Signature Ups Supply of SAF Will Be Among Its ﬁrst to Make Sustainable Aviation by Curt Epstein Fuel Available on a Regular Basis to Customers

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Vol.49 | No.10

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Signature Flight Support’s FBO at London Luton Airport Signature ups supply of SAF will be among its first to make sustainable aviation by Curt Epstein fuel available on a regular basis to customers. Ahead of the start of the inaugural Sustain- Fuel Standard (LCFS) tax incentive programs, having the first FBO in the world that is able able Business Aviation Fuels Summit on Sep- while those at London Luton can reduce car- to offer operators a reliable, full volume of tember 14, Signature Flight Support launched bon offsetting needs for the EU’s ETS. SAF at a competitive price only a few dollars the Signature Renew industry sustainability The SAF purchase agreement is the continues on page 52 program, including agreements with sustain- largest by an FBO operator to date. “Sig- Deliveries able aviation fuel (SAF) provider Neste and nature is undertaking a momentous step Read Our SPECIAL REPORT GAMA 2H numbers NetJets, thus connecting all segments of the that enables the widescale adoption of fuel supply chain from producer to end-user. SAF,” said Signature COO Tony Lefeb- show big decline page 8 The deal with Neste calls for Signature to vre. “Prior to establishing a permanent purchase five million gallons of SAF, which supply of SAF, FBOs have only been able Product Support will be used to establish permanent supplies of to provide a few thousand gallons at one AIN readers rate the support they the environmentally-friendly fuel at its FBOs time, typically by request of an individual received in the last 12 months for the Supersonic at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) aircraft operator or for a one-off event.” engines that power their aircraft. and at the UK’s London Luton Airport. Cus- He added that the company aims to have Air Force seeks bids for page 20 tomers purchasing SAF at Signature SFO will the world’s first 100 percent sustainably- speedy flyers page 12 take advantage of the California Low Carbon supplied FBO in the first quarter of 2021. “By

VLJs New funding for One SAFE. RELIABLE. Aviation page 12 VERSATILE. ECONOMICAL. WORLD CLASS FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP Charity www.planesense.com Turtles Fly Too’s first West Coast trip page 32 PRAETOR !""# CERTIFIED OUTPERFORMANCE.

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LEADING THE WAY INSIDE this issue 30 JAMES HOLAHAN "1921#2015$, FOUNDING EDITOR WILSON S. LEACH, FOUNDER & CEO EDITOR!IN!CHIEF – Matt Thurber NEWS EDITOR ! AIN PUBLICATIONS ! Chad Trautvetter SENIOR EDITORS ! Charles Alcock, Curt Epstein, Kerry Lynch Gregory Polek – Air Transport ASSOCIATE EDITOR ! Jerry Siebenmark CONTRIBUTORS David Donald – Defense Mark Huber – Rotorcraft Jennifer Leach English David Jack Kenny – Safety 34 Gordon Gilbert Richard Pedicini John Goglia – Columnist Ian Sheppard James Wynbrandt PRODUCTION MANAGER ! Martha Jercinovich SPECIAL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ! John A. Manfredo, Grzegorz Rzekos REPORT DIGITAL SOLUTIONS MANAGER ! Michael Giaimo 12 20 DEVELOPERS ! Nathan Douglas, Ryan Koch AIN’s DIRECTOR OF VIDEO ! Ian Whelan Engine CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ! Dave Leach Product VICE PRESIDENT SALES & MARKETING ! Karl H. Elken Support ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ! Nancy O’Brien Survey ADVERTISING SALES Melissa Murphy ! Midwestern U.S., +1 (830) 608-9888 results Nancy O’Brien ! Western U.S./Western Canada/Asia Pacific, +1 (530) 241-3534 Joe Rosone – Mid-Atlantic U.S./Southeast U.S./Caribbean/Brazil, +1 (301) 693-4687 Diana Scogna ! Europe/Middle East, +33 6 62 52 25 47 Victoria Tod ! Northeastern U.S./Eastern Canada/Great Lakes U.S./ United Kingdom, +1 (203) 733-4184 AIRPLANES and ENGINES 6 Bizav SAF summit examines increasing Yury Laskin ! Russia, +7 05 912 1346 12 U.S. Air Force issues contracts for VIP supply and demand AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ! Nicole Bowman supersonic and hypersonic transports 10 Textron Aviation deliveries to MARKETING AND CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER ! Lisa Valladares 12 One Aviation pursues new ownership include full tank of SAF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ! Zach O’Brien SALES ADMINISTRATOR ! Cindy Nesline 14 Aerion to ‘fly’ wind tunnel AS2 33 Diamond-based batteries to at supersonic speeds power electric aircraft DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES ! Michele Hubert 20 AIN Product Support Survey ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ! Mary Avella INDUSTRY and MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE ! Bobbie Bing 8 Covid crisis spurs $2 billion AIRPORTS and FBOs plunge in first-half billings U.S. HEADQUARTERS 10 National network of private hangars set to launch 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432, +1 (201) 444-5075 32 Turtles Fly Too completes Advertising Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 28 Time remains to fight for HTO, SMO survival [email protected] first West Coast mission Circulation Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 35 API’s Barden urges bizav execs [email protected] AIRSHOWS and CONVENTIONS to foster travel return WASHINGTON, D.C. EDITORIAL OFFICE: 6 MEBAA show postponed until February Kerry Lynch (business aviation) 38 Following sale, Gogo looks to focus [email protected] 40 HAI commits to Heli-Expo 2021 show solely on business aviation Tel: +1 (703) 969-9195 in New Orleans March 22-25 40 Partners in Aviation helps EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICE: buyers opt to share a jet Charles Alcock AIR TRANSPORT [email protected] Tel: +44 +44 7799 907595 46 Airbus’s Satair unit takes over A220 parts supply MAINTENANCE, MODs, and COMPLETIONS 46 Airbus signs partners for fello’fly 18 XOJet giving a makeover to 16 THE CONVENTION NEWS COMPANY, INC. environmental project AIN PUBLICATIONS EXECUTIVE TEAM Challengers, Citation Xs Wilson Leach Jennifer Leach English Karl H. Elken 47 IATA sounds alarm on vaccine distribution e!orts 31 Honeywell gains FAA nod for 3D-printed part Matt Thurber Dave Leach 47 Wizz Air CEO predicts a ‘rollercoaster’ Michele Hubert Nancy O’Brien Covid-19 recovery process REGULATIONS and GOVERNMENT Aviation International News (ISSN 0887-9877) is published thirteen 47 Eurocontrol warns of airport constraints 26 GAO questions FAA compliance program times per year (monthly plus a special NBAA Convention News issue in November). Periodicals postage paid at Midland Park, N.J., and 30 Hybrid Air Vehicles floats new govt grant funding additional mailing o !ces. Postmaster: Send address changes to Aviation AVIONICS and TECHNOLOGY International News, P.O. Box 8059, Lowell, MA 01853 USA. Allow at least eight weeks for processing. Include old address as well as new, and an 42 Airbus H160 pioneers flight ROTORCRAFT and UNMANNED SYSTEMS address label from a recent issue if possible. 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Important Events Note While there have been many cancellations and postponements of important events during the Covid-19 crisis, AIN remains PUBLICATIONS committed to covering the business aviation industry. Please send any news and press releases, especially related to For feedback, letters to the editor, or other editorial needs, events you had been planning to attend, to [email protected] and we will endeavor to help share your news. please contact AIN’s Editors at [email protected]

4 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com INNOVATING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

While innovating to deliver peak efficiency and performance today, we never lose sight of tomorrow. In the air, our new, clean-sheet aircraft achieve industry-leading fuel economy and reduced emissions. On the ground, green facilities, sustainable manufacturing processes and a carbon offset program help guide the way to a better shared future. As We Go To Press Bizav SAF Summit tackles EBAA SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS the allegations that SmartSky has put BUSINESS TRAVEL EXPECTATIONS forward,” said WSS v-p Susan Gross. ramp up of alternative fuel Just over half of the participants (53 percent) in an EBAA webinar held on ORANGE COUNTY SUPERVISORS by Curt Epstein September 17 expect to see an increase AWARD FBO LEASES AT SNA in business travel over the next five California’s Orange County board of The Business Aviation Coalition for Sus- topics explored in depth was book-and- years. About a third (34 percent) said supervisors on September 15 approved tainable Aviation Fuel (SAF Coalition) claim, a mechanism whereby an operator they see a reduction, while 13 percent the awarding of 35-year leases at John last month hosted its first Sustainable looking to use SAF in an area where it isn’t predicted “no significant change” as Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA) to Business Aviation Fuels Summit. The available can purchase it and receive any the industry tries to recover from the FBO operators ACI Jets and Clay Lacy online event gathered a constellation of environmental policy benefits, while the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. EBAA Aviation. In August, the board selected experts encompassing all aspects of the actual fuel is dispensed at a facility where also asked its audience what they see the two California-based companies industry including operators, legislators, it is available. This system is viewed as as the biggest risk to business aviation to spearhead its new general aviation regulators, fuel suppliers, and others to crucial to increasing the usage of SAF. today. Environmental concerns leading redevelopment plan, despite the airport’s determine how best and how quickly to “With this summit, we have taken a key to fewer customers and higher taxes RFP process awarding the highest score ramp up the acceptance, demand, and next step to build upon the tremendous were identified by 51 percent, while 30 in the evaluation to incumbent Atlantic supply for SAF, which is viewed as one of progress we have made on sustainability percent pointed to increasing regulation, Aviation. Atlantic Aviation, which has the tentpoles in achieving the industry’s in just the last two years,” said Obitts. 13 percent to a declining customer base, serviced SNA for nearly two decades, goals of carbon emissions reduction. “We are focused on accelerating SAF’s and just 6 percent to skills shortages. is now operating there on a month-to- The event began with a panel hosted by adoption and use, which requires us to month lease, and CEO Lou Pepper told GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce fea- grow supply and demand.” HOUSE REPORT BLASTS BOEING, AIN that while his company disagrees turing the heads of most major business NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen FAA FOR 737 MAX FAILURES with the decision, it is still maintaining a jet makers, describing how sustainability added, “What we have seen is that aware- A 238-page report released September 16 relationship with the airport as a tenant. is vital to the growth of the industry and ness [of SAF] has increased, the potential on a U.S. congressional committee’s what approaches their companies have has increased, it’s now more visible and investigation into the 737 Max lambasted JSX ‘REVIEWING OPTIONS’ taken to improve the efficiency of their we’re more understanding of the tools the manufacturer and the FAA for a FOLLOWING VOTE ON SNA LEASES aircraft. That was followed by a discus- like the Low Carbon Fuel Standards...the series of engineering lapses, management JSX founder and CEO Alex Wilcox said his sion moderated by NATA president and Federal Tax Credit...the potential book- missteps, and oversight failures leading public charter company is “reviewing its CEO Tim Obitts, including SAF produc- and-claim systems that are transparent to the twin crashes that killed 346 people. options” after the Orange County board ers and distributors on current produc- and accountable,” he told the online audi- The report concluded that the crashes of supervisors approved new FBO lease tion and expansion plans. Among the ence during the summit. did not result from a singular failure, agreements that upends JSX’s operations technical mistake, or mismanaged event, at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in California. but rather a “horrific culmination” of a The new lease agreements with ACI Jet series of faulty technical assumptions by and Clay Lacy Aviation include clauses that Boeing’s engineers, a lack of transparency prohibit subleases to “regularly scheduled on the part of Boeing’s management, commercial service.” Instead, airport and “grossly insufficient oversight” by the officials have recommended JSX use the FAA. Issued by the House Transportation main passenger terminal. That’s counter and Infrastructure Committee, the to JSX’s business model of operating report revealed “multiple missed as a hybrid charter service from FBOs opportunities that could have turned using 30-passenger Embraer regional jets the trajectory of the Max’s design and with business-class seating and boarding development toward a safer course” that avoids TSA chokepoints. Wilcox said due to flawed technical design criteria, options for JSX could include legal action faulty assumptions about pilot response or permission to operate from another times, and production pressures. part of SNA. JSX won’t be able to use

ACI Jet as a terminal beginning January 1. INTOSH SMARTSKY, IN LEGAL BATTLE, c

FACES FURTHER DELAYS BOEING NEXT DIVISION TO CLOSE DAVID M SmartSky Networks has become Boeing is closing its Boeing NeXt The Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association’s bienneal show will embroiled in a legal dispute involving innovation division just over two years now be held February 22-24 at the Dubai World Central show site. a major equipment vendor for its since it launched the venture. The planned air-to-ground network to move raises questions about the future MEBAA show postponed until February provide enhanced aircraft connectivity of the company’s shareholdings in and said the launch of the network will eVTOL aircraft developers Wisk and The Middle East & North Africa Business very careful consideration of the situa- now be pushed back until 2021. The Aurora Flight Sciences. Also now in Aviation Association (MEBAA) has post- tion and taking into account feedback communications specialist, which is based doubt is whether Boeing will continue poned its biennial MEBAA Show from from our exhibitors and stakeholders, in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, its investment in Aerion and its AS2 early December to late February, citing we believe the decision to postpone the has terminated a contract and filed a supersonic business jet program. Boeing “concerns related to the evolving Covid-19 event is in the best interests of the health lawsuit against its former radio contractor, indicated that the decision had been outbreak.” The regional business aviation and safety of our exhibitors, visitors, con- Wireless Systems Solutions (WSS), alleging taken in response to heavy financial show, which was set to take place from tractors, and sta!.” improper actions and misappropriation losses sustained in the wake of the December 8 to 10 at the Dubai World Cen- The MEBAA Show’s upcoming edition of intellectual property. “WSS failed to 737 Max grounding and the Covid tral airshow site, will now be held from will host several new features, including complete what it was contracted to do crisis. Boeing’s NeXt division has been February 22 to 24 at the same venue. thought-leadership seminars and work- for SmartSky. Simultaneously, we believe working on two eVTOL prototypes—one “We have been closely monitoring shops; pre-arranged meetings program WSS attempted to sell our product as designated as a Passenger Air Vehicle the Covid-19 spread over the past few to better connect visitors and exhibitors; its own,” said SmartSky president Ryan and another a Cargo Air Vehicle. Through weeks, as well as developments on travel and a luxury travel operators segment Stone. WSS called the SmartSky lawsuit its Wisk joint venture formed in 2019 restrictions from governments around that will allow attendees to meet and a retaliatory action responding to a WSS with Kitty Hawk, it is developing a the world,” said MEBAA founding and network with regional and global high- lawsuit filing. “We categorically deny two-seat eVTOL design called Cora. executive chairman Ali Alnaqbi. “After end travel operators. C.T.

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FLIGHTSAFETY INSTRUCTOR-LED ONLINE TRAINING - AIN - Trim: 10.8125” w x 13.875” d Bleed: 11.0625” w x 14.125” d consisting of a pair of ACJ320neos in the News Briefs first half of 2019, and an ACJ320neo and an ACJ350XWB this year. Boeing had no Gulfstream, Jet Aviation BBJ deliveries in the first half of either year. Open New Florida Facility Turboprops experienced even worse Jet Aviation and Gulfstream have opened erosion than bizjets, with 2020 deliveries their new co-located FBO/aircraft dropping to 152 after airframers handed maintenance complex at Florida’s Palm over 231 in the first half of last year, for Beach International Airport. While Jet a deficit of 34.2 percent. High-end pres- Aviation will continue to operate its primary surized models fared slightly better, down FBO on the southeast side of the field, by 30.4 percent, with 73 deliveries in the the complex features a new 11,270-sq-ft first half of the year, as opposed to 105 in satellite two-story FBO terminal, of which the previous year. Textron Aviation had a Gulfstream occupies 9,000 sq ft on the 49 percent decline in Beechcraft King Air first floor, and a 42,000 sq ft Jet Aviation deliveries, year-over-year, handing over hangar with 30 foot-high-doors. The 20 of the turboprop twins during the first adjoining service center for Gulfstream Deliveries were down across all segments of business and general aviation aircraft in the six months of 2020, compared with 39 in consists of more than 104,000 sq ft of first half, leading to a 20 percent drop in billings. Honda Aircraft delivered 47 percent fewer the same period of 2019. climate-controlled hangars and workshops HondaJets (pictured here) in the period. But increases in flight operations and new customers Pilatus delivered two fewer PC-12s in capable of simultaneously sheltering up are providing hope. the first half of this year than it did through to seven G650s. The two companies will June of 2019, while Daher handed over six share 200,000 sq ft of ramp space. less of its TBM series single-engines. Piper Aircraft, which delivered 13 FAA Gives Nod for Covid crisis spurs $2 billion M500s and just one M600 in the first Autoland on Vision Jet half of 2019, saw those numbers reversed Cirrus Aircraft has obtained FAA approval this year, handing over 11 M600s and no for the Garmin Autoland-based Safe Return plunge in first-half billings M500s. Piaggio delivered no Avanti twin system on the Vision Jet. This marks the pushers in the first six months of this year first jet aircraft to receive the nod for the by Curt Epstein after handing over two last year. Autoland system, which has previously While the rotorcraft market, in gen- been approved for the Piper M600 All sectors of general aviation experienced in the first half of 2020, compared with 17 eral, was off by nearly 40 percent, in the and Daher TBM 940 turboprop singles. a downturn in the first half of 2020, accord- the year previously. turbine- powered segment, the total deliv- Designed as a layer of safety should the ing to statistics released on September 14 Embraer posted a 42 percent decrease eries were off by 37 percent. pilot become incapacitated, Safe Return by the General Aviation Manufacturers in year-over-year deliveries, led by a Italian manufacturer Leonardo will assume control of the aircraft at the Association (GAMA). For the industry fac- decline in deliveries of its Phenom 300. encountered the most severe drop-off, as push of a button, navigate to the nearest ing hurdles from the Covid-19 crisis, total The Brazilian company, which handed its deliveries declined by nearly 53 per- suitable airport, communicate with air billings were off by more than 20 percent, over 21 of the popular light jets during cent. The greatest attrition came from the traffic control, land, and bring the aircraft $2 billion less than last year’s first half. the first half of 2019, saw that number medium-twin AW169, which went from 15 to a stop. The activation button is in the “It should come as no surprise to any- nearly halved despite the addition of deliveries in the first half of 2019, to three cabin for passenger access but pilots one that the Covid-19 pandemic severely the enhanced 300E. After delivering one January-through-June of this year. have the ability to disengage the system. impacted the general aviation industry and Praetor 600 super-midsize in 1H 2019, the Through the first six months of 2020, its global operations in the second quar- manufacturer handed over five during the Bell saw its deliveries fall by nearly half, Bombardier Delivers First ter,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete same period this year, although it also handing over 42 aircraft as compared with Global with Dual HUD Bunce, citing disruptions in the global aero- delivered five of the Praetor 600’s prede- 83 through the same period in 2019. Its Bombardier Aviation has delivered one of space supply chain due to swiftly changing cessor, the Legacy 500, during 1H2019. largest decline was in the 505 light single, its new flagship Global 7500s equipped restrictions from national, state, and local which had 48 deliveries in the first half of with dual head-up displays. According governments. “With facilities conducting One More Learjet last year, but only 17 through the second to the Montreal-based airframer, this is operations in a ‘new normal’ work environ- Tallying one additional delivery of its light quarter of this year. the first time it has made the dual HUD ment, what has been very encouraging is Learjet 70/75/Liberty this year than it did Airbus Helicopters, which lumps its installation available as an option in its that the supply chain has begun to stabilize in the first half of 2019, Bombardier Avia- military and civil deliveries together in its ultra-long-range Global family. The pilot- and robust screening procedures and inno- tion had an overall 22 percent downturn accounting, had a 31 percent decline year- side Collins Aerospace-manufactured vative work station Covid-19 mitigation through the first half of the year, handing over-year, the largest deficit coming in its HUD is standard equipment on the protocols have resulted in very few virus over 13 fewer aircraft than it did a year ago. light H125/H130 class. Though the OEM Global 7500. The HUDs, part of the transmission incidents.” Deliveries of the Challenger family were had shipped 80 in the first two quarters Bombardier Vision flight deck, include Business jet deliveries for the half were off by eight units and its ultra-long-range of 2019, that number fell to 45 in the first enhanced and synthetic vision systems. down by 26.7 percent year-over-year, Global series by six. half of this year. declining from 333 in the first six months Savannah, Georgia-based Gulfstream Torrance, Calif.-based Robinson Heli- Surf Air Mobility Lands of 2019 to 244 in the same period this saw its first-half delivery total off by 10 copter held its own with its single-turbine $200M Funding Boost year. Among the major business jet man- units from the first half of 2019, handing R66, seeing only two fewer deliveries in Surf Air Mobility, which was formed ufacturers, Cessna saw the most erosion over six less super-mid 280s and four the front end of 2020 than it did over the alongside Surf Air’s acquisition of aviation with Citation deliveries off by nearly 49 fewer large-cabin twinjets. same six months last year. marketplace BlackBird earlier this year, percent during the first six months year- Dassault Falcon, which only reports Enstrom, which had no turbine helicop- announced a $200 million investment over-year. The super-midsize Longitude its deliveries at mid-year and yearend, ter deliveries in the first half of 2019, handed commitment from Luxembourg-based entered service last October, and while does not break down its totals by aircraft over one of its 480B-G models during the Global Emerging Markets Group to take the Wichita-based OEM delivered nine model or type. As such, the French air- first six months of this year, while Sikorsky the company public. The $200 million in the first half of 2020, that boost was framer at 16 units saw only one less air- shipped an S-92 in the first half of 2020 commitment comes with an advance of offset by deliveries of 10 fewer midsize craft delivery this year than it did in the after experiencing no helicopter deliveries $50 million, immediately available on the Latitudes than it logged in the first half of first half of 2019. during the same period last year. first day of trading; further tranches can 2019. The CJ3+ also experienced a strong Both Pilatus, with its PC-24, and Cirrus, “Many travelers have opted to explore then be drawn at the company’s option decline with deliveries declining from 17 with its SF50 Vision Jet, remained static the utility of general and business aviation over a three-year period. This funding will in the first six months of 2019 to five in with 16 deliveries for the former and 31 for the first time,” said Bunce, “which we allow the company to continue adding the same period this year. for the latter in the first half of both years. hope will translate into future customers organic growth, executing strategic new Honda Aircraft’s deliveries were off by In the bizliner category, Airbus had two for the incredible and versatile products initiatives, and acquiring leading technology 47 percent, handing over nine HondaJets deliveries in the first half of both years, and services our industry has to offer.” players in the zero-emission space.

