sign in sign up
<<
Home , Advanced Air, AerCap, Aerion, Airbus Helicopters, Air Methods, BBAM

PUBLICATIONS

Vol.50 | No.7

$9.00

JULY 2021 | ainonline.com

With little prospect of securing the funding needed to bring the End of the supersonic bizjet era? AS2 supersonic (left) to market, announced the by Kerry Lynch sudden shutdown of its 18-year effort, just months after it broke Aerion Corp. had appeared to be on the had generated enthusiasm regarding the Aerion knew from the beginning that ground on a new headquarters precipice of realizing its 18-year dream of possibilities for the market, with estab- its venture would be expensive, figuring it and facility in what many anticipated would be lished operators such as and NetJets would take upwards of $5 billion to bring Melbourne, Florida, and unveiled the first purpose-built supersonic business publicly coming on board. In fact, Aerion its supersonic business jet to market. Fort the near-hypersonic AS3. jet, the AS2. The company had decided on claimed its order backlog had ballooned to Worth financier Robert Bass—the key a final that had been proved out in $11.2 billion. investor who backed the project, enabling wind tests, and dozens of patents Meanwhile, the company had already it to launch in 2003—had early on set a limit FBOs had been secured. teased its next product, a near-hypersonic on what he would spend, according to offi- Then that facade came crashing down in AS3 that was to incorporate tech- cials close to the company. Atlantic, Signature late May, when the company confirmed it had nologies developed through a joint research Aerion knew it would have to line up other chains sold page 12 ceased operations. project with NASA. partners. It was able to attract the likes of Air- Aerion had sought to de-risk development And, importantly, Aerion had helped con- bus, , and ultimately . with well-established suppliers. Many of the vince regulators and lawmakers that the time continues on page 31 OEMs ’s giants signed on to the program, was ripe to consider a fresh approach to cer- Honda Aircraft unveils including Boeing, GE Aviation, Spirit AeroSys- tifying and accepting new-generation, more Read AIN’s MID-YEAR REPORT page 14 tems, , Rosen Aviation, Universal environmentally friendly . latest upgrade Avionics, and Collins . The company had held a groundbreaking Dramatically Ramped-up Spending Aerospace Progress Regulations ceremony in December for a $300 million, But while Aerion appeared to be moving for- FAA releases final pilot 2 million-sq-ft headquarters complex at ward with much momentum, it was also on , aircraft manufacturers, Florida’s Orlando Melbourne International the precipice of a dramatically ramped-up suppliers, and lessors are looking records rule page 17 Airport (KMLB) that was to have housed spend rate as it transitioned from being a forward to a post-pandemic landscape facilities for research, design, production, design firm to an aircraft developer. At that and a return to growth. Safety and interior completions of the AS2 super- critical juncture, the company’s investors sonic and future aircraft. decided that was too much for them to bear page 20 solves the As the progress was being made, the AS2 without significant outside support. IIMC problem page 28 OXYGEN RICH.

prae•tor six hun•dred : arrive refreshed with the best-in-class cabin altitude of 5,800 ft +1 321 751 5050 | .com/human OXYGEN RICH.

prae•tor six hun•dred : arrive refreshed with the best-in-class cabin altitude of 5,800 ft +1 321 751 5050 | embraer.com/human INSIDE this issue

JAMES HOLAHAN !1921"2015#, FOUNDING EDITOR WILSON S. LEACH, FOUNDER & CEO EDITOR!IN!CHIEF – Matt Thurber NEWS EDITOR ! AIN PUBLICATIONS ! Chad Trautvetter SENIOR EDITORS ! Charles Alcock, Curt Epstein, Kerry Lynch Gregory Polek – Air , Jerry Siebenmark CONTRIBUTORS David Donald – Defense Mark Huber – Rotorcraft Jennifer Leach English David Jack Kenny – Safety Gordon Gilbert Richard Pedicini James Wynbrandt PRODUCTION MANAGER ! Martha Jercinovich GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ! John A. Manfredo, Grzegorz Rzekos 10 14 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS MANAGER ! Michael Giaimo DEVELOPER ! Ryan Koch DIRECTOR OF VIDEO ! Ian Whelan

MID!YEAR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ! Dave Leach REPORT VICE PRESIDENT & ! Karl H. Elken ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ! Nancy O’Brien From SALES manufacturing Melissa Murphy ! Midwestern U.S., +1 (830) 608-9888 Nancy O’Brien ! Western U.S./Western /Asia Pacific, to operations, +1 (530) 241-3534 the aviation Joe Rosone – Mid-Atlantic U.S./Southeast U.S./Caribbean/Brazil, +1 (301) 693-4687 industry and Diana Scogna ! Europe/Middle East, +33 6 62 52 25 47 airlines shape a Victoria Tod ! Northeastern U.S./Eastern Canada/Great Lakes U.S./ new future in the , +1 (203) 733-4184 post-Covid era. Yury Laskin ! Russia, +7 05 912 1346 28 20 AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ! Nicole Bowman MARKETING AND CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER ! Lisa Valladares SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR ! Adam Brandwein AIRPLANES and ENGINES 37 Avidyne FMS receives TSO approval SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ! Zach O’Brien SALES ADMINISTRATOR ! Cindy Nesline 1 End of the supersonic bizjet era? CHARTER and FRACTIONAL DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES ! Michele Hubert 14 Honda Aircraft unveils upgraded HondaJet Elite S ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ! Mary Avella 10 Directional Aviation’s Halo orders 200 Eve eVTOLs ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE ! Bobbie Bing 30 GE, launch green open-rotor tech demo 10 Why Directional Aviation is betting U.S. HEADQUARTERS 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432, +1 (201) 444-5075 AIR TRANSPORT big on urban air mobility Advertising Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 [email protected] 8 lends weight to Circulation Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 FBOS AND AIRPORTS [email protected] Boom Supersonic plans WASHINGTON, D.C. EDITORIAL OFFICE: 12 PE firm KKR buying Atlantic for $4.5 billion Kerry Lynch (business aviation) 20 Aerospace suppliers in for uneven recovery [email protected] 12 under new Tel: +1 (703) 969-9195 21 Generous state support boosts EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICE: Charles Alcock French supplier amid Covid INDUSTRY and [email protected] Tel: +44 7799 907595 21 Top of civil aircraft food chain hungry for recovery 27 GA aircraft deliveries up or flat in 1Q: GAMA THE CONVENTION NEWS COMPANY, INC. 22 U.S. Airlines poised for relief from Covid crisis AIN PUBLICATIONS EXECUTIVE TEAM PEOPLE Wilson Leach Jennifer Leach English Karl H. Elken 24 Aircraft lessors seek bulk as industry convalesces Matt Thurber Dave Leach 26 Covid brings more supply to 6 Hansueli Loosli takes over as chairman of Pilatus Michele Hubert Nancy O’Brien aircraft business 8 Robert Sumwalt retires from NTSB chairmanship Aviation International News (ISSN 0887-9877) is published thirteen times per year (monthly plus a special NBAA Convention News issue 16 Mansour Ojjeh remembered in November). Periodicals postage paid at Midland Park, N.J., and 26 Flight volume data reflects additional mailing o !ces. Postmaster: Send address changes to Aviation International News, P.O. Box 8059, Lowell, MA 01853 USA. Allow at least gradual and uneven recovery eight weeks for processing. Include old address as well as new, and an REGULATIONS and GOVERNMENT address label from a recent issue if possible. Subscription inquiries: +1 (201) 34 Embraer sees E-Jets facilitating air 345-0085 or email: [email protected]. 17 FAA final pilot records rule applies to bizav ops transport’s recovery from pandemic Aviation International News is a publication of The Convention News Co., Inc., 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432; Tel.: +1 (201) 444-5075. 34 plans for significant boost Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part SAFETY without permission of The Convention News Co., Inc. is strictly prohibited. The of A320 production rates Convention News Co., Inc. publishes Aviation International News, AINalerts, 18 Let the flyer beware AIN Air Transport Perspective, AINtv, Business Jet Traveler, BJTwaypoints, ABACE Convention News, Dubai Airshow News, EBACE Convention News, AVIONICS and News, FutureFlight.aero, HAI Convention News, LABACE Convention News, MEBA Convention News, NBAA Convention ROTORCRAFT News, Paris Airshow News, Singapore Airshow News, Mobile Apps: 12 Garmin Autoland recognized by Aviation International News; AINonline. PUBLICATION AGREEMENT National Aeronautic Association 6 Production-conforming AW609 expected to fly soon NO. 40649046 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: PITNEY BOWES INTERNATIONAL MAIL, STATION A, P.O. BOX 54, WINDSOR, ON, N9A 6J5, 14 Aviation Alliance highlights emerging tech 28 Air Methods: Solving the IIMC accident problem returns [email protected]. 36 G1000 NXi enhancements available for Mustangs DEPARTMENTS 36 GPS interference testing remains problematic 42 Accidents | 36 Avionics Update | 45 Compliance PUBLICATIONS 37 Viasat demos phased-array antenna on Citation II Countdown | 40 Hot Section | 8, 10, 12, 14 News Briefs For feedback, letters to the editor, or other editorial needs, please contact AIN’s Editors at [email protected] 37 Garmin closes purchase of AeroData software biz 46 People in Aviation | 38 Touching Bases

4 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com THE GULFSTREAM DIFFERENCE

Your mission is our inspiration. Every investment we make—in advanced technology, precision manufacturing and worldwide customer support—is an investment in you. As We Go To Press Hansueli Loosli takes over WINGX: BIZJET FLIGHTS SURGE JET, TRIMEC NEXTGEN IN JUNE, TOPPING 2019 UPGRADE STC’D FOR G200 as chairman of Pilatus Business jet activity resurged globally Trimec Aviation has completed installation in the first half of June, surpassing pre- of the first NextGen ProLink FANS/ by Kerry Lynch Covid levels and outpacing growth CPDLC/LPV solution for the Gulfstream for the first time, according to data from G200. Chicago Jet Group (CJG) Pilatus Aircraft has formally elected Han- included the successful introductions of WingX. The business jet sector logged developed the new STC and Trimec is sueli Loosli to replace Oscar Schwenk as the PC-12 single, PC-21 mili- more than 100,000 movements in the its installation partner. CJG’s NextGen chairman. Schwenk announced Loosli as tary trainer, and PC-24 light jet. first half of the month, representing 15 ProLink upgrades the original Collins Pro his successor in April when he revealed Schwenk will continue to play a role percent of all fixed-wing movements and Line 4 system. With Universal Avionics plans to relinquish the position, which he’d in the company, supporting its strategic exceeding June 2019 first-half numbers by as the base avionics, NextGen ProLink held for 15 years. direction as honorary president. He also 12 percent. Year-to-date global business offers CPDLC-DCL, CPDLC-Enroute, FANS will continue as honorary chairman and jet and business turboprop activity is 1/A+, and European ATN B1 (formerly chairman of the board of directors of sub- within 6 percent of 2019 totals and is Link 2000+). With the ProLink upgrade, sidiary Pilatus . up 41 percent from a year ago. Business operators also gain LPV approach Loosli, a businessman who joined Pil- aviation activity is down 15 percent in and CPDLC push-to-load capability. atus’s board in mid-2020, has chaired Europe and 7 percent in North America. numerous other boards, including those However, activity is ahead elsewhere: LIEBHERR, GM TO COLLABORATE of Coop, Swisscom, Bell Food Group, up by 10 percent in Asia, 45 percent in ON HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS Hansueli Loosli, and Transgourmet. Africa, 80 percent in South America, General Motors (GM) and Liebherr- Pilatus Aircraft In addition to formally electing Loosli, and 23 percent in the Middle East. Aerospace will collaborate on a new chairman during the Pilatus Annual General Meet- hydrogen fuel cell technology for aircraft ing, two new members were added to the KHPN SUES OVER based on GM’s Hydrotec technology. board: Martin Furrer and Mario Rossi. SECOND HANGAR DELAY Teams from both companies will Schwenk, who has been with Pilatus Furrer is a member of the executive board Million Air is suing Westchester County together in a dedicated laboratory at since 1978, previously held a variety of and a partner of Baker & McKenzie Zurich, for $30 million for refusing to allow Liebherr’s facility in , , other roles with Pilatus, including CEO. and Rossi has worked for Swisscom for of its planned second to produce a demonstrator unit that Pilatus credited Schwenk for reshaping more than 20 years, most recently as CFO. hangar at Westchester County Airport will incorporate GM’s fuel cells, a Pilatus, “turning the former company Schwenk called Loosli an “extremely (KHPN) in White Plains, New York. Hydrotec power cube and fuel cell focused on subcontracting work into an experienced chairman” and noted that Fur- According to Million Air’s lawsuit filed in system, along with controls and models aircraft manufacturing plant with a clear rer and Rossi are well-known business lead- federal court, the replacement hangar developed by the U.S.-based car maker. product strategy, namely, to build the ers. “The know-how they bring with them is permitted under its and the world’s best aircraft in its niche.” This makes them ideal additions,” he said. n company thus asserts the county is FLEXJET, VIASAT ENTER breaching contract obligations by denying CONNECTIVITY approval. The FBO alleged the county Viasat and Flexjet have entered a has already delayed the project by 3.5 partnership in which the satcom years and each additional week of delay provider’s Ka-band in-flight connectivity Production-conforming AW609 to fly soon adds approximately $175,000 “in lost (IFC) will be line fit on the fractional revenue and other unnecessary costs.” company’s super-midsize Embraer The fifth prototype in Leonardo’s AW609 til- production will move to a nearby, recently Million Air is asking the court for an Praetor 600 fleet. Flexjet’s Global trotor program is nearing final completion acquired hangar. Meanwhile, the company “expedited declaration” that the county and G450 and G650 fleets also will be at the airframer’s U.S. assembly facility in expects its AW609 full-flight simulator and breached its lease by “unreasonably equipped with Viasat’s Ku-band IFC Philadelphia, and it is expected to achieve flight training device to receive FAA approv- failing” to approve Million Air’s second , enabling a path to transition to first flight in the third quarter. During a visit als later this year. hangar adjacent to its current hangar its Ka-band system in the future as that to the site last month by AIN, P5, the first According to Bill Sunich, the airframer’s and FBO terminal. Westchester County network is further built out. Because production-conforming aircraft, was seen head of tiltrotor marketing, Leonardo has not did not respond to AIN’s inquiries of the partnership, Viasat said Flexjet with its wing mated to the fuselage, while yet finalized a price tag for the AW609, tell- seeking comment about the lawsuit. will be the first fractional operator to the sixth airframe—which is slated to be the ing AIN that he expects it will be somewhere offer Ka-band IFC in the super-midsize first production aircraft, destined for launch between $20 million and $30 million. While NBAA MOVES AHEAD WITH jet category when it soon takes delivery customer Bristow—sat behind it awaiting Sunich declined to discuss order numbers, IN-PERSON EVENT PLANS of a Ka-band equipped Praetor 600. wing attachment. he noted “we have tremendous interest As NBAA moves forward with its effort Though the construction of these two across all the mission sets—VIP and corpo- to bring back the in-person BACE in MANNING TO CHAIR 2022 aircraft will be completed in one end of rate, search and rescue, EMS, [and] o!shore October in Las Vegas, the association SPECIAL OLYMPICS AIRLIFT the AW119 assembly lines, future AW609 energy exploration around the world.” C.E. also remains in the throes of planning a Legendary quarterback Peyton Manning nearly full lineup of in-person events in has signed on as the honorary chair of 2022, beginning with its annual Schedulers Textron Aviation’s 2022 Special Olympics & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2022) Airlift. In the role, he will be encouraging from January 18 to 21 in San Diego. Citation, King Air, Premier, Beechjet, Other NBAA events scheduled thus far and Hawker owners and operators in 2022 include its annual Leadership to participate in the airlift, which will Conference from February 7 to 9 in Fort transport thousands of athletes and Worth, Texas; International Operators coaches to the 2022 Special Olympics Conference from March 14 to 16 in Los USA Games next June in Orlando, Florida. Angeles; Maintenance Conference from With this eighth Airlift, Textron Aviation March 3 to 5 in , Texas; and aims to recruit more than 200 aircraft EBACE from May 23 to 25 in Geneva. owners to help transport many of the Absent from the lineup at this time, 4,000 athletes and coaches. Inbound however, is ABACE due to ongoing flights will be on Saturday, June 4, 2022, uncertainties and restrictions with return flights to athletes’ home

surrounding the global pandemic. states on Sunday, June 12, 2022. IAN WHELAN

6 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com

Overture. Boom staged an online rollout News Briefs ceremony for its one-third-scale XB-1 demonstrator last October and in March Vref Sees Strong Market announced a “strategic investment” from for Business Jet Sales American Express Ventures. Sales of older and smaller business jets Boom says it plans to start building the have seen a resurgence, according to Overture at a new, still unidentified fac- aircraft appraisal and data tracking provider tory location in 2022. Vref. In its first-quarter market trend The design includes what Boom calls report, Vref noted that older jets with one of the highest-efficiency civil super- some refurbishments are still desirable sonic intakes ever tested. During the roll- entry points for first-time buyers, with out, Boom CEO Blake Scholl explained aircraft such as the G550, G450/IV/IV-SP, the importance of the aircraft’s engine Challenger 604, and Legacy 600 topping United Airlines says it will order at least 15 Boom Supersonic Overtures once the design meets intakes, which act to slow the speed of large-cabin business jets. Demand in the its safety, operating, and sustainability requirements. the airflow to roughly half the speed of small to midsize segment is outstripping sound to accommodate the subsonic GE the supply, it added, with Cessna Citations, engines on the demonstrator. Boom has Challenger 300/350s, Phenoms, Learjet worked for the last five years with Rolls- 40s and 60s, Beechjet 400s, and Eclipse United Airlines lends weight Royce on the planned medium-bypass 500/550s generating the most interest. turbofans for the Overture. Planning to fly the XB-1 on sustain- Pfizer Flight Dept Helped Get to Boom Supersonic plans able alternative fuels (SAF), Boom pro- Vaccine to Market Sooner motes the program as carbon-neutral. Pfizer’s corporate flight department has by Gregory Polek In 2019 the company formed a part- been credited with helping to reduce by nership with Prometheus Fuels for the two weeks the time it took to bring the United Airlines said on June 3 that it has Boom plans to fly a demonstrator of its supply of SAF. company’s Covid-19 vaccine to market, reached a so-called commercial agree- supersonic concept sometime this year Scholl noted that while safety and sus- said v-p of corporate aviation John ment with Boom Supersonic to order 15 as it looks toward a rollout of a full-scale tainability account for two of the three pil- Witzig. Participating in the Flight Safety Overture supersonic jets “once Overture example in 2025 and entry into service in lars of the program, speed lies at its core. If Foundation/NBAA Business Aviation Safety meets United’s demanding safety, oper- 2029. Powered by three successful, the Overture will fly from Tokyo Seminar’s opening general session last ating, and sustainability requirements.” J85-15 turbojets, the composite-bodied to in four and a half hours, New York month, Witzig detailed how the pandemic The agreement also specifies options on XB-1 will fly up to Mach 2.2 ahead of the to in three and a half hours, and had shuttered his operations and the another 35 airplanes. planned introduction of the 65- to 88-seat to Paris in four hours. n steps his department took not only to get up and running but to step up as the company was conducting trials for its Covid-19 vaccine. “As slow as our flying was for last year, the reality is that the .Robert Sumwalt retires value the flight department generated for the business probably exceeded the value from NTSB chairmanship of every trip we’ve ever done,” he said. Attorney Bailey, Former by Kerry Lynch Enstrom Owner, Dies Robert F. Lee Bailey, 87, the high-profile defense Robert Sumwalt, who stepped in as the elements that have been successful Sumwalt lawyer and aviator who also owned 14th chairman of the National Trans- with commercial airlines. This included Enstrom for nearly a decade, portation Safety Board (NTSB) on Aug. stressing the need for greater implemen- died June 3. Bailey and a group of investors 10, 2017, and served as a Board member tation of safety management systems standards,” Obitts said. “As our mis- acquired Enstrom in 1971. There, he hired since August 2006, stepped down from and flight data monitoring. sion encompasses all aspects of aviation a talented team of young executives and his post at the end of June. Sumwalt was Industry leaders lauded Sumwalt for business safety, we appreciate Chairman engineers to revive a piston helicopter most recently reappointed to the position his dedication to and advancement of Sumwalt’s vision for -wide design that dated to the 1950s. Under of chairman in August 2019 and his term aviation safety. “Chairman Sumwalt’s and industry-wide approaches such as Bailey’s tenure, Enstrom launched the on the Board was set to expire at the end unwavering commitment and passion for SMS and data monitoring as keys to con- 280FX “,” increased production of this year. safety has had a major impact on our orga- tinuous aviation safety improvement. A to 100 per year, and began One of the NTSB’s longest-serving nization, the Air Charter Safety Founda- true champion of safety, Sumwalt has work on a four-seat piston design known members who was appointed and reap- tion,” said ACSF chair Bryan Burns. “His been a leader in raising the bar across all as the 280L “Hawk” that was never pointed by both Democrat and Repub- service has benefited us in countless ways, modes of transportation.” completed and drove the company lican administrations, Sumwalt brought including being an advocate for improving The NTSB called Sumwalt “a fierce into financial distress. Bailey sold the with him a deep background and knowl- safety in the Part 135 air charter industry.” advocate” for all modes of transpor- company in 1979 and was subsequently edge of commercial and business aviation Burns praised his leadership as well as tation. At numerous events, including involved in other aviation ventures. to the position. He spent 32 years as a Sumwalt’s efforts to find ways to educate aviation-focused forums, he would pilot, including for and charter efforts on safety. “His vision was campaign against the widespread use of Jet Edge Secures $150M Funds US Airways, and also managed a corpo- to take a page out of the industry cellphones, including hands-free, while Investment firm KKR has provided a rate aviation department of a Fortune 500 safety record and align it with the char- driving. In the aviation community, he $150 million facility for charter/ energy company. He has amassed more ter industry, which I think was one of his would remind everyone that the drive management and brokerage firm Jet than 14,000 flight hours and, while at US most meaningful initiatives.” home from the airport is part of the Edge. The funding will help Jet Edge Airways, served on its Flight Operational Likewise, National Air Transporta- safety continuum for pilots. roll out its new AdvantEdge charter Quality Assurance monitoring team. tion Association (NATA) president and Sumwalt leaves a Board that also has a management program, as well as During his time as chairman, Sumwalt CEO Timothy Obitts praised Sumwalt’s substantial background in transportation digital and strengthen its brought a focus on business aviation pro- dedication to safety involving aviation safety, including three other members— employment base. CEO Bill Papariella fessionalism, particularly in the wake of businesses. “NATA applauds NTSB Tom Chapman, Michael Graham, and said the AdvantEdge program will further the Gulfstream IV crash in Bedford, Mas- Chairman Robert Sumwalt’s years of Bruce Landsberg—who have had past enhance the company’s efforts to sachusetts, as well as made a push to ele- service and commitment to aviation experience in business and general avia- expand nationally and add predictability vate Part 135 standards to incorporate safety, professionalism, and industry tion safety. n to the ownership experience.

