Garmin Reveals Autoland Feature Rotorcraft Industry Slams Possible by Matt Thurber NYC Helo Ban Page 45

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Vol.50 | No.12

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DECEMBER 2019 | ainonline.com Flying Short-field landings in the Falcon 8X page 24 Regulations UK Labour calls for bizjet ban page 14 Industry Forecast sees deliveries rise in 2020 page 36 Gratitude for Service Honor flight brings vets to D.C. page 41 Air Transport Lion Air report cites multiple failures page 51 Garmin reveals Autoland feature Rotorcraft Industry slams possible by Matt Thurber NYC helo ban page 45

For the past eight years, Garmin has secretly Mode. The Autoland system is designed to Autoland and how it works, I visited been working on a fascinating new capabil- safely fly an airplane from cruising altitude Garmin’s Olathe, Kansas, headquarters for ity, an autoland function that can rescue an to a suitable runway, then land the airplane, a briefing and demo flight in the M600 with airplane with an incapacitated pilot or save apply brakes, and stop the engine. Autoland flight test pilot and engineer Eric Sargent. a pilot when weather conditions present can even switch on anti-/deicing systems if The project began in 2011 with a Garmin no other safe option. Autoland should soon necessary. engineer testing some algorithms that could receive its first FAA approval, with certifi- Autoland is available for aircraft manu- make an autolanding possible, and in 2014 cation expected shortly in the Piper M600, facturers to incorporate in their airplanes Garmin accomplished a first autolanding in followed by the Cirrus Vision Jet. equipped with Garmin G3000 avionics and a Columbia 400 piston single. In September The Garmin Autoland system is part of autothrottle. Piper Aircraft will make the sys- 2015, Garmin got the FAA involved with the Garmin’s Autonomi family of automation tem (branded Halo) standard in the new M600 goal of certifying Autoland in production air- products, which includes Electronic Stabil- SLS version of its single-engine turboprop. Cir- planes. So far, Garmin has flown more than ity and Protection and Emergency Descent rus is following suit with the Vision Jet, which 800 autolands in various airplanes, including will also offer Autoland (branded Safe Return). about 200 in the M600, which made its first EYE ON TRAINING The concept behind Autoland is to autolanding on September 10, 2018. develop a system that can take control of a perfectly good airplane with a pilot who is Emergencies Only Training pilots for today’s complex no longer capable of flying, and then land Sargent explained that Autoland is designed aircraft is a labor-intensive process. CAE the airplane safely. only for emergency use and not for pilots and FlightSafety International are both More than 100 Garmin engineers worked to use just because the weather is marginal using new AI and big data analytics to on Autoland, including a team of human fac- or crosswinds too high or to prevent, say, a help instructors target students’ needs tors experts. They had to carefully design the runway overrun for a pilot who isn’t con- and make training more efficient. system so that a non-flying passenger can fident about accomplishing a safe landing. not only switch it on, but also understand The idea is “bad pilot, good airplane,” in pages 20 and 22 what is happening during an Autoland event. other words, the pilot is no longer able to To learn more about the genesis of continues on page 48 Global Reach

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We are with you wherever you may go. services.embraer.com INSIDE this issue 26 JAMES HOLAHAN (1921-2015), FOUNDING EDITOR WILSON S. LEACH, MANAGING DIRECTOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – Matt Thurber EXECUTIVE EDITOR - AIN PUBLICATIONS – Mark Phelps NEWS EDITOR - AIN PUBLICATIONS – Chad Trautvetter MANAGING EDITOR - AIN PUBLICATIONS – Annmarie Yannaco SENIOR EDITORS – Charles Alcock, Curt Epstein, Kerry Lynch Gregory Polek – Air Transport Ian Sheppard – International ASSOCIATE EDITOR – Jerry Siebenmark CONTRIBUTORS Pete Combs David Jack Kenny – Safety 37 David Donald – Defense Jennifer Leach English Gordon Gilbert Richard Pedicini John Goglia – Columnist James Wynbrandt GENERAL Mark Huber – Rotorcraft GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER – Tom Hurley AVIATION PRODUCTION EDITOR – Martha Jercinovich GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – John A. Manfredo, Grzegorz Rzekos LEAD DEVELOPER – Michael Giaimo Icon Aircraft had DEVELOPERS – Nathan Douglas, Ryan Koch a plan to attract VIDEO PRODUCER – Ian Whelan new customers to PRESIDENT - John Hartig GA: make a light GROUP PUBLISHER – Dave Leach sport aircraft new ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER – Nancy O’Brien owners want to ADVERTISING SALES Georges France – Western Europe, +33 6 80 21 17 93 buy and fly. It is Melissa Murphy – Midwestern U.S., +1 (830) 608-9888 delivering on that Nancy O’Brien – W estern U.S./Western Canada/Asia Pacific, +1 (530) 241-3534 as it boosts the Anthony T. Romano – Northeastern U.S./Eastern Canada/Mexico/Brazil efficiency of its Joe Rosone – Mid-Atlantic U.S./Southeast U.S./Caribbean, +1 (301) 693-4687 production line. Diana Scogna – Italy/Northern Europe/Middle East, 40 28 +33 6 62 52 25 47 Victoria Tod – Great Lakes U.S./United Kingdom, +1 (203) 733-4184 Yury Laskin – Russia, +7 05 912 1346 AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – Jeff Hartford AIRPLANES and ENGINES INDUSTRY and MANAGEMENT MARKETING AND CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER – Lisa Valladares 6 Epic earns FAA TC for E1000 8 GAMA reports on OEM activity MANAGER OF ONSITE LOGISTICS – Philip Scarano III 12 Russia shows its SSBJ in the Middle East 12 UK Labour’s proposed bizjet ban draws criticism ONSITE PRODUCTION – Zach O’Brien SALES COORDINATOR – Nadine Timpanaro 14 Piper unveils next-gen M600 SLS 18 Bombardier deals gives Spirit more Airbus work SALES ADMINISTRATOR – Cindy Nesline 14 36 Honeywell forecasts short-term delivery bump Rolls-Royce reveals Pearl 700 engine DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES – Michele Hubert 16 SkyCourier first flight planned for next year 36 Preowned values rise for first time in a decade ACCOUNTING MANAGER – Marylou Moravec 24 Falcon 8X shows mettle on short-field landings 41 Honor Flight honors veterans ACCOUNTS PAYABLE – Mary Avella ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE – Bobbie Bing 30 Denali first flight delayed until next year 58 Business soars at Collins as investment amps up U.S. HEADQUARTERS MAINTENANCE and MODs 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432, +1 (201) 444-5075 AIRPORTS and FBOs Advertising Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 53 Parts specialist Able looks to 737 for growth [email protected] 30 Despite protests, bizav traffic Circulation Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 stable in Hong Kong [email protected] PEOPLE WASHINGTON, D.C. EDITORIAL OFFICE: 6 AIN expands editorial team Kerry Lynch (business aviation) AIR TRANSPORT [email protected] 37 E195-E2 makes North American debut 8 Jet Aviation’s Heinz Aebi retires Tel: +1 (703) 969-9195 26 NBAA honors Wynbrandt with Gold Wing Award EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICE: 50 Airbus cuts delivery forecast on A321 ACF Ian Sheppard; [email protected] Hangar 9, Redhill Aerodrome, Surrey RH1 5JY, UK 50 IAG to buy Air Europa REGULATIONS and GOVERNMENT Tel: +44 1737 821409, Mobile: +44 7759 455770 51 Lion Air report cites lapses from multiple sources 26 Urban air mobility group hopes to shape policy THE CONVENTION NEWS COMPANY, INC. 51 Trent 1000 TEN suffers new delay 34 FAA sees trust growing with compliance policy AIN PUBLICATIONS EXECUTIVE TEAM Wilson Leach Jennifer Leach English AVIONICS and TECHNOLOGY Matt Thurber Dave Leach ROTORCRAFT Michele Hubert Nancy O’Brien 1 Garmin reveals Autoland feature and UNMANNED SYSTEMS Aviation International News (ISSN 0887-9877) is published monthly. 48 Columbia STCs G700 TXis for Citation 500s 26 Avgas switch suspected in Aussie Robinson issue Periodicals postage paid at Midland Park, N.J., and additional mailing offices. 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4 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com THE NEW FLAGSHIP HAS ARRIVED

Live life to the fullest in our new flagship, the Gulfstream G700™. The G700 features the tallest, widest and longest cabin in the industry, plus all-new, high- thrust Rolls-Royce engines and the award-winning Symmetry Flight Deck™. As We Go To Press Epic earns FAA TC for E1000 ARGUS: U.S. BIZAV FLYING aggressive push toward sustainable by Curt Epstein FLAT IN OCTOBER aviation fuels that can reduce Business aircraft activity was mostly carbon lifecycle emissions by 80 Epic Aircraft has received FAA type cer- authorized ceiling, a range of more than flat in October with midsize and percent and that business aviation tification for its E1000 turboprop. The 1,650 nm (NBAA IFR), and a maximum super-midsize fractional jets recording accounts for a minuscule portion announcement marks the conclusion of cruise speed of 325 knots, making it one of the lone double-digit gain for the of total transportation emissions. a rigorous, seven-year test program for the fastest aircraft in its class. The E1000 month, according to data from Argus the all-carbon-fiber, single-engine design. features the Garmin G1000 flight deck at International’s TrakPaq report. Overall PREOWNED BIZJET SALES It is based on the company’s experimen- a list price of approximately $3.25 million. activity edged up 0.5 percentage points DROP SHARPLY tal LT kit model, which was introduced As it ramps up production, Epic has in October 2019 compared with the same The inventory of preowned business in 2005 through an owner-assist build doubled its composite fabrication capac- month last year. Activity among fractional jets for sale inched higher while the program at the company’s headquarters. ity, investing in more tooling, equipment, midsize and super-midsize jets increased number of sales transactions fell “Transitioning that design into a cer- and curing ovens and has increased its 10.8 percent, followed by Part 91 light sharply in the first nine months of 2019, tified version was the chance to offer a schedule to two manufacturing shifts jets, which was up 3.7 percent compared according to data released last month truly compelling product to the industry,” with the first seven E1000 customer air- with October 2018. Also moving slightly by JetNet. Business jet sales transactions said Doug King, CEO of the Bend, Ore- craft under construction. Initial customer higher for the month was Part 91 jet dropped 16.9 percent compared with gon-based company, noting it has more deliveries are scheduled to take place by activity, which was higher by 2.1 percent, the same period a year ago, the Utica, than 80 confirmed orders for the E1000 year-end, with production certification as well as Part 135 light- and large-jet New York-based business aviation data from customers around the world. “We slated for the first quarter of 2020. activity that increased by 0.9 percentage company said. The percentage of the had some opportunities to speed things “The FAA has a difficult job, overseeing a points and 2 percent, respectively. The business jet fleet for sale—2,187 of 22,241 up along the way, to get certification ear- very challenging process, ultimately aimed flight activity data is based on aircraft in-service aircraft—rose 0.9 percent, lier, but that would have required some at keeping us all safe,” noted King. “They flight number specific arrival and from 8.9 percent in the first nine months tradeoffs that we weren’t willing to make.” have been a great partner, collaborating departure information on all IFR flights of 2018 to 9.8 percent in the current Powered by a 1,200-shp Pratt & Whitney with us throughout the program, and cer- in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Canada. period. For business turboprops, the PT6A-67A, the six-seat airplane has a climb tainly contributing to the structural integ- percentage of the fleet for sale—1,051 rate of 3,000 feet per minute, a 34,000-foot rity and safety of the E1000.” n SHELL, SKYNRG COLLABORATE of 15,676 in-service turboprops—edged ON EUROPEAN SAF PLANT lower, to 6.7 percent in the first nine Shell Aviation will support its long- months of 2019 compared with 6.8 Epic Aircraft has term strategic partner SkyNRG in the percent in the nine-month period of 2018. received FAA type development of the first dedicated certification for its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) EASA TO ADD HUMAN FACTORS speedy E1000 single- production plant in Europe. The fuel TO ROTOR CERTIFICATION engine turboprop, a company will provide technical and An EASA notice of proposed amendment certified version of commercial expertise to the DSL-01 (NPA) adds provisions into small- its LT experimental project in Delfzijl, Netherlands, which and large-rotorcraft certification kit aircraft that was is slated to be commissioned in specifications to ensure that human introduced in 2005. 2022, and in doing so, will secure the factors are systematically taken into option to purchase SAF produced at account during the design and approval the facility. DSL-01 will utilize waste processes of rotorcraft flight decks. feedstocks such as used cooking oil Comments on the NPA are due on and will be powered by locally sourced January 8. Additionally, new generations sustainable hydrogen. The plant will of rotorcraft are characterized by having AIN expands editorial team with produce 100,000 tons of SAF a year, a high level of integration of avionics, corresponding to a reduction of lifecycle displays, controls, and automation. EASA John Hartig and Charles Alcock CO2 emissions of approximately estimated that “an improved crew 270,000 tons. Combined with the workstation design that is optimized for AIN Publications has expanded its staff He also has held senior roles with green production factors, the lifecycle human factors will contribute to reducing and product line with the addition of sea- Hearst, as senior vice president of con- carbon emissions for the fuel produced the crew’s workload and increasing the soned publishing executive John Hartig sumer marketing and development, as there will be around 85 percent lower crew’s situational awareness” and could as president and the return of former AIN well as with Time Inc. as president and than that for conventional jet fuel. reduce the number of incidents and editor-in-chief Charles Alcock to head up CEO of The Parenting Group and director accidents by between 10 and 20 percent. FutureFlight.aero, AIN’s new premium of consumer marketing and development BIZJETS BECOME TARGET OF content on emerging aviation technolo- for People and In Style. EXTINCTION REBELLION PROTEST DUNCAN FORMALIZES MX TECH gies and business models. Alcock, meanwhile, rejoins AIN after About 100 people gathered at Geneva APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM Hartig, who reports directly to AIN- spending two years as communications Airport in Switzerland on November 16 Duncan Aviation officially rolled out co-founder and managing director Wil- director for HeliOffshore. He had previ- to block private jet activity as part of an a formalized airframe technician son S. Leach, is working with the senior ously spent five years as editor-in-chief environmental demonstration, according maintenance apprenticeship program leadership team on growing AIN’s core of AIN and has spent more than 27 years to news reports. The group Extinction during a ceremony last month at its legacy products and developing new with the company. Rebellion, which “uses non-violent civil Lincoln, Nebraska headquarters. The revenue streams. He brings a deep Accepting pre-registrations before a disobedience in an attempt to halt mass rollout included the awarding of a background in building media and rollout in December, FutureFlight will extinction,” organized the event that certificate marking the MRO provider’s publishing businesses, most recently provide in-depth coverage, analysis, and lasted more than two hours, according program as nationally registered by spending nine years as CEO of the data on emerging aerospace technologies, to the news site SWI Swissinfo, which the U.S. Department of Labor and Sports Information Group/Daily Racing including urban air mobility and eVTOL pro- added that the group dispersed at Department of Education. Twenty-four Form, a leading publication in the horse grams. The site will include daily news and the request of the cantonal police. apprentices at Duncan are currently racing industry. There, Hartig led the commentary, in-depth reports on trends, a In response, business aviation working full-time while learning successful transformation of a 125-year- database tracking new aircraft programs organizations in Europe and the and preparing for their airframe old franchise to a premium content, with links to company information, a U.S. defended the business aviation technician certification test. They data, events, and online wagering fran- weekly newsletter, and a subscriber-only community’s environmental efforts, have up to two years to earn their chise in the horse racing industry and community that includes prospective cus- saying the industry has made an certification under the program. the broader sports sector. tomers, investors, and partners. AIN STAFF

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CAC2104_We Sell more Pre-Owned_AIN_10.8125x13.875.indd 1 2/12/19 3:26 PM Client: Textron Aviation Ad Title: We Sell More Pre-Owned Publication: AIN Trim: 10.8125” x 13.875” Bleed: 11.3125” x 14.375” Live: 9.8125” x 12.875” News Briefs FlightSafety Offers EASA-qualified G500 Training FlightSafety International has begun offering European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-qualified initial and recurrent training on the Gulfstream G500 at its Savannah, Georgia learning center. “We are committed to providing Gulfstream G500 operators around the world with comprehensive training programs that meet their specific regulatory requirements,” FlightSafety senior v-p of operations Dann Runik said. Equipment used to provide the training includes two FlightSafety FS1000 full- motion simulators, three new advanced graphical flight-deck simulators that have been qualified by EASA as Level 1 flight training devices (FTD), and classrooms that feature an interactive Matrix cockpit. Boosted by deliveries of its new G500 and G600, Gulfstream saw a more than 36 percent increase year-over-year in its large-cabin offerings. That contributed to the business jet industry’s 16 percent rise in billings through the first three quarters of 2019. UPS Drones Making Pharmacy Deliveries UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF) in late October made its first commercial residential drone Deliveries a mixed bag in third quarter: deliveries using a Matternet M2 drone in cooperation with CVS Pharmacies. The initial deliveries were made from a CVS bizjets, pistons up; t-props, helos down pharmacy in Cary, North Carolina, and delivered to customers’ homes. The drones by Curt Epstein flew autonomously but were monitored by a remote operator who could intervene Private aircraft deliveries were a mixed first nine months of this year, for a total in the first nine months of 2018 to 434 if necessary. The drone hovered about bag in the third quarter according to of 25 of the over-wing-engined light jets. reported thus far this year, with all manu- 20 feet over the properties and slowly statistics released mid-November by the Dassault was not counted in this quar- facturers showing declines. Total billings lowered the packages by a cable and a General Aviation Manufacturers Asso- ter as the French airframer reports its for the rotorcraft industry declined by winch to the ground. UPSFF was awarded a ciation (GAMA). Through the first nine deliveries only at mid-year and year-end. 17.3 percent year-over-year, moving from Part 135 certificate by the FAA in September. months of the year, business jet deliver- Among the bizliner class aircraft, Air- $2.7 billion in the first three quarters of ies were up by 15.4 percent over the same bus handed over three ACJs thus far in 2018 to $2.2 billion over the same span Analyst: U.S. on Path for period in 2018, with OEMs handing over 2019, an improvement of two, while Boe- this year. Bizjet Fleet Cleanup 69 additional aircraft, buoying the total ing, which delivered five BBJs during Handing over four fewer super-me- The business jet market is headed toward airplane billings to $14.8 billion, a 16 per- the first three-quarters of 2018, has only dium twin H175’s so far in 2019 than it did a “big fleet cleanup” with the looming cent rise over the previous year. delivered a lone BBJ 787-9 this year. in the three quarters of last year, Airbus ADS-B Out installation deadline and other All of the business jet airframers saw Helicopters tallied a 3.6 percent slide. changes ahead, industry analyst Rolland increases over 2018. Gulfstream had a Turboprop Market Softens Bell saw erosion in its 505 totals, handing Vincent said last month at the 2019 NATA 31 percent rise, boosted by deliveries of In the turboprop sector results were down over 26 fewer of the light single in the first Aviation Leadership Conference. Vincent, its new G500 and G600 large-cabin twin- by 11.6 percent overall, while high-end nine months of 2019 than it did over the president of industry consultancy Rolland jets. In that segment alone, the Savannah pressurized turboprop deliveries were same period last year, figuring in the Tex- Vincent Associates, told attendees that 25 OEM increased its output by more than off by more than 8 percent year-over-year. tron subsidiary’s 14.4 decrease. percent of the fleet is on a path to miss 36 percent. Beechcraft delivered seven fewer of its Leonardo experienced a more than 21 the Jan. 1, 2020 ADS-B deadline in the U.S., As it ramps up production of its flagship top-end King Air 350i/ER models, but that percent fall off from its pace last year. The and some might just be retired. Further Global 7500, Bombardier saw a 12-unit was offset by increases in its C90GTx and Italian OEM saw erosion among its light playing into such a cleanup is the potential overall improvement, adding eight more 250s, leaving the Textron brand with a 3.4 helicopters, delivering 11 fewer year-over- overcapacity of as many as 3,900 business Challengers models, for a year-over-year percent increase year-over-year. Pilatus year as well as its medium twin AW189/ jets in the U.S. Cycles have not quite delivery increase of more than 15 percent. remained static in its PC-12 deliveries, AW149, which moved from 13 deliveries returned to the nearly 5 million logged a Embraer also saw a positive swing of with 51 in the first nine months of both in the first three quarters of 2018, to four decade ago when the business jet fleet was nearly 15 percent, mainly attributed to eight years, while Daher, Piaggio, and Piper all in the following year. at 8,000 aircraft. Now it numbers 14,000. deliveries of the new Praetor 600 which saw declines thus far in 2019, the latter Robinson Helicopter reported a nearly commenced in the second quarter of 2019. off by 34 percent as its M600 deliveries 32 percent dip in deliveries of its flagship Study: Encroaching Drones Cessna continued to boost its produc- declined from 24 to 7 through the first R66, while Enstrom handed over one of its Usually Not Seen by Pilots tion of Latitudes, handing over five more three quarters of the year. At the lower 480B-Gs after delivering five over the first Pilots approaching a runway usually can’t in the first nine months of this year than end of the scale, piston-powered air- nine months of 2018. Sikorsky made no see small unmanned aircraft systems it did last year. Overall the Wichita OEM craft deliveries increased by 12.3 percent deliveries in the first nine months of 2019. (sUAS) encroaching on their airspace, and improved its production by 10 jets, good during the first nine months of 2019. “Despite these mixed results, our man- they virtually never detect motionless for an 8 percent increase. ufacturers continue their investments drones, according to a study done by After finally reopening its order book Helicopters Lagging in advanced factory machinery, design researchers at Oklahoma State University for the versatile PC-24 earlier this year, The rotorcraft sector continues to expe- software, and associated processes that and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Pilatus tripled its deliveries of the light rience headwinds, with overall deliveries keep product development cycles robust Dutring their an airborne experiment, pilots jet from 9 to 27 over the first three quar- down more than 22 percent year-over- and in-turn bring advances in fuel effi- in a Cessna 172S failed to see a common ters of 2018. year. Turbine helicopters were off by 15.4 ciency, capability, and safety to the type of quadcopter in motion during 28 Honda Aircraft added four additional percent through September of 2019, mov- global fleet,” said GAMA president and of 40 close encounters. Only three out HondaJets to its delivery total during the ing from 513 handed over to customers CEO Pete Bunce. n of 22 motionless drones were spotted.

8 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com

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ALL CONTENT WITHIN THIS FILE IS FOR OUTPUT ONLY BY END PRINTER/VENDOR. CHANGES, SHARING AND/OR DISTRIBUTING CONTENT IN WHOLE OR IN PART ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED. LICENSING RIGHTS AND APPROVALS MUST BE REQUESTED AND APPROVED TO/BY FCB CHICAGO. Images: 11253474C02_R1_BCA_BBJ_Influencer.tif (301 ppi; CMYK), Boeing_bbj_lock_wht.eps Russia shows its SSBJ in the Middle East News Briefs CAE Seals Deal To Buy by Vladimir Karnozov 50% of Simcom from DAC CAE on November 5 finalized its 50 During Russian President Vladimir percent acquisition of Simcom from Putin’s tour of the Gulf countries earlier Directional Aviation Capital (DAC), this autumn, Moscow made efforts to some two months after the deal was lure wealthy Arabs into ambitious avia- announced. Under the $85 million deal, tion projects, most notably the next-gen for the next 15 years CAE will also be the supersonic business jet (SSBJ). Such an exclusive training services provider to six aircraft would accommodate 16 to 19 DAC-owned business aircraft operators: travelers and cruise at speeds of 1,090 to Flexjet, Flight Options, Flairjet, Sirio, 1,620 knots. Nextant Aerospace, and Corporate Wings. The Russian president touched on the Combined, these operators have a fleet theme when talking to the King Salman of of 175 business aircraft. The agreement Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Moham- also calls for Simcom to purchase med of Abu Dhabi while letting ministers equipment from Montreal, Canada-based discuss the matter in detail during ses- CAE, including five full-flight simulators sions of inter-government commissions and five flight training devices for the that were held in his presence. Gulfstream G650, Bombardier Challenger 350, and Embraer Phenom 300 and Legacy Gulf Region Potential During the Russo-Emirati inter-government commission in October, Russian President Vladimir 500. Simcom plans to install these FFSs Talking to journalists after the ninth ses- Putin personally appealed to members of Gulf monarchies for cooperation in promoting his and FTDs in a new training center that is sion of the Russo-Emirati inter-government country’s proposed 16- to 19-passenger supersonic business jet. under development in Lake Nona, Florida. commission held on October 15 in Abu Dhabi, Denis Manturov, the Russian min- full-size supersonic transport. to the future SSBJ and the MC-21 next- Charter Provider Offers ister for industry and trade, said, “Russia The minister further said that Moscow gen narrowbody jetliner is airframe parts New Carbon Offset Tool is interested in cooperation with the Gulf is ready to render assistance to Emirati made of advanced materials, since “they Paramount Business Jets (PBJ) has monarchies on the supersonic passenger companies in developing their own com- already have a superb plant for compos- introduced what it claims is the private jet…since they are pre-positioned to be cus- petencies in the aerospace domain. “Do ites,” said Manturov. jet charter industry’s first open-source tomers for such an aircraft.” Earlier, Russian we need [foreign] investments? Yes, we A wide application of polymeric com- carbon emissions calculator. Available officials said the focus of a sales campaign do! In turn, we can help them [in the posites and metal-composite structures through its website, the Easy Private Jet on the future supersonic jet would be placed UAE] develop their competence. This is promises to reduce the SSBJ’s structural Carbon Offset Calculator allows anyone on Southeast Asia and the Middle East, the not going to be a kind of global compe- weight, and thus reduce the intensity of to enter their trip origin, destination, and two geographic areas “where the factors of tence that would enable them to offer a the sonic boom. Russian designers are business aircraft model. The calculator time, distances, and traffic intensity allow turn-key solution worldwide…And yet, it set to use modern heat-resistant mate- will then determine total flight time for supersonic travel.” might enable them to move forward.” rials, including polymerics with carbon and emissions, as well as offer a list of “As for the potential market, this geo- One of the areas where the Emirates threads. These are lighter than aluminum, international carbon offset providers graphic area [the Gulf] looks like among can provide an industrial contribution yet stiffer than steel. n the client can choose to pay for carbon the main ones that we are interested in,” credits on the flight. According to PBJ Manturov said. During a question and CEO Richard Zaher, frustration over trying answer session, he added: “As per invest- to determine the carbon footprints of his ments, yes, they can help us materialize client’s charter flights led him to develop such a project.” His ministry has already Jet Aviation’s Heinz Aebi retires the calculator. Zaher added he will provide injected Rouble 1.4 billion ($21.8 million) the source code for the calculator, along into the research and development effort Heinz Aebi, Jet Aviation’s affable and with fuel burn data for private jets, notes, headed by TsAGI (the Russian Central long-serving vice president of group and instructions free to any company Aerohydrodynamic Institute, near Mos- marketing and communications, is call- wishing to post it on their own website. cow) in cooperation with six other scien- ing it a career after 29 years with the tific research establishments. Zürich-based company. During his tenure, Soloy Gets New company ownership moved from a close- Heinz Aebi, Ownership Structure Local Contributions ly-held family business to private equity Jet Aviation’s Washington-based fixed- and rotary- Advanced technology is the key to this management firm Permira Advisers, and v-p of group wing conversion specialist Soloy Aviation project, the minister stressed. With- through its purchase by General Dynam- marketing and Solutions is now under a new ownership

out that, the SSBJ would be very costly, ics in 2008. AMBROSE BARRY communications structure at Fifty-Ten Yankee. Dave “much more than existing subsonic jets.” He joined the then-Hirschmann fami- Stauffer, the managing member of Fifty- Rough estimates render a deliverable ly-owned company in November 1990 as now-ubiquitous email. Along the way, Ten Yankee who has previously held SSBJ to be twice as expensive as sub- marketing manager, following stints as Aebi attended 28 of NBAA’s annual leadership roles with Soloy, reached an sonic business jets of similar seating the club secretary of one of Zurich’s most conferences and numerous other indus- agreement to acquire all of Soloy’s assets. capacity. Last year, the aforementioned famous soccer teams and as an aide to try events such as EBACE and regional Soloy will continue to support nearly all ministry forecast projected that, at a the mayor of Zürich. When Jet Aviation forums, managing the company’s mar- of its numerous STCs for aircraft, and unit cost between $100- and $120 mil- temporarily relocated its headquarters keting presence. engines, with the exception of its AS350 lion, the solvent demand for next-gen to Palm Beach, Florida, he moved to the Aebi, who made his last public appear- Honeywell LTS, AS350 AllStar Rolls- supersonic transports would come to U.S., as well, and came home when it ance with the company at NBAA ’19 in Las Royce C30, and Bell 206 C20R engine 30 in the inner market, and “many more” returned to Switzerland in the mid-2000s. Vegas, will officially retire at the begin- conversions. Airwork is supporting that outside the country. He shepherded the company’s commu- ning of January. He previously handed work under an agreement announced Answering further questions on the nications division through the dawn of the over the department reins to Elouisa Dalli, in October. Fifty-Ten-Yankee has also SSBJ, Manturov said that “a demon- internet age, recalling how it was one of who succeeds him as vice president. acquired all intellectual property and strator” shall be ready in 2023, so as to the first in the industry with its own web- “You always look forward, and then production lines for the twin-engine/ enable the creation of “a real aircraft” in site. That was a novelty at the time and when comes the moment when you look single-propeller Soloy Dual Pac, the Soloy 2027. The technology demonstrator will drew many queries from his peers and back, you can’t believe how fast it went,” Pathfinder 21 modification, Soloy Enaer be smaller, serving to test key technolo- competitors. Jet Aviation also introduced Aebi told AIN in October. C.E. T35 Turbine conversion, and inlet design gies and design solutions developed for a and tooling for the Williams FJ44 turbofan.