8 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com

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Also like FBOs, in most developer prepares to break ground on lish a national network of privately owned rooms with showers for crew and execu- cases, the hangars could revert to air- a campus in Melbourne, Florida, later aircraft hangar complexes, was set to tives/owners, and storage area. Each unit port ownership at the end of the leases. this year and hire up to 675 workers open its first location on October 1 at the is assigned covered outdoor parking as While the company provides virtually by 2026. Unveiled in April, the $300 Houston- area’s Sugar Land Regional Air- well. While the office suite is provided all ground services aside from fueling, it million Aerion Park will serve as Aerion’s port (SGR). as a basic high-end package, a degree of works to arrange fueling discounts for its headquarters as well as the site of The facility, located at the northeast customization is available. tenants through FBOs on the field in a research, design, production, and support corner of the field off Taxiway Char- According to Keinan, the opening at mutually beneficial situation. “They’re for its future aircraft, including the AS2 lie, consists of 13 individually leased SGR was delayed due to Covid compli- pumping much more fuel, but it’s our Mach 1.4 business jet. Aerion expects to National Fire Protection Association cations, which pushed it back to October, $40 to $50 million that is going into begin manufacturing the AS2 in 2023. Group 3 modular hangars, including four coincidentally the same time the com- development, not theirs,” said Keinan. 16,000-sq-ft structures capable of shel- pany expects to break ground on two “The margin may be a little bit lower, but U.S. EPA Publishes Aircraft tering the latest ultra-long-range busi- other hangar complexes, one at Miami its free volume, they don’t have to pay Emissions Proposal ness jets, four 9,000-sq-ft hangars, and Opa-Locka Executive Airport in Florida for that volume.” Comments are due by October 19 on five 8,000-sq-ft hangars, all with 28-foot- and the other at Tennessee’s Nashville The company is currently concluding the U.S. Environmental Protection high doors. According to the company, as International Airport. leases with several other airports, all in Agency’s proposal to require certain large of mid-September, the complex was 50 “One of the advantages of this prototype the U.S. “Frankly, 60 percent of the world subsonic turbine-powered airplanes to percent leased. More than a hangar, the design is the permitting process is typi- is right here for business aviation, so we meet prescribed greenhouse emissions company aims to give operators a base for cally quicker than a from-scratch design,” think that’s the right focus,” explained standards. They would apply to jet their flight departments. said Keinan, noting that the metal struc- Keinan. “There’s certainly an opportu- airplanes with an mtow of more than “Essentially what we’ve done is taken tures are built from company-designed nity in Europe, we know it, we see it, but 5,700 kilograms/12,500 pounds for which a prototype approach to hangar con- components that are mass-produced and we’ve chosen for the time being to remain an application for new type certification struction,” said company president and assembled in the field. “The fastest these focused here.” is submitted to the FAA on or after co-founder Tal Keinan. “We were looking Jan. 1, 2020 (Jan. 1, 2023, for new type to offer the most efficient—from a tech- designs that have an mtow of 60,000 nical, functional standpoint—facility you kilograms/132,270 pounds or less and have can have if you are basing your aircraft 19 passenger seats or fewer). The standards somewhere.” Toward that end, the han- would also apply to turboprops having an gars come equipped with compressed air mtow greater than 8,618 kilograms/19,000 as well as 480-, 240-, and 120-volt elec- pounds. In-production standards trical outlets and drainage to handle any would apply beginning Jan. 1, 2028. aircraft- related tasks the tenant wishes. “If you need to put the plane up on jacks Citation Latitude Marks and fold the gears, you put the plane up Five Years, 240 Deliveries on jacks,” Keinan told AIN. “There’s no The worldwide fleet of 240 Cessna Citation repositioning in the hangar, or need in Latitudes has exceeded 320,000 hours in some cases for people to fly to another the five years since the first delivery of airport to get some hangar space to do the twinjet model. Textron Aviation also routine maintenance.” noted on the aircraft’s fifth anniversary The hangars are offered on a yearly that the Latitude accounts for more than lease basis, and Sky Harbour includes its 40 percent of midsize jet deliveries since own line crew and ground service equip- 2015. Half of the Latitude deliveries have ment, which can be requested through an involved fractional operator NetJets, app or in person, in addition to the ben- where, according to Textron, the airplane efits and security of being able to drive Textron Aviation will use its supply of sustainable aviation fuel to fill the tanks of holds the distinction as having the highest up to your own private hangar. “We’re a newly delivered Citation jets and Beechcraft and Cessna turboprops. average daily utilization. Certified in more premium product, we do charge much than 40 countries, the Latitude also has more than an FBO would charge for han- found footing as a special-missions aircraft. gar space,” acknowledged Keinan. “I don’t Textron Aviation Textron senior v-p of customer experience think it is the right solution for every- Christi Tannahill, who further explained Western Aircraft Installs body and it’s not something I would even deliveries to include the benefits of SAF in reducing CO! emis- First PC-12 Speed Cowl recommend to every aircraft owner, but full tank of SAF sions and thus the industry’s e"orts to Western Aircraft has installed its first Speed there are certain profiles of aircraft owner reduce its carbon footprint. “O"ering SAF Cowl on a Pilatus PC-12 that the Boise, for whom this makes a lot of sense.” He Customers taking delivery of new Beech- for customer deliveries demonstrates an Idaho-based MRO provider said improves added, “I think there are a lot of benefits craft and Cessna turboprops and Citation important next step in Textron Aviation’s the performance of the turboprop single. to driving straight into your hangar, park twinjets can opt to have an initial tank of commitment to sustainability.” Developed by Edmo Distributors, which the car, load baggage, load passengers, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according Tannahill noted that Textron aircraft also holds the STC, the non-invasive push out, and go.” to Textron Aviation. SAF also will be avail- fueled with SAF flew to many aviation modification increases ram air recovery Each hangar unit includes a ramp able to customers of its Wichita service industry events last year, including EBACE to the aircraft’s PT6-67 engine by 54.7 area for aircraft startup and shutdown center, the company added. and NBAA-BACE, and that the airframer percent in climb, 24.5 percent in cruise, in front of the hangar doors, the same “SAF equips air travelers with the ability will seek to use sustainable fuel for travel and 33.4 percent in cruise with the inertial size as the actual hangar. Car parking is to lessen the impact of their journeys on to future events. The Wichita-based air- separator open. This results in more offered within the climate-controlled our planet, and we are proud to be mak- framer is not disclosing the source of its available torque to the propellor, reducing hangar, with hydraulic stacking lifts ing this fuel type available as part of our SAF supply, which a spokesman said was time to climb to altitude and increasing available to accommodate multiple new aircraft delivery experience,” said acquired through spot purchases. J.S. cruise speed, Edmo said. Uninstalled, vehicles. The adjoining suite includes the Speed Cowl is priced at $85,000.

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Read the case study: Learn more: viasat.com/bizav-AIN +888.625.5921 U.S. Air Force issues contracts for VIP News Briefs TAG Aviation Holding Sells Off Final Assets supersonic and hypersonic transports TAG Aviation Holding has completed its departure from business aviation with by Chad Trautvetter the announcement that it sold off its aircraft charter/management divisions TAG Exosonic and Hermeus—relatively The $1 million contract awarded to contract. The Denver-based company Aviation SA and TAG Aviation Asia, in which unknown developers of faster-than-the- Exosonic, which was announced in early ultimately plans to build and certify Over- it holds a 51 percent stake, to its joint speed-of-sound passenger aircraft—as September, is for the company’s low- ture, a 45-seat Mach 2.2 airliner. “Overture venture partner in Asia, Young Brothers well as Boom Supersonic, were recently boom, Mach 1.8 twinjet that would fly U.S. offers the Air Force a unique combination Aviation, and another unidentified private awarded separate contracts by the U.S. Air leaders up to 5,000-nm nonstop, allowing of passenger capacity, speed, and enough investor. The Asia sale also includes Force’s Presidential and Executive Airlift them to more quickly meet with world space and power to accommodate the the TAG FBO in Macau and its Asian Directorate to develop executive trans- leaders or react to developing situations. requirements of necessary mission sys- maintenance operations. TAG Aviation ports that could be used as Air Force One. In airline configuration, the supersonic tems. Plus, the aircraft can be configured Holding had been steadily dismantling its Boom and Exosonic are both working on jet would be able to seat up to 70 people. for multiple cabin zones, affording a lay- once broad private aviation portfolio. The supersonic airliners, while Hermeus is Boom Supersonic, which is nearing out with as much privacy as necessary,” company noted use of the TAG Aviation developing a smaller, 20-seat hypersonic completion of its XB-1 scale model super- the company said. “Overture could also name and logo would continue under airplane. sonic demonstrator, was given a similar become part of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet the new ownership. Jo Goodall, a long- (CRAF), enabling humanitarian and other term TAG employee will succeed Daniel critical airlifts in half the time.” Christe as CEO of TAG Aviation Europe, Meanwhile, Hermeus’s USAF award and Steven Young, currently president granted earlier this month for its Mach of TAG Aviation Asia, will succeed Jolie 5 airplane comes under an “other trans- Howard as CEO of the division. action for prototype agreement direct to Phase II contract” after the company Foley: Air Charter Rebound successfully tested a hypersonic engine Could Be Short-lived prototype in February. The company said A rebound in private aviation travel with it has taken an “off-the-shelf gas turbine Part 135 operators is likely to slow down engine and operated it at flight speed after the summer, business aviation conditions faster than the famed SR-71.” analyst Brian Foley said in an analysis. He Though performance and specification added that buoyant reports of this activity, data for its Mach 5 jet are scant, it claimed which aren’t necessarily reflected in traffic the aircraft will be able to fly from New data, also might shut out the industry York to London in about 90 minutes. from further government financial Boom plans to fly Overture in assistance. What’s more, he wrote, there’s 2025, with certification and service nothing to indicate that business travel is entry expected in 2027. Exosonic poised for a similar rally. “All one needs and Hermeus have not yet provided to do to predict the strength of the Exosonic and Hermeus won U.S. Air Force Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate development timelines for their faster- upcoming business travel season is to contracts to develop supersonic (pictured above) and hypersonic aircraft. than-sound airplanes. look at their own trip calendars, which for most road warriors are pretty scant compared to last year,” Foley explained. Foley noted that despite some charter operators reporting a surge in new trip One Aviation pursues new ownership inquiries, few of them are turning into actual flights, and those that do are priced by Rob Finfrock aggressively and thus lower the margin.

One Aviation’s protracted journey through However, “Citiking has not provided from Linda Casey with the Office of the U.S. DOT To Ban Charter Chapter 11 bankruptcy might soon come to any of the required exit financing and U.S. Trustee, who termed the sale plan Flights to Cuba an end, although not in the way originally has told me and senior management of “not fully baked.” However, the judge Effective October 13, charter flights intended. The one-time manufacturer of the the debtors that it is now unable to do noted the alternative was to force One between the U.S. and Cuba will be Eclipse 500/550 very light jet appears headed so,” stated a declaration by One Avia- Aviation into liquidation after laboring prohibited, except for public charters for new ownership following court approval tion board member James Patrick Car- nearly two years to emerge from reor- to and from Havana as well as for of its request to part ways with Citiking roll that was filed in conjunction with ganization under Citiking. A hearing to emergency medical purposes, search International US in favor of a Section 363 the emergency motion. approve the final sale plan was scheduled and rescue, and “other travel deemed to sale of the company’s assets to a new buyer. In his ruling, Sontchi determined for September 29. be in the interest of the United States,” U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christo- that doubts of Citiking’s financial effi- according to the U.S. Department of pher Sontchi ruled September 3 to allow cacy were valid. He also berated the Expedited Bankruptcy Hurdles Transportation (DOT). No reason was One Aviation to proceed with an expe- Chinese-backed entity for its failure to Officials with One Aviation and Citiking given for this action, nor was there any dited sale of its assets to SEF OA LLC, a take One Aviation out of bankruptcy had initially promised a short trip proposal published before the order newly-formed Delaware entity backed by and refuted counterarguments blaming through Chapter 11 via a prepackaged asking for comments. Interested parties real estate venture SE Falcon. the latest delays on the coronavirus pan- bankruptcy plan to be completed by the had until September 3 to file “objections.” The company filed an emergency demic. “I think this frankly is an example end of 2018. That timeline soon encoun- This notice “applies to charter flights motion August 28 to move ahead with of Covid being used as an excuse where it tered stiff headwinds, including moves operated nonstop, as well as those a Section 363 sale of its assets to SEF lacks merit,” he said. “The reality is that by the unsecured creditors committee involving third-country intermediate OA LLC. The move effectively shut out Citiking has insufficient cash to close (UCC) and later the trustee to drop stops.” the notice cautioned. “The DOT Citiking, which had served as debtor-in- [this transaction.] There is no path for- Citiking’s plan and force the company will not look favorably upon operations possession (DIP) of One Aviation since ward with Citiking.” into liquidation. that seek to evade the requirements its October 2018 bankruptcy filing and Sontchi acknowledged the “very Citiking successfully staved off those of this order...and reserves the right has supported the company’s service unusual circumstances” in granting the efforts, in part by leveraging its own to pursue those involved in such operations throughout the process. sale request, which came over objections continues on page 16 operations through enforcement action.”

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www.amacaerospace.com/amac-sales/ “Aerion is setting new standards in the News Briefs aerospace community on cyber monitoring and advanced security of onboard Air bp, Neste To Increase electronics, something we see as a stan- European SAF Deliveries dard feature in years to come. Shift5 is Global aviation fuel provider Air bp and thrilled to collaborate with Aerion on sustainable fuel producer Neste have the cyber resiliency of their primary avi- inked an agreement to increase the flow ation platform, the AS2, and continue to of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available build better data and security products to airports over the coming year. The to protect transportation,” said Michael projected amount will total five times the Weigand, president of Shift5. volume of SAF the companies delivered Wind tunnel testing, to three times the speed of sound, will produce the necessary data required Shift5 said the protection will be in 2019. The augmented shipments are for Aerion Supersonic to reach the preliminary design review milestone for the AS2 in 2021. beyond anything deployed into the com- soon set to begin in Stockholm and Oslo, mercial aviation market to date. The with other European airports to follow. program will take into account unique The companies noted that the ramp-up qualities associated with the AS2 to safe- of production comes in response to Aerion to ‘fly’ wind tunnel guard the avionics and other onboard net- increasing demand from existing and new works and provide onboard monitoring. customers, as well as from Norway, which “Cybersecurity has shifted dramatically mandates that 0.5 percent of aviation AS2 at supersonic speeds in recent years to become a fundamental fuel sold in-country consists of SAF. consideration and it is a core, integrated by Kerry Lynch factor in development of the AS2,” said New STCs To Enable Aerion chairman, president, and CEO LuxStream on Gulfstreams Aerion Supersonic is taking a significant model virtually and still require valida- Tom Vice. “We look forward to collabo- Collins Aerospace’s LuxStream satcom will step toward reaching the preliminary tion through wind-tunnel testing. We are rating with Shift5 to further enhance the soon be available on several Gulfstream design review (PDR) milestone in 2021 working with the world’s best wind-tunnel cyber resiliency of our future aircraft.” models following FAA approval of STCs for its Mach 1.4 AS2 business jet with the model builders and the global leaders in Once reaching PDR next year, Aerion by Western Jet Aviation. Van Nuys, launch of high-speed wind tunnel testing wind-tunnel technology to validate our plans to begin production in 2023, with California-based Western Jet expected this month. Conducted in conjunction with virtual findings and ensure the AS2 design first flight in 2025 and entry into service STC approval for installation of Collins’s the French Office of National Aerospace exceeds expectations.” later in the decade. Plans call for making KuSat-2000 satcom terminal that enables Research, Onera, in Modane, France, the And, as it proceeds on design, Aerion has 300 of the supersonic jets, and this will the LuxStream service on the G450 last wind-tunnel tests will subject the aircraft retained Shift5 to develop a comprehen- take place at Aerion’s new headquarters month, followed by the G350, GV, and G550 design to more than three times the speed sive approach to cybersecurity for the AS2. in Melbourne, Florida. by the end of this month. Installations of sound, Aerion said. Testing will be used will be performed at Western Jet and to evaluate high-speed performance, loads, Collins-approved MROs. Launched late last stability, and control at both transonic and year, LuxStream offers speeds of up to 25 supersonic velocities. Resulting data will be Mbps in the U.S. and 15 Mbps elsewhere. used toward the completion of PDR. In addition, Aerion has completed Xwing Unveils Plans for modeling of the AS2 design through the Autonomous Cargo Operations use of aerodynamic optimization tools Autonomous flight technology pioneer developed by its subsidiary, Aerion Tech- Xwing has made more than 70 pilotless nologies, in Palo Alto, California. These takeoffs and landings in a converted tools involved thousands of data points Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. The startup to refine the aerodynamic shape to a high said it intends to start regional cargo level of fidelity and detail, the company operations on routes of up to 500 miles said. Combining the use of this modeling as part of its plan to prove the use case with wind-tunnel testing will negate the for autonomous operations. According to need for a demonstrator aircraft in the Xwing, which has secured an FAA Part 135 early stages of the development cycle, air carrier certificate, initial operations with Aerion added, saying it will accelerate the a pilot on board will begin “in the coming program to the final stages of validation. The Hill Helicopters HX50 turbine light single will sport a composite three-blade main months.” Subject to FAA approval, the “Our Aerion Technologies design opti- rotor, retractable landing gear, and a ducted tail rotor. First flight is expected in 2022, company hopes to debut autonomous mization process is built from a combi- with deliveries planned to start a year later. operations in late 2021 or early 2022, nation of NASA-developed analysis, CFD although these will initially be conducted software, commercial tools, and our own with a remote operator on the ground. internal framework to be highly scalable,” Hill Helicopters developing light turbine said Aerion Technologies executive v-p UK-based Hill Helicopters unveiled the “The helicopter industry has long Customs Arrests Pilots of Alex Egeler. “This flexible framework HX50, a new five-seat, light turbine single awaited an Elon Musk-style disruption Weapons-loaded Learjet allows us to simulate millions of para- helicopter powered by an as-yet-unspeci- that redefines the modern helicopter. The U.S. Customs agents—alerted about a metric design scenarios in the cloud and fied 500-shp powerplant. Design features wait is over,” said Hill Helicopters CEO suspicious business jet at Fort Lauderdale- determine robust solutions—all in the include an all-composite, three-blade Jason Hill, the founder of Dynamiq Engi- Hollywood International Airport in virtual world at a speed previously unseen main rotor, retractable landing gear, and neering who previously worked at GKN Florida—boarded a Venezuelan-registered in business jet development.” a ducted tail rotor. Westland (now Leonardo). “The only way Bombardier Learjet 55 (YV3441) on This computer modeling sets the stage Performance targets for the HX50 to create something that is truly ground- August 15 and found it loaded with nearly for the wind-tunnel testing, Aerion added. include a 140-knot cruise speed, a maxi- breaking is to design from the ground up, 90 weapons, 63,000 rounds of ammunition, “While the onset of increasingly sophis- mum payload of 1,760 pounds, and a maxi- giving equal focus to aerospace design, and more than $20,000 in U.S. currency. ticated computer modeling technology mum range of 700 nm. Hill reports that the performance, and safety as well as to the Customs officers seized 18 assault/bolt has greatly enhanced aerospace design, HX50 is currently in the advanced design artistic and experiential aspects, including action rifles with optics, six shotguns, wind-tunnel testing remains a key com- phase, with three prototypes scheduled comfort, ergonomics, intuitive technology, 58 semiautomatic pistols, and nearly ponent in the development cycle,” said to begin flight testing in 2022. Pre-orders and luxury. The HX50 brings all of this $2,700 in endorsed checks, in addition Robert Lewis, Aerion director of system will begin in the fourth quarter, with first together to deliver a truly unique aircraft to the cash. Two Venezuelan national test and evaluation. “Certain aspects of deliveries planned to commence in 2023. and experience.” M.H. pilots were arrested and charged with aircraft design remain difficult to fully smuggling cash and goods from the U.S.

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Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd • USA • +1 303 465 9099 • www.pilatus-aircraft.com continued from page 12 last September and was scheduled to difficulties negotiating a new asset-based the managing member at SEF OA become effective no later than December loan with debtholders to fund One Avia- LLC, were not returned. One Aviation 1; that date also passed without any further tion’s transition out of Chapter 11. progress, as Citiking awaited approval of Barring further developments, SE Falcon Bumpy Skies new ownership the sale from the Committee on Foreign will now handle that transition and take con- Current Eclipse owners also face Investment in the United States (CFIUS). trol of the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based uncertainty about what these Section 363 sale proposal in June 2019 to The company cleared that hurdle in company, although to what end remains developments might mean for convince reticent parties they stood to March. However, as the onslaught of unknown. Requests by AIN for comment the continued support for their gain more by allowing its plan to move Covid-19 stifled international commerce, from One Aviation CEO Alan Klapmeier and aircraft. That’s not a new feeling forward. That plan earned court approval it then became known that Citiking faced Joseph Torres, listed in court documents as for those who’ve weathered the turbulence from the 2009 liquidation of the original Eclipse Avi- ation, the subsequent formation of Eclipse Aerospace and that company’s 2015 merger with Kes- trel Aircraft to form One Aviation. Peace Through Strength – “As someone who has been a depositor and then owner since 2000, I have been both hopeful No Matter What Nature Brings and skeptical for 20 years,” Ron Lebel, board member and forum moderator of the Eclipse Jet Owner and Pilots Association, told AIN. “That hasn’t changed with the SEF offer [and] having a non-aviation sponsor for the 363 purchase keeps me skeptical.” Lebel emphasized owners’ primary concerns lie with continued parts and service support for the more than 250 Eclipse jets flying around the world. “While robust supplies and service providers have emerged outside of the company,” Lebel stated, “there are still things that are only available from the holder of the TC, [including] engineering expertise and intellectual property.” However, he also expressed opti- mism that SE Falcon will enable One Aviation to thrive in a manner Citiking could not. “Based on the DIP budget that has been published, SEF understands what is needed in the short term, so I’m hopeful they have the resources and commitment to support the fleet while they work toward their future goals,” Lebel concluded. “Eclipse owners love our planes—that’s why we still The strength and reliability of Williams engines provides our owners with peace of own them despite the troubled corporate history.” mind at all times. Backed by the industry’s strongest Product Support Team and our TAP Blue program which covers against anything nature can throw at you… NEWS note including foreign objects. With the cancellation of this year’s NBAA-BACE, the Cor- porate Angel Network (CAN) TAP Blue has you covered. Every minute. Every mile. has moved one of its hallmark fundraisers, the Fund an Angel auction, online. CAN typically holds the auction in tandem with the annual Fund an Angel event on the second night of NBAA- BACE. The 2019 event and auction raised more than $500,000 for CAN’s mission of arranging transportation aboard business www.williams-int.com jets for cancer patients seeking treatment. For more information visit fundanangel.org.

