AIAA Statement On The Successful Virgin Galactic Unity 22 Mission RESTON, VA – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulated its corporate member, Virgin Galactic, on its successful test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity, July 11, 2021. AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement: “On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we are excited to congratulate Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Galactic team on their accomplishments today! The successful Unity 22 mission marks a major step forward in humanity’s quest to extend the human neighborhood beyond planet Earth. Virgin Galactic is helping move us closer to the day when space travel is widely accessible to people everywhere. “We especially congratulate Unity 22 Mission Specialist Sirisha Bandla on her part in this flight. In addition to serving as a Unity 22 crew member, Sirisha is a member of our ASCEND Guiding Coalition. The ASCEND Guiding Coalition is the executive board of advisors for ASCEND, the global community focused on building humanity’s off-world future faster. Sirisha exemplifies the community experience of space because no one goes to space alone. “We commend the pioneering role of Sir Richard Branson in accelerating the nascent space tourism industry. Today’s mission would not have been possible without his long-term vision and risk taking. He has courageously led the Virgin
Galactic team through challenges and tragedies to get here. Their collective perseverance is admirable, reminding us of how we must accelerate innovation in space with the utmost focus on safety and our shared humanity. “We recognize the countless professionals in the aerospace industry involved in making this mission a success, from design, to fabrication, to testing, and now to operations. We salute and applaud the Virgin Galactic team for pursuing their dreams with determination and making important contributions to shaping the future of aerospace.” Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and serious enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or q LinkedIn.
Jet It & JetClub Move Forward With Electric Airplanes DENVER, COLO. – North Carolina-based Jet It and JetClub have announce that they have entered into an agreement to become the launch customers for Bye Aerospace, which developed the 7-passenger, all-electric, twin turboprop aircraft, eFlyer 800™. Jet It and JetClub, sister companies operating in North America and Europe respectively, have signed a purchase agreement for a fleet of eFlyer 800 and four eFlyer 4™ aircraft. Jet It will operate the first fleet of electric aircraft in North America, eliminating the release of millions of metric tons of CO2 each year. “The evolution of travel continues with this investment in sustainable aviation. At $1,600 an hour, our fleet of HondaJets is by far the cost leader in private travel and also, given the incredibly low-carbon footprint of the HondaJet, extremely friendly to the environment. The operating efficiency and zero emissions of the eFlyer 800 will allow Jet It and JetClub to deliver more value to travelers by further 44 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE
reducing the cost to travel while driving towards zero net emissions,” says Glenn Gonzales, co-founder and CEO of Jet It. Slated to be in operation by 2025, the eFlyer seats up to seven passengers and one or two pilots. The eFlyer 800, expected to be the first-to-market all-electric seven-passenger aircraft, boasts cruise speeds of 320 knots, a ceiling of 35,000 feet, and eliminates emissions while reducing operating costs 5x. According to Bye Aerospace CEO, George, E. Bye, “The remarkable economy and flight performance from eFlyer 800 is ideal for Jet It, JetClub and their customers in the United States, Canada, Europe and beyond.” Adds Gonzales, “Sustainability is a key pillar of our philosophy. We operate highly fuel-efficient HondaJets and use sustainable products in our cabin. While aviation contributes only 3% of global emissions, that is not enough for us. We want to be at 0% and today with this
