Building for the North Summit Aviation Focuses on Evolution and Partnerships WHEN DEPENDABLE MEANS EVERYTHING
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AN mHm PUbLISHING mAGAZINe November/December 2016 [ INSIDE ] • INDUSTRY NEWS • H1 HELIPORT HEADACHE • INNOTECH AVIATION PROFILE • LEAR 75 FLIGHT TEST skiesmag.com • LHM-1 HYBRID AIRSHIP AvIAtIoN IS oUr PassioN BUILDING FOR THE NORTH SUMMIT AVIATION FOCUSES ON EVOLUTION AND PARTNERSHIPS WHEN DEPENDABLE MEANS EVERYTHING Each mission is unique, but all P&WC turboshaft engines have one thing in common: You can depend on them. Designed for outstanding performance, enhanced fl ying experience and competitive operating economics, the PW200 and PT6 engine families are the leaders in helicopter power. With innovative technology that respects the environment and a trusted support network that offers you peace of mind, you can focus on what matters most: A MISSION ACCOMPLISHED WWW.PWC.CA POWERFUL. EFFICIENT. VERSATILE. SOUND LIKE ANYBODY YOU KNOW? You demand continuous improvement in your business, so why not expect it from your business aircraft? Through intelligent design the new PC-12 NG climbs faster, cruises faster, and is even more quiet, comfortable and efficient than its predecessor. If your current aircraft isn’t giving you this kind of value, maybe it’s time for a Pilatus. Stan Kuliavas, Vice President of Sales | [email protected] | 1 844.538.2376 | www.levaero.com November/December 2016 1 Levaero-Full-CSV6I6.indd 1 2016-09-29 1:12 PM November/December 2016 Volume 6, Issue 6 in this issue in the JUmpseat. 06 view from the hill ......08 focal Points ........... 10 Briefing room .......... 12 plane spotting .........30 APS: Upset Training .....99 Marketplace .......... 102 instrUment IQ ......... 109 faces of flight ........ 110 56 Paul Bowen Photo features AVIONICS ROTARY COMPANY FLIGHT TEST OPERATOR A TOUCH OF H1 HELIPORT A NAME FOR ICON BUILDING GLASS HEADACHE QUALITY REDEFINED FOR THE Skies flies the King Air A heliport rule When it comes to Skies test pilot Rob NORTH 350i equipped with the interpretation threatens business aviation Erdos travels to Wichita, Summit Aviation is Pro Line Fusion touch Canadian helicopter services, few companies Kan., to fly the Learjet 75. redefining modern-day avionics system. emergency services. can compete with BY ROBERT ERDOS northern operations. BY ROBERT ERDOS BY OLIVER JOHNSON the Innotech Aviation pedigree. BY GRAHAM CHANDLER BY LISA GORDON 2 SKIES Magazine MILITARY HYBRID AIRSHIPS online BONUS ON THE COVER TAC HEL IN NO ROADS? TRAINING IN A With fleet rationalization a top CALIFORNIA NO PROBLEM! MILITARY PILOT’s priority, Yellowknife-based Summit Aviation is focusing on partnerships RCAF tactical Hybrid airships could SANDBOX to drive its success. helicopters soon solve northern Canada’s world class Cold Lake Air train at the 2016 Rim of transportation challenges. RUAG Aviation/Katsuhiko Weapons Range provides combat Tokunaga Photo the Pacific Exercise. BY HOWARD SLUTSKEN training that’s as real as it gets. BY SKIP ROBINSON Download this as a wallpaper here! story and photos BY Steve Bigg November/December 2016 3 THE STANDARD IN MISSION READINESS KING AIR 350ER The versatile and easily reconfigurable King Air ® 350ER turboprop will transform your ability to multitask. With a useful load of over 7,000 pounds, room for up to 11 passengers and an optional cargo door, it is the preferred aircraft for operators who fly multiple missions. Whether your pursuit is medevac, surveillance or executive transport, the King Air 350ER can carry the gear you need, wherever the mission takes you. Learn more about the King Air 350ER today at Beechcraft.com. U.S. +1.844.44.TXTAV | INTERNATIONAL +1.316.517.8270 ©2016 Textron Aviation Inc. All rights reserved. Beechcraft, its logo and King Air are registered trademarks of Beechcraft Corporation, used by permission. 