Barents: Supersonic is ‘next frontier’ in business jets

For more than 10 years Brian Barents has been involved in a project to create a supersonic business jet.

And for the past several years the former Learjet and Cessna executive has been reluctant to talk about the Aerion AS2 jet and the topic of supersonic business jets to the Wichita Aero Club, despite the organization’s best efforts to convince him otherwise.

But now, “I felt like we had something meaningful to say,” Barents said Wednesday.

Barents, co-chairman of Reno, Nev.-based Aerion Corp., will be the keynote speaker at the Aero Club’s September luncheon on Monday.

Barents has been involved with Aerion since 2004, after he was approached by aerodynamicist Richard Tracy about helping to bring to market his concept of a supersonic business jet.

“We believe that the next frontier is going to include speed, particularly as you look at the changing world, the interdependence on economies that require us to fly longer distances,” Barents said.

Barents said he’s now ready to talk to a Wichita audience about Aerion and supersonic business flight following last fall’s announcement at the National Business Aviation Association Convention & Exposition that Airbus Group would collaborate with Aerion to develop and commercialize the AS2.

Aerion is planning for an entry into service date of 2022 for the nine- to 12-seat, $120 million AS2.

“I’ve said publicly … the next major milestone for Aerion would be collaboration with an OEM (original equipment manufacturer),” Barents said. “It was never our intent that we would go it alone. Airbus … was a major turning point for us.”

Barents, who grew up in the Livonia, Mich., came to Wichita in 1975 to work at Cessna. He left the company as senior vice president of sales and marketing in 1986 and joined Toyota to help launch the start-up of the Lexus brand.

In 1989 he returned to Wichita to lead Learjet as its president and CEO.

In 1996 he left Learjet, five years after it was acquired by Bombardier, and joined a group that formed Galaxy Aerospace in Fort Worth. Galaxy was a business jet manufacturer that produced the Astra, a midsize business jet, and the Galaxy, a super-midsize jet.

Galaxy was acquired by General Dynamics, the parent company of business jet maker Gulfstream, in 2001.

In addition to his business career, Barents served 34 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard, starting as a fighter pilot.

Barents will speak to the Aero Club at noon on Monday at the Doubletree by Hilton Wichita Airport. His speech is open to the public. Tickets are $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers.

For more information or to order tickets, go to wichitaaeroclub.org.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Barents: Supersonic is ‘next frontier’ in business jets."