12 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com FLIGHTSAFETY Online Tools That IS HERE FOR Support Your Training Needs Anytime YOU

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FLIGHTSAFETY ONLINE TOOLS AD - AIN - Trim: 10.8125” w x 13.875” d Bleed: 11.0625” w x 14.125” d of singling out business aviation for pro- News Briefs UK Labour call for ban on hibitive restrictions on airport access, UK leaders should focus on efforts to Piaggio Aerospace make SAF more widely available in the Touts Turnaround bizjets draws industry fire UK through positive incentive policies to With a balance sheet reflecting $930 million encourage production and use of SAF in in orders and commitments, Italy’s Piaggio by Kerry Lynch greater quantities.” Aerospace has announced the impending “Business aviation has continually led launch of a public tender for the insolvent Business aviation leaders are decrying years’ time—as long as governments the way in promoting products, proce- company, a new agreement for the sale a call by certain UK political leaders to put in the proper “incentives”—and dures, and policies to reduce aircraft of at least 10 Avanti Evo turboprop twins, ban business jets from UK airports and also said the Labour Party would exam- emissions, with proven results,” added and plans to introduce two corporate encourage electric technologies as a ine proposals closely and consult with NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “We shuttle versions of the aircraft. That figure means to address climate concerns. industry on a phaseout of the use of urge leaders in the UK and elsewhere to represents close to $300 million in contracts Andy McDonald, shadow transport fossil fuels. set aside punitive proposals like this one, from its engine and customer-support secretary for the British Labour Party, In a joint statement, NBAA and the and work with us to build upon the signif- units, and new aircraft and other contracts last month backed such restrictions in International Business Aviation Council icant progress made to date.” anticipated by year-end to total some $630 a statement asking, “Why is the govern- (IBAC) charged such proposals dispro- The business aviation leaders pointed million, the latter includes 10 Evos from ment enabling billionaires to trash the portionately target a single transportation to decades of investment in technologies Saudi Arabia’s Al Saif Aviation. The public climate when it’s the rest of us who will segment, even as the industry has made to improve the environmental footprint, tender offer was pending at press time suffer the consequences?” and then add- an aggressive push toward sustainable such as the use of composites, winglets, and any deal will require board approval. ing, “Climate targets cannot be met with- aviation fuels that can reduce carbon life- and satellite-based avionics. Over the out curbing pollution from air travel, and cycle emissions by 80 percent. course of four decades, business aviation CAN Raises $510k at a passenger on a private jet produces 10 “Even though business aviation carbon emissions have been reduced by Annual Fund an Angel Event times the emissions of someone on a reg- accounts for only a minuscule portion 40 percent, they said. More than $510,000 was raised through ular flight. This simply cannot be ignored.” of transportation emissions, the indus- Business aviation further has commit- sponsorships, donations, and auction McDonald added that electric try is pressing ahead on SAF,” said IBAC ted to continue this path, cutting overall items at Corporate Angel Network’s (CAN) advancements will be possible in a few director general Kurt Edwards. “Instead emissions over 2005 levels by 50 percent annual Fund an Angel cocktail reception by the year 2050, they added. during NBAA-BACE 2019. These funds “At a time when leadership is needed will support CAN’s mission of providing on sustainability, the proposed ban lacks air transportation for cancer patients meaningful value. It will have a de mini- undergoing treatment. CAN coordinates mis impact on emissions overall while more than 250 patient flights a month denying connectivity for London and and has flown more than 60,000 patients hindering competitiveness for compa- to treatment since its founding in 1981. nies of all sizes in the region and beyond,” Edwards said. NATA Says ‘No’ on Hangar Foam The European Business Aviation Asso- Before the window on public and industry ciation (EBAA) also objected to the pro- comments for the revision of the National posals, agreeing that they would do little Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) to curb climate change. EBAA added in a standard for aircraft hangars—NFPA statement, “Air traffic is an international 409—closed last month, NATA petitioned business, meaning unilateral, isolated the safety organization to remove the solutions make little sense.” requirements for foam fire suppression EBAA instead called for a more achiev- systems for most business and business able and holistic approach. “Business aviation hangars, excluding those that aviation serves a legitimate, and import- house inherently hazardous operations. ant, societal purpose: we connect com- “Research and our members’ experience

MATT THURBER MATT munities, enable secure travel, improve indicate that foam fire suppression The Halo Safety System brings new capabilities to Piper’s M600 single-engine business productivity and opportunities, systems are unnecessary in most general turboprop, including Garmin’s new Autoland. and link markets in an increasingly glo- aviation hangars,” said NATA director of balized world when time matters most regulatory affairs Megan Eisenstein. and no alternative is available,” the Piper unveils next-gen M600 SLS association said. “Nonetheless, these Lufthansa Looks To Improve benefits come with an environmental Actuator Mx, Life Piper Aircraft is adding to its model lineup The M600 SLS’s Halo Safety System cost, and business aviation must balance In a bid to improve the maintenance of a new version of the M600 turboprop sin- comprises Autoland, the autothrottle them with a responsibility to mitigate and extend the life of primary hydraulic gle dubbed the M600 SLS (for enhancing (required for Autoland), Garmin Emer- climate change.” flight control actuators, Lufthansa safety, luxury, and support). A key feature gency Descent Mode and Enhanced Sta- The association reiterated the business Technik AG and Politecnico di Torino—the for the M600 SLS is the Halo Safety Sys- bility and Protection, Surface Watch, Safe aviation community’s commitment to polytechnic university of Turin, Italy—are tem, which will be the first certification Taxi, and Flight Stream wireless gateway. sustainability efforts, saying they comple- partnering on the hydraulic diagnostics, or of Garmin’s new Autoland capability. The New interior features include Piper’s ment the first global climate mitigation HyDiag, project, to develop an automated, M600 SLS replaces the original M600, EXP interior with a selection of materials, scheme—CORSIA. Further, European noninvasive diagnostic procedure for according to Piper. stitching patterns, and contrasting threads, governments should focus on more con- initial examination of the actuators. Autoland/Halo is enabled by Garmin’s as well as optional two-tone leather seats crete actions to support European oper- Using automated processes and highly G3000 avionics and the M600’s new and Alacantra fabric. M600 SLS buyers ators and sustainability efforts, including sensitive measuring devices, the team Garmin autothrottle. In a situation also receive a new “exclusive service the delivery of the Single European Sky has been able to identify damage on where a pilot becomes incapacitated, program” for the first five years called the and the development of policies to sup- actuators that was previously undetectable Halo either automatically or by a pas- Ultimate Care Program. This includes cov- port the production and delivery of sus- by human inspection and testing. The senger pushing a button engages and erage for all scheduled maintenance and tainable aviation fuels. project is scheduled to run through 2020 finds a nearby suitable airport, flies an hourly and calendar-based inspections. The Labour Party’s focus on business and expected to lead to an improved approach to that airport, lowers landing Certification of the $2.994 million jet use follows the attention recently process that will result in more precise gear and flaps, lands, stops, then shuts M600 SLS is expected shortly, with deliv- given to one of Britain’s most famous troubleshooting and quicker repair of down the engine. eries expected to begin this quarter. M.T. couples—Prince Harry and Meghan Mar- the safety-critical actuators while at the kle—for their private jet use. n same time increasing their lifespan.

14 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com

area for luggage and equipment. Capable News Briefs NBAA-BACE 2019 of flying 200 ktas, the aircraft is powered by two, 1,100-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada Honeywell Designs APU PT6A-65SC turboprop engines and two, for Small Jets, T-props Textron plans SkyCourier new 110-inch McCauley propellers. Honeywell Aerospace has launched an Rob Scholl, Textron’s senior v-p of sales auxiliary power unit (APU) for turboprops, and marketing, told AIN even with a cargo light business jets, and helicopters with first flight in early 2020 operator as its launch customer, he thinks space limitations. Its new micro power there’s a “real possibility” that small com- unit (MPU) will provide enough power to by Jerry Siebenmark muter airlines will have a strong interest operate air conditioning, charge batteries, in the airplane that has a 5,000-pound and assist with main engine start. When Textron Aviation is making progress on prototype is rapidly approaching, it added. maximum passenger payload and 900-nm used as a primary power source instead the development of its new high-wing, FedEx is the launch customer for the range. “I think the place that’s getting the of from the main engines, it can reduce twin-turboprop Cessna SkyCourier 408 SkyCourier, with 50 firm orders for the most attention, at least here in the U.S., is fuel burn by up to 80 percent on the but now expects the utility airplane to airplane and options for 50 more. Config- Essential Air Service,” he explained. “And ground, according to Honeywell. Measuring make its first flight early next year, offi- urable for both cargo and commuter oper- so we’re already having discussions with 12 inches by 13 inches by 24 inches, the cials of the Wichita airframer announced ations, it is designed to carry a payload of the Department of Transportation on that MPU weighs 75 pounds and is rated at on October 21. The program, unveiled in up to 6,000 pounds with an 87-inch cargo because we want this obviously to have a 10kW and 400 amps. Honeywell hasn’t 2017, has progressed considerably over door, a flat floor, and a nearly 70-inch tall role in the Essential Air Service program, yet disclosed a price for the MPU. the course of the last few months with and wide cabin to accept three standard but also internationally, especially the the development of the prototype and an LD3 air cargo containers. In a passenger Asia-Pacific region, where you’re doing a Ampaire, Ikhana Team on additional five flight and ground test arti- configuration, it will have seating for up lot of island hopping.” Electrified Twin Otter cles, the company said. Wingmate of the to 19 passengers, with a netted rear cabin Scholl added there’s customer interest Ampaire, a developer of hybrid electric in the SkyCourier as a combination pas- aircraft propulsion, has teamed with Ikhana senger/cargo aircraft. “That’s getting a lot Aircraft Services to explore modifying of attention as well,” he said. Twin Otter airframes to fly with that Like Textron’s new Denali single-engine technology. The two companies have turboprop, the SkyCourier will be certified launched a NASA-funded study to explore as a Part 23 airplane. Given the different the “electrification” of the Twin Otter. certification paths as well as lessons Under NASA’s Electric Aircraft Propulsion learned from the prolonged type certifica- program, they will evaluate various options tion of the Part 25 Citation Longitude, Tex- and produce plans to assess the cost, tron Aviation CEO Ron Draper told AIN he schedule, and risk mitigation for the expects it to be a smoother process for the planned development. The partners’ goal is SkyCourier. “I’m pretty sure it won’t be as to be able to put a hybrid-electric version Textron Aviation is preparing to mate the prototype SkyCourier’s wing, with first flight planned extensive as the Part 25 airplane, and we’ll of Ikhana’s 19-seat RWMI DHC-6 300HG in early 2020, a schedule that has slipped slightly to the right. be smarter from it,” Draper said. n Twin Otter. The 1,500 hp/1 MW power specifications of the current aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engines meet the criteria for the NASA program.

Rolls-Royce unveils Pearl 700 engine Other advanced technologies Rolls-Royce eVTOL Startup EHang is looking at for the Pearl 700 include using Prepares for Nasdaq IPO Rolls-Royce unveiled the new Pearl and an enhanced four-stage low pressure 3D printing to manufacture ceramic tiles Electric vertical takeoff and landing 700 engine at NBAA-BACE 2019. The turbine. The improved thrust comes from inside the combustor to limit heat and noise (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer EHang 18,250-pound-thrust engine will power the larger fan combined with the more and ceramic nozzles to simplify manufactur- on October 31 filed papers with the U.S. the ultra-long-range Gulfstream G700. powerful core. ing and reduce weight. Securities and Exchange Commission The Pearl 700 combines the company’s Significant weight savings come from The Pearl 700 is backed by the Rolls-Royce (SEC) to prepare the way for an anticipated Advance2 engine core technology, a new the stronger and lighter nacelle, blisked CorporateCare Enhanced hourly maintenance $100 million initial public offering (IPO) low-pressure system, and various design fan, and the lighter, more powerful engine program and features a new engine health on Nasdaq. The China-based group made and material changes to deliver 8 percent core. Compared with the BR725, the shape monitoring unit with advanced vibration mon- an SEC F1 filing for the Cayman Islands- more takeoff thrust, a 12 percent better of the blades are different to optimize the itoring, bidirectional communications, and the registered EHang Holdings Limited, giving thrust to weight ratio (8 percent more thrust fan to increase thrust, reduce noise, and ability to remotely reconfigure engine-moni- notice of its intention to offer Class A and 4 percent less weight), 3.5 percent less limit resonance excitations to reduce fan toring features from the ground. It feeds data ordinary shares before year-end. The fuel burn, and 5 percent greater efficiency flutter, according to Dirk Geisinger, chair- into a system of cloud-based analytics, smart IPO would make EHang the first privately compared to the company’s BR725 engine man of Rolls-Royce Deutschland. The Pearl algorithms, and artificial intelligence. owned eVTOL startup to go public. on the current-production G650. 700 uses the same nacelle line as that on Its health monitoring system detects all The new engine will meet or exceed the BR725 while accommodating a fan that vibrations coming from the engines and Sustainable Aviation Fuels Stage 5 noise standards and have nitrous is 1.8 inches larger. Geisinger said Rolls- identifies likely sources such as fuel pumps. Summit Announced oxide emissions that are projected to be Royce engineers were tackling 250 techni- Altogether, the system identifies more than As NBAA and GAMA look to accelerate 35 percent below the CAEP/6 standard. It cal issues regarding changes between the 10,000 parameters, filters and livestreams availability and use of sustainable is being developed at Rolls-Royce’s Cen- BR725 and the Pearl 700. data, and predicts to enable the timely aviation fuels (SAF), the associations ter for Business Aviation Engines in Dahle- replacement of line replaceable units. The are looking to continue that push with witz, Germany. engine will be maintained on condition with a a Business Aviation Global Sustainability The Pearl 700 features a 10-stage, goal of 10,000 hours before it has to be taken Summit in March 2020 in Washington, high-pressure axial compressor; improved off-wing. Geisinger said the goal for the new D.C. “Business aviation has long made gearbox breather exhaust; new Safran- Dirk engine is a 100 percent dispatch rate. sustainability a priority, and we have Aircelle nacelle; 24-blade, 51.8-inch blisked Geisinger, Rolls-Royce executive v-p for business avi- made tangible progress,” said NBAA fan; bypass ratio in the 5:1 range; high- chairman of ation Scott Shannon said the hourly rates for president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Over the pressure compression ratio of 24:1 (com- Rolls-Royce CorporateCare Enhanced—which adds to Cor- past decade we have redoubled our pared to 16:1 on the BR725); six blisked Deutschland porateCare by adding items such as nacelles commitment to reducing the industry’s stages; low-emission combustor; two- and corrosion—on the Pearl 700 would be already-small carbon footprint, and

stage shroudless high-pressure turbine; MARIANO ROSALES similar to those on the BR725. M.H. key to that has been the development and use of sustainable fuels.”

16 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com ESTABLISHING THE FOUNDATIONS OF SUCCESSFUL REPRESENTATION

TRUST The Fuel that POWERS Aircraft Transactions!

AIN PUBLICATIONS | SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT | 2019 Talk to aircraft brokers and transaction professionals, and you soon realize that while technical specifications, interior configurations, and price obviously all matter, aircraft deals happen when buyers and sellers put their trust in a broker. Trust, in fact, is as important to fueling aircraft transactions as jet-A is to powering turbine engines.

Buyers trust the agent to identify and sources to resolve errors and omissions.” properly price the best aircraft for their But what are the foundations, the stan- mission, and sellers trust the agent to dards of integrity, and capabilities that “It’s not optimally set its value. Finding a rep- warrant a customer’s trust? We spoke resentative that warrants that trust with Mesinger and Gade—whose firms an aircraft couldn’t be more important than it is to- have decades-long histories of success day, when a shortage of late-model and and reputations for rectitude—to discuss business, clean legacy airframes confronts buyers, how they conduct business. Their com- even as residual values stabilize, recali- ments shed light on the practices that IT’S A PEOPLE brating the market on the sell side—and buyers and sellers should look for when anyone, regardless of qualifications, can seeking a broker worthy of their trust. BUSINESS. ” set up a website and offer representation. MINING THE INVENTORY Jay Mesinger “Twenty years ago, there were 200 to founder and CEO of Mesinger Jet FOR HIDDEN GEMS Sales in Boulder, Colorado 300 actual brokers,” said Steve Gade, v-p of aircraft sales and marketing commu- On the buy side, aircraft sourcing is a nications at Duncan Aviation, headquar- fundamental skill, especially given the tered in Lincoln, Nebraska. “Today, that current dearth of the most desirable, in- number is probably well over 1,000, and demand airframes. Among top brokers, many of them have limited experience, sourcing seems elevated from a funda- knowledge, or financial and technical re- mental skill to a consuming dedication.

AIN PUBLICATIONS | SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT | 2019 MANY OF THE AIRCRAFT WE HELP CLIENTS BUY REQUIRE VERY LITTLE ADDITIONAL WORK BEFORE THEY ARE PUT INTO SERVICE FOR THE NEW OWNER. IF AN AIRCRAFT IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS THOUGH, DUNCAN AVIATION OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE TIP-TO-TAIL SERVICES.

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Since 1956, the Duncan Aviation Aircraft Sales team has conducted more than 3,500 transactions. The team partners with our 2,223 aviation experts worldwide, each with an average of 12 years with the company, to provide technical support before, during and after the aircraft transaction.

AIN_Supplement_DuncanAviation_Nov2019.indd 1 11/4/2019 2:58:12 PM “Gems are harder to find but THEY ARE

OUT THERE. ”

Steve Gade v-p of aircraft sales and marketing communications at Duncan Aviation, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska

“Gems are harder to find but they are he said. “We sent one of our Falcon tech First-time buyers typically also need out there,” said Gade. reps to evaluate the aircraft and relied guidance on post-purchase aircraft own- Agreed Mesinger, “You want to find on our international compliance officer ership, while seasoned purchasers may that gem that checks all or most of the to assist with proper import and export.” need help transitioning to a larger air- criteria boxes you set—the pedigree, the As the example suggests, successful frame. Such services are standard with maintenance history, ownership, loca- transactions have many moving parts, quality brokerages and begin with iden- tion, the records—and be able to declare and the representative must not only tifying the aircraft best suited for the in- you found the needle in the haystack.” have them accessible but marshal and tended mission. Well-earned trust makes that success lead them. As part of its research, Mesinger ana- possible. “The better those of us doing “We think of ourselves as conductors in lyzes buyers’ needs and desires, runs this for a living are, the more willing we a symphony,” said Mesinger. “We don’t sample flight plans, and compares capi- are to wait and keep clients motivated to play every instrument, but we make sure tal, fixed, and variable costs. wait with us,” Mesinger said. the music flows and goes together in the Gade noted that when clients come in Such sourcing capabilities mandate right key and ends on the right note for with firm ideas about the aircraft they global reach and transactional exper- the customer.” intend to purchase, Duncan Aviation’s tise, as “high-value opportunities may Members of the transactional ensem- research finds a superior alternative that be overseas,” said Gade, citing as an ex- ble, whether in-house or outsourced al- causes them to reconsider their choice in ample the recent acquisition of a Middle lies, include budget modelers and mis- about 30 percent of cases. “Either way,” East–based Falcon 2000LX—a time- sion profilers, type-specific maintenance he said, “100 percent of the time after that critical transaction. “It was key that we experts, appraisers, title companies, es- process they are all in without any second had resources available and that those crow agents, and the client’s legal team thoughts, which significantly speeds up resources shared our sense of urgency,” and aviation attorney. the process.” Trust strikes again.

AIN PUBLICATIONS | SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT | 2019 OPTIMIZING VALUE AND The technical expertise that qual- ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY REDUCING SALES TIME ity brokerages leverage on the buy side can be crucial for sellers as well. Dun- Gaining the trust of sellers may be more can Aviation, long known for its MRO challenging than earning a buyer’s faith. services, recently represented a Citation “Many sellers think or hope, their aircraft owner during a transaction in which the is worth more than it is,” said Gade. “A prepurchase inspection was performed at well-researched market value analy- the prospective buyer’s facility of choice, sis takes the emotion out of it.” Quality as is customary. brokers go beyond data found in publicly “After the acceptance flight, there were Steve Gade available valuation guides to accurately squawks that the repair station trouble- v-p of aircraft sales and marketing communications, price aircraft—on either side of the shot but could not resolve,” Gade recalled. Duncan Aviation transaction. “Rather than throw parts and labor at the Mesinger’s research includes daily problem, we called our technical team. Q: We’re seeing a calls to track market-specific inventory They walked the repair station represen- renewed focus levels, aircraft-specific details and his- tatives through the system and within 15 on ethics and tories, and actual prices paid and factors minutes the cause was identified, saving influencing the sale. Such data is “a cru- our client tens of thousands of dollars in transparency in the cial differentiator made possible through possible repair costs—and the possibil- aircraft brokerage trusted global relationships with our in- ity that the buyer would walk out on the community. What dustry peers,” said Mesinger. deal,” Gade concluded. “The closing took are your views on Proper pricing is critical to reducing place the very next day. this issue, and what time on market, the most crucial element Among the good news for sellers are does your company of selling an airplane, without undervalu- signs of pricing stability. But misrepre- do about it? ing the asset. Each day an aircraft remains sentation of information may be a bigger unsold costs money and reduces value, problem for some sellers than residual- Ethics are critical. It gets back Mesinger noted. “From 2017 to 2019, our value issues, according to Mesinger. “It’s A: to trust. We’re a family business average days on the market, from listing usually not malicious—they don’t know and we have a long-term view to an accepted LOI, has been 56 days.” what they have to sell,” he said. “They of things. We see second- and third-generation customers. We won’t jeopardize a long-term relationship for a short-term gain. We understand how important our brand and reputa- tion are, not only on the aircraft sales side, but on everything we do. We have a code of ethics, and every one of our 2,400 employees goes through retraining on an annual basis. That’s something we live by.

AIN PUBLICATIONS | SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT | 2019 ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY never updated the spec sheet. It wasn’t simple logic as one reason for their belief right when they bought it five years ago, in the market. Along with the trust that so when they go to sell it,” they use the drives transactions is the ever-powerful same, possibly incorrect information desire to upgrade and the realization that they relied upon. A quality broker will it can make good economic sense. quickly discover the discrepancy and re- When the time to upgrade comes and gard it as a red flag, calling all other facts you’re looking for a broker you can trust, presented into question, slowing if not suggested Gade, “ask them for a list of derailing the deal in the process. references of clients that they have done Jay Mesinger multiple deals with, and ask those clients, EYING THE MARKET AHEAD founder and CEO, ‘Why?’.” Mesinger Jet Sales Heading into 2019’s fourth-quarter Choose wisely and “you will be re- stretch, the world’s largest-volume bro- warded as a seller, minimizing the days kerages—Duncan Aviation and Mesinger on market,” said Mesinger, “and buyers Q: We’re seeing a among them—reported strong to record can find the airplane they need, pay the renewed focus sales, though preowned transactions price deserved, and have a reasonable re- on ethics and were down overall. But brokers can cite tention rate on the residual value.” transparency in the aircraft brokerage community. What are your views on this issue, and what does your company do about it?

A: Ethics should mean everything—to the customer and the broker. I often say brokerage is the most unsophisticated sophisticated business, because people spend huge amounts of money, but they don’t seem to care about vetting their broker, and not all brokerages live up to the high ethical standards they talk about. Mesinger has a code of ethics, and we include it in the actual contract with our clients— it’s a contractual obligation. You can fire me if I betray any one of those principles.

AIN PUBLICATIONS | SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT | 2019 After reaching a low in 2018, inventories of jets for sale have been climbing, while turboprop inventory has held more steady, according to JetNet LLC.

2,230 October 2019 October 2018 1,934 October 2017

2,187 Jets For Sale Jets For

21,450

21,807

22,241 Jets In Operation

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

1,147 October 2019 October 2018 1,052 October 2017

1,051 Turboprops For Sale For Turboprops

15,208

15,437

15,676 Turboprops In Operation Turboprops 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

Source: JetNet - Current Market Summary Report

AIN PUBLICATIONS | SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT | 2019 Visit jetsales.com/golden to learn more about the work Louie and Miles are doing for dogs.

Loyalty & Passion

Our dogs Louie and Miles embody values that we hold close to our hearts—values that help guide us in life, and in business. At Mesinger Jet Sales, it’s not just about successful transactions; it’s about being a passionate industry leader with integrity, building strong relationships, and helping people achieve their goals—one transaction at a time.

MESINGER JET SALES BROKERAGE & ACQUISITIONS +1 303-444-6766 JETSALES.COM With that in mind, he said GlobalJet for a job well done goes a long way. A sim- Safety Standdown does what it can to foster that on both sides. ple thank you “in my opinion is the num- Also, GlobalJet discovered flexibility has ber one motivator,” McHenry said. helped tremendously with efficiency. The Also, empowering the employees, bring- company adopted core hours when every- ing them in, and making them feel included GlobalJet executives: one must be at work: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. To in the conversation, will give them a stake fulfill a full day, employees can choose to in the success of an organization. come in earlier or leave later. In addition, Bean advised attendees to tap into their Safety tied to work culture the company put early leave on Fridays in own emotional intelligence and learn how place. Since adopting those policies, the to be empathic and listen to others. “This is by Kerry Lynch company saw an 85 percent increase in the direction we are going in this industry. efficiency in various departments. “If you “When you want to create a safety culture, Improving an organization’s culture Both skills are important for everyone take care of people, they will take care of you want to enhance safety, and you want to directly relates to improved safety, two and should be used both at work and at the business for you.” do things better. You have to be more syn- leading training specials say, adding it home. “If you are happy at your home, you They noted that despite the assumption ergetic…that’s the direction we need to go also can provide a boost to efficiency. are going to be happy at work,” Bean said. that money motivates work, appreciation as an industry,” Bean said. n During Bombardier’s Safety Standdown last month, JD McHenry and Rich Bean, the respective CEO and president of business aviation maintenance training provider GlobalJet Services, emphasized the In face of growing automation, pilots must strive to adapt importance of the “human side” of culture, particularly how leaders and manag- Despite rapidly changing technology, pilots Lutat further contended, “A completely continuously learn, and adapt to evolving ers interact with their teams. remain the most important factor in the fly- automated future is more science fiction technology. He pointed to accidents such as “We work really hard on the technical ing environment and they must continue than science” reciting a quote, “We tend to the 2013 crash of Asiana Flight 214, in which skills, but I think it’s time we really focus to strive to improve and adapt, a leading overestimate technology in short term and the investigation report found that the pilot on our soft skills” to build a positive cul- safety expert cautions. underestimate technology in the long term.” flying may have had an “inaccurate under- ture, McHenry said. Speaking during the 23rd annual Bombar- Considerable attention has been given standing of some aspects of the airplane’s “If you want to enhance your safety cul- dier Safety Standdown last month, Conver- to autonomous transportation, but, he said, autopilot system.” ture, if you want to enhance…the people gent Performance’s Chris Lutat acknowledged that technology is not yet ready. “The sci- Lutat said there are a number of sug- who work around you and yourself, you that the advances that have occurred in the ence is elusive and progress is less pres- gestions to help keep up to date with the have to be a leader,” Bean added. flight deck in the past few years have funda- ent than we thought it might be,” Lutat changing technology: find out one thing new The trouble is, many skilled profession- mentally changed how aircraft are operated, said. And despite the thousands of hours about the aircraft every time you fly; read FAA als are rewarded by being promoted into particularly at lower altitudes. Lutat said this of research that has gone into AI, he said, advisory circulars on PBN and RNP; put the a leadership role, but they aren’t given has caused him to learn new technologies “the human brain is the best organized, most aircraft FMS manual somewhere visible and proper training for it, McHenry said, and and procedures in his own flying, changing capable, most flexible, and most adaptable readily accessible; write a training lecture on they are not prepared for that role. the way he looks at the environment. three pounds of matter.” the autoflight control system; recite the com- McHenry and Bean stressed that lead- Younger pilots have a better command While there are limited applications of pany’s stabilized approach criteria as part of ership and management have two very of the increase in technology, he added. automation technology, “we [pilots are] still every approach briefing; rehearse go-around different definitions. Leadership “comes But, arguably, “what has [diminished] is are the most important component in this strategy; and hand-fly the first and last 10,000 from the heart,” providing vision, inspira- the connection of that to the big picture of whole equation.” feet of altitude. tion, and motivation; while management operating a large aircraft in a constantly As such, he challenged the pilot audience These will provide precision inside the “comes from the mind,” and is focused on changing [environment].” that they must look at a better “future self,” routine, he added. K.L. process and project completion.

New ground school goes

beyond pilot training Teresa Ortega is managing partner by Jerry Siebenmark of Ortega Aviation Services, a new Kirby and Teresa Ortega have combined students need more than others. “[It] in my Wichita-based pilot their more than 50 years of experience mind leaves room for a lot of unsafe pilots,” training, testing, with business aircraft maintenance pro- she told AIN. “I want them to learn how to and maintenance grams and pilot training to establish fly an airplane safely.” consulting Ortega Aviation Services (OAS), a flight Located at Wichita Eisenhower National business.

training, testing and consulting company. Airport (ICT), OAS operates from a nearly SIEBENMARK JERRY It’s not a traditional flight school because 3,000-sq-ft building that includes two OAS focuses on ground school and pre- classrooms equipped with smartboards (drone) license. Students have access to years at Cessna Aircraft where he was chief paring private pilot students to pass the and other electronic teaching devices as airplanes and flight instructors through pilot for single-engine operations. FAA knowledge test as well as the oral well as a room equipped with two flight OAS’s 11 contract instructors as well as Besides training and testing, OAS portion of their practical flight tests. simulators for transition training and other relationships the company has with vari- provides consulting on maintenance OAS managing partner Teresa Ortega said programs, including an aviation course for ous flight schools and aviation businesses. programs and pre-purchase inspections, with a pilot shortage and the rise of accel- high school STEM teachers. Kirby Ortega serves as the company’s which is where Teresa Ortega’s experi- erated and online ground school programs, OAS’s other training services include chief instructor. An FAA designated pilot ence lies. In addition to her qualifications she thinks there’s an opportunity to offer checkride preparation; G1000 transition; examiner for 30 years, Ortega was named as a commercial pilot with multi-engine students a ground school that provides for flight review; instrument proficiency the FAA’s National Flight Instructor of the and instrument ratings, she previously a lot of give-and-take with instructors—i.e. check; 6158 single-pilot certification; Year in 2002. In 2014 he was inducted into worked at Textron Aviation for 25 years, asking and answering questions—that commercial pilot license; certified flight the National Flight Instructors Hall of Fame. including her most recent role there as a such programs might miss, and that some instructor; and Part 107 remote pilot Before starting OAS, he retired after 29 maintenance program sales director. n

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 17 TORQUED

Full-throttle opinion from former NTSB member John Goglia Bombardier deal gives Spirit Aero When do whistleblower protections apply? more Airbus work

With all this talk about whistleblowers filing a complaint. The DOT Office of desk reference, as it provides information Spirit AeroSystems, a Tier I supplier these days, it seems like an appropriate Inspector General’s website has an not readily apparent on either the FAA’s to Airbus and Boeing, will acquire for time to review what protections are out overview of whistleblower protections or OSHA’s website. For example, accord- just more than $1 billion select assets there for aviation employees, who is cov- applicable to DOT employees and its con- ing to OSHA, an employee of an uncertif- of Bombardier’s aerostructures and ered, and how to ensure receipt of those tractors. Complaints can also be filed via icated air carrier would be covered by the aftermarket services business. The protections in the event circumstances the DOT OIG’s hotline. protections of AIR21. Also, according to deal will give Spirit more manufac- force you to become a whistleblower. I’ve OSHA’s interpretation, a contractor or a turing content on Airbus aircraft as known and read about a number of whis- Employee Protections subcontractor could be a foreign corpo- well as on regional and business tleblowers over the years and I can assure In addition to protections afforded fed- ration, as opposed to the requirement for jets, the Wichita-based company you, no one ever goes to work to become eral employees and federal contractors, the air carrier to be a U.S. citizen. announced on October 31. Financial a whistleblower. It usually ends up being some aviation employees are also entitled It’s very important that an employee terms of the deal call for Spirit to an awful experience, even when the whis- to protections under federal law. (Some filing a claim with OSHA alleging dis- pay $500 million in cash and assume tleblower knows he or she is doing the states may also have protection laws, but crimination or retaliation for reporting $300 million in net pension liabili- right thing for aviation safety. Most start those protections will vary from state to a safety issue comply with the statutory ties and $290 million of government out as employees trying to raise safety state.) Employees entitled to federal pro- time limits of 90 days after the alleged grant repayment obligations. concerns to their companies or agencies. tections under the Wendell H. Ford Avia- adverse conduct occurred. Of course, “The acquisition of the Bombar- When they see their complaints going tion Investment and Reform Act for the any employee who believes he or she has dier assets is a transformative deal nowhere, they then may decide to blow 21st Century—more succinctly referred to been retaliated against would do well to for Spirit, aligning perfectly with our the whistle, through established pro- as AIR21—are employees of U.S. air carri- consult an attorney familiar with whis- stated strategic goals of capturing cesses, to Congress, or the media. ers, their contractors and subcontractors tleblower protection laws, both federal more Airbus business, expanding our Of course, the national headlines have who report air carrier safety issues. Con- and state. Under AIR21, successful claim- low-cost country footprint, and scaling been filled with the whistleblower—the tractors are defined in AIR21 as a company ants can receive back pay, future pay, com- our aftermarket business,” Spirit pres- one from the CIA. But aviation news has pensatory damages for emotional distress ident and CEO Tom Gentile said on a also had its own headlines lately, specif- caused by the retaliatory conduct, and third-quarter earnings call. ically related to the crashes of the Boe- ...a number of reasonable attorney fees. The acquisition includes opera- ing 737 Max in Indonesia and Ethiopia. whistleblowers While becoming a whistleblower is tions at three sites—Belfast, Northern Crashes, in my experience, have a way not something an employee should take Ireland (Short Brothers); Casablanca, of bringing whistleblowers forward. And from Boeing have lightly, it is imperative to the safety of the Morocco; and Dallas—employing that has held true for these recent major come forward since aviation system that employees report 4,000 people and encompassing 3.4 accidents. It seems that a number of safety issues that they become aware of. million sq ft. Combined, those opera- whistleblowers from Boeing have come the crashes, and their Today, many aviation entities have Avia- tions produce composite and metallic forward since the crashes, and their alle- tion Safety Action Programs—especially wing components, nacelles, fuselages, gations are being investigated by, among allegations are being the major air carriers and large repair and tail assemblies as well as “high- others, the DOT Office of Inspector Gen- investigated...” stations—that employees should take value” mechanical assemblies made eral and the Department of Justice. advantage of to report safety issues with- of aluminum, titanium, and steel. On top of the Boeing news, the Office of that performs safety-sensitive functions out fear of negative action by the FAA or Of particular note is Belfast’s pro- Special Counsel recently issued letters to by contract for an air carrier. This means their employer. Not all reported events duction of the Airbus A220 composite the President and Congress alerting them that not all air-carrier contractor employ- are covered by ASAP, so it’s important wing—the backlog of which stands at that “numerous Federal Aviation Admin- ees are covered by the protections of this to know what is and is not covered. For 435 units—and Bombardier business istration (FAA) safety inspectors were not law. Subcontractors are not defined in the example, if a mechanic reported improp- and regional jet work, including that sufficiently trained to certify pilots.” The law but it would seem to me that, logi- erly filling out a maintenance record and on Global, Challenger, Learjet, and OSC found that FAA responses to Congres- cally, they would have to be performing the FAA and air carrier determined that it CRJ models. “We think [the A220 sional inquiries regarding these allegations some safety-sensitive function for their constituted falsification of a record, the work] will give us a great head start “appear to have been misleading.” The employees to be covered. But the law mechanic’s certificate could be revoked in terms of future wing programs with allegations of improper inspector training isn’t always logical and, of course, I’m and his/her employment terminated. Airbus,” Gentile said. were disclosed to the Special Counsel by not a lawyer. Employees at aviation entities without He also noted the Belfast site an FAA aviation safety inspector. AIR21 protects covered employees from an ASAP should consider using inter- recently won new work on the thrust This Office of Special Counsel is an retaliation, discharge, or otherwise being nal company or external government reversers for A320neos equipped independent federal agency whose main discriminated against for providing infor- hotlines—even if done anonymously—to with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G mission is protecting “federal employ- mation relating to air safety violations to report safety issues. geared turbofan. Meanwhile, sig- ees and applicants from prohibited per- their employer or the federal government. If you do not fall within one of these nificant MRO capabilities in Belfast sonnel practices, especially reprisal for Complaints regarding retaliation or dis- employee categories, you can still report and Dallas with “tremendous” rela- whistleblowing.” FAA employees can crimination are made to the U.S. Depart- unsafe practices via the FAA’s hotline or tionships with airlines globally will file complaints with OSC but they are ment of Labor’s Occupational Safety and the OIG’s, but you will not be entitled to more than double Spirit’s aftermar- not required to. The FAA maintains an Health Administration (OSHA). Accord- the protections from discrimination or ket business. “This is really one of employee hotline for reporting violations ing to OSHA’s handy desk reference on retaliation afforded by AIR21. n the hidden gems of the acquisition,” of its regulations, conduct that poses a AIR21, this includes “testifying or assist- Gentile added. “high level of risk to aviation safety” and ing in a proceeding against the employer The opinions expressed in this column are The parties expect the deal to close “gross misconduct” by agency employees relating to a violation or alleged violation those of the author and not necessarily in the first half of 2020, following reg- involving aviation safety. Both the OSC of any order, regulation, or standards of endorsed by AIN. ulatory approval. Spirit expects reve- and FAA provide for confidentiality if the Federal Aviation Administration or nue from the Bombardier operations requested. Not all complaints are enti- any other Federal law relating to air carrier John Goglia is a safety consultant. it has agreed to acquire to total $1 tled to whistleblower protections, so it’s safety.” Anyone considering filing a com- He welcomes your emails at: billion in 2019. J.S. important to do some research before plaint under AIR21 should review OSHA’s [email protected]

