between seats

Charter Market Seeing Seismic Shift

Covid-driven demand from new charter users amidst a wave of consolidation is transforming the market.
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Aircraft

Bizliner-centric AMAC Expands Services and Subsidiaries

Switzerland’s AMAC enhances its VIP airliner services and portfolio of complementary subsidiaries, as completion of the first ACJ350 proceeds.
Cabin Interior and Electronics

NC Carpet To Distribute ABM Stitching Machines

NC Carpet Binding has partnered with ABM International to distribute CNC stitching equipment for fabricating business aircraft upholstery.
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Charter & Fractional

Dispatcher Buys His Charter Firm, Reaps Big Payoff

Executive Fliteways's sales chief bought his employer to avoid a takeover, and the timing couldn't have been better.
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Aircraft

6X Marks the Spot for Falcon “Wide Body” MEBAA Debut

Dassault’s Falcon 6X “extra wide body” makes MEBAA debut, as does a cabin mockup of the even wider forthcoming Falcon 10X.
Aircraft

Gulfstream G700s Arrive for MEBAA Debut on World Tour

Gulfstream G700s on world tour arrive for MEBAA debut, leading a fleet of jets including the clean sheet G400 and best-selling G650ER.
Cabin Interior and Electronics

The Business Jet's Heart of Green

OEMs, aftermarket providers, and customers are searching for and finding sustainability in the aircraft cabin.
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Charter & Fractional

Charter Market Sees Demand for Crypto Payments

A new generation of digital-savvy customers and providers say cryptocurrencies can solve charter booking bottlenecks.
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Aircraft

Access Solutions on Display Amid Charter Boom

A host of exhibiting charter firms underscore the important role smaller operators play in meeting unprecedented demand for lift.
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Aircraft

Banyan Ramps Up Gogo 5G Installation Provisioning

The full-service FBO has announced that it is provisioning aircraft for Gogo’s forthcoming 5G broadband connectivity.
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Aircraft

CAE Expands Global Sim Training Network for Gulfstreams

CAE announced the expansion of its global training network for Gulfstreams with new sim locations in the U.S. and overseas.
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Aircraft

Portable Headset-mounted PilotVision Display Debuts

Vision Products is displaying the head-wearable PilotVision, which offers a high-resolution monocular display.
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Aircraft

Updated Honeywell JetWave Broadband Coming in 2023

Honeywell will intro updated JetWave broadband system in 2023, boosting speed and lowering connectivity costs.
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