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Full-throttle opinion from former NTSB member John Goglia GA road trips during Coronavirus

It’s hard to believe that we’re entering the ride from anyone, I would hitchhike there. sixth month of a viral pandemic and there’s Those were the days when flying was The silver and red livery on this XOJet Aviation Challenger 300 is being applied to other no real end in sight to what has become our truly fun and liberating. It was just me, the Challengers in the on-demand charter operator's fleet as well as on its Citation Xs. new normal. airplane, and the wide-open sky, flying over For me—as for many of you—my weekly the beautiful New England countryside. No flights for business or leisure have become radios, no electronics, just basic aircraft Zoom meetings with colleagues or family. instruments. I felt like it was just me and XOJet giving a makeover to In the spring, my days of flying to New York the infinite sky. to teach at Vaughn College of Aeronautics So, I set out on road trips this summer and Technology were replaced with live, of Covid-19 to find some of those little turf 16 Challengers, Citation Xs virtual classrooms. airports that still exist. Partly a sentimen- While I miss the personal interaction tal journey but also to see how some of by Jerry Siebenmark with students, faculty, and staff at the these places are faring. One of the finest is college, online live (so-called “synchro- located not far from where Massachusetts, XOJet Aviation is in the midst of a fleet So far, the refresh has been completed nous”) teaching is not all bad. Some of the Vermont, and New York meet. refurbishment program for 16 of its on three Challenger 300s. In all, Hattaway unexpected but welcome benefits were Located in the little town of Cambridge, medium- cabin jets that will mean new expects that seven will be completed by more commuter students showing up for New York is Chapin Field, a privately interiors and exterior paint for some of its year-end, with an eighth in the painting class on time when the vagaries of public owned, public-use airport. It’s operated oldest Challenger 300s and exterior paint process as the company crosses over to transportation were eliminated. The other by the Cambridge Valley Flying Club. Sur- for Cessna Citation Xs. The paint for the Xs, the new year. He said XOJet Aviation has significant positive was finding that shy or rounded by acres of corn fields, it has two is much needed, said senior v-p for main- benefitted from a number of business jet introverted students who were reticent turf runways. Several open hangars con- tenance operations Todd Hattaway. “I had operators doing heavy maintenance on to speak up in class participated in online tained a dozen or so visible aircraft. I was some [Citation Xs] that honestly needed their aircraft during the pandemic while discussions via the chat or text function of immediately drawn to the two J-3s I could to be repainted that were probably slightly opting out of work such as new paint. Zoom. It was great to have multiple ways see in the hangars. overdue from a…program perspective.” “A lot of people were pulling mainte- for students to communicate and partici- As soon as I pulled up to the hangars Begun in February, the refresh pro- nance to the left, their required main- pate in class. In addition, a number of stu- with my pickup truck, I could see heads gram is an effort to align the XOJet Avi- tenance…but not a lot of people were dents who work full time and go to school turning to see who the stranger was and ation Challenger 300 fleet with that of putting aircraft down and having them full time—a daunting task at any time— what he was up to. Eventually, the owner the interiors and exteriors of the VistaJet painted and doing the interior refurbs. So found the extra time not spent getting to of the J-3s came over to see who was idling Challenger 350 fleet. (Both companies are it gave us the ability to get in there and get classes a definite benefit in terms of their by his aircraft. As soon as I told him that I units of Vista Global Holdings.) In addi- some really nice paint slots lined up with personal schedules and stress levels. had learned to fly in a J-3, he immediately tion, VistaJet’s silver and red livery will be major maintenance events, which we took In addition to my school travel being relaxed and we chatted about old times applied to XOJet’s Citation Xs. advantage of,” Hattaway said. eliminated, air travel for business meet- and the present as aviation enthusiasts of For the Challenger 300s, the interior On XOJet’s Citation Xs, the refresh ings or conferences completely ended for a certain age frequently do. What was most refresh includes seats, carpets, trim, cabi- is limited to new exterior paint. Two of me mid-March, either cancelled entirely or heartening to me was not only the efforts nets, and other soft goods, as well as TCAS those have been completed, with a third replaced by telephone conferences or some the flying club took to engage youth and 7.1 upgrades. “The XO fleet was primarily currently in the process. A fourth Citation kind of online meeting. Even the annual the community in aviation but word that a U.S. flying operation where TCAS 7.1 X is undergoing maintenance but will be Aerospace Maintenance Skills Competition the owner was taking steps to preserve the was not a requirement,” Hattaway noted. headed to the paint shop afterward. that has run continuously in one form or airport as a flying field. His airport is a gem However, before the Covid-19 pandemic He added that corrosion was discov- another for 20 years had to be postponed that should not be lost. the Challenger 300s were increasingly see- ered on one of its Citation Xs early in and eventually cancelled. While we were Alas, not all my searches for the grass ing more use for island travel, prompting the painting process and had to be pulled hopeful in the spring that by the summer strips of yesteryear have gone as well. In XOJet Aviation to make the decision to out and repaired before it could go back the worst of the pandemic would be over, one case, an Airport Road did not lead to add TCAS 7.1 across its Challenger fleet. to paint, delaying the process by a cou- that did not prove to be the case, and hold- an airport anymore. All that was left was Also, XOJet is trying out a Cobalt Aero- ple of weeks. Hattaway explained that ing a safe competition became impossi- a fraying windsock. A long-time resident space wireless charging pad in the cabin the company is stripping its Citation Xs ble. But we are looking forward to a great told me the old airport disappeared with of a couple of the refurbished Challengers down to their skins and inspecting them competition in April 2021, once again in the death of the last owner. And, perhaps, to see whether clients like the system that before applying new paint. “We’re not just conjunction with the MRO Americas Con- most distressing to me was to learn that charges phones and other mobile devices doing the scuff and buff and paint, which ference in Orlando, Florida. the airport where I had first learned to without a cable. “We’ll see what the feed- a lot of people do on the Citation prod- But for those of us who live and breathe fly—Marlboro Airport in Malborough, Mas- back is,” Hattaway said as to whether it ucts, because of potential fine corrosion,” aviation, it is hard to be away from airports sachusetts—had been sold last year to a adds the charging pads to more aircraft. Hattaway said. “Our goal is to produce a and aircraft for so long. Rather than do developer. Somehow I had missed this sale. He also noted that cabin staff has been superior product that not only looks good without my regular aviation fix, I decided To me, losing these grass strips is more involved with the Challenger cabin refresh, but is also done the right way.” to use the downtime in airline travel to than just the loss of an airport; it’s the loss working with the on-demand charter oper- The reason why XOJet isn’t doing a cabin explore what is left of the type of aviation of a way of flying that was singularly part of ator’s vendors to design galley cabinets refresh on its Citation Xs is that they are I grew to love in my youth. As I have writ- the American flying experience. and drawers for items such as silverware on a program in which items such as wood ten about before, long before I became a and dinnerware. “It all has to meet the finishes, seats, and carpet are repaired or mechanic, my passion was flying. I started The opinions expressed in this column are weight limit of those drawers, so we end replaced on a regular basis, he added. flying before I could drive and soloed at those of the author and not necessarily up with cabin [staff] assigned to…like four With fleet hours ranging between 11,000 age 15 in a Piper J-3 Cub. I would wash air- endorsed by AIN. to five days on each of these aircraft,” Hat- and just under 13,000 on the Challenger craft in exchange for flying lessons and free taway said. “They’re driving that change, 300 fleet, and between 11,000 and 14,000 flight time at a grass strip about 30 miles John Goglia is a safety consultant. they need to provide that level of service hours on the Citation Xs, Hattaway said it from my home in East Boston. Because I He welcomes your e-mails at: to their customer and to make it as close was time for a refresh on the airplanes, as was too young to drive, if I couldn’t bum a [email protected] as possible for every aircraft.” well as to add a new look and uniformity.

18 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com

SPECIAL report Part 3: Engines AIN Product Support Survey AIN readers rate turbine engine manufacturers’ support

Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and Williams International tied for first place in the turbofan segment in this year’s AIN Engine Product Support Survey, with Pratt & Whitney climbing from its No. 2 spot last year with an Overall Average of 8.2 (out of a possible 10), up from 8.0. Rolls-Royce and Williams retained their first-place positions with an Overall Average of 8.2 that was unchanged from a year ago. Mean- while, Honeywell moved up to second place with an Overall Average of 8.0. GE Aviation was in third place with an Overall Average of 7.9 compared with second place a year ago and an Overall Average of 8.0. PRATT & WHITNEY Among turboprops and turboshafts, Honeywell held onto last year’s first place with an Overall Average of 8.1, down from 8.4. It The Results Among turboprops, Pratt & Whitney’s PT6A tur- was followed by Pratt & Whitney and Safran Helicopter Engines, Pratt & Whitney continued its first-place rat- boprop improved its Overall Average with a 7.9, both of which tied for second place with an Overall Average of ing from 2019 in the Turbofan category with the up from 7.7 in 2019. Of particular note among AIN 8.0. Both engine makers improved their Overall Averages from PW600 series engine on the Cessna Citation readers was Parts Availability, at 8.2. last year, which were 7.6 for Pratt & Whitney at second place Mustang, Embraer Phenom 100, and Eclipse 500 and 7.4 for Safran Helicopter Engines at third place. and 550. Its Overall Average was 8.5, the same as The Improvements last year’s rating. The engine series received top Since last year, Pratt & Whitney has made a number marks for Authorized Service Centers (9.1), AOG of improvements to its service offerings and net- 2020 Overall Average Ratings Response (8.9), Technical Reps (9.1), and Cost-per- work. “We continue to look at other ways to sup- of Engine Manufacturers hour Programs (8.3). port our customers and help drive the industry,” said Coming in the fourth spot for Turbofans were Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) v-p of customer Ratings Overall Overall the PW300 and PW500 series engines, each with service Satheeshkumar Kumarasingam. “We must Change Average Average an Overall Average of 8.2, scores of which both also continue to build flexibly into our products and from 2019 2020 2019 climbed from Overall Averages of 8.0 and 7.9, services, as well as our internal process—we do this to 2020 respectively, last year. The PW500 saw top rat- through listening to customer feedback and data Turbofan ings for Warranty Fulfillment (8.9) and Technical and then apply it to our offerings.” Pratt & Whitney 8.2 8.0 0.2 Manuals (8.7). One of the biggest changes has been the launch Rolls-Royce 8.2 8.2 0.0 In the Turboprop/Turboshaft category, Pratt & of a spare engines program. Kumarasingam said Williams International 8.2 8.2 0.0 Whitney saw a noteworthy increase for its PW200 this is a response to the increasing number of oper- Honeywell 8.0 7.9 0.1 series and PT6T/B/C turboshafts, both of which ators leasing their aircraft as well as the rising num- GE Aviation 7.9 8.0 -0.1 Turboprop/Turboshaft shared top billing in this year’s survey, and both ber of operators looking for customized solutions Honeywell 8.1 8.4 -0.3 with an Overall Average of 8.2, up from 7.2 and 7.7 to extend the life of their aircraft with options that Pratt & Whitney 8.0 7.6 0.4 and third and second place, respectively, in 2019. match their budget and operating need. The PW200 received high ratings for Factory The first option is a long-term lease that provides Safran Helicopter 8.0 7.4 0.6 Engines Service Centers (8.4) and Overall Engine Reliability an engine for 12 months or more while a second Companies listed in order of 2020 overall aveage. Ties listed alphabetically by manufacturer. (9.8). Garnering even more high ratings was the option is an on-wing lease program in which PWC PT6T/B/C: Authorized Service Centers (9.3), Cost buys back the operator’s engine and leases another Survey Rules and Methodology of Parts (7.3), Warranty Fulfillment (9.3), Techni- engine back to them. A third option is a lease-to-own cal Reps (8.9), Cost-per-hour Programs (8.8), and program in which the operator can lease an engine As with AIN Publications’ previous annual Product Support Surveys, Overall Engine Reliability (9.8). continues on page 22 the objective this year was to obtain from the users of business jets, pressurized turboprop airplanes, and turbine-powered helicopters statistically valid information about the product support provided by region of service and whether they used factory-owned or autho- » Warranty Fulfillment—ease of paperwork, extent of coverage. engine manufacturers over the last year and to report this information rized service centers, or both. » Technical Manuals—ease of use, formats available, timeliness of to our readers. The goal is to encourage continuous improvement in Respondents were asked to rate, on a scale from 1 to 10, the quality updating. engine product support throughout the industry. of service they received during the previous 12 months in the follow- » Cost-per-hour Programs—cost versus benefits, ease of This survey was conducted via a dedicated website, created by AIN ing categories: administration from the ground up to provide improved ease of use and to encourage » Factory-owned Service Centers—cost estimates versus actual, » Technical Reps—response time, knowledge, effectiveness. greater reader participation. AIN emailed qualified readers a link to the on-time performance, scheduling ease, service experience. » Overall Engine Reliability—how the product’s reliability and qual- survey website. » Authorized Service Centers—same as above. ity stack up against the competition. The survey website was open from May 1 to June 17. Respondents » Parts Availability—in stock versus back order, shipping time. The 2020 AIN Product Support Survey results for aircra! appeared were asked to rate individual aircra!, engines, and avionics and provide » Cost of Parts—value for price paid. in the August issue while flight deck avionics and cabin electronics the tail number, age (less than 10 years old or more than 10), primary » AOG Response—speed, accuracy, cost. were featured last month.

20 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com

SPECIAL report Part 3: Engines

2020 Overall Average Ratings by Individual Engine

Ratings Overall Overall Factory Auth. Warranty Cost per Overall Change Parts Cost of AOG Technical Technical Average Average Service Service Fulﬁll- Hour Engine from 2019 Availability Parts Response Manuals Reps 2020 2019 Centers Centers ment Programs Reliability to 2020

Turbofan Pratt & Whitney PW600 series 8.5 8.5 0.0 8.5 9.1 8.7 6.1 8.9 8.7 8.6 9.1 8.3 9.1 Rolls-Royce AE3007 8.4 8.2 0.2 8.3 8.6 8.6 7.5 8.6 8.5 8.4 8.9 7.9 8.8 Rolls-Royce Tay 8.4 8.3 0.1 8.7 8.7 9.0 6.5 8.7 8.9 8.0 8.2 7.9 9.8 Williams International FJ44 8.3 8.2 0.1 7.8 7.9 8.3 7.4 8.6 8.2 8.2 8.9 8.1 9.4 Pratt & Whitney PW300 series 8.2 8.0 0.2 7.8 8.5 8.0 7.3 8.2 8.5 8.3 8.6 7.5 9.1 Pratt & Whitney PW500 series 8.2 7.9 0.3 7.5 8.2 8.1 6.5 8.1 8.9 8.7 9.0 7.4 9.2 Rolls-Royce BR700 series 8.1 8.1 0.0 8.4 8.3 8.3 6.6 8.3 8.4 7.4 8.5 6.9 9.3 Honeywell HTF7000 8.1 7.8 0.3 8.3 8.9 7.3 7.1 8.1 8.4 8.1 8.3 7.6 8.6 Honeywell TFE731 8.0 8.0 0.0 8.2 7.9 8.2 7.4 8.2 8.6 7.6 8.0 7.6 8.7 GE Aviation CF34 7.9 8.1 -0.2 7.0 7.5 8.4 7.2 8.6 8.0 7.5 8.0 8.0 9.0 Turboprop/Turboshaft Pratt & Whitney PW200 series turboshaft 8.2 7.2 1.0 8.4 7.3 8.1 6.0 8.4 9.1 8.2 8.1 7.9 9.8 Pratt & Whitney PT6T/B/C turboshaft 8.2 7.7 0.5 6.8 9.3 7.7 7.3 7.4 9.3 7.6 8.9 8.8 9.8 Honeywell TPE331 turboprop 8.1 8.4 -0.3 7.9 8.5 7.8 6.3 8.4 9.0 9.0 8.6 5.7 9.0 Safran Helicopter Arriel 8.0 7.2 0.8 7.0 7.7 8.2 5.8 8.5 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.0 8.9 Engines Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop 7.9 7.7 0.2 7.4 7.7 8.2 6.2 7.4 7.9 8.3 8.6 6.9 9.5

Companies listed in order of 2020 overall average. Ties listed alphabetically by manufacturer.

Pratt & Whitney continued from page 20 protection. Additionally, the company has devel- ROLLS!ROYCE with the option to purchase it at the end of the pro- oped multilingual engine maintenance manuals for gram’s term. All of the leases cover overhauls, hot PT6A-34AG, PT6A-114, and PT6A-140 engines in The Results section inspections, and other off-wing maintenance. Portuguese, Chinese, and Spanish. Powered by the support of its AE3007 and Tay Also, Pratt & Whitney has changed Eagle Ser- For its service network, Pratt & Whitney added engines, Rolls-Royce retained its No. 2 ranking vice Plan (ESP) coverage levels for most of its eight designated maintenance facilities (DMF) in in the Turbofan category from last year each engine models to a standard package with Gold Russia, Panama, Mexico, the Netherlands, Italy, with an Overall Average of 8.4, which was and Platinum options. The company has also sim- Colombia, and China in the past 12 months. Addition- higher from Overall Averages of 8.2 and 8.3, plified the terms and conditions of ESP to be more ally, it invested $30 million in its engine services facil- respectively, in the 2019 survey. The AE3007 customer friendly, shorter, and standardized across ity in Bridgeport, West Virginia for MRO of PW814GA that powers such jets as the Cessna Citation all models and coverage. and PW815GA turbofans and brought online its new X+ and Embraer Legacy 600 received top In addition, ESP Flex allows customers with facility in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Belo Horizonte is ratings for Cost of Parts (7.5), while the Tay preowned aircraft to defer at least 50 percent of providing MRO services for PT6A and PW200 received high rankings for Factory Service the buy-in when they enroll, yet still receive 100 engines and complements DMFs ABA Manutenção, Centers (8.7), Parts Availability (9.0), Warranty percent coverage. They can defer the remainder Rico Táxi Aéreo, and Helipark Manutenção, which Fulfilment (8.9), and Overall Engine Reliability of the buy-in until scheduled shop visits or the sale were appointed in 2017. “Our expansion in Brazil (9.8). Falling one spot to fifth was Rolls-Royce’s of their aircraft, whichever is first. With the new allows us to best meet the evolving needs of our BR700 Series engines with an Overall Aver- PT6 E-Series engine for the Pilatus PC-12 NGX, operators, providing them with more personalized, age of 8.1, representing a tie with Honeywell’s Pratt & Whitney is offering an ESP that includes timely and cost-effective engine service whether HTF7000. engine data trend monitoring and coverage for they are located in Brazil or in other South American foreign object damage repair and environmental countries,” Kumarasingam said. The Improvements Nineteen months ago, Rolls-Royce launched its Corporate Care Enhanced fixed-cost maintenance program and has “outperformed expectations” with sales of 470 contracts, Rolls-Royce senior v-p of customers and services for business aviation Andy Robinson told AIN. The program is unique, he said, in that it also covers the nacelles—thrust reverser, inlet, cowl doors, and the apron—of the BR710, BR725, and Pearl 15 engines. Over the past 12 months, the engine maker has worked to increase its capacity and capability to make all those nacelle parts available in its global stores as well as train staff known as on-wing technicians to perform the work of repairing those nacelles in addition to the company’s engines. “That’s been a big piece Rolls-Royce continues on page 24

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Rolls-Royce continued from page 22 of work that’s been well received by our customers,” Robinson added. An on-wing services technician has also been added in Singapore with another recently hired in Hong Kong that will bring the total to 63 specialists at 16 sites worldwide. “Those guys are specialists in business aviation engines, but they do the highly complex, low-volume type work that the service center network can’t do,” Robinson explained. On the training front, Rolls-Royce has introduced in the past year fully immersive virtual reality (VR) training for both com- FJ44-4A Williams International pany and authorized service center technicians on the BR725 engine. This will be expanded to include the BR710 and troubleshooting, Robinson said. Developed last WILLIAMS INTERNATIONAL year but launched beginning this June, the VR training “has proved to be extremely suc- The Results customers. It has experienced issues with supply cessful” especially in light of the Covid-19 Williams International continues to hold a firm posi- chain disruptions, state stay-at-home orders, and pandemic because it allows the training to tion among AIN readers on the strength of its FJ44 other related measures, Shettler said, “but we have be conducted remotely. engine, which powers the Cessna Citation M2 and been able to ensure continued support during this Rolls-Royce also has strived to improve CJ4 as well as the Pilatus PC-24 and many other pandemic with minimal impact to our customer its technical publications in the past year. active but out-of-production business jets. In the while protecting the health of our workforce.” It outsourced the publications to “someone Turbofan category, the FJ44 ranked third with an Two efforts to support its customers and prod- who is recognized as one of the best in the Overall Average of 8.3. That’s up from last year’s ucts since the onset of the pandemic include offer- industry” and began a slow roll out starting Overall Average of 8.2. ing a means for customers to keep their aircraft free late last year of the revamped publications, of pathogens as well as financial options for the which so far encompass the BR710, BR725, The Improvements Williams Total Assurance Plus (TAP) engine main- and Pearl 15. “The new technical publications, With nearly 6,300 FJ44 and FJ33 engines in the fleet, tenance programs. it’s a much more modern, intuitive system, accounting for 15 million hours of flight time, Wil- On the pathogen front, Williams is offering the and customer feedback we’ve received so liams International senior v-p of product support TurboClear Process, which is an aviation-grade far has been excellent,” he said. “We’ve still Steve Shettler said responsiveness continues to be product that fills an aircraft cabin with gas that got a little bit of work to do to get fully rolled the key to supporting customers. “We are diligent kills pathogens in the air and on surfaces and out for all of our engine programs but that’s about responding quickly to customers’ needs and can be used by crew and/or pilots and owners. In been a big effort.” focus on making their ownership of our engines terms of its TAP programs, Shettler said Williams Lastly, the company has further developed simple and satisfying,” he said. suspended any rate increases until June 2021. He its engine health monitoring. Specifically, it’s The focus at Williams in recent months has also noted that the company has continued to see a created the engine vibration health moni- been on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and high enrollment rate in its TAP Blue program, “even toring unit (EVHMU), capable of delivering ensuring the safety and wellness of employees and during this pandemic.” 10,000 data points, “which is a step change from the earlier technology,” Robinson said. Currently only available with the Pearl 15 engine, the EVHMU also is able to monitor HONEYWELL accessories on the outside of the engine such as the fuel metering unit. “With the The Results Phoenix-based engine manufacturer higher marks additional parameters and capabilities of the In the turbofan category, Honeywell’s HTF7000, this year for Technical Manuals at 9.0. EVHMU, we’re able to look at responsiveness the powerplant for Bombardier’s Challenger 300 of external units on the engine,” he noted. and 350, Gulfstream’s G280, and Cessna’s Citation The Improvements “It becomes a much more proactive service Longitude, improved its Overall Average, climbing One of the biggest changes Honeywell has made where we can avoid disruption and avoid the from 7.8 to 8.1 and moving from seventh place to to its product support function is merging its AOG typical type of AOG caused by the externals fifth. The Overall Average for the TFE731 found on team with its global tech ops organization and of the engine.” out-of-production business jets such as the Hawker co-locating AOG “agents” with product support The EVHMU monitoring comes as part 900XP and in-production aircraft including the engineers. This is designed “to help our custom- of Corporate Care Enhanced. It will also be Dassault Falcon 900LX was flat at 8.0. Honeywell ers do some troubleshooting and help them kind of available with the Pearl 700 but is not ret- scored an Overall Average of 8.1 in the Turboprop/ diagnose as they’re calling in to get a replacement rofittable to older aircraft. However, he said Turboshaft category in this year’s survey. Its TPE331 part for dispatch overnight or same day,” said Todd Rolls-Royce has been working with airframe turboprop engine that powers the out-of-produc- Owens, Honeywell v-p of customer and product and avionics OEMs to transmit data from its tion Cessna 441 and Mitsubishi MU-2 came in at support for the Americas aftermarket. older engine health monitoring units. That will the No. 2 spot, edged out from last year’s No. 1 spot Through customer feedback and surveys, Owens eliminate the need for customers with that by Pratt & Whitney’s PW200 series and PT6T/B/C said Honeywell has learned that when a customer older technology from having to download turboshaft engines. The TPE331’s Overall Average calls its AOG team they are often looking for the data and then send it to Rolls-Royce. was 8.1, down from 8.4. AIN readers did give the continues on page 36

24 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com Atlantic_Gateway_Been Fueled_AIN_September_2020_Final.pdf 1 8/7/2020 3:30:08 PM

CMY

K “FAA lacks information to help GAO questions FAA compliance program it holistically manage the day-today functioning of its compliance by Kerry Lynch and enforcement efforts, as well as the means to communicate infor- While the FAA’s shift to a compliance-ori- compliance program and better evaluate works as intended. The FAA has not appointed mation to Congress and industry. ented approach rather than enforcement its effectiveness. a central authority to serve as a lead oversight Second, FAA has not evaluated has generally received positive reviews, In a recent report to Congress, the Gov- of the program agency-wide, the GAO said, this new approach to enforcement a government watchdog recommends ernment Accountability Office (GAO) said nor does any office regularly collect and mon- to determine whether [it] has met that the FAA step up oversight of the the FAA lacks controls to ensure the program itor data on the program’s use. its goals,” the GAO said. The agency implemented the compliance program in 2015, moving from an enforcement-oriented philosophy to one that strives to resolve unintentional compliance issues through education and collaborative remediation. The FAA still will use enforcement tools when such efforts fail, or the case of intentional non-compliance. “FAA views the compliance program as a necessary step to evolve the oversight of aviation safety,” the GAO noted, adding that agency officials have credited the program with helping to contribute to safety improvements. The officials believe the program has given the agency a “wider view” into regulated entities because it encourages transparency and information sharing. Further, FAA officials said the program has provided them with an “expanded ability to make aviation safer,” the GAO added. Headquarters and field office personnel agree, and local FAA officials claim it has improved relationships. They cited examples where entities no longer felt a need to hide things. The GAO said field officers reported that, “regulated entities are more willing to work with FAA to focus on the root cause of a violation or event and work to address it.” However, the watchdog expressed concern that no specific office or entity is tasked with overseeing IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS the program and believes the FAA should put such oversight in place. “Based on our review of FAA documents and our prior review of FAA’s enforcement policy, FAA’s oversight used to be more centralized in the Enforcement Division, where all Make sure your aircraft is updated with the administrative and legal enforce- ideal connectivity and cabin management ment actions were tracked in a single database,” the agency said. “Now, as solutions to make the most of your time inflight. FAA emphasizes compliance actions over enforcement actions, tracking of actions is less centralized and occurs more in individual program offices.” Pentastar.aero | [email protected] Without such centralized oversight, “no one is looking across 248-866-8982 | program offices to identify or share any best practices or lessons Pentastar is an authorized dealer and installer for every major connectivity and learned,” the GAO said. “Individual cabin management system manufacturer. This enables us to provide you with offices have information that might benefit other offices. Further, offi- the best solution to get you connected based on your specific needs. cials from one FAA field office told ©2020 Pentastar Aviation us that the compliance program could be improved by better sharing information on its use across the agency.”