18 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com C41225.003_CFM_REFLECTIONS_AIN_Nov19_352x275_v1.indd 1 08/10/2019 15:29 FlightSmart takes the data out of the sim- rudder pedal,” said Starr, “which is what FlightSafety debuts a ulator, all the forces that are being applied, he had been struggling with all along. We all the movements that are happening, passed that on to the examiner, and he how soon a student is selecting a switch commented, ‘I was wondering why all of smart new way to train or pushing a button.” a sudden he did so much better.’ Those The instructor usually can’t see all of are the types of things that the instructor by Matt Thurber these elements because his or her work- physically cannot see, but through the data, load is already high, but with the informa- we can gain visibility into those and pro- FlightSafety International has formally training process, which improves effi- tion from FlightSmart, the instructor can vide that insight to the instructor.” launched an effort called FlightSmart ciency because this can eliminate the help the student improve. He explained, Another use case is to help an operator that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to need for additional remedial training. “The instructor has objective data to say, adapt the training style to the characteris- elevate aviation training quality. What the An extra day of full-flight simulator ‘You had too much force on the pedals tics of a pilot job applicant. An airline look- FlightSmart team has done is figure out a training adds thousands of dollars to during that rejected takeoff. [Or] this ing to hire pilots typically sees two types of way to use modern technology, including the training cost, takes more valuable showed that you shouldn’t have been on applicants: one is fresh out of school with IBM’s Watson AI tool, to help its instruc- time, and adds complexity to the logis- the toe brakes. Or, you did it perfectly. strong theoretical and avionics knowledge, tors and training centers improve a stu- tics of running an extremely complex You’re within the top 5 percent of every- but weak stick-and-rudder skills. The other dent’s experience. training process. one that does this maneuver.” hasn’t been flying for a while, perhaps “The product, through the collabo- because they gave up on aviation during ration with IBM, is utilizing advanced the 2008 Great Recession, and their flying algorithms, machine learning, artifi- skills are strong but they are way behind on cial intelligence—all of those cognitive current technology and processes. technologies—to provide the objective “The challenge they face is those two evidence or objective evaluation of the different types of applicants require two student’s performance,” said Matt Littrell, different styles of training,” Littrell said. FlightSafety product director of AI and “They’re looking to FlightSmart to identify adaptive learning. what’s the best method of training these Ultimately, FlightSafety sees two different types and tailor the train- FlightSmart as helping students learn ing to those needs so they’re not forced faster by mastering tasks more quickly, to run everybody through the singular while at the same time giving instructors canned training profile.” better information about the students’ While the canned training profile serves performance so they can act as “learning some applicants, others end up needing managers” and provide better feedback significant amounts of additional training, to improve the training process. The goal which is expensive and time-consuming. of FlightSmart is to help pilots master For the third use case, FlightSmart can their skills and become more proficient. help an operator screen pilot candidates. An ancillary benefit is that the system “It knows, in essence, what makes a good also will increase training efficiency, thus pilot, or the traits and the style of flying bringing more pilots into the workforce that have the greatest chance of success and lowering the burden on instructors, in the training, as well as beyond,” he said. for which there is also a shortage. For military flying, although mili- “The primary focus is to help the stu- tary forces are very good at weeding dent pilots become better and faster and out pilots who aren’t going to succeed, master tasks that are challenging,” said there is still an enormous cost associ- senior product manager Chris Starr. ated with putting a pilot through a lot of FlightSmart isn’t just for simulator initial training then finding out toward training, but will also be helpful for task FlightSafety International is evaluating how to implement its artificial intelligence (AI)- the end that it isn’t going to work. If training on avionics and operating flight based FlightSmart effort into business aircraft simulator training. FlightSmart aims to help it costs, say, $1 million to train a pilot management systems; use of automation; FlightSafety instructors and training centers improve a student’s experience via algorithms, and the attrition rate is 10 to 15 percent, standard operating procedures; crew machine learning, and AI. that’s a lot of money. “That’s where we resource management; and other areas have shown them with FlightSmart, we besides flying—such as maintenance and To address this first use case, Starr gave two examples of where this can advance them earlier, we can [help operating unmanned systems. “It has tre- FlightSmart can automatically identify information can help the student. In train- identify failing candidates], and that mendous potential throughout many ave- training tasks, instead of the instructor ing for a particular aircraft, FlightSmart saves them a lot of money when you nues and markets,” Littrell said. having to look away from observing the identified that pilots were riding the look at their attrition rate,” said Starr. The first formal FlightSmart imple- student and selecting the tasks. An exam- brakes during takeoffs and landings, and FlightSafety has discussed with customers mentation is with the U.S. Air Force for ple might be a steep turn, and FlightSmart this not only lowers brake life but could the issue of what happens when FlightSmart the T-6A pilot training program. For is programmed with start-stop times, cause directional control and performance identifies a student who shouldn’t be fly- FlightSafety’s business aviation custom- maneuver criteria, and other elements problems. But those problems weren’t the ing, according to Littrell, but that isn’t ers, Littrell said, “We have implemented that identify and record the task so the sole benefit of sussing out that informa- FlightSafety’s role. “We’re not the deciding FlightSmart in a limited capacity on one instructor doesn’t have to make notes tion. The information lends itself to root- factor of whether a pilot should continue on of our business jet programs for develop- or try to remember the task and the stu- cause analysis: is the design of the rudder or not,” he explained. FlightSmart uses com- mental and evaluation purposes only. We dent’s performance. pedals and brakes less than optimal?, for puters and AI tools to provide information are currently evaluating the best strategy This automation helps the instructor example. “It opens the door for that inves- to the customer. “That’s where FlightSmart for a broader implementation within our give the student a more comprehensive tigation and re-education,” he said. comes in. We’re providing the objective evi- learning centers.” evaluation because now the simulator is The second example was a pilot who dence, then it’s up to them to decide the cri- recording everything the student does struggled with V1 cuts (engine failures at teria they ultimately use to determine when When and Why and, more importantly, records parame- a critical time during takeoff), then sud- a pilot should continue flying or not.” There are three use cases that ters that the instructor cannot perceive. denly improved toward the end of training FlightSafety customers have flagged and “The problem is the instructor can’t and passed the checkride. A review of the How FlightSmart Works that FlightSmart is designed to satisfy, see everything the pilot is doing,” said data later showed that the pilot-not-fly- The goal of the FlightSmart program, according to Littrell. Starr. “He doesn’t know how much force ing began stepping on the correct rudder which got underway two years ago but The first is to identify problems [the student] is putting on the column pedal during the V1 cut. “The copilot, in was formally launched a year ago, was to and address them much earlier in the or how much he’s moving the throttles. essence, was helping him push on that continues on page 38

20 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com Versatility takes you anywhere.

U.S. +1.844.44.TXTAV | INTERNATIONAL +1.316.517.8270 | BEECHCRAFT.COM © 2019 Textron Aviation Inc. All rights reserved. BEECHCRAFT and KING AIR are trademarks or service marks of Textron Aviation Inc. or an affiliate and may be registered in the United States or other jurisdictions.

CAC2104 KA Versatility Takes You Anywhere_Winter_AIN_10.8125x13.875.indd 1 11/15/19 9:35 AM Client: Textron Aviation Ad Title: KA Versatility Takes You Anywhere (Winter) Publication: Aviation International News Trim: 10.8125” x 13.875” Bleed: 11.3125” x 14.375” Live: 9.8125” x 12.875” to measure objectively pilot performance, regardless of your hours of stick time. We have deployed these systems to measure the performance of the pilot in a specific set of competencies that are effectively the training objectives of the curriculum.” The tools developed by the Digital Intel- ligence team are also helpful for instructors, he added, and RISE also benefits instructors “because everybody’s using standardized assessment criteria. The basic premise RISE essentially is that we want to be able to measure the provides another performance of the pilot. The value to the set of ‘eyes’ for the airline is that we can show data for them busy instructor, and for us to deal with weaknesses that we using data collected might see, or it gives them an assurance that by “simulators and they have good pilots.” aircraft to perform The way weaknesses are addressed is objective data analysis through adaptive training, which focuses to improve the overall on what the data show the pilot needs to training program.” be working on. “I can adapt your training to deal with those weaknesses,” Leon- tidis said. It’s helpful, for example, for an airline to know that one student barely passed an exam while another scored a CAE on the ‘RISE’ with digital intelligence nearly perfect score. The one who barely passed may just need some focused train- by Matt Thurber ing on the weak areas to bring their performance to a higher level. “Ultimately Training provider CAE is much more than standardized evaluations), which uses “We looked at the entire journey that it’s not meant to fail you, it’s meant to a manufacturer of full-flight simulators data collected by “simulators and air- pilots go through,” said Erica Lauren- improve you,” he said. and training devices, although that is at craft to perform objective data analysis deau-Walker, a journey owner on the team Having begun training its pilots using the core of its business. The company to improve the overall training program,” and also an experienced former regional RISE more than a year ago, AirAsia now was founded in 1947 as Canadian Aviation according to CAE. The first customer to airline pilot. has pilots in the program coming back for Electronics and in 1952 began manufac- sign up in 2018 was airline AirAsia, and “We’re listening to pilots and learning recurrent training. While CAE can’t discuss turing simulators. Since then, CAE has CAE is now offering RISE to military cus- what they need for better training and the outcomes of a specific customer, Leon- grown into a diversified training services tomers for pilot training programs. [throughout] their career,” added product tidis said that training materials are being company, servicing civil aviation, defense manager and team member Mathieu Amyot. adapted to the RISE-based analysis of these and security, and healthcare. One of the team’s projects was to help pilots. “It’s adapted to areas that we think On the civil aviation side, CAE manu- develop various tools that work with the they may need some extra training,” he said. facturers more than 100 full-flight simu- RISE ecosystem. These include an iPad lators per year, graduates 1,500 new pilots app consolidating all the course mate- CAE’s Training Ecosystem trained “ab initio” (from the beginning) Nick Leontidis, rial and scheduling information needed With strong demand for pilots all over to airlines all over the world, and trains CAE group during a training event and an E-grad- the world, CAE is unique in its approach 135,000 pilots in its own simulator train- president for ing app, which incorporates the pilot’s to helping customers with both ab initio ing facilities at more than 50 locations. Civil Aviation company standard operating practices to training as well as initial and ongoing “We always talk about our mission as Training ensure that practice during the training recurrent simulator training as pilots being the partner of choice,” said Nick Solutions event is to the standards that apply to that progress in their careers. Teaching cadets Leontidis, group president, Civil Avia- particular pilot. A Debrief app takes data with zero experience or background not tion Training Solutions. “Historically, We always talk gathered during training and helps cre- only to fly but to become useful crew- the company built a business for selling ate much more standardized debriefings members in a commercial operation is a simulators and through that created a about our based on objective data from the simula- challenging task and in many ways more lot of relationships with customers. We tor and aircraft, not just the instructor’s complex than operating simulators. leveraged the relationships that we had mission as being the limited ability to assess exactly what the “CAE got into the ab initio pilot train- to launch the training business. And a lot partner of choice.” student was doing moment to moment. ing business because big companies were of our subsequent growth in the training “This is the bread and butter of RISE,” said shying away from that,” Leontidis said. business has been by partnering with air- RISE is one of the products resulting Laurendeau-Walker. “It makes it easier to “It’s not been one of the more attractive lines and being flexible with their needs.” from CAE’s Project Digital Intelligence, help them improve.” aspects of this business. It’s logistically With so much experience in pilot train- which has deployed a team of 130 talented All of the student data is kept in a hard. It’s challenging. It’s very risky. Air- ing, both in airplanes for ab initio and in personnel in a digital accelerator at CAE’s secure and encrypted Records Manager, planes are expensive to operate and main- simulators for new and experienced pilots, Montreal headquarters to come up with and customers can view the data on their tain. But it seems to be working for CAE, CAE was a pioneer in using data gathered ways to improve the company’s training own dashboards. “Having data accessible and CAE is expanding that training.” from simulators to analyze and refine the products and services. is powerful,” she said. But CAE is also There is no other choice, he explained, training process, using a process called mindful of the various laws that govern its but to start with new cadets and teach simulator operational quality assurance or Rising Above customers and makes sure the data is pro- them to fly in airplanes; and also in a way SOQA. In 2011, CAE implemented SOQA, The Digital Intelligence team isn’t just tected and only shared as allowed by the that matches the needs of the airline cus- which compares simulator-derived data refining existing products but is tasked regulator and, if applicable, worker unions. tomers that are paying for the training. with flight operational quality assurance with digging deeply into the entire train- Historically, pilot skills were measured The once-traditional method of a pilot data gathered from recording devices on ing process to figure out how modern just by hours in their logbooks,” Leontidis learning to fly then trying to gain expe- aircraft, to provide evidence-based train- digital tools and analytics can improve explained. “Evidence has shown that that’s rience by logging thousands of hours of ing tools as a new product. flight crew training, as well as training not necessarily a good measure. It is one flight time over a long period just isn’t In early 2018, CAE carried this concept for other CAE customers in the defense of the measures, but not necessarily the sustainable if airlines want to continue further into the formal launch of its new and healthcare markets, all part of the only measure of how good a pilot is against operating and grow. RISE offering (real-time insights and RISE effort. his competencies. So RISE is an attempt continues on page 25

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19-MCJT26193 Citation Excel_XLS G5000 Upgrade Ad-10.8125x13.875-AIN.indd 1 10/10/19 3:24 PM FLYING Falcon 8X shows mettle on short-field landing demo by Matt Thurber

To prepare for a unique experience—a For the first arrival, I did a go-around real short-field landing in the Falcon 8X, to see how that procedure worked to keep albeit on a long runway—I started at the us clear of the mountains. Subsequently, FlightSafety Le Bourget learning center Perriaud had me practice touching down near Paris for a practice session. and stopping hard, including reverse The plan was to fly two days later from Le thrust on the center engine and full brak- Bourget to Vatry Airport in Chalons, France, ing. The goal is to get stopped before Taxi- where I would fly the 8X in the traffic -pat way C, roughly two-thirds of the available tern and try out my short-field landing landing length of Runway 24.

skills in the real airplane. We would then I landed five times at simulated La THURBER MATT fly to Les Eplatures Airport in Neuchatel, Mole; on the first landing, I stopped at The view from the Falcon 8X flight deck on departure from the short runway at Les Eplatures Switzerland, where a Dassault pilot would Taxiway C, and on the next four landings, Airport in Switzerland en route to Gstaad Saanen Airport, hemmed in by the steep Alps. demonstrate the 8X’s short-field capability I managed to stop well short of the taxi- on the airport’s 3,576-foot runway. way. I didn’t feel like I was hammering the 2,000 feet and turning left. On downwind, passengers for the flight to Les Epla- Olivier Perriaud, chief pilot of the Falcon 8X too hard, and I would later see and feel Dougnac set slats/flaps 1 (SF1), then gear tures. This was to be Dougnac’s first real operational pilot group, helped get me refa- that there is more performance available down, followed by SF2 abeam the runway 8X short-field landing on a short runway, miliarized with the 8X in the FlightSafety from this capable airplane. numbers and once on final, SF3. and Dassault had arranged for a helicop- simulator. I’ve flown the 8X a few times It was enormously fun trying to fly This was just like the simulator, with ter and cameraman to shoot video of the already, but not on a regular basis. the required arrival procedure toward a go-around my first task. The second landing at Les Eplatures. After some airwork and a touch-and-go the airport, make the turn to the cen- time around ended with a full-stop nor- The airport sits in a shallow valley on and full-stop landing at simulated Charles terline at low altitude, chopping the mal landing, and it was pleasantly familiar the edge of Neuchatel, Switzerland, at an de Gaulle Airport, Perriaud repositioned power, then touching down and stand- after the simulator session. The 8X han- elevation of 3,366 feet. We approached the simulator for La Mole Airport, which is ing on the brakes. I took off each time dles well at slow speeds, and the fly-by- from the southwest to land on Runway 6, the go-to for visitors to St. Tropez and has from Runway 6 after turning around, wire flight controls give the pilot precise and Dougnac brought the 8X in at a rela- an unusual arrival, not to mention a 3,514- and followed the prescribed procedure control and well-harmonized responsive- tively shallow angle but with a higher rate foot runway (landing distance) surrounded for departure. The simulated mountains ness, especially for such a large airplane. of descent than during my landing. The by mountains. Pilots flying to La Mole are and airport felt all too real, and it was a We taxied back for the third takeoff, and 8X plonked onto the runway at what must required to have undergone training within terrific practice session. To top off the after flying around the pattern and getting have been a few hundred feet per minute, the past two months or have flown into the training regime, we repositioned near configured on final, I proceeded to the and Daugnac swiftly brought the big jet airport as PIC within the past 12 months. Geneva, where I did another short-field short-field landing. After touching down, to a halt, using about 500 meters or about Landing at La Mole is only on Run- landing at Annecy Airport on the French I pushed the sidestick forward to get the half the available runway. The helicopter way 24, and the approach requires flying side of the border. nosewheel onto the runway then pulled the camera crew was positioned perfectly to from the coastline, then descending at For the flight in the real 8X two days thrust reverser on and stepped hard on the capture the landing. specific points while flying a heading of later, Perriaud and Dassault test pilot Fab- brakes. The touchdown was not at a signifi- What Dassault was demonstrating was 234 degrees, 11 degrees off the runway rice Dougnac flew the 8X to Vatry. After cantly high rate of descent, and I probably not just the 8X’s ability to land short, but magnetic heading of 243 degrees, and fol- shutdown, I climbed into the left seat used up some runway unnecessarily by not also to carry enough fuel to fly from a lowing the 4-degree PAPI to avoid noise- with Dougnac in the right seat and Perri- touching down a bit more aggressively. But short runway to other destinations. From sensitive areas. The final turn to line up aud in the jumpseat. overall, it was a satisfactory performance Les Eplatures, we flew to Gstaad Saanen with the runway starts at 400 feet msl The weather was perfect with hardly any and completely underscored the benefits Airport, a Swiss airport hemmed in by the (about 350 feet agl), and it isn’t until about wind, a balmy summer day in France and of the training. I’m pretty sure I could have steep Alps. We took our time to allow the 200 feet msl that the airplane will be lined a nearly empty airport, with only another landed and stopped safely at La Mole. helicopter to get there to film our arrival, up with the runway centerline, making for Falcon practicing takeoffs and landings. For the next leg, Dougnac switched to which was a dramatic swoop close to the an interesting final approach. Operations I took off on Vatry’s Runway 10 and the left seat and Perriaud took the right, mountains as we turned 180 degrees to are allowed only during daytime. stayed in the traffic pattern, climbing to while I sat in the cabin with our other line up with Runway 26. n VADIM FELDZER VADIM The author (left) and Olivier Perriaud, chief pilot of the Falcon operational pilot group,

MATT THURBER MATT practicing short-field landings at La Mole Airport near St Tropez, France, in the Falcon 8X Preparing for traffic pattern work in the Falcon 8X at Vatry Airport in France. simulator at FlightSafety’s Le Bourget learning center.

24 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com continued from page 22 “Our industry is quite conservative.” For those “We happily take young people who come who believe the only solution is to hire pilots from all walks of life. They have to demon- CAE on the ‘RISE’ with vast experience, they are, said Leontidis, strate the right competencies and the right “not thinking straight, because, in our view, skills, but assuming they do, they can come Airlines around the world (not you’ve got an industry problem. The practical from China, Vietnam, India, Japan and we can in the U.S. because regulations and positive thing is to say, ‘How do I train make very good pilots out of them. I think the don’t allow airline pilots to fly as someone to become proficient without hav- system works. And the industry needs that first officers with fewer than 1,500 ing to wait 5,000 hours?’ The whole indus- system to work because there’s no other way hours or less with an acceptable try can’t afford to wait 5,000 hours because for the industry to support the growth that it college degree or military back- there aren’t enough pilots. is currently trying to achieve.” n ground) depend on the ICAO-developed multi-crew pilot license (MPL) process. MPL graduates can gain the necessary licensing and experience requirements to fly as a first officer in airline -oper ations with less than 300 hours of flight time, which includes simulator flying. “This is what the airlines need,” he said. “They can’t wait for four or five years of time building and [say] flying up in the North in Canada to build enough hours to qualify.” Leontidis realizes that one company, even one as large as CAE, can’t fill the pilot needs of all the airlines, business aviation operators, and military services worldwide. After all, the world’s flight schools have produced just 1,000 MPL graduates so far, and CAE perhaps a few hundred of those. “We’re never going be a big enough ab initio school to cover the numbers,” he said. “But we want to be big enough that we can serve all [our] custom- AMAC Aerospace is a world leader in Maintenance ers.” And these customers come and Completion services for both narrow back for other CAE products and and wide-body VIP aircraft. Our bespoke handling services, including simulators or of VIP maintenance projects is world-renowned pilot cadet recruitment and selec- and our ‘Return to Service’ are world class tion, for example. for completions. It should be noted that CAE does offer traditional commer- AMAC’s hangars are fully equipped with the latest cial pilot license (CPL) training technologically advanced equipment and manned along with MPL for customers by certified personnel. We offer a full spectrum of that can hire MPL graduates, maintenance services and welcome the opportunity and this is the case at its Phoe- nix operation in Arizona. Most to serve you in any capacity. of CAE’s cadets already have a job waiting for them when they graduate, although CAE also trains pilots who will need to find a job. But with today’s shortage, 95 percent do so by the time they graduate. Despite some criticism of pilot quality involving the two Boeing 737 Max accidents and others, MPL graduates are doing well in the field, and some of those who trained with CAE are now flying as captains. “MPL programs are designed to train people around specific competencies,” Leontidis said. “Those are the competencies that ICAO has well documented as being the ones that make a DELIVERING YOUR DREAMS good pilot. We don’t think that the two are connected at all [to] what’s happened on the Max. “I think the knock with MPL is just that it’s a little new,” he said.

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 25 Aussie avgas switch tied to Robinson engine issues by Mark Huber

A change in the formulation of avgas deliv- AWB-85-024 and AWB-85-025 and issued ered to Northern Australia is suspected warnings about the unreliability of cylinder of causing widespread and significant head temperature (CHT) as an indicator engine maintenance events in the fleet of of valve temperatures, counseling, “Even a hundreds of Lycoming-powered Robin- cylinder displaying a moderate CHT can be son helicopters based there, according to suffering accelerated wear. Be mindful that a study published the Australia Helicopter a single probe CHT will not necessarily be The new Community Air Mobility Initiative (CAMI) will assist in developing the emerging urban Industry Association (AHIA). The prob- indicative of all cylinders, nor represent air mobility (UAM) industry, as well as aid cities with the integration of such systems. UAM lem is being linked to the failure of more even and consistent cooling of the entire involves not just airspace concerns but also infrastructure-related issues such as where to than 2,000 engine cylinder barrels on cylinder assembly.” CASA also reminded locate landing ports for eVTOLS and how the distribution of those ports would affect various Australia-based Robinson R22s and R44s pilots that, “The risk to the integrity of modes of a city’s ground transportation system. (Photo: Signature Flight Support) since 2013. Some cylinders failed within avgas in relation to being fit for purpose can the first 100 hours in service. occur at any point in the supply chain from The AHIA determined that significant the point of manufacture to final delivery to changes were made in avgas delivered to the aircraft, thus creating the potential to Urban air mobility group the region from 2012 to 2018 after the adversely affect aircraft systems and com- region’s terminal supplier was switched. ponents. Fuel suppliers need to verify that Specifically, the lead content was more all product supplied to the market complies hopes to help shape policy than halved while the aromatics con- with Defence Standard 91-090 avgas and tent was increased to preserve octane has been manufactured, stored and handled by Jerry Siebenmark levels. Increasing aromatics slows and in compliance with Energy Institute 1530 significantly increases the exhaust gas aviation fuel quality system compliant sup- The Community Air Mobility Initiative state and local officials on integrating UAM temperature (EGT) during the burn ply chains to control contamination risks.” (CAMI) has been formed around the in their communities through public educa- process. The result was significant dam- In its study, the AHIA recommends emerging urban air mobility (UAM) indus- tion and helping to shape policies governing age to engine cylinders, pistons, and that: authorities access historical data to try and will assist in its development, as and regulating UAM in local jurisdictions. valves. The AHIA study also found that determine composition characteristics of well as help cities integrate such systems, Dietrich noted there already exists a patch- “fuels containing a greater proportion of fuel delivered to the terminal servicing the Seattle-based nonprofit organization work of state regulations and laws regarding aromatic hydrocarbons have also been the region (Vopak); further study the per- announced recently. “New technologies and small unmanned aerial systems. shown to have a greater soot and depos- formance of avgas containing moderate new aircraft promise to make flight acces- “This is a fairly time-sensitive project that it-forming tendency.” levels of aromatic compounds; consider sible and practical on a daily basis for more we’ve undertaken,” she said. “We do need Trouble usually appeared during cyl- potential airworthiness implications for people than ever before,” said CAMI co-ex- to get ahead of potential issues with aware- inder compression checks as part of rou- piston aircraft operating in high ambient ecutive director Anna Dietrich. “With that ness and education now while the policies tine maintenance. According to the AHIA, temperatures with fuel with increased promise comes the responsibility to inte- are first being considered. After we have “Data from the Civil Aviation Safety levels of aromatics; and prepare and cir- grate those aircraft into our communities policy and legislation and requirements on Authority’s Defect Reporting Service culate relevant advisory materials to oper- safely, responsibly, and equitably. We created the books, it will be much harder to recover (DRS) database showed compression loss ators flying in high ambient temperatures CAMI as the industry’s commitment to our from that and change that, as opposed to was attributable to inlet or exhaust valve using fuels with moderate levels of aro- neighbors and the decision-makers who sup- working with these decision-makers from degradation and sealing loss. Follow-up matics. Helicopter operators and main- port them to work to ensure that happens.” the beginning.” investigation by the engine manufacturer tainers are counseled to remain vigilant On a conference call with reporters, Diet- Those decision-makers not only include showed related mechanisms of failure— with regard to the issue. n rich said CAMI’s charge is to work with state and local elected officials, but also both attributable to extended periods of transportation departments, urban plan- high-temperature exposure and acceler- ners, real estate developers, and business ated valve guide wear.” owners since UAM involves not just air- Compounding the damage was how space concerns but also infrastructure-re- R22s and R44s are used in the region, typ- Wynbrandt lated issues such as where to locate landing ically for agricultural application or live- ports for eVTOLS and how the distribution stock mustering, often at low altitudes honored with of those ports would affect various modes with high power settings during high ambi- of a city’s ground transportation system. ent temperatures. And unlike fixed-wing NBAA award “When we talk about the vision that we piston aircraft, which use the aircraft’s have for urban air mobility, we’re asking avi- propeller and cowling intakes for cooling, AIN contributing editor James Wynbrandt ation to intimately integrate into an existing piston Robinsons utilize a rear cooling won the NBAA 2019 Gold Wing award at urban transportation system,” Dietrich’s fan connected to the engine’s driveshaft a ceremony at NBAA-BACE. Wynbrandt counterpart, CAMI co-executive director to move air over the cylinders and the oil was recognized for his in-depth article Yolanka Wulff, said. “This is no longer a cooler and direct exhaust downward. about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in lifecycle emissions by 50 to 80 percent.” segregated system. It’s an integrated sys- the August/September 2018 issue of AIN’s Wynbrandt is a pilot and aircraft tem, and in fact that is what makes urban Temperature Warnings Business Jet Traveler magazine. owner and has been writing for AIN air mobility both so valuable and interesting, In February, Robinson amended the According to NBAA, “His article…not for many years on a variety of subjects, but also challenging.” Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), rein- only explains the science and economics of including green technology; charter and Early backers of CAMI include trade forcing the need to observe proper engine SAF in plain English; it also makes clear that fractional operations; completions; avi- groups such as NBAA, General Aviation cooldown procedures and providing for SAF is a drop-in fuel—available today—and onics; and more. He is also the author Manufacturers Association, and the Verti- an extended cooldown period when ambi- it is safe and approved for every engine of the popular books A Brief History Of cal Flight Society; OEMs Bell and Raytheon; ent temperatures top 100 degrees F. that runs on jet-A. This author did exten- Saudi Arabia; Dan Quayle Diktionary; and fledgling eVTOL manufacturers Karem Recognizing the problem, earlier this year sive research and made clear that SAF is Flying High; and The Excruciating His- Aircraft, Joby Aviation, and Jump Aero. Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Author- truly sustainable, reducing overall carbon tory Of Dentistry. M.T. CAMI has a total of 13 founding member ity (CASA) issued Airworthiness Bulletins companies and organizations. n

26 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com How does CAE elevate your training experience?

