John was editor of Aviation Week's ShowNews for nearly two decades. He retired in 2020. His background in business journalism before joining Aviation Week includes stints at Reuters, the American Banker daily banking newspaper and as business news editor at the Milwaukee Journal and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, John has been a private pilot for 34 years and won an award at EAA Oshkosh for his restoration of a vintage British Auster army spotter aircraft. He is currently building a 1920s Staaken Flitzer biplane from plans. John attended his first Farnborough Air Show in 1952, when just eight months old.
Despite Swearingen SJ30 owners Emivest Aerospace filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Oct. 20, insiders are saying the light business jet may have a bright future and that the program is definitely not dead. Executives at last week’s Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show say a strong potential investor with an aviation background is waiting in the wings to inject $200 million to achieve critical mass production for the first time in the aircraft’s history. Emivest must find a buyer for the company by Jan. 31 or face liquidation (BA, Nov. 1/6).
Lufthansa Private Jet has announced plans to expand into the U.S. next year and is evaluating potential partners to operate business jets as an extension of its first-class airline service. “We are looking into it very deeply, but it is too early to announce anything,” says Sabine Dörflinger, director of global premium customer management at Lufthansa. “We plan to be there next year.”
William Garvey (Ridgefield, Conn.), John Morris (Oshkosh, Wis.)
Even though the technology is still in its infancy and its practical application is not at all assured, the electric aircraft is more than a concept being pursued by small group of green-thinking devotees. Well-established aviation manufacturers—notably Sikorsky Aircraft and Cessna Aircraft—have now come forward to further develop and exploit the alternate power source. Those companies and others outlined their plans for and challenges to electric flight during a July 30 symposium at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wis.