26 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com US: Albany, Alexandria, Austin, Burbank, Dallas, Gulfport/Biloxi, Houston, Indianapolis, Lake Charles, Medford, Moses Lake, Orlando, Richmond, Riverside, Rome, San Antonio, St. Louis, Stennis, Syracuse, Tallahassee, Topeka, Tucson, Victorville, White Plains, Yuma Canada: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary China: Beijing Colombia: Cartagena Puerto Rico: San Juan continue to fight for their survival. Time remains to fight for HTO, SMO survival Speaking during an NBAA News Hour webinar on airport access, by Kerry Lynch Jeff Smith, chair of NBAA’s Access Committee and a chief pilot actively As airports such as East Hampton (HTO) fly neighborly to try to secure the long-term between the FAA and city of Santa Monica. involved in the Eastern Region Heli- on Long Island, New York, and Santa Mon- future of those facilities. HTO is eligible to Local leaders at both facilities have indi- copter Council, said that the avia- ica (SMO) in California face the specter of close on Sept. 25, 2021, when grant obli- cated a desire to shutter the airports. But tion community collaborated with closure, general aviation leaders stress the gations expire, while SMO is free to close advocates emphasize that the fates of those ATC and local officials to develop an need for continued advocacy and efforts to after Dec. 31, 2028, under a consent decree airports are not sealed and there is room to all-overwater initiative recently at HTO because “we know, the operators know…that there’s an end date and we still have to mitigate and get this community compatibility going if we are going to save the airport.” Operations have changed over the years and as they have increased, so too have noise complaints. But complaints don’t always corre- spond with operations at HTO, Smith said. “We have a huge problem with people running up noise complaints to further their agenda.” But operators have continued to work to address concerns. “The operators are very compliant [with noise mitigation efforts]. Everyone understands what’s at stake. But they also understand and want to be good neighbors,” Smith said. Meanwhile, at SMO, Christian Fry, president of the Santa Mon- ica Airport Association, said, “Our timeline feels equally as imminent but we’re on the better side of eight years.” Because of campaigns by some local leaders, many believe the airport already has closed, Fry said, but added SMO is still busy, hosting about 80,000 operations a year. However, the traffic mix has shifted to smaller jets with the shortening of the runway. The airport is vulnerable because it is situated on valuable land that makes it desirable for redevelopment, particularly as California makes a push for low- cost housing, he said. The airport does generate noise complaints, he said, but about 70 percent of complaints come from less than a half-dozen households, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of what noise complaints are. Even then, he said, the complaints are a small percent- age and “we do a very good job with operators flying our noise- abatement procedures.” Along with flying neighborly, local airport advocates are trying to emphasize the potential use of SMO for urban air mobility, which would make it much more accessi- ble beyond current pilots. “We’re working on trying to help people understand closure is not mandated,” he said, saying sup- porters must get the city council to reexamine and highlight that there are new technologies coming that make the local airport even more valuable.

28 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com How does CAE elevate your training experience?

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Work with the team that works with you. Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), which raised nearly £1.5 million ($1.99 million) in a new round of fundraising, needs to find another £140 million in order to fly its first production hybrid airship in early 2024. With a payload of 10 tonnes, the airship will fly at up to 80 knots. Hybrid Air Vehicles floats new govt grant funding by Chris Pocock

Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has raised announced a partnership with Collins nearly £1.5 million ($1.99 million) in a new Aerospace and the University of Notting- round of fundraising linked to a UK gov- ham to develop electric engines. Initially, ernment grant. The company’s prospects two of the four diesel engines would be have been buoyed by the increased focus replaced by 500 kW electric propulsors. on environmentally-friendly air transport, Later, an all-electric version could be but HAV still needs to find another £140 built, but range would be only 215 miles. million in order to fly its first production Firm orders remain elusive: the com- hybrid airship in early 2024. pany says that it has letters of intent for About £117 million was raised previ- 15 aircraft, but has not identified the sig- ously, including a mix of shareholder natories. It foresees four key market seg- investment, earlier UK government and ments: luxury tourism; communications European Union grants, debt, and the and surveillance; point-to-point cargo original £61 million spent by the U.S. delivery; and short-haul passenger trans- Army on the aborted Long-Endurance port. HAV said it has three tourism and Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) pro- transport prospects with multi-billion gram. The single LEMV was subsequently dollar organizations. It is also having moved from the U.S. to the UK, where it active discussions with three defense became the Airlander 10 prototype. The customers. Airlander features outer hull fabric with The payload remains 10 tonnes for most helium providing lift, composite struc- missions, or 60 passengers. Cruise speed ture, and four diesel engines. is up to 80 knots. Typical range is 2,300 The prototype was wrecked in Novem- miles. In the unmanned surveillance role, ber 2017 after it detached from its mooring the LEMV was designed to loiter with a mast. Since then, HAV has concentrated one-tonne payload for 21 days at 20,000 on refining the design, developing mainte- feet. HAV is now suggesting a manned nance procedures, exploring certification surveillance role that carries three tonnes requirements, and marketing to potential for up to five days at a lower altitude. customers. It says that although the pro- HAV is offering a fixed price of £50 mil- totype flew only six times, these covered a lion for the “common core” aircraft. Cus- significant part of the ultimate flight enve- tomers would pay extra for modification lope. It flew to 3,700 feet, reached 37 knots, packages to suit their requirements. The and demonstrated a three-hour endurance. typical all-inclusive cost of ownership The design changes include aerody- would be $2,200 per flight hour. The cost namic improvements such as changes to per tonne-kilometer is $3. the hull, tailfins, and strakes. More vec- HAV is seeking strategic partnerships and tored thrust control was added to the two much more government funding to com- forward engines by removing their ducts. plete the aircraft and it has also launched HAV added a bow thruster to aid handling a crowdfunding campaign. The funding at slow speeds and on the ground as well would help the company establish a final as new, enlarged payload modules that assembly facility, assemble and fly three vary according to mission. The landing aircraft, and achieve type certification and skids are replaced by a retractable four- first deliveries in mid-2025. point landing gear. The aircraft is now at “We have been working with a diver- Technology Readiness Level 7. sified group of potential investors over For the base aircraft, the company quite a long time. We’re confident that already claims a 75 percent reduction in they will be there to support the business carbon emissions compared to compet- as it moves forward,” said HAV CEO Tom ing non-hybrid aircraft. Last year, HAV Grundy.

Ad_AIN_MSB_Oct 2020.indd 1 9/11/20 3:50 PM 30 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com Honeywell paved new ground in Honeywell gains FAA nod additive manufacturing with its first FAA approval of a flight- critical engine part. The part, for 3D-printed part | by Kerry Lynch the #4/5 bearing housing, is a structural component for the Honeywell has received its first for the additive industry, as flight-critical ATF3-6 turbofan used on the FAA approval for a flight-critical parts face heavy scrutiny and high standards Dassault Falcon 20G maritime engine part produced through for qualification and installation on aircraft, patrol aircraft operated by the additive manufacturing, mark- but this shows it can be done.” French Navy. ing a step forward in the rapidly advancing field of 3D printing. The part, the #4/5 bearing housing, is a structural component for the ATF3-6 turbofan that powers the Dassault Falcon 20G maritime patrol aircraft operated by the French Navy. The ATF3-6 engine was certified in 1967, and only about a dozen are still flying, making parts sourcing difficult. Complicating matters, Hon- eywell said, is that production of the #4/5 bearing housing through traditional means is a complicated process, requiring expensive spe- cialty tools and molds. This drives up the cost of replacement, particularly given the low order quantities. Additive manufacturing, however, enables parts to be made more quickly and in smaller quantities, without the need for expensive tools. Honeywell’s process involves the use of a laser that fuses layers of powdered metal into the part form. “Though there aren’t many in service, Honeywell is responsible for supporting and maintaining these engines. We had to find a way to address these supply-chain issues and keep these aircraft flying,” said Jon Hobgood, v-p of TM manufacturing engineering for Honeywell Aerospace. “We were able to use our expertise in additive manufacturing to produce the expertise qualified part much faster, reducing our lead time from approximately two years to two weeks.” Because the #4/5 bearing housing is considered “safety- critical” or “flight-critical” from a regulatory standpoint, it must always function properly and must be approved by regulatory organizations. The FAA has expanded its regulatory and research efforts in the Falcon Hawker King Air area of additive manufacturing Citation Challenger Conquest and has worked with Honeywell on the development and certifi- Gulfstream Global Express Piaggio cation of multiple components. Learjet Embraer Honeywell said this collaboration enabled the approval of the flight-critical component through delegated authority. “This is a major milestone for Honeywell because it demonstrates the maturity of our additive manufacturing operations and WESTSTARAVIATION.COM paves the way for us to print more certified flight-critical parts,” Hob- good added. “It also is a major win

ainonline.com \ October 2020 \ Aviation International News 31 Turtles Fly Too completed its first rescue mission on the U.S. West Coast, thanks to pilot volunteers Matt Thurber (left), AIN’s editor-in-chief, and Jeff Miller (right), an aviation marketing communications veteran. They were supported by a team of wildlife experts, FBOs, air traffic controllers, and two aquariums. Turtles Fly Too completes first West Coast mission by Matt Thurber

On August 30, two pilots—AIN editor-in- the SeaWorld San Diego van was already chief Matt Thurber and aviation marketing/ there, ready with another special crate communications veteran Jeff Miller—flew for Berni’s ride to the aquarium. The an endangered olive ridley sea turtle from Sea World crew had brought a special Seattle Boeing Field to San Diego Interna- padded jacket for Berni, which they put tional Airport. This was the first U.S. West on before removing him from the air- Coast mission for the turtle-rescue charity plane. They then put him in the crate Turtles Fly Too, and it relied on support and drove him to SeaWorld, where he from wildlife experts, FBOs, air traffic con- was weighed, measured, and put into a trollers, and two aquariums. deep pool. Berni spent just over a week With Thurber flying right seat and at SeaWorld adjusting to the Southern monitoring the turtle, Miller piloted the California climate and then was released turboprop single Jetprop DLX (a tur- on September 9. bine-converted Piper Malibu Mirage). In addition to Turtles Fly Too, support- Berni the turtle arrived for the flight ers of this mission included Ocean Wise in a Vancouver Aquarium van after being Conservation Association/Vancouver driven across the U.S.-Canada border, Aquarium, SeaWorld San Diego, SR3 (Sea- and then the complicated loading pro- Lifer3), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. cess began, aided by the crew at Signature National Marine Fisheries Service, Signa- Flight Support. First, a modified large dog ture Flight Support, and Atlantic Aviation. crate had to be inserted into the rear seat- Turtles Fly Too began operations in ing area of the Jetprop. Then the aquar- the Northeast, where every year as sum- CHA MEM HOU CLT ium experts lifted Berni from the van, mer turns to autumn and temperatures 423-855-2299 901-345-2992 713-649-8700 704-359-0440 placed him carefully into the crate and fall, hundreds of the endangered rep- installed a well- secured plywood top. tiles, swept north on the warm currents Berni had been rescued near Port of the Gulf Stream, become stranded. Alberni (hence the name) near Vancou- Left alone, they would soon die in the ver Island in Canada. He faced cold shock cold weather, but volunteers collect the from the northern waters, where olive rid- turtles from the beaches and take them leys normally don’t live. to the New England Aquarium where The trip to San Diego began with a their condition is stabilized. Space at the flight from Seattle to Reno, Nevada, for aquarium is soon overwhelmed, requir- a quick refueling by Atlantic Aviation, ing them to be evacuated to marine which kindly waived FBO fees. It took two animal care facilities in southern states, hours for the flight to Reno, then another where they complete the rehabilitation two hours to San Diego, and along the process before being released. Since its way, controllers would ask whether this founding in 2014, Turtles Fly Too has was the “turtle flight,” likely because the helped fly more than 1,000 turtles via flight plans were filed using the compas- general aviation, and the charity is once American Owned– sion flight callsign CMF1922. again asking pilots who fly south from American Operated wilsonair.com San Diego Signature Flight Support the New England area to register for its was ready when the flight arrived, and transport flight database.

32 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com [previous] material choices, and our pro- Meanwhile, NDB also has been work- Diamond-based batteries prietary technology has achieved this ing with eVTOL developer Bartini Aero to breakthrough in efficiency,” NDB’s CEO explore the possible use of nano-diamond and co-founder Nima Golsharifi told AIN. batteries for its planned autonomous to power electric aircraft “What we have achieved competes with vehicle. Previously, Bartini has intended what is available from traditional fossil to power the design with hydrogen. by Charles Alcock fuels in terms of energy density, and it is not climate- or light-dependent [like UAS Applications California-based startup NDB claims it will provide a charge for the full lifetime other sustainable power sources]. According to Golsharifi, the batteries is poised to offer a diamond-based alter- of any device or machine, with up to NDB believes it will be able to achieve will provide sufficient power to support native to current battery technology that 28,000 years of battery life. a 90 percent rate of charge. This further cruise flight for unmanned aircraft. The will be more efficient and sustainable The power source for the nano- progress could result in smaller, lighter company expects to build a commercial for electric aircraft. On August 25, the diamond battery is intermediate- and batteries being available. prototype of the battery within the next company announced it has completed high-level isotopes that are shielded for three years. It said that the diamonds proof-of-concept tests on its self-charging safety by multiple levels of synthetic dia- that encase the isotopes are more than 11 nano-diamond battery, achieving what mond. According to NDB, the energy is times stronger than the materials used for it claims is a breakthrough 40 percent absorbed in the diamond through a pro- battery cases and able to withstand tem- charge, compared with charge collection cess called inelastic scattering, which is peratures of up to 3,632 deg F. efficiency rates of just 15 percent with used to generate electricity. The proof-of-concept testing was commercial diamonds. conducted at the Lawrence Livermore NBD also announced it signed two Self-charging National Laboratory in the U.S. and at undisclosed launch customers—an aero- Because the battery is self-charging, which the Cavendish Laboratory at the UK’s space, defense, and security manufacturer, requires only exposure to natural air, any Cambridge University. Experiments and a Europe-based nuclear fuel cycle excess charge can be stored in capacitors, NDB is developing a self-charging nano were led by professor Michael Pepper, a products company—for a beta version super-capacitors, and secondary cells. It diamond battery that it says will be able to pioneer of semi-conductors and winner of the technology. Electric aircraft and does not require any external power source power electric aircraft. of the Institute of Physics Isaac New- vehicles are among the anticipated early and also incorporates a DC-to-DC converter ton Medal. adopters of the technology. to control the current. Additionally, NDB The company is now engaged in The privately-owned company is now said, the diamond batteries do not require research work aimed at supporting the working on the first commercial proto- materials sourced in conflict zones or those use of nano-diamond batteries to power This story comes from FutureFlight.aero A resource developed by AIN to provide type of its nano-diamond battery and that could be ecologically damaging. eVTOL aircraft. The work is supported by aims to have this available by year-end. It “A 40 percent [charge] efficiency has the U.S. government’s defense and energy said the proprietary self-charging process never previously been achieved due to departments.

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AIN_PrintAd_10x6.5_6.20.indd 1 6/2/20 3:56 PM ainonline.com \ October 2020 \ Aviation International News 33 locations that helicopter operators cannot operate out of due to restrictions on fuel,” Webb said. “Since we don’t need fuel, that opens markets that have never been tapped before.” While Webb isn’t providing many Test pilot Ric Webb details of the EPU technology yet, he did flying the electric- discuss his experience flying the electric powered Robinson R44. The biggest difference between the R44. The Electric piston and electric R44, besides the lack Power Unit can be of noise and vibration, is the startup time, seen attached to which is about one minute. “There is no the bottom of the need to warm up the engine,” he said. “You R44 and will provide can bring it up to speed and start lifting.” about 60 minutes of As a helicopter pilot, Webb appreciates endurance. that unlike a drone or typical electric VTOL aircraft, the EcoMax R44 retains its ability to autorotate safely in case of powerplant failure. the acquisition of the R44 Raven II with The EPU replaces the R44’s piston Eco Helicopters launching the existing powerplant and when the engine, basically bolting on to the bottom EPU is ready, at no additional cost, we will of the helicopter, but it doesn’t replace retrofit it to allow you to take advantage the gearbox and other mechanical con- urban air mobility operation of the added revenue.” nections between the engine and rotor The EPU will be exclusive to the Eco system. The EPU includes the battery by Matt Thurber Helicopters program. “The only way to system, charger, and electric motor. get an electric-driven R44 will be through Notably, the EPU doesn’t change the Eco Helicopters plans to begin urban air Now Eco Helicopters says it has every- our program,” he said. “Taking a larger operating parameters or performance of mobility (UAM) charter flights in South- thing needed to deliver on the goal of a chunk of direct operating costs out means the R44, which makes certification eas- ern California with a fleet of Robinson UAM operation, but with electric flight to more profit by operating an eco-friendly ier. “The EPU mimics the R44 to a tee,” R44 Raven II helicopters that will be con- be added later. OC Helicopters developed aircraft. Any other option will take years, Webb said. “All we are doing is changing verted to electric propulsion as soon as a mobile app for booking helicopter flights and we don’t see anything with a type out the powerplant and making it green.” the supplemental type certificate (STC) in 2018, and that will be updated to a new certificate on the horizon. This is a total But unlike a piston engine that develops is FAA approved. Instead of waiting for version under the Eco Helicopters brand. solution. Everything else is an airframer less power at higher altitudes where air is the STC and then building an operating A key feature of the app is that users can in search of a market.” less dense, the electric-powered R44 will network with a fleet of electric-powered book an end-to-end trip that includes deliver the same power level at any alti- R44s, the company aims to grow a UAM- Uber ground transportation directly to tude. “I have 100 percent of the power 100 type charter business in normal piston- the airport or heliport location where the percent of the time,” he said. powered R44s and then transition the helicopter pickup/dropoff takes place. What the buyer gets when purchasing R44s to electric power. The UAM flights In transitioning to a UAM operation, an EcoMax R44 from KiloWatt Aviation in the normal four-seat R44s will begin in Eco Helicopters is adopting a different is the current piston-powered helicopter the second quarter of 2021. business model. OC Helicopters currently and a pre-lease on the EPU. The buyer According to Eco Helicopters, it will owns or leases its helicopters, Webb owns the helicopter but not the EPU and share the benefits of what it says will be explained, but he didn’t want to try to at any time can opt to swap the EPU back a much lower cost of operation from the raise funds to pay for more R44s for the to the preserved piston engine and keep electric motors with charter customers EPU-powered fleet. He felt that offering the helicopter as a normally configured and the owners of helicopters that will be leaseback opportunities, where individuals R44. Owners aren’t buying access to even leased back to the operator. “The idea is buy and lease the R44s to Eco Helicopters, their own helicopters, however. If they to not wait for the final STC but to put air- would help the company grow faster. Plus want to fly, they have to charter the R44 craft into charter and tours and create that it gives buyers an opportunity to make an EcoMax just like any customer, although business model and keep expanding. Then early investment in an electric aircraft pro- The EcoMax Electric Power Unit attaches to there is a discounted rate for owners. This we swap out the engine and install the gram that is more than a speculative design the bottom of the R44, replacing the engine helps preserve operational control under Electric Power Unit,” said Ric Webb, Eco with hoped-for future certification. but retaining the existing powertrain. the OC Helicopters charter certificate. Helicopters CEO and owner and founder “I think it’s a little different model than The opportunity to make money on leas- of OC Helicopters. “We want to get in busi- other electric programs out there,” he said. Eco Helicopters is working with ing the EcoMax back to Eco Helicopters ness now and not years from now.” “We put all the pieces of the puzzle together.” another company on development of the comes because of the low operating costs. Eco Helicopters is an offshoot of charter One of those pieces is a partnership EPU, which will give the R44 an initial The Lycoming piston engine on the R44 must company OC Helicopters, which is based at with newly formed KiloWatt Aviation, the endurance of approximately 60 minutes, be overhauled at least every 2,200 hours, but John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Cal- sales agent for the leaseback R44s, which according to Webb. The R44s in the pro- Webb said the EPU motor should last 10,000 ifornia. OC Helicopters, founded by former will be called EcoMax. Buyers will work gram will be new ones equipped with a to 12,000 hours. And electric motors need military and helicopter test pilot Webb, has with Kilowatt to purchase the EcoMax Garmin G500H-700L TXi touchscreen little if any maintenance between flights as been flying helicopter tours and charters R44 and place it into charter service with display, GTN 650Xi GPS navigator, radar there are few parts that wear out. in California since 2007. The company is Eco Helicopters, where the helicopter altimeter, and other equipment. Webb anticipates that flying between located in Palm Springs, California, at the will generate revenue for the owner. After As a helicopter charter and tour oper- the 12 Southern California heliports and Coachella Valley Economic Partnership the EPU is certified, that revenue should ator, Webb is well aware of noise issues airports that it serves will help with main- Innovation Hub and Accelerator Campus. climb significantly because of the much when flying in a heavily populated met- taining a charging network for the Eco- Webb piloted the first test flight of the lower operating costs of the electric- ropolitan area. The EcoMax R44 will not Max fleet. The EPU can be charged either R44 fitted with the Electric Power Unit powered R44, according to Webb. only be more environmentally friendly by plugging into the grid or swapping out (EPU) and made Guinness World Record but much quieter than its piston-pow- the battery. “Theoretically we could swap flights in the electric R44, including a No Waiting ered competitors. And this will allow Eco the battery almost as fast as we can fill it five-minute flight at 400 feet and 80 knots, “You don’t have to wait five years for an Helicopters to expand into new markets up with fuel,” Webb said. the first two-person electric helicopter airframe to be developed,” said Gary where noise and fuel availability pre- “We’re looking forward to bringing in flight, speed record of 100 knots, and far- Bushouse, Kilowatt Aviation’s director of vent helicopters from operating, includ- the future now,” he said. “It’s time, and thest distance. business development. “We are marketing ing popular tourist locales. “There are we’re going to make things better.”