4 SKIES Magazine CAC0235 KA 350ER Quick Change Aerialist_Canadian Skies_8.375x10.75.indd 1 8/2/16 5:14 PM Client: Textron Aviation Ad Title: KA 350ER Quick Change Aerialist Publication: Canadian Skies Trim: 8.375” x 10.75” Bleed: 8.625” x 11” Live: 7.875” x 10.25” WHAT’S ONLINE @ skiesmag.com THE TEAM GROUP PUBLISheR | MIKE REYNO We’re your best source for aviation industry news! Come on over to our website for your daily dose of the latest news, [email protected] original Skies feature articles, unique desktop calendars and wallpapers, and much more. GROUP PUBLISheR | LinDA REYNO [email protected] ASSOCIate PUBLISheR | Derek KAST [email protected] EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | LISA GORDON [email protected] ASSIStaNT EDITOR | Ben ForreST [email protected] JUNIOR EDITOR | SARAH GRANDY [email protected] SaLES & MARKETING DIRECTOR | Tim MUISE [email protected] MARketPLACE SALES | FRANK SArgeANT [email protected] PRODUCTION MANageR | JEN ColVEN [email protected] GRAPHIC deSIGNER | KAYTlyn WISMAyer [email protected] SR. 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No part of this publication in whole or in part may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Editorial published in Skies magazine does not necessarily reflect the Want your photo here? views of the publisher. Information contained within Post your amazing aviation photography Skies magazine is believed to be accurate, but the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. Skies to facebook.com/skiesmag for a will consider unsolicited, quality stories and pictures, chance to be featured! but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for the safe return of submitted material. © Copyright 2016 MHM Publishing Inc. Canadian Publication Mail Agreement Number: 40741549 Postmaster: If undeliverable, return mailing label only. Printed in Canada November/December 2016 5 COLUMN IN THE JUMPSEAT The business jet industry is stumbling again. It never fully recovered from the devastating post-2008 meltdown, and is now being hit by another downturn. While the damage this time appears to be focused on the large cabin segment, small and medium jet demand is still weak. Deliveries of these workhorse aircraft fell 57 per cent by value in 2008- 2010, and output last year was still 45 per cent lower than the 2008 market peak. Clearly, it’s time to ask whether there are too many players in this segment. In particular, it may be time for Learjet to end its life as a new aircraft producer. First, there are two successful players in this segment. Cessna and Embraer actually succeeded in modestly growing their output and market share in 2015. Meanwhile, WILL A turboprop manufacturer Pilatus looks set to successfully enter the light jet business, with the PC-24. But Learjet is floundering badly. Last year’s cancellation of the Lear 85 program effectively LEARJET destroyed all hope of a new model. Just six Model 70/75s were delivered in the first half of this year, compared with an average of just over 30 per year in 2013-2015. SALE CHANGE The Model 70/75 upgrade was a very modest improvement to the 40/45, which have been built for almost 20 years. That’s not a terribly long time, but these models still use Honeywell’s aging TFE731 turbofan. ANYTHING? Gulfstream’s decision to terminate the G150 in September ended one of the last applications for this engine, leaving just a token number of Falcon 900s. Honeywell BY Richard AboulaFia might like to move on, too. Meanwhile, Bombardier could use the money from a Learjet sale. The company has had serious financial problems while trying to bring the C Series jetliner family to market, and its current business jet priority is the Global 7000/8000 development program. Meanwhile, Gulfstream’s G150 termination shows that having a mid-sized jet is no great advantage for a large cabin manufacturer, a point underlined by Dassault’s lack of interest in returning to the mid-cabin market it abandoned decades ago. Indeed, if it kept Learjet alive, Bombardier would be the odd man out among the high-end brands. However, it is difficult to imagine who would buy Learjet for its new build programs. Conceivably, China could be interested, but there’s little point in buying relatively old intellectual property, and China’s aviation industry has shown little interest in actually purchasing a Western prime. They purchased Cirrus, but they balked at the opportunity to buy Hawker Beechcraft, which had several newer products than Learjet’s line. Textron/Cessna, of course, is a possible acquirer, and the company says it would be interested in Learjet “at the right price.” But this would be a repeat of the Hawker Beechcraft acquisition experience, with the unit’s legacy jet programs immediately closed down.