8 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com WWW.HONDAJET.COM

CONTINUOUS

IT’S IN OUR DNA

At Honda Aircraft Company, continuous innovation is fundamental to who we are and the spirit with which we were founded. It’s the fulfillment of a dream and the transformation of a concept to reality, resulting in products which challenge expectations.

We are excited to announce the next iteration of HondaJet born from this philosophy, the Elite S. The new Elite S expands operational capability through increased payload range and enhanced technology. Coupled with bold new styling, the Elite S allows owners and operators to deploy HondaJet’s class leading efficiency to new destinations.

Elite S Print Ad - Continuous Innovation - AIN.indd 1 5/24/21 10:09 AM commented Directional Aviation principal News Briefs Directional Aviation’s Halo Kenn Ricci. “And in placing this order for a revolutionary breakthrough in urban air Learjet Pilots Lose Jobs mobility, we are advancing toward safe, after Intentional Roll orders 200 Eve eVTOLs efficient, and sustainable travel between The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft our cities. EVTOL urban air mobility is Accident Investigation (BFU) recently by Charles Alcock the greatest opportunity, and the greatest released a report detailing an instance where challenge, in my 40 years in aviation, and pilots were fired after flight data recorder Halo, the new urban air mobility opera- AAG’s Sikorsky fleet. Customers of the Eve is positioned to make it a reality.” (FDR) data revealed they performed an tion launched by business aviation group other Directional Aviation services will Embraer formed Eve Urban Air Mobil- unauthorized roll of their air-ambulance- OneSky Flight, placed the largest order to be able to access the Halo flights, which ity as a breakaway subsidiary from its configured Learjet 31A. After about an hour date for new eVTOL aircraft. In 2026, the are expected to begin in EmbraerX technology incubator. Last year, into the flight from London Biggin Hill company intends to start taking delivery and London. OneSky Flight’s expansion is the company said it was looking to sign on a flight to Faro, Portugal, the pilot-in- of 200 of Embraer’s four-passenger Eve being led by Andrew Collins. up strategic partners to help complete command asked the copilot if he agreed to aircraft and will split this fleet between Halo has not disclosed the value of the the development of its all-electric, lift-and fly a roll. The copilot maintains that he did operations in the U.S. and the UK. deal agreed with Embraer or said whether cruise eVTOL aircraft. Working with other not agree to such a flight maneuver. But at The new urban air mobility (UAM) the order is secured by a deposit. In a state- Embraer subsidiaries, such as Atech, and about 11,500 feet, the BFU said the aircraft operator will combine OneSky Flight heli- ment, the company said it had evaluated partners including Airservices Australia entered two steep turns with a angle copter operators Halo Aviation in the UK nearly a dozen other eVTOL aircraft before and energy group EDP, Embraer is focus- of about 140 degrees each before the “PIC and U.S.-based Associated Aircraft Group agreeing on the partnership with the Bra- ing on developing the wider UAM ecosys- conducted the roll about the longitudinal (AAG). OneSky Flight is part of the Direc- zilian manufacturer. The Directional Avia- tem including air traffic management and axis of the airplane,” leveling off 10 seconds tional Aviation group, which also includes tion group is already an Embraer customer ground infrastructure. later. The maneuver was discovered during fractional ownership provider Flexjet, jet with several of its Phenom, Praetor, and The new aircraft is expected to have a a routine readout of FDR data and then card service Sentient Jet, and on-demand Legacy business jets in its portfolio. range of up to around 60 miles. Embraer reported to the operator, which then charter operators PrivateFly and FxAir. “Bringing together two companies, said it will be up to 80 percent quieter than inspected the aircraft but found no damage. Prior to the delivery of the first Eve which are leading providers of vertical current helicopters and with 50 percent eVTOL, the new combined operation will lift and urban mobility services in two of lower operating costs. Embraer Takes RJs to Semi- provide flights with Halo Aviation’s Leon- the most important markets, will create “This partnership is an important step for private Cabin Config ardo AW109 and AW169 helicopters and a phenomenal vertical mobility platform,” Eve to assume its position as a global leader Embraer is developing an STC to offer in the UAM industry,” said Eve Urban Air an aftermarket “semi-private” cabin Mobility president Andre Stein. “We are configuration for all ERJ-145 regional jets ready to build the future of mobility with following growth in use of such aircraft. our partners in an extremely collaborative Under the conversion, the twinjets can be way. Halo is aligned with our mission to converted from the 50-seat configuration create comprehensive urban air mobility to “premium” seating for 16 to 28 with no solutions, and this order marks an import- more than one seat on each side of the ant milestone for Eve in key markets.” aisle. The semi-private configuration also OneSky Flight acquired UK helicop- would include removing overhead bins, ter operator Halo Aviation in May, hav- aimed at creating more personal space ing previously acquired AAG in February. for passengers. Embraer-owned service In the U.S., commercial eVTOL aircraft centers would perform the conversions. operations are expected to be conducted under existing FAA Part 135 rules. In the Group To Launch ’s UK, they will be regulated by the country’s First Vertiport Civil Aviation Authority, which has yet to A consortium of companies and Directional Aviation’s Halo division plans to use Embraer Eve eVTOL aircraft for its urban air say whether the new aircraft category will have come together in an mobility service in the New York City and London areas. be covered by existing rotorcraft rules. n MoU to launch Ireland’s first passenger and cargo vertiport at . With goals of establishing Ireland’s first air taxi service and routine beyond visual-line-of- sight (BVLOS) drone operations, the group, Why Directional Aviation is betting big on urban air mobility which expects to establish an operational vertiport in 2022 at the FMCI campus “We are great at doing six-hour flights in eVTOL startups are focused solely on air- According to Ricci, Halo will announce adjacent to the airport, plans to start business jets, but now had to learn how to craft approval and lack plans on how to more details later this year about how and BVLOS testing there as early as September. do six-minute flights in rotorcraft,” Direc- obtain a production certificate. where it plans to conduct UAM operations. tional Aviation principal Kenn Ricci told AIN “Embraer also has a firm handle on prod- “The AAG Sikorsky fleet is pretty big, so we USAF Acquiring Global in explaining why the company purchased uct support and, unlike some eVTOL man- can deploy helicopters to other U.S. cities 6000s for Battlefield Ops two helicopter operators—Associated Air ufacturers, doesn’t plan on also operating to expand our UAM ops. We’re currently The U.S. Air Force has awarded a $464.8 Group (AAG) in the New York City area and the eVTOLs—they won’t be our competi- identifying the most attractive eVTOL million contract to Learjet Inc., a Wichita Halo Aviation in London—in its quest to tor.” In addition, Eve will seek Brazil DGAC markets before we move those assets,” subsidiary of Bombardier’s specialized launch eVTOL urban air mobility service certification first and then get reciprocal he said. “And we’ll also announce our aircraft division, for the purchase and around 2025. “Operating helicopters now FAA approval, bypassing the “dozen or so go-to-market strategy in the fall.” modification of six Global 6000s as in the UAM environment gives us time on eVTOL OEMs that will be waiting in line for Ricci sees three distinct five-year phases Battlefield Airborne Communications Node how to be proficient on very short flights.” FAA certification.” for eVTOL UAM operations. Between 2025 (BACN) aircraft. Designated as the E-11A Ricci also gave more background on “Eve is also a UAM machine,” he added. and 2030, he envisions manned (meaning and assigned to Air Combat Command, why the company’s Halo UAM subsidi- Ricci said Halo is interested in a shorter- piloted) eVTOLs flying from landing pad the modified large-cabin business jet ary placed a large fleet order in June for range aircraft such as Eve versus a longer- to landing pad. In the following five years, model serves as a high-altitude, loitering eVTOLs from Embraer-a!liated Eve Urban range “regional mobility” machine such as operations will expand to “alternative pads” communications node to air and ground Air Mobility. “Embraer not only knows how the Lilium Jet. Internal analysis at Direc- such as parking garage rooftops and some forces, providing them with the ability to to certify an aircraft but also understands tional also advised to stay away from streets. After 2035, Ricci expects eVTOL communicate by voice as well as share you need a production certificate to build tiltrotor because they are more operations to become autonomous, mean- data, video, and images. Bombardier’s in quantity,” he said, noting that some complex, he noted. ing no pilots on board. C.T. Global Express served as an earlier version of the E-11A with four copies in the air.

10 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com CITATION MODE: ENGAGED

GFC™ 600 AVAILABLE NOW FOR SELECT CITATION JETS

FULLY COUPLED VERTICAL NAVIGATION*

INTEGRATION WITH GARMIN NAVIGATORS AND FLIGHT DISPLAYS

MODERN, PATENTED, *With compatible Garmin navigator and fl ight instruments or fl ight display (sold separately). SMART BRUSHLESS SERVOS © 2021 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

21-MCJT39147 GFC600 Citation Mode Engaged Ad-10.8125x13.875-AINx.indd 1 6/7/21 10:21 AM PE firm KKR buying Atlantic for $4.5 billion News Briefs Embraer Delivers 600th by Curt Epstein Phenom 300 Embraer delivered its 600th Phenom U.S.-based private equity company KKR 300-series light twinjet in late May, with the announced that it is acquiring Atlan- milestone aircraft going to Superior Capital tic Aviation, an FBO chain with 69 U.S. Holdings of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Superior locations, from Macquarie Infrastruc- previously operated a turboprop single and ture Corporation (MIC) for nearly $4.5 was looking to upgrade to an aircraft that billion. The deal, which is expected to would provide more cabin comfort, speed, close in the fourth quarter, comes on and range. Since ANAC type certification the heels of the sale of Signature Avia- in December 2009 followed by FAA and tion, the world’s largest FBO chain, to EASA certification in May 2010, Embraer private-equity firms Blackstone, GIP, and has delivered the Phenom 300 and 300E Cascade for $4.7 billion. to customers in more than 35 countries, MIC is selling its Atlantic Aviation busi- with the fleet accumulating more than ness to KKR for $4.475 billion in cash and 1.2 million flight hours. The company assumed debt and reorganization obli- delivered 50 Phenom 300/300Es last gations. Overall, MIC expects to receive Atlantic Aviation’s 69-location-strong network will be acquired by private equity firm KKR in a year and nine 300Es in the first quarter. $3.525 billion at closing. MIC purchased deal worth approximately $4.5 billion. The purchase is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Aviation and its 10 FBOs in 2004 Reduced Flight Ops Affecting for a reported $238 million. long before the Signature Aviation deal interest from prospective buyers during Pilot Proficiency MIC had initially placed Atlantic on transacted and that, in the end, MIC ben- the sale process,” said MIC CEO Chris- Reduced flight time resulting from Covid-19 the market some months ago, but those efitted financially from the interest sur- topher Frost. “We are pleased with is degrading professional pilots’ performance, efforts were shelved amid the global rounding the Signature sale. the outcome of the sale process and Paul Ransbury, CEO of training provider Covid pandemic. One industry expert “We are proud of the robust growth the unlocking of additional value for Aviation Performance Solutions, said during noted that in the absence of the pandemic, Atlantic Aviation has achieved under MIC shareholders.” a virtual Bombardier Safety Standdown the Atlantic sale would have concluded our ownership, which resulted in strong Atlantic Aviation CEO Lou Pepper session. “It’s really unprecedented for a told AIN that “KKR’s focus on provid- large body of pilots to go this amount of ing long- term capital combined with our time without flying or having an alternative existing platform for growth will allow way of staying current,” he said. Meanwhile, Atlantic to expand into key areas and to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Signature Aviation under new ownership meet our customers’ needs now and into research into reports from the Aviation the future.” n Safety Reporting System filed during this Without any fanfare, the $4.7 billion sale and hospitality sectors. They are deeply period found “items identified most readily of Signature Aviation to a consortium of committed to accelerating the growth of with a proficiency-currency issue increased private equity firms was completed. The the Signature Aviation business while by 1,000 percent—a tenfold increase” in groups—Blackstone, Global Infrastruc- making a positive impact on our team, NEWS note the aftermath of operations reductions, ture Partners, and Cascade Investments— our customers, the environment, and the The National Aeronautic Association is Ransbury said. He identified manual flight combined to establish a jointly-owned communities we serve.” bestowing one of its highest recogni- control skills as those most affected. company and issued the successful bid, In January, Global Infrastructure tions, the 2020 Robert J. Collier Trophy, which was approved by Signature Avi- Partners issued an o"er of $4.6 billion upon Garmin for Autoland. The first Aviation Industry Cheers ation’s shareholders in late March. The to purchase Signature, which operates certified system of its kind, Autoland New SAF Tax Credit Plan purchase was o!cially sanctioned by a the world’s largest FBO network with was selected over a competitive field A broad-based consortium of aviation UK court on May 27. more than 200 locations globally. That of nominees that also included the Bell companies and organizations applauded “E"ective June 1, Blackstone, Global prompted responses from Cascade, V-280 Valor and SpaceX Falcon 9 and the introduction of the Sustainable Skies Infrastructure Partners, and Cascade which handles the bulk of Microsoft Dragon 2, among others. Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. assumed ownership of Signature Avi- co-founder ’s personal fortune NAA annually presents the Collier The proposed legislation would establish a ation, which is now a privately held and owned a nearly 20 percent stake in Trophy in recognition of “the greatest $1.50-per-gallon “blender’s tax credit” for company no longer publicly traded on Signature, as well as from private equity achievement in aeronautics or astronau- sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that achieves the ,” Signature group Blackstone Infrastructure Advisors tics in America, with respect to improv- at least a 50 percent reduction in lifecycle said in a statement released to AIN. “All and Blackstone Core Equity Management ing performance, efficiency, safety in air greenhouse gas emissions compared to three companies have unmatched expe- Associates, which had previously issued or space , the value of which conventional jet fuel. In addition, the fuels rience successfully investing across the its own $4 billion o"er, to combine forces has been thoroughly demonstrated by would receive another one-cent-per- aviation, transportation, infrastructure, to buy Signature. C.E. actual use during the preceding year.” gallon credit for each percentage point in “The Garmin Autoland system marks reduction above 50 percent. Thus, a 100 a significant improvement in civil avia- percent reduction would receive a $2-per- tion,” said NAA chairman Jim Albaugh. gallon credit. Under the measure, the tax “Its ability to take over an airplane with a would be in effect until 2030. disabled pilot and land it safely will save many lives in the future. It’s a remark- Pratt & Whitney Reaches able technical achievement.” PT6E Century Mark Autoland can activate automatically Pratt & Whitney has turned out its 100th or with a press of a dedicated button PT6E-series turboprop engine from its in case of an emergency, such as pilot Lethbridge PT6 Center of Excellence in incapacitation. The system calculates a Alberta, Canada. Pilatus Aircraft was the flight path to the most suitable airport launch customer for the engine, which and initiates a stabilized approach and powers its PC-12 NGX turboprop. The lands the aircraft. Three aircraft were PT6E features a dual-channel integrated certified in 2020 with Garmin Autoland: electronic propeller-and engine-control With the conclusion of its sale to a group of private investment firms, Signature the Piper M600 SLS, Daher TBM 940, system that provides full digital envelope Aviation is now under new ownership, a consortium of private equity groups. and Cirrus Vision Jet. K.L. protection, precise engine control, reduced pilot workload, and optimized power.

12 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com

Only 45 minutes from , Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport’s full-service FBO is available to accommodate your arrival seven days a week. Whether stopping for a quick turn or staying overnight, operators save with competitive fuel pricing and the absence of landing fees, while travelers enjoy first-class service and complimentary refreshments. Learn more at FlyLBX.org and make your reservation at FlightBridge.com/Go/TexasGulfCoast.