1. 2. 3. With centers located in By offering relevant up-to-date Through a customer service some of the world’s most OEM supported interactive team offering a friendlier, desired locations training classes more cultural experience

4. 5. 6. By working with OEMs and By using simulators equipped By providing diverse customers NAAs to deliver programs with advanced capabilities, training for challenging and specific to your needs improving training efficiency unique circumstances

Work with the team that works with you. cae.com/business-aviation he added, aviation and its regulators turned flying into a pure transportation function. “You can see we’re moving away from the fundamental human aspiration of flying,” he said. Pointing to a picture of a Cessna 172, he added, “It’s all about transportation. It’s a secure, gated airport environment that’s very restrictive. This airplane is a 30-year-old aluminum can designed for transportation, which is effective, but is hardly inspirational to anybody who wants to dream of aviation.” At the same time, Icon’s goal was to make flying safer, and this became a fundamental aspect of the A5, its spin- resistant design. While the A5 does stall,

PHOTOS: MATT THURBER MATT PHOTOS: the design goal dictates what happens to Icon A5s at the company headquarters at Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville, California. make it safer prior to and in a stall: first is that it be resistant to spinning, second that it be controllable while in a stall, and third that it have a slow descent rate Icon Aircraft: Flying into the future during a power-off full stall that would still allow a survivable crash. by Matt Thurber Early Promise Icon Aircraft has a relatively short his- pounds more than the current regula- itself had to be about more than just put- At its public unveiling June 11, 2008, the tory in the general aviation industry. The tory limit for amphibians, although still ting wings and an engine on a boat hull. In A5’s projected price was $139,000, and Icon company launched, as many aircraft man- less than the 1,680 pounds allowed by an early FORA.tv video of a presentation promised that deliveries would begin in ufacturers do, with promises of low-cost the exemption. Another constraint was given at design firm Ideo, where Strand 2011. By 2015, when deliveries finally began, innovation that later bowed to the reali- money; some may think that designing worked before founding Icon, Hawkins the price had climbed to $247,000 for the ties of high certification and production and building an LSA is easy because of the outlined the Icon philosophy. fully equipped version (the only version costs. Contrary to the predictions of many consensus standards that replace Part 23 “We believe that aviation and what it that has ever been available) with a ballistic naysayers, however, the company is still certification. But a complex machine with represents is innate in many of us, and parachute, removable side windows, LED in business, it is producing airplanes—the foldable wings that is going to fly through humans have been dreaming about flying lights, and other premium features. Icon A5 amphibious light sport aircraft— the air, land on water and runways, and for a long time,” he explained. “It’s a fas- As it turns out, designing and manufac- and it is focused on extracting maximum help keep its occupants safe is no small cination that we have with freedom, with turing a relatively sophisticated amphibious efficiency from its production lines while design matter. In Icon’s case, the design fun, and with adventure.” Unfortunately, LSA would end up being far more complex still producing a high-quality recreational and costly than the founders had anticipated. aircraft that people want to buy. The first production Icon A5 was deliv- Quality costs money, however, and ered at the EAA AirVenture show in 2015, it was likely with some reluctance two shortly after the model passed its FAA years ago that Icon raised the price of audit. At the time, Icon had a backlog of the fully equipped A5 to $389,000, a more than 2,000 orders, likely spurred by number that probably seemed shocking a low deposit amount of $5,000, which to those who have followed the program occasionally dropped lower as an incen- from the beginning. tive to sign up more buyers. Icon’s mission has been consistent since Icon’s current president Thomas the company was founded in 2006 by Kirk Wieners joined the company late in the Hawkins and Steen Strand: to encourage summer of 2015 as vice president of man- more people to become pilots in aircraft ufacturing. While Icon had hired engi- that are much more fun to fly and more neers and consultants with experience in modern and safe compared to traditional high-volume composite manufacturing, general aviation airplanes. Or as Icon puts the original design was not optimized for it: “to accelerate the democratization of per- manufacture, according to Wieners. Icon sonal flight and 3-D mobility. Icon creates had recently moved into its new head- consumer-friendly, safe, technologically Icon Aircraft president Thomas Wieners took on the challenge of building a modern and quarters in Vacaville, California, adjacent advanced aircraft that make the adventure efficient aircraft manufacturing system when he joined the company in 2015. Below: to Nut Tree Airport, and it was time to of flying more accessible to mainstream Employees receive training for six months to a year to learn how to build carbon-fiber begin filling those many orders. consumers.” The founding came shortly composite parts at the Icon Composites Technology in Tijuana, Mexico. “The mandate was, ‘We’ve developed after the FAA instituted new regulations for a strong airplane,” Wieners, who is now Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), which involve a Icon’s president, explained. “‘They’re consensus-standard certification process, prototypes, and now it’s time to bring it weight and speed restrictions, and lower into serial production. Can you help us do pilot certification requirements. it?’ That’s the role I was hired for. The big It is interesting to view an early video challenge is how to get from a stunning where Hawkins explains the Icon design aircraft to state of the art manufacturing. philosophy and compares that to the We had to build the machine to build the resulting airplane. Engineering, especially machine. It was more challenging than I in aviation, is all about managing con- thought it would be.” straints, and there were many that Icon One of Icon’s key moves was to manu- faced as the project progressed, includ- facture composite parts and components ing the need to seek an exemption from at a new factory in Mexico. Icon had the LSA regulations on maximum takeoff contracted with Cirrus Aircraft and two weight; the A5’s mtow is 1,510 pounds, 80 other suppliers to build its first airframe

28 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com structural components, but this proved that aggressive is some of the attitude I too costly, given the complexity of manu- want to change. I don’t want to say, ‘There facturing the A5. is [demand for] 500 in two years’ because “We realized there are so many labor I don’t think there is. And if there is, it’s a hours involved that we were never going good problem to have. That doesn’t mean to be able to afford building these parts we don’t want it. For me, that moment in the U.S.,” he said. “We wanted to own of truth is we’ve got to use that opportu- that core competency. We believe that nity to accept the reality check and stop carbon-fiber manufacturing is something over-promising and under-delivering, but we should do in-house; we believe it’s the instead surprise with performance, with soul of the airplane.” quality, and with matching the realistic assumptions and environment. We under- Mexico Manufacturing stood a lot better how much it cost us to The 300,000-sq-ft Icon Composite Tech- build this airplane. Ignoring these facts and nologies center of excellence for serial car- Above, Icon A5s being prepared for delivery to their new owners at the company’s Vacaville, still keeping everything as big as we had set bon-fiber manufacturing opened in Tijuana California, headquarters. Below: a production A5 sits in a corner of the Icon Composites it up and dreamed would be irresponsible.” in late 2016. The advantage of Tijuana, Technology facility in Tijuana, Mexico, so employees can see what they are manufacturing. For Icon and Wieners, the tough deci- compared to other aerospace-manufac- sion to match the employee ranks to the turing centers in Mexico, is that it is close reality of the market resulted in a layoff to San Diego, simplifying transportation of of 38 percent of the personnel, reducing finished materials to the U.S. It is also eas- the headcount to 400 from 650, both in ier to attract talent, such as engineers who Vacaville and Tijuana. “Accepting that real- are U.S. citizens and want to live in the San ity check is allowing us to reset the base Diego area and commute to Tijuana. and find a path to profitability,” Wieners The Tijuana facility is now running said. “It was very well thought through. We a mature quality management system, looked at the data very carefully.” Custom- according to Wieners, with lean manufac- ers, investors, and even employees were turing methodologies employed both in supportive of the move, he said. the work done by highly trained Mexican It was important to Wieners that Icon employees and sophisticated machinery retain key management, manufacturing, to aid composites layout and production. engineering, and service talent and not This includes five-axis CNC routers, Virtek just rest on the laurels of the A5. “It’s too laser-alignment machines, FaroArm 3D instructions are available on iPads at each into serial production. There have been a early to talk about the details, but we’re still measurement and inspection systems, two station, and Icon’s enterprise resource few changes, but basically it’s the airplane pushing our innovative skills and keep inno- 65-foot-long gas-fired ovens, an autoclave, planning software keeps the instructions up as-developed, which means that we didn’t vating new stuff that we believe is going to and more. The process is called the Icon to date. There are 190 operations done at bring manufacturability into this plane. We be important for us in the future,” he said. Production System. “We focus on lean, Vacaville, and each is followed by a quality found a way how to manufacture it.” Near-term, there is strong demand for an high-quality efficiency,” he said. control inspection. All movement of parts A5 with a more powerful engine than the Employees receive above-average and use of materials is tracked automat- Rightsizing current 100-hp Rotax 912 as well as more benefits, and the working conditions are ically so refills can be timed appropriately. More recently, Wieners had to make some useful load. Because Icon didn’t use the far better than typical Tijuana-area jobs, This system is far more sophisticated tough decisions about sizing the company full amount of the weight exemption, it has with a clean, air-conditioned workspace, than what Wieners and his team faced to match the actual demand for the A5 at some margin to increase the A5’s maximum free transportation and hot lunch, and when he took over manufacturing. At the its new $389,000 price tag. The backlog is takeoff weight to add useful load, given comprehensive training, including cross- time, there were no work instructions likely not the peak of 2,000-plus airplanes, more power. Longer-term, Icon is exploring training for different tasks. nor specified tools, just a booklet of engi- but now Icon isn’t giving a precise number, new aircraft that fit its mission, but perhaps During a visit to the Tijuana center in neering drawings. Wieners admitted that after having built its first 100 airplanes (as not focused so much on recreation. And September, accompanied by vice president although he was attracted by Icon’s vision of July 22). “What we’re trying to do is with any new design, manufacturability will of manufacturing Veronica Rubio, AIN saw of bringing more people into aviation with match the production schedule with the obviously be considered from early on. parts being cured for A5 Serial Number the exciting A5, “I knew that it was going demand side,” he said. “A healthy backlog In fact, Wieners believes that Icon is in 136. The Tijuana composites experts build to be tough and that manufacturability was for us is three to six months.” This year, a unique position, having learned a great the 378 individual parts that make an A5 not priority number one, but instead, the he expects to produce 50 A5s and next deal about what it takes to build a com- and put them together into 70 subassem- flight characteristics and the aesthetic stuff year around 100, although production posite airframe in high volume. Icon’s blies that are shipped to Vacaville for final [were the focus].” Although he did plenty of could increase if demand grows. investors, some of which are in China, assembly. Much of the work is hand-layup due diligence before accepting the job, he “Those are less aggressive numbers than have the same long-term view. “There is of precision-cut composite materials; the said, “I underestimated how complicated we might have disclosed in the past,” he a big belief on their side in future flying wing spar alone has 120 plies. it was going to be to bring this airplane acknowledged. “The issue with us being worlds,” he said. “There’s strong pride To help employees understand what they in the manufacturing environment and are building, a production A5 in a corner of capability that we have set up, especially the factory highlights the company’s cur- on the carbon fiber-carbon side.” rent product. During family days, visitors The nascent urban air mobility market, get to climb into the A5’s cockpit, and there which promises to fill the sky with untold is always a long line waiting for the opportu- numbers of electric-powered eVTOL nity. “They’re proud and excited about what aircraft or long-range lightweight com- they’re doing,” said Wieners. muter-style airplanes, could learn some The original plan for the Vacaville lessons from Icon, he believes. “Those fly- facility was to manufacture composites ing cars, call it what you want, but none in one of the two buildings that Icon con- of them have the support they would structed, but now just one building is in need on a manufacturing environment use for final assembly, paint, and mainte- that would allow them to go anywhere nance, while the other one is leased out. close to volume production. This has All arriving components are carefully bought us an advance towards whatever inspected before going into inventory, it is that is coming, because we went that where they quickly move to the final assem- This fuselage assembly is nearly ready to be shipped from Mexico to Vacaville, California, for rocky road and got bloody noses creating bly line or subassembly stations. Work final assembly. that manufacturing environment.” n

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 29 Despite Hong Kong tensions, bizav traffic remains stable by Curt Epstein

Even with the protests in Hong Kong can accommodate 30 aircraft, and more that have garnered headlines since June, than 107,000 sq ft of hangar space able to business aviation travel there has not handle up to ACJ/BBJ-class aircraft. been drastically affected, according to HKBAC averages 20 to 25 movements the Hong Kong Business Aviation Cen- a day and provides fueling from the tre (HKBAC), the lone FBO on the field, airport’s Shell-supplied tank farm. It which has seen only minimal erosion. operates three tankers with a combined “Surprisingly, our movements haven’t capacity of 12,680 gallons, but due to While economic tides wrack the region, the hangars and ramp at the Hong Kong Business changed much, and I can say it’s business demand from more and larger aircraft, Aviation Centre are still seeing plenty of business, according to the company. as usual,” said Minnie Kan, the compa- the two hydrant ports that were installed ny’s head of business development. She on its ramp in 2017 are seeing increased service around China’s Greater Bay Area. when it comes to suitable airports in the told AIN that the facility saw double- usage. They are proving very useful in “For the entrepreneurs within Shenzhen, area, giving HKBAC more competition digit growth last year over 2017, and that periods of peak demand when the trip to the demand is there,” Kan said. “They than it has faced in its two decades. this past August, during the height of refill trucks at the fuel farm could take want to extend to Hong Kong to connect “A couple of years ago they did not have the unrest, which saw the airport actu- upwards of half an hour. both cities with so many global compa- these choices, either because of the lack ally shut down for a day due to protests, Among the advances, this past August nies to facilitate their business.” of the road transport or the [aviation] business aviation traffic (which makes up saw the first trial flight of a civil helicop- With the development of land bridges facilities were not up to standard as well,” better-than 90 percent of HKBAC’s clien- ter between Hong Kong International and connecting Hong Kong to the mainland, said Kan. “In time, they have also grown tele) was up year-over-year for the month. Zhuhai Airport on the mainland. While road travel linking Hong Kong with des- up a lot, so that’s why we say we have to “We found that the government and air- the planning for the event involved many tinations such as Macau, Zhuhai, and maintain our competitiveness. We’re not port authority found ways to maintain permit-related “hiccups,” it could some- Shenzhen has become much easier, and a monopoly, indeed, if we look at the big- the smooth operation of the airport and day pave the way for regular rotorcraft business aviation now has more choices ger circle.” n indeed they keep in very close communication with the stakeholders,” said Kan. She attributes an overall decline in the region’s business aviation traffic to economic worries. “It dropped a lot in some handling characteristics. GE said the iron Chinese cities because of the overall eco- NBAA-BACE 2019 bird has completed 300 hours of testing. nomic downturn or the China-U.S. trade In terms of the Denali’s airframe, Textron war tensions, but still in Hong Kong, we said it was nearing wingmate of the proto- maintained the level of 2018,” Kan said. Cessna Denali first flight delayed to 2020 type aircraft. All told, the company has three “The demand is still there, and they still flight test and three ground test articles, the try to get the slots that they want.” With five development engines assembled requirements. Engine design and perfor- latter of which will be used for airframe static She added that discussions and coor- and more than 1,600 hours of combined oper- mance has been proven through extensive and fatigue tests, as well as cabin interior dination between the government, the ation between engine test hours, GE Aviation’s component and development testing.” development and testing. airport, and Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation new Catalyst turboprop engine is progressing A combination of newer turboprop testing Along with the Catalyst engine, the Department have resulted in additional toward a flying testbed on the launch appli- standards and engine preparations required Denali will be equipped with Garmin slot allocations for business aviation cation, the Textron Aviation Denali. However, for its flying testbed are driving a delay in the G3000 touchscreen avionics, including flights. They can be requested through the engine maker won’t deliver the first Denali initial delivery of GE Aviation’s new Catalyst three, 14-inch diagonal, wide-screen LCDs, HKBAC Connect, the FBO’s online order- flight-test engine to Textron Aviation until turboprop to Textron Aviation for the Cessna synthetic vision, ADS-B In/Out, and weather ing system where customers can place their sometime in 2020, GE officials confirmed on Denali, said Brad Mottier, v-p and general avoidance radar. flight handling requests, including desired the eve of NBAA-BACE. Both Textron Aviation manager of business, general aviation, and With an expected range of 1,600 nm, a fuel uplift. An enhanced application, which and GE Aviation had anticipated first flight of integrated systems for GE Aviation. maximum cruise speed of 285 knots, and will debut next year, will provide custom- the Denali later this year. The primary holdup has been eight test a full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds, the air- ers with instant flight status information, “Given the delay in the engine delivery, certification requirements for turboprop plane is configurable for both passenger such as the arrival of crew and passen- we are not putting a timeline on first flight of engines put in place by the FAA over the and cargo missions with its flat floor. gers to the terminal, as well as their bag- the Denali,” the Wichita airframer said. “Tex- past 10 years. It includes a 53-by-59-inch rear cargo gage. Such information would be of use to tron Aviation is pleased with the performance The Denali iron bird ground-test article door, as well as executive features such as operators and executives’ personal assis- of the engine, and Catalyst development continues to test Fadec and engine con- a digital pressurization system that main- tants. “Instead of passively waiting for our testing has met or exceeded the program nectivity, avionics functionality, and aircraft tains a 6,130-foot cabin to 31,000 feet and stakeholders or clients to call in, we would an optional externally serviceable belted like to be more proactive to provide this lavatory with pocket door. Large passen- information to them,” said Charise Shek, ger windows, interior LED lighting, and HKBAC’s head of customer service. options for a refreshment cabinet and an While aircraft parking had been a in-flight-accessible baggage compartment long-standing problem at the airport, that round out the Denali’s features. has largely been resolved, according to Denali offers six individual reclining Shek, HKBAC’s head of customer service. seats, club-configuration tables, and a She noted that with the recent opening of refreshment unit in executive configuration, the midfield parking area, the airport now and nine forward-facing seats in a high-den- has approximately 70 stands for business sity commuter configuration. aviation, with parking permitted for up to “It’s an airplane that we think can have 14 days, one of the longest periods allowed a big impact on the marketplace,” Textron at an Asian airport. The FBO itself, which senior v-p of sales and marketing Rob Scholl celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, First flight of Textron Aviation’s Cessna Denali should take place next year. told AIN. J.S. has more than 12 acres of ramp space that

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CAC2104_Longitude - Let the Revolution Begin_(21.625 x 13.875).indd 1 Client: Textron Aviation 11/12/19 11:51 AM Ad Title: Longitude - Let the Revolution Begin Publication: AIN (DPS) Trim: 21.625” x 13.875” Bleed: 22.125” x 14.125” Live: 20” x 12.875” The operator may also induct preowned aircraft into the fleet until orders for new aircraft go ahead. “We can’t be too picky and say, ‘We’re only going to buy BBJs,’” he said. “We’re looking for a couple of those under the radar right now. We haven’t hired a broker. We’re just search- ing the market ourselves.” Change is afoot after Royal Jet moved into new headquarters adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport this year. Three new board members have been appointed, including a woman. “We’re heading into a new era. We’re just getting the board up to speed with the plans that we’ve been making and some of the initiatives we’ve been moving ahead with, but it’s really another signal of a new era. There’s lots of tweaking, making the company more efficient, making sure our customers are happy, bringing back some of the customers we used to As it awaits delivery of new aircraft—likely not for several years—Abu Dhabi-based Royal Jet is planning to refurbish six of its BBJs that are have, and getting the financial foundation nearly 20 years old. The company plans to maintain a mix of older and newer aircraft to suit clients’ varied requirements. as strong as possible. “We’re in a really strong position. We have a better cash situation than we’ve ever had. We’ve had record profitability Royal Jet moves to refurbish its fleet for 2016, 2017, and 2018 and it’s another record already in 19. We’ve already over- by Peter Shaw-Smith performed 2018, as of September, so we have a final quarter to go even further. Abu Dhabi-based charter operator Royal different outfitters for the [equipment], to do something about that situation.” We’re just controlling costs better than Jet has launched a tender to refurbish and we’re going to be closing that bid He said the company is also at the we ever had. And we’re bringing utiliza- six BBJs that are approaching 20 years at the end of this month. We hope soon advanced stages of discussions with both tion to a higher level.” of age, and, longer-term, intends to place after that to get the design process going. Airbus and Boeing on the purchase of new Core business at Royal Jet has always orders for multiple new aircraft, deliver- That’s probably a $20 million project to aircraft. “So multiple aircraft over mul- been charter. “VIP charter, in particular, ies of which are unlikely before 2022 at refresh [the fleet].” tiple years to get our fleet to the point has been 70 percent of our business,” the earliest, CEO Rob DiCastri, told AIN Royal Jet operates a total of eight where it’s a mix of newer and older air- he said. “[Today, the customer base] is last month. BBJs, two of which were delivered new craft. We have customers that are willing more diverse. We’re flying a lot more “On [October 31], we launched a ten- in December 2016, bringing the fleet to pay [to use] the brand-new aircraft. heads of state from other countries than der for all six aircraft, to refurbish four to 10 aircraft, with the inclusion of two The older aircraft are fine as long as the ever. We’re still doing as much business of them and put high-speed Wi-Fi on all Global 5000s. “The [original] six BBJs are configurations are good and the interiors as before with the Presidential Flight, but six,” he said. “We’ve gone out to eight [almost] 20 years old,” he said. “We need are nice.” it’s a smaller percentage overall.” n

But even further evidence of this col- of the industry’s best known and most FAA sees trust growing laboration has been a jump in submis- respected conferences. The longevity of sions to the various voluntary reporting this event and the diversity represented programs, Miller said. In the last full fis- demonstrate a key point that goes along with compliance program cal year for which the FAA has data on the heart of this year’s theme ‘Elevating the Aviation Safety Reporting System, Standards,’ that when it comes to aviation by Kerry Lynch submissions had grown to more than safety, we’re all a team.” n 96,000 reports. Submissions to the Avia- As the FAA’s compliance program enters the former approach to accountability that tion Safety Action Program in the last 12 its fifth year, a senior FAA official says the places blame and focuses on function to months grew to 131,000 reports, a 26 per- agency and industry are seeing evidence of an accountability that accepts responsibil- cent increase over 2016. Submissions to NEWS note growing trust, transparency, and effective ity and results in action for change. the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting pro- Cirrus Aircraft is adding Garmin’s use of safety management systems (SMS). “Compliance means a lot more than just gram had reached 2,200, he said, adding, Autoland capability (see page 1) to its Tim Miller, director of FAA’s Office of Air following the rules. Far more important “These numbers are phenomenal. That’s G2 Vision Jet, with certification of the Carrier Safety Assurance, told attendees is proactive risk management,” he said. how we’re developing standards.” autonomous emergency landing system at Bombardier’s 23rd annual Safety Stand- Improvement in safety, he added, “rises Miller acknowledged he is preparing to expected in early 2020. The Cirrus Safe down last month, “I am happy to report from the operators’ willingness and abil- retire from the agency and said while he has Return Emergency Autoland system will we are making progress.” ity to proactivity address risk manage- found his career rewarding, “When people be a standard feature on the Vision Jet The compliance program relies on volun- ment to deal with the issues that cannot ask me what I am most proud of, I can point once the system is certified. tary reporting and corrective actions such be addressed by federal regulations.” to the work the FAA and the industry have Safe Return is a capability available as training and improved procedures to This requires communication, coop- done to raise the bar of safety.” to aircraft manufacturers that equip address deviations or safety issues. Enforce- eration, and collaboration, he added. In Along with compliance and informa- their airplanes with Garmin’s G3000 ment instead is reserved for “the reckless, evidence of this growing collaboration, he tion sharing is the adoption of safety (Perspective+ in the Vision Jet) avionics inappropriate risk-taking, or those that are pointed to an air carrier that changed its management systems, as well as the agen- and Garmin’s autothrottle. Cirrus added unwilling or unable to comply,” Miller said. procedures after improperly flying pas- cy’s move to realign its divisions to focus the autothrottle with the upgraded G2 The compliance program is simple but sengers without following the regulations. more on function rather than geography. version earlier this year. has many moving parts that require atten- He also pointed to the industry collabora- He also praised the Safety Stand- Piper Aircraft is also offering Auto- tion to detail both on the regulator and the tion with the FAA on illegal charter, not- down, saying the sustained efforts of land on the new M600 SLS. n industry side, he said. It moves away from ing this is requiring information sharing. the annual seminar have made it “one

34 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com risk of incapacitation in flight is equivalent protocol that accounted for the updates in glu- FAA clears way for pilots to, or lower than pilots who do not have cose monitoring and other medical treatments. insulin-treated diabetes. Their risk, like the Under the policy, individuals with ITDM risk presented by pilots who do not have may apply for a special issuance for any class with diabetes | by Kerry Lynch insulin-treated diabetes, is nonzero, but of medical certificates if they follow the new extremely improbable.” protocol. Those seeking third-class certifi- The U.S. FAA has developed a new recommends that the FAA update its pol- After studying the current protocol, as well cates may continue to use the previous pro- medical protocol that paves the icy to reflect current diabetes medicine. An as the safety record of commercial and ATP tocol or opt for the new protocol. way for people with diabetes to ADA expert panel concluded, “There are pilots permitted to fly with diabetes in the The FAA is accepting comments on the seek airline transport or commer- pilots with insulin-treated diabetes whose UK and Canada, the FAA developed a new notice through January 6. n cial pilot flying privileges. A notice published in the November 7 Fed- eral Register reverses the agency’s long-standing policy that limited persons with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) to third- class medical certificates that were granted under a special-issuance, on a case-by-case basis. “Previously available medical science, treatment, and monitoring have allowed the FAA to safely provide special-issue third-class medical certificates for private pilot privileges since 1996, but was not sufficient to meet the higher levels of safety demanded for applicants considered for airline transport or commercial pilot duties,” the agency said. But advancements in medical science, including the ability for continuous glucose monitoring, make “it possible to mitigate flight safety risk so that applicants seeking first- or second-class special-issuance medical certification may be considered for the exer- cise of either airline transport or commercial pilot privileges.” The FAA opted for the change after consulting with the Ameri- can Diabetes Association, which

NEWS note Embraer Executive Jets is relo- cating the production line for its Legacy and Praetor midsize and super-midsize jets to Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, where it manu- factures the KC-390 military transport twinjet. That was the message from Embraer Execu- tive Jets president and CEO Mi- chael Amalfitano when he gave a preview of what the company will look like after its commercial aircraft joint venture with Boeing receives EU anti-trust approval. The Embraer Executive Jets site at São Jose dos Campos, Brazil, will be going to the commercial joint venture with Boeing. “We’re currently in the process of moving the tooling and production to Gaviao Peixoto,” Amal- fitano said. So that’s where we will start the process for bringing the product to Melbourne (Florida) for final assembly and delivery to our customers.” n

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 35 NBAA-BACE 2019 Honeywell report forecasts short-term delivery bump by Curt Epstein

Aircraft systems manufacturer Honey- 73 percent of the total valuation over well Aerospace predicts 7,600 business that span, leaving just 27 percent of the jet deliveries worth approximately $248 market value for the midsize and light jet billion over the next decade. The Arizona- categories. based company issued its 28th annual Based on the results of those opera- Global Business Aviation Outlook on the tor interviews 17.2 percent of the global eve of October’s NBAA-BACE, covering a fleet is to be replaced or expanded with a period through 2029. This year’s prognos- new business jet over the next five years, tication is down slightly from last year’s a decrease of 2.5 percentage points from forecast, which called for 7,700 aircraft last year’s survey. Of the total purchase deliveries worth $251 billion. plans over the next five years, 35 percent Among the aircraft the company tracks are expected to happen over the next two in its survey (excluding personal jets and years. By the third year, that percentage Over the next decade, Honeywell Aerospace forecasts deliveries of 7,600 business jets (not bizliners), Honeywell lowered its 2019 will swell to 57 percent., which is five counting bizliners such as the BBJ and ACJ, or personal jets like the VisionJet), worth an delivery numbers from 715 to 690 jets, points higher than last year’s results. approximate $248 billion. due to longer-than-anticipated certifica- Yet, the company added, operators tion times on some programs and slow indicated a stronger willingness to pursue In Europe, where flight activity has Brazil indicated slightly lower plans com- ramp-up rates on others. That still rep- used aircraft. Operators worldwide noted been on a recent decline, purchase expec- pared with last year. resents a rise from 2018’s 633 deliveries, that 32 percent of their fleet is expected to tations decreased by five points to 28 per- Asia-Pacific is forecast to see an increase and the aerospace giant sees even more be replaced or expanded with preowned cent. Planned timing for those purchases in the percentage of fleet to be replaced or on the horizon for next year. jets over the next five years, an increase in the first two years of the survey win- expanded from last year, moving from 12 “Production ramp-up on many new busi- of 8 percent over last year’s survey. Taken dow totals 34 percent, one point behind percent to 15 percent, with 24 percent of ness jet platforms will lead to a 7 percent with the new aircraft purchase plans, that last year’s survey. Another surprise in this those intended purchases happening by the increase in deliveries in 2020, following a would actually represent an increase in year’s results involved the UK, where, as a end of 2020. Handfield said many of those strong projected growth in 2019 over 2018 aircraft purchases over last year, accord- result of the continuing Brexit stalemate, involve orders already placed with the man- aircraft deliveries,” said Heath Patrick, the ing to Handfield. new aircraft purchases could be expected ufacturers and are simply awaiting delivery. company’s president for Americas after- Taken by region, new jet purchase plans to be lower than last year, but actually While China remained stable in the region, market. “We are confident that these new declined by 2 percent in North America, with increased in the survey. the survey indicated increased demand and innovative aircraft models will support 15 percent of the installed fleet expected to “The two countries that are down this from India and South Korea. solid growth in the short term and have a be replaced or supplemented through 2024. year in Europe are Germany and France, In the Middle East and Africa, 12 per- continuing impact on new business jet pur- Thirty-six percent of those purchases are which could be linked to Brexit anxiety, cent of the survey respondents said they chases in the mid- and long-term.” expected in the next 24 months, while inter- but could also be linked with the econ- anticipated a new jet purchase, down two The company predicts total deliveries est in used jets rose by 11 points over last omy, especially in Germany [which] is in a points from last year’s results. Of those, of 740 jets in 2020, according to Gaetan year’s survey. A full one-third of the fleet is recession right now,” said Handfield. 32 percent indicated that purchase would Handfield, its senior manager of market- expected to be replaced or expanded with Latin American operators expect to come in the first two years of the outlook. ing analysis who prepared the outlook. a used aircraft over the next five years, the replace 21 percent of their fleet over the Overall, the aircraft with the most Between June and September, the highest percentage recorded over the past next five years. While purchase intentions intended purchase mentions was the company surveyed more than 1,600 five years of the survey. remain stable in Mexico, operators in Bombardier Challenger 350. n aircraft operators, accounting for 13.5 percent of the world’s private jet fleet. Fractional ownership providers were not included, but are estimated to account for up to 14 percent of total Preowned bizjet values rise for first time in a decade unit deliveries over the next five years. Those interviews, along with informa- The preowned business jet market has of brokers and it was the first year that we look at the Gulfstream lineup, a $45 million tion from OEMs, are used to shape the finally rebounded from its decade-long saw a strong recovery of the midsize and aircraft is about the fourth most expensive in first half-decade of the outlook, while decline following the global economic light jets in addition to the ultra jets.” the lineup, and a preowned $15 million to $25 economic models weigh more heavily in downturn of 2008/2009, according to Recovery means aircraft values have million G550 is an incredible value.” the latter half. Michael Dwyer, managing partner of aircraft now stabilized and in some cases are going While aircraft interior appearance is brokerage, appraisal, and consulting firm up as inventories begin to shrink. Dwyer important when selling an aircraft, with Regional Outlook Guardian Jet. While the ultra-long-range jet noted that preowned Gulfstream G550s, tasteful earthy tones still favored among Honeywell sees North America account- market began recovering about five years Falcon 7Xs, and Global 5000/6000s are most buyers, Dwyer said buyers are gener- ing for 60 percent of the demand over the ago with sales to high-net-worth individu- especially in high demand as many first- ally more interested in connectivity options next five years, followed by Europe (19 als traveling to and from emerging markets time jet buyers who are moving up from than the aircraft cosmetics. percent), Asia Pacific (10 percent), Latin in Asia and South America, last year saw chartering light and midsize jets are buying “You have very sophisticated charter and America (7 percent), and the Middle East/ recovery for the entire preowned market, super-midsize and larger jets. fractional customers that are demanding Africa (4 percent). Of those intended pur- Dwyer said. “Some of the ultra-long-range equipment is connectivity in the back of the aircraft,” he chases, 42 percent mention large-cabin “The overall preowned market took a seeing a very healthy rebound because of the pointed out. “As long as the cabin looks jets, with midsize (which now includes bump up in 2017 when the U.S. passed pricing of new aircraft,” said Dwyer. “A decade new and everything works, for the first- the super-midsize category for the first bonus depreciation and that carried over to ago, a new G550 at $40 million to $50 million time buyer it’s all about the cabin man- time) and light jets accounting for 29 2018,” Dwyer told AIN at NBAA-BACE 2019. was as much money as you could spend on a agement system, internet connectivity, percent each. The bigger jets (including “So 2018 was a record-setting year for a lot new aircraft—it was top of the line. Now if you and the entertainment system.” K.R. bizliners) are expected to account for

36 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com Embraer’s E195-E2 makes North American debut by Jerry Siebenmark

Embraer executives told a group of jour- aircraft’s forward fuselage—has made nalists gathered at the Brazilian airframer’s stops in China, Southeast Asia, Europe, Fort Lauderdale, Florida headquarters in and North America. It will wrap up its mid-October that they’re still bullish on the tour this year with stops in South America, prospects for the company’s new E-Jets E2 Africa, and the Middle East, including the

line, despite union scope clauses that will Dubai Airshow in mid-November. SIEBENMARK) JERRY limit sales of the airframer’s newest range Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Embraer’s E195-E2 made a stop at Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a media flight as of passenger jets in the U.S. “Now if we look PW1900G geared turbofans providing up part of its North American demonstration tour in mid-October. today where we are globally, we see almost to 23,000 pounds of thrust, the E195-E2 30 percent of the market up to 150 seats is comes in a trio of two-by-two seating con- aerodynamically advanced, high-aspect-ra- much of any sales of the E2 jets to represented by Embraer,” Embraer Com- figurations: three-class with 120 seats, sin- tio wings, improved systems, Honeywell regional airlines in the U.S., where it mercial Aviation chief commercial officer gle-class with 132 seats, or single-class with Primus Epic 2 avionics, fourth-genera- claims to have more than 80 percent of Arjan Meijer said. “And we believe that this 146 seats, the latter of which has 28 inches tion fly-by-wire flight controls, and the the 76-seat regional jet market. That’s percentage will go up in the future.” of pitch between seat rows. A fully loaded P&W geared turbofans (PW1700G on the because the scope clauses limit regional The journalists were gathered to experi- E195-E2 has a range of 2,600 nm with a E175-E2 and PW1900G on the E190 and jets to a maximum of 76 seats and mtow ence flying on Embraer’s newest and larg- 41,000-foot ceiling, maximum cruise of E195-E2s). Meijer noted that the E195-E2 of 86,000 pounds. All three E2 variants est of the E-Jets line, the E195-E2, which Mach 0.82, and mtow of 135,584 pounds. during flight testing achieved a 25.2 per- exceed those measures. has been on a global tour that kicked off Launched in 2013, the E-Jets E2 cent fuel-burn reduction compared with Still, Embraer executives point to with the Paris Air Show in June following line—which in addition to the E195-E2 the E195, while the E190-E2 saw a 17.3 per- demand from outside the U.S. for its type certification in April 2019 by ANAC, includes the E190-E2 (certified in 2018) cent fuel-burn reduction over its prede- new E2 jets. At this year’s Paris Air Show, the FAA, and the European Union Aviation and E175-E2—is aimed at offering new cessor, also during flight testing. The first alone, the company recorded firm orders Safety Agency. Since then, the single-aisle variants with improved fuel consump- E175-E2 prototype is in final assembly with and commitments for up to 37 E195-E2s jet that’s adorned from nose-to-tail in what tion, emissions, noise, maintenance expected entry-into-service in 2021. from Spain’s Binter Canarias (two firm Embraer calls the “TechLion” livery—with costs, and longer maintenance intervals. Unless union scope clauses change, orders) and KLM (15 firm orders and 20 “Profit Hunter” emblazoned along the Embraer said it’s done so through adding it’s not likely that Embraer will see purchase rights). n