34 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com This is particularly important as API’s Barden urges bizav corporate legal executives remain concerned about “duty of care” for their employees, Barden said, noting that execs to foster travel return flight department executives can stress that business aviation has much lower Sheryl Barden, by Kerry Lynch risk, with only about 20 touchpoints ver- CEO, Aviation sus 700 for commercial travel. Personnel As many companies remain reluctant to consider expanding their aircraft-use pol- But to get back into the air, flight International travel, corporate flight department man- icy. “You need an end-to-end solution that departments need a strategic plan, she agers need to actively engage with their focuses on safety—one that delivers signif- said. This includes a business case built organizations to stress the important icant value to your corporation.” around data that defines/redefines the been flying on a regular basis to others benefits of flying private and to ensure Barden cited the example of a corpo- value proposition of flying aboard a cor- that haven’t had any flights other than to they have a “seat at the table” when shap- rate flight department executive who porate aircraft. “exercise the airplane.” But people need ing health and safety protocol, according remained actively involved in his compa- If leadership questions the ability to to move she said, and companies are to Aviation Personnel International CEO ny’s Covid-19 conversations, concerned travel safely, the flight department execu- beginning to start moving. These aren’t Sheryl Barden. Recently stressing her that otherwise employees would travel tive should be prepared to illustrate how necessarily the senior executives, but dif- concerns in a blog and during an NBAA by airlines. His task was to convince that could happen. “All of this boils down ferent people who need to inspect plants webinar, Barden noted many corpora- company executives of the need to travel to figuring out how you can add value. or retool operations. The question is how tions remain in standby mode on travel aboard company aircraft for health and Redefine your service model to put the to reach the decision-makers to highlight and said, “Quite frankly, it’s unsettling.” safety reasons, she said. His team further aviation assets back to work. Convince the safety of business aviation. Many aviation leaders are awaiting developed travel go-kits that contained the leadership team that there is a need for “There’s no question in the business directives from headquarters, she said. items such as cleaning products for rental corporate travel. Explain to them how to community, things have changed,” said “Let me be perfectly clear: waiting for the cars and hotel rooms. manage it with the greatest ‘duty of care.’” James Lara, principal of Gray Stone Advi- phone to ring is not an effective strategy. “I realize, of course, that we’re not infec- She also suggested forming a “back to sors, adding that aviation leaders must If you’re not flying, I encourage you to dis- tious disease experts. But we can offer our work” team to facilitate this. “It’s unrealistic consider how to get people out of “sus- rupt the status quo.” learned perspective on current practices,” and unfeasible for a Fortune 500 company pended mode.” The aviation leader is a Aviation directors need to “lean in” and she said, noting business aviation teams to ban travel altogether,” she said, adding company’s people logistics provider, he request to be part of any Covid-19 response already have been focusing on the pro- that’s why “you’ve got to get creative.” said, “An aviation leader has to under- efforts, including the development of tection of environments, from the FBO That message was reinforced during a stand what the company’s post-Covid health management policies to ensure to catering and baggage handling. “It’s recent NBAA News Hour webinar. “There organization looks like and the flight a seamless and safe travel environment, all about providing an ‘end-to-end health is this spectrum, almost polarized,” with department’s reason for being. Be a she said, suggesting flight departments corridor’ for the executive traveler.” companies in the supply chain that have fountain of ideas and suggestions.”

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ainonline.com \ October 2020 \ Aviation International News 35 SPECIAL report Part 3: Engines

Honeywell continued from page 24 SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES validation that they are ordering the correct part for their airplane engine. “This is something The Results simplifying layouts, and adding more intuitive and we think will really improve the end-customer Safran Helicopter Engines’ Arriel turboshaft on the visual aids in the online technical publications. In experience by ensuring they get the right part Sikorsky S-76 and Airbus Helicopters H145 and addition, Safran Helicopter Engines has been suc- dispatched to them but then also have some H155 maintained its third-place position with an cessful with continuous time-between-overhaul reassurance that we can answer their technical Overall Average of 8.0, a significant increase from extensions on many of its engine variants. questions while they’re on the phone.” The proj- its Overall Average a year ago of 7.2. Customers More recently, a lack of available parts has led ect is expected to be complete by the beginning also gave the Arriel high marks for Parts Availability Safran Helicopter Engines to develop a transforma- of October. (8.2) and AOG Response (8.5). tion plan that is expected to alleviate those issues Owens said based on past customer surveys beginning this year. Blades were one of the parts and face-to-face visits in the field, eliminating The Improvements that were impacted, and production on them has the handoff of customers from one department Sébastien Jaulerry, Safran Helicopter Engines v-p of been increased by 50 percent through millions in to another was an issue and led to the merging support and services, noted that the company’s health new investment in production machines in Bordes, of AOG teams with global tech ops. monitoring and support-by-the-hour (SBH) online France, Jaulerry noted. Garnering customer feedback has also been programs have “seen a lot of success with customers.” Lastly, the company has undertaken an effort to a bigger priority recently at Honeywell, said More than 580 customers use Safran’s health repair more parts instead of using new whenever Megan Towne, director of customer and prod- monitoring for 4,100 engines. And 50 percent of its possible, which it said reduces cycles and cost for uct support for Honeywell Americas aftermar- customer base has either an SBH contract or Global the customer. “This has a direct and positive impact ket business and general aviation. To that end, Support Package maintenance plan with budget on the overall cost of the repair or overhaul,” Jaul- and prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Honeywell stability and fixed price per engine flying hour. Also, erry said. “Our internal repair capabilities in France had begun “customer connect visits” in which the company continues to work on improving its have benefited from a €50 million investment, mod- Honeywell staff in the field go out and meet technical publications, an effort begun two years ernizing our Tarnos plant with a state-of-the art directly with customers to, among other things, ago, including improving the technical content, building and machines.” learn of their concerns. Once the pandemic eases, “our plan is to go back to having a lot of proactive engagement with those customers in the field to ask the questions that pertain to Safran Helicopter Engines what works well, where is it easy to deal with Honeywell, where could it be easier, whether that be on the customer support side as well as the product and technical support side,” she said, “and then to bring that in and leverage it into the projects that go on within Honeywell, the improvements.” Owens said Honeywell has made a number of other improvements to its customer and product support in the past year, including in the area of notifying customers of reliability and product improvement enhancements. To that end, the company added a section on its Honeywell MyAerospace customer web portal in August to track the status of product improvements and when they will be made available. “We really think this is a big step forward in being transparent with our customers; here’s an issue you brought to our attention or this is something that’s developed with our product over time and here’s what we’re doing to fix it,” he said. “And GE AVIATION we’re giving you monthly updates on where we’re at with a timeline, a schedule, and when The Results numbering 45 authorized service centers over the they’ll be able to experience that.” GE Aviation’s CF34, the powerplant for Bombar- past few years has allowed GE Aviation to continue In terms of product-specific improvements, dier’s Challenger 650 and Embraer’s Lineage to provide needed services by its engine customers Honeywell has created an extended service bizliner, moved lower in this year’s survey from the during the Covid-19 pandemic, including not only plan for nacelles on its HTF7000 that it said fourth spot and an Overall Average of 8.1 in 2019 for Passport but also the CF34. will help owners with the cost of ownership. to an Overall Average of 7.9. “One of the biggest challenges was managing The company also completed interval exten- through the logistics of what regions are closed, what sions on TFE731 Next Gen turbofans that will The Improvements regions are open, what borders are closed, if we send increase the time between inspections. “We’ve GE Aviation services product manager Jim Stoker in teams here are they going to have to come back and really looked to…how do we make it really easy noted that improvements in product support and be quarantined for 14 days?” Stoker said. “Being able to own and operate and maintain an aircraft customer service in the past year have mostly been to utilize the breadth of our support network allowed that’s got Honeywell [products] on it,” Towne focused on the company’s new Passport engine us to cover all those regions, all those areas, when we said. “We take pride in being able to make that that powers the Bombardier Global 7500. But at had a customer that needed help,” he said. “And I saw customer experience easy.” the same time the build out of a support network no drop in our ability to support them during Covid.”

36 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com MAKING BUSINESS WEBINAR AVIATION

ENVIRONMENTALLY

October 15, 2020 | 1:30 pm EDT

Making aviation environmentally sustainable is now a business opportunity, as much as an unavoidable imperative. Social, political and market pressures are converging to provide fresh impetus for business aviation to reduce its environmental footprint. Our webinar will consider the key paths to cutting carbon emissions, including new fuels, as well as other e!ciencies within the industry’s operations.

Please join us as Charles Alcock, AIN’s Senior Editor, moderates this discussion with Keith R. Sawyer, Manager of Alternative Fuels, Avfuel Corporation.

What attendees will learn: » Why investing in technologies that support sustainability needs to be prioritized even in the wake of the Covid crisis » How steps can be taken now to move towards adopting measures such as sustainable aviation fuel KEITH R. SAWYER CHARLES ALCOCK MANAGER OF MODERATOR ALTERNATIVE FUELS, AVFUEL CORPORATION

REGISTER AT: ainonline.com/sustainability SPONSORED BY: So having our own maintenance bases to Boutique Air grows PC-12 airline network complete the line checks is quicker and allows us to service the route faster.” by Mark Huber A Pilatus spokesman told AIN that “with the introduction of 300-hour sched- Pilatus originally envisioned the PC-12 uled maintenance intervals for NG and turboprop single as an executive and 600 hours for NGX, Pilatus did away with utility aircraft, but the model has gained the progressive inspection program that widespread popularity as a commuter was designed specifically for high-utiliza- airliner since its 1994 introduction. Of tion operators. Instead, now the master the 1,750 PC-12s delivered through mid- maintenance plan allows all operators August, 94 are flying with 35 passenger air- to schedule maintenance packages with lines around the world, according to the great flexibility, fitting their unique oper- Swiss OEM. The largest fleet PC-12 airline ational requirements.” operators are Boutique Air, Tradewind Regarding pilot qualifications, Bou- Aviation, North Star Air, and Sino-Swiss tique prefers Part 135 experience with a United Aero Technologies. hard floor of 500 hours for first officers San Francisco-based Boutique Air was and 1,000 hours for captain, total time. started in 2011 by high-tech executive The airline will hire pilots with fewer than Shawn Simpson, who bought a com- 500 hours and employ them as ground pany with a Part 135 certificate and one agents while they build more time else- aircraft. In 2014, it began flying regularly where and then consider them for first scheduled service with one airplane on officer slots once qualified. “It’s a good one route—between Clovis, New Mexico, way for them to learn the company and and Dallas. Today, Boutique serves 29 U.S. ground handling,” said Kondrad. Bou- airports in 17 states nationwide, operat- San Francisco-based Boutique Air serves 29 U.S. airports in 17 states nationwide, operating a tique does its own in-house pilot training a fleet of 27 PC-12-45 and PC-12-47 fleet of 27 PC-12 single-engine turboprops. Pictured here are pilots Jarin Delis and Mike Ponce. ing and has relied on FlightSafety for the aircraft configured for eight passengers. simulator piece. While pilot turnover had (The airline also operates five King Air airline allows additional baggage cost-free Kondrad admitted that the aircraft’s been a problem, since the Covid-19 pan- 300s and has two Piaggio P.180 Avantis on a space-available basis. Passengers can interior does wear our faster with such demic arose, Kondrad said, there have as reserve aircraft.) “We’re the largest also pre-ship bags via Boutique to their high-frequency usage and that the com- been “no resignations.” Boutiqwue cur- PC-12 commercial carrier in the United destination. pany replaces key elements such as car- rently employs 160 pilots. States,” said Boutique general manager Boutique’s PC-12s have the standard pets and seat coverings as needed. Overall The pandemic has led to minor changes Brian Kondrad. Last year the airline flew eight-passenger executive interior com- maintenance is handled at one of Bou- in Boutique’s operations. All interiors 180,000 passengers. plete with individual seats with slide, tique’s five owned maintenance centers are sanitized with alcohol wipes and in Boutique operates exclusively on routes swivel, and recline and a forward lav that in Dallas; Denver; Johnstown, Pennsyl- some markets with UV devices after each subsidized through the U.S. Department is best suited for emergencies only. “We vania; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; and Port- flight, and passengers are required to of Transportation’s $316 million annual tell our passengers definitely to use the land, Oregon, where more than 120 A&P wear masks. Boutique does not conduct Essential Air Service (EAS) program, link- restroom before they board. But the lav mechanics are employed. Due to the air- passenger temperature checks. Kondrad ing rural airports with major airline hubs. is there if you need it,” said Kondrad. The craft’s reliability, Kondrad said Boutique sees an upside to Covid when it comes The carrier has a code-sharing agreement airline also stocks each aircraft with com- generally has seen an absence of issues. to growing Boutique’s air carrier niche. with United and an interline accord with plimentary drinks and snacks. Boutique maintains its own parts supply “The major airlines have reduced capacity American and can route passenger lug- and can access what it doesn’t have quickly and connections and now sometimes you gage to its ultimate destination on those Quick Turns from one of the 26 factory-authorized ser- have to wait 10 or 12 hours for a connect- airlines. Airfares are based on demand, but To expedite turn times, the airline employs vice centers in the U.S. That said, the PC-12 ing flight. Fifty-seat RJs are now limiting generally run from $27 to $99 each way its own ground personnel at major airline is more maintenance hungry than a tradi- capacity to 25 passengers. Commuter ser- and sometimes substantially less. In late hubs and uses passenger vans to speed tional commuter airliner. While calling the vice has been dropped at some locations August, Boutique was offering $49 one- passenger movement on the ramp when company’s fleet of PC-12s “solid,” Kondrad altogether. We are a private company and way fares from Ironwood, Michigan, to required. Using the vans means passengers did offer the following qualification: “The we have kept all of our seats available for Chicago O’Hare. The airline assumed that aren’t stuck on airplanes waiting for a gate PC-12 is a reliable, durable aircraft but was purchase, and we expect to see increased route in April from a previous operator, to vacate. The vans drive them directly to not made to use commercially. The cycles [passenger] loads in or near those mar- which flew it using Cessna Grand Caravans. the terminal stairs in hubs like Chicago. are faster and line checks are more often. kets where routes were dropped.” The switch to the PC-12 shaved an hour— and sometimes more—off the 290-nm trip each way, down to an average flight time of one hour, 20 minutes. Boutique also flies from Ironwood to Minneapolis, a Delta Following sale, Gogo looks to focus solely on business aviation hub, with a flight time of 40 to 50 minutes. Altogether, Boutique flies into four Wireless connectivity provider Gogo will connectivity and entertainment products in growth trajectory, and our BA segment is Delta hubs, and Kondrad said it is explor- focus exclusively on business aviation fol- the world,” said Gogo president and CEO exceptionally well positioned to drive long- ing an interline agreement with Delta. lowing completion of a deal it announced Oakleigh Thorne. “The BA market contin- term value creation in that industry.” When connecting to airlines with which on August 31 to sell its commercial avia- ues its sharp recovery and strong demand Under the definitive agreement, Intelsat it has agreements, “Our passengers can tion business to Intelsat for $400 million in plans to finance the transaction with cash get anywhere in the world with just one cash. Proceeds from the deal will be used on hand and borrowing from its $1 billion stop,” said Kondrad. to shore up its net debt position and invest debtor-in-possession credit facility. Intelsat, Per TSA regulations, baggage gets in new services in the “attractive and under- which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorga- loaded first through the aircraft’s large penetrated” business aviation (BA) market, nization in May, also has received approval rear cargo door and separated from pas- including Gogo 5G, according to the Broom- to buy Gogo’s commercial aviation business sengers by a cargo rail approved by the field, Colorado-based company. Oakleigh from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the East- security agency. The cargo door “makes “This transaction creates a stronger and Thorne, Gogo ern District of Virginia, Richmond division. loading really fast,” said Kondrad. Pas- more focused Gogo, with the singular president Gogo’s board of directors has approved sengers are not allowed to access bags in strategic imperative of serving the busi- and CEO. the sale. It is expected to close before the flight. Boutique has a liberal luggage pol- ness aviation market with the best inflight end of the first quarter of 2021. J.S. icy—the first 50 pounds are free and the

38 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com WEBINAR

MODERATED BY

Matt Thurber AIN Editor-in-Chief

GUEST SPEAKERS

Tom Grunbeck, Director of NOVEMBER 4, 2020 • 1:30 PM EDT Autothrottle Programs THE SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE BENEFITS OF AUTOTHROTTLES FOR Aaron Tobias, FAA Consultant DER TURBOPROP AIRPLANES Flight Test Pilot

While turbine engines are much simpler to operate eliminating engine-out loss-of-control problems. than piston engines and offer significant safety and For the first time, the Innovative Solutions & Support operational benefits, turboprops do add some com- autothrottle system is now available for PT6-powered air- plexity. Autothrottles greatly simplify the operation of planes, and webinar attendees can learn about how the turboprop engines, helping the pilot not only manage system works and all of these benefits it offers. power changes automatically during busy flying periods Please join us as AIN Editor-in-Chief Matt Thurber mod- in terminal airspace but also add major safety bene- erates an in-depth discussion with Tom Grunbeck, Director fits. Among these are the protection of the engine of Autothrottle Programs, Innovative Solutions & Support from exceeding limits and in multi-engine applications, and Aaron Tobias, FAA Consultant DER Flight Test Pilot.

SPONSORED BY:

Register at: ainonline.com/cybersecurity AVIONICS & technology News Update G1000 NXi Certified in Piper Meridian Garmin’s G1000 NXi upgrade is now available for installation in Piper’s Meridian single-engine turboprop. The NXi upgrade includes new displays with faster processors, and these fit without any panel modifications in the same footprint and using the same wiring connectors. The new processors enable many added features on the NXi displays as well as faster map rendering, smoother panning, quicker initialization, and LED backlighting for better display Airbus Helicopters brightness and clarity, lower power added pilot-friendly consumption, and improved dimming. flight control Key NXi enhancements include Garmin features to the SurfaceWatch runway monitoring, visual H160. approaches, HSI map overlays, display of sectional and en route lo/hi charts on the multifunction display, decoded com frequencies, decoded terminal aerodrome view from your feet to the roof to have an forecasts, and split-screen functionality. Airbus H160 pioneers flight opportunity to see the external view. This is a very new concept philosophy and hard Avidyne FMSs Integrate to build. It cost a lot in terms of design.” with Appareo Insight EFB control safety features Although engine instruments aren’t Appareo’s Insight EFB app can now always front and center, the system man- integrate with Avidyne’s new Atlas and by Matt Thurber ages any applicable limitations and alerts Helios flight management systems. The the pilot if there is an issue. “You can fly new FMSs share many design and interface Airbus Helicopters did more than create mode, the pilot can make the H160 do any- the H160 with no engine instruments in features of Avidyne’s IFD 440, 540, and a new aerodynamic design for the H160 thing the helicopter can do, but the autopi- front of you,” he said. “If you have a dis- 550 series GPS navigators, and Insight medium twin-engine helicopter; it also lot is still on. With hands off the controls, crepancy, you have an alert and have time is already integrated with those units. changed how pilots fly the unique new that just results in the helicopter maintain- to manage that.” The integration with Insight EFB lets app machine. While Airbus didn’t opt for costly ing the same flight path and airspeed. If there is a failure, the H160 automat- users share flight plans between the FMS and complex fly-by-wire, the H160’s full- This key feature fits with Airbus’s phi- ically reconfigures the system appropri- and Insight app and display ADS-B In traffic time autopilot (or automatic flight control losophy of making its helicopters easier ately instead of waiting for the pilot to run and weather in the app as well as share system or AFCS) offers many similar bene- to fly and requiring less training. But at through steps in a checklist. The pilot still AHRS data to provide attitude information fits to fly-by-wire flight controls. the same time, Airbus designers paid a has full control of the systems, if prefera- for the app’s synthetic vision display. Airbus calls the new design “accrued lot of attention to the flight deck design. ble. But the workload is much lower when The bidirectional communication pilot assistance” and it includes flight The goal was to remove and simplify the the helicopter automatically takes care of between the Insight app and Atlas/Helios envelope protection, all with the goal of controls, switches, and knobs, Gensse the problem. “It takes five to ten seconds FMS is enabled via a Wi-Fi connection helping pilots stay out of trouble or—if explained. That allowed designers to to achieve every procedure,” he said. “It’s from the iPad or iPhone to the FMS. they do get into trouble—fix the problem improve the pilot’s field of view for look- very efficient and easy.” before loss of control results in an accident. ing outside but also helps lower the Although touchscreens are becoming Alto Logs 100th Cadence That isn’t to say that the pilot doesn’t number of pilot actions required, which widespread in aircraft, the H160 sticks Sets Installed have full control over the H160 at all times. benefits training and safety. “With less with traditional displays surrounded by Alto Aviation’s Cadence Switch Series But the automation is there for a reason and actions, there are less mistakes, but you configurable keys. Helicopter vibration (CSS) has proven a popular retrofit, also carefully thought out from the perspec- also save time,” he said. has always been an issue for touchscreens, with owners of more than 100 business tive of a human-machine interface. Gensse likes to demonstrate how the but the H160’s lower vibration levels jets opting to install the company’s Olivier Gensse, Airbus’s H160 experi- design improves the pilot and passenger would easily allow touchscreens, Gensse customizable cabin switch panels. mental flight test pilot, was instrumental in experience, going from dark cockpit to said. “I think we will [eventually] have The CSS require no software but the design and testing of the H160’s AFCS. engine startup and ready for takeoff in less touchscreens,” he added. provide switch functionality through “I hope it will be a big step for us too,” he than two minutes. “Everything is automatic,” During takeoff, the dual-autopilot discrete logic, simplifying installation said. “We spent a lot of energy to find a new he said. “It’s positive automation. You can AFCS provides an automatic assisted and allowing replacement of older answer for incidents and accidents. Most follow everything, and it’s easy to under- takeoff function, which can be done with non-supported switches with no need are linked to human factors, and it was a stand. But if there is any discrepancy, you hands off the controls. While it can be to alter cabin furnishings or woodwork big part of our innovation to try to develop have feedback or an alert.” If there is noth- a lot of work to calculate the safest tra- because they fit in existing cutouts. automation that is more simple and intui- ing wrong, then the system doesn’t bother jectory for takeoff, the automatic system The CSS modules feature one to six tive for pilots with less experience.” the pilot with unnecessary information. monitors rotor rpm and the flight path to switch positions as well as USB charging, The H160, which is equipped with ensure a safe outcome in case of failure HDMI port, Bluetooth interface, and Airbus’s Helionix avionics package with The Outside View of one of the H160’s two Safran Arrano ordinance signage, adding new functionality weather radar, synthetic vision, moving The design further helped expand the engines. The system can even help land to cabin management systems with map, TCAS II, and HTAWS, builds on the pilot’s outside view, by reducing the space the H160 safely after engine failure while broken, unserviceable, or obsolete H175’s automatic airspeed and flight path needed for instrumentation and displays. in a hover, automatically selecting the passenger controls, according to Alto. stability. That makes flying the H160 much “Because we don’t have oil pressure [and] power needed on the remaining engine. Multiple modules can be combined in easier and allows the pilot to attend to temperature showing all the time, we In cruise, if an engine fails, the H160 one bezel to create a configured switch other tasks without worrying about ending have space to present safety information AFCS reduces speed to maintain the panel, with an independent overlay allowing up in an unusual attitude. Also known as like TCAS, nav, etcetera,” he said. “For the flight path, giving the pilot plenty of for the module to serve a variety of a fly-through autopilot, the AFCS remains internal part, you have all the information time to evaluate the situation, brief pas- functions. The overlays also can rotate so on all the time in the H160. In hands-on that you need and a very large field of sengers, plan a diversion, or try a restart. they can be placed vertically or horizontally.

42 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com IS&S gets FAA nod for Eclipse synthetic vision and autothrottle upgrade

Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) pilot’s direct control instead of on the has received FAA approval for its syn- landing gear select switch. thetic vision system installation and In addition, the package also includes autothrottle upgrade package for Eclipse software upgrades that provide improved 500/550s with software versions 2.7.8 presentation of performance and situational and 2.7.10, the Exton, Pennsylvania-based data displayed on cockpit instruments, as company announced. Notably, this instal- well as on the pilot’s EFB. They include map lation marks IS&S’s first upgrade made airspace labeling upgrade, Ethernet initial- available directly to Eclipse owners and ization upgrade, EFB rendering performance involves “substantial” pre-orders. upgrade, fly by/fly over logic upgrade, and The upgrade package allows synthetic 2.7.8 software upgrade to 2.7.10. vision to be presented on the Eclipse “IS&S is excited to support Eclipse Airbus Helicopters H160 experimental flight test pilot Olivier Gensse was instrumental in 500/550’s primary flight displays, while owners and operators with this designing the new helicopter’s flight control system, including the vortex pre-alerting system. the autothrottle is made operational upgrade and greatly appreciates their down to approach minimums. Further, continued enthusiasm and input,” said change the point of view to vortex ring recover, it will. If it’s too extreme an atti- the autothrottle upgrade improves the IS&S director of autothrottle programs state,” Gensse said. tude, it will try, but if not possible, then it shuto! switch, which is now within the Tom Grunbeck. C.T. The system provides both an audible can’t do it. We didn’t want to put limits for and visual alert to “check power.” The recovery because every time you can use it, pilot can either add power, if sufficient the autopilot will do its best.” margins are available, or if already at maxi- The H160 isn’t designed to eliminate mum power, try to fly out of the condition. the need for piloting skill, but to enhance Another option is to push the go-around the pilot’s skills without adding to the button on the collective, which will fly the workload. If an unexpected event hap- H160 out of the vortex ring state in the pens, pilots typically aren’t ready, but as most efficient way possible. Gensse explained, “you have a lot of direct “Vortex ring state is not so big an access to help you. It’s easy to use in a issue to manage if you have altitude,” he normal way and easy during an event. explained. “When we did the tests, we “You can train a lot and use a simula- were at high altitude with lots of time tor to become the best pilot,” he added, to recover. The problem in operational “but we prefer to have not much training life is that most time is spent close to required to achieve the best level. Safety the ground. Vortex ring state might have is the first priority. Each time we can a descent rate of 3,000 feet per minute, improve safety, it’s better.” The FAA has greenlighted IS&S’s synthetic vision and autothrottle upgrade package for the and that’s not enough time to get out. It’s That said, Airbus doesn’t intend to Eclipse 500/550, which it is offering directly to Eclipse owners and operators. This upgrade important to have pre-alerting.” lower the training requirements for such allows synthetic vision to be presented on the Eclipse 500/550’s primary flight displays, The pre-alerting system “is quite a a capable helicopter. “My philosophy is to while the autothrottle is made operational down to approach minimums. complex equation,” he said, “but it takes keep the same volume of training because into account deceleration, the level of of innovation,” he explained. “We want to power, and the total energy picture.” A be sure the customer is comfortable with high rate of deceleration without extra all that automation. Automation is good if energy available from the engine signals you understand it.” continued from facing page a visibility-reducing phenomenon like a likelihood of vortex ring state, for exam- H160 pilot training will take place at Air- dusty brownout or snowy whiteout, the ple. A challenge in developing this system bus’s Marignane facility in France, where H160 adds new flight pilot can simply double-click the button was to eliminate a high rate of false alerts. the first H160 simulator was certified by and the H160 will revert to a safe hover. “The secret is to have the alert only when EASA in August. FAA certification of the control features With a full-time AFCS, there is no you will encounter it,” he said. “For a long simulator is expected at the end of this year. so-called “wet noodle” mode where the time, we’ve wanted to implement it, and A second simulator is planned for the U.S. “Everything is managed,” Gensse said, pilot can opt to fly fully manually, although we’re happy to have certified that.” Helionix and the dark cockpit con- “and the workload is very low.” Airbus has demonstrated what happens if cept are not new for Airbus Helicopters; Although demonstrated during certifi- the AFCS isn’t operating. “The autopilot Preventing Loss of Control these are also implemented on the H175 cation testing, a dual engine failure is a is always on,” Gensse said. “It’s part of our The design philosophy of the H160 AFCS and H145. Some of the H160 features will very low probability event, he explained. design philosophy, to try to build the most is that the autopilot is always on and will likely be made available on other helicop- “What is good about that compared to stable aircraft we could, with the best always try to assist. “Whatever the condi- ters, such as the vortex pre-alerting and other helicopters is that it is easy to handling qualities. But with two autopi- tion, the autopilot will be on and will try to assisted takeoff. The family concept will manage rpm, there is a lot of inertia in lots, that failure never happens.” help you,” Gensse said. “If you are out of already help because H175 pilots will need the rotor system. This is good because the normal flight envelope, the autopilot just two flights to transition into the H160. you have time to manage the trajectory.” Vortex Prevention will try to recover to go inside the envelope. “What is impressive for the new H160 Due to the low probability of dual engine Airbus added a significant new safety fea- For the pilot, he doesn’t have to think, ‘can pilot is the external visibility,” he said. failure, Airbus didn’t automate the auto- ture that is unique to the H160, a vortex I use it?’ Don’t ask questions, just use it.” “This is the first time in that size helicop- rotation process—although that could pre-alerting system designed to give pilots For that reason, there are no limitations ter that you can have such visibility…and be done—so the pilot still has to manage advance notice that the helicopter is about beyond which the autopilot will just give comfort. There is no vibration; it’s a really rotor rpm. to enter a dangerous vortex ring state. “This up flying and hand an out-of-control heli- pleasant aircraft.” Like other modern helicopter autopilots, gives a five- to seven-second warning,” he copter back to the pilot. It will take longer When pilots fly the H160 for the first the H160 has a recovery mode. This is acti- said, “enough time to change the condition.” to recover from more extreme conditions, time, Gensse said, “everybody can under- vated by double-clicking a button on the Vortex ring state, also known as settling Gensse explained, “but the aircraft is recov- stand it’s really an improvement. When cyclic and automatically brings the H160 with power, is not only hard to detect ering in the most efficient way. If it’s close we see the pilot’s smile at the end of the to straight-and-level configuration. If fly- when it is happening, it’s impossible to to the ground and nose down and full speed, flight, it’s really nice for the team. We all ing close to the ground and experiencing demonstrate safely. “We expect this will the limit is physics; if the aircraft is able to worked for one thing: that smile.”

ainonline.com \ October 2020 \ Aviation International News 43 ROTORCRAFT & unmanned systems

that want to get that certification added News Update HAI looks to reboot safety on should go ahead. But everything is being looked at, and whether the solu- Kobe Crash Copter tion set has one, two, or three options Company Blaming ATC accreditation program has yet to be determined. We already The company that operated the Sikorsky have a fair amount of feedback from S-76B that crashed and in which basketball by Mark Huber previous operators and the auditors legend Kobe Bryant and eight others died themselves, and they will be a key fea- in January is blaming the accident on air The Helicopter Association International A key component of APS is its incorpo- ture of this revamp.” traffic controllers. In a recent Los Angeles (HAI) is looking to reboot its Accredita- ration of the IS-BAO audit architecture as Martino said that for “APS 2.0” to be court filing, Island Express Helicopters tion Program of Safety (APS) later this a foundation, and that made APS overly successful, it must be well publicized and alleges controllers at the Southern year, HAI president James Viola told AIN. complex and has proven a barrier in offer a compelling value proposition. “It California Tracon (Socal), failed to continue APS is based on two sets of performance attracting small and medium companies has to be something that provides clear to provide VFR flight following to the standards: the International Standard for to the APS program, HAI senior director, value. The helicopter operator has to say, accident helicopter and asserts that the Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) operations, and international affairs Chris ‘I can’t afford not to do that.’ The industry controllers’ actions “are the proximate and the HAI-APS Helicopter Mission Spe- Martino acknowledges. That is going to has to look at it and has to see there is no cause of the accident.” The complaint cific Standards (HMSS). HAI developed change in “APS 2.0,” he said. “IS-BAO will reason not to participate, that the value alleges that pilot workload and stress were the latter standards to address safety not be the minimum foundation require- is unquestionable, bringing best practices exacerbated by ATC’s “negligent acts and/ for specific missions flown by helicopter ment, but it might be contained in a suite and higher levels of safety.” or omissions.” The VFR helicopter flight operators. of add-on options.” crashed shortly after the pilot radioed HAI director of safety Chris Hill finds that he was going to “climb between the parallels between APS using IS-BAO as layers” in an area of deteriorating visibility. a foundation and an audit of safety programs he participated in while in the U.S. NTSB AW139 Crash Probe Coast Guard. The USCG, said Hill, “went Chris Martino, Points To Pilot Performance through some significant overhauls of HAI senior The NTSB’s recently released accident audits and processes. They found that director, docket of the July 4, 2019, Leonardo they were so cumbersome that they operations, and AW139 nighttime crash in the Bahamas were actually increasing risk in the fleet international that killed all seven aboard points to James Viola, because people spent so much time pre- affairs pilot performance and lack of situational

BARRY AMBROSE BARRY president, HAI paring for, and completing and assessing, awareness. However, the NTSB has yet their operations that they really weren’t The focus has to be the small and to issue a final report or conclude a Viola and HAI senior staff agreed that making smart risk-based decisions.” medium operator, Hill said. “We do not probable cause of the accident. The the APS’s past close coupling with the After an overhaul of the audit process, think large operators would be interested NTSB’s performance study indicates IS-BAO standards, which are geared the USCG was able to drop certain audit in the program because they already that one minute and two seconds into toward fixed-wing operators, had discour- overhead and line items “that were just have fairly robust oversight by their cli- the flight, the helicopter hit the water aged wider participation in the program. fluff” and accounted for 70 to 80 percent ents and other entities that are stake- at a speed of 141 knots. The study Begun in 2016, APS has drawn limited of the audits. “We can’t say that we will holders in their operations.” HAI’s own concludes: “ A calculation of apparent industry interest to date with only a half- meet those same types of numbers but board will be a key focus group for APS pitch showed that it was possible for dozen organizations presently holding that is the concept we are shooting for, to 2.0. “We have to make some changes to the pilots to have misinterpreted the current accreditation and two auditors get rid of the time-consuming fluff and motivate our own board and all our own helicopter’s nose-down attitude to be supporting the program. focus heavily on risk-based [safety man- working group members to participate in nose up for the entirety of the flight.” Viola, who came to HAI in January from agement systems] and the things that the program. That is going to be one of the FAA, said he initially considered drop- really matter, that can get people hurt.” our top priorities—to get the board and Airbus Sending UH-72Bs ping APS as a cost-saving measure. After Hill said HAI had already received “a fair our safety group members behind APS To U.S. Army consulting helicopter operators and upon amount of feedback from previous oper- 2.0 and absolutely recommend it to their Airbus Helicopters will begin delivery of further examination, he saw the enormous ators and the auditors themselves. They organizations. Anything short of that and the UH-72B to the U.S. Army next year. value the program could have if it were will be a key feature of this revamp.” we really need to go back to the drawing The updated helicopter replaces the made more relevant to helicopter opera- board and make some changes.” tailrotor on the UH-72A Lakota with a tors. “Cost of insurance is the number-one Viola said the program will benefit all Fenestron and has other features similar concern when it comes to operating a operators but could provide substan- to those on the civil H145 variant. Those [helicopter] business,” he said. “If there tial savings to Part 141 helicopter flight include more powerful engines, enhanced are operators who aren’t good operators, schools if the FAA accepts the new APS controls, and the Airbus Helionix avionics who just do the bare minimum, the insur- 2.0 standard. If the FAA approves APS 2.0, suite. Airbus has delivered more than ance companies will help” to identify them it could conceivably be used as a standard 460 UH-72A Lakota helicopters in nine by canceling coverage or raising their rates. to streamline the approval process of Part configurations to the U.S. Army, Navy, and “The APS will help identify risk” and Chris Hill, HAI 141 schools, thereby saving them months National Guard. It is the primary rotary- good operators, he said. “You need to director of of delay and enormous concurrent costs wing training aircraft for the Army and is have a safety level higher than the gov- safety as they await an FAA audit before opening. manufactured in Columbus, Mississippi. ernment requirement, to operate as safely With a valid APS, schools could open/ as you can at all times to be accredited The IS-BAO standard can be cumber- continue operations and the FAA and TSA Sundance Folds Vegas Air Tours [under APS]. If you do flight data manage- some to apply to helicopter operations, could confine their routine oversight to Las Vegas-based Sundance Helicopters ment and everything else you can do to Hill acknowledged. “The barriers to auditing the APS audit as time permitted. announced the permanent closure of its stop an accident from occurring, then you entry to small and midsize operators is to “When you talk to FAA employees, they air-tour operations, citing a pandemic- are certainly operating at a higher level have the IS-BAO standard as your entry really don’t want to be auditors, they want induced steep drop in tourism in the than the regulations, and that is what we requirement. It was never developed from to come out and do the [actual] safety Las Vegas area that forced Sundance want to do [with APS].” the ground up to be accommodative or work,” said Viola, who last served there Helicopters to close for commercial But since its inception, APS has been responsive to your typical rotary-wing as manager of the general aviation and tours for several months. In 2012, less than a roaring success, not even operation. That is probably the biggest commercial division. “There is room for the company was acquired for $44 gleaning support of some companies rep- objection we encounter with the [APS] HAI to be the middle man, especially with million by Air Methods and folded resented on HAI’s board. “I have board program” as currently constituted. the NTSB picking on the FAA for trying into its air tourism division. By 2019 members who don’t use APS,” Viola Hill is quick to emphasize that HAI to do too much and being spread too thin. the Sundance fleet had grown to 29 acknowledged. is not denigrating IS-BAO. “Operators That is my vision.” aircraft and more than 200 employees.

44 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com Instead of supporting oil rigs, the offshore helicopter industry sees opportunity in supporting a growing offshore wind farm market. IF YOU ARE ROTORS WE GOT IT! Wind could rescue offshore helicopter industry by Mark Huber Nov 10 – 12, 2020 As the price of oil tumbled below $40 per and heavy helicopters to almost 60 per- Koelnmesse | Germany barrel last month—again—the offshore cent. Offshore wind already is a staple in market reeled from the news that nearly the North and Baltic seas with more than half of offshore rigs currently being con- 2,000 wind turbines installed there, driving www.europeanrotors.eu structed likely would be scrapped and that utilization of medium to heavy helicopters. commercial banks had all but completely Bristow CEO Chris Bradshaw said he turned off the money tap to offshore saw wind as the logical next stepping stone energy companies. For the beleaguered off- from search and rescue operations, where shore helicopter industry that serves this cross-mission capabilities such as hoist- market the news could hardly be worse. ing and over water operations are com- Yet, amid the gloom comes a ray of mon. Bradshaw told stock analysts, “we’ve sunshine. A projection for the offshore been looking at that market for a very long wind energy market suggests that in the time. It’s not tied to the price of oil, and coming decades the epicenter of domes- we do expect it will be a long-term secular tic U.S. offshore helicopter activity could growing market.” He cautioned that “It is shift from the Gulf of Mexico to a near- a really nascent market in the U.S., but we urban area called the “New York Bight.” have been following developments and as And instead of supporting oil rigs, they that market grows here in the U.S., which will be delivering workers and supplies to will be principally on the eastern seaboard install and maintain giant offshore wind over the next several years, it is something turbines. A new study from the consult- that we’re looking at. It’s a more mature ing firm Wood Mackenzie (Woodmac) market in parts of Europe and Asia.” predicts that investment in U.S. offshore Offshore wind is growing quickly wind could soar to $166 billion by 2035. throughout Europe, driven by the EU’s And there are more promising areas ambitious clean energy goals. Airbus Heli- than just the Bight, which comprises sev- copters notes that 409 offshore turbines eral areas totaling 1.735 million acres of were added to the European power grid federal waters. Other locations are off in 2018, part of 4,543 turbines installed the Carolinas, the California coast, and across 11 countries. In Germany, power the Gulf of Maine. There are already production from German wind farms in leases of federal waters off New York and the North Sea increased by 16 percent New Jersey, an area sufficient to produce from January to June 2019, compared to 6 gigawatts of offshore electricity. Some the year-ago period. waters off the California coast could be Bristow competitor Babcock has been auctioned off this year and next and gen- actively supporting offshore wind farms in erate up to 5 gigawatts. Europe for decades. But the number and For helicopter operators, the expansion size of the helicopters required to support of offshore wind could represent a life pre- offshore wind are smaller. Babcock sup- server when it is needed the most. West- ports one 87-turbine offshore wind farm organised by in cooperation with wood Global Energy Group estimates that in the U.K. with just two light twins. Other more than 6,000 offshore wind turbines operators flying offshore to support wind will be installed globally by 2022, boost- turbines throughout Europe include NHV, ing the global utilization rate of medium Wiking, HTM, and NHC.

ainonline.com \ October 2020 \ Aviation International News 45 AIR transport

Satair CEO Bart Reijnen noted that News Update Satair received certification for assuming A220 support responsibility from global Saudi Arabia To Grant UAE certification authorities in May after sev- Carriers Full Airspace Access eral months of preparation. “We are now Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil two months down the road [since the Aviation (GACA) has approved the request July 1 takeover] and that means we have received from the United Arab Emirates’ those experiences and we will continue to General Civil Aviation Authority to overfly improve the whole setup and processes, the kingdom’s territory to all countries, which fortunately has demonstrated to according to the official Saudi Press Agency, work very, very well,” he explained. “For citing an “official source” with GACA. Satair, it was one of our top priorities of The opening of the airspace gives UAE the year in onboarding the A220 and its airlines the opportunity to fly scheduled services and the fact that this has taken operations to Israel, but it remains unclear Airbus subsidiary Satair will now manage material services for the A220 following the transfer place and seems to work very well…is whether or not Saudi Arabia will grant of those services from Bombardier. something we are proud about.” the same permission to Israeli airlines. Under the new arrangement, Airbus Can- GACA did, however, allow for a ada will continue to operate the A220’s cus- ceremonial first flight by El Al from Tel Aviv tomer service center and base the program’s to Abu Dhabi to pass through its territory Airbus’s Satair unit takes service engineering team in Montreal. on August 31, raising expectations that Reijnen added that Satair plans to stock Saudi Arabia would open its airspace to 50 percent more high-demand parts and Israeli airlines as well. So far only Israel’s over A220 parts supply 13 percent more A220 parts overall than Israir has signaled its intention to fly regular Bombardier did. service between the Jewish state and by Gregory Polek Now carrying A220 parts in warehouses the UAE, while officials in the Emirates in Copenhagen and at Washington-Dulles remain quiet about their intentions for Airbus Canada has officially moved A220 customer services and product policy Airport in the U.S., Satair plans next to Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways. material management services to its Satair Rob Dewar called the announcement place more parts for the narrowbody at unit, marking the integration of one of “really positive news” given the result- a facility in Singapore by the end of the Embraer to Cut Brazilian the last vestiges of Bombardier’s former ing increase in A220 support footprint year and locate ground service equipment Workforce by 900 C Series program into Airbus, the compa- and the benefits associated with Satair at a new building now under construction Embraer plans to cut another 900 nies revealed last month. The transfer of now taking responsibility for all Airbus outside Washington, D.C. employees from its Brazilian workforce, responsibility took place on July 1, at which programs. “It is, of course, a key step in “So we are step-by-step making use of mainly from its commercial aviation time Satair took charge of planning and the integration of the A220 program into all our warehouse footprint around the division in reaction to flagging economic inventory, purchasing, quality inspection, Airbus,” said Dewar, who served as the C world, existing for Satair,” said Reijnen. conditions and its failed attempt to certification, warehousing and distribution, Series head with Bombardier before Air- “But we have concentrated first of all on forge a partnership with Boeing, the customer order handling, AOG handling, bus took control and changed the model the United States and on Europe because Brazilian airframer said last month. The and initial provisioning and tool lease. name. “We have had a lot of discussions the bulk of the [A220] customers…are cuts amount to a 4.5 percent adjustment Speaking with reporters during a Sep- with our customers and the feedback there. But we will transition into Asia as to the company’s global workforce. tember 3 webcast, Airbus A220 v-p of from them has been very positive.” the next step.” Embraer’s commercial aviation division saw a 75 percent reduction in aircraft deliveries in the first half of the year compared with the same period a year earlier. Airbus signs partners for Fello’fly environmental project The company added that it has adopted a series of measures to preserve Airbus has signed agreements with two their energy consumption. The technique bring together aircraft before and during a jobs since the onset of the pandemic, airline customers and three air naviga- of a follower aircraft retrieving energy lost fello’fly operation. France’s DSNA (Direction including collective vacations, reduced tion service providers to demonstrate by a leader by flying in the smooth updraft des Services de la Navigation Aérienne), the working hours, furloughs, paid leave, the operational feasibility of its “fello’fly” of air the wake creates could reduce fuel UK’s NATS, and Eurocontrol will help define and three voluntary dismissal plans demonstrator project for reducing avi- consumption by between 5 and 10 percent how controllers can safely bring two aircraft (VDP). About 1,600 employees chose ation emissions, the company said last per trip, Airbus reckons. together, thereby minimizing changes to to participate in the VDPs in Brazil. month. Inspired by biomimicry, fello’fly will The airlines—Frenchbee and SAS Scan- current procedures. Meanwhile, Airbus will employ a phenomenon called Wake Energy dinavian Airlines—have agreed to provide continue working on the technical solution Rolls-Royce Considers Retrieval (WER). WER replicates the behav- flight planning and operations expertise for pilots to ensure their aircraft remain Selling Its ITP Aero Unit ior of birds, which fly together to reduce for collaborative requirements needed to safely positioned. Rolls-Royce is considering shedding its Under the agreements, Airbus, French- ITP Aero unit as that Spanish engine bee, SAS, DSNA, NATS, and Eurocontrol components manufacturer drains cash plan to develop a safe and realistic con- flow under many of the same Covid-19 cept of operations (Conops) necessary to related pressures its parent company shape future operational regulations for continues to experience. On August 27 “fello’flights.” Flight testing will take place the UK engine giant reported that its throughout 2020 using two Airbus A350s. net debt at the end of this year’s first The airlines and ANSPs will become half stood at £1.7 billion ($2.24 billion), involved as early as next year, flying opera- compared with a net positive cash position tions in oceanic airspace. Airbus said it has at the end of last year of £1.4 billion. targeted a “controlled” entry into service Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East (EIS) by the middle of the decade. estimated potential net proceeds Fello’fly is part of Airbus UpNext, an Air- from its planned assets disposal at £2 bus subsidiary created to speed the devel- billion, adding that the company has Airbus’s fello’fly will employ a phenomenon called Wake Energy Retrieval (WER), which opment of future technologies by building already reaped significant benefits from replicates the behavior of birds. demonstrators at speed and scale. G.P. a restructuring exercise put in place to combat the effects of Covid-19.