• 7,000’ • Transient Hangar Space | Door Measures 100’ x 28’ • Business Center • After-Hours Service • FAR 139 Certificated ARFF Index A Reliever Airport • Crew & Rental Cars • GPU Available • Executive Conference Rooms with A/V Capabilities • Café on Site

Avfuel Contract Fuel and AVTRIP Available | Avfuel Training System (ATS) Certified

Powering your flight with more than just fuel. Learn more at avfuel.com. News Briefs Vicki Britt To Head Gulfstream’s R&D, New Products Gulfstream Aerospace has promoted long- time company executive Vicki Britt to senior v-p of innovation, , and flight. In her new role, Britt is a member of the Gulfstream leadership team, reporting to president Mark Burns, and has responsibility for ; new aircraft program initiation; engineering and product development; flight, lab, and structural testing; and worldwide Gulfstream flight operations. Britt brings more than 30 years of aerospace experience, including the last Honda Aircraft’s new Elite S adds 200 pounds to mtow and 120 nm more range, along with new avionics features and options. 25 with Gulfstream in areas such as stress, fatigue, and damage tolerance; new product development; and airframe engineering. Elite S configuration, but the company is Honda Aircraft unveils seeking customer input on the desirabi- MSB Unveils Zero Gravity lity of such an option. Side Ledge Table Three new paint schemes are available MSB Design has launched its Zero upgraded HondaJet Elite S with the Elite S: gunmetal, luxe gold, and Gravity two-place side ledge table lift deep sea blue. The Elite S shown during system that, when deployed with its by Matt Thurber the virtual unveiling sported a high-tech four-place hi-lo conference table, can camouflage-style scheme, what Fujino create a six-place setting for onboard In a virtual launch ceremony on May 26, according to Honda Aircraft. ASAS embo- said is a “unique paint scheme represen- dining and meetings. When installed with Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michi- dies new control logic in the nosewheel ting the spirit of Honda Aircraft Company MSB’s hi-low system, tables can be used masa Fujino revealed features of the new steering to assist the pilot during landing as we continue our research and develop independently or combined with a single HondaJet Elite S, including an increase in rollout. This is done by detecting the ment of leading-edge technology and control button into a table for six. Three maximum takeoff weight (mtow), flight yaw rate of the HondaJet and “providing expand the horizon of the business jet.” years in development, the Zero Gravity deck improvements, a nosewheel steering directional assistance to the nosewheel Introducing the new model, he said, system weighs less, is quieter, and has enhancement, and new paint colors. The steering,” according to the company, “to “We are firm believers that you should less shock impact during deployment and Elite S became available in June and has increase stability…to help maintain runway never stand still and [we are] always see- stowage. The table surface can be finished a base price of $5.4 million, up from the centerline during rollout. This reduces king to push the limits and evolve our with either a traditional wood veneer or Elite’s original base price of $5.25 million pilot workload during the landing rollout design. This philosophy of continuous carbon-fiber material. Montreal-based MSB when it was introduced in 2018. and provides an additional level of safety improvement led to the introduction of expects the Zero Gravity table, which is The Elite S mtow is 200 pounds hea- during the landing.” the HondaJet Elite and now the Elite S, currently in the qualification process, to be vier, which allows carriage of an extra There currently is no upgrade package the next iteration of HondaJet to expand available through Gulfstream by year-end. passenger or flying an additional 120 nm to bring HondaJet Elite models to the operational capability.” n with one pilot and five passengers. The Luxaviation To Operate additional mtow capability is the result eVTOL Flights for Lilium of “various analyses, ground and flight Lilium is partnering with Luxaviation to tests, as well as additional certification provide commercial operations with its requirement tests to prove the aircraft Aviation Alliance highlights emerging tech seven-seat eVTOL in Europe from 2024. and its structural capabilities,” according Luxaviation will take responsibility for to Honda Aircraft. As emerging technologies and sustain- also don’t realize is how these invest- securing necessary regulatory approvals On the flight deck, new features include a ability continue to capture the attention ments are going to benefit local commu- and managing pilots, who will train following Com 3 datalink radio and FAA Data Comm of the aviation industry and government nities and how federal investments and an EASA-approved type rating concept and aircraft communications, addressing, leaders, the Alliance for Aviation Across local support are so critical at this time.” developed by Lilium partner and reporting system (ACARS) capabilities America is rolling out a new microsite Barbara Tolbert, mayor of Arlington, Aviation Training. The German startup added to the Garmin G3000 avionics suite. and held a panel discussion on June 10 Washington, told AIN her local airport, said that it chose the Luxembourg-based Data Comm allows pilots to use text-style to raise awareness of the importance that Arlington Municipal, “is a key part of the group because of its extensive experience messaging via the G3000 touchscreen con- such developments play within local com- economic engine for the region” and in operating business jets and helicopters. trollers for departure clearances and en munities and the need for collaboration stressed that it underscored its value not On a single charge, the all-electric Lilium route services where available in the U.S. across federal, state, and local levels. only during the pandemic but also the Jet will have a projected range of 155 ACARS is for receipt of terminal informa- The provides key figures that 2014 Oso mudslide that devastated part miles and fly at speeds of 175 mph. tion and weather, including departure clea- can be used to educate decision-makers, of the region. rances from supported airports, as well as highlights sustainable e!orts underway, Tolbert, who is a pilot, said in the after- Astronics Secures STCs for communications with operations centers and details policy and legislative initia- math of the mudslide city o"cials contem- Enhanced Vision on EC130s for flight plan uploading, messaging, wea- tives. Future plans call for adding pages plated how to rebound and looked to the Astronics has been granted STC approval ther, and automatic position reporting and that will detail state initiatives. airport to boost the economy and decided from the FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada out/off/on/in status. The Com 3 radio can Noting the “great hit” that general avi- to build an industrial center that attracted Civil Aviation for the installation of its also be used as a VHF radio by disabling ation has taken throughout the Covid-19 “clean-tech” industries. The city is already Max-Viz 1200 and 1400 enhanced vision its datalink. pandemic, Alliance executive director seeing the fruits of that e!ort with Eviation, systems on the Airbus EC130B4 and -T2. These features, said Fujino, are “all to Selena Shilad said, “When we look toward developer of the nine-seat electric Alice The electronics specialist worked with Avio reduce pilot workload and enhance safety the future, it is not only about recovery aircraft, moving there as well as the area Canada in Calgary, Canada, to secure the and efficiency.” but it is also about growth. What many being in the final running for another com- STCs. EuroTec Canada performed the initial A new nosewheel advanced steering aug- people don’t realize is that general avi- pany looking to produce a zero-emission installation of the Max-Viz 1400 using the mentation system (ASAS) “helps reduce ation and business aviation are making electric hydrogen aircraft. “We’re making STC. Incorporating an uncooled thermal pilot workload during landing, expands significant investments in sustainability headway—sooner than I thought on that camera, the systems will display images operational limits, and enhances safety for and emerging technologies. What many front,” she said. K.L. on any flight deck display that accepts missions in specific weather conditions,” NTSC or PAL/Analog RS-170 video signals.

14 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com

launch order. Mansour and Aziz, who had Upon Akram’s death in 1991, Mansour Ojjeh remembered been attending college in California and Mansour became president of the also taking flying lessons, immediately family enterprises. He acquired Cal- by Wilson S. Leach impressed me as articulate young men who ifornia-based Aviation Methods and were on a mission. -based Aero Leasing and Mansour Ojjeh, who died June 6, had a big business and as a friend—for 44 years. The Ojjeh family was already familiar with merged his businesses into Geneva- impact on everyone who knew him, either I first met him, along with his brother business aviation, having owned numerous headquartered TAG Aviation, which personally or in his role as TAG Aviation’s and business partner, Aziz, in 1977 in Mon- business aircraft. Mansour’s father, Akram, grew into one of the industry’s founder and president of TAG Group. I’m treal at the rollout of the original Chal- had just formed the original TAG company, premier charter, management, and honored to say I knew him—both through lenger 600, for which they’d placed a large Techniques d ’Avant Garde. MRO operations, with world-class FBOs in Geneva and London/Farn- borough, a Dassault service center, and a significant Asian footprint. Mansour oversaw all of this expansion. Commanding and impeccably dressed, he was also down to earth. And he consistently put his employees’ well-being ahead of any financial decisions. I’ll never forget arriving at EBACE early one morning and seeing bil- lionaire Mansour standing proudly in front of his stand, ready to greet customers and friends from around the world. I also have fond memories of EBACE dinner parties at Mansour’s magnificent Lake Geneva home, which featured excellent food and wine and a guest list limited to about a dozen industry friends. And I vividly remember a white-linen Mansour dinner held right on the production floor at the McLaren Group head- Rethink quarters in Woking, . We all know Mansour from his aviation exploits, but he also loved Formula One racing and valued his ownership stake in McLaren. Another Mansour legacy is the Aviator in Farnborough. What was originally supposed to How You be simply a place to house pilots turned into south London’s only five-star hotel. But perhaps Man- sour’s biggest aviation legacy is the spectacular TAG Farnborough, which always rates number one in AIN’s international FBO Survey. Though Mansour underwent a Refuel double lung transplant in 2013, he retained enough strength to con- SAVE 37% ON AVERAGE. TRY IT FOR 3 MONTHS FREE. tinue a basically normal lifestyle for another seven years. Nonetheless, a few years ago, he started selling For 10,000+ Part 91 aircraft, CAA membership means more savings, more freedom, and more control. off aviation assets, including the MRO facility (to Dassault Aviation), We negotiate the best jet fuel prices from more than 270 preferred FBOs throughout the US and the Geneva FBO (to Signature), beyond. You even get to vote on which FBOs and the Farnborough FBO (to Mac- quarie). Steven Young, TAG Asia’s we include — and recommend your favorites. majority shareholder, purchased the charter management opera- tions in Asia and Europe. Thus, TAG Aviation continues as a busi- Interested FBO? ness enterprise, exactly as Mansour Apply for free would have wanted it. He was unique in how he con- No fees to belong ducted himself and dealt with Keep 100% of fuel sales people, and he exuded an infec- tious love of life. The world has Sign up online. JOIN FOR FREE TODAY! lost a shining star in Mansour, www.corpaa.us who will be terribly missed by everyone who had the pleasure CAA provides the lowest price on jet fuel o!ered to Part 91 aircraft at the CAA Preferred FBO. of knowing him. n

16 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com burden for certain operators conducting disciplinary, and separation from employ- FAA final pilot records rule operations without a Part 119 certificate, in ment records to the PRD unless and until that they are not required to report specific requested by a hiring operator. But certain types of records unless and until requested. termination and disciplinary action records applies to bizav ops | by Kerry Lynch Such operators include public aircraft oper- must be reported, the agency added. ations, air tour operations, and corporate “The FAA determined the most effective The FAA has released its final by commenters, some requirements of the flight departments.” way to ensure review of a pilot’s records electronic Pilot Records Database proposed rule were overly burdensome for Specifically, corporate flight depart- by a potential employer while reducing (PRD) rule, scaling back some of certain types of operators,” the agency said, ments, air tour operators, and public oper- extraneous records loaded by the [affected the reporting requirements but— adding, “This rule reduces the reporting ators will not be required to upload training, continues on page 19 despite an outpouring of opposi- tion—maintaining corporate flight departments in the applicability. Issued a little more than a year after first proposed, the final rule requires air carriers, public oper- ators, air tour operators, frac- tional owners, and corporate flight departments to enter “relevant” data on pilot employees into the PRD and calls on air carriers and Ready entities such as fractional and air tour operators to access pilot records for hiring candidates. The rule provides a year for operators to train to load current pilot records into the database, two years for histori- with the best technologies and tools, unmatched cal records back to 2015, and three years for all historical records. Hir- instructor expertise, full-career-lifecycle pilot training ing operators must begin reviewing to the highest safety standards and a program built records within six months. Records around your specifc needs and goals must remain in the database until a pilot dies or reaches age 99. In recognition of NBAA’s con- cerns regarding the establishment of a definition of “corporate flight with the industry department,” the rule eliminates such a formal provision. But it essentially still does imply a defi- leader? nition in a footnote that states, “The FAA uses the term corporate flight departments to reference operators of two or more aircraft conducting operations in further- ance of or incidental to a business, CAE is ready solely pursuant to the general operating and flight rules in Part when you are. 91 or operating aircraft pursuant to a Letter of Deviation Authority issued under §125.3.” In addition, Explore more reasons for working with the team the rulemaking includes those that works with you — at cae.com/business-aviation parameters in the applicability sec- tion and added rotorcraft. In the rulemaking, the agency acknowledged the hundreds of comments, including from most of the business and general avi- ation organizations, asking that corporate operators be excluded. In addition, others sought exclu- sion for public aircraft operations (primarily government). Organi- zations expressed concerns about the undue burden they said such requirements would pose and sug- gested that they offer limited value since the career path for corporate pilots doesn’t traditionally lead to airlines. Others were concerned about privacy and the expansive scope of the records requirement. “Upon consideration, the FAA determined that in light of the information and data provided

ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 17 SAFETY

can identify gaps or weaknesses within In February, the NTSB released the final Let the flyer beware an organization’s safety enterprise. report on the Sikorsky S-76 crash that As mentioned, an SMS is more than a killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, by Stuart “Kipp” Lau “ on a shelf”; it is a living and breath- and six others. In this crash, the pilot con- ing part of any safety system. The safety tinued flight into IMC, became disoriented, Recent accidents highlight a disturbing Since 2015, the FAA has required com- and safety assurance lost control of the helicopter, and crashed. number of unqualified business aircraft mercial airlines to develop and implement elements of an SMS are fed with data. Contributing to the accident, according operators. Billionaires and sports stars an SMS to improve safety for the travel- Data sources include employee hazard to the NTSB, “was the pilot’s likely self- killed in private aircraft accidents get the ing public, yet it is not required for other reports, supported through a Just Culture, induced pressure and plan-continuation headlines, but others are just as vulnera- revenue- passenger-carrying operations, and other safety programs such as FDM bias, which adversely affected his decision ble. Rarely do the accident reports say the such as charter flights. and the Aviation Safety Action Program making.” The NTSB also determined that operator and flight crew did everything According to the Air Charter Safety (ASAP). the operator’s inadequate review and right. Rather, many reports offer state- Foundation (ACSF), of the 1,900 charter A Just Culture provides an atmosphere oversight of its safety management pro- ments that point to the organizational operators in the U.S., only 20 or one per- in which all staff are encouraged to pro- cess contributed to the crash. failures of a bad aircraft operator. cent have been accepted into the FAA’s vide—and feel comfortable providing— In another report, a crash involved a For example, the NTSB categorized the voluntary SMS program. Another 213 have safety-related information. According to Leonardo AW139 in the Bahamas. This flight, November 2015 crash of a Hawker 700 that applied, but once approved, they will still Burns, “ASAP is a system that encour- operated under Part 91, occurred in July 2019 killed nine people in Akron, Ohio, as “a dis- represent no more than about 10 percent ages aviation staff to voluntarily report and killed Chris Cline, a billionaire, and turbing accident after an unstable approach of all charter companies. safety issues and events (without fear of six others, including his daughter and two that raises serious questions about an pilots. The focus of the investigation was operator’s procedures and culture.” the lack of oversight from the operator and In the opening remarks of a public hear- a troubled training history for both the pilot ing on this accident, then NTSB chairman in command (PIC) and the second in com- Christopher Hart said, “A traveler boards mand (SIC), issues that might have been an on-demand charter flight with the identified by an accredited third-party audit. assumption that these government and In this case, the Part 91 operation company protections are in effect. How- supported Cline and his family with ever, in the accident…we found a flight three business jets, one floatplane, and crew, a company, and FAA inspectors who the AW139. The final report noted that fell short of their [safety] obligations.” the helicopter had been operated inde- Hart went on to note that the compa- pendently of the fixed-wing aircraft and ny’s “casual attitude towards compliance managed by the PIC of the accident flight. and standards illustrates a disregard for The SIC was a contract pilot. According operational safety, an attitude that likely to the fixed-wing chief pilot, he had few led its pilots to believe that strict adher- interactions with the helicopter operation.

ence to SOPs was not required.” NTSB The NTSB Human Factors Group Hart later added, “These companies A photo from the NTSB report on the AW139 that crashed in July 2019 in the Bahamas. report revealed troubling information must either improve their practices or about both pilots’ initial and recurrent close their doors. All companies have a The installation of flight data recorders reprisal), and then captures and aggre- training on the AW139. Instructor notes responsibility to follow the regulations (FDR) and establishing FDM programs also gates data in order to effectively report pointed to marginal training performance, and actively manage safety in all facets of made the 2021/22 NTSB MWL. FDRs are safety concerns.” a lack of understanding of key aircraft sys- their operations.” extremely helpful to investigators trying The ACSF’s organizational-based tems, and poor CRM skills. In aviation, there is a well-used play- to piece together what happened during ASAP is a bright spot when it comes to The accident PIC was faulted for a “lack book to carry out safe flight operations; a crash. In the past, it was considered Part 91/135 voluntary safety programs. It of skills and knowledge” during initial the NTSB and industry leaders have long cost-prohibitive or technologically infeasi- was originally designed for Part 135 char- training in 2017 and recurrent training in recognized the effectiveness of these mod- ble to install FDRs on older aircraft; these ter operators and has now expanded to 2018. During 2018 recurrent training, “pro- ern safety systems and now encourage the challenges have been overcome with the include several Part 91 operators. Accord- gressive training/checking was halted and adoption of safety management systems advent of lightweight recorders, which ing to Burns, “the program is structured changed to traditional 61.58 [basic profi- (SMS), flight data monitoring (FDM) pro- record flight parameters, video, or voice. so ACSF, not the FAA or operator, shoul- ciency check] training due to the appli- grams, and other proactive safety programs. The NTSB believes that all charter and ders 90 percent of the administrative cant not reaching the required proficiency tour operators should not only install burden.” Since its inception over six and failed more items than required.” NTSB “Most Wanted” FDRs but also employ an FDM program. years ago, it has grown to include over 120 Further, the SIC had training issues. Both SMS and FDM are recommen- “Not learning from the past is a brutally participants—and Part 91 operators now Instructors noted problems with CRM, dations. on the 2021/22 NTSB “Most expensive and dangerous way to run a make up over half of the total. automation management, and situational Wanted” list (MWL) of transportation flight operation,” said NTSB vice chair- The ACSF supports its members by awareness and said the pilot could be eas- safety improvements. man Bruce Landsberg. “Through the providing through training ily overwhelmed with ATC and weather. The NTSB called for the FAA to require analysis of past flights, flight data moni- and access to safety programs, such as The SIC’s 2018 recurrent training was also and verify the effectiveness of SMS in toring can catch errors before they have a its ASAP program and free SMS tools. reverted to 61.58 due to failures. all revenue-passenger-carrying aviation chance to lead to accidents.” According to Burns, “When it comes to Business aircraft are complex machines operations. This recommendation recog- safety, there’s no finish line.” Establishing that require a high level of organizational nizes that an established SMS creates a Charter Safety and maintaining across-the-board safety structure and formal programs to sup- culture aimed at making safety a top pri- Beyond the NTSB, other industry lead- measures requires constant vigilance and port safe operations. A common theme in ority and reducing the risk of accidents. ers, such as Air Charter Safety Founda- improvement. As it happens, many of our these NTSB reports is a lack of operator According to the NTSB, to be effective tion (ACSF) president Bryan Burns, are members need a pathway to safety…a commitment to create the organizational an SMS must address safety policy, safety keenly interested in advancing air safety. starting point and some guidance.” structure to provide adequate oversight risk management, safety assurance, and Burns says his organization recommends and management of flight operations, safety promotion. NTSB board member “taking a holistic approach to safety, Different Outcomes training, standards, and compliance. Michael Graham says, “SMS is not a book which includes a multi-layered approach.” Culling through NTSB reports— especially SMS and programs such as FDM pro- on the shelf. It is a management system According to Burns, the foundation of the “recommendations” section—pro- vide greater safety but require additional that brings safety-conscious behavior this approach to safe operations and con- vides a great opportunity to not only learn resources and funds. Resource- limited to the forefront of an organization. It trolling risk is an effective SMS that is but also improve safety across the indus- companies are problematic, and as starts at the highest levels and perme- routinely evaluated through an accredited try. SMS, FDM, and even safety audits are ACSF’s Burns said, “When operators go ates throughout to all employees.” aviation audit. These third-party audits frequently mentioned in these reports. rogue, it is driven by cost.” n

18 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com continued from page 17 unintended consequences for the sector.” that do not have a clear safety benefit.” regulatory affairs. He noted that the final “This final rule reflects a more risk-based The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associa- rule establishes a process to resolve errors Pilot records rule approach to safety and demonstrates that our tion, which had joined NBAA in expressing in a pilot’s record and reduces the reporting community effectively made its voice heard strong reservations about the rule, also was burden for small and sole-practitioner Part operators] is to require that group during the rulemaking process,” said NBAA encouraged by some of the incorporated 91 operators, such as air tour and corporate to enter only records that may be president and CEO Ed Bolen. “The business changes to the rule. “While AOPA contin- flight operations. of particular concern to a hiring aviation community stands for safety, and ues to review the final rule, we are pleased “Compared to the proposed rule, both employer.” This marks a scaling working together, we have determined the to see the FAA has addressed some of our changes provide increased flexibility and back from the original proposal, best way to address the agency’s aims, without concerns [regarding] the proposed rule,” transparency, while also ensuring safety and which sought details such as train- introducing needless reporting requirements said Christopher Cooper, senior director of accurate pilot records,” Cooper added. n ing and check-ride notes. However, the FAA disagreed with the contention that these operators should be exempt, say- ing such a move “would not serve the FAA’s safety mission; overall, this final rule requires an appropri- ate level of engagement from cer- tain Part 91 operators.” The agency www.amacaerospace.com further noted that single-aircraft operations are not included. As for the contention that such requirements would be of little benefit to corporate operations, the FAA said that the rule isn’t designed for the benefit of one operator type over another but for overall safety. “This rule responds to a statutory requirement…As a result of this rule, operators will be better prepared to make informed hiring decisions to support avia- tion safety.” Coming at the behest of Con- gress, the rulemaking was strongly pushed and supported by the Fam- ilies of Continental Flight 3407, the organization of family members and friends of the victims of the Feb. 12, 2009, crash. “It has been a long journey for the families of Colgan Flight 3407, but their tireless advocacy and continued engagement with the FAA has made this database a real- ity. With it, employers will be able to quickly and thoroughly make informed hiring decisions to keep our skies safe,” said FAA Adminis- trator Steve Dickson. Despite the expanded applicabil- ity, business and general aviation organizations welcomed changes that they said exempt most of business aviation from “onerous” reporting requirements. NBAA said the hundreds of com- ments from the business aviation community proved critical to some of the key changes in the rule, such as the exemption for corporate THE PERFECT PLACE FOR BUSINESS AIRCRAFT flight departments, air tour oper- ators, and public operators from certain of the training, disciplinary, and separation-from-employment reporting requirements. NBAA also praised the elimi- nation of the single “corporate flight department” definition. As proposed, the association “would sidestep the reality that business aviation is a diverse industry, made up of a variety of operational types, possibly ushering in a host of

ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 19 MID-YEAR report

Among specific categories of suppli- Aerospace suppliers in for uneven recovery ers, further pessimism about widebodies has dampened the outlook, particularly by Gregory Polek for composite aerostructures makers, notwithstanding carbon fiber’s growing One would be hard-pressed to overstate prominence in the design of new and the effects of the Covid pandemic on future airplanes. Because they require the aerospace industry, but the level of little or no MRO services, aerostructures impact has varied considerably between generate little aftermarket revenue. Mean- sectors and among individual suppliers. while, as production rates for airplanes For example, as a general rule, larger such as the Boeing 787 and companies fared better than smaller ones. remain depressed into the foreseeable Those that controlled enough resources future, composites suppliers will see simi- to absorb 30 percent declines in revenues larly dampened demand for their materials. through spending cuts on employees, for Carmel noted that although major example, likely can look forward to a fairly composites maker Hexcel’s effort to strong recovery. For others—mainly the merge with Woodward failed due to so-called Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers— Covid-related considerations, the attempt the immediate future might look less illustrated the difficulties standalone encouraging, particularly for those that aerostructures makers face. “Compos- depended on soon-to-expire government ites are going to be very essential moving support to stay afloat. forward for the industry, but it’s a tricky Another divide resides between com- business to be in,” he said. “That merger panies involved heavily in military activ- was going to be interesting in that it tried ity and those whose business depends to combine more of a mechanical systems more on civil programs. Throughout the Workers at Collins Aerospace’s plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, assemble Super company with a structures company and pandemic, governments generally did not Diamond seats used in the and 787 and the Airbus A350 and to see if you could find some vertical inte- reduce defense spending, meaning suppli- A330. Collins also enjoys strong positions in narrowbody programs such as the 737 Max, gration opportunities for next-generation ers whose product portfolios tilted toward giving it the diversification it needs to emerge e!ectively from the pandemic. aircraft. I think the logic made sense but military equipment fared comparatively it was also a bit of a play to offset some well. A few even saw single-digit revenue aviation practice at global for, potentially, a tougher haul. So you can of those standalone risks you have as a growth last year, while the pandemic dec- Avascent, noted that no company escaped make some of these general statements composites player.” imated the finances of those more depen- Covid without experiencing financial pain. about who’s looking better or worse, but From the standpoint of the wider dent on airliner sales and support. But, similar to the divide that has devel- it really does boil down to who ended up aerospace industry, offsetting the risk Among the major Tier 1 suppliers, Ray- oped between the narrowbody versus with the right types of positions with the of bankruptcy by drastically cutting theon subsidiary Collins Aerospace falls widebody segments, companies that right types of systems.” employee roles and research and devel- into the category of those whose business depend heavily on airline maintenance Among all the main widebody types, opment spending carries a risk of its own, volumes lean more toward the commer- and aftermarket parts supply suffered Carmel expressed particular concern namely the ability to quickly and effec- cial side, which accounts for some 64 per- from the severe decline in the need for for suppliers with major positions on tively restore technology maturity efforts cent of its sales. The U.S.-based aircraft those services during the pandemic. the . Now not expected to put on hold due to the pandemic. systems supplier maintains a particularly Nonetheless, as traffic continues to reach the market until at least late 2023, “If you’re shedding all this talent and strong position on the Boeing Max airliner, build from the Covid recovery, those three years behind its original schedule, you’re shedding a lot of R&D investment, for example, and enjoys a presence on companies should see a corresponding the 777X since the pandemic lost about which a lot of these companies did…it’s virtually all the Boeing and Airbus com- increase in the need for maintenance ser- a third of its backlog due to accounting coming at no worse time because we’re mercial programs. Its comparative lack vices and parts. “Maintenance suppliers, adjustments Boeing needed to make to just looking at all these exciting new of exposure to defense, however, hurt especially those providing a lot of spare reflect uncertainty over whether some of developments related to electric aircraft its financial performance last year, when parts and repair services for things like its marquee customers will take all their and hydrogen aircraft,” explained Car- it saw a 26 percent decline in revenues APUs or other sorts of mechanical sys- airplanes on order, according to a Feb- mel, who further noted that European compared with 2019. tems that have a little bit higher tendency ruary 2021 filing by Boeing with the U.S. manufacturers, especially in France, But just as companies with a heavy to break…will have a shot of kind of claw- Securities and Exchange Commission. enjoy far more direct government presence on the military side have ing back that type of business sooner,” “[The 777X] is a big, big concern for research and development support than enjoyed something of a hedge from the explained Carmel. “When you look at the the supply chain,” said Carmel. “I think it do U.S. companies. ravages of Covid, future prospects within flip side…anything that’s widebody-related already was starting pre-Covid; it already “The French government dedicated commercial aviation might vary with their is in for a tough haul ahead just because was looking a little suspect because a big, hundreds of millions of dollars to keeping exposure to different categories of that we don’t expect international travel to get big chunk of the order book was concen- their industry afloat by investing in R&D sector. As the airline industry begins to back anytime soon. And, therefore, if you trated in some very shaky Middle East air- for next-generation aircraft,” Carmel con- emerge from the pandemic, most ana- look at how much production of wide- line customers.” cluded. “And that wasn’t really nearly to lysts agree that domestic and regional bodies was going on before Covid, it was Airline, Etihad Airways, and the same extent here in the U.S. And so flying will return faster and see a stronger already starting to overheat.” Airways account for two-thirds of that’s going to be the big question. I think recovery than international flying. That In fact, Avascent doesn’t expect wide- the gross orders for the 777X listed on Boe- in the long run [the question] is how much will translate into a stronger market for body production to return to 2019 levels ing’s orders and deliveries website through will this Covid downturn and the negative narrowbodies than widebodies, thereby until after 2030. “So that can really make April. “Those airlines aren’t going to disap- impacts not only hurt the industry and the favoring companies with positions more or break a lot of these suppliers,” said pear, but they were certainly facing some workforce today but also potentially hurt heavily weighted toward programs such Carmel, who works closely with the Aero- serious financial challenges pre-Covid the [U.S.] industry’s competitiveness 10 as the 737 Max and Airbus A320neo. space Industries Association on trend and, now especially, post-Covid, as a lot of years from now, when we start seeing Speaking with AIN from his offices in analysis. “Some of them have major expo- other airlines are starting to compete more these new types of aircraft technologies Washington, D.C., Jay Carmel, head of the sure on those big programs and will be in effectively against them,” added Carmel. coming in.” n

20 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com Generous state The company expects the $36 million facility to open during the third quarter support boosts of 2022. But JPB isn’t waiting until then French supplier to introduce the latest 3D tech- niques to produce higher-performing amid Covid components for engines made by manu- facturers including Safran, Pratt & Whit- Like so many other aircraft and ney, CFM International, GE Aviation, and engine-component manufacturers, Rolls-Royce. France’s JPB Système was hit hard by Starting with Pratt’s Geared Turbo- the Covid pandemic. In April 2020, when fan program, JPB has automated many it became obvious how production rates aspects of the manufacturing process, would be decimated as airline business using robots to make and then inspect models fell apart, CEO Damien Marc knew components. Now it wants to diversify right away that his team would have to beyond engine components to manu- change course quickly. facture self-locking devices needed else- But rather than shutting down the where in aircraft, such as smart washers, operation and furloughing staff, he saw endoscopic caps, nuts, and rods. an opportunity for the company to rein- By expanding its use of vent itself by upgrading its capability and techniques, JPB has been able to make JPB Système has automated many aspects of its manufacturing process. product offering. With generous funding lighter parts while also delivering more from the French government, the effort versatile locking mechanisms that do Marc told AIN that the French govern- and its response was maybe one of the has led to plans for a new 430,000-sq-ft a better job of dissipating vibration. ment’s France Relance (relaunch France) best in Europe,” he commented. “It was production and laboratory facility at Vil- Self-locking devices avoid the need to use program has proved critical to helping the rapid and massive, with support that laroche, near Paris, where JPB will expand safety wire, which can be time-consum- country’s aerospace firms not only survive started with paying 25 percent of our 2019 its fully digitized production techniques ing to assemble and disassemble, making Covid but also give them a chance to com- revenues to us upfront. The results of this for self-locking, safety-critical devices that them suitable for use in hard-to-access pete more effectively in the longer term. approach will be measured over the next attach components in engine assemblies. areas of engines or aircraft. “Our government has been very proactive five or six years.” C.A.

In a drastic departure from pre-ground- saw its first glimmers of recovery following Top of civil aircraft food ing plans to raise the 737’s peak rate of the Max’s return to service, the company 57 a month to as many as 63, Boeing continued to struggle with production chain hungry for recovery now sees 737 Max rates holding at 31 per issues that further stifled deliveries, first month next year and proportionally rising involving the 787 Dreamliner and then of by Gregory Polek and Charles Alcock with any increased market demand there- the Max again. after. Meanwhile, widebody production Faulty body joins in Dreamliners led to At least within the civil aviation sector, no the company perhaps incalculable dollars will remain suppressed as Dreamliner pro- four months of no 787 deliveries through part of the aerospace food chain escaped and credibility. Even this year, as Boeing duction fell from 10 to just five per month February, and Boeing didn’t resume ship- a totally unforeseen body blow from the slowly resumed delivering the airplanes and 777 output fell from five to two. Of ments until late March. Covid 19 pandemic in 2020. Companies to customers around the world, the Covid course, the company last July announced Then, on April 8, Boeing advised 16 with revenue streams from the related crisis continued to take its toll on its cus- plans to end 747 production in 2022, in an customers to temporarily ground 109 defense and space sectors benefitted tomers, many of whom deferred delivery unceremonious end to the iconic airliner’s Max jets due to a new production prob- from some mitigation, but overall the of several airplane models, including 50-year reign as “Queen of the Skies.” lem involving cockpit electronics. Three experience proved epically grim. the Max. By the start of this year, even as Boeing weeks later the FAA issued an airworthi- Just as rising tides supposedly raise ness directive calling for modification of all ships, the reverse holds true when the electrical bonding of certain metallic conditions change adversely in a way support panel assemblies installed in the that arguably companies could not have flight deck. By mid-May operators began anticipated. In the case of air transport, applying the fixes as described in a pair the premise that ‘it all starts at the top’ in of service bulletins. this case meant that the sector’s fortunes But even while Boeing saw deliveries largely hinged on what was happening suppressed by the production problems, it at the industry’s two dominant players, saw gradual improvements in orders and Airbus and Boeing. delivery figures as 2021 progressed and The combination of Covid-19 and the in May recorded its fourth consecutive continued grounding of the 737 Max fol- month of positive net orders, which stood lowing the twin crashes in Indonesia and at 97 for the year at the end of the period. Ethiopia that claimed 346 lives made However, during the month it delivered 2020 quite possibly the most difficult year just 17 airplanes, raising the total to 111 for in the history of Boeing. The first sign of the year, as 787 deliveries paused again relief came last December, when the FAA, due to an FAA request for more infor- EASA, and several other jurisdictions’ civil mation on analysis and documentation aviation agencies re-certified the Max, associated with the body join problem. ending a 20-month grounding that cost Max jets undergo final assembly in Renton, Washington. continues on page 22

ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 21 MID-YEAR report

continues from page 21 Hamburg with Premium Aerotec in Nor- Meanwhile, the electrical problems in the denham, Bremen, and Augsburg. Max resulted in just 11 single-aisle deliv- In May, the company said that it has eries, including a single P-8 Poseidon to resumed work on a modernization of its the U.S. Navy. A320/321 final assembly line in Toulouse. For its part, Airbus started 2021 having Later the same month, the Airbus plant in to believe that things could only get better Hamburg started assembling the first of after the Covid-plagued annus horribilis the new A321XLR extended range narrow- of 2020. On January 8, the European air- body, which is due to enter service in 2024. framer reported that airliner deliveries By May 27, Airbus felt able to firm up had fallen 34 percent from last year at some of the market projections made just 566 units and considered itself fortu- in February, by issuing new guidance to nate to have ended 2020 with net orders its suppliers on anticipated production for 268 airplanes. Taking account of 115 rates. During the course of the month, it order cancellations, it backlog at that delivered 50 aircraft to 32 customers and point stood at 7,184 aircraft. logged new orders for seven airplanes. A fortnight later, Airbus confirmed With full recovery still projected at that overall production rates would between 2023 and 2025, and led by “remain lower for longer.” Behind that Airbus began assembling the first A321XLR in late May. demand for single-aisle aircraft, the com- headline, its plan called for A320 pany advised that it sees 64 A320s rolling monthly output to gradually increase With the accountants’ assessment of circumstances would have been far worse. off the assembly line in the second quarter from 40 to 43 in the third quarter of 2020 concluded, February 18 brought In late April, Airbus announced plans to of 2023, rising to 70 by the first quarter of 2021, and then to 45 in the fourth quar- Airbus’s full-year financial results, which restructure its aerostructures assembly 2024 and possibly 75 in 2025. It sees A220 ter, with A220 rates taking a baby step showed a 29 percent decline in group- “value chain” by consolidating several dif- output from its North American factories up from four to five. But with demand wide consolidated revenues to €49.9 ferent operations. In France, a new com- in Mirabel and Mobile climbing slowly to for long-haul travel still dented by the billion ($60.2 billion). Adjusted earn- pany will combine Airbus’s operations in six in early 2022 and then to 14 by the pandemic, Airbus postponed plans for ings, at €1.7 billion, barely reached a Saint-Nazaire and Nantes with those of middle of this decade. Output levels for a rate increase for the A350 widebody, quarter of those recorded in 2019, and . In , another the A350 could inch up to six by the fall holding it at just five per month, and at without relatively healthy performance new venture will combine the work done of 2022, with the A330 still lagging at two just two for the A330. in the defense and space sectors by Stade and Structure Assembly in per month for the foreseeable future. n

“It certainly hasn’t been quick, but we U.S. Airlines do expect to see some kind of tangible recovery of corporate travel after Labor poised for Day [September 6],” said Heimlich in early May. “And that all comes down to vac- cination rates…U.S. travel agency book- relief from ings have been down 85 to 90 percent for many, many months. And now we’re Covid crisis seeing something closer to down 75 per- cent. But I think we’ll start seeing a better by Gregory Polek pace of improvement in the fall.” A4A’s projections for leisure travel look While airlines around the world have stood among the carriers whose low-cost model helped it to more far more optimistic, particularly as the suffered profound damage from the e!ectively withstand the ravages of the pandemic. summer vacation season approaches. pandemic over the past 15 months, U.S. Robust demand to one market that actu- carriers largely see the middle of 2021 “It was a deeper crisis than we expected, example, by the start of the G7 Summit on ally saw an increase in bookings in April as an inflection point as vaccination and a big part of that was the complete June 11. Around the same time, the Euro- this year compared with two years ago— rates gradually increase and a popu- evaporation of corporate travel,” Airlines pean Commission recommended easing the U.S. Virgin Islands—suggests a positive lation beset by Covid fatigue pines for for America (A4A) vice president and restrictions on non-essential travel from outlook for beach destinations in Southern a break from social restrictions. For an chief economist John Heimlich told AIN. outside the EU and allowing entry into the California and Florida in the summer, as industry that has undergone a perma- “Some of it is clearly the fiscal savings that 27-member-state bloc for fully vaccinated ocean waters get warmer, said Heimlich. nent structural change following record some of these companies have enjoyed, foreign citizens and non-residents. Meanwhile, by the spring, travel between financial losses, returning to some sem- but it’s also an issue of international busi- the U.S. and Latin America already had blance of normalcy—at least in the lei- ness travel, including U.S.-Canada and Downturn Lasting Longer seen more substantial improvement. sure market—would mark the beginning transoceanic, being restricted. If you can U.S.-Mexico traffic, in particular, by May of the end of the worst downturn it has go, oftentimes it’s a 14-day quarantine than Expected had outperformed U.S. domestic traffic in ever endured. that’s required and so that’s a nonstarter.” Heimlich also noted that the downturn terms of volume relative to pre-pandemic While leisure markets have shown signs Above all, Heimlich called for “visibility” has proved longer than originally antici- levels, according to A4A statistics. of recovery, particularly in the U.S., busi- and a “clear path” out of the muddle of pated. While A4A’s optimistic projection Still, airlines that serve countries with large ness travel remains severely depressed Covid travel rules between jurisdictions. In showed January 2021 as the first month domestic markets fared better than those due to several factors, including interna- early May A4A called for a plan to reopen in which the pandemic would not nega- serving mainly international destinations. tional border restrictions and deep travel air travel between the U.S. and the UK tively affect revenues, it now appears its For example, Chinese domestic traffic has budget cuts by companies that have through a protocol that could amount to pessimistic projection of June 2022 will virtually recovered from the pandemic, while found teleconferencing an acceptable a travel bubble similar to that established prove far more accurate, mainly due to U.S. carriers have relied on recuperating alternative to in-person meetings. between Singapore and Hong Kong, for the slow revival of business travel. continues on page 24

22 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com E! PROFIT HUNTER. A force with nature

Ultra efficient high-aspect ratio wings, new engines and lightweight materials help to deliver a double-digit reduction in fuel consumption and the lowest level of CO2 emissions. Inside the cabin and outside, it’s the quietest aircraft in its class, delivering a 65% reduction in noise levels around airports and the bi!est margin to ICAO noise limits. The E2 Profit Hunter is a force with nature, not against it.