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ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 37 continued from page 20 improvement. The other benefits are The teaching itself is not just the time program to fit the student, all with the goal figure out how to provide a more objective that FlightSmart helps instructors shift in the simulator, but afterward when the of improving mastery of the subject and evaluation of student performance. As from mundane tasks to truly being able instructor can fully debrief the student, tasks. The instructor will become more Littrell put it, “We consider FlightSmart to observe and help their students. It also again based on objective information that of a training or learning manager who can a revolutionary tool that is designed to promotes standardization of instructors, captures exactly what the student was doing. help guide the student toward success. turn the aviation professional training Littrell said. “[For a] steep turn,” Littrell said, “if they FlightSafety students and instruc- experience on its head. It’s focusing on “We’ve all seen those examiners and deviate on altitude by 126 feet, a good tors can view FlightSmart information the individual themselves, but it also can instructors—some are more stringent; and instructor is going to be able to deduce on their own dashboards, accessible via focus on the population as a whole or a others are more lax. So we worked towards within reason what may have caused them to browser software and including an overall subset of a population. We’re tailoring the standardizing them. There are reports that deviate from that altitude. But we are using competency assessment grading view. training to the specific needs, strengths, can be run to look at the scores of students machine learning to drive to the root cause Students will be able to see their scores weaknesses, and focus areas through that a particular instructor has, to look for of what caused them to deviate. We have all by task; the top three reasons for failure; objective evidence and machine learning.” variations. But one of our key drivers from the parameters available to us, and machine next suggested training tasks; the top The collaboration with IBM’s Watson an instructor standpoint is reducing the learning looks at those and in essence cre- three recommended next actions; master service, he added, “is utilizing advanced burden on them.” ates an error chain to determine what was percentage; and progression trend graph. algorithms, machine learning, artifi- The burden takes the form of the rap- the ultimate root cause of that deviation on The dashboard for instructors (training cial intelligence, all of those cognitive idly growing amount of content that must altitude. It may have been two minutes and managers) will show ranking of students technologies to provide the objective be taught in the same limited period of 36 seconds ago you bumped the rudder pedal, by scores, mastery level, and training task evidence or objective evaluation of the time. “There are a lot of times they’re very which destabilized you, which led to this.” score; the likelihood of additional training student’s performance as they’re in the task-burdened,” he said. “Our mission from Once debriefed, students can take that required; and the likelihood of washout. entire training ecosystem. Our initial the outset was to reduce the burden as much critique and practice on their own to hone development started focusing solely on as possible for those instructors. Providing their skills, using FlightSafety’s advanced FlightSmart Security the simulator side, capturing the data the objective evaluation is one element of training devices or graphical flight deck It goes without saying that secure storage out of the simulators and applying the that. Another element is the automatic simulators, which can also incorporate of all the data gathered by FlightSmart is algorithms to first automatically identify identification of the training tasks. We FlightSmart. This will also help make the critical, and FlightSafety has taken this what training tasks were accomplished don’t want the instructor having to make a actual full-flight simulator training por- into account. during that training session.” selection while they’re in the simulator and tion more effective. “The way we approach that is, first, we The important factor here, however, is distracting them from what they’re there to More important is that FlightSmart will only identify data to the level that we what standards apply for measuring the be doing, which is the teaching.” be used to continually hone the training received permission to identify it,” said student’s performance. Should it be the Littrell. That means it is up to the cus- FAA Airman Certification Standards, as tomer to specify whether the data is flown perfectly by the simulator? recorded anonymously or that the orga- According to Littrell, “We go more nization is identified or the identify of granular than that rather than just an the person undergoing training is avail- A/B-, pass/fail-type evaluation.” There is able to the customer. “Every organization scoring against the overt regulator-de- has their own unique requirements as it rived standard, but FlightSmart also uses pertains to data privacy,” he added. “We a “gold-standard baseline,” which is based work with each customer to ensure that on captured human performance. we meet not only the letter of the law but With skilled pilots at the controls, also their internal requirements. FlightSmart “captured their sessions But FlightSmart’s benefits extend well flying that particular training task and beyond the simulator and it can be inte- then worked up a baseline based on all grated into learning/training management that data,” he said. “We could have the systems, classroom environments, com- simulator fly a perfect steep turn or what- puter-based training, etc., to help pilots ever the case was. But, but that’s not real- from early in their career throughout istic, that doesn’t take into account the their professional flying lifecycle. human element. So we opted to use actual “We’re seeing interest from all over the humans to create that baseline. The way industry,” said Littrell, “including large machine learning and analytics work, the commercial operators to single-pilots, more data you have, the smarter it gets. ab initio training, and universities.” The So over time, the baseline will continue FlightSmart dashboards show students their scores by task; the next suggested training FlightSafety Academy, which teaches to improve and be more reflective of the tasks; the top three recommended next actions; and master percentage. Instructors will new pilots, is also looking to implement pilot population and that gold standard.” show ranking of students by scores, mastery level, and training task score. FlightSmart. The next step is evaluating the stu- While some FlightSafety instructors dent’s performance against the new stan- worried that FlightSmart was designed dard. This isn’t just a matter of plotting to replace them, and students worry the physical measurement of a student’s that the computer will try to determine flying to the baseline standard, but more whether they are or aren’t qualified to fly, about assessing the intangible qualities of the company is sending a clear message. skillful flying. “It’s also evaluating the— “My goal is to provide you with additional for lack of a better term—the smooth- resources to make you better,” Littrell ness of their flying or their style of flying,” concluded. “It’s the same with students. Littrell explained. “Looking at the fre- We’re not trying to determine whether quency and amplitude of their plotline; you should or should not continue flying, are they manhandling the controls? Are our goal is to make you a better pilot and they smooth and precise? Are they behind provide you with the knowledge neces- the power curve, slow to respond to devi- sary to hone your skills.” n ations, and so forth?” The benefits don’t just accrue to the students, who not only get scored on their performance but also get an objec- YOUR SOURCE FOR AVIATION NEWS tive evaluation of their performance, www.ainonline.com with information that can help drive

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Airbus unveils stealthy LOUT Su-35Ss to Russian Knights; maybe Turkey by David Donald The Russian Knights air display team of At the same time, he and other officials the Russian Air and Space Force (VKS) has insisted Ankara would prefer to stay with Airbus has lifted the veil on its Low-Ob- are included to demonstrate the ability received four single-seat Sukhoi Su-35S the F-35, provided that the U.S. reverses servable UAV Testbed (LOUT) program, to overcome discontinuities in the fuse- multirole fighters. The delivery ceremony its earlier decision to eliminate Turkey from which it has been working on in “Skunk lage skin. The skin is treated to provide took place on Thursday, November 7, at the program. Works”-like secrecy since 2007. The pro- surface-wave attenuation that decouples the Kubinka air force base, the team’s Daily Sabah reported that Turkish and gram has recently completed its “iterative mutually spaced scattering effects. home airfield. Russian officials were discussing details camouflage optimization” phase, prompt- LOUT is intended to demonstrate a The Russian defense ministry made a of the Russian offer for 36 Su-35s. The ing Airbus and the German defense min- holistic approach to low observability, point that the Su-35S would supplement proposal was put on the table shortly after istry to partially lift the lid on the project including signature reduction in radar, rather than replace the Su-30SM two-seat- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inspected and provide some details about the pro- thermal, acoustic, and visual domains, ers that the Russian Knights have been a number of modern Russian combat jets gram. The non-flying testbed was shown as well as the use of electronic counter- operating for two years. on display at MAKS 2019. Soon after, Ser- to media in carefully controlled condi- measures and electromagnetic emission In the meantime, Turkey has acknowl- gei Chemezov, general director at Rostec tions while it was mounted on a pole in a control. Moreover, notional mission edged that it received a proposal con- corporation, said he would be willing to sell radar cross-section (RCS) measurement management systems are integrated so cerning Su-35s. Ismail Demir, head of the Sukhoi jets to Turkey should the customer anechoic chamber at Airbus’s Manching that mission planning can be optimized Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), “express a desire” to buy them. Later, head plant in southern Germany. to take account of the detailed signa- told the NTV broadcaster on November of Federal Service of Military-Technical Airbus Germany and its predecessors ture characteristics of the craft. Atten- 1, “There is an offer and we are evaluat- Cooperation (local acronym FSVTS) Dmitry began studying various stealthy configu- tion has been paid to low RCS across a ing it. The offer’s financial and strategic Shugaev, mentioned “a progressive inter- rations in 2007, following which LOUT wide frequency spectrum, from VHF to aspects will be examined; there cannot be action in this area” between the Russians was formally launched by the German Ka-band. an immediate decision.” and the Turks. V.K. MoD in 2010. By 2015 the baseline shape Following the construction of the of LOUT had been fixed. The path to the LOUT, it was placed in an anechoic cham- final shape began with 2D planform eval- ber for a rigorous series of signature mea- uations, followed by 3D layouts, and then surements to establish a reference. The full 3D configurations. The three most craft was designed with modularity in promising were built in scale-model form mind to permit the replacement of key and tested in the wind tunnel to assess elements. Some sub-components have aerodynamic properties before the final been redesigned, or received new treat- configuration was selected. ments, to counter various “hot-spots” and The final shape is a four-tonne dia- other issues or to test new technologies. mond-shaped craft measuring around 12 This iterative camouflage optimization meters in both span and length, repre- phase is now complete. sentative of a craft with a specified range LOUT is not intended to produce a and high-subsonic speed performance. flying testbed, but to provide a vehicle It has low-RCS diverterless inlets and a for developing and understanding low thrust-vectoring flat exhaust nozzle that observable technologies to inform other A price tag of below $80 million is a powerful tool in Lockheed Martin’s effort to sell more F-35As. are shielded from ground-based sensors. products. It is expected that such technol- The LOUT incorporates a glazed cock- ogies will find their way into forthcoming pit and glazed apertures to represent the Typhoon fighter developments as part installation of electro-optical sensors. It of that program’s Long Term Evolution LM receives $7B F-35 order, also has a representative cover on the (LTE) roadmap, and it will contribute to spine for an aperture that could accommo- elements of the Future Combat Air Sys- date an electronically-scanned antenna for tem (FCAS/SCAF) being developed by F-35A cost dips below $80M communications, using spread-spectrum France, Germany, and Spain, including datalinks for low probability of intercept. low-RCS remote carriers and the New On October 28, the Pentagon announced million in Lot 13, and $77.9 million in Lot 14. Weapons bay and undercarriage doors Generation Fighter. n a contract modification worth just over The latter figure represents a 12.8 percent $7 billion that covers the acquisition of reduction compared with Lot 11 pricing. 114 Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft for U.S. Similar cost-savings have been achieved forces and foreign customers. The procure- for the other two versions. The price of an ment comprises 48 F-35As for the U.S. Air F-35C carrier variant falls to $94.4 million Force; 20 F-35Bs for the U.S. Marine Corps; by Lot 14, a reduction of 13.2 percent, while nine F-35Cs for the U.S. Navy; 12 F-35As for a Lot 14 F-35B STOVL aircraft will cost 12.3 the Royal Norwegian Air Force; 15 F-35As percent less, at $101.3 million. The F-35B has for the Royal Australian Air Force; and eight always been the most expensive due to its F-35As plus two F-35Bs for Italy. sophisticated propulsion system. At the same time, Lockheed Martin and The sub-$80 million unit price is sig- the F-35 Joint Program Office have agreed nificant as the F-35 competes for interna- to a new $34 billion pricing structure for tional business while also facing domestic 478 F-35s that sees the unit price of the competition for funding from Boeing’s F-35A conventional take-off/landing ver- Advanced Eagle. “With smart acquisition sion fall below the goal of $80 million strategies, strong government-indus- for the first time, ahead of an aggressive try partnership and a relentless focus cost-reduction schedule. on quality and cost-reduction, the F-35 The structure covers aircraft in produc- Enterprise has successfully reduced pro- tion Lots 12, 13, and 14, comprising 291 for curement costs of the fifth-generation U.S. forces, 127 for F-35 international part- F-35 to equal or less than fourth-gener- ners, and 60 for Foreign Military Sales cus- ation legacy aircraft,” said Greg Ulmer, LOUT includes doors for a weapons bay and landing gear. The thrust-vectoring nozzle is located tomers. The cost of an F-35A and its engine Lockheed Martin, F-35 program vice pres- above the rear part to shield it from ground-based sensors. falls from $82.4 million in Lot 12 to $79.2 ident and general manager. D.D.

40 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com at the destination at 5:30. There we each most poignant was a middle-aged blond Other Voices checked in and received an identification man who approached, and in an accented lanyard and T-shirt, blue for the veterans, voice said “I am Dutch. Thank you for free- gray for the guardians. ing my people and saving my country.” On Honor Flight for military vets We boarded a line of buses and at 6:30, the monument, there is a wall of remem- the convoy departed for the half-hour ride brance consisting of more than 4,000 gold by Curt Epstein to Stewart International Airport, escorted stars, each representing 100 U.S. service- by approximately 250 motorcyclists who men who lost their lives in the war. They are called the Greatest Genera- the Honor Flight Network. By 2017, a braved the pre-dawn darkness to show The next stop was the Lincoln Memo- tion, the soldiers, pilots, and sailors total of 130 regional hubs existed across their respect. Along the way, we passed rial for a group photo, before dispersing who fought and won World War II, and the U.S., and they had transported more illuminated highway signs thanking the to the nearby Korean War and Vietnam there are fewer of them every day. After than 200,000 WWII, Korean War, and veterans, fire trucks hoisting giant Amer- War Memorials. There were at least three the National World War II Memorial Vietnam War veterans on expense-paid ican flags from their extended ladders, other Honor Flight chapters visiting D.C. opened on the National Mall between trips to view their memorials. and local law enforcement members who while we were there, each wearing its the Washington Monument and Lincoln On October 12, I had the proud task of stood by their vehicles and saluted. own specific colored T-shirts and identi- Memorial in 2004, Earl Morse, a retired serving as my 94-year-old WWII-veteran On arrival at Stewart, saluting junior fication badges showing which war they Air Force captain and physician assistant uncle’s escort/guardian on the Hudson Air Force ROTC members from a local served in. The Honor Flights are typically who worked in a Department of Veterans Valley (N.Y.) Honor Flight’s 24th mission. high school formed a line leading us to the conducted in the spring and the fall when Affairs clinic in Springfield, Ohio, realized It was not a mere spur-of-the-moment airport terminal, where several hundred the D.C. weather is most hospitable to that many of his WWII patients would not whim. An application needed to be filled people waited to greet the veterans and nonagenarians. Our group consisted of 10 be able to travel to D.C. to visit it. out, indicating if he would be traveling see them off. After a brief ceremony, we WWII vets, 37 Korean War, 20 Cold War A private pilot, Morse offered to fly with a friend or family member. Those boarded the chartered American Airlines and 16 Vietnam War vets. with two veterans to Washington, and without their own guardian would be jet for the quick flight to Washington. The Volunteers from the organization roamed in January 2005, he pitched the idea to assigned one from a group of volunteers. A321’s cabin was festooned with American each of the locations with extra wheelchairs fellow private pilots at his local Air Force With the ages of veterans extending flags, and the flight crew noted their pride and bottles of water for any who needed it, aero club. That May, after forming a char- into the upper 90s, every aspect of the at having the veterans on board. and at the conclusion of each stop, careful itable organization and raising funds, six day was examined, from where to posi- At Washington Reagan National Airport, roll call was taken to ensure that every per- small airplanes each carried two WWII tion yourself when the veterans boarded the sounds of a band and applause rang son was back on board the bus. veterans to D.C. in what became the first the tour buses (walking behind them in down the gateway, as we emerged to a ter- We then headed to Arlington National Honor Flight. By the end of the year, that case they stumbled or fell) to the location minal filled with cheering people. Members Cemetery to see the changing of the guard number had swelled to 126 veterans trans- of virtually every restroom on the itin- of the crowd shook hands with each veteran at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. ported on a mixture of small aircraft and erary. We were told the 83 veterans and as they appeared and headed down the con- While the tomb guards cannot break from commercial flights. their escorts would be assigned to five bus course to the bus loading area. their precision routine, we were told that A similar organization struck up the groups for when we reached Washington, The cargo hold of the aircraft was filled if you heard a faint scrape on the pave- idea of ramping up the scale of the proj- each with its own organizer, safety officer, with wheelchairs, which needed to be ment as they passed, from the taps on the ect and chartering whole commercial and a volunteer nurse or EMT. transported from the ramp to the upstairs soles of their shoes, that was as much as airliners to carry the veterans and their The day itself was a long one. We headed streetside exit where they were swiftly they were permitted to acknowledge and escorts; the two merged in 2007 to form out into the darkness at 4:30 a.m., arriving stowed under the buses in a well-prac- salute the veterans, while performing ticed drill. While many of the veterans their ceremonial role. were still quite ambulatory, we were told The final stop in D.C. was at a hotel for it would be a long day, covering a lot of a banquet dinner and closing comments. territory among the four stops and the Then a quick drive back to the airport, veterans would appreciate being wheeled where we re-boarded our aircraft. By this at times during the day. point, it was after 8 p.m., and most were clearly tired, either by their exertion or Hudson Valley Honor Flight Four Stops from the memories that were stirred up. Mission #24 carried 83 With a U.S. Park Police escort closing off Landing at SWF after the less-than-one- veterans from World War II traffic as we merged onto highways, we hour flight, no one on board was prepared through the Vietnam War to quickly reached our first stop, the National for the arrival they received. As each Washington, D.C., on October World War II Memorial. Wearing his World veteran walked down the hall towards 12. For some, it was their first, War II Veteran ball cap, my uncle was con- the baggage-claim area, a roar erupted and likely last, opportunity to tinually approached by people thanking from the hundreds of well-wishers who see the memorials dedicated him for his service, shaking his hand, pat- packed the facility. A narrow pathway

PHOTOS: CURT EPSTEIN CURT PHOTOS: to their service and sacrifice. ting his shoulder, or even hugging him. The was roped off amid the pandemonium to allow us to proceed to a desk where the guardians signed the veterans out of the program, and then we navigated through the throng, saluted by members of local VFW chapters, packs of scouts, friends, family, uniformed active-duty members and countless others from the area wav- ing flags and banners. After retrieving my car, I drove my uncle home, returning him around 11 p.m. He was awake for nearly 20 hours straight, and he came through with flying colors, stimulated by a day unlike any other he had previously experienced. I can only thank those volunteers and organizers who made this day possible. For those veterans reading this, or those with relatives or friends who served, I suggest you seek out your closest Honor Flight chapter and apply. n

41 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com knots indicated airspeed. We briefly level at 3,000 feet and set up for a stall, which is very conventional, reducing power with the collective and maintaining pitch attitude with the cyclic. One change that has occurred is that Leonardo is once the nacelle angle is at 0 degrees, the preparing a North force trim is no longer functional. All Philadelphia trim changes are effected using a cone- training academy hat thumb control, but as with everything as it continues that has happened thus far, it feels per- construction of fectly intuitive. The SiSL has no motion, its production- but the visuals show a low-speed buffet conforming AW609 and the nose drops at the stall. I apply civil tiltrotor. power and hold a pitch of around five degrees nose down. The aircraft recovers quickly and we turn back to the airfield. The first approach is to the hover and at 1,500 feet AAL (above airfield level), and Training time: Flying the AW609 sim a speed of 120 knots, I bring the nacelles to 50 degrees. We start to slow using a by Richard Ward sight picture similar to that in a twin- engine helicopter. Progressively reducing When Leonardo opens its training acad- Runway 26L at Vancouver, British Colum- nacelles tilts the thrust vector forward to speed and increasing the nacelle angle, I emy at its Northeast Philadelphia Air- bia, with engines running and prop-rotors provide acceleration. In a helicopter, this arrive over the threshold. Raising the nose port facility—planned for the summer of turning on what looks like a nice CAVOK day. is achieved by lowering the nose using slightly reduce the groundspeed to zero, 2020—it will be home to the first level D We get straight into it with a normal helicop- the cyclic. Having tilted the thrust vector and coming to a hover with the nacelles full-flight tiltrotor simulator. But until ter takeoff into the hover. The takeoff feels away from the vertical, power must be vertical, we settle back onto the runway. then, the closest thing to actually flying entirely normal, with the engine nacelles added to prevent losing altitude, achieved Rolling takeoffs and landings improve pay- the AW609 is the System Integration Sim- pointed upwards. quite naturally using the collective. The load and are easily accomplished using a ulator (SiSL) used by engineers and test Using the trim release button on the aircraft accelerates briskly while I main- nacelle angle of 82 degrees. On touchdown, pilots to explore and validate modifica- cyclic, I can make small corrections to tain a level attitude with the stick. transitioning to 95 degrees brings the air- tions before they go onto the aircraft. It keep us stationary above the threshold. On the round-dial airspeed indicator in craft to a swift stop without any braking. is also used to develop and rehearse flight- I use the collective to adjust the hover the top left corner of the PFD, a white arc test programs, among other duties. height, aiming for a high hover of around appears, looking similar to the flap operat- Engine Failures The flight deck section of the SiSL is 20 feet, which I read off the radar altimeter ing range on a fixed-wing ASI. It displays The next step is to explore single-engine located at the far end of a large room, on the PFD. The flaps have five settings— the speed range appropriate to the nacelle handling, and the first maneuver we try is mounted on a fixed-base raised stage and AUTO, 0 degrees, 20 degrees, 40 degrees, angle. At 75 degrees of tilt, the maximum an engine failure during a vertical takeoff. facing a 180-degree wrap-around visual and FULL. We selected the AUTO setting speed during conversion, known as Vcon, is As in a twin-engine helicopter, the takeoff screen, approximately 15 feet high. The to ensure that, in the hover, they extend to 90 knots, a limit based on loads on the prop decision point (TDP) is the rotation at a remainder of the room is filled on one FULL to minimize the wing area to reduce rotors. As we approach this speed, I push height of around 60 feet. As we climb ver- side with racks of computers and on the the effects of downwash. A spot turn is the nacelle angle controller forward to tically, Wells brings back the power on one other, various engineering and operating straightforward, with only small flight move the nacelles to their 50-degree posi- engine. I call “reject” and lower the lever work stations. control inputs required. The chin win- tion, and the arc moves to display a mini- to return to the ground and then cushion Dan Wells, one of Leonardo’s team of dows provide excellent visual references. mum speed of 94 knots and a max of 130 the touchdown by increasing power to a test pilots, is going to give me my first les- As we line up with the runway, Wells knots. The wing has begun developing lift, “soft stop.” The fly-by-wire has automat- son in flying tiltrotors. Wells has been with briefs me on the first takeoff. The engine and the flaps are automatically retracting. ically adjusted the collective to allow 30 the program since the early days and has nacelles are controlled by a knurled After less than 90 seconds in the hover, seconds of additional power at the one amassed 690 hours on the 609. Before this, thumbwheel on the collective and have we rotate the nacelles to 0 degrees, which engine inoperative (OEI) takeoff limit. he was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test three preset angles: 75 degrees, 50 degrees, coolly brings the starboard nacelle and For the next takeoff we continue at TDP. Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, and 0 degrees. Pushing the control fully prop rotor into my peripheral vision. The Wells fails the engine, and, again without and flew the V-22 and CV-22 tiltrotors. forward selects the first stop at 75 degrees flaps have fully retracted, and without having to look inside the cockpit, I pull the Wells guides me around the cockpit of and the nacelles rotate at a rate of 3 having made any conscious transition, I collective to the soft stop to give takeoff the SiSL, which is equipped to the standard degrees per second. The rotation of the am now flying a fixed-wing aircraft at 220 power. We climb away, rotating the nacelles of the third test aircraft, AC3. That includes on the speed schedule. After 30 seconds, Collins Pro Line 21 EFIS, two smaller radio/ the collective automatically eases down to nav control panels, and an integrated limit the OEI power to a two-minute max- standby horizon. Production-configured imum and then further reduces to max versions, starting with AC4, will fly with the continuous power. All the stops can be touchscreen Collins Pro Line Fusion. On overridden if more power is required. the Pro Line 21 flight deck, each pilot has a The 30-second OEI limit of approxi- PFD and the third screen is an MFD with mately 2,500 shp is designed such that engine and system instruments. The SiSL’s it can be used three times before main- appearance is very much that of a helicop- tenance action is required. This provides ter flight deck, with its large transparencies enough power for a takeoff, a missed and collective and cyclic controls. The P1 approach, and a landing. We flew the command seat is on the right, but the pres- single-engine landing as a run-on landing surization controls on the center console at around 40 knots with the nacelles at 82 and the flap lever in front of the P2 seat tell degrees, bringing me to an end of a very you that this is something different. enjoyable hour’s flight. My overriding impression is the AW609 Normal Operations is a remarkably intuitive machine to han- When we climb into the simulator, our dle and moves almost seamlessly between virtual AW609 is positioned at the end of The touchscreen Collins Pro Line Fusion suite powers the AW609 flight deck. helicopter and fixed-wing mode. n

42 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com

ROTORCRAFT & unmanned systems

and $4,000. DJI drones are widely used by News Update a variety of public safety and infrastructure entities in the U.S., from fire departments in Bristow Out Of Bankruptcy Los Angeles and New York to the country’s Bristow Group officially emerged from largest railroads and water and power utili- Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in ties. In a 2018 report, Bard College’s Center late October with $535 million in new for the Study of the Drone noted that of the capital and a new board of directors 910 U.S. state and local public safety entities with extensive experience in energy, using drones, 523 had DJI models. finance, and helicopter businesses. DJI has repeatedly and vociferously The company filed for bankruptcy in denied charges that data from its drones May, claiming debts of $1.885 billion is used for illicit purposes such as espi- against assets of $2.86 billion and onage, but did admit that its data was citing “previously disclosed financial shared with the Chinese government as challenges” and “constrained liquidity.” it applies to drone operations in China to L. Don Miller, who was appointed comply with “location-specific rules and Bristow CEO in February 2019 and guided Drones from manufacturer DJI were identified as a security risk in 2017, and despite software policies within China” related to registra- it through the bankruptcy process, updates and company assurances, a number of senators want to ensure they do not find their tion and no-fly zones. will remain in his current office. way into government service. To further assuage security concerns, in July 2019, DJI unveiled a special “Gov- Outlerlink Adds Analytics To IRIS ernment Edition” drone line designed to Outerlink has added a cloud-based flight safeguard sensitive data. The new drones analytics system for its IRIS combined U.S. security concerns have architecture that ensures that drone voice, video, and flight-data monitoring data—including photos and videos cap- system. IRIS provides military-style tured during flight—never leave the drone situational awareness by providing an mount over Chinese drones and therefore can never be shared with uninterrupted connection, constant unauthorized parties, including DJI. communication, and push-to-talk VOIP by Mark Huber In a letter to the U.S. Senate’s Committee (voice over internet protocol) radio, on Commerce, Science, and Transportation enabling operators to communicate with The U.S. Department of Interior is stand- Concern about the issue was first widely written in June, DJI’s Mario Rebello, vice one aircraft or an entire fleet worldwide ing down its 800-plus drone fleet either of publicized in 2017 when separate organiza- president and regional manager for North The cloud service gives users access Chinese origin or that carry Chinese com- tions within the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy America, pointed out that DJI drones have to critical flight data and organizes pre- ponents pending a security review, the issued memoranda outlining technologi- multiple safeguards to ensure against data defined events in clear formats, allowing department announced last week. The cal and operational risks associated with misuse, including embedded passwords, operators to prioritize data points used to move came days after the House Commit- Chinese-manufactured drones, and the data encryption, and internet disconnect. identify trends and training opportunities. tee on Homeland Security voted to ban Army ordered its forces to stop using them. But neither DJI’s newer, more secure model the U.S. government purchase of Chinese Separately that year, the U.S. Department of nor the company’s security assurances Life Flight Expands AW109 Fleet drones for the Department of Homeland Homeland Security issued an unclassified appear to have persuaded a bipartisan group Utah-based Intermountain Life Flight is Security (DHS). It’s the latest measure memo that flagged drones manufactured of six U.S. senators, who in September adding a sixth Leonardo AW109 GrandNew highlighting potential security concerns by China’s DJI, the world’s largest manufac- introduced the American Security Drone to its fleet of five AW109 GrandNews and voiced by lawmakers and other govern- turer of recreational UAS, as a security risk. Act of 2019, which would ban U.S. Govern- one AW109K2 light twin EMS-configured ment officials regarding the potential for In 2017, DJI held an estimated 50 percent ment entities from acquiring or operating helicopters. Intermountain is the only Chinese companies and the Chinese gov- share of the North American market and any drone made by any entity considered a civilian air ambulance service in the U.S. to ernment to misuse data from U.S.-based nearly 70 percent of the North American threat to national security, including China. have an FAA-approved external load hoist drones for nefarious purposes. market for UASs priced between $1,000 “Our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be used rescue operation and is the sole IFR EMS to support Chinese-developed technolo- operator in Utah with its own low-level gies that undercut American companies IFR infrastructure and proprietary heliport and put our national security at risk,” said approach procedures. The service makes Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut). “We 4,000 transports annually from seven base First U.S. AW169 HEMS fleet operational know that China and other adversaries hospitals across the state and provides have used drones to spy and collect sensi- high-risk obstetrics, complex cardiac care The first fleet of Leonardo AW169 helicop- tive data in the past, and I’ve heard directly and intra-aortic balloon pump transports. ters in the United States to be configured from companies in Connecticut that are for EMS and search-and-rescue is now in concerned about this issue.” Murphy called Safran To Build, Service Helo service. Travis County’s (Texas) Star Flight China “a bad actor.” Connecticut is home Engine with China’s AECC began operating its third AW169 medium to key U.S. defense contractors including Safran and Aero Engine Corporation of twin earlier this year in south-central a defense electronics arm of Northrop China (AECC) have agreed strengthen Texas, an area notorious for flash flood- Grumman, jet engine maker Pratt & Whit- their cooperation on the WZ16 French- ing and with a population of more than 1.2 AW169 ney, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Heli- Chinese helicopter engine. The agreement million, including Austin. copters and the Electric Boat division of was signed in Beijing by Alexandre Star Flight’s AW169s are equipped AW169s is also equipped with a rescue General Dynamics, which builds nuclear Ziegler, Safran senior executive vice for 24/7 operations. Missions include hoist and a 300-gallon Simplex belly tank attack and ballistic-missile submarines. president, international and public emergency medical transport, still- and for fire suppression. Similar bipartisan legislation to that affairs, and AECC chairman Cao Jianguo, swift-water rescue, search-and-rescue, The AW169 has a maximum range of 440 in the Senate, The Drone Origin Security during French President Emmanuel high-angle rescue, fire suppression/ nm and cruises at 160 knots. Standard avi- Act (H.R. 4753), has been introduced in Macron’s recent state visit to China. aerial reconnaissance, and law-enforce- onics include four-axis, dual-duplex digital the U.S. House of Representatives and Terms of the deal include study of a ment safety assistance. Star Flight also automatic flight control, and a night-vision- was unanimously approved by the House potential joint venture in China to support transports neonatal, pediatric ICU, and compatible cockpit. More than 200 AW169s Committee on Homeland Security on and maintain in-service WZ16s, production high-risk obstetrics medical teams and have been ordered worldwide, including October 23. The bill bars the Department launch of the first 120 WZ16s with an patients. The cabins are configured to from parapublic customers in the United of Homeland Security (DHS) from oper- opportunity for 100 more engines and transport up to two patients and five Kingdom, Japan, Republic of Korea, and ating drones from “strategic competi- new applicationt. Certification of WZ16 by medical personnel. Each of Star Flight’s New Zealand. M.H. tors” as identified by the Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China Defense. China is so identified. n (CAAC) was announced in October.

