My name is Enes Kocatopçu and this year I graduated from Eskişehir Technical University, from the Department Aviation Management. During my university education, my aim was to learn and improve myself by accessing knowledge and by questioning, and to also mutually benefit from sharing what I learned with my social and professional environment. During my time at the university I volunteered for various scientific research teams and student clubs. Gaining knowledge is a precious journey, and I recently had the opportunity to have a conversation with an industry executive in the first edition of “Business Cockpit” Interviews which gave me a glimpse into the field of aviation. I learned some new information valuable insights about the future of aviation which I am pleased to share.

Before I share the interview, let me provide a bit of background on how this interview series came to be.  During my last year at university I met the Aeronautical Engineer Can Erel, who is known for his military and civil aviation activities, but My name is Enes Kocatopçu and this year I graduated from Eskişehir Technical University, from the Department Aviation Management. During my university education, my aim was to learn and improve myself by accessing knowledge and by questioning, and also to mutually benefit from sharing what I learned with my social and professional environment. During my time at the university I volunteered for various scientific research teams and student clubs. Gaining knowledge is a precious journey, and I recently had the opportunity to have a conversation with an industry executive in the first edition of “Business Cockpit” Interviews, which gave me a glimpse into the field of aviation. I learned some new information valuable insights about the future of aviation, which I am pleased to share.

Before I share the interview, let me provide background on how this interview series came to be.  During my last year at university I met Mr. Can Erel, who is known for his military and civil aviation activities, but especially for his efforts and dedication to training and mentoring aviators of the future as an aeronautical engineer. We held meetings to participate in the @Team project, which was planned and implemented at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. A few weeks later, I learned that Mr. Erel was planning remote business conversations with aviation decision-makers under the title "Business Cockpit". He intended to prepare this project with a task group consisting of young aviators preparing to take part in the industry, and I became a volunteer candidate. After the necessary evaluations, I was very happy when I learned that I had been selected as the first member of that task group, as a fresh graduate from Department of Aviation Management and the Vice President of the School`s Civil Aviation Club.

During our frequent meetings with Mr.Erel, he highlighted that air cargo, business jets, air ambulances, and general / sports aviation are areas that have serious development potential in the aviation industry,  significantly affected  by the COVID-19 pandemic. . I know that Can Erel was a member of the team to create the idea and strategize of my aviation school.  During our meetings he has stated that the concept of the "Global Economy" and that its impact area would change with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said "Design and Production" oriented changes would occur in aviation as in every field, that the volume of business jets would grow more than expected.  He wished to supply and put business jets into service with mobile EMS kits and start operating them in our country if he had enough capital.  He then shared his idea “Business Cockpit Interviews”. We wanted our first interview to be on the subject of business jets and to associate it with China, which has the most significant development potential on a global scale, and it is one of the most ambitious regions in the field of "Design and Manufacturing."

I was given full support in this activity from my esteemed mentors; Mr. Hakan Çağlayan, Körfez Aviation Manager for business, and Dr. Ferhan Kuyucak Şengür, Professor, Department of Aviation Management of Eskisehir Technical University. 

When we contacted Gulfstream Aircraft China General Manager Mr. Bin Zhang and with his positive response to the questions, we had prepared, the scope of our first e-interview finalized. I focused on this theme in my research afterwards.  Our research showed that there are a total of 13 Gulfstream business jets in Turkey consisting of 1 G450 and 3 G550s used by operators in general aviation, and 1 G-IV, 1 G150, 4 G450s, 2 G550s, and 1 G650 in the air taxi field used by seven operators. We conducted a detailed review Gulfstream Aircraft company and its products in this field. The company has been developing its product range, placing particular importance on technological superiority.

I had the pleasure of conducting an e-interview with Mr.Scott Neal, the Vice President of the company responsible for global sales, after the mid-term review silence of Gulfstream, a subsidiary of General Dynamics. The anticipated developments in the field of business jets attracted my attention also in this interview. 

I would like to thank Mr. Zhang, the company`s corporate communications managers, and of course  Mr.Neal and my mentors who made this interview possible. We wish you a pleasant reading!