E2sustainability.com #ConnectToOurWorld

C42733-009-Embraer-ForceWithNature-AINReport-Jul21-352x275-v1.indd 1 09/06/2021 16:44 MID-YEAR report

continues from page 22 Heimlich called the situation in Europe a major portion of the largest widebod- started operations on April 28, and David domestic markets to help compensate for “somewhat uneven” due to the differences ies in international markets and a more Neeleman’s , which the paucity of cross- border traffic. between government responses among pronounced reduction in twin-aisle jets started flying on May 27. Separately, “We’re very fortunate that we have a various countries. “Those carriers had to compared with single-aisle types in Frontier Airlines and large domestic market, so that’s one big park an inordinate number of airplanes domestic markets. both went public in March and continue difference,” said Heimlich in reference to and lay off an inordinate number of work- In the U.S., the new competitive envi- to expand, noted Heimlich. the relative strength of U.S. airlines. “The ers,” he said. “[The U.S. carriers] did not ronment has favored low-cost and ultra- “I’m not necessarily saying the pandemic Chinese carriers [also] benefit from a have to take such extreme measures. I low-cost carriers with a shift toward made that possible, but I do think it created large domestic air travel market. To some think it also made it a little easier for us leisure travel and the downsizing of global more opportunities for those carriers,” he extent that is true in Australia and New to access the capital markets.” network carriers, which before the pan- explained. “It freed up gates; it freed up mar- Zealand…[Another factor centered on] Globally, though, Heimlich conceded demic competed more aggressively in kets to serve…The ultra-low-cost carriers the different degrees and forms of gov- that the pandemic fundamentally and those markets. Examples of new LCC will be the quickest to return to positive cash ernment support…The Canadian carriers permanently changed the structure of entrants include Burbank, California- flow. And their low costs are better suited and airports had almost no support.” the industry. He cited the retirements of based Boeing 737 operator Avelo, which to the current low-fare environment.” n

China Aviation Valuation Advisors, an pull aircraft from delinquent operators. Aircra! lessors seek bulk aviation-focused valuation advisory firm “It is starting, not with a big boom but in and Asia. The top 10 aviation les- a progression.” as industry convalesces sors control a market share of less than Alton Aviation Consultancy identified 40 percent while the concentration of the more than 900 passenger aircraft oper- by Cathy Buyck top 10 in other industries could reach 80 ated last year by “high risk” airlines— or even 90 percent. defined as operators carrying liquidity of The proposed $30 billion merger of air- have faced through 2020 because you Yu expects the aircraft leasing segment two months or less and no government craft leasing giants Gecas and AerCap have seen a lot of sale and leaseback will see an increase in M&A activity, due ownership. They acquired the majority of and the likely further consolidation of activity. And in most cases, these have in part to Covid. “Over the last 10 years, the 900 airplanes, most less than 10 years lessors in the wake of Covid-19 does not been from my personal experience [as the top 10 lessors’ average and the mini- old, via lease. “Lessors have supported seem to worry airlines and aircraft man- former CEO of International Airlines mum size by value to get on the list have struggling airlines with concessions; now ufacturers, at least not publicly. Group] at rates that I would have con- increased significantly, and the pandemic some need a structured plan to weather “My first observation on the lessors sidered normal or near-normal. I have will accelerate this trend,” he said, point- the crisis themselves,” the Alton con- is that they have remained very strong no concern about the leasing industry at ing to the need of most lessors to restruc- sultants remarked. They expect to see over the last year,” Airbus CEO Guillaume this stage.” ture their . increased portfolio consolidation, with Faury told analysts during the company’s According to Cirium data, the com- Lessors have supported cash- well-capitalized lessors acquiring assets first-quarter earnings conference call. bined fleet resulting from the proposed strapped airlines with rent concessions or full portfolios from smaller players and “They’ve been instrumental in enabling AerCap-Gecas combination will account or short-term delivery deferrals. “One investors that are looking to rationalize that industry to keep moving forward in for about 16 percent of the global passen- of the major reasons for that is that their holdings or forced to sell. a very, very challenging situation. It relies ger jet leasing portfolio and 15 percent by their have been very supportive SMBC Aviation Capital chief execu- on the stability of the financial system. value. With a lessee base of 266 airline of them,” Yu explained. “It is not about tive Peter Barrett recently indicated that There’s no financial crisis, and that’s very customers, the combined entity would be niceness; it is all about business…Who the company, one of the world’s largest important for us.” Faury acknowledged providing aircraft to more than a quarter were they going to remarket the mort- lessors with 496 owned or managed that Airbus considers the consolidation of of the world’s airlines. gaged aircraft to?” Hence, he added, les- aircraft, would likely receive offers to some lessors important. “There are pros “The lessor market is not yet too con- sors and banks have shown reluctance take part in consolidation as one of the and cons in these situations. But overall, I centrated and still fragmented com- to initiate aircraft repossessions. “But best-capitalized firms in the industry. “[If would say, we’re fine with it,” he stressed. pared to other industries,” noted David there is a critical point,” he said, warning any opportunities] present value and fit Willie Walsh, director-general of the Yu, finance professor at New York Uni- that a lot of portfolio restructuring deals into our strategy, we’ll certainly have a International Air Transport Association, versity in Shanghai and chairman of have begun and banks have started to look at them,” he told , adding that also dismissed concerns about too much he believes that the events of the last 18 consolidation and the potential risk of LEADING AIRCRAFT OPERATING LESSORS IN 2020, BY FLEET SIZE months will “probably accelerate” the anti-competitive behavior in the leas- sector’s consolidation. ing sector. “It is still a pretty fragmented Gecas 1 074 “Some lessors would want to sell industry,” he said, speaking to media AerCap 1 024 because there is no other path while during a recent briefing on the impact others want to bulk up,” confirmed Yu. 575 of the pandemic on the global aviation He said a handful of lessors already are industry. Even the combination of Gecas BBAM 516 unofficially for sale. and Ireland’s AerCap—the largest air- 483 According to Yu, the aircraft manufac- craft lessors in the world by portfolio turers should “definitely” heed warnings SMBC Aviation Capital 470 value, with a combined fleet of more than about too much concentration of the 2,000 airplanes and an additional 500 on ICBC Leasing 454 aircraft leasing industry because they order—does not represent a significant BOC Aviation 398 will face increasing competition from percentage of the supply from the lessors, lessors to place aircraft with airline cus- Air Lease 396 he asserted. tomers. Lessors typically represent 15 to “I think generally the leasing sector is DAE Capital 364 20 percent of the OEMs’ order , but competitive,” said Walsh. “There are lots 0 200 400 600 800 1 000 1 200 that figure becomes even bigger when of options out there for most if not all air- Number of aircraft adding the recent spike in purchase and Source: Statista lines. In fact, it would be fair to say that leaseback transactions. “From an airline’s in many cases lessors have been part of Gecas and AerCap dominate the commercial aircra! leasing business in fleet size, each perspective, this might be a good thing,” the solution to the cash crisis that airlines carrying a portfolio of more than 1,000 airplanes. he concluded. n

24 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com SUSTAINABILITY A CLEAR AMBITION

Sustainability is at the heart of our business. From the beginning, we have invested in technologies to make our engines cleaner, quieter and more effi cient. Our clear ambition is to push the limits of innovation, demonstrating uncompromising technologies that will help pave the way for an ever more sustainable future. A common mission, extraordinary together.

cfmaeroengines.com

CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines

C42669-012-CFM-Wave-AINReport-Jul21_352x275-v1.indd 1 09/06/2021 16:41 MID-YEAR report

maximize the quota of USM in its work, Covid brings said La Banca. However due to the overall demand reduction, the absolute numbers more supply went down, he confirmed. “Especially in the engine sector the demand for certain engine types disappeared completely as to aircra! airlines have been trying to avoid major overhaul events and are performing only recycling the necessary minor events on-wing or during short shop visits,” he said. Also, some widebody aircraft types might never business return to service and, therefore, their sup- by Cathy Buyck ply potential might not be relevant at all for the USM market, he explained. Neverthe- Few would disagree that aircraft recycling less, despite the current slump in demand, has evolved from an almost non-existing, he believes airlines and MROs will need polluting industry to become a textbook the contributions from USM “in order to example of how aerospace contributes recover faster.” to a circular economy and aviation’s sit in storage at Tarmac Aerosave grounds at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport Meanwhile, the aircraft recycling eco- overarching environmental sustainability in France as an ex-Singapore Airlines arrives in November 2017. system is working to develop new solu- goals. Depending on the type of aircraft, tions to increase the recyclability level recyclers can recover about 90 percent Airlines—with European provid- operating in 2021, 2022, and beyond will of aircraft above the current 90 percent. of an aircraft’s weight for reuse in avia- ers only, said Fabrício La Banca, Lufthansa be much more efficient and sustainable Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer compos- tion or other sectors, a level that Tarmac Technik senior director of corporate pur- than the fleet that was in place in 2019,” ites that appear in modern commercial Aerosave CEO Patrick Lecer described as chasing. “By doing so, we avoided the tra- he said. For the recycling market and the airframes have proved a challenge to “fantastic.” The company, a joint venture ditional ferry flights to other destinations, used serviceable materials (USM) mar- recycle and reuse, Lecer said. of Airbus, Safran Aircraft Engines, and saving tons of and CO!. On top of ket, however, the higher volume of aircraft OEMs have invested in initiatives to waste specialist Suez, has disassembled, that, the European providers we are using retirements marks a changed dynamic. improve the recycling process for com- dismantled, and recycled 291 aircraft and are AFRA [Aircraft Fleet Recycling Associ- Under normal market conditions, retired posites for many years. “Boeing has con- 141 CFM56 engines in an eco- efficient ation] members that follow rigid processes commercial jets represent an excellent ducted extensive work on the use and manner since its creation in 2007, includ- and rules in regard to recycling and final source of USM. “Someone will buy an recycling of carbon composite material ing 75 percent of all the A340s that com- of the aircraft,” he told AIN. aircraft to recycle if it makes economic and we strive for the capability to recy- panies have recycled. AFRA’s more than 70 accredited mem- sense, meaning if there is a market to cle as many materials as possible for use Yet Lecer expressed concern about bers must pass an audit based on best sell the material that will come off the in other applications,” a spokesman for the sector’s post-Covid course. Due to management practices. The International decommissioned aircraft,” explained Chris the U.S. aircraft manufacturer told AIN. the pandemic, the number of aircraft Air Transport Association (IATA) also has Markou, head of operational cost manage- “We worked with two business partners that owners have stored is enormous, developed the “Best Industry Practices for ment at IATA. “The recycling market—air- in May 2018 to conduct the world’s first he noted during a webinar organized Aircraft Decommissioning” manual. craft disassembled for parting out and dismantling of a composite fuselage air- by France’s aerospace business club, Operators retired about 600 airplanes reuse of components—may decrease due plane—one of the first-built 787s.” Usaire. “Of course, not all of them will be a year before the pandemic and the vast to lower demand for spare parts as many Another example of this circular econ- parted out but there is a risk of increased majority were recycled, according to airlines operate smaller fleets, therefore omy, he said, appears in the company’s so-called dry dismantling when aircraft Boeing. Management consultancy Oliver they have excess parts inventories in their partnership with UK-based ELG Carbon are scrapped with poorly-controlled Wyman estimated that due to the Covid-19 before they need to go out to Fibre. Boeing provides about one million processes and end up as waste— shock to aviation, roughly 2,000 aircraft the market to get parts. Excess invento- pounds a year of excess carbon compos- particularly in certain parts of the world. will leave the fleet permanently during ries will be used first before getting into ite fiber from its manufacturing processes This is very different from what we do; we a 12-month time span. Candidates now aircraft part-outs,” he told AIN. to ELG, which recycles the material and recycle to maximize reuse and focus on include airplanes only 20 years old rather Based on IATA analysis, Covid is driving sells it to other manufacturers that make the safe disposal of non-recyclable parts,” than the more typical 25-year-old aircraft. up the inventory of components and parts, car parts, computer laptop cases, and wind he explained. For IATA director-general Willie Walsh, with the market for used surplus material turbine blades. “As part of our strategy, we Lufthansa Technik several years ago the acceleration of the retirements of expected to grow to $7.9 billion by 2022. consider the full lifecycle of our airplanes— switched its strategy to dismantle air- older aircraft marks a positive contribu- Since March 2019 demand for USM from design and assembly to in-service craft of Lufthansa Group—which includes tion to the aviation industry’s environmen- dropped significantly, though Lufthansa operation and end-of-service retirement,” Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and tal commitments. “The fleet that we will be Technik has continued its strategy to he concluded. n

the air transport industry’s situation. a year-to-date peak of almost 40,000 Flight volume data reflects Spire generated data from its own flights in April. In the U.S., United Airlines constellation of more than 110 has yet to completely reverse its descent, gradual and uneven recovery to track the number of flights operated by but has achieved a mainly steady recovery six international carriers between January to reach almost 54,000 flights in May after By Charles Alcock and Gregory Polek 2020 and the end of May 2021. The varia- hitting some new turbulence around Sep- tions in their fortunes is striking, reflecting tember 2020 and February 2021. The Covid pandemic’s initial impact in the data, AIN asked two specialists, data and wide differences in Covid’s impact, gov- In Europe, where new waves of Covid spring of 2020 constituted an unprece- analytics provider Spire Aviation and avi- ernmental responses, and societal atti- infection and vexatious switches in dented shock to the global industry, and ation intelligence supplier FlightAware, to tudes towards the risk from travel. restrictions have been more chal- ever since the recovery path has been crunch some numbers that could illustrate Air China has fully restored pre- lenging, Lufthansa remains at less hard to chart. Seeking clarity in hard the fluctuations that have characterized pandemic levels of flight activity, hitting continues on page 32

26 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com deliveries in the first quarter this year. Bell Piston helicopter deliveries were flat from a GA aircraft deliveries up bettered its Q1 2020 output by 50 percent, year ago, with 36 units, one fewer year over year. handing over 15 rotorcraft in the Q1 2021, “It is encouraging to see [OEMs] begin to while Leonardo added two to its Q1 2020 bounce back from the impacts of the pan- or flat in 1Q: GAMA | by Curt Epstein figure for a total of 12. Sikorsky handed over demic, although we are not yet in the clear,” one S-92 through the first quarter of 2021 said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. As the world moves into the post- by seven units from the first three months after delivering none in the same period last “The industry continues to face headwinds, Covid era, billings for general of 2020 to 92, up 8 percent. year. Robinson Helicopter boosted its R66 especially with ongoing supply-chain issues aviation airplanes and rotorcraft , which issued only deliveries to 22 in the first three months of and pandemic-related restrictions and con- delivered in the first quarter soared a first-half delivery total last year, had 36 2021, a seven-unit improvement. straints to global travel.” n 18.1 and 26.2 percent, respectively, year-over-year (YoY), according to the General Aviation Manufactur- ers Association (GAMA). At 113 deliveries, business jet airframers were off one unit from last year’s first-quarter total. Gulf- stream boosted its YoY Q1 deliver- ies by five in its large-cabin class, HOW DID WE MAKE THE while Embraer added four, hand- ing over five more Phenom 300Es than it did in the same period in NEW M600/SLS THE 2020. Textron delivered five addi- tional Citations, as it more than doubled the output for its light M2. NEW STANDARD IN SAFETY? Bombardier remained static at 26 deliveries, its five fewer Challeng- ers replaced with five additional We taught it everything you know. Globals handed over. Dassault reports its deliveries only at mid- year and year-end. In the bizliner segment, Boeing added one deliv- ery in the first quarter, compared with none in the same period last year, while Airbus tacked one more to the lone delivery it had in the first three months of 2020. The smaller private jet OEMs all logged decreases YoY. Pilatus saw its PC-24 deliveries more than halve in the first quarter of 2021, as did Cirrus, which declined from 18 SF50 VisionJets handed over a year ago to seven during the first three months of 2021. Honda Air- craft delivered two fewer Honda- Jets in the first quarter of this year. While the total number of tur- boprops rose by more than 18 percent YoY, to 84 aircraft, there were two fewer high-end pres- surized models handed over in the first quarter of 2021. Daher increased its output of TBM 940s to seven after handing over four in Q1 2020, while Piper doubled M600 deliveries to six in the first quarter of this year. Epic remained static with one E-1000 delivery in the opening quarter of both years, while Pilatus’s 11 The HALOTM Safety System with Garmin® Autoland—the most groundbreaking advancement in recent PC-12 deliveries in the first three general aviation history—does everything you would do when you can’t. After alerting ATC, checking months of 2020 dropped to seven fuel levels and weather, it safely lands the aircraft. In short, it’s as if the controls were still in your this year. Textron Aviation, which hands. See how your highest standards come standard at piper.com/HALO. ended the production of the King Air C90 in March, saw its deliver- ies totals move from 11 last year to seven in the first quarter of this year. Piston airplanes were also up, with 235 deliveries representing a

Download the Piper App to experience 7.3 percent advance YoY. Download theour M600/SLS Piper in Aircraft flight App to Turbine-powered helicopter experience our M600/SLS in flight. deliveries in the quarter increased

M600SLS_AIN_JUNE_2021_JuniorTabloid.indd 1 5/10/21 9:33 AM ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 27 going, or when the weather changed rapidly as it did on any given day over there. A lot of pilots lost their way and crashed.” Pilots returning from the war who went to work for utility operators strongly preferred to FlightSafety rely on visual flying skills rather than their International’s rudimentary instrument training to survive Airbus Helicopters encounters with weather. simulators are a Pilot training and the limitations of key part of the training aircraft have been factors as successful training well. While commercial airplane pilots protocols created are instrument trained and usually have by Air Methods to experience flying in actual instrument help teach pilots conditions by the time they take their how to avoid first flying jobs, that’s not the case with inadvertent entry helicopter pilots, even those who com- into instrument plete formal instrument training. They meteorological may complete instrument training while conditions. wearing a view-limiting device or hood but then they never transition to flying in actual instrument conditions. The reason: none of the helicopters available to flight they are entering worsening weather until schools are certified for IFR. So, unlike Air Methods: Solving the they are enveloped, then lose control and their peers in airplane training who likely crash. A near-constant stream of these acci- experience actual IFR conditions as a part dents, dubbed IIMC, has plagued commer- of their training or shortly thereafter, heli- IIMC accident problem cial helicopter aviation. copter students, even those who go on to From 2005 through 2017, Air Methods become helicopter instrument instruc- by Woody McClendon experienced 56 accidents, of which about tors, have rarely if ever flown in actual 15 percent were IIMC-related. And yet, its instrument conditions. Air Methods is one of the founding mem- The civilian medevac community saves safety record was four times better than Commercial operators have never bers of air medical operations in the U.S. more than 40,000 lives a year, but it comes the average for all medevac operators. considered this a problem. Aerial sur- Roy Morgan started the company in 1980 at a cost. Almost 450 medevac crew mem- The culture of the commercial heli- vey, fire-fighting, , and other to fulfill his dream of operating a medevac bers have been killed as they’ve flown across copter business, which experienced a such operations all focus on the ground helicopter and saving lives. Mortgaging rough terrain at night, often in marginal trend-breaking expansion after the Viet- environment and visual contact with his house, he bought a Bell Long Ranger weather conditions, to reach trauma vic- nam War, may have contributed to the their objectives. and put it to work at St. Mary’s tims who without the helicopter to save problem. Most of the pilots were veter- in Grand Junction, . He and his them would likely perish. ans whose instrument training had been Challenging Conditions team of nurses flew their first patient on Accident statistics testify to the danger minimal. According to retired CW5 Joe While air medical missions are in visual their first night in business. medevac crew members endure. In 2001 Walker, who attended helicopter flight conditions at their terminus—the scene His company continued to grow, expand- the fatal accident rate for airlines was school at Ft. Rucker in 1968, flew in Viet- where the patient is picked up—the route ing into air medical interiors and comple- 0.011 per 100,000 hours, and air charter nam, and then taught new pilots how to from the base to the scene often is over tions as there were few other sources for operations had a rate of 0.60. For helicop- fly, students received only basic instru- rough terrain and in unknown, often ter- that work. Air Methods became well known ter air ambulances, the rate was 1.64 fatal- ment training. “We got some time in the rible weather conditions. And it is likely to for high-quality interiors, and customer ities per 100,000 hours, almost 150 times ‘Blue Canoe’ [the original Link trainer/ be at night, when most accidents and other completions grew faster than new hospital worse than the rate for airlines. simulator] and that was about it,” he said. trauma events happen, all of this creating programs. The company would go on to cre- About 77 percent of medevac fatalities “When we were flying in Vietnam, we did the right environment for IIMC encounters. ate medical interiors for the Army’s Black are attributed to pilot error, with the most all we could to stay out of clouds,” Walker Nearly 450 medevac crew members Hawk, an initiative that would become a dangerous of all causes being inadvertent explained. “But a lot of pilots flew into them have died, with IIMC encounters the significant source of revenue. entry into instrument meteorological con- as they tried to avoid ground fire, at night most significant cause of accidents. And As Air Methods grew, Morgan brought ditions. This is when pilots fail to recognize when they couldn’t see where they were yet, in the pilot training environment, in business professionals to run day-to-day the requirements for passing an FAR operations. Determined to expand by buy- Part 135 initial or recurrent checkride ing market share, they embarked on a search in a helicopter state that the pilot must for acquisitions. The largest was Rocky “…demonstrate the ability to maneu- Mountain Holdings, the parent of Rocky ver the rotorcraft solely by reference to Mountain Helicopters, one of the biggest instruments.” How is it then that pilots commercial operations in the U.S. Based being trained under Part 135 fail to cope in Provo, , Rocky Mountain operated a when encountering unforeseen instru- large fleet involved in all segments of com- ment conditions? mercial helicopter operations. Its air med- One answer may be that, until recently, ical unit operated helicopters throughout almost all medevac helicopter training the U.S. For Air Methods, the acquisition was done in the aircraft, with minimum was more complex because Rocky Moun- time allotted for instrument training. tain was a much larger company. But when What little time was allotted was done it was done, Air Methods emerged as the under a hood. Medevac pilots wear hel- largest provider in the mets so the choice of view-limiting U.S., a position it maintains to this day. devices is minimal. Foggles, which are Air Methods employs more than 1,400 worn like glasses, are the accepted device. pilots and operates 450 aircraft. From The problem with these is they are corporate headquarters in , it man- made for cabin environments in which the ages more than 400 bases in the U.S. The windshield glass does not extend below company accounts for about 65 percent of Simulators offer a huge advatange for helicopter pilot training, allowing realistic replication the airplane cabin’s lateral centerline, so all U.S. medevac operations. of scenarios that have been implicated in a number of accidents. continues on facing page

28 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com continued from facing page visibility during the assigned mission in deteriorating weather and the steps they Pilots should, at that point, call out the one of the simulator sessions. The preflight should take should they inadvertently decreased visibility and initiate a 180-degree Training helps briefing would include advising pilots that enter IMC. turn. If they do, then they are commended they might encounter worsening weather The instructor might set the weather to for their decision-making. If they don’t, the prevent IIMC and a review of IIMC protocols. It might 1,000 feet overcast with five miles visibility. visibility drops rapidly to zero. The pilot is also include a question on whether the As the flight climbs to a cruising altitude of allowed to respond without further input the pilot’s view is generally limited pilot had ever had an IIMC encounter and, 800 feet, the instructor, over two or three from the instructor. If the pilot does man- to the instrument panel, with the if so, how he or she handled it. The objec- minutes, slides the visibility down to a mile age to maintain control and asks for a vec- rest obscured by the hood or Fog- tive of the discussion would be to ensure while keeping up a chat about other details tor to visual conditions, the instructor might gles. But a helicopter has windows pilots had a clear picture of how to avoid of the flight. continues on page 33 clear down to those between the pilot’s feet, the so-called chin win- dows. With Foggles or a hood on, a pilot still can see out the bottom half of the helicopter, negating the purpose of the training, which is to fly by reference to instruments alone and not outside visual cues. IT’SIT’S WHAT’SWHAT’S INSIDEINSIDE Having taken numerous 135 checkrides in these circumstances, I can attest that I had plenty of THAT COUNTS. visual attitude cues while flying THAT COUNTS. with Foggles on. So the training and checking process for IIMC survival does not subject the pilot being trained to actual instru- ment conditions.