44 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com like this one… embolden other policymak- Industry slams proposed NYC helo ban bill ers to pursue similar legislation,” he said, saying the proposal is the latest in a series by Mark Huber of attempts by lawmakers to restrict airspace access at the local level. “It’s a con- A trio of congressional helicopter critics helicopter ridesharing services such as when in actuality it really is another stant drumbeat of legislators trying to from New York City has introduced leg- Blade and Uber Copter are credited for anti-aviation NIMBY-ism proposal,” said whittle away at access for aviation stake- islation to ban them from Gotham’s air- much of this increase. Jonathon Freye, v-p of government and holders, and that’s the problem.” space, including over waterways. In late public affairs for NATA, adding the asso- While the proposal may not progress October, Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Industry Response ciation “strongly opposes to any attempt this year, Freye said, “I think its incum- Carolyn Maloney, and Nydia Velazquez “With an industry advancing in terms of to restrict access to the National Airspace bent on our industry to take all proposals introduced “The Improving Helicopter both urban mobility and unmanned air- System especially in instances like this like this one seriously. Whether or not it Safety Act of 2019” that would essentially craft, these politicians are looking back, one where they single out one group.” will pass, it reflects some kind of senti- eliminate helicopter flights conducted not forward,” said HAI president Matt Freye was also concerned about broader ment and represents a call for our indus- under either Part 91 or 135 over “any city Zuccaro, a veteran NYC helicopter pilot ramifications of such a bill. “Proposals try to reengage with policymakers.” n with a population of over eight million and a former aviation executive for the people and with a population density of Port Authority of New York and New Jer- over 25,000 people per square mile.” sey. “There is no one more focused on In a strongly worded rebuttal issued on safety than the helicopter pilots and oper- October 28, the Helicopter Association ators themselves,” Zuccaro said. “These International (HAI) slammed the bill, call- politicians’ draconian solution to the per- ing it “an attempt to completely dismantle ceived threat of helicopters is to put an a thriving industry” and further characteriz- industry out of business.” ing it as having a chilling effect on develop- HAI attacked the bill as having “no pos- ment of one of the potentially largest urban itive effect on aviation safety over New air mobility (UAM) markets in the world. York City” and a threat to the “viability” The bill would allow civil helicopter of the helicopter industry there. HAI went operations at airports but would charge further, accusing the bill’s primary spon- the FAA to develop “the shortest, most sors Maloney, Nadler, and Velazquez of direct routes possible to access or depart promulgating falsehoods and selectively from airports” and update aeronautical manipulating accident data to create a charts accordingly. Helicopters flying law rationale for the legislation. HAI said the enforcement and air medical missions bill’s sponsors used nearly 40 years of would be exempted. accident data to inflate safety claims and At a press event in New York City, the falsely state that the FAA “does not have lawmakers took aim at the area’s heli- any regulations, policies or procedures Ford has launched a research effort to explore “vehicle-integrated” drone technology. copter businesses.“The risks that com- to account for New York City’s uniquely They could deploy in the case of an accident, either to transmit a message to first muter, charter, and tourism helicopter crowded airspace.” responders, enhance mobile phone connectivity, or even illuminate the accident flights pose to New Yorkers far outweigh The association pointed out that the scene and/or stream video. the benefit to the very small number of FAA publishes helicopter route charts in people who use them,” Maloney said. select markets including New York City Nadler served harsh criticism on the city’s providing guidance on “standard routes, Ford patents ‘vehicle-integrated drone’ already highly restricted helitourism, say- specific altitude limitations when appro- Think of it as OnStar on steroids. Automaker run on a smartphone, which would allow ing, “There is simply no justification for priate, standard frequencies, and manda- Ford has patented a “vehicle-integrated anyone to identify and report illegal drone allowing tourists to joy-ride over our city, tory reporting points” and also noted that drone” that is programmable and can auto- operations. Field tests to date have shown endangering lives and creating unneces- the charts are updated every 58 days. matically deploy from cars and trucks in the system to be accurate to within 80 feet. sary noise pollution.” HAI also said that the lawmakers emergencies and fly either autonomously Ford also is developing onboard subsys- The lawmakers were joined by rep- ignored the protections offered by estab- or under pilot control to illuminate accident tems to take the place of traditional radio resentatives of local government and lished altitude ranges in New York Class B scenes with lights and sirens, stream pho- and ADS-B transmitters, saving expense various community groups, including airspace including the Hudson River and tos and video, boost emergency commu- and weight. Stop the Chop NY-NJ and the Brooklyn East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules nication, and enhance navigation. The law Ford has stood up a UAV Systems group Heights Association. “With the expo- Area (SFRA), and special practices adopted enforcement applications are obvious, but in Palo Alto, California, that has created a nential growth of private, commercial by New York helitour operators, including so are those aimed at rural users of unim- “customizable development platform” that helicopter traffic, New York’s skies are “established flight routes that standardize proved roadways who need to see the road gives Ford the ability to rapidly test drones quickly becoming just as congested as our pending flight paths, altitudes flown, and ahead or who travel in areas of spotty/non- and vehicle missions and interfaces. The streets,” charged New York State Assem- frequencies used by all aircraft” that mini- existent cell service. modular platform allows those with limited bly member Linda Rosenthal (D). mize the need for interaction with air traf- The integrated drone is just one of drone knowledge to test these concepts. In 2015, there were 59,000 helicopter fic controllers. several drone-related technologies Ford Ford research manager John Luo and flights departing lower Manhattan’s Pier 6 Despite two high-profile NYC helicop- is working on, according to a recent com- scientist Adi Singh described the company’s heliport. Via an agreement with operators, ter crashes that killed six over the last pany publication. It is also looking at using drone raison d’etre, “We think many of our that number was cut to 28,000 beginning year, HAI noted that helicopter traffic in a drone’s anti-collision lights as an I.D. and customers will want to use these [drone] in 2017. New York City mayor Bill de Bla- the city is far safer than ground transpor- tracking solution. This patent-pending idea devices as part of their lifestyle, whether to sio, who brokered that agreement, said tation there, which accounted for more uses the lights to “broadcast a drone’s pursue hobbies or even as a tool for their he had “no use” for civil helicopter flights than 60,000 injuries and 203 fatalities in 10-digit code in an ASCII-encoded binary business—no different than how they use an over the city. 2018. The association called for increased signal at a baud rate” that could be synced F-150 [pickup] or Transit [van] on a job site. By While air tour flights that originate in community dialogue, including reconsti- for consistency across the system to ensure conducting in-house research in this emerg- New York are down, the New York Times tution of the NYC helicopter task force, universal compatibility. ing area while simultaneously participating reported sharp increases in the amount of to “work in good faith to address the con- These lights also could be used to com- in the regulatory conversation at the federal helicopter traffic at both LaGuardia and cerns of all stakeholders at the table.” municate system status “with a combina- level, Ford is laying the groundwork to make Newark airports in August, with traffic The bill also drew objections from tion of color and blinks.” The light patterns sure our vehicles can deliver the right experi- up at the former by 25 percent to 1,096 the National Air Transportation Associ- would be captured by a camera-based ences to our customers as we transition to a operations and an operations increase of ation (NATA). “This particular proposal software app. Decoding algorithms can smart world.” M.H. 21 percent at the latter, to 4,391. Per-seat is poorly disguised as safety legislation

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 45 ROTORCRAFT & unmanned systems

rotors to depart the aircraft in flight. The related grounding was lifted after Airbus re-sourced and replaced the problem part and devised a heightened replacement and inspection regime. The Turoy crash substantially under- mined market confidence in the H225, with at least one North Sea offshore oil workers union, Unite, gathering 10,000 signatures in support of permanently grounding the helicopter. A 2017 survey conducted by Airbus found that 62 percent of respondents would not fly on it. In October of that year, Guillaume Faury, then CEO of Airbus Helicopters (now CEO of Airbus), told reporters, “It takes time to restore trust after these accidents,” after he stepped off an H225 pub- licity flight in London. Behind the scenes, Airbus negotiated multimillion-dollar set- tlements with H225 operators and leasing companies who were adversely impacted by the groundings, loss of customer confidence in the helicopter, and a dramatic plunge in the market value of their H225s. Altogether, H225 operators took hundreds of millions of dollars in H225-related write downs. Earlier this year, prospects for the H225 appeared to be improving, with a limited number of used models moving Crashed Korean H225 had recent mx again on what had been a moribund market for the helicopter. In September, Air- by Mark Huber bus celebrated the delivery of its 1,000th Super Puma. However, fresh safety con- The Airbus Helicopters H225 that crashed immediately clear if the order also applied components. Past safety grounding cerns about the H225 re-emerged just at night off the South Korean coast on to the country’s large fleet of more than orders regarding the H225, most nota- last month when EASA issued an emer- October 31 had recently been returned to 90 KAI KUH-1 Surions, a locally-produced bly in the wake of the fatal crash of gency airworthiness directive requiring service after maintenance providers com- variant of the Airbus AS332 L2 used by one near Turoy, Norway, in 2016, also the replacement of certain module bevel pleted a 1,000-hour heavy inspection. South Korean defense and police forces. have been applied to the AS322 L2. In gears in the helicopter’s Safran Makila None of the seven occupants aboard The H225 and the AS322 L2 are both the Turoy crash, a fracture in one of 2A and 2A1 turboshaft engines (EASA survived when the H225, operated by the members of the Airbus Super Puma the main gearbox’s second-stage planet AD #2019-0247-E) following a reported country’s 119 rescue service, crashed after family and share a variety of common gears caused the rotorhub and the main in-flight engine shutdown. n lifting off with an injured fisherman from the islet of Dokdo, located in the East Sea 117 nautical miles off the South Korean coast. VFR, but moonless, conditions and light winds were reported at the time. Blade expands The accident helicopter entered service in 2016 and is one of two operated by 119. It into Los Angeles has two more H225s on order from Airbus and also operates a pair of smaller Airbus Per-seat helicopter booking service Blade is AS365 N2s. The two-pilot flight crew was expanding into the Los Angeles metro market described by multiple sources as highly with service between downtown L.A. and the experienced. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), L.A. Witnesses to the accident said the Westside, Orange County, and Burbank, the helicopter crashed within two to three company announced in late October. Blade minutes of departing the helipad at said flights to downtown L.A. will be sched- approximately 11:30 p.m. local time and uled for hockey and basketball games, mar- that it was flying erratically at a low alti- quee concerts, and other events at the Staples tude. The wreckage was located Novem- Center. Prices begin at $195 per passenger. ber 1 on the seabed at a depth of 230 feet Blade’s L.A. operations use Airbus H130s and and pulled to the surface on November will follow noise abatement routes, altitudes, 3. Photos published by the Yonhap news and best practices, the company said. agency show the helicopter’s rotorhub “The H130 is the perfect aircraft for this attached to the main wreckage, but sub- type of mission thanks to its comfort, effi- we are seeing faster-than-expected adop- L.A. customers can opt to be escorted stantial cabin damage. The cockpit and ciency, and environmental standards, as tion by people choosing to fly rather than on the tarmac from the helicopter to their tailboom are not attached. it’s the quietest in its class,” said Romain drive,” said Shivani Parikh, Blade West American Airlines flight (or vice versa) with Trapp, president of Airbus Helicopters, Inc. Coast general manager. “Los Angeles is that carrier’s Five Star Service; which can Inspections Mandated Airbus Helicopters is an investor in Blade. on the forefront of embracing multi-mo- be purchased over the Blade app by choos- On November 1, South Korean President “Since expanding our continuous flight dality transportation options.” Similar to ing “American add-on,” or ordered via the Moon Jae-in ordered safety inspections service in Manhattan and San Francisco, Blade service at New York’s JFK airport, Blade website. M.H. of all H225s in the country. It was not

46 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com Volocopter launches freight, cargo eVTOLs by Charles Alcock and Mark Huber

Would-be electric vertical takeoff For agricultural spraying, the VoloDrone VoloDrone a “sustainable, precise, and and landing (eVTOL) maker Volo- can typically cover an area equal to approxi- cost-effective alternative to helicopters. copter has introduced two new mately 15 acres per flight hour. Flight and application tests are scheduled versions of its eVTOL aircraft. The Volocopter called the agricultural to begin next year. n Volocopter’s VoloDrone with agricultural kit. robinson_r66_options_ad_ain_dec_2019.pdf 1 11/14/2019 12:19:26 PM first is VoloDrone, a freight-carrying version of its VoloCity eVTOL. The demonstrator was unveiled on October 30 at the company’s headquarters in the southern Germany city of Bruchsal. It had already made its first flight earlier in October. Like the two-passenger VoloCity, the unmanned VoloDrone can carry a payload of up to 440 pounds (200 kg). The aircraft has been designed to carry items such as boxes, liquids, and equipment up to 25 miles (40 km). It is intended to be remotely piloted or flown autonomously on preset routes. The VoloDrone’s rail attach- ment system has been developed to match standard hardware commonly used for various aerospace and logistics applications. With a diameter of just SAS/AUTOPILOT more than 30 feet (9.2 meters) and a height of 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 meters), the aircraft has GARMIN AVIONICS been sized to be compatible with Euro-palette packages and has

sufficient space in the attachC - ment unit for a sling, a sprayer, AUX FUEL TANK M or other customized equipment. Volocopter sees the VoloDroneY being used by various sectors,CM AIR CONDITIONING

including agriculture, logistics,MY infrastructure, and public services. CY Like the VoloCity, the multicopter CMY HEATED SEATS has 18 rotors and gets power from swappable lithium-ion batteriesK In addition, the company has partnered with American agricul- CARGO HOOK tural vehicle and equipment manufacturer John Deere to create the first large agricultural appli- pop-out floats cation drone for missions traditionally performed by helicopters, the drone-maker announced last month. The aircraft is based on WIRE STRIKE KIT the VoloDrone and fitted with a John Deere-designed and -manufactured crop-protection spray system with two tanks, a pump, and a spray bar. Volocopter said the agricultural drone, which also has a potential materials payload up to 441 pounds, is reconfigurable for mul- www.robinsonheli.com tiple missions, including spraying, sowing seeds, and frost control and that it can be piloted by a © 2019 Robinson Helicopter Company. R66 is a registered trademark of Robinson Helicopter Company. All other trademarks remote operator or fly a pre-pro- are property of their respective companies. grammed route. Equipment listed above is optional. As with all the VoloCity/Volo- Drone variants, a battery charge provides 30 minutes of flight time.

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 47 AVIONICS & technology News Update Aurigny Is Launch Customer for ClearVision EFVS Guernsey-based airline Aurigny has taken delivery of its first ATR 72-600 equipped with the Universal Avionics ClearVision enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) with SkyLens wearable head-up display (HUD). The SkyLens HUD has an unlimited field of view because pilots can look in any direction and see high-resolution HUD symbology, as well as enhanced vision system, and optional synthetic vision and combined vision system imagery.

Elliott Aviation Ramps Up G5000 Deliveries In October, MRO and avionics retrofitter Elliott Aviation delivered three Garmin G5000-upgraded Citation Excel/ XLS business jets to customers. The company has another 15 G5000 Excel/ XLS packages scheduled and has also installed more than 25 G5000 systems

COLUMBIA AVIONICS COLUMBIA in Beechjet 400As/Hawker 400XPs and Columbia Avionics modernized this Citation 500’s instrument panel with dual Garmin G700 TXi displays and GTN 750 com navigators. completed more than 350 King Air G1000/ G1000 NXi upgrades. The G5000 upgrade replaces the aging Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics in the Excel/XLS, adding Garmin touchscreens STC’d for Citation 500s WAAS/LPV, ADS-B, SiriusXM weather, electronic charts, SafeTaxi, engine by Matt Thurber monitor, and emergency descent mode.

Missouri-based avionics installation and ser- provide upgrade options to customers AIS-380 fuel flow system. With the GTN Garmin Adds Models vice provider Columbia Avionics has devel- overseas that require TCAS II,” said Lance 750s, weight savings of up to 230 pounds to GFC 500 STC oped a supplemental type certificate (STC) Fox, president of Columbia Avionics and is possible. Garmin’s GFC 500 autopilot is now for Garmin G700 TXi touchscreen displays Aircraft Services. Columbia Avionics is planning to add approved for more models of the Piper in Cessna Citation 500 series jets equipped The Columbia STC, which can include STC approvals from Transport Can- PA28 and PA32, including the PA28-201T with Honeywell’s SPZ-500 autopilot. dual G700 TXi displays with synthetic ada, EASA, Mexico’s DGAC, and Brazil’s Turbo Arrow, PA28-236 Dakota, and According to Columbia, the G700 vision, offers the option to add a variety of ANAC. Others will be added based on cus- PA32-260 and-300 Cherokee Six. The GFC TXi’s recent Part 25 software release Garmin avionics, including dual GTN 750 tomer requests. 500 autopilot features altitude hold and enables interfacing with existing TCAS com navigators, GTX 3000 transponders, “With the rising cost of the aging preselect, vertical speed, heading modes, II, thanks to the TXi’s integral altitude dual GRS 70 AHRS, GDC 7400 air data Honeywell EFIS in the Citation and the airspeed hold, coupled approaches and alerter system, as well as the option to computers with RVSM, GWX 75 weather upcoming ADS-B mandate,” Fox said, “this coupled VNAV when paired with a GTN install Garmin’s GTS 8000 TCAS II. “This radar, as well as a Mid-Continent MD-302 came at an ideal time for the operators 650/750 navigator, GPS roll steering, Level is another element to make sure we can Standby Attitude Module, and a Shadin who haven’t pulled the trigger yet.” n mode, underspeed/overspeed protection, and coupled go-arounds. The GFC 500 requires Garmin’s G5 electronic flight instrument, and both are available for continued from page 1 For Cirrus, Autoland adds the option of get- autopilot is engaged and the pilot doesn’t less than $10,000 for the 2-axis autopilot. ting the airplane to a nearby airport where interact with the avionics in a 15-minute For aircraft already equipped with the G5, Garmin reveals medical assistance may be more readily period. At higher altitudes, the engage- the 2-axis GFC 500 is priced at $6,995. available, as opposed to deploying the para- ment period is shorter. Autoland also tries Autoland feature chute system over a remote area and hoping to alert the pilot with repeated chiming Inmarsat Offering Helo Satcom rescuers arrive in time. sounds and asking, “Are you alert” before Inmarsat has developed a SwiftBroadband- fly but the airplane is still operating nor- Garmin can help OEMs adapt Auto- engaging. Autoland will also engage if the class satcom optimized for helicopters, mally and there is no other qualified pilot land to almost any airplane, and it could Electronic Stability and Protection sys- called SB-Helo X-Stream. The satcom on board. work on anything from piston singles to tem is engaged for a prolonged period works with intermediate- and high-gain “I thought of my grandmother,” said jets. The M600, for example, didn’t have of time, first putting the M600 into level antennas and is designed to alleviate “the Bailey Scheel, Garmin senior aviation pro- an autothrottle as standard equipment, mode, and if the pilot doesn’t disengage connectivity constraints traditionally caused grams engineer and manager. Although her but for Autoland, Garmin added an auto- level mode, then implementing an auto- by rotary blades,” according to Inmarsat. grandmother has done pinch-hitter courses throttle, which is part of a new M600 matic landing. Even with a worst-case SB-Helo X-Stream mitigates against data that teach non-pilots how to land in case SLS Halo-equipped version. An airplane scenario of an incapacitated pilot and an packet loss, the company explained, and the pilot has a medical issue, a safe outcome that already has electronically controlled engine failure, Autoland can improve the testing earlier this year revealed that it isn’t guaranteed. She added, “[Autoland] is brakes will not need extra equipment, outcome by implementing a controlled “has been proven to achieve a 40 percent more for her and her comfort.” but the M600 did require the addition of descent to nearby smooth terrain. Auto- reduction in data packet loss compared Another way to look at Autoland is that it servos and wheelspeed sensors to manip- land could also help rescue a pilot trapped to the standard background IP service, gives aircraft manufacturers an alternative ulate the brakes. “We can tailor it to the by widespread zero-zero fog, allowing a as well as delivering throughputs of up to a parachute-type rescue system for situa- OEM,” said Scheel. “It’s very configurable, safe landing where it would be difficult if to 400 kbps per single channel.” A useful tions where the pilot is incapacitated and the and depends on what the OEM wants.” not impossible to safely land using an ILS characteristic of SwiftBroadband is that airplane is still operating and given proper In the M600 Autoland application, or LPV approach. buyers can aggregate multiple channels guidance, could land on a suitable runway. the system activates at 18,000 feet if the continues on facing page to achieve improved performance.

48 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com continued from preceding page Autoland announced, “Your airplane As a pilot flies along, Autoland is con- has begun maneuvering into position stantly looking at the weather, terrain, for the final approach to landing. The obstacles, and available airports, prepar- emergency Autoland system is con- ing for the rare case when it is activated. trolling all flight functions. You won’t In the M600, there is a prominent need to do anything.” guarded Autoland button on the instru- The Autoland system set flaps to the ment panel. The Cirrus Vision Jet button approach setting then lowered the land- will be on the overhead. All a pilot needs ing gear. Approach flaps are used in case to do in terms of briefing passengers is tell of wing icing. Neither the flaps nor land- them how to push the button. ing gear switches moved, so it was a little When engaged, Autoland immedi- odd to be landing with the gear switch ately turns the airplane toward the near- in the up position. But passengers will est suitable airport while displaying on likely not notice this discrepancy, and it all three flight deck screens carefully is much simpler than trying to explain to designed messages that show the pas- them how to manipulate the flaps and sengers what is happening. A moving map gear switches.

on each PFD clearly illustrates the path THURBER MATT As the M600 neared the runway, it that the airplane is taking to get to the Garmin’s Autoland adds an extra layer of safety for single-pilot operations. flew a perfectly stable approach and selected airport. The PFD shows a split- then reduced power and touched down screen with moving-map on one side and engine and instructs passengers on how need to know is what the MFD says at the by itself. It didn’t quite nail the center- synthetic vision system on the other. The to open the door. The reason it shuts off bottom: “No action required” and on the line, but there was plenty of room on MFD in the center shows messages for the engine is to prevent the possibility of a PFDs: “Enroute to New Century Aircenter the runway. After touchdown, Autoland the passengers, as do the PFDs. passenger running into a moving propeller. - Olathe, KS” and “Landing in 11 minutes.” recentered the M600 on the centerline One MFD message is an animation Autoland offers a new way to ensure a The PFDs show the flight path on the and braked to a full stop. It didn’t shut of the cockpit and the controls, with safe outcome when a pilot becomes inca- moving map, while the synthetic vision the engine down during the demo, but a warning: “Keep hands and feet away pacitated for any reason, and it’s much display retains the airspeed and altitude in a real autolanding it would have done from aircraft controls.” Another explains easier for a non-flying spouse compared tapes as well as the flight director and atti- so. Sargent had warned the tower that we in simple terms how to use the radio. On to learning how to land the airplane. If tude indicator. would be stopping on the runway. the displays at all times are the words: the pilot or passenger is unable to engage Periodically, the MFD switches to a After landing, the system tells passen- “Emergency autoland active” and “land- Autoland—say in a case where a pilot message instructing passengers how to gers to “Wait for aircraft and propeller ing in XX minutes.” is flying alone and experiences oxygen contact ATC if they wish and reminding to stop before exiting the aircraft,” then The MFD also shows how many miles deprivation—then Autoland engages them that they will hear messages auto- shows on the MFD how to open the door. to the destination and how much fuel automatically after a certain period of matically broadcast to ATC. Flying an automatic landing in the remains in hours and minutes. Both PFDs time of pilot inactivity. In our case, the M600 needed to lose M600 was fascinating, and it convinced show time until the next turn, if applica- A pilot who recovers, perhaps after Auto- some altitude, so it flew one turn in a hold me that this is a valuable addition to the ble, and time until descent. land has descended to a lower altitude, can before aligning with Runway 18. The MFD safety toolbox. With Autoland, the era A smoothly modulated voice tells pas- easily abort the Autoland procedure by told us that we were “Approaching des- of losing airplanes because a lone pilot sengers exactly what to expect. pushing the autopilot button on the mode tination airport” and to put on seatbelts suffers hypoxia due to pressurization At the same time, Autoland uses infor- controller or the button on the yoke. and stow loose items. The synthetic vision problems or lack of oxygen or loses con- mation about the state of the airplane to showed the reassuring sight of the runway sciousness because of a medical issue may broadcast an emergency radio message on Real-time Demo straight ahead. finally end. n appropriate frequencies, and it resets the After taking off in the M600, Sargent transponder to the 7700 emergency code. climbed to about 4,500 feet not far from The radio broadcast might occur on the New Century Aircenter Airport so that local approach control or control tower the system would use that airport for the frequency. But if landing at a non-tow- automatic landing. While cruising along, FAA releases privacy plan for ADS-B Out ered airport, Autoland will broadcast on Sargent told me to push the Autoland the local CTAF frequency. These radio button, which I did. The FAA is putting one of the final pieces aircraft address that is not linked with their messages not only alert authorities to Immediately, the MFD in the cen- in place for the transition to the January FAA registration information. To qualify, the what is going on, but also warn pilots ter turned white, and big black letters 1 ADS-B Out deadline, releasing a plan to aircraft must be U.S-registered, 1090-MHz flying in the area that an emergency is spelled out “AUTOLAND” while a sooth- protect the privacy of operators from real- ADS-B equipped, and fly in U.S. airspace. underway and that after landing, the run- ing female-sounding voice said “Emer- time flight-tracking services. Under Phase 2, the FAA will transition way will be occupied by the automatically gency autoland activated. The emergency Agency officials announced the the PIA program to a third-party service landing airplane. autoland system is controlling the aircraft flight-tracking opt-out plan at NBAA’s recent provider. That move is anticipated in As it flies toward the airport, Autoland and will land at the safest nearby airport. Flight Planners Summit held in conjunction mid-2020. slows the airplane down and, if necessary Please remain calm. Avoid touching the with the association’s annual convention in NBAA, which has long sought pro- enters a hold to bleed off excess airspeed. flight controls, which may interfere with Las Vegas. Additionally, the officials said tections for operators from the publicly Passengers can communicate with con- Autoland. Your destination is…” they would establish new data-sharing lim- available information that comes with trollers via radio if they wish, but it’s not During the demo flight, the automatic its for air traffic tracking service providers ADS-B, welcomed the move. “We’re necessary. Autoland helps by showing radio broadcast was not active, to avoid if operators want to opt out of having their pleased the FAA has responded pos- the passenger how to make a radio call, declaring an emergency where none existed. flight information broadcast over the inter- itively to ADS-B privacy concerns of using the Garmin touchscreen as a pseudo On the two touchscreen controllers net. Those limits are expected to go into operators, which NBAA has raised in microphone button. below the MFD, which double as micro- effect by year-end, NBAA said. numerous government/industry forums, The airport must have a GPS approach phone buttons, the aircraft’s registration The Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) Program including with the NextGen Advisory with vertical guidance, and Autoland fol- number is given (“Your aircraft ID is will be implemented in phases. Under the Committee,” said NBAA president and lows the approach precisely, lowering the N60HL”) and a message says, “Informing first phase, to be in place by January 1, the CEO Ed Bolen. “Until now, the lack of a landing gear and flaps at the correct time. air traffic control, please wait.” FAA will set up a portal to accept requests privacy solution has been a disincentive As it nears the runway, Autoland reduces Autoland eliminates much of the infor- from operators seeking to keep their real- for some operators to equip with ADS-B. power and lines the airplane up with the mation shown to pilots on the PFDs and time ADS-B position and identification No one should have to surrender their centerline of the runway, then lands and MFD to keep the messaging simple for information private. Those operators will privacy and security just because they applies brakes until the airplane stops. passengers. Engine information, for exam- receive an alternative, temporary ICAO board an airplane.” K.L. After stopping, it then switches off the ple, is unnecessary. All the passengers

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 49 AIR transport Airbus cuts delivery forecast on A321 ACF News Update Airbus Lands Mammoth by Gregory Polek Neo Order from IndiGo Airbus landed one of its largest-ever Continuing “challenges” associated with another reason Airbus considers resolv- for more range. The changes require relo- aircraft orders from a single operator with the industrialization and production ing the ACF complexities so vital. cation and rerouting of wires harnesses the sale of 300 A320neo-family jets to acceleration of the Airbus Cabin Flex “There is a lot of industrialization to be and fuel lines as well as airframe modi- India’s IndiGo, the companies announced (ACF) version of the A321LR in Hamburg done with each of the head of versions, fications, resulting in further complexity. on October 29. The order consists of a have prompted Airbus to lower its deliv- and therefore this big one-off comes with Although during the call Faury also mix of A320neos, A321neos, and A321XLRs ery forecast for this year to 860 airplanes a lot of additional work, and we are doing warned of the potential negative effects asso- and takes IndiGo’s total number orders from a previous projection of between this at the same time we are improving ciated with the 10-percent tariffs the U.S. has for the Airbus narrowbody family to 730. 880 and 890, company executives said the underlying performance and struc- placed on Airbus exports from Europe, he IndiGo accepted delivery of its first on October 29. Speaking during Airbus’s ture of the production systems to ramp noted the duties did not play a role in Air- A320neo in March 2016 and has since earnings call for the first nine months of up to higher rates with even more ACFs bus’s cut in the 2019 delivery target. expanded its fleet of single-aisle jets 2019, CEO Guillaume Faury explained next year,” said Faury. “These are import duties so by contract to 97, ranking it as the world’s largest. that the complexity involving the ACF’s The CEO explained that the ACF’s they have to be paid by the customers IndiGo also operates 128 A320ceos. cabin configuration the company must cabin differs virtually entirely from that themselves,” he noted. “Now there’s a lot Based on the most recent list prices “digest” would persist until the end of of the standard A321neo and includes pro- of complexity in the short term...but mov- published by Airbus, the value of the deal 2020, by which time it expects to have visions for new systems, including those ing forward by the middle of next year, we could total $33 billion. IndiGo has not delivered all of the model’s heads of related to fuel tanks because designers want to be in a situation where the tariffs chosen an engine supplier for the airplanes. version airplanes. Notwithstanding the based the ACF on the LR version to allow are paid by the customers.” n The airline placed an order at June’s Paris continuing struggles, the situation has Air Show for CFM Leap-1A turbofans to begun to improve, he reported, as the power 280 Airbus airplanes already on order, company plans to deliver in the fourth signaling a switch from original engine quarter roughly half of the near 100 ACFs supplier Pratt & Whitney following a spate targeted for shipment this year. of durability findings involving the PW1100G. First delivered to Turkish Airlines in mid- 2018, the A321neo ACF encompasses modi- Russia Considers fications including a new rear section and Re-launch of L-610 a modification in which designers removed Russia’s ministry for trade and industry the door located forward of the wing and has signaled its intent to allocate state introduced new overwing emergency exits funding for a project to establish in the center section. Airbus plans to make serial production of a redeveloped the ACF configuration standard for all variant of the L-610 40-seat regional A321neos sometime next year and expects turboprop developed by Czech company ACFs to account for all A321s that roll off Let in the 1980s. Plans call for series the assembly line by the end of 2021. production to start in 2023, according

By that time the company also plans AIRBUS to Dmitry Lysogorski, head of the to increase total A320 production from Airbus’s Hamburg, Germany plant builds most of the company’s A321s, including all the heads ministry’s aviation department. 60 to 63 per month, a plan that presents of version A321 ACF examples. State officials began discussing the possibility of the L-610’s production in Russia last year, but with little fanfare. However, at August’s Moscow Airshow percent currently, IAG pointed out during Polar Airlines signed a memorandum IAG to buy Air Europa as an analysts’ presentation on November 4. of understanding with the Urals Plant The deal, however, spells bad news for Air of Civil Aviation (local acronym UZGA) France-KLM, which had envisioned becom- covering 10 aircraft for delivery from 2023 consolidation wave swells ing the leader in the Europe-to-South/Cen- to 2025. The renewed airplane would use tral America market through a joint-venture a powerplant and avionics set supplied by Cathy Buyck with its fellow SkyTeam alliance member by the Russian companies, according to Air Europa. The Franco-Dutch group and Russian trade minister Denis Manturov. International Airlines Group (IAG) has European hub and resulting in IAG achiev- Air Europa control a 19 percent and 7 per- agreed to buy Air Europa, a move that will ing South Atlantic leadership,” said IAG cent share in that market, respectively. The Airbus Adds A350 to Tianjin further alter the alliance landscape and CEO Willie Walsh. Gallego described SkyTeam partners announced their new Completion and Delivery Center give the parent company of Madrid-based the deal as “of strategic importance” for metal-neutral joint venture in August 2018 Airbus moved to further expand its Iberia and Barcelona-based low-cost car- Madrid–Barajas Airport, which in recent and awaited the launch of the planned coop- industrial and commercial footprint rier Vueling a dominant position in the years has lagged behind the continent’s eration pending regulatory clearance of the in China last month with the signing Spanish market and re-establish its lead- leading four hubs at Amsterdam, Frank- relevant competition authorities in Europe of an agreement to add A350 XWB ership position in the Europe-to-Latin furt, London Heathrow, and Paris Charles and South America. capabilities to its widebody completion America market. In a regulatory statement De Gaulle—in spite of the Spanish air- IAG’s announcement that it will buy Air and delivery center (C&DC) in Tianjin. released on November 4, IAG announced port’s spare runway capacity. “Madrid will Europa and that the Mallorca, Spain-head- While the facility currently works only it signed definitive transaction agree- be able to compete with other European quartered carrier will leave SkyTeam—Air on A330s, from the second half of 2020 ments with integrated travel company hubs on equal terms with a better posi- Europa became a full member of the Delta it will also perform A350 completion Globalia to buy its airline subsidiary Air tion on Europe to Latin America routes Air Lines and Air France-KLM led group- work including cabin installation, aircraft Europa for €1 billion ($1.11 billion). and the possibility to become a gateway ing in 2010—comes about one month after painting, and production flight test as IAG will “initially” retain the Air between Asia and Latin America,” he said. Delta shook up the alliance scene by buy- well as customer acceptance and aircraft Europa brand and the company will The “bolt-on” acquisition will elevate ing 20 percent of South American airline delivery. Airbus expects to complete first remain a standalone profit center within IAG’s share in the passenger market and Oneworld member Latam. Delta will delivery of an A350 from Tianjin by 2021. Iberia, run by Iberia chief executive Luis between Europe (including Turkey and pay $1.9 billion for the stake and provide Separately, Airbus’s Tianjin A320 Gallego. “Acquiring Air Europa would add Russia) and Latin America, defined as another $350 million to aid in Latam’s exit assembly line remains on track to a new competitive, cost-effective airline South and Central America excluding from Oneworld. The Delta-Latam tie-up accelerate its production from four to to IAG, consolidating Madrid as a leading the Caribbean, to 26 percent, up from 19 continues on facing page six aircraft per month by year-end.