46 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com an incredibly valuable commodity, valuable IATA sounds alarm on in the sense that to manufacture eight bil- IATA head lion of these, the industry can’t afford to of cargo lose, to have lost, to destroy, to have an acci- vaccine distribution efforts Glyn Hughes dent…sadly, theft is a concern,” said Hughes. sees serious “All of these issues need to be taken into by Gregory Polek challenges account…And when you consider that there ahead for are probably 200 potential territories and The International Air Transport Associa- One dose of the vaccine for each of the Covid vaccine countries throughout the planet with vary- tion last month urged governments and world’s 7.8 billion people would fill 8,000 distribution. ing degrees of safety, with varying degrees of airlines to prepare for the transporta- Boeing 747 freighters, noted Hughes. Even land-based infrastructure, there would need tion of Covid-19 vaccines while issuing a assuming protection of the virus would through perhaps an airport, then onboard to be some highly collaborative solutions warning of the likelihood of severe cargo require only one dose, such a volume of the airplane at 39,000 feet in the air and that would need to be implemented. capacity constraints during distribution. cargo would stress the world’s air cargo upon arrival and then local distribution… “So we urge governments to work con- Epidemiologists have raised hopes that infrastructure beyond its current capa- it’s critical when moving something as sen- sistently with each other. It’s imperative at least one of the pharmaceutical com- bilities. Meanwhile, handling vaccines sitive as that, that there are the right facili- that there is harmonization and alignment panies working on a vaccine could have requires strict temperature control com- ties in place,” he explained. and implementation of the current regu- one ready for use by the end of the year, pliance, raising a new challenge consider- With about two-thirds of the world’s lations...because the passenger network is leaving the airline industry with scant ing the sheer volume of doses an already commercial aircraft fleet still grounded critical to support the cargo network when time for preparation. constrained cargo infrastructure will need and the fact that before the Covid out- it comes to distributing the vaccine.” Speaking during a conference call with to transport. If the temperature of the break about half of all cargo flew in pas- media on September 9, IATA head of cargo vaccines must fall within a typical range senger airplanes, the air cargo industry Glyn Hughes listed several major chal- of between 2 degrees C and 8 degrees will experience still further stress and lenges facing airlines as they get ready for C, that in itself would present a massive will need to rely more on ad hoc charter, the effort. Apart from challenges wrought coordination effort. A need to freeze the more passenger airplanes for cargo-only Eurocontrol by the continued deficiency of passenger vaccines to minus 80 degrees C would operations, and a slow resumption of pas- airplane belly hold capacity, a relative lack present a still more challenging scenario, senger services explicitly to distribute the warns of airport of availability of qualified staff, continued added Hughes. vaccine, noted Hughes. airspace and border closures, and crew “When you consider the various tempera- Finally, security will present a major con- constraints restrictions stand as major concerns. ture changes both in processing the cargo cern. “Because the vaccines themselves are A study into Covid-19 recovery planning released by Eurocontrol last month recommends that airports concentrate on reducing the e!ects of space constraints caused by new Wizz Air CEO predicts a ‘rollercoaster’ Covid-19 recovery process “harmonized” security measures that EU member states must impose. Com- József Váradi, chief executive of Hungarian from last year’s level, fully in line with coordinated basis in Europe. Each coun- missioned from the Airport Research low-cost carrier Wizz Air, and Eurocontrol the Eurocontrol “coordinated” scenario. try went its own way,” Váradi lamented. Center (ARC) in collaboration with director general Eamonn Brennan have However, a clear stop of the gradual Of the 45 countries in which the LCC Airports Council International (ACI) slammed the lack of a common, EU-wide traffic increase, recent announcements operates, no two apply the same set Europe and other industry partners, approach to Covid-19 travel restrictions, by airlines they will scale back planned of Covid-19-related travel measures, he the study assessed the e!ects of contending that a new wave of quarantines capacity hikes, and no start of long-haul noted. “Now we are in a second wave of such measures on passenger jour- and border closures imposed by national flights will require Eurocontrol to adjust restrictions and still we are not learning ney time, terminal throughput, and governments across the region are halting its traffic scenarios. lessons from the first wave,” he com- boarding gate processing capacity. the recovery of the industry. “It is nearly EasyJet in September became the lat- plained. “This is a very ineffective way The report concluded that airports, impossible for airlines to plan. Nobody est European airline to plan capacity cuts of managing this crisis.” Wizz Air cur- already congested before the onset wants to book a flight. It is not the travel in response to reduced demand for travel rently operates at about three-quarters of the Covid crisis, can expect to experience that is holding people back from due to the constantly evolving government of last year’s capacity, a higher percent- reach saturation capacity at just 60 to flying. The [national] governments, in my restrictions and quarantines in the markets age than most other airlines in Europe. It 75 percent of their peak 2019 tra"c opinion, need to get their act together and where it operates, such as the UK. The ranked as Europe’s fifth-largest operator volume. As a result, for the same num- sort this out,” Brennan said on September LCC said it now expects to fly “slightly less in terms of flights on September 1, after ber of passengers during a pre-Covid 8 during an aviation “Hardtalk” organized than 40 percent of our planned schedule” EasyJet and ahead of Lufthansa, accord- queue, airports will need 50 percent by Eurocontrol. over the current quarter. “We know our ing to Eurocontrol data. more space at check-in areas, double customers are as frustrated as we are with Váradi attributes his airline’s ability to the space at security control and at the unpredictable travel and quarantine navigate relatively well through the corona immigration, 35 to 50 percent more Wizz Air CEO restrictions,” commented EasyJet CEO pandemic in part to Wizz Air’s diverse space at boarding gates, and 30 to Jozsef Váradi Johan Lundgren. network anchored by 30 operating bases 50 percent more space for baggage complained The European Commission last week spread across several countries and its claim. It also found that passengers of each outlined a new proposal to streamline what agility to permanently adapt capacity and will need to plan for an extra 10 min- country Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders routes to demand. “We have learned we utes of departure time and five to 20 going “its described as a “cacophony of national need to be agile and flexible,” he said, minutes more time for arrival. own way” in rules” and reinstall frictionless travel across adding he predicts the market will remain “This report is a valuable practical setting Covid the bloc, including common criteria and unpredictable for some time and the recov- contribution to recovery,” said Euro-

MARK WAGNER MARK restrictions. thresholds for member states when decid- ery of the airline industry will not be V or control director general Eamonn ing whether to introduce travel restrictions. U-shaped. “I expect a rollercoaster recov- Brennan. “It provides airports with a The Brussels-based air traffic man- “We support this response, but we need to ery, with ups and downs.” C.B. detailed set of process assessments agement organization’s traffic-recovery make it happen, “Brennan stressed. The indicating where they need to focus as scenarios, released at the end of April, commission’s e!orts earlier this summer to tra"c recovers. It highlights the vital have proved “alarmingly accurate” over adopt a harmonized EU-wide approach to importance of harmonization of mea- the past months, according to Bren- reopen borders failed. sures for air travel, key to passenger YOUR SOURCE FOR AVIATION NEWS nan. In August, the number of flights in “It is a shame that we have not conﬁdence and e"ciency.” G.P. www.ainonline.com European airspace had fallen 51 percent been able to act on an orchestrated,

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FOR NEWS VIDEO FROM EBACE TOUCHING bases FBO and Airport news by Curt Epstein

year-over-year, following a 14 percent Airport, is currently in the midst of an rise between 2018 and 2019. “We’ve expansion project that will boost its been at max capacity for a little while hangar space to more than 120,000 sq now, so this is part of continuing to ft and increase the size of its ramp. build and accommodate that need,” Phase one of the $20 million project he said. The company, which has will include a 40,000-sq-ft community been in operation for more than four hangar expected to open later this fall, decades, is a helicopter operator and while the second phase, which is on has an FAA Part 145 repair station. track for completion in spring 2021, will add another 24,527-sq-ft hangar and approximately 7,100 sq ft of adjoining

SHELTAIR/BOB BERESH SHELTAIR/BOB Central Florida Airport office space. According to the com- Sheltair incorporated customer friendly design for its newest and first Western U.S. FBO. Approves Hybrid FBO/Hotel pany, the smaller hangar, while also The Melbourne (Florida) Airport (MLB) intended for community storage, could Sheltair Opens New Facility branding—occupies 1,500 sq ft of Authority has approved the lease on a also be available to a single private at Its First Western FBO space in the airport’s terminal with a hybrid FBO/hotel, which is expected tenant. Both hangars will be heated With the September grand opening passenger lobby, recently refurbished to begin construction by early 2021. and capable of sheltering aircraft of its new FBO at Colorado’s Rocky pilots lounge with snooze room and According to Florida-based hospitality up to a Bombardier Global 7500. Mountain Metropolitan Airport, showers, 12-seat conference room, flight real estate developer and manager AD1 Modern, a member of the Paragon Florida- based Sheltair debuted the planning room, and flight training area. Global, the five-story Hyatt Place hotel FBO Network and backed by private permanent facility for its first location The complex offers approximately will include an integrated full-service equity firm Tiger Infrastructure Part- west of the Mississippi. The com- 35,000 sq ft of heated hangar space FBO on the ground floor, which will ners, also operates an FBO at Den- pany began operations last year from capable of housing a Gulfstream G650 give the central Florida airport its ver Centennial Airport and in North a temporary building, which made and more than two acres of ramp. third aircraft service provider when Carolina as the sole aviation services it the second service provider at the “BAK is a large airport property with the facility opens in 2022. The FBO, provider at Wilmington International Denver-area general aviation airport. multiple runways capable of supporting which has yet to be named, will provide Airport. It acquired the Seattle facil- The approximately $20 million, 11-acre aircraft from TBMs to Boeing 737s, and its own line service, and operate its ity in 2018 from Clay Lacy Aviation. facility includes a 10,400-sq-ft termi- they get everything in between,” Ryan own refuelers, which, along with the nal with a land-side porte-cochere for Maxfield, AMG’s co-founder and chief existing two service providers on the passenger drop off and pick up and an revenue officer, told AIN. “AMG is field, will draw from the airport’s fuel Montreal FBO Relocates airside 162-foot-span aircraft arrivals mostly interested in locations where supply. The $20 million facility will to New Montreal Home canopy with direct access to the terminal, we can roll out our supporting aviation occupy three acres on the south side CYHU H-18 Services, a service provider which features pine, stone, and exposed businesses, so the Columbus acquisition of the airport just west of the commer- at Montreal’s Saint-Hubert Airport, has raw steel as well as a radiant-heat floor isn’t just about pumping fuel—it’s about cial terminal, and will have 140 rooms, opened its new facility and renamed for customer comfort. Amenities include offering managed aircraft solutions, including several executive suites on the itself HUB FBO. In March 2018, the com- a large conference room, pilots lounge on-demand jet and turbine charter, and a top floor and a rooftop bar/restaurant pany agreed to sell Hangar 18 to a com- with snooze rooms, concierge, crew cars, collegiate-backed flight training program, that will offer expansive views of the mercial charter operator, paving the way onsite car rental, and complementary all while raising the bar on service.” airport and surrounding environment. for it to begin work on what was initially aircraft cabin cleaning. The 31,050-sq- “Between Embraer, Northrop-Grum- to be called Aéroparc H-19, at the airport. ft heated hangar can accommodate man, L3Harris, and now Aerion Super- The company recently moved into the latest business jets and has 4,500 Montana FBO Set To sonic, the need for a hotel has been the CDN$11 million (U.S.$8.3 million), sq ft of adjoining office space. “Every Double Hangar Space there for quite a while, but the FBO 45,000-sq-ft facility but the planned detail-from access points and tenant Minuteman Aviation, which operates component of this really makes so grand opening festivities have been post- offices to lounges and restrooms was the Minuteman Jet Center at Mon- much sense for our airport because of poned indefinitely due to the Covid pan- designed with the customer’s com- tana’s Missoula International Airport, who our tenants are,” explained Mark demic. Located near the former FBO, off fort, privacy, and safety in mind,” said expects to open a new hangar in Octo- Busalacchi, MLB’s director of marketing the airport’s 7,800-ft-long Runway 24R, Sheltair president Lisa Holland, add- ber. Construction of the 29,150-sq-ft and business development. “Private jet the new Avjet-branded complex sits on ing the company is looking forward to structure began in March and when activity at the airport is increasing, it’s a 4.5-acre site and includes an approxi- welcoming guests during the upcoming completed it will roughly double the going to further increase with the pres- mately 25,000-sq-ft heated hangar that ski season. “Our new complex and the FBO’s aircraft storage space. Accord- ence of Aerion, so it’s just a great fit.” can accommodate aircraft up to the related services we provide the general ing to Josh Johnson, the company’s Bombardier Global 7500. The 20,000- aviation community ensure that we can director of ground operations, the $2 sq-ft, two-story terminal features a pas- not only meet, but exceed the needs of million heated hangar will have a door Modern Aviation senger lounge, concierge, pilot’s lounge, this important and growing market.” height of 22 feet, allowing Minuteman Expands Seattle FBO two snooze rooms, shower facilities, a to relocate some of the smaller aircraft Modern Aviation, which operates pair of conference rooms, crew cars, car from its existing community hangar one of three FBOs at Seattle Boe- rental, and customs upon request, as Indiana FBO Changes Hands that can accommodate aircraft up to a ing Field-King County International well as office space. and Gains New Name Gulfstream IV. The new hangar also has Aviation services provider Aero Man- the option to be divided into individ- agement Group (AMG) is now the lone ual bays should there be demand. full-service FBO at Indiana’s Colum- The Avfuel-branded FBO is home to bus Municipal Airport (BAK). The approximately 20 light jets and turbo- Indianapolis- based company—which props and sees transient activity that operates four other FBOs in the state as includes the largest business jets. The well as locations in Dallas and Nashville— first stage of the development project acquired the assets of Jeff Air Pilot Ser- also includes 150,000 sq ft of new ramp vices and retained its staff as it secured capable of accommodating 60,000- a new 30-year lease on the property pound aircraft. The company expects from the airport, with a 10-year option. to add additional ramp space once the The facility, which now carries airport completes its new commercial the name Columbus Jet—mirror- terminal in mid-2021. Johnson noted ing the company’s Indy Jet, Dal- that the FBO has experienced a more Modern Aviation is investing a significant amount in new hangar facilities and upgrades to its las Jet, and Nashville Jet location than 43 percent increase in business ramp space at Seattle’s Boeing Field-King County International Airport.

48 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com MRO/MRO/ hothot sectionsection Maintenance news by Jerry Siebenmark

Moreover, our ability to facilitate an MRO has performed multiple engine innovative structured capital solution changes on various types of Gulfst- Duncan Aviation's and quickly close this complex trans- reams equipped with BR725/710 and powerplant action in the middle of challenging Tay 611-8C engines, in addition to apprenticeship macroeconomic conditions demon- scheduled maintenance inspections. program lasts 24 strates Trive’s ability to creatively Also, the Covid-19 pandemic has months and will deploy capital in the current market.” made aircraft disinfections a prior- employ students Field president and CEO John ity for its customers, prompting an as they complete Mactaggart noted that the addition increase in demand for that type of their studies to of Dallas-based Trive as a partner work. Metrojet’s disinfection work is sit for an airframe adds leadership expertise, a fresh performed in accordance with Gulf- and powerplant growth perspective, and the ability stream MOL-20-0005 or Bombardier examination. to conduct additional acquisitions. AW000-25-001 REV2 guidelines. “The remaining original sharehold- “We have been taking great care of ers see this as a logical step in the our clients’ valuable assets and we growth of Field,” he added. remain very appreciative of the sup- Duncan Launches Powerplant When the app went live in July, the port provided by our business partners Apprenticeship Program company saw a dozen AOG requests and customers throughout China Duncan Aviation has received U.S. come through, which Nixon said “were CAE Expands Online Mx and the Asia-Pacific region during Department of Labor approval to offer quickly taken care of by providers on the Training for Bizjets these most challenging times,” said a powerplant apprenticeship program MRO Insider network.” The app allows CAE has expanded its live, online said Metrojet CEO Gary Dolski. and will begin offering it to eight operators to summon AOG, parts, detail- training to include instructor-led full-time technicians at the Lincoln, ing, and equipment rental services from maintenance training programs for Nebraska- based MRO provider. The a variety of providers, based on their Bombardier, Dassault, and Gulfstream ExecuJet Malaysia Wins effort follows a similar one to establish location. It also allows them to com- business aircraft, as well as specific Bermuda Cert for Dassault Jets an airframe apprenticeship program pare hourly rates, provide an estimated helicopter programs, the Cana- The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority last year to stem the effects of an time of arrival of their aircraft, and offer dian training company announced. has certified ExecuJet MRO Services expected shortage of aircraft mechanics. reviews of those maintenance providers. The training provider’s offerings Malaysia for line and heavy maintenance Duncan’s program will last 24 months include real-time instruction in on Dassault Falcons. A subsidiary of and offer powerplant training while a setting that enables interaction Dassault Aviation, the MRO’s certifica- students work there and earn a pay- Private Equity Firm Takes between instructors and students. tion encompasses the Falcon 900EX up check. Through classroom and hands-on Minority Stake in Field Aero Using a Webex-based platform, to and including the 12-month or 800 labs, students will learn about recipro- Trive Capital has purchased the CAE’s courses are designed to offer flight cycle (FC) inspection; Falcon cating and turbine engines; powerplant minority stake held in Field Aerospace flexibility for maintenance training, 2000EX C-checks, which are equivalent ignition, electrical, and fire-protection by former chairman Dan Magarian including interactive demonstrations to 72-month or 3,750 FCs; and Falcon 7X systems; aircraft propeller systems; and plans to support growth initia- and courseware compliance to regula- and Falcon 8X C-checks, which are induction and fuel metering; lubrica- tives of the Cincinnati-based aircraft tory and scheduling guidelines. Busi- equivalent to 96-month or 4,000 FCs. tion, cooling, and exhaust; electrostatic modification and parts manufacturing ness jet maintenance training platforms ExecuJet Malaysia is also FAA discharge awareness and prevention; company that operates three locations include the Bombardier Learjet 60 and certified for maintenance on and aviation human factors. Upon in Toronto, Calgary, and Oklahoma 60XR; Dassault Falcon 2000, 2000EX, U.S.-registered Dassault, Bombar- completion, students will be prepared to City. Field’s focus includes special- 2000EX EAsy, 50, 50EX, 7X, 900B, dier, and Gulfstream business jets. sit for written, oral, and practical exams mission aircraft using Bombardier 900C/EX, and 900EX EAsy; and Gulfst- for airframe and powerplant certificates. Challenger and Gulfstream airframes. ream GIV series, G450, GV, and G550. “Through a combination of on-the- “Trive has deep experience investing Hartzell Engine Tech job experience, classroom training, in aerospace and defense businesses and Receives FAA ODA Approval hands-on lab work, and supplemental was fortunate to have developed a rela- Metrojet Keeps Busy with Hartzell Engine Technologies (HET) has course materials, the engine appren- tionship with the Field ownership team Engine Swaps, Disinfections received FAA Organization Designation tices will get the work experience and over several years,” said Trive Capital Hong Kong-based Metrojet’s MRO Authorization (ODA) approval, which knowledge necessary to become the partner David Stinnett. “Field has built station has been keeping busy with will enable the designer and manufac- kinds of skilled technicians Duncan an impressive set of capabilities that engine changes and aircraft disin- turer of aircraft cabin heating products Aviation engine teams want to employ,” position it to capitalize on increased fections in the first half of the year, and engine accessories to bring new said Duncan engine line assistant spending for modified, special-mission the company said. Specifically, from products to market in a more quick and manager in Lincoln Bradley Wales. aircraft used in ISR data collection. January to July its certified Rolls-Royce cost-effective way. “Our ODA approval comes at the end of a long road of FAA audits, inspections, and reviews,” noted MRO Insider Sees Brisk HET v-p of engineering Rick Quave. Interest In Mobile App HET president Keith Bagley said HET’s Twenty-eight maintenance providers ODA is “an additional unit” to sister com- operating in 68 locations in North pany Hartzell Propeller’s long-time ODA. America, Mexico, and the U.K. have “The authorizations are based on the joined MRO Insider’s aircraft main- FAA’s recognition of our companies’ long tenance services mobile app since Since January, history of product expertise,” he added. the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Metrojet has With the ODA, HET can act on the the company announced. “With performed FAA’s behalf in terms of compliance more service providers restricting multiple engine and management of approval pro- travel for their sales team, yet char- changes on cesses while eliminating the need to ter flights picking up, we are seeing various types compete for FAA’s limited engineering a steep increase in interest and use of Gulfstream resources on certification projects. It on our digital (request for quote) jets equipped doesn’t eliminate current test, vali- platform, especially with the MRO with BR725/710 dation, or documentation required to Insider AOG/detailing/parts app and Tay 611-8C prove regulatory compliance, Bagley we recently launched,” said MRO engines. added. “That helps us while reduc- Insider co-founder Andy Nixon. ing FAA backlogs,” he explained.

ainonline.com \ October 2020 \ Aviation International News 49 ACCIDENTS by David Jack Kenny

PRELIMINARY REPORTS the accident, which occurred at 3:43 p.m. familiar with the similar system used in unsuccessfully tried to reset the wing/sta- CDT. The flight was intended to return to the King Air 200. bilizer protection by turning the WING- Two Escape Nevada the pilot’s home base near Wayne, Illinois, The airplane veered left off of Runway STAB button off and back on with the Helicopter Crash following maintenance work at a Part 145 09L as it reached an airspeed of 30 knots. anti-icing mode selector still set to ALL. repair station at Rockford. The nature of The pilot attempted to keep it on the run- The mode selector’s ICE SPEED RESET AEROSPATIALE SA342J GAZELLE, the maintenance has not yet been reported. way with the right rudder, exerting enough position reinitializes AoA limitation to JUNE 21, 2020, MINDEN/TAHOE force to fracture the pedal, but the airplane the non-icing airspeed, but not knowing REGIONAL AIRPORT, NEVADA FINAL REPORTS slewed left some 70 degrees before coming that the higher value was in effect, the to rest in the grass. The left rudder ped- pilots did not cancel it. The helicopter was destroyed after losing Fractured Fuel Line Downed al’s linkage was also bent. The pilot was power during a landing approach, but the Air Tour Helicopter able to shut down the engines and exit the Low Visibility, Wrong pilot and passenger escaped the post- cockpit without injury. The BFU noted that Turn Lead to Controlled crash fire. The pilot told investigators that AIRBUS HELICOPTERS EC130, the preflight and pre-takeoff checklists did Flight Into Terrain when he lowered collective to land at an JAN. 17, 2016, HANALEI, HAWAII not specify the number or location of gust altitude of 25 feet and an indicated air- locks that must be removed. CESSNA 208B, AUG. 6, 2019, speed of 10 to 15 knots, “the engine lost all A complete loss of engine power during a MAYO, YUKON TERRITORY, CANADA power.” A witness at the airport recalled Blue Hawaiian air tour was caused by a frac- Hard Landing Result of hearing “four or five pops in rapid succes- tured main fuel injection pipe. The pilot and Deficient Systems Knowledge The pilot veered left from his intended sion, followed by a louder, deeper sound.” all six passengers suffered thoracolumbar course and into a box canyon during a The pilot entered a hovering autorotation fractures from a hard landing after an emer- EMBRAER EMB-550 LEGACY 500, NOV. 27, scheduled flight from the Rau Airstrip and raised collective to cushion the land- gency autorotation; one passenger was left 2017, PARIS LE BOURGET AIRPORT, FRANCE to the Mayo Airport, both in the Yukon ing, but the helicopter landed hard and paraplegic. NTSB investigators ascribed Territory. He and the sole passenger caught fire. Both occupants were able to the break to sympathetic vibration excited The flight crew’s lack of understanding of were killed when the Grand Caravan flew escape without assistance. by the starter-generator, whose worn front the anti-icing system and its relation to wings-level into a hillside shortly after The accident occurred after a flight of bearing support allowed the armature to the angle-of-attack (AoA) limits imposed entering IMC. The Transportation Safety about one hour 15 minutes, during which oscillate enough to impart vibrations to by the airplane’s stall protection logic led Board of Canada (TSB) report suggests the pilot noticed an exhaust gas tempera- the engine frame. In the absence of any them to fly the final approach segment at that the diversion may have been a simple ture reading “about 50 degrees higher specific requirement to examine the bear- an airspeed below the activation thresh- navigational error. Eyewitnesses placed than usual.” The NTSB’s preliminary ing, the excessive play would not have been old of the AoA limiter, which prevented the airplane at just 200 feet agl shortly report does not include any findings from noticed by the operator. the captain from flaring the airplane to before the crash and reported cloud bases examination of the wreckage. The helicopter was about one-quarter land. The jet touched down nose-first at a at treetop level on the hillsides. Visibility mile offshore at an altitude of 1,450 feet descent rate of 1,350 fpm and a load factor was estimated at one statute mile. One Killed in Tennessee when the low rotor rpm warning sounded. of 4 Gs, shearing the upper rear attach- The pilot had been upgraded to captain River Ditching The pilot immediately entered an auto- ment fitting of the right main landing less than three months earlier. Based on rotation and turned toward the shore, gear and punching it through the upper flight data logged by a Garmin 296 GPS, AIRBUS HELICOPTERS EC130B4, but had to make a hard right turn at low surface of the wing. No injuries resulted. the TSB concluded that this was the first AUG. 3, 2020, KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE altitude to avoid boulders in his intended France’s BEA also faulted the crew for fail- time he’d flown the route in marginal landing area. The helicopter touched down ing to follow the correct reset procedure weather conditions. The flight was being One passenger was unable to escape from hard, buckling the tail boom, pushing the in response to an apparent failure of the done under VFR, but the pilot was instru- the cabin after the helicopter crashed into tail skid into the Fenestron, and displac- wing and horizontal stabilizer anti-icing ment-rated with a current proficiency the Tennessee River during an approach ing the main gearbox right support rod system, then choosing to depart from check and the airplane was equipped for to a landing zone on the pilot’s property. 24 mm ( just under one inch). The Board Moscow Domodedovo Airport in icing instrument flight, offering the possibility Two other passengers and the pilot evac- noted, however, that “the crashworthy fuel conditions in violation of the airplane’s of making an emergency climb into the uated the aircraft before it sank. tank displayed no deformation or leaking Master Minimum Equipment List. clouds. His training records character- The accident occurred after a 75-minute of fuel.” Footage recorded inside the cabin The apparent fault in the anti-icing sys- ized him as “exceptional, well organized, local flight that originated from the by an onboard camera showed that at least tem was probably due to the crew’s hav- flew above standard, and adapted well,” McGhee-Tyson Airport. The pilot made four of the six passengers had not adjusted ing set the mode selection switch to ALL but there is no evidence that he had ever a right circling approach to the landing their harnesses correctly, which the Board rather than AUTO before engine start, as performed an emergency transition from site, “descending with low power and a cited as having contributed to the severity specified by the pre-start checklist. This visual to instrument references either in 25-degree angle of descent; ever slowing of their injuries. bypasses the ice-detection system; as the training or from actual necessity. to come to a hover at low speed over the wing and stabilizer anti-ice cannot oper- Company rules limited new captains to water.” When he added power to stop the Overlooked Gust Lock ate without engine power, the monitoring flying in visibilities of at least five statute descent, the helicopter “started to settle” Caused Runway Excursion circuitry registers a failure. The apparent miles with ceilings no lower than 2,000 and he “pulled max power to stop the set- anti-icing failure, in turn, raises the min- feet. The TSB concluded that he proba- tling,” but the helicopter descended about BEECHCRAFT 65-A90-1, JUNE 23, imum airspeed at which angle-of-attack bly encountered lower weather during the 75 feet into the water. The left skid struck 2016, HANNOVER, GERMANY limitation becomes effective, but the crew outbound flight to Rau Strip, but chose to first, followed by the main rotor blades, did not recognize the significance of the make the return flight on schedule with- and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. A runway excursion early in the take- STALL PROT ANTICIPATE annunciation out consulting either more senior pilots off roll was traced to the pilot’s failure on the instrument panel, the yellow arc or company dispatch. GPS data shows King Air Destroyed to recognize and remove the gust lock on the primary flight display’s airspeed that the airplane was flying at 156 knots in Takeoff Crash securing the rudder pedals. BFU investi- tape, or the yellow pitch limit indication groundspeed, leaving barely 20 seconds’ gators found that the chain that should on the PFD’s attitude display. The EMB- reaction time in one-mile visibility and BEECH 200, AUG. 20, 2020, have connected the locks on the control 550 flight manual specifies increasing nearly tripling the diameter needed to ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS column, power control levers, and rudder the landing reference speed by 30 knots reverse course in a 45-degree bank at 90 pedals was missing, and the red paint on and the minimum landing distance by knots. The airplane was also equipped A privately owned King Air 200 rolled left the rudder lock pin had faded to near- 70 percent with STALL PROT ANTICI- with a Garmin GTN 750 capable of pro- and crashed into the grass immediately invisibility. The pilot, whose transition PATE active, but the captain flew the final viding terrain warnings, but investigators after takeoff, killing the sole-occupant training had not covered the gust locks, approach at 120 knots rather than the 144 were unable to determine the pre-impact pilot. The airplane sustained fire damage hadn’t previously conducted this model’s knots required in this regime. position of the “terrain inhibit” switch and considerable fragmentation from preflight inspection alone, though he was The BEA report also notes that the crew that silences those warnings.

The material on this page is based on reports by the o!cial agencies of the countries having the reponsibility for aircraft accident and incident investigations. It is not intended to judge or evaluate the ability of any person, living or dead, and is presented here for informational purposes.

50 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com OCTOBER MEANS BUSINESS AVIATION AIN IS CELEBRATING THE INDUSTRY BY HIGHLIGHTING ITS RESILIENCE, NBAA Convention News VALUE, AND INNOVATION

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Wheels Up and OEM Textron Aviation “We are grateful to Ron Draper and last month unveiled a Beechcraft 350i Textron Aviation for once again donat- with an orange livery to recognize the ing the design and livery of the orange private aviation provider’s Meals Up ini- plane to shine a light on this important tiative with Feeding America. Announced cause,” said Wheels Up founder and in March, Meals Up is a campaign to pro- CEO Kenny Dichter. vide meals to those facing hunger during The orange King Air will be part of the Covid-19 pandemic and so far has Wheels Up’s permanent ﬂeet and serve as raised the equivalent of 47 million in a symbol to raise awareness of food inse- meals for Feeding America’s network of curity and the work by Feeding America 200 food banks across the country. Sep- and its member food banks. “Wheels Up BRAND!NEW!FBO!TERMINAL!&! tember is also Feeding America’s Hunger has been a steadfast partner to Feeding Action Month. America,” said Feeding America CEO HANGAR!COMPLEX!NOW!OPEN In addition to donating the painting Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. “We thank of Wheels Up’s orange King Air, Textron them for their continued contributions Aviation is making a monetary donation and for helping us rally the nation to end for the equivalent of 500,000 meals. hunger in our communities.”

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For Salesforce® Textron Aviation donated the orange paint job on this Wheels Up King Air 350i to celebrate the charter provider’s Meals Up initiative, in concert with Feeding America. View AMSTAT Contacts & Fleet data from within Salesforce® continued from page 1 aviation. “In fact, a good number of people Link your Accounts, Contacts, Leads & relying on private aviation are either work- Aircraft to live AMSTAT Data Signature SAF ing for companies with established climate goals, or individuals who have personally beyond traditional jet-A, we are providing committed to fighting climate change. Map AMSTAT aircraft data to your the critical acceleration that industry trade This partnership means that passengers custom Aircraft Object or ours groups and aviation regulators have cited can look forward to being able to board as a necessary step on the path to wide- a private aircraft fueled by SAF and help spread adoption,” Lefebvre concluded. ﬁght, not contribute to, climate change in Add AMSTAT data directly into Earlier this summer, Neste announced the near future.” your Salesforce® solution it had for the ﬁrst time delivered SAF to Also announced, NetJets will be the SFO via the existing multi-product pipe- launch customer for Signature-supplied line originally designed for the transport SAF at SFO, committing to purchase up Receive alerts of changes to linked data of fossil fuels and other oil products, with to three million gallons in a non-exclu- that supply originally for use by commer- sive agreement. All NetJets aircraft visit- cial airlines. This new deal with Signature ing the airport will use the fuel, according www.amstatcorp.com makes SAF available to the business avia- to the operator. Information That Moves You Forward tion community there as well. In addition to buying SAF for all its “People who travel by private aircraft departing aircraft at SFO, NetJets will know there’s an environmental impact, also buy SAF through Signature’s new and many of them want a more sustainable book-and-claim for all flights at its For additional information, please contact: Dan Rawson at 732-530-6400 ext. 145 or [email protected] option,” said Chris Cooper, Neste’s North Columbus International Airport home American vice president for renewable base.

52 Aviation International News \ October 2020 \ ainonline.com COMPLIANCE countdown by Gordon Gilbert

Within 6 Months Jan. 1, 2021 Oct. 19, 2020 NEW EASA: Cockpit Voice Recorders U.S.: Turbine Aircraft Cockpit voice recorders with a record- ing duration of at least 25 hours will Emissions Standards be required on commercial airplanes The U.S. Environmental Protec- with an mtow of 60,000 pounds or tion Agency has issued a proposal more manufactured from Jan. 1, 2021. to require large subsonic turbine- powered airplanes to meet greenhouse Feb. 14, 2021 emissions standards. The standards EASA: Pilot Mental Fitness would apply to jet airplanes with a mtow of more than 12,500 pounds Due to effects from the Covid-19 pan- for which an application for type demic, the European Union Aviation ENTERTAINED? design certification is submitted to Safety Agency has pushed the deadline the FAA on or after Jan. 1, 2020 (Jan. from Aug. 14, 2020 to Feb. 14, 2021 for Get One Year of 1, 2023, for new type designs that have complying with revised air operations a mtow of 132,270 pounds or less and safety rules to incorporate provisions FREE Entertainment have 19 passenger seats or fewer). to better identify, assess, and treat Subscription Services The standards would also apply to the psychological fitness of air crew. turboprop airplanes having an mtow Compliance with the new rules, applica- W i t h Yo u r G o g o greater than 19,000 pounds. Emissions ble to commercial air transport oper- L 5 I n s t a l l a t i o n b y standards for in-production aircraft ators with airplanes and helicopters, would apply beginning Jan. 1, 2028. includes mandatory alcohol testing Duncan Aviation Comments are due by October 19. of flight crews during ramp checks.

Dec. 7, 2020 and June 7, 2023 March 31, 2021 NEW European ADS-B Out Mandate EASA: Simulator and

The ADS-B Out requirement in Europe Training Updates is Dec. 7, 2020 for aircraft receiving Application of new rules updating flight their certificate of airworthiness (C simulators and training requirements of A) starting last June 7. Aircraft has been postponed to March 31, 2021 that obtained their C of A between because the Covid 19 pandemic and its June 6, 1995 and June 6, 2020 must resulting constraints have led and con- meet the ADS-B Out mandate by tinue to lead to significant delays in the June 7, 2023. Both deadlines apply update process. Enacted in December to aircraft with an mtow exceeding 2019, the requirements were originally 12,500 pounds or having a maximum scheduled to apply starting August 20. cruising true airspeed capability The new mandate addresses approach- greater than 250 knots. Aircraft with to-stalls; upset prevention and recovery; C of A’s dated before June 6, 1995 are engine and airframe icing effects; and exempt from ADS-B requirements. developing and deploying an instructor operating station feedback tool. Dec. 31, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2022 Mexico: CVRs and FDRs Beyond 12 Months Cockpit voice and flight data equip- Dec. 31, 2021 Inflight connectivity helps passengers ment requirements for commercial New Zealand: ADS-B turbine aircraft operations (includ- Out Mandate stay productive and engaged. Install ing air taxis) that were adopted in TM 2011 by Mexico’s aviation authority New Zealand is expected to adopt its the Gogo Business Aviation AVANCE will become effective and go into proposal to make ADS-B mandatory L5 internet and Wi-Fi system with force incrementally from Dec. 31, for all aircraft in controlled airspace 2020 through Dec. 31, 2022 based below Flight Level 245 starting on Duncan Aviation and ensure the best in on the number of aircraft that are Dec. 31, 2021. connectivity. Duncan Aviation will extend in an operator's fleet. Generally, the rules apply to turbine airplanes Jan. 1, 2022 the free of charge period for Gogo with 10 or more passenger seats Mexico: ADS-B Out Mandate Text & Talk and Gogo Vision inflight and large turbine helicopters flying in Mexico airspace under an inter- According to government officials, entertainment to ONE FULL YEAR. national air operator certificate. when ADS-B requirements take effect, they will apply to operations in Mexico Jan. 1, 2021 Class A, B, C, E airspace and Class E Saudi Arabia: ADS-B airspace above 10,000 feet. ADS-B is required now in Class E airspace over Out Mandate the Gulf of Mexico, at and above 3,000 Saudi Arabia delayed the start of feet msl within 12 nm of the Mexican ADS-B requirements in Class A and B coast. LEARN MORE HERE airspace by a year from the previously www.DuncanAviation.aero/GogoL5 published original date of this past For the most current compliance status, see: January. According to a recent notam, https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ the new start date is Jan. 21, 2021. compliance-countdown

AIN_DuncanAviation_Sept2020.indd 1 9/9/2020 1:40:22 PM ainonline.com \ October 2020 \ Aviation International News 53 PEOPLE in aviation by Kerry Lynch

ALEXANDAR SIMIC STEPHANIE CHUNG JEFFREY LAM KAI SEYMOUR GARET TURNER

Jonathan Saltman has joined Aviation Clean makes flight simulation products including analytics specialist with more than 20 years of and operated his own charter business. Air (ACA) as a member of the company’s own- RealFlight simulator. experience in financial services and asset man- Scott Toom has rejoined GlobalParts as ership group. Saltman founded International Elite Jets Charters promoted two of its pilots agement technology, most recently as global director of business solutions. Toom, who Aero Companies in 1986 and serves as presi- to top-level positions. Mark London, previ- IT and security director with Strategic Insight. initially served with GlobalParts in 2012, has dent of the group, which includes International ously general manager, and Stephen Myers, Kai Seymour is stepping into management also worked with Raytheon Aircraft, APPH, and Aero Engineering (IAE). Earlier this year, IAE formerly assistant chief pilot, have been pro- training at Sheltair, formally joining the fam- most recently, Electromech Technologies. teamed with ACA on a portable unit for disin- moted to president and executive v-p, respec- ily business founded by his grandfather Jerry Bruce Atlas joined Pentastar Aviation fecting aircraft while on the ground. tively. London assumes a role previously held Holland, who is chairman, CEO, and owner, Charter as director of quality assurance. Most FTC Consulting appointed Alexander Simic by founder Dan Randolph, who remains CEO. and steered by his mother and president Lisa recently quality engineer for GE Avionics, Atlas chairman. Formerly technical director of FTC, Before joining Elite Jets, London was president Holland, president, and father, Frank Seymour, previously held roles as chief inspector, man- Simic has decades of experience in commer- of London Aviation Group. senior v-p. Kai Seymour, who brings the next ager of quality assurance, director of quality, cial and business aviation, bringing expertise Stephanie Chung is stepping into a new generation to the business, has a background and quality assurance engineer. in flight safety and quality management, CAMO, role as chief growth o!cer for Wheels Up. in management, marketing, sales, and cus- Gulfstream Aerospace appointed Murtaza as well as business administration and large Most recently president of JetSuite, Chung tomer service. Hassan as general manager of the Gulfstream infrastructure projects management. has more than 30 years of aviation industry Ron Soret returned to King Aerospace Com- St. Louis service center. Hassan brings more Victor has promoted Toby Edwards and experience, including at US Airways, Delta Air mercial Corp., as executive v-p. Soret formerly than 20 years of aviation maintenance experi- James Farley to co-CEOs. Clive Jackson, who Lines, and Bombardier. was president of King before joining Aeria Lux- ence to the role, including with Gulfstream a!l- had been CEO and led the buyout with a small Singapore Technologies Engineering named ury Interiors in 2011 and also has served with iate Jet Aviation, Dassault, Flexjet, Bombardier, group of new investors, is taking the role of Lim Serh Ghee COO. Serh Ghee, who joined ST Gore Design, Associated Air Center, and The and Atlantic Aero. executive chairman. Edwards initially served as Engineering’s Aerospace business in 1994, has Dee Howard Company. Mark Cook joined Alto Aviation as OEM a member services executive when he joined held roles in the company’s aerospace busi- Helicopter Association International (HAI) business development manager. Cook has 25 Victor in July 2012 and helped build and train nesses, ultimately becoming president of Aero- named Michael Hertzendorf v-p of operations. years of sales and business experience, includ- the sales, operations, and flight management space in 2014. Je!rey Lam will succeed Serh Hertzendorf spent 29 years as a special opera- ing 14 with Rosen Aviation. teams, as well as recruit a U.S. team when the Ghee as president of the Aerospace sector. tions aviator with the U.S. Army and most recently Bombardier appointed Marc Beaudette company launched in North America in 2015. Lam joined the unit in 2011 and most recently was CEO of Nuair. In addition, HAI appointed as general manager of its Fort Lauderdale Farley, who joined Victor in 2012 as head of was deputy president. Meanwhile, Eleana Tan Chris Martino, who joined the operations service center and Michel Menard as general product, has been responsible for Victor’s is retiring from her role as chief corporate o!- department in 2015, as senior director of oper- manager in Tucson. Beaudette is a 30-year global profit and loss oversight, has steered cer, a position she’s held since mid-2017 after ations and international a"airs. Zac Noble, who company executive who previously managed the brand and marketing team, and has served serving as CFO for the company. was deputy director of flight operations and tech- the Tucson service center. Menard, who has as head of CRM, head of data, and head of Embraer named Martyn Holmes chief nical services, is now director of maintenance 30 years of aviation industry experience, has strategy and planning. commercial o!cer of its commercial aviation and technology. HAI further moved its educa- previously served as v-p and general manager Ruag International selected André Wall business. Martyn, who joined the company in tion program to the Operations Department and for StandardAero and Dassault as well as in the as CEO. Wall has 25 years of global aviation 2012 after serving with an engine manufacturer, promoted Greg Brown to director of education. Royal Canadian Air Force. experience and was chief technical o!cer at most recently served as v-p for Europe, Russia, Brown had been manager of education. Western Aircraft named Tonya Wood inte- the Spanish airline Iberia. and Central Asia for Embraer. Cesar Pereira, a Garet Turner joined the Association of Air riors manager. Wood joins Western Aircraft Wencor Group promoted Shawn Trogdon 17-year Embraer veteran, is relocating from the Medical Services as v-p of strategic engage- from Gulfstream Aerospace, where she held to CEO. He succeeds Chris Curtis, who is retir- company’s Singapore o!ce to Amsterdam to ment and member experience. Turner most varying positions including principal designer ing at the end of the month. Trogdon, who was take over as v-p of Europe, Middle East, and recently was chief development o!cer for the and senior pricing analyst. She also served as CFO, joined Wencor in 2014 as global controller Africa (EMEA) for the commercial business. Raul American Society for Association Executives the director of interior architectural design for after holding senior finance positions at Wesco Villaron, who was v-p of the Middle East and (ASAE) and the ASAE Research Foundation J. Banks Design Group. Aircraft Holdings, Landmark Aerospace, and Africa, has moved to the new position of v-p of in Washington, D.C. and also has served with Twin Commander Aircraft hired Andrew Grant Thornton. Asia-Pacific for the commercial business, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Wilson as technical service manager. Wilson CAE named Daniel Gelston group president Mark Neely, formerly regional v-p of sales in Education, Purdue University, George Mason previously served as maintenance controller of Defense & Security based in Washington, North America, was appointed v-p of the Amer- University, and the Trust for the National Mall. and flight operations support for Dynamic Avi- D.C. Gelston previously served as president icas for Embraer Commercial Aviation. ACR Electronics appointed Marc Medeiros as ation and before that ran his own inspection of L3Harris Technologies’ Broadband Commu- Michael Sullivan joined L2 Aviation as CFO. v-p of Artex and promoted James Hunter to sales and maintenance operation. nications Systems sector and president of the Sullivan has 25 years of leadership experience, and product manager. Medeiros has held techni- JetHQ added Josh Tremain as manager of Communication Systems-West division, and previously holding CFO roles with Amherst cal, sales, and management roles over the past contracts and business development. Tremain held executive positions with Smiths Detec- Holdings, Guaranty Residential Lending, and 25 years with companies including Cessna Air- has 12 years of aviation experience as an tion and Cobham Tactical Communications Texas State A"ordable Housing Corporation. craft, Aeroflex Test Solutions, Zodiac Aerospace, escrow agent with Insured Aircraft Title Service and Surveillance. NXT Communications appointed Stephen Rockwell Collins, and most recently, AVI Aviation. based in metro Oklahoma City and serves as The International Aerobatic Club elected Newell chief commercial o!cer. Newell has Hunter, who has been managing Artex OEM sales a unit training manager for the Oklahoma Air Jim Bourke president. He succeeds Robert more than 20 years of aviation and satcom for the past four years at ACR Electronics, has National Guard. Armstrong, who served as IAC president experience, including as v-p of business devel- more than 30 years of aviation experience. Western Aircraft hired Randy Miller as a since March 2018. Bourke, currently the opment for Flyht Aerospace Solutions and chief Aero Asset appointed Philip Louis Ama- regional sales manager. Miller brings more second- ranked freestyle aerobatic pilot in commercial o!cer at TrueNorth Avionics (now deus as sales director based in London. Ama- than 25 years of corporate aviation sales expe- the U.S. and sixth-ranked in the world, has owned by Satcom Direct). deus is a pilot operator who has amassed more rience to his new role, he previously worked for been a member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, IBA appointed Phil Talbot chief technol- than 10,000 flight hours, including with a num- companies including Textron Aviation, Standar- and is owner of Knife Edge Software, which ogy o!cer. Talbot joins the aviation data and ber of helicopter models, and has launched dAero, and most recently Constant Aviation.

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