Improved Training Given that pilot error was the root cause of most of Air Methods’ acci- dents, the management team iden- tified improved pilot training as a key remedial factor in reducing acci- dents. To that end, it was decided to transition the training programs from the in-aircraft environment to simulators. The FlightSafety facility in Denver was commissioned for that very purpose. The Air Meth- ods training team had identified the economic benefits of simulator training, but it was equally import- ant to refine and improve the curric- ulum and the course structure using simulators. The ultimate result: cre- ating more-focused, better-defined scenarios and measurably improv- ing pilots’ skill levels. Early in the process, several pilots were having trouble with the IIMC scenarios. Air Methods training managers identified the problem as a lack of basic instru- ment flying skills. They had to create a short course to review and teach pilots instrument fly- ing basics sufficient to manage an IIMC encounter. Pulling together MAKE YOUR AIRCRAFT EXCLUSIVELY YOURS! the fundamentals from instru- ment training resources, they designed a course that could be taught in a single simulator ses- PentastarAviation.com | [email protected] sion. Within the scope of reme- dial training as prescribed in FAA Part 135, instructors could admin- 248-666-8388 | ister the course when needed, equipping the pilot with the skills Private Jet Charter | FBO Services | Aircraft Management required to successfully complete Fivestar Gourmet® | Advisory Services | Custom Interiors | Maintenance the IIMC training. For pilots attending recurrent ©2021 training, Air Methods developed IIMC scenarios that would take them into slowly decreasing

ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 29 development program aims for a 20 percent briefing during which they also GE, Safran launch green improvement in fuel burn and CO2 emissions announced the extension of the compared with today’s CFM Leap family. CFM partnership until 2050. CFM foresees ground testing on engine Andriès stressed that the Rise open-rotor tech demo | by Gregory Polek modules at GE and Safran facilities starting announcement did not amount to in the middle of this decade, followed by an engine launch but rather a for- GE Aviation and Safran on June 14 launched on either 100 percent sustainable aviation flight testing on a GE testbed “soon there- mal commitment to continue with a technology demonstration and maturation fuel (SAF) or liquid hydrogen by the middle after,” according to Safran CEO Olivier studies for a Leap successor on program under their CFM joint venture for a of the next decade. Called Rise (Revolution- Andriès, who, along with GE Aviation chief which GE and Safran have collabo- family of open-rotor engines that would run ary Innovation for Sustainable Engines), the executive John Slattery hosted an online rated since 2019. Also appearing at the online event, GE Aviation vice president of engineering Mohamed Ali called the 20 percent fuel burn and CO2 reduction target “the sin- gle largest improvement” the com- Sponsors: panies will have ever made. A joint GE-Safran engineering team has laid out what the compa- Gold Sponsors: nies call a comprehensive technol- ogy roadmap, including composite fan blades, heat-resistant metal alloys, matrix composites, and additive manufacturing. The BoardingBBoooaaar Pass Rise program includes more than Back DEPARTURE:DEP ANYWHERE rdrdiddin RRT iin TURE nngg 300 components, modules, and full YWY PPa PPASSENGER:A HERRE sss We’re in Time... SE E s NGNGE R DESTINATION:DEST TWA Hotel, JFK Airport engine builds. TION YYOO H “There are so many new technol- U te , J SSEATEEAAT #: 12 K A #: irp r 12B t ogies that are coming on to the pro- gram,” said Slattery. “If you start with the open fan, which we have ...and in Person ; the JETNET iQ Summit returns with new life, a lot of tacit knowledge between new ideas and a new location at the neo-retro, super swanky TWA Hotel both organizations on…of course, it will be hybrid-electric. There will located at the JFK Airport. Reconnect with colleagues, business be a lot of new materials that we’ll leaders and old friends in this exciting new space, where the past meets be bringing. We would have a gear on this engine, of course, because the future. Come and celebrate our 10th iQ Summit...back in time. it’s open-rotor.” Visit jetnet.com/summit for more info. The companies plan to use a sin- gle rotor in their plan, as opposed to counter-rotating designs con- sidered in past studies, including GE’s UDF in the 1980s and, more recently, Safran’s open-rotor stud- ies developed through Europe’s Clean Sky research program in 2017. “We recently have been able to use these learnings, in both com- panies, in addition to a tremen- TWA Hotel at JFK | Sept. 15-16th, 2021 dous utilization of computational power that became more recently available,” added Ali. “And now we are able to actually make it a single fan…and design blades specifically for that. That not only reduces the weight and reduces the complexity; it opens up the efficiency [and] cre- ates the same comfort from a noise perspective that all the passengers have become used to.” Andriès said this open-rotor design would result in no more noise—either internally or externally—than today’s Leap. Although Andriès wouldn’t estimate an investment cost for the project, he noted that Safran has committed to dedicating 75 percent of its R&D budget to sus- tainability and stressed the impor- tance of government , Network Experience Inspire Convenient which, he said, he fully expects the Hob-nob over cocktails Dazzling speakers from Brainstorm with the A single flight from European Commission to endorse. with all the right people. across the industry. biggest brains in BizAv. almost anywhere. Slattery, meanwhile, promised GE would commit a “significant” por- tion of its R&D budget. n

30 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com continued from page 1 continue at that level of investment came capital that would have provided the nec- environment, it has proven hugely chal- However, Airbus was not the right fit into question. essary push into production, said another lenging to close on the scheduled and because while interested in the technol- Boeing president and CEO Dave Cal- source close to the company. However, necessary large new capital requirements ogy, sources say, it was not as interested houn shed light on a decision against fur- during a pandemic that had already taken to finalize the transition of the AS2 into in building a business jet. The relationship thering its Aerion investment at the June a heavy toll on Boeing and major suppli- production. Given these conditions, the proved fruitful while it lasted but ulti- 3 Alliance Bernstein 37th Annual Strategic ers, that outside capital proved elusive. Aerion Corporation is now taking the mately was not going to get the AS2 to the Decisions Conference. Boeing assess its “Investors are fickle,” said one observer, appropriate steps in consideration of this finish line. Similarly, Lockheed Martin had investments based on whether projects noting that the eVTOL sector has been ongoing financial environment.” different priorities. are “big enough and meaningful enough” attracting heavy investments, particu- Then Boeing appeared to be the right to Boeing, he said. larly from the risk-takers in Silicon Valley, Fallout from the Shutdown match, but the timing proved wrong. If a project doesn’t bring such benefit while a company such as Aerion has failed The fallout was swift. Its anchor supplier, Aerion announced its partnership with to Boeing, then it has to stand on its own, to secure the same. GE Aviation, discontinued development Boeing in February 2019, just a month Calhoun said. “And our decision on super- Joshua Ng, a director with Singapore- work on the twin-shaft, medium-bypass before the second of two Boeing 737 Max sonic was that [it didn’t]. We couldn’t get based Alton Aviation Consultancy, said Affinity engine that was to have powered airliner crashes set off a global grounding there with respect to the market, with the investment proposition for eVTOLs is the Mach 1.4 AS2. GE Aviation also con- of the manufacturer’s cornerstone new the respect to the needed investment,” significantly different from that for super- firmed to AIN it was redeploying its Affin- program. That grounding lasted more he said. Boeing evaluated its investment sonic aircraft. “With eVTOLs there is the ity team to other programs. than a year, until December 2020. yearly, and “we got to a decision where, aim to democratize air travel, but that is The engine-maker had announced plans In the interim, the pandemic set in, yes, we just…didn’t believe in it quite as not the case for supersonic business jets, in October 2018 to move forward with the causing airlines to cancel aircraft orders. much as we thought we could.” which will only ever be used by the super- development of the Affinity specifically Boeing recorded a nearly $12 billion loss wealthy,” he told AIN. “So, the overall for the AS2 and later revealed plans for in 2020—one of its worst years. Slogging A Search for Investors addressable market for supersonic aircraft the engine to be part of a family in the through a double-whammy, Boeing in Meanwhile, the search for outside invest- is much smaller. The question is whether 16,000- to 20,000-pound-thrust range. late 2020 shuttered its NeXt innovation ment continued. Aerion reportedly was in existing business aircraft owners will trade Other suppliers were forced to quickly division, which had focused on emerg- talks earlier this year to go public through up to supersonic. I’m not sure about that.” move on past the AS2. Spirit AeroSystems, ing technologies. special purpose acquisition company With no deal in hand, Aerion executives which had been selected to design and Even so, Boeing had ostensibly contin- (SPAC) Altitude Acquisition Corp. But as faced the tremendously difficult decision supply the aircraft’s forward fuselage, also ued its involvement in the Aerion pro- the SPAC market seemed white-hot this to cease operations and informed suppli- was notified of Aerion’s decision to cease gram. It had reportedly already invested year, the Securities and Exchange Com- ers and employees of their fate. The com- operations on May 21, a spokeswoman several hundred million dollars for a 40 mission has given notice that it is stepping pany held a meeting on May 21 that was for the Wichita-based supplier told AIN. percent stake in the company and was up oversight in this arena. described as “bleak.” Employees working on the AS2 program appointed to two of the five positions on Aerion was said to have been “ago- That evening, Aerion issued a were moved to other roles within the the Aerion board. However, its ability to nizingly close” to arranging for outside statement: “In the current financial continues on page 44

Come to the LIGHT SIDE A Powerfully Connected Future is Only Moments Away

The Next Evolution in Aviation Connectivity

RESERVE A SPACE NOW SmartSkyNetworks.com

21210_SSN_AIN_10x6.5.indd 1 5/26/21 11:29 AM ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 31 MID-YEAR report

continues from page 26 situation for Singapore Airlines, which has sector, where Covid has most severely for the far more modern A350 stayed low, than half of its pre-pandemic activity essentially flatlined for almost 14 months, affected demand. while the A380s and A340s flatlined too. levels. In May, it operated just under seemingly unable to generate more than Since the start of the pandemic, the Bucking the overall trend to some 12,000 flights, having never pushed a paltry 5,000 monthly flights. ubiquitous Boeing 777 has consistently extent is the fact that the numbers of above a monthly total of 16,000 since Spire Aviation, which is part of data led the twin-aisle pack. The A330 and the older A300/310 jets remaining active the nadir in April 2020. and analytics group Spire Global, also 787 Dreamliner have run almost head-to- through the pandemic did not fall as Qatar Airways and Air logged numbers for widebody airliners in head, after outstripping activity levels for severely. “It’s interesting to note very lim- closely tracked each other’s dispiritingly service from January 2020 through the the aging 767. ited change in A300/310 statistics, since static traffic levels in the low five figures, end of May 2021. The data shows which of Covid has clearly accelerated the ven- most of the type is used for air cargo and never breaking through the clouds at the various Airbus and Boeing types have erable 747’s long-anticipated retirement military applications, respectively,” com- around the 15,000 mark. Worse still is the been most and least active in a long-haul wave. Perhaps more surprisingly, numbers mented Spire’s technical product man- ager David Manda. The pandemic’s effect on the activity of widebody airplanes in the category of the A380 and 747 reflect continuing stagnation of international markets. Of course, the relatively strong resurgence of domestic flying, particularly in China and the U.S., disproportionately has accounted for what recovery the indus- try has seen so far. Conversely, the Middle East and South America have lagged all other regions, FlightAware vice president Mark Duell told AIN. “South America and the Middle East are sort of competing for the slowest recovery,” he said. The Middle East, where the big Gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways rely almost exclusively on international traffic, has seen a steady flight volume of about 50 percent of pre-pandemic traffic levels since the start of this year. Sim- ilarly, South America sits at about 55 percent following a slip by the end of the first quarter to roughly 40 percent of pre-Covid levels as border closures stalled international traffic and Brazil’s persistently high Covid rate hit domestic travel in one of the biggest markets in the region. Overall, even as flight volumes have begun to return with higher vaccina- tion rates in certain regions, load fac- tors remain “very poor,” said Duell, as airlines vie for market share and add flights pre-emptively in anticipation of traffic returning. “Anectodally, we’ve seen stories about one passenger flying back from India in a 777,” he noted. “A fair bit of it is also belly cargo, as the air freight market is very strong right now… Emirates is not flying that 777 to India for one person; they’re flying it with a belly full of cargo.” Considering the uneven recovery, Duell said industry leaders have begun to show more optimism lately. In the U.S., for example, all the major airlines have said they’ve begun to recall staff and plan to reactivate all their idle airplanes by the end of the year. In places with small domestic markets and where vaccination rollouts remain slow, the situation appears far less encouraging. “It may be quite a while before movement gets back to nor- mal [in those places],” concluded Duell. n

32 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com continued from page 29 lower-cost autopilots with sophisticated comprehensive instrument pilot training Industry leaders like Air Methods recognize stability augmentation and envelope-pro- program and the potential for at least lim- the benefits of this new technology and are Air Methods and tection features. Recent examples include ited IFR operations, if for no other reason hard at work implementing it, within the lim- the Bell 407GXi and Leonardo’s A119, than to give pilots the option to enter the its of cost and logistics challenges that come IIMC prevention which are now certified for IFR. Accord- IFR system should they encounter unfore- with such dramatic changes. Tragic accident ing to a senior training pilot at Air Meth- seen weather. Just the ability to climb or causes like inadvertent flight into IMC will suggest that no safe VFR weather ods, the company anticipates a transition descend through a marine layer in coastal be minimized and medevac flight operations is close by, including the fact to IFR operations in these helicopters and cities or fly through ground fog that other- could, in the not-too-distant future, be con- that it has closed in behind them. other types in the fleet as they become wise is mission-stopping would be signifi- ducted with the same high levels of safety as The pilot should ask for vectors IFR certified. This will inform a more cant operational breakthroughs. those in other segments of aviation. n to an airport and an instrument approach. Then the instructor works with the pilot to fly to an airport and execute the approach. If the pilot instead loses con- trol and crashes, then the instruc- tor would review how the pilot allowed himself to fly into IFR conditions and what he might have done to maintain control. FUELING The instructor would then start the short IIMC course, planning to take the pilot through it in Success an hour or so of simulator time. The events planned for that hour would be pushed back into the fol- lowing simulator session. By the end of the course, the pilot should be comfortably flying instruments such that he or she can maintain control and execute a plan to fly to an airport and com- plete an approach. Those who did recognize the deteriorating conditions could expect another scenario in which the weather closed in on them faster than they could react to it, giving them the chance to fly in the cloud environment the simulator provides and manage the problem.

Success The program worked. Within a few months, pilots who had experi- enced problems were successfully flying out of the weather and com- pleting their recurrent training, all while demonstrating their ability to manage an IIMC encounter. The results have been profound. Since the simulator training pro- gram was launched in early 2017, Air Methods has not experienced any IIMC-related accidents. The training team had effectively identified the problem and solved it. Air Methods chief pilot Raj Helweg agreed this was an accomplishment to be credited to his dedicated team but he is also philosophical about it. “We launch dozens of flights every day all over FUELING SUCCESS SINCE 1975. the U.S. under all kinds of weather With nearly fi ve decades of experience in aviation fuels and terrain conditions,” he said. and related services, TITAN knows what it takes to succeed. “We seem to have gotten the IIMC Our focus has always been on you and providing the tools problem under control, but we to help your business grow. Going far beyond just fuel, always have more work to do. We TITAN has the tools to fuel your success. can never stand on our laurels.” What does the future hold to build upon that success? IFR cer- www.titanfuels.aero • 1-800-334-5732 tification is finally moving into smaller helicopters, thanks to

ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 33 AIR transport Embraer sees E-Jets facilitating air transport’s recovery from pandemic Embraer by Gregory Polek Commercial Aircraft CEO Embraer expects to emerge from the the executive aviation new types with a lower noise profile, and what Meijer Arjan Meijer Covid crisis in a relatively strong competi- the Praetor being the last addition,” he called a superior passenger experience. tive position as a fundamental shift in traf- explained. “We’re still spending money on In the longer term, Embraer expects fic patterns portends increasing interest in the E2 program; we haven’t stopped that. the new turboprop to serve as a platform smaller narrowbodies such as the E195-E2, And we’ve also been very vocal to the mar- for other technological advances. How- We consider according to Embraer Commercial Avia- ket that we’re very interested in going after ever, the design, as it stands, does not the E175-E2 an tion CEO Arjan Meijer. Following a 2020 the [turboprop] market.” assume any radical new engine technolo- campaign that saw Embraer Commercial Meijer added that Embraer remains gies. “All options are on the table, but for integral part of the E2 ship just 44 airplanes due to customer “very active” in the design of a turboprop now we have worked on the assumption deferrals and two months of inactivity at that would seat between 70 and 90 pas- it will be a traditional engine to start with, family. If there would the start of the year as it worked on the sengers and use a traditional engine con- and from there we’ll move forward and be a customer today “carve out” of the division for its since- figuration. He also stressed that Embraer see what’s possible,” explained Meijer. aborted integration with Boeing, the will proceed with the project only with While the company cannot afford to wanting the aircraft, company will likely see improvement on the help of a strategic partner. lose focus on its long-term aspirations, it deliveries this year as more markets open Hoping for an entry-into-service date first must get through 2021 and the likely that would have been with improving epidemiological circum- of 2027, Embraer will need to move soon two or three years of Covid-related mar- a di!erent discussion, stances. A recent pair of orders covering toward a launch to meet that relatively ket suppression that most analysts expect. 17 E175s by and its regional near-term target. “We will use this year “We certainly hope that we’ll be climbing but with Covid, the partner SkyWest sent what Embraer con- to develop that aircraft further and we out of the crisis this year,” said Meijer. siders a clear signal of improving mar- hope to be able to bring that to a more “This is a year of recovery and then the whole world is in a ket conditions. But even before securing firm position in 2022,” Meijer said. next couple of years we hope will be even little bit of a pause those deals, Embraer added 10 new E-Jet Still, product definition has progressed more growth. So, yes, we’re intending to operators resulting mainly from used air- to the point where the company expects do better than last year. And I think with and we said, ‘Let’s craft transactions since the start of 2020. the airplane to fit between the ATR 72 and the appetite that we [see] from the mar- Of the three variants, the one that has Dash 8-400 in terms of per- ket, both on the E1 and E2 sides, we’re focus on the 190 and drawn the most interest from airlines formance while offering better economics, very confident about the segment.” n 195 short-term.’” recently—the E195-E2—is also the larg- est, carrying as many as 146 passengers in a single-class layout. Embraer plans to deliver the first of four next month that were ordered by Switzerland’s Helvetic Airbus plans for significant boost of A320 production rates Airways, which coincidentally will become the first to fly one of its eight E190-E2s in Airbus has notified suppliers that it plans to revenue service into , boost production of A320-family jets from an where E-Jets already account for 70 per- average of 45 per month in the fourth quar- cent of all movements. That model gained ter in 2021 to 64 per month by the second approval to operate into the short-field, quarter of 2023. In a statement issued on obstacle-limited airport last week. May 27, the company said it has also started Meanwhile, the smallest of the E2s— preparing for a rate of 70 per month by the the E175-E2—continues to struggle to first quarter of 2024, reflecting a bullish out- find a market outside the scope-clause- look for post-Covid recovery of the narrow- limited U.S., prompting Embraer to delay body sector. its introduction again by another year, “The aviation sector is beginning to recover to the second half of 2024. Nevertheless, from the Covid-19 crisis,” said Airbus CEO Guil- Embraer is no less committed to that laume Faury. “The message to our supplier airplane for the medium- and long-term, community provides visibility to the entire said Meijer. industrial ecosystem to secure the necessary “We consider the E175-E2 an integral capabilities and be ready when market condi- part of the E2 family,” he insisted. “If tions call for it. In parallel, we are transforming there would be a customer today want- our industrial system by optimizing our aero- ing the aircraft, that would have been a structures set-up and modernizing our A320 different discussion, but with Covid, the Family production facilities. All these actions whole world is in a little bit of a pause are set in motion to prepare our future.” and we said, ‘Let’s focus on the 190 and Separately, the company confirmed an Airbus plans to increase production rates for its A320 narrowbody airliner family, 195 short-term.’” increase in A220 production from five per including the A321XLR, for which assembly work began in May. In fact, the latest delay of the E175-E2 in month to six in early 2022. It said it envi- no way reflects a desire to defer research sions a monthly production rate of 14 per would reduce A320 output from 60 in 2019 represented a reduction of the pre-coro- and development spending since the month by the middle of the decade. to 40 this year. Widebody production, mean- navirus average rates of roughly one-third onset of Covid and the April 2020 col- Among widebodies, plans call for an while, saw A330 rates drop from some 3.25 throughout the Airbus product line. lapse of Embraer’s proposed partnership increase in the monthly A350 rate from five per month to two per month, and A350 The European aerospace group’s commer- with Boeing, said Meijer. to six by autumn 2022, while A330 produc- rates fell from roughly 10 per month to six, cial aircraft deliveries last year reached 556 “In the broader sense, Embraer has spent tion remains at two per month. and then again to five. Two months earlier commercial aircraft, 34 percent fewer than in a vast amount of money in the last couple Airbus’s Covid-related production cuts Airbus had already announced an A330 cut 2019 but in line with what the company calls of years developing the E2, developing the began in April 2020, when it reported it from 53 in 2019 to 40 in 2020. The moves the adaptation plan it instituted in April. G.P. KC-390 on the defense side, and developing

34 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com In Memoriam

Mansour A. Ojjeh 1952 -2021

Mansour Ojjeh, President of TAG Group and founder of TAG Aviation, passed away peacefully on June 6 surrounded by his family. He was the inspiration and driving force behind our company, and his kind, gracious spirit influenced each and every one of us. His positive impact on the company and everyone and everything he touched is embodied in our culture and will never be forgotten.

Mansour loved Business Aviation, and he was closely involved with our industry for more than forty years. In conjunction with his brother and life- time business partner, Aziz, in 1977, TAG Group placed a launch order for twenty-one Challenger 600 aircraft, an event that helped secure the future of the program and led to the successful Challenger variants to follow. Years later, a similar event occurred when TAG signed an order (written by Bombardier President Bryan Moss on the back of a paper napkin) en route to the Dubai airshow for fifteen GlobalExpress aircraft, thereby launching the Global program.

As part of the original Challenger 600 order, TAG Group obtained the exclusive marketing rights for the Chal- lenger throughout the fourteen member nations of the Arab League. Trading under the name TAG Aeronautics, this hugely successful enterprise continued until the distributorship rights were eventually sold back to Bom- bardier in 2015, bringing to a close TAG’s 38 year association with Bombardier.

In 1998, TAG purchased U.S. based Aviation Methods and, shortly thereafter, Geneva Switzerland based Aero Leasing which were combined to form TAG Aviation, a company that grew to become one of the largest and most respected aircraft management and charter companies in the world. That move was closely followed by the establishment of TAG Asia and TAG’s purchase of Farnborough Airport, located on the outskirts of London. TAG developed Farnborough into the only privately owned, business aviation airport in the world, and its high quality, purpose-built facilities and stunning architecture were a manifestation of Mansour’s sense of style.

In 2019, after more than forty years in Business Aviation, TAG Group sold its shareholding in TAG Aviation to one of its partners and exited the aviation business.

While Mansour’s contribution to our industry was substantial, to focus on his business accomplishments is to miss the essence of the man. Unfailingly gracious and polite, he had a personality that glowed like a Madonna in a Renaissance painting. His enthusiasm and spirit enveloped everyone he met, and he treated everyone, both the important and the unimportant, with equal….and substantial….respect and kindness. While he sought financial success in TAG’s businesses, earnings never took precedence over the welfare of his people or his single-minded passion for quality and class, a quest that was reflected in every aspect of his life. Under his leadership, the brand “TAG” became known throughout the world for its integrity, high standards, and the professionalism of its people, and that is, perhaps, Mansour’s greatest gift to aviation.

On behalf of all TAG Aviation employees, past and present, we want to thank Mansour for giving us a place to work that we can call home and the opportunity to experience the pride of belonging to a company where doing the right thing is expected. Mansour is gone, but his Spirit remains part of TAG Aviation. AVIONICS & technology

Dual GTX 345DR transponders, which News Update G1000 NXi enhancements are part of the new NXi STC, provide ADS-B In traffic and weather and the abil- Mid-Continent Introduces ity to operate where diversity transponder TSO’d Chronos Clocks available for Mustangs output is required or helpful. Diversity Chronos series clocks from Mid-Continent transponders have antennas mounted on Instruments and Avionics fit in a two- by Matt Thurber the bottom and top of the fuselage, allow- inch instrument cutout and have eight ing surveillance to work more consistently modes of operation plus single or dual While some Citation Mustang owners those with the original G1000 avionics can than it would from only belly-mounted USB charging ports. In addition to have opted to upgrade their Garmin be upgraded to the NXi configuration with antennas. Aireon’s space-based ADS-B providing up to 75 watts of USB power, G1000 avionics to the NXi configuration, the new offerings. A big change for Mus- requires diversity transponders in many the clock’s eight modes include local Garmin has unveiled an STC for the Mus- tangs is the package’s GWX 75 weather countries and some over-ocean regions. and UTC time, flight and countdown tang that adds more features to the NXi radar, which replaces the original magne- Meanwhile, Garmin’s GSR 56 Iridium timer, stopwatch, volts, and outside and upgrade. These include a new radar, diver- tron-based, four-color GWX 68. The GWX transceiver adds global weather informa- secondary air temperature display. sity transponder, and datalink weather 75 is a digital radar with 16 colors, vertical tion, two-way text and voice communi- The clock’s lighting can be controlled and communications. scanning, weather attenuated color high- cations, automatic position tracking, and externally and it also has a built-in These features can be added to Mustangs light technology, and optional ground clut- other datalink services to the very light photocell for automatic dimming. Time that already have the NXi upgrade, while ter suppression and turbulence detection. twinjet. n and flight timer memory are maintained by an internal, field-replaceable battery. “Panel space is a premium,” said Matthew Harrah, senior v-p of technology and why we’re still talking about this.” and products. “Our customers wanted GPS interference testing “We as an industry are becoming more more built-in functionality and access to reliant on GPS,” said McClay. GPS is fast-charging USB power, all-in-one.” a critical part of the NAS and there are remains problematic more IFR procedures that rely on GPS, CMC Certifies Smart MFD as well as airborne equipment that is pri- Transport Canada has granted Canadian by Matt Thurber marily GPS-based. “This continues to be technical standard order (TSO) approval a concern for us,” he said. for the CMC Electronics MFD-4068 During an NBAA News Hour session on by enemy jamming, explained Jim McClay, Jack Allen, managing director of air traf- Smart Multi-Function Display (SMFD). May 14, experts summarized the status director of airspace, air traffic, and fic management for Airlines for America, One of the MFD-4068 display’s key of problems caused by military GPS jam- for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associ- explained that these GPS jamming events attributes is its ability for one center- ming tests. This type of testing continues ation (AOPA). “The jamming by the DoD are flagged with notams 120 hours before mounted display to drive adjacent to grow and is causing GPS reception out- [Department of Defense] is to allow them to the event. But these GPS notams aren’t displays and a head-up display, which ages for all types of flight operations, and be able to train in an environment deprived included in standard briefings and pilots is especially suited for trainer aircraft there is no plan by the military to reduce of GPS signal. With the threat landscape need to search separately for GPS notams. applications, according to Brad Nolen, GPS jamming training operations. globally having changed to more of a large But many of these GPS notams are tex- v-p, sales and marketing. The display “We’ve seen the number of GPS inter- nation-state scenario, the military has to tual and difficult to decipher, according to features an open-architecture platform ference events have nearly quadrupled in be able to train in an environment where McClay. “We’re trying to expect folks to that allows customers to develop their the past decade,” said NBAA director of another nation takes out the GPS constel- interpret this information by looking at a own applications. This includes customers air traffic services and infrastructure Heidi lation and they can no longer rely on that.” series of lat/longs and a description. It’s not such as military “programs with sensitive Williams. “The number of locations across This issue is not new. In 2017 the FAA effective.” To its credit, the FAA does pub- IP that they wish to keep in-house,” he the National Airspace System [NAS] where tasked an RTCA committee to examine lish graphical depictions of GPS interference explained, “or legacy software that those jamming events occur has doubled the impact of intentional GPS jamming testing advisories on its FAASafety website. they wish to re-host.” Examples of in the last two to three years. So we’re see- and to make recommendations on miti- The other issue is that there is no applications developed by customers and ing a proliferation of events and locations.” gating them, according to Williams. The consistent agreement about how to col- CMC include PFD, navigation, synthetic She added that it’s likely the impact of this committee issued its report in May 2018, lect data on interference occurrences. vision, and FMS applications, all of which GPS jamming testing is growing. “It’s fair then the committee was disbanded. The According to Williams, GPS outages have can be displayed simultaneously. to say that the events are often a safety report had 25 recommendations to the a significant safety impact. In one case it concern for operators in the NAS and are FAA, but she said, “we didn’t have a sta- caused an aircraft to enter a Dutch roll Bizjets ID’d for CPDLC Trials profound when they do have an impact.” tus on what the agency decided to do with and another to lose all GPS information L-3Harris has identified aircraft models The reason for this testing and why it those recommendations and what mitiga- on final during an instrument approach. that carry the required equipment is growing is that the military needs to be tions were in play between the FAA and “Those are big deals,” she said, especially for participation in U.S. domestic prepared if GPS signals are compromised the DoD. That brings us full circle to today considering the increasing reliance on GPS en route controller-pilot data link as the NAS moves to reduce the number of communication (CPDLC) trials. ground-based navigation facilities (mostly According to a Honeywell briefing, VORs). As well, many aircraft equipped are the FAA will temporarily exclude now equipped with GPS- dependent ADS-B aircraft that don’t meet the equipment Out avionics, which report position infor- requirements from the CPDLC trials, mation to air traffic control and traffic but these aircraft will be allowed to information to other aircraft. “We need a participate once their equipment is resilient NAS,” she said. validated. The excluded aircraft “had The advice from the News Hour panelists a lower than expected transmission for pilots experiencing a GPS outage is to let success rate,” according to Honeywell. air traffic controllers know. “It’s important The qualified aircraft include to do that,” said McClay. “Perhaps there is a Gulfstream’s G280 and G500 through concern with pilots not reporting it because G700; Dassault’s Falcon 900 and 8X; they’re not aware what’s happening. There Bombardier Global 5000/5500, 6000/6500, may be a concern because they’re not sure and 7500 and Challenger 300/350, where this report goes.” 604/605/650; the Embraer Legacy However, during a briefing with the FAA, 450/500 and Praetor 500/600; and aircraft A graphical depiction published by the FAA of the altitudes and areas that will be affected by the agency explained that a report to a with specified Universal Avionics and upcoming GPS interference testing. continues on next page Garmin G3000/G5000 equipment.

36 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com Garmin closes purchase of AeroData software biz by Matt Thurber

Garmin announced May 25 that it com- “In addition to broadening Garmin’s pres- pleted the acquisition of aircraft per- ence in commercial aviation, AeroData’s formance data provider AeroData. The extensive load planning, performance, Scottsdale, Arizona-based company’s and flight path analysis expertise signifi- Viasat’s phased-array satcom antenna is mounted on top of this Citation’s fuselage for flight products include runway analysis, takeoff cantly enhances and expands our digital testing as part of Project AIDAN. and en route performance, weight and services portfolio.” balance, passenger and cargo load plan- AeroData will continue operating under ning, a global airport obstacle database, its brand at the Scottdale location. The notam monitoring, and custom software. company’s customer base includes more Viasat demos phased-array In December, Garmin announced the than 135 airlines and it provides “perfor- integration of AeroData’s runway analysis mance data to more than 70 percent of services with FltPlan, the flight planning airline flights in North America,” accord- antenna on Citation II company that Garmin purchased in 2018. ing to Garmin. Garmin plans to look at more ways to “AeroData provides aircraft perfor- Phased-array satcom antennas are moving that can’t accommodate a tail- or fuselage- add AeroData capabilities for its business mance data for more than 20,000 com- closer to availability for aircraft, following mounted mechanically steered antenna. aviation customers. “We look forward to mercial flights each day,” said AeroData a successful demonstration of a Viasat Prior to the April 20 demo flight, the building upon AeroData’s incredible suc- president Terry McDonough, “and we antenna on a Cessna Citation II. The first phased-array antenna’s and apertures cess in providing advanced software solu- are excited to further expand this reach demonstration flight took place on April were tested in an anechoic chamber, then tions for both air transport and business to commercial and business aviation cus- 20 during a flight from Rotterdam, Neth- the antenna was mounted in a van that was aviation,” said Phil Straub, Garmin execu- tomers worldwide within the Garmin avi- erlands, to Payerne, Switzerland. driven around to ensure its beams could tive v-p and managing director of aviation. ation ecosystem.” n This effort was part of Project AIDAN, point properly at the Viasat satellites. which is led by Viasat Antenna Systems After the first flight, multiple demon- Switzerland and involved a consortium of stration flights were conducted, according partners that included Viasat , to Carolina Vigano, RF and terminal direc- NLR, and Lionix International. The Citation tor at Viasat Antenna Systems. “We were II was provided by NLR, and funding for trying to stress the system and see how Project AIDAN comes from the European it is responding,” she said. This included Space Agency, Switzerland, the Netherlands, streaming Netflix on one laptop, mak- Viasat, and other European companies. ing a Zoom call on another laptop, while Viasat’s phased-array antenna can track another user uploaded a large file using a satellites without any moving parts, elec- VPN and everyone on board connected as tronically steering “its beams to maintain many devices as possible. contact with the ,” according to the “This core technology is a building block company. While the antenna is somewhat to connect fixed and mobile platforms in large and must be installed in a suitable the air, on land, and at sea, to enable the location on top of the fuselage, it could game-changing broadband experiences open opportunities to deliver broadband that Viasat satellites will provide world- high-speed Ka-band connectivity for aircraft wide,” according to Viasat. M.T.

continued from previous page GPS issues. In any case, the FAA Aero- controller goes to the facility supervisor, nautical Information Manual recom- then to FAA headquarters and the DoD. mends that pilots report any anomalies Avidyne Helios FMS receives TSO approval “DoD can review these reports to help craft with navigation aids or global navigation A week after the FAA issued TSO approval Helios employs Avidyne’s hybrid touch- future events, hopefully, to avoid trouble,” satellite systems (generally GPS but there for Avidyne’s Atlas flight management screen interface, which lets pilots alternate McClay said. are other networks) per paragraph 1-1-13. system (FMS), the agency issued a TSO between using the touchscreen or knobs There is also a way for the FAA to ask GPS jamming is a worldwide problem, not nod for the Helios helicopter version of and buttons for almost all functions. Wi-Fi the DoD to stop jamming in case of a safety isolated to the U.S. Notams for GPS interfer- the FMS. Like Atlas, the Helios FMS is a and Bluetooth are built-in for connection issue. AOPA explained, “According to the ence reference jamming potential in many Dzus-mounted multifunction FMS that is to EFB apps. The FMS also has a USB Pilot/Controller Glossary, ‘stop buzzer’ is regions, and in the case of international form-factor compatible with many legacy charging port, and its qwerty keyboard is a term used by ATC to request suspension notams, information is provided for pilots to systems, measuring 7.5 inches tall, 5.75 spill-proof. of ‘electronic attack activity.’ Pilots should report jamming safety issues and incidents. inches wide, and 10.615 inches deep. The Helios display can show airspace, only use the phrase when communicat- “We’re not sure how many instances [of Helios prices start at $23,999, or $29,999 terrain, and navaid information with over- ing with ATC or over the emergency fre- jamming occur],” said McClay, “but the with optional navcom radio. laid ADS-B In or SiriusXM weather. Other quency 121.5 MHz if a safety-of-flight issue FAA does keep track of how many ‘stop Among the many modern features that display elements include tra!c from TCAS, is encountered during a known GPS inter- buzzer’ events happen. It’s important for Helios brings to rotorcraft are SBAS/LPV TAS, or ADS-B In, and approach ference event. Using this unique phrase pilots, if appropriate, to call ‘stop buzzer.’ approach guidance and the ability to pro- charts and airport/heliport diagrams. It when experiencing an unsafe condition Pilots should be willing to speak up.” vide position information for ADS-B Out can also show BendixKing digital weather related to GPS interference will ensure While there hasn’t been much movement transponders. Helicopter-specific optional radar imagery and the FMS’s display that ATC and the military react appropri- on the RTCA committee’s recommenda- features include night-vision goggle com- can also run RS-170 video. An integrated ately by stopping the jamming.” tions, the dialogue continues and the FAA patibility and helicopter-TAWS with pow- 16-watt VHF com, VOR, localizer, and glide- Pilots can use the FAA’s GPS Anomaly wants to continue collaborating with the erline database. slope radio is available as an option. M.T. Reporting Form to notify the agency of aviation industry, according to Williams. n

ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 37 TOUCHING bases FBO and Airport news by Curt Epstein

Ross Aviation Breaks Ground sales, and charter provider flyAdvanced. on Scottsdale Hangar Hangar space able to accommodate Ross Aviation broke ground on a 56,000- aircraft up to the size of a Challenger sq-ft hangar and two adjacent 3,000- 300 is available on an as-needed basis sq-ft office at its Scottsdale along with rental cars, and a restau- [Arizona] Municipal Airport (KSDL) rant is within walking distance. FBO complex. The $15 million proj- ect at KSDL, which the company said is one of its most active year-round Universal Aviation Expands locations, is expected to be completed Greek Operations in the first quarter of next year. Universal Aviation has expanded its According to Ross Aviation, the hangar private aviation ground handling will have two primary bays that can operation in Greece with the opening accommodate ultra-long-range business of its Mykonos office. Universal has had jets such as the Gulfstream G650. To fur- a presence in the country since 1993, ExecuJet is now offering private aviation handling services at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. ther the company’s sustainability effort, with the introduction of its 24/7 Ath- Ross Aviation said, the roof of the hangar ens headquarters that provides ground ExecuJet Adds Israel FBO Yingling Continues Growth and office complex will include a bank support supervision to all of Greece. ExecuJet has expanded its footprint in with Rising MRO Demand of solar panels and the 36-space parking Universal Mykonos, which opened the Middle East with the establishment As it marks 75 years in business, area will have EV charging stations. just ahead of the peak Mediterranean of an FBO in Israel. The newest location Yingling Aviation is growing by another “Putting shovels in the ground is the summer travel season, provides local, is based at the Fattal Terminal at Tel 50,000 sq ft following the acquisition start of providing even greater hangar dedicated company staff to directly Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, marking the of three hangars and office space near capacity for our customers here in support operators coming to the popular country’s first private luxury passenger its existing 200,000 sq ft of facilities facility. A Luxaviation Group subsidiary, on the east side of Wichita Dwight D. ExecuJet, in partnership with Israel- Eisenhower National Airport (KICT). based aviation company Flyeast, will Yingling president Andrew Nichols provide passenger processing, supervi- told AIN that half of the new space sory aircraft handling, concierge services, will accommodate a growing MRO flight arrangements, and aircraft charter. business, while the other half will The terminal, which is under the serve corporate operators that base same ownership as the Fattal Hotel their aircraft at Yingling’s FBO. chain, serves business aviation clients Nichols explained that at the begin- as well as diplomats, heads of state, and ning and “worst stages” of the Covid-19 high-end commercial passengers. It pandemic, Yingling’s MRO operations provides security checks, hand lug- stayed “fairly” busy. But that left him gage screening, and CIQ services, and uncertain about how demand would offers private waiting rooms with beds be for his company’s maintenance, and ensuite showers, as well as a main avionics, interiors, and paint business LNS Alliance Aviation, the sole FBO at Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Airport, showed off its new lounge with refreshments. The facility post-pandemic. As it is, “we just sim- purpose-built 6.700 sq ft terminal with a week-long grand opening celebration in June. also includes a catering kitchen, 20- and ply don’t have the space right now to 40-seat conference rooms, two duty- take on the customers that are calling Scottsdale,” said CEO Brian Corbett. location, which has no FBO and no over- free shops, and chauffeur service. us, looking for us to provide them “Moreover, the groundbreaking further night aircraft parking at its small airport. An ExecuJet representative will meet with these services,” he said. “So, affirms our promise to invest in creat- “Historically, Mykonos can be a chal- guests at the entrance to the private these facilities that we’ve acquired ing facilities that allow us to provide an lenging destination due to the difficulty terminal and be on hand to assist inside will allow us to support the demands unmatched level of flight hospitality.” of obtaining slots and then coordi- the facility. “We’re now finalizing key that we are seeing on the MRO side.” Meanwhile, the company expects to nating parking for the aircraft off the project elements, such as passenger flow Additionally, ICT’s largest FBO is continue to expand its network of 18 island,” said Yiannis Arkoulis, Universal within the VIP passenger lounge within looking to hire additional airframe and FBOs, with groundbreakings on at least Aviation Greece’s managing director. the Fattal Terminal,” said Mike , powerplant and avionics technicians two more facilities expected by year-end. “With the additional challenges due to the company’s president of aviation to support the MRO demand, Nichols Covid, new operating protocols, and the services and v-p for the Middle East. noted. Even with 145 employees, he pent-up demand this peak season will Over the coming months, Execu- hopes to add about 25 more by year- Alliance Aviation Debuts bring, we thought it was important to Jet will train new staff and develop end. “That is our biggest challenge Lancaster Airport FBO add our own dedicated people to the its services to further enhance right now—finding the talent and LNS Alliance Aviation, the lone FBO island to assist with those challenges.” guest experience, it said. getting them here,” Nichols said. at Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Airport In addition to slot coordination (KLNS), debuted its new home—a $3 for arriving aircraft, the company’s million, airport-built FBO facility—with staff will assist with arranging heli- an official grand opening in June. copter transfers, yacht rendezvous, The newly built 6,700-sq-ft, two-story concierge services, and specialized building features a glass-walled passen- on/off-airport logistics services. ger lounge overlooking the ramp,12-seat “From our headquarters in Athens conference room, pilot lounge with a pair we coordinate with our agents all over of snooze rooms and shower facilities, Greece to provide parking solutions and and flight-planning room. It will offer match slots and permits between Myko- concierge services, complimentary hot nos and other Greek airports used for beverages, a catering prep kitchen with aircraft positioning,” said Dimitra Kiria- a dishwasher, available office space, and kopoulou, Universal’s in-country direc- a courtesy car. The new private aviation tor of operations and customer care. terminal replaces the decades-old 4,000- “This ensures we are providing a seam- sq-ft facility that LNS Alliance Aviation less solution for missions both to Myko- Yingling Aviation’s expansion will bring its total hangar inventory to 12 at Wichita occupied since 2008, which has already nos and elsewhere in Greece, reducing Eisenhower National Airport. been taken over by aircraft maintenance, the risk of errors from handoffs.” n

38 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com IT’S GO TIME. Engines are roaring, the skies are clearing and we are firing up for the most epic event in NBAA history. The 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), taking place from October 12 to 14 in Las Vegas, is guaranteed to be a transformational event that provides you an unmatched opportunity to get connected and power your business forward. Save the date and visit the NBAA-BACE website to learn more.

LEARN MORE | nbaa.org/2021

facebook.com/NBAAfans twitter.com/nbaa instagram.com/nbaaphotos MRO/ hot section Maintenance news by Jerry Siebenmark

cleaning solvents. To better support Part 145 repair station services at SDL. HTF7000 customers, Duncan added In addition to providing customers a large-capacity media blaster and a with hangar space and tenant office paint booth dedicated to the compa- space, TAC Private Hangars will offer ny's engine services department. dedicated handling services at SDL.

PAG's Keystone Acquisition Heli-One Adds AW139 Main Adds M250 Engine Expertise Gearbox Expertise Precision Aviation Group (PAG) has Heli-One is working with Leonardo gained a new specialization in Rolls- Helicopters to develop expertise in Royce M250 turbine engines through the maintenance of the AW139’s main the acquisition of Keystone Turbine gearbox (MGB). The Canadian heli- Services (KTS). In addition to being an copter MRO provider, which is an OEM-approved aftermarket MRO of the authorized component repair center M250 series of gas turbine engines, KTS for the Italian , is a Honeywell authorized warranty and will offer MGB maintenance of the A&P technicians are among the jobs Bombardier is looking to fill at its U.S. service centers. repair station for Pratt & Whitney PT6A intermediate twin at its Delta, British and PT6T fuel controls, power turbine Columbia facility. The company is Bombardier Begins U.S. location. The larger paint operation governors, and related accessories. working with Leonardo on MGB training Service Center Hiring Spree will allow Constant to increase its and tools, which builds on the AW139 Bombardier is looking to fill more than available paint slots by 20 percent. intermediate gearbox and tail gearbox 200 positions across its U.S. service GE Aviation Extends capability Heli-One added last year. center network, the Canadian airframer CF34 Engine Mx announced in early June. Specifically, Airmotive Brazil Ops Agreement with MTU the company is hiring A&P techni- Expands PW500 Mx Options MTU Maintenance Berlin-Branden- Texas MRO Donates Global cians; avionics/electrical technicians; Dallas Airmotive’s regional turbine burg, a subsidiary of Germany’s MTU Express Airframe to Mx School customer project managers; interns; center (RTC) in Brazil has expanded Aero Engines, has signed a branded MRO provider and parts specialist lead technicians; managers; paint and its capabilities to provide hot sec- service agreement extension with Southwest Aerospace Technologies interior technicians; quality inspectors; tion inspections for Pratt & Whitney GE Aviation to continue as an autho- has donated a parted-out airframe of structures technicians; and supervisors. (P&W) PW500 family engines found rized service provider through 2030 a Bombardier Global Express to Texas The positions are open at its service on the and for OEM maintenance, overhaul work State Technical College (TSTC). It will centers in Dallas; Hartford, Connecti- Cessna Citation Bravo, Excel, Encore, scoping, and component repairs on be used at the school’s campuses in Waco, cut; Tucson, Arizona; Wichita; and Fort and XLS-series twinjets. The move CF34-3, CF34-8C, CF34-8E, and CF34- Harlingen, and Abilene for airframe and Lauderdale/Miami Opa Locka. Overall, continues an expansion of Dallas 10E engines. Variants of the CF34 powerplant technology and avionics Bombardier expects its aftermarket Airmotive’s portfolio of engine and engine family power Bombardier and technology training. Southwest Aero- services to grow to $2 billion by 2025. APU support at the RTC. The Brazil Embraer regional and business jets space also will provide annual funding for During that period, the OEM plans RTC also will be able to provide ser- such as the Bombardier Challenger 605 a scholarship for TSTC aviation students. to expand its aftermarket services to vice to operators that participate in and Embraer Lineage 1000 bizliner. about 27 percent of total revenue. the P&W Canada Eagle service plan. Bluetail Launches Digital TAC Creates Hangar Record Search Engine ABS Jets Joins EmbraerX's Duncan Expands Engine Management Business Aircraft data storage and access pro- Beacon Digital Mx Platform Mx Capabilities in Lincoln with Acquisition vider Bluetail has introduced a digital EmbraerX’s Beacon will provide its Duncan Aviation has expanded its Following its May 1 acquisition of the document search engine called Mach digital maintenance coordination plat- turbine engine capabilities at its Lincoln, assets of Gemini Air Group at Arizona's Search. Founded a year ago, the com- form to ABS Jets in the Nebraska facility with the addition of Scottsdale Airport (SDL), Dallas-based pany developed this latest product with under a new agreement. Through its Honeywell TFE731 Heavy and HTF7000 The Arnold Companies (TAC) has input from its customer base, including web and mobile application platform, Series Minor authorizations. In addi- established a Keystone Aviation opera- corporate flight departments, charter Beacon connects operators, mainte- tion, the facility has brought online a tion there. Additionally, it created TAC operators, aircraft owners, brokers, and nance providers, aftermarket suppliers, 20,000-pound-thrust-class test cell. The Private Hangars, which will manage flight schools. According to the com- and OEMs with the goal of accelerating company has also added 592 sq ft to its more than 65,000 sq ft of upscale pany, the system uses optical character aircraft return-to-service time during engine washroom area as well as a new private hangar and office space at SDL. recognition to streamline the ingestion, unscheduled maintenance events. ABS environmentally friendly evaporator Keystone, which was acquired by organization, and search of operations Jets is Beacon’s first European exec- system that includes an air makeup unit TAC in 2012, will provide its full range and maintenance documents. It can even utive operator to join the platform. with exhaust fans to remove fumes from of charter, aircraft management, and recognize handwriting to search by A&P ABS Jets expects to run more than 50 technician signature or inspector signoffs. maintenance cases per year using the platform, with the goal of reducing the out-of-service time by 20 percent. Skandia Offers Soundproofing Kit for Bombardier Globals Skandia’s acoustic soundproofing kit Constant's Orlando Paint for Bombardier Global Express, 5000, Ops To Tackle More Jets and 6000 large-cabin business jets Constant Aviation has expanded its paint has received Transport Canada STC operation at Orlando Sanford Interna- approval. The Global kit is available to tional Airport in Florida to accommo- operators as an à la carte selection of date more business jets as large as the soundproofing materials that include Gulfstream G650, , chin fairing, baggage, and floor damping; and Bombardier Globals. As a result of thermal acoustic insulation bags; over- the expanded capability, the - frame blanket; and Aerolite pad. based MRO provider expects to hire 50 TAC Private Hangars will manage 60,000 sq ft of hangar space and 5,000 sq ft of office space In a Global 6000, the kit reduces average additional workers at its Central Florida at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona following the acquisition of Gemini Air Group's assets. sound by 3.06 dB (SIL). n

40 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com THE FUTURE OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

Join us as we launch a range of new 14-18 November 2021 features including new content streams, DWC, Dubai Airshow Site emerging technologies showcase, intelligent matchmaking platform, enhanced networking and much more in a live format. www.dubaiairshow.aero Book your space today: [email protected] Follow us on: | | | | #DubaiAirshow

CommerCIal Aviation | Aircraft Interiors | MRO | Business Aviation | Air Traffic Management Space | Defence & Military | Air Cargo | Emerging Technologies NEW

Supported by: ACCIDENTS by David Jack Kenny

PRELIMINARY REPORTS FINAL REPORTS callouts from any of the applicable take the controls with passengers on checklists (before engine start, engine board. Investigators conjectured that Four Fatalities in Mississippi Unforeseen Medical starting, before taxi, or before takeoff). this inhibited him from intervening Approach Accident Crisis Implicated in The crew obtained the current ATIS during the brief interval the airplane Firebombing Accident information at 8:26 and received an IFR remained controllable. MITSUBISHI MU-2B-60, MAY 4, 2021, clearance to the Albert Whitted Airport HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES BK-117, in St. Petersburg, Florida at 8:30. “A Zero-Flaps Landing AUG. 17, 2018, ULLADULLA, noise similar to an engine starting” was Ends in Tail Strike One occupant of the house and all three NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA recorded just before 9:03, the second on board the airplane were killed when engine 16 seconds later. They received CHALLENGER 605, FEB. 23, 2020, the twin-engine turboprop crashed into The ATSB concluded that sudden inca- clearance to taxi to Runway 15 at 9:05 CALGARY , a home while attempting a GPS approach pacitation from an undiagnosed medical and takeoff clearance at 9:09:41. CALGARY, CANADA to Hattiesburg’s Bobby L. Chain Munici- condition was most likely responsible The noise of increasing propeller speed pal Airport. Two other people in the home for the loss of the firefighting helicop- was heard 30 seconds later, and at 9:10:25 The Canadian Pacific Railway corporate suffered minor injuries. Much of both the ter and its pilot. The pilot was killed and the co-pilot said “Airspeed alive.” No jet sustained significant damage after structure and the aircraft, including its the helicopter destroyed after the air- V-speeds were called out at any point briefly pitching up, lifting off, and striking instrument panel, were consumed by the craft diverged from its planned course, during the takeoff roll. The NTSB’s sound its tail during a no-flaps landing. There ensuing fire. allowing the fire bucket and long line to spectrum and performance analyses con- were no injuries to any of the three crew The flight had departed from Wichita become entangled in trees. Postmortem cluded that rotation occurred at 9:10:32 members or 10 passengers, but the strike Falls, Texas just over two hours earlier examination led investigators to conclude at 102 knots airspeed–eight knots below broke off the airplane’s fuel drain mast on an IFR flight plan to Hattiesburg and that the pilot suffered from lymphocytic the reference speed for those conditions– and abraded the tail fairing’s lower skin. was cleared for the RNAV approach to myocarditis, a condition “capable of and liftoff two seconds later at 105 knots, The nose gear’s subsequent contact with Runway 13. ADS-B position data logged causing sudden impairment or incapaci- 12 knots less than the appropriate takeoff the runway caused overload damage that during the approach showed that the air- tation” for which “There are no risk fac- safety speed, after a ground roll of 1,900 included deformation of the left and right plane flew to the initial approach fix, exe- tors for the development…and it cannot feet. Witnesses on the ramp described the nose gear torque box structure and adja- cuted the procedure turn, and entered be detected by medical screening.” The rotation as “steep,” consistent with other cent lower fuselage skins as well as - the final approach segment. The last data pilot also had established coronary heart pilots’ descriptions of the accident pilot’s age to several lower front fuselage frames. point was recorded about 3.8 miles from disease, which was “being effectively “aggressive” technique. The TSB found that the crew responded the runway’s approach end, 1.6 miles from managed by medication.” Six seconds after liftoff, the pilot asked, appropriately to a “FLAPS FAIL” warning the accident site, at an altitude of 1,475 feet The accident occurred on the pilot’s “What in the world?” as the sound of the during approach, but failed to note the msl. Investigators found the landing gear third flight of the day, dropping water propellers’ rpm began diverging. In the corresponding cautions in the Quick Ref- down and the flaps extended to 20 degrees. collected from a nearby dam on a fire next three seconds, the CVR recorded the erence Handbook (QRH) recommending The instrument-rated private pilot, on Plot , Woodburn. The bucket fill sounds of a click, the stall warning, and nose-down control pressure prior to use whose second-class medical application was uneventful, but shortly afterwards the co-pilot saying “You just lost your of reverse thrust. filed nearly a year before the accident the helicopter went off course. Autopsy left engine.” The airplane began turning The flight from the Palm Beach (Flor- reported 7,834 hours of flight experience, revealed an area of acute inflammatory left but continued to climb. A warning ida) International Airport in the U.S. had completed a flight review in the acci- change in the pilot’s cardiac muscle, likely chime and another click followed, and was uneventful until the initial descent dent airplane on November 13, 2020 and due to a previous viral infection, as well the performance study calculated that into the Calgary area. A “FLAPS FAIL” the required model-specific recurrent as confirmatory evidence of documented the airplane began rolling left at 9:10:45. message appeared immediately after training the following day. Before buying coronary heart disease. It reached its maximum altitude of 100 the crew selected “flaps 20.” They the accident airplane in February 2012, he feet two seconds later as the stall warning requested and received delaying vec- had owned an MU-2F model. Momentary Lapse sounded again, followed by three “bank tors to run the QRH flap failure check- Doomed King Air angle” annunciations. Airspeed decayed list and prepare for a no-flaps landing Departure to 85 knots, 11 below Vmc, and the rate of on Runway 17R at an approach speed Crash Claims Seven BEECHCRAFT B300, JUNE 30, 2019, left roll increased from 5 to 60 degrees per of 155 knots, 30 knots above the normal ADDISON, TEXAS second. The stall warning continued until reference speed. They touched down CESSNA 501 S/P, MAY 29, 2021, impact at 9:10:51. 3,000 feet beyond the threshold at 154 SMYRNA, TENNESSEE The pilot’s brief application of left rather The performance study found that knots. Two seconds after the nose gear than right rudder after losing thrust in the the yaw observed in airport surveillance touched down, the pilot flying deployed Seven members of a Nashville-area left engine caused a catastrophic loss of footage implied a rudder deflection of 11 the thrust reversers and applied maxi- church were killed when their Citation I control at low altitude, resulting in the degrees nose-left two seconds after the mum reverse thrust. crashed into Percy Priest Lake moments destruction of the aircraft with the loss of loss of thrust, neutralized two seconds The nose gear lifted off the runway 4.5 after takeoff. The flight was bound for all on board. The pilot, co-pilot, and eight later and then reversed to 20 degrees seconds later as the airplane pitched up Palm Beach County (Lantana) Airport in passengers were killed after the airplane nose-right. The cause of the power loss to 13 degrees nose-high, reaching a max- Florida. Recovered ADS-B data showed rolled over and crashed inverted into a could not be determined. Impact signa- imum of 16.9 degrees as the pilot flying that the jet made a climbing right turn hangar 17 seconds after takeoff. In a find- tures, including rotational scoring on the applied forward pressure and deselected to 2,900 feet before descending to 1,800 ing of probable cause published on May 18, stators and power turbine rotating com- reverse thrust. The airplane banked and climbing back to 3,000 feet, then the NTSB also cited the 71-year-old pilot’s ponents, showed that both engines were slightly to the right and the left main gear descending rapidly into the lake. Ceilings failure to lower the nose to maintain air- operating at impact. The lack of checklist briefly left the runway. The stick pusher in the vicinity were overcast at 1,300 feet. speed and raise the landing gear after use, which the pilot’s business partner activated less than a second after the tail Initial reports did not make clear who losing the critical engine as having con- said was characteristic, raised the possi- hit the runway, and despite countervailing was at the controls. One occupant, a tributed. The entire accident sequence bility that he’d neglected to set the fric- nose-up control pressure by the pilot, the co-owner of the company to which the lasted just 11 seconds from the first indi- tion locks, allowing the left engine power nose fell by at least 15 degrees per second jet was registered, held a CE-500 type rat- cation of loss of thrust to the moment of control to slide back to the idle stop. A until the nose gear struck the runway. The ing and had a current medical certificate, impact, making the lack of any discussion sound test in another B300 cockpit found jet slowed and was able to taxi to parking. according to FAA data. Another held a pri- of emergency procedures prior to takeoff this made a click similar to that captured The flap failure was traced to corrosion vate pilot certificate with instrument and also potentially significant. by the CVR. in a flexible drive shaft due to moisture multi-engine ratings and a current medi- While not required, the King Air was The 28-year-old co-pilot flew with incursion, possibly from holes punched in cal, but no type ratings. None of the others equipped with a cockpit voice recorder the pilot frequently, but was not type- the outer sheath during installation of its appear to have held pilot qualifications. (CVR). The recording did not capture rated in the B300 and not allowed to data plate. n

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

42 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com EVENTS !"#$%#&'()(*"*+)#&)!$,( -$#'.+(%,/)0+1,&+( !"#!"#!$%#&"'(!)%*+!%',-./0!+,("%'/1!2%'),+,'2,#!%'!#*#&/"'/3"1"&0!/'.!&$,!! 4%.,+'!)1"($&!.,5/+&4,'&6!7,/+'!)+%4!/'.!,'(/(,!8"&$!!"#!,."&%+#!/'.!1,/."'(!4/+9,&! ,:5,+&#!/#!&$,0!."#2*##!&%5"2#!#*2$!/#!;<=>!2/+3%'!2+,."&#>!"45/2&!%)!1,("#1/&"%'>!/'.!4%+,6

!"#$%&!'&$()*$%*)(+*(,")- !"#$%&$'($)"**+"*,*-.!"#$$%&!'(##()!'(*$#!+!,(-.$/$-0$!,$-*$/1!23//&*()-1!45 !"/01$'($)"-,+"*,*-.!'6#*(-!7-3*(#$1!83##391!2: !"2$3$'($)"4+"*,*-.!;$9*6-!<*=!>3?@$/@3#$1!<> !"56786)9"-:+"*,**.">(9!7-A$#$91!,7

!"#$%&$'#()#*$

!"!#$%&'"()' '+)3"2+%04()*!.%#"/% 0"22)!%&7%8,(()2% 9)5+-%'"3$)2 B7CD 4F77 790$-*!7E63*6(-!H/(?%1!C-0= 7E.?$#!,(/%(/3*6(-

0*,1%#"22! /"++-5"'%06535'% +5/*+-$%27%*&5++'% 0":)%'/5+- 4F77 D(##9GD(&0$ 4727 D(##9GD(&0$

'#*++%#,+'-"((.%#"/ /"2#%)-,05!% 9)!!)0$%25##5% ,#3&!>30&!7E63*6(- H7I7 B7CD 789:79;7 ;<=>=?<=@7A>BC@D@=EF !"#$%&"'%"#%()&$)'*"#+,-)"'.$&/0,%0$1"'-,1-$$ 2"3#$#0�%0'-,-)40$"#$%,/0%5,)'"'/)'061"+ continued from page 31 Mach 1.2 range for that “boomless cruise” Platinum Sponsors: company to support its defense work and mode, while top speed could be Mach 1.4. growing commercial aircraft production With a growing field of supersonic Gold Sponsors