50 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com could not determine whether or not the mechanics properly performed the instal- Trent 1000 TEN lation test of the AOA sensor, only that the miscalibration “was not detected.” suffers new delay Meanwhile, the KNKT attributed a lack of detection by maintenance and the flight Rolls-Royce is accelerating invest- crew’s failure to recognize the reasons for ments in additional maintenance the uncontrolled dive at least partly to a capacity and spare engines to reduce lack of documentation related to MCAS. disruption to operators of the Boeing Finally, for their part, the flight crew 787 powered by its Trent 1000 engines did not “effectively manage” the multiple after admitting it still faces delays in alerts, MCAS activations, and distractions the redesign of an improved high-pres- resulting from numerous ATC communi- sure turbine (HPT) blade for Trent 1000 cations due to a failure of CRM. “This was TEN. Rolls said a new HPT blade for

BARRY AMBROSE BARRY caused by the difficulty of the situation the Trent 1000 TEN will likely not find A row of stored 737 Max jets sits idle in Moses Lake, Washington, awaiting an FAA directive to and performance in manual handling, its way onto the engines in question allow the model to re-enter service. [non-normal checklist] execution, and before the first half of 2021. Earlier flight crew communication, leading to plans called for a start to incorporating ineffective CRM application and work- a redesigned HPT blade into the fleet load management,” concluded investiga- in early 2020. The revised timeline fol- Lion Air crash report cites tors. “These performances had previously lows a detailed technical evaluation of been identified during training and reap- the proposed HPT redesign that deter- peared during the accident flight.” mined “it will not deliver a sufficient lapses from multiple sources In reaction to the report, Boeing issued level of enhanced durability.” a statement on Friday that commended “We deeply regret the ongoing by Gregory Polek the investigative committee for its efforts. disruption caused to customers,” “We are addressing the KNKT’s safety said Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East. Indonesian investigators have determined turned out to be incorrect,” said the recommendations, and taking actions He insisted that “improving customer that design flaws in the Boeing 737 Max report. “Based on the incorrect assump- to enhance the safety of the 737 Max to confidence in the Trent 1000” stands as combined with insufficient oversight by tions about flight crew response and an prevent the flight control conditions that his top priority and promised additional U.S. regulators, failures in crew resource incomplete review of associated multiple occurred in this accident from ever hap- action to further expand the OEM’s management (CRM), and maintenance flight deck effects, MCAS’s reliance on pening again,” said Boeing. maintenance capacity and increase its lapses all contributed to the October a single sensor was deemed appropriate “Over the past several months Boeing stock of spare engines. “These steps, 2018 crash of Lion Air Flight 610 off the and met all certification requirements.” has been making changes to the 737 Max,” which build upon progress made to coast of Java, killing all 189 on board. A Other factors include a lack of docu- it added. “Most significantly, Boeing has date, will further reduce disruption to final report into the accident released last mentation about the existence and func- redesigned the way angle of attack (AOA) our airline customers and give them month by Indonesia’s National Transpor- tion of the MCAS in flight manuals or sensors work with a feature of the flight the certainty that they need,” East said. tation Safety Committee (KNKT) gives training programs and the U.S. Federal control software known as MCAS. Going Rolls, he added, remains committed— nine main contributing factors that led to Aviation Administration’s over-reliance forward, MCAS will compare information as guided in September—to reducing the crash, including the fact that a faulty on Boeing’s own employees to oversee from both AOA sensors before activating, the number of aircraft on ground to reading in only one angle of attack sensor the system’s certification. adding a new layer of protection.” single-digit levels by the end of the caused the airplane’s maneuvering char- The report also named the absence of In addition, MCAS will now only turn second quarter of 2020. acteristics augmentation system (MCAS) an angle of attack disagree alert—a sys- on if both AOA sensors agree, will only MRO expansion plans include a to pitch the nose of the airplane down- tem that came standard on the 737NG— activate once in response to erroneous doubling of Rolls-Royce’s overhaul ward, sending the airplane into a steep as a contributing factor. AOA, and will always be subject to a max- capacity at London Heathrow and an dive from which the crew failed to recover. Still, the KNKT did not place all blame imum limit that can be overridden with increase in Derby, as well as transi- “During the design and certification on the airplane design, noting that mainte- the control column. tioning its sites in Dahlewitz, Germany, of the Boeing 737-8 (Max), assumptions nance crewmembers failed to detect a mis- “These software changes will prevent the and Montreal to service hubs with the were made about flight crew response to calibration of an AOA sensor they replaced flight control conditions that occurred in capability of performing Trent 1000 malfunctions which, even though con- on the Max before its fateful flight. How- this accident from ever happening again,” engine overhauls. It also secured the sistent with current industry guidelines, ever, said the report, the investigation the company concluded. n use of an additional testbed at Dallas/ Fort Worth. In addition, the OEM will increase investment in engineering to support the specialist team that it continued from preceding page 1971 and the company remains privately the end of 2021 and increase its 787-9 fleet assembled to focus on resolving the held. The acquisition of Air Europa and to 21 examples by 2025. Air Europa also final design and engineering “chal- IAG to buy Air Europa Air Europa Express will increase Iberia’s has placed an order for 25 Max jets, with lenges” on the Trent 1000. size by 50 percent and IAG’s by 10 percent the first three due for delivery next year. Rolls pointed out that the improved followed an earlier setback for IAG and in terms of traffic revenue. Its operations IAG said it expects to close the deal in HPT blade for the Trent 1000 TEN is Oneworld’s efforts to strengthen their will integrate with the existing Iberia hub the second half of 2020. The transaction the last major redesign activity of the foothold in Latin America when Chilean structure at Madrid Barajas. Air Europa does not require IAG shareholder approval, three “significant technical issues” courts rejected an attempt by American operates flights to 69 destinations across though it stands subject to regulatory that have affected each of the three Airlines to acquire a stake in Latam, end- a range of domestic and European short- approval. Ryanair has already vowed it variants of the Trent 1000—Package ing plans for a joint business between IAG haul routes and long-haul routes to Latin will ask competition authorities to require B, Package C, and TEN. Of the nine carriers British Airways and Iberia, Latam, America, the U.S., the Caribbean, and IAG to make divestments, particularly in fixes required, it has so far designed and American Airlines. North Africa. In 2018, it generated reve- Air Europa’s short-haul markets, Reuters eight and certified seven. For Globalia, “the incorporation of Air nue of €2.1 billion and an operating profit reported. Speaking during the LCC’s The engines’ prolonged issues Europa to IAG implies the strengthen- of €100 million. It carried 11.8 million pas- half-year results presentation on Monday, forced the company to update the ing of the company’s present and future sengers aboard a fleet of 66 aircraft—12 Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary called it “a financial effect and it expects cash that will maintain the path followed by Airbus A330-200/300s, eight Boeing 787- merger to monopoly in Madrid.” costs of around £2.4 billion ($3.1 bil- Air Europa in the last years,” the group’s 8s and two -9s, twenty-one 737-800s, “I think it is a good deal for IAG, for Willie lion) from 2017 to 2023, up from pre- CEO, Javier Hidalgo said. Javier’s father, 11 Embraer E195s, and 12 ATR 72s. Air Walsh,” said O’Leary. “I think it is a bad deal vious guidance of £1.6 billion. C.B. Juan José Hidalgo, founded Globalia in Europa will phase out all of its A330s by from a competition point of view.” n

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 51 MRO/ hot section Maintenance news by AIN Staff

space and 20,000 sq ft of back shop and TB40 (40 amp-hour). These are space. It will be base for a service team True Blue Power’s first on-condition, manager and technicians responsible for lithium-ion engine-start batteries. Gen5 airframe inspections and repair, avionics batteries are engineered to overcome installations and upgrades, and interiors. the challenges inherent in lead-acid Refurbishment capabilities at the loca- and nickel-cadmium (NiCad) technol- tion include full cabinet fabrication and ogies, eliminating expensive battery finish, upholstery, composites, and paint. maintenance, frequent capacity checks, low-voltage operational delays, and most battery-related AOG situations. True Embraer Names Russia Service Blue Power expects FAA and EASA certi- Center for Legacy 600/650 fication for the Gen5 series by year end. Jet Flight Service at Vnukovo Inter- national Airport in Moscow has been named an authorized service center Bell Names Fifth GE Digital Works’s Andrew Coleman, left, and Bombardier Aviation’s Jean-Christophe (ASC) for Embraer Legacy 600/650 Authorized MRO in China Gallagher show the new Smart Link Plus health monitoring unit box that Bombardier will business jets, the Brazilian airframer Bell Textron has appointed China State include on all new Challengers and Globals, with plans to retrofit on more than 2,500 announced. Certified by the Euro- Grid General Aviation its newest Bell in-service Challengers and Globals. pean Union Aviation Safety Agency, 429 authorized maintenance center Jet Flight can perform scheduled and (AMC), making it the helicopter man- Bombardier Expanding Creedmoor, North Carolina; Plainview, unscheduled maintenance, compo- ufacturer’s fifth Civil Aviation Admin- Service Offerings New York; Cheltenham; and Singapore. nent and part exchange, and types istration of China Part 145 certified A new Bombardier service partnership of inspections at different levels Bell-authorized MRO in China. This year, with GE Aviation is expected to result of complexity for those large and Fort Worth, Texas-based Bell said it has in a free health monitoring unit (HMU) Dart Acquires Aero Design super-midsize jet types under the ASC. undertaken a significant expansion of for more than 2,500 in-service Chal- Dart Aerospace recently acquired its support network in China, appoint- lenger and Global aircraft. A preferred key product lines and more than 30 ing Reignwood Star a Bell 505 AMC and service provider agreement between STCs from Canadian helicopter mis- Duncan Aviation Creates opening a supply center in Shanghai. the two companies calls for GE Avia- sion equipment manufacturer Aero New EU Parts Post tion to offer curated service bundles Design and its brand trademark. Terms Following European Union customer around cabin and cockpit connectivity were not disclosed. The deal follows requests, Duncan Aviation has appointed C&L Acquires Global Parts’s for new and in-service Bombardier Dart’s acquisition of Simplex Aero- a specialist to address all international Beechjet Rotables Inventory Challengers and Globals, including space earlier last month. The pair of parts and rotables requests, the Lin- C&L Aerospace has purchased the models as early as the Global Express. purchases expands Dart’s STC port- coln, Nebraska-based MRO provider Beechjet 400 rotable parts program It’s the first step in Bombardier’s folio from 900 to more than 1,100. announced. Sandra Phelps, who previ- from Global Parts in Augusta, Kan- plans to launch the Smart Link Plus ously worked on the company’s parts sas, and the inventory now resides at connected aircraft program in the and rotables international sales team, C&L’s warehouse in Bangor, Maine. The second half of 2020. That program is Gulfstream Goes Down will now serve as its international parts acquisition allows C&L to boost existing expected to collect fleet-wide opera- the Middle in St. Louis and rotables sales representative.In her inventory and support for what it calls tional and maintenance data from the Gulfstream has designated its new role, Phelps will focus on aircraft a “robust” Beechjet support program. Smart Link Plus HMU boxes. This data Cahokia, Illinois MRO facility as a parts sales in the European market, is then wirelessly downloaded in flight mid-cabin maintenance center of managing work orders, parts exchange and on the ground to Bombardier for excellence, with a hangar, operations transactions, and international ship- Sherwin-Williams Intros analysis and service recommendations center, and technician team dedi- ments, including hazardous materials. ‘Upscale’ Interior Coating for Challenger and Global operators. cated to its midsize business jets. Aerospace coatings specialist Sher- The technology behind the smart While Dallas will remain the airfram- win-Williams (N3206) is introducing box was original to the Global 7500.GE er’s facility for mid-cabin completions, True Blue Power Shows New Jet Suede, a two-component urethane Aviation’s Digital Works is key to the the location at St. Louis Downtown Ultra-lightweight Battery Sets topcoat with an upscale, textured development of Smart Link Plus, which Airport will offer centralized support True Blue Power has continued its intro- finish created to enhance the feel of is expected to provide operators future for the company’s fleet of 560 midsize duction of the company’s fifth-genera- aircraft interiors, for both OEM and features such as predictive maintenance. aircraft including the G280, G200, G150, tion (Gen5) main ship batteries unveiled aftermarket applications. Available GE Aviation’s Digital Works is key to the and G100, about 70 percent of which are last March at Heli-Expo in Atlanta with in low gloss and solid neutral colors, development of Smart Link Plus, which based in the U.S. The 70,348-sq-ft hangar three ultra-lightweight batteries: TB20 including an array of OEM hues, the is expected to provide operators future includes 30,000 sq ft of aircraft floor (20 amp-hour), TB30 (30 amp-hour), durable finish provides stain, abra- features such as predictive maintenance. sion, and scratch resistance, according to the Cleveland-based company, and can be applied on both rigid and CVC Capital Closes On flexible plastic and substrates. For Acquisition Of Ontic refurbishments, Jet Suede makes a CVC Capital Partners’ CVC Fund suitable replacement for worn leather VII has completed its purchase of armrests, cabin fabrics, and cockpit BBA Aviation’s Ontic, a manufac- yokes, and is also an efficient alterna- turer of OEM-licensed parts for leg- tive to painting interior plastic parts. acy aircraft, in a deal valued at more than $1.3 billion. The acquisition was originally announced in July. Av8 Group Expands Cheltenham, UK-based Ontic sup- Facilities and Capabilities ports more than 39,000 in-service Houston-based Av8 Group has aircraft through a portfolio of more expanded its facilities and added new than 165 licenses to manufacture more equipment in a bid to increase its than 7,000 parts. It has more than 1,200 testing and overhaul services. The customers and manufacturing and repair Gen5 batteries from True Blue Power eliminate a number of costly maintenance requirements, expansion includes the addition of facilities in Chatsworth, California; including most battery-related AOG issues, according to the company. 9,000 sq ft of space to its current facility,

52 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com bringing the total to 30,000 sq ft. Customs Airport of Entry that, with It also added a servo test stand its 6,000-foot runway, can handle that can measure data in milliseconds any business jet or narrowbody com- and allows Av8 to overhaul servos mercial airliner. The facility—which and valves in assemblies, including will supplement Skyservice’s existing anti-skid control valves. Also, the maintenance operations in Toronto, acquisition of a dedicated actuator Montreal, and Calgary—services corpo- test stand expands its capabilities to rate, regional, and commercial aircraft. overhaul mechanical and hydraulic “With more than 35 years of expertise components such as flap/stabilizer in maintenance services, our highly screw jacks and leading-edge actuators. skilled team is looking forward to deliv- “The expansion and additional ering a world-class customer experience testing capabilities are in line with in the Muskoka area,” said Skyservice our renewed focus on value in over- president and CEO Emlyn David. “The hauls,” said Av8 Group CEO Yoel Muskoka location is a one-stop-shop Arnoni. “This extends far beyond for all aircraft needs, with safety and the initial landing gear overhauls we service excellence at the forefront.” Purdue University researchers are narrowing in the causes of turbine blade failure and how to have become known for. We can now The company carries authorized predict them in the future. bring the same substantial value to service facility designations from other systems and component over- several OEMs—including Bombardier, engines. Turbine blades can act as a used to predict possible engine fail- hauls that we have been delivering Gulfstream Aerospace, Dassault Fal- tuning fork with a specific frequency ure, noted Nicole Key, a professor of to our landing gear customers.” con, and Honda Aircraft—and per- when they vibrate, and at times the mechanical engineering. “This technique forms maintenance and warranty work vibrations can be so intense they has great potential to be used as a real- for its own managed aircraft fleet, as affect the engine’s functioning. time blade vibration health monitoring Skyservice Expands well as those from other operators. “The key challenge is how to filter out system for the gas turbine engines used MRO Footprint in Canada all the noise and just listen to the sound in both aviation and power generation.” Skyservice Business Aviation, one of the blade vibration,” said Yujun Leng, She added that existing pressure sensor of Canada’s largest industry service Researchers Focus On a research scientist in the university’s arrays already present in most engines providers, has expanded its MRO Blade Failure Predictors College of Engineering. “Our technology can also be used to measure and monitor footprint with the acquisition of Researchers at Purdue University is a blade vibration monitoring sys- blade vibration at the same time. Muskoka Aircraft Center, an approved say they have developed a moni- tem using multiple unsteady pressure The university’s research founda- maintenance organization (AMO) in toring system that can detect rotor sensors to listen to the specific sound tion has filed for a provisional patent Gravenhurst, Ontario. The purchase forced response vibration, one of of gas turbine engine blade vibration.” for the technology and the research- includes a 60,000-sq-ft hangar at the most common causes of pre- Data analytics make it possible for ers are looking for partners to fur- 24-hour Muskoka Airport, a Canadian mature blade failure in turbine that blade vibration information to be ther test and commercialize it. n

Parts specialist Able looks to 737 NG for growth by Jerry Siebenmark

For aircraft component repair and over- allow it to modify and upgrade the land- haul specialist Able Aerospace, work on ing gear on Boeing 737-700/-800/-900 the landing gear of the Boeing 737 Next NG models, of which there are nearly Generation (NG) represents a new and 7,000 in operation. significant piece of business. It’s a big “Obviously we’re new to the market- reason why the Textron Aviation unit place, but we do have a history of sup- spent $3 million on new equipment and porting airline needs, whether it’s through Able Aerospace’s Boeing 737NG landing gear overhaul and repair team. undertook a 60,000-sq-ft facility expan- some part design improvements that sion earlier this year. Such an investment we’ve manufactured and designed and grow our product line,” Vercio added. and Leonardo. Following Textron Avi- could pay off in other ways, too, for the sold to airlines, or whether it’s in over- “We believe there’s a big wave of ation’s 2016 acquisition of Able, it has Mesa, Arizona-based company. haul,” Vercio explained. demand coming. A lot of those [737s] expanded its work for sister company Bell “When you look at the amount of tool- That history extends all the way are starting to come up on their reg- as well as grown its involvement in busi- ing and new automated processes and back to component repair and over- ularly scheduled overhaul events.” He ness aircraft, including some Citations CNC capabilities that we’re purchasing haul on the Boeing 727 when that added that 737 landing gear typically is and Hawker jets as well as King Air turbo- on brand-new equipment to automate type was in service. More recently, it overhauled every 10 years; or even less props. Its current business aircraft work this process and to keep tolerances tight includes the manufacture of engine for high-utilization airframes. statement includes landing gear overhaul to provide a very robust and quality prod- mounts on Boeing and Airbus sin- To accommodate the move into 737 on Hawker 800/900/1000 jets as well as uct…it can lead into other markets as gle-aisle aircraft and Boeing 747 flap landing gear and other growth, Able has brakes and starter generator overhauls on well,” Able Aerospace general manager tracks and carriages. “And so while added about 40 new workers this year, some King Airs and Citations. Michael Vercio told AIN. “So the 737, I that airplane [747] is starting to be bringing its total employment to more “We’ve also been kind of the back shop would say, is the catalyst for us to con- phased out, we still have those great than 450. “Our plan is to continue some- for Textron Aviation, so some of the one- tinue to grow our product line, and in relationships with those customers,” thing probably fairly close to that going off, hard-to-find jobs [for which], maybe, bigger areas.” he said. Other capabilities, including into 2020,” he said. a vendor’s gone out of business or [there With the investment, Able has sold its special chemical processes, platings, Able started out in 1982 primarily as a are] quality issues with a vendor, we’ll first three landing gear sets to what it and nondestructive inspection and component and overhaul business to the bring those products into Able,” Vercio said is one of the world’s largest com- testing, made the addition of 737 land- rotorcraft industry, serving OEMs and said. “We’ve started to do a lot of the over- mercial airlines. Its new capabilities ing gear work “a natural fit for us to providers such as Bell, Airbus, Erickson, haul and repairs of those parts.” n

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 53 TOUCHING bases FBO and Airport news by Curt Epstein

Luke Lewis, adding the company the next 12 to 18 months you will get plans to offer its based custom- to the point where you make a res- ers a fuel discount incentive. ervation, you click through, you get With a price tag of several million dol- confirmation, and you don’t even have lars, the location will include 34 hangars to call the FBO,” said Carroll. “We’re for based tenants only, the largest of looking at this in terms of what’s going which will be 8,000 sq ft, enough to shel- to add value to the customer and we ter aircraft up to an Embraer Phenom think this is just the right way for us 300. Most of the twelve available for pur- to do business in that respect.” chase have already been pre-sold, while the remaining hangars will be available for lease. A 1,500-sq-ft terminal will Modern Aviation be “lightly staffed,” according to Lewis, Makes It Easy To Fly Green Desert Jet Center’s new $7 million facility makes it the most recent of the three service and serve mainly as a clubhouse for the FBO network Modern Aviation has providers at California’s Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport. Among its amenities are an aircraft owners, with a stocked refresh- partnered with carbon reduction and autospa where customers can leave their vehicles for washing and detailing. ment bar, pool table, lounge chairs, offset credit organization Carbonfund television, restrooms, computer termi- to offer its customers the ability to Million Air Goes Live in Austin hurdles placed by local officials. nal, and possibly a classic car from the reduce their environmental impact Million Air has expanded its network The $7 million Desert Jet Center company owner’s personal collection. by offsetting their carbon emissions with the opening of its newest FBO features a 10,000-sq-ft terminal with The first phase—which includes as part of their fuel purchase. at Austin-Bergstrom International floor-to-ceiling windows, observation three of the larger hangars, the ter- The voluntary program, which began Airport in Texas. This new location deck, and a full slate of amenities includ- minal, and the fueling system—is on November 1, will provide carbon represents the FBO network’s fourth ing a pair of eight-seat conference rooms, expected to be finished by mid-2020. offset credits through verified projects in the state and its 31st globally. pilot lounge with snooze room and at a small surcharge per gallon of fuel. The gala grand opening and rib- shower facilities, kitchen, laundry ser- Initial environmental targets include bon-cutting in Austin was held for vice, autospa, pet relief area, and refresh- Signature To Launch the Russas-Valparaiso forest conser- hundreds of guests, featuring a ment bars for both passengers and pets. Pricing Transparency Tool vation projects in the Amazon, which private concert by country music It has a 22,500-sq-ft hangar with Signature Flight Support is looking are designed to protect 170,000 acres star Aaron Tippin, as well as a mini 28-foot-high doors and can accom- toward the future with new approaches of tropical rainforest, mitigating the static display that included one of modate the latest ultra-long-range to its customer offerings, including a release of approximately 3 million tons the remaining few airworthy Beech- business jets. It is the only air-con- Trip Estimator Tool for pilots and sched- of carbon dioxide emissions as well as craft Starships, in addition to a King ditioned hangar in the Palm Springs/ ulers conducting pre-flight planning. preserving the biodiversity of the habitat. Air 350i, Citation M2, and Bell 505. Coachella Valley region. The company Scheduled to launch in early 2020, the CEO Mark Carmen said the company Groundbreaking on the $40 million, also offers an onsite FAA Part 145 new tool will deliver retail fuel pricing, will fund 20 percent of its customers’ con- 20-acre facility was in 2018, and the repair station with 24/7 mobile AOG along with handling and infrastruc- tribution during the program’s first year. company began providing service from service and complete aircraft detail- ture fees, allowing users to review the a temporary facility earlier this sum- ing. The FBO recently launched a estimated costs of their trip before mer. The spacious two-story terminal customer loyalty program that it says they take off. “[Customers] enter their Swissport Rebrands has a 14,500-sq-ft lobby with elegant will combine its five-star customer aircraft tail number, their destination, Skycare FBO seating groups, wood and granite fea- service with additional cost savings. and the date that they are planning to The Skycare FBO at New Zealand’s tures, a marble-framed fireplace, and fly up to seven days in advance, and we Auckland Airport has rebranded under wood-beam ceilings, as well as private return the pricing information,” said the Swissport Executive Aviation name. sky lounge bar, complementary Star- Louisiana’s Capital Airport Matthew Carroll, the service provider Swissport International acquired the bucks-trained barista and refreshment To Get Another FBO chain’s senior v-p of marketing. FBO’s parent company, Aerocare, in bars, pilot lounge with snooze rooms Louisiana’s Baton Rouge Metropolitan “We know this is something that many March 2018. The Auckland facility and shower facilities, wraparound Airport will be gaining a third FBO with of our customers have been asking for includes a terminal with VIP lounge, ramp-side balcony, flight planning the announcement of groundbreaking by and I think we’re probably going to be concierge service, and in-house customs, room, and a pair of conference rooms the Williams Jet Center. Aimed primarily one of the first to deliver something like immigration, and baggage screening. with available concierge service. at the owner-flown community, the new this. Carroll cautioned the tool is an Swissport handles more than 24,000 The newest of three service pro- five-acre complex under construction “estimator,” which will give the handling flights a year at more than 90 airports in viders at the airport, it also includes on the northwest side of the airport will infrastructure information and alert 25 countries and has concierge staff at 32 a 6,750-sq-ft aircraft arrivals canopy, be the only source for fuel in that area users if there will be any other potential airports in Australia and New Zealand. more than seven acres of ramp space, of the airport. At the start, the facility charges. “At this point, it would make “Joining the global network and operating and seven hangars ranging in size will offer only self-serve jet-A and avgas. sense for a customer to double-check under the well known and trusted Swis- from 15,600 sq ft to 19,950 sq ft, each “We’re not going to initially have that with the FBO,” he told AIN, adding sport Executive Aviation brand will ben- a stand-alone facility with indepen- fuel trucks, but we might get into the system will be continually improved efit our new and existing customers and dent secure parking and entries. With that down the road,” said co-owner from its introduction. “I hope that in set the benchmark for safety and seamless 28-foot-high doors, they can easily international service,” said Rob D’Alessio, accommodate ultra-long-range business Swissport’s senior v-p for the region. jets up to a Gulfstream G650. Aircraft maintenance is also available on site. Avflight, Pentastar Team on Michigan FBO Desert Jet FBO chain operator Avflight, which Completes New FBO plans open to its newest location at California aviation services provider Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford Interna- Desert Jet has completed its FBO com- tional Airport in the second quarter, plex at Jacqueline Cochran Regional will partner with local aviation services Airport. The Thermal-based company provider Pentastar Aviation to provide had been operating from a temporary a full range of services at this facility.

facility since 2015, and construction AMBROSE BARRY Pontiac, Michigan-based Pentastar, of its state-of-the-art facility had been Signature Flight Support’s new pricing transparency tool is designed to help customers estimate which was the highest-ranked FBO this hampered by a series of legislative costs before takeoff. The company is also expanding its FBO network and MRO capabilities. year in AIN’s annual FBO survey, will

54 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com occupy an office in the 5,000-sq-ft ter- operates the airport, took over the minal and provide charter, management, facility following ExecuJet’s depar- FBO PROFILE: FlyAdvanced Wilmington, Del. and MRO evaluation services there. ture after seven years. The rebrand- “While our facility includes all the ing included a new pink and blue amenities of a high-end FBO, we want color scheme for the location, which to have comprehensive services for features an executive lounge with business aircraft customers,” said complimentary refreshments, a new Joe Meszaros, Avflight’s v-p of opera- private business center, pilot and tions. “Pentastar, also a Michigan-based crew lounge, 14-seat conference room, company, has a long history of customer in-house customs and immigration service excellence, and its expertise services, and panoramic views of the in charter, management, and mainte- airfield and surrounding countryside. nance make them the perfect partner.” “The services we offer have been For Avflight, an Avfuel-sister com- implemented specifically with our pany, this new location will be its 22nd passengers front and center of our in the U.S. and Europe and its sixth in strategy, to provide up-to-the-minute Michigan. In addition to a 30,000-sq-ft comfort, safety, and relaxation and Celebrating five years under the FlyAdvanced brand, the FBO at Wilmington, Delaware’s hangar, it will provide fueling, ground allow them to maximize their valuable New Castle Airport has grown into a full-service FBO and FAA Part 145 repair station. handling, deicing, and concierge services. time,” said Kevan Craske, the airport’s recently appointed director, adding the airport is an important facility New Castle Airport facility Vegas Hangar Complex that local businesses rely upon. ‘They Full Ahead of Opening deserve the best facilities available, so sees steady activity Ahead of its anticipated completion in we’ve worked hard to provide them.” February, a new hangar complex rising With Delaware’s favorable corporate tax Shell-branded tank farm which can store at Las Vegas-area Henderson Execu- policies, it’s little wonder that the state’s 20,000 gallons of jet-A and 12,000 gallons tive Airport (HND) is now fully leased. Southwest Florida Airport business aviation traffic stands in contrast of avgas. Scheduled to open in spring 2020, the Adds New Bizav Hangar to its small size. Sixty-five percent of all For- Business is steady throughout the year, facility, which will cater largely to the Florida’s Fort Myers Page Field Airport tune 500 companies and more than half of according to Travis Baker, the FBO’s assis- owner-flown aircraft sector, consists has unveiled a new 24,000-sq-ft multi- all U.S. publicly traded companies are incor- tant manager, attributing that to his state’s of 25 separate hangars—16 T-hangars use hangar that can accommodate porated in the First State. tax incentives. During the summer, NASCAR that can accommodate small aircraft aircraft up to a Gulfstream G650. The At New Castle Airport (ILG), Wilming- races at the nearby Dover International such as a Daher TBM or Citation addition brings the airport-operated FBO, ton’s dedicated general aviation gateway, Speedway, as well as the Firefly Music Festi- Mustang and nine larger 4,500-sq-ft Base Operations at Page Field, to 74,000 FlyAdvanced has been providing aviation val, serve as a slight bump for business. box hangars able to fit up to midsize sq ft of aircraft storage. Funded half by services since 2006 from a converted for- When it comes to customer service, business jets such as a Hawker 800. the Florida Department of Transporta- mer corporate flight department hangar. Baker said the FBO sticks to the tried and Developed in a partnership between tion (FDOT) and half by the Lee County Founded in 2001 as Aeroways, the one-air- true philosophy. “We treat every aircraft, aircraft sales, rental, and Cirrus flight Port Authority, the $7 million project plane management operation took on more whether it’s a Cessna 172 or a G550, with training provider All In Aviation and Part also included an additional 58,000 sq ft aircraft and eventually grew into a full-ser- the same level of service,” he told AIN. 145 aircraft maintenance company Lone of apron to help meet seasonal aircraft vice FBO. The company was purchased in “Especially for the little planes, because Mountain Aviation, the complex—the first parking demand. According to an eco- 2014 and rebranded FlyAdvanced, along you never know if the guy stepping out has purpose-built, multi-use aviation facility nomic impact study earlier this year by with the company’s second FBO at Phila- three jets they want to bring to you.” at HND—will also include a 22,000-sq- FDOT, the airport saw more than 98,000 delphia-area Wings Field Airport. Baker recalled one event this summer ft maintenance hangar/two-story office operations in 2018, contributes approx- Through its flagship location at ILG, the where a group of six passengers showed building with 9,000 sq ft of office space, imately $385 million a year to the region, company provides customers with a one- up at the FBO for a vacation charter flight five training rooms, a classroom, library, and supports more than 3,300 jobs. stop-shop offering: aircraft management, to the Bahamas through a third-party conference room, avionics workshop, “Business at Page Field has continued charter, sales, rentals, flight training, and operator. Upon the aircraft’s arrival, it pilot shop, and parts department. to flourish, with more flight activity and an FAA Part 145 maintenance station with was determined to have a major mechan- an increased demand for space to house a mobile repair team. ical issue, and the charter provider was aircraft, as well as provide additional The company has been a CAA-preferred notified to find a replacement aircraft. Cambridge UK FBO Reopens tenant support and services,” explained provider at ILG for more than a decade, and While they waited for its arrival, the FBO Under Airport Management Jeff Mulder, executive director of the its 2,100-sq-ft terminal features a passen- staff entertained the passengers, includ- Cambridge Jet Centre, the newly Lee County Port Authority. “This new ger lounge/waiting area, refreshment bar, a ing ordering them hoagie sandwiches rebranded FBO at the UK’s Cambridge hangar contributes to positive devel- business center/flight planning area, crew and beverages. City Airport, recently reopened after opment in Lee County and will meet lounge, quiet room with massage recliners, When the replacement aircraft arrived a brief redesign. Marshall Aerospace future needs of business and general showers, full kitchen, break room, crew car, several hours later, it was quickly fueled and Defense Group, which owns and aviation in Southwest Florida.” n onsite car rental, valet parking, and a pair and the luggage transferred, passengers of six-seat A/V-equipped conference rooms. boarded and ready for takeoff, before With a leasehold of more than seven it, too, was stricken with a mechanical acres, the location offers four heated issue. The FBO has four similar 600-series 15,000-sq-ft hangars capable of sheltering Challengers based there, and its mainte- aircraft up to a Bombardier Global 7500. nance technicians inspected the aircraft to They are home to 16 turbine-powered air- determine the problem, which was found craft ranging from a pair of Dassault Falcon to be a faulty baggage compartment door 900s down to a Daher TBM 700. sensor. Drawing the appropriate part from It is open from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. every the facility’s Challenger spare parts supply, day, with after-hours call-out at a fee. U.S. they soon repaired the aircraft, allowing Customs is available 24/7 with advance the customers to finally head off. Though notice and will clear aircraft on the ramp. frustrated over the loss of nearly a day’s The FBO sees approximately 10 oper- vacation, Baker said, they were pleased ations a day, and pumps approximately with the care and attention they were The new multi-use hangar at Fort Myers’ Page Field brings the airport-operated FBO there 750,000 gallons of fuel a year from its shown at the FBO. C.E. to 74,000 sq ft of aircraft storage.

ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 55 ACCIDENTS by David Jack Kenny

PRELIMINARY REPORTS bolt, and pin. The nosegear locked into provided by Airservices Australia showed The pilot was initially able to maintain place when extended by hand. Mainte- it continuing southbound for about one control, but as the helicopter descended HondaJet and Hawker nance records showed that the airplane minute 20 seconds before entering a rap- through 75 feet above ground level on its Have Nosegear Extension had been operated for 124 cycles since an idly descending left turn, dropping from landing approach, the tail rotor, gearbox, Failures on Same Day overhaul of the main and nose landing 3,400 feet to its last recorded altitude of and vertical stabilizer all departed the air- gear in January 2019. 525 feet in just 22 seconds. craft. It climbed briefly in a rapid left turn OCTOBER 7, 2019, HONDA HA-420, The helicopter had departed from and then descended into the ground. No CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Seven Lost in Queensland’s Archerfield Airport at about one outside the aircraft was hurt. Super Puma Ditching 2:30 p.m. local time on what was described The TSB noted that the helicopter’s A two-year-old HondaJet sustained serious as “a private flight…repositioning the heli- operator had used electrical tape to damage to the underside of the forward AIRBUS HELICOPTERS H225 (EC 225LP) copter to Bankstown Airport, New South immobilize the passengers’ shoulder section of its fuselage after its nose landing SUPER PUMA, OCTOBER 31, 2019, Wales.” It lifted off from a fuel stop at Coff’s harness reels and that the technicians gear failed to extend. The pilot and all four OFF THE DOKDO ISLANDS, SOUTH KOREA Harbor, N.S.W. at 4:48 and flew south. The themselves were apt to skip fastening the passengers were uninjured. The pilot told pilot contacted Williamstown Approach lap belts on short flights to avoid the dif- NTSB investigators that he broke off the A rescue helicopter crashed into the Sea of at 5:55, six minutes before the forecast end ficulty of fastening them over their bulky initial landing approach when the nose gear Japan just after takeoff, killing all seven on of civil evening twilight, to coordinate the outdoor winter gear. indicator light remained yellow and an audi- board (see fuller story on page 46). The air- transition through its airspace using a block ble “gear unsafe” warning sounded. After a craft, operated by South Korea’s National altitude of 3,000 to 3,500 feet. At 6:05 the Nosegear Damage Traced to fly-by past Charleston Air Force Base/Inter- 119 Rescue Headquarters, had boarded a controller lowered the block’s floor to 2,400 Misplaced Quick-release Pin national Airport’s control tower, control- patient reported to be an injured fisher- feet after an abrupt descent to 2,700 that lers advised that the gear doors “did not man; the other casualties included two the pilot blamed on turbulence. Radar con- CESSNA 750 (CITATION X+), look right.” The pilot attempted to cycle pilots and an aircraft mechanic, two res- tact was lost at 6:11 as the helicopter began JULY 22, 2018, CORK, IRELAND the gear twice before performing the emer- cue workers, and a friend of the patient. its turn south, and subsequent attempts to gency gear-down checklist without effect; The helicopter lifted off just before mid- reach the pilot were unsuccessful. Failure to correctly mate the nosegear’s the nosegear indicator light remained red. night from the helipad on the larger of Aerial searches the evening of the acci- upper and lower torque links and rein- He then landed the jet on Runway 3, where the two islets and crashed approximately dent spotted three oil slicks. The wreckage stall the torque link release pin caused it slid to a stop and all occupants evacuated two minutes later after what witnesses field was finally located on September 26 the vibration that led the captain to abort the aircraft. described as erratic low-altitude flight. after “an extensive sea search, hampered the takeoff roll at 67 knots airspeed. The An FAA inspector who examined the Prevailing conditions included light by poor sea and weather conditions.” A nosegear turned sideways during decel- airplane reported that “the underside of winds with no moon. large section of the helicopter’s tail boom eration, shredding the tires and causing the forward portion of the fuselage was Divers located the wreckage about 600 was eventually recovered from the sea extensive damage to the nosegear assem- scraped completely through the hull” with meters (2,000 feet) offshore at a depth of floor at a depth of about 30 meters (100 bly as well as to the fuselage nose structure. damage to the pressure vessel. This acci- 72 meters (235 feet). Three bodies and frag- feet). Small pieces of floating wreckage However, Ireland’s Air Accident Investiga- dent is at least the eighth mishap suffered mentary wreckage had been recovered as were also collected. tion Unit was unable to determine who by HondaJets during landing attempts but of November 5. The twin-engine helicopter removed the pin, which was found on the the first caused by a documented mechan- had recently been returned to service after FINAL REPORTS runway in the course of the investigation. ical anomaly; the others included one a 1,000-hour heavy inspection; its pilots are The jet had arrived from Luton, England, blown tire and six runway excursions. reported to have had a combined 40 years of Loose Bag four days earlier. Landing, taxi, and parking professional experience. Struck Tail Rotor were uneventful. According to the Cork air- RAYTHEON HAWKER 800XP, South Korean President Moon Jae-in port manager, the airplane was not moved FORT MYERS, FLORIDA ordered immediate safety inspections of AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AS350B2, DECEMBER after landing until the crew taxied to the the nation’s entire fleet of H225 helicopters. 14, 2017, TWEED, ONTARIO, CANADA runway for departure. The purpose of the In the second accident of its type on the The widespread use of the Super Puma torque link release pin is to disconnect the same day, a Hawker 800XP had to land series for overwater transport in harsh envi- An empty canvas bag not properly fas- nose gear from the steering mechanism so it with its nosegear retracted following an ronments has contributed to the relatively tened to the helicopter’s external plat- can turn freely while the aircraft is towed. It extension failure. None of the four peo- high fatality rate—close to 50 percent—in form came loose and struck the tail rotor, is secured to the airframe by a steel lanyard, ple on board (two pilots and two passen- accidents involving these models. causing severe imbalance and resulting leading some pilots to stow it in the cavity gers) were injured. The pilot-in-command vibration that ultimately wrenched the in the upper torque link while the aircraft is reported that the takeoff roll at the Naples Five Killed in Helicopter tail rotor, its gearbox, and the vertical parked to prevent it from banging against (Florida) Municipal Airport was normal, Crash off New South Wales stabilizer from the airframe. The three other components in the wind. The upper but when he retracted the landing gear powerline technicians being transported end of the broken lanyard was still attached during initial climb he heard a thud and BELL UH-1H, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019, had not fastened their lap belts and were to the pin when found. felt vibration from the direction of the FIVE KM SOUTHWEST OF ANNA BAY, ejected from the aircraft during the crash Neither pilot recalled having removed nosegear well. The nosegear indicator light NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA sequence. The pilot also died one impact. the pin, and both remembered having remained red, indicating that it was neither The flight was intended to carry the seen it “in place” during their preflight down and locked nor retracted. After the The pilot and four passengers were killed technicians back from worksites in the inspection. However, a photograph of the procedure listed in the emergency exten- when their helicopter crashed into the Tweed Industrial Park to their staging airplane while parked on the ramp clearly sion checklist proved unsuccessful, the ocean about 5 km (3 miles) southwest of area for lunch. A large pulley and two soft- shows the upper and lower torque links crew diverted to Fort Myers to land on the coastal town of Anna Bay, New South sided tool bags had been attached to the disconnected with the pin stowed in the its 12,000-foot Runway 06 in dry weather. Wales, just north of the port of Newcastle. Air Stair platform with carabiners. About a upper link. During the short taxi from the The airplane skidded to a stop on the run- The accident occurred more than 10 min- quarter of a mile from their destination in ramp to the runway, the pilot-in-command way, where the passengers and crew exited utes after the end of civil evening twilight the staging area, an empty canvas bag with noted that the steering felt sluggish, which through the main cabin door. in weather that included reduced visibil- attached carabiner came loose and struck he attributed to the aircraft’s weight after Initial examination found the nosegear’s ity and wind gusts up to 45 knots with a the tail rotor, breaking the tip and balance loading fuel for the transatlantic flight to actuator pushrod linkage detached from forecast of severe turbulence. William- weight off one blade and causing increas- Gander, Newfoundland. The AAIU cited its attach point. The nut, bolt, and retain- town Approach Control lost radar contact ingly destructive vibrations. TSB investi- other accidents in related models as showing pin were missing, with “deformation with the helicopter after it made an unex- gators could not determine whether the ing that “stiction” between the upper and in the area where the nut, bolt, and pin pected left turn, departing the coastal bag had been harnessed onto the platform lower sections of the gear strut can provide assembly should be installed” that pre- VFR lane and heading southbound out separately, or had come loose from inside limited steering control with the torque vented installation of a replacement nut, to sea. ADS-B position data subsequently another piece of stowed luggage. links disconnected. n

The material on this page is based on reports by the official 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.

56 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com Join us at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake BuenaWAI Vista, Florida! March20 5–7,20 2020 31st Annual International Women in Aviation Conference DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT March 5–7, 2020

RGB RGB RGB RGB 0, 153, 144 180, 212, 76 251,170, 25 244,123, 50 CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK 92/16/52/0 34/0/89/0 0/38/100/0 0/64/90/0 Hex Hex Hex Hex #009990 #B4D44C #FBAA19 #F47B32

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March 5–7, 2020 Plan your three-day adventure to Florida for the unique WAI2020 conference experience. • Keynote speakers – Stephanie Chung, JetSuite president – Lt. Col. Eileen Collins, NASA astronaut – Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, U.S. Air Force – Joan Robinson-Berry, Boeing Global Services vice president & chief engineer • Professional development seminars Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort • Education sessions and workshops Lake Buena Vista, Florida • Exhibit hall • Mentoring and networking events • Hiring briefings • Local aviation tours • Girls in Aviation Day Orlando Register early and save by January 27, 2020 midnight EST WAI.org/20conference Technicians at Collins Aerospace’s Landing Systems unit work on main landing gear assemblies in support CUSTOMIZABLE DATA DELIVERY SOLUTIONS of Gulfstream G650 production. Collins has JETNET API (Application Programming Interface) is a flexible long been a provider application program interface that allows clients to build their of brake components, own complex custom solutions powered by JETNET’s world-class data. Users can also explore and design proprietary programs including high-carbon- to connect with and manage the data delivered via the firm’s content discs, for RESTful API, including CRMs, market analysis tools, transaction a wide variety of trends, aircraft inventory programs, fleet management activities, business aircraft. or other complex applications. Be more efficient, and find answers more quickly, with JETNET API. Business soars at Collins as investments amp up by Kerry Lynch

Collins Aerospace is pouring millions These investments build on the advanced into expanding facilities, machinery, technologies that Pueblo has been gradually and employee bases at its Landing Sys- bringing online as it evolves the process. This tems businesses as it works to keep up includes machinery to do the basic weaving with growth across its markets. This has of the raw materials that arrive primarily included an $80 million expansion at its from two main suppliers (both in Japan). As carbon-brake center in Pueblo, Colorado; it arrives, that material has the appearance of KNOW MORE. possible expansion at a second carbon site soft “horsehair” and machines shape it into in Spokane, Washington; and increased soft, thick blocks that are then cut into brake The World Leader in Aviation Market Intelligence 800.553.8638 +1.315.797.4420 +41 (0) 43.243.7056 jetnet.com personnel and machinery at landing gear disc shapes before they are baked multiple sites in Poland and Canada. times in furnaces. “It’s a very good time to be in aerospace A significant amount of investment has these days,” said Ajay Mahajan, vice presi- been made in bringing several more large dent of the Landing Systems unit. furnaces online that are the key to car- Collins has produced wheels and bonization (purification) and densifica- brakes and/or landing gear for the spec- tion of the discs. The furnaces run around trum of commercial aircraft, including the clock for weeks at a time as they bake from a Dash 8 turboprop up to the larg- racks carrying hundreds of carbon brake est Airbus and Boeing airliners. Exec- discs at temperatures that can reach more utives agree much of the growth the than 2,000 degrees centigrade. Landing Systems business unit is experi- Other investments have involved encing is driven by healthy airliner order robots to help with the oxidization pro- books. However, the company also sees cess, a protective coating step to ensure a steady business and new opportunities the discs can withstand exposure to in the business aviation market, as well weather elements over time. Collins as increasing interest in the military side, further has brought online machinery to particularly with strategic programs quality-test the brakes. Each batch must such as the F-35. have discs tested for rejected-takeoff A major focus of investment has been stresses on an in-house dynamometer. increasing carbon capacity as its brakes business has soared. “Everything to us is Multiple Sites landings, landings, and landings. They’re Pueblo is just one of three carbon plants building more [aircraft] than they’re that Collins operates. Another major cen- retiring,” said Tony Wurmel, executive ter is Spokane, where Mahajan said Col- director of Wheels and Brakes operations, lins is considering a similar investment. based at the Pueblo site. A third, smaller site is in Santa Fe In response, Collins has engaged in a Springs, California, that makes the car- multi-year expansion of the facilities at bon brakes for the smaller-run programs, the plant in Pueblo, Colorado, where raw including some military and newer busi- materials are transformed into pure car- ness aviation platforms. bon and then into a brake disc designed On the landing gear side, Collins is to withstand landings of the heaviest air- focusing on the growth of facilities out- craft. That expansion, which began in 2015 side of the U.S. in an effort to be closer to and is expected to be completed late next customers, said Mahajan. “We now have a year, has resulted in a footprint spanning huge footprint in Poland,” he said, adding 325,000 sq ft, provided additional furnace that with manufacturing plants at Krosno and machinery capabilities, and increased and Rzeszow, Poland, is becoming one of employment by some 25 percent to 250. its largest gear manufacturing hubs. The net result is a 50 percent increase in Another growth area is its plant in production capacity. Oakville, Ontario, Canada. n

58 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com COMPLIANCE countdown by Gordon Gilbert

Within 6 Months ensure that built-in lavatory extinguish- Dec. 31, 2019 ers on aircraft newly certified on or U.S.: NAT MNPS Compliance after Feb. 18, 2020 do not use Halon as the extinguishing agent. The goal is to U.S. operators with older minimum gradually mitigate the environmental MANY OF THE AIRCRAFT WE navigation performance specifications impact that Halon extinguishing agents (MNPS) approvals have until December in firefighting equipment have on the HELP CLIENTS BUY REQUIRE 31 to get these updated if they want to ozone and climate. The requirement VERY LITTLE ADDITIONAL keep flying in the North Atlantic Tracks applied to portable extinguishers on WORK BEFORE THEY ARE under new operations specification these classes of aircraft starting last May. management letter of authorization PUT INTO SERVICE FOR (LOA) B039. These requirements have June 7, 2020 6 Months to Deadline THE NEW OWNER. IF AN been in effect for nearly two years. Europe: AIRCRAFT IS NOT EXACTLY Jan. 1, 2020 31 Days to Deadline ADS-B Out Mandate WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS U.S./Taiwan/Mexico: The ADS-B Out retrofit requirement in THOUGH, DUNCAN AVIATION Europe takes effect June 7, 2020. This ADS-B Out Mandate mandate applies only to aircraft with OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE ADS-B Out equipment must be oper- a mtow exceeding 5,700 kg (12,566 TIP-TO-TAIL SERVICES. ational starting Jan. 1, 2020, in aircraft pounds) or having a maximum cruis- that fly in the U.S. under IFR and ing speed greater than 250 knots, and where transponders are currently received its individual certificate of required, and in Taiwan IFR airspace airworthiness before June 8, 2016. above FL290. Mexico: requirements are proposed for a start date of Jan. 1, 2020, in Class A, B, C, E above 10,000 Within 12 Months feet, and other specified airspace. The Aug. 14, 2020 requirement could take effect earlier in EU: Pilot Mental Fitness some airspace over the Gulf of Mexico. The European Union has published Jan. 1, 2020 revised air operations safety rules to Aircraft CO Emissions incorporate provisions to better identify, 2 assess, and treat the psychological fit- The first international standards for ness of air crew. The rules, applicable to carbon dioxide (CO₂) aircraft emis- commercial air transport operators, go sions have been enacted by ICAO and into effect Aug. 14, 2020. The require- initially apply to large subsonic jets, ments include mandatory alcohol test- including business jets, for which the ing of flight crews during ramp checks. application for a type certificate was submitted on or after Jan. 1, 2020. Oct 1, 2020 Australia: Jan. 8, 2020 NEW Rest and Duty Times EASA: Helicopter Human Factors New fatigue rules apply to holders of A notice of proposed amendment commercial air operator certificates moves to introduce specific provi- (AOCs), including charter, on-de- sions into the rotorcraft certification mand air taxis, and Part 141 flight specifications to ensure that human schools. Operators who select the facors are systematically taken into prescribed limits must be in com- account during the design and approval pliance by June 30, 2020. Operators processes of rotorcraft cockpits. The who develop their own fatigue risk proposed amendments are expected management system (FRMS) must be to “moderately increase safety.” Com- in compliance starting Oct. 1, 2020. ments are due on Jan. 8, 2020.

Jan. 30, 2020 Beyond 12 Months Datalink Com in North Atlantic Feb. 25, 2021 and Jan. 27, 2022 14 Months to Deadline Aircraft flying within the North Atlan- tic Tracks between FL290 and FL410 Canada: must be equipped with FANS-1/A ADS-B Out Mandate Experience. Unlike any other. controller-pilot datalink communi- The implementation date of Feb. 25, www.DuncanAviation.aero/aircraftsales cations and ADS-C starting on Jan. 2021 is proposed for ADS-B use in Cana- 30, 2020. Aircraft that are not FANS- dian domestic airspace, initially limited equipped will be able to operate at to Class A airspace. The mandate Since 1956, the Duncan Aviation Aircraft Sales team has cruise altitudes of FL430 and above. would be expanded to include Class B conducted more than 3,500 transactions. The team partners airspace above 12,500 feet on Jan. 27, with our 2,223 aviation experts worldwide, each with an Feb. 18, 2020 2022. Beyond this date, expansion of average of 12 years with the company, to provide technical EASA: Halon Banned ADS-B requirements to other Canadian support before, during and after the aircraft transaction. domestic airspace will be based on an Under EASA rules, operators of large assessment of the safety and efficiency airplanes and large helicopters shall requirements for specific airports. n

AIN_DuncanAviation_Nov2019.indd 1 11/4/2019 2:48:50 PM ainonline.com \ December 2019 \ Aviation International News 59 PEOPLE in aviation Compiled by Kerry Lynch

JACK TUFANO PETER VASCONCELOS EVERETTE MASH DEBBI LAUX GODFREY HIGGS III

Long-time Honeywell Aerospace executive and Grumman F-14 Tomcat, in addition to his Dave Yip rejoined Hong Kong-based Metro- Gulfstream operations manager and Brian Mike Madsen was selected to take over the NASA career. jet as director of business development. Yip, Jansen named Falcon program manager. For- Phoenix, Arizona-based manufacturer as pres- O’Melveny added Jason Kaplan as a part- who has 20 years of business and commercial merly a lead and maintenance technician for ident and CEO. He succeeds Tim Mahoney, ner in its corporate finance practice in New aviation experience, served as a maintenance West Star, Jansen has 29 years of aviation who held the role for 10 years and is moving York. Kaplan, who will focus on all aspects of planner with Haeco, before joining Metrojet experience, including as Falcon program man- to the position of senior v-p of enterprise trans- aviation and equipment finance at O’Melveny, in 2006, first as an engineering support manager at Avmats and director of maintenance at formation for Honeywell Digital. Most recently formerly was with the equipment finance ager and later taking roles including COO with Barry-Wehmiller. v-p of integrated supply chain, Madsen has group of another international law firm, spe- Hongkong Jet. Weston Aviation hired Ruth Tootill as avia- more than three decades with the organiza- cializing in negotiating and drafting complex Private Jets, Inc. hired Denver Craddock as tion fuel manager. Tootill formerly was account tion, also holding the roles as president of agreements for the transfer, use, and financing director of maintenance, based at Wiley Post manager of GA fuel sales in the UK for Air BP Honeywell Aerospace Defense and Space of aircraft and other transportation equipment. Airport in Bethany, Oklahoma, and Stephanie and has 23 years of oil industry experience. and leadership positions within the Air Trans- George Galanopoulos was appointed head Zepeda as director of charter sales, primarily Jim Katopodis joined C&L Engineering Ser- port and Regional business. Mahoney joined of charter sales in Europe for the Luxaviation at Naples Municipal Airport in Florida. Crad- vices as a design engineer. Katopodis has more Honeywell in 1997 following a 20-year career Group. In addition to his new duties overseeing dock, who previously has held maintenance than 26 years of experience in aviation engi- with Sikorsky Aircraft. sales in Europe, Galanopoulos will continue as supervisory roles, will be responsible for the neering specializing in avionics, most recently Sheltair Aviation has announced changes managing director of Luxaviation UK. maintenance of Private Jets’ fleet of 19 aircraft. with BizJet International. in its executive suite. Lisa Holland, daughter Gulfstream Aerospace named Peter Vas- Zepeda will develop relationships with new Rachael Weverka is transitioning to Duncan of company founder, chairman, and CEO Ger- concelos regional senior v-p of sales for the and existing clients across Florida. Aviation’s modifications sales team in Lincoln, ald Holland, was named to the newly created northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. Vas- West Star Aviation promoted Eric Valdes to Nebraska, responsible for paint and interior position of president of corporate strategies, concelos, who will be based at Gulfstream’s Gulfstream program director at its East Alton, sales for Gulfstream and Embraer aircraft. providing high-level leadership for the future Manhattan sales and design center, brings Illinois facility. Serving as Gulfstream program Jacek Baranowski is joining Heli-One’s growth and organizational development of 20 years of sales experience to his new role, manager for the past 12 years, Valdes has 26 MRO operation in Rzeszow, Poland as general the company. Also, Jack Tufano, formerly including with a business aircraft manufacturer. years of aviation experience, also including manager. Baranowski previously held positions v-p of design and development with Cisneros C&L Aerospace appointed Everette Mash with Midcoast and the U.S. Air Force. Also at with Bodycote Aerospace & Defense, Seco/ Real Estate, has joined the company as v-p of senior v-p of aircraft sales. Mash previously led East Alton, the company appointed Robert Warwick Retech Thermal Equipment Manufac- design and construction. Twin Otter Holdings for 13 years and also has Wood paint program assistant manager. Wood turing China, Wallair Engine Components (Vela- Elevate Jet hired Scott LaForge to lead the served with Jet Aviation and Embraer. previously held positions with Gulfstream, Jet tia Group), GE Aviation, and Listemann Group. aircraft management and consultancy firm as FlightSafety International promoted Aviation, and Midcoast, and served as a struc- C&L Aerospace hired Ian Hilton as director president. LaForge brings 40 years of experi- Michele Posey to executive director of sales, tural repair and corrosion control specialist in of business development for Europe/Africa. He ence to his new role, previously holding lead- responsible for business aviation sales activi- the U.S. Air Force. At its Grand Junction (GJT) has more than 20 years of aviation experience ership positions with Keystone Aviation, XOJet, ties in North America. Posey has served with facility in Colorado, the company promoted consisting of parts sales, inventory manage- M&N Aviation, Island Airlines, and Cape Air/ FlightSafety since 1998 in marketing and sales Jason Cohen to Bombardier Global program ment, procurement, logistics, and power-by- Nantucket Airlines. The company also hired positions of increasing responsibility, most manager. At its facility in Chattanooga, Ten- the-hour program management. Patti Ann Sullivan to serve as executive v-p recently as director of sales. nessee, Mike Ditmeyer has been appointed Aviation Personnel International promoted of aircraft management. Sullivan has 30 years Jennifer Pickerel to director of client and can- of aircraft finance and aircraft management didate services and Jenny Showalter to client experience, previously holding executive and services manager. The firm also namedDebbi consulting roles with Key Bank, Textron Finan- Laux candidate services manager. Pickerel has cial, Debis, Aviation Resource Group, and Exec- AWARDS and HONORS provided talent identification and placement utive Jet Management. services to API’s clients and more recently The Aeronautical Repair Station Associa- The Air Charter Association honored the deputy chairman and took over as chair- assumed responsibility and oversight of the tion (ARSA) board of directors elected W. Ian late Marshall Group chairman, Sir Michael man and CEO after his father retired in company’s Candidate Services division. Show- Cheyne to the association’s senior volunteer Marshall, with The Chairman’s Award, rec- 1989. He led the group over nearly the next alter is transitioning to client service delivery, leadership role of president. Cheyne, who has ognizing his lifelong service to the aviation three decades, helping expand the com- where she will assist with project management, served as a director of ARSA since 2002, is industry. Air Charter Association chairman pany into a multi-faceted aerospace orga- including the intake of a new search project, chief technical and regulatory officer forDallas Nick Weston and deputy chair Julie Black nization with £2.5 billion in annual sales candidate identification and selection, and Airmotive. David Latimer, senior v-p of regu- presented the posthumous award during and almost 6,000 employees. Before he the offer and placement of a hired candidate latory compliance for Haeco Americas and the the recent 17th annual Air Charter Excel- died, he was planning a flight to Morocco within a Part 91 or 135 flight department. Laux association’s immediate past president, will lence Awards ceremony at the Guildhall in this year to celebrate the 70th anniversary joined API in a part-time capacity as a candi- continue to serve on the board. Also, Gary London. Cambridge City airport director of earning his pilot’s license. date specialist and is expanding her role to Fortner, v-p of engineering and quality control Kevan Craske accepted on behalf of Mar- Weston praised Marshall’s advocacy full-time. for Fortner Engineering, was elected v-p and shall’s widow, Sibyl. for women in aerospace engineering, Cutter Aviation promoted Godfrey Higgs III Terrell Seigfreid, assistant general counsel for Marshall passed away in July while on STEM education, and career develop- to manager of aircraft services at its Centennial the Nordam Group, is treasurer. vacation in Spain with his wife and friends. ment of youth. “He was truly a force Airport facility in Denver, Colorado. Higgs for- Piper Aircraft added former NASA astro- He was 87. A former Royal Air Force pilot, for good in the industry, and it is fitting, merly was maintenance supervisor at its Part naut and aeronautical engineer Winston Marshall was in his early 20s when he therefore, that we celebrate his contri- 145 repair station in Addison, Texas, Scott to its board of directors. A retired U.S. joined the company founded by his grand- bution to the industry here and honor Airworthy Inc. named Del Hebert general Navy captain and aviator, Scott served as a father in 1909. By 1965, he was appointed him with this award.”  manager for the Cabin Solutions Division in pilot of the Kaman SH-2F Seasprite helicopter Anaheim, California. 

60 Aviation International News \ December 2019 \ ainonline.com On behalf of the Corporate Angel Network (CAN) team and Fund an Angel Planning Committee, thank you to the sponsors, auction donors and attendees who helped to make the 2019 cocktail reception an evening to remember. The event raised significant funds to support CAN’s mission of transporting cancer patients to treatment through the use of corporate aircraft. The generosity of the business aviation community at this event and throughout the year helps to provide over 250 patient flights every month. Save the date for next year’s reception: Wednesday, October 7 in Orlando, FL.

A special thank you to the companies who donated items to the silent auction:

To learn more about Corporate Angel Network and future events, visit corpangelnetwork.org. calendar

SINGAPORE 2017 INTOSH DAVID M c DAVID

FSF 6TH ANNUAL SINGAPORE AVIATION SAFETY DECEMBER SEMINAR…March 17-20, Singapore Aviation JUNE 2020 MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION Academy, Singapore. Info: flightsafety.org/ NBAA WHITE PLAINS REGIONAL FORUM…June 10, Westchester SAFETY DAY…December 4, summit-seminar/6th-annual-singapore-aviation-safety-seminar/ County Airport, White Plains, New York. Info: nbaa.org. Marriott Burlington. Info: massbizav.org. AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL CBAA CONVENTION…June 16-18,-Toronto, Canada. Info: Tel: CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW…March 24-27, (613) 236-5611; cbaa-acaa.ca/CBAA/Events/Convention_2020/ JANUARY 2020 Nashville, TN. Info: aea.net. CBAA/Convention_links/CBAA_2020/2020_Homepage. OPERATING LEASE SEMINAR…March 24-26, aspx?hkey=af0a107e-4899-4657-a087-e19cfc67dee8. THE PRINCIPLES OF AIRCRAFT VALUATIONS AND Doubletree by Hilton Sawgrass Mills, Fort APPRAISALS…January 10, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lauderdale, Florida. Info: everestevents.co.uk/event/ Info: aeropodium.com/valuation.html operating-lease-aviation-finance-seminar-2020/ JULY 2020 HAI HELI-EXPO…January 27-30, FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW… Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA. Info: rotor.org. July 20-24, Show Centre, ETPS Rd, Farnborough, England. APRIL 2020 Info: +44 (0) 1252 532800; [email protected]; NBAA WEST PALM BEACH REGIONAL FORUM…January 29, Palm farnboroughairshow.com. Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, FL. Info: nbaa.org. TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF A LEASED ASSET…April 21, NH Amsterdam Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Info: 31 (0) 206841351; [email protected]; everestevents. FEBRUARY 2020 co.uk/event/technical-aspects-of-a-leased-asset-2020/. OCTOBER 2020 NBAA BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION MAINTENANCE RESERVES SEMINAR…April 22, SINGAPORE AIRSHOW…February 11-16, October 6-8, Orange County NH Amsterdam Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands. & EXHIBITION… Changi Exhibition Center, Singapore. Convention Center Orlando Executive Airport, Info: singaporeairshow.com. Info: 31 (0) 206841351; [email protected]; everestevents.co.uk/event/maintenance-reserves-seminar-2020/. Orlando, FL. Info: 202-783-9000; nbaa.org/ events/2020-nbaa-business-aviation-convention-exhibition/. EURASIAN BUSINESS AVIATION SUMMIT AND EXHIBITION… MARCH 2020 April 28-30, Gostiny Dvor Exhibition Complex, Moscow, Russia. AIR CHARTER SAFETY SYMPOSIUM…March 3-4, Info: +7 9372 757 085; email: [email protected]; eabaa.show. NOVEMBER 2020 NTSB Training Center, Ashburn, VA. Info: acsf.aero/symposium/. FSF 65TH ANNUAL BUSINESS AVIATION SAFETY BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW…November 18-20, NBAA SAN JOSE REGIONAL FORUM…March 5, San Jose SUMMIT…April 29, 30, Savannah Convention Center, Sakhir Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain. Info: +44 1252 532800; International Airport, San Jose, California. Info: nbaa.org. Savannah, Georgia. Info: +1 703 739 6700; flightsafety.org/ [email protected]; event/65th-annual-business-aviation-safety-summit/. bahraininternationalairshow.com. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN AVIATION CONFERENCE…March 5-7, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL. Info: wai.org/conference. MAY 2020 DECEMBER 2020 NBAA INTERNATIONAL OPERATORS CONFERENCE… EUROPEAN BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION & MEBAA SHOW…December 8,-10, March 16-19, Charlotte, North Carolina. Info: nbaa.org/ EXHIBITION…May 26-28, Palexpo Convention Center, Geneva, DWC South, Dubai, UAE. events/2020-international-operators-conference/. Switzerland. Info: [email protected]; ebace.aero/2020/ Info: mebaa.aero.

Indicates events at which AIN will publish Indicates events for which AIN will provide Indicates events at which AIN on-site issues or distribute special reports. special online coverage or e-newsletter. will produce AINtv.com videos.

See ainonline.com for a comprehensive long-range aviation events calendar.

62 Aviation International News \ December 2017 \ ainonline.com SA2020_Visitor02_AIN_254x328mm.pdf 1 6/11/2019 6:02:03 PM Pioneering_275x352_AIN_uk.indd 1 11/10/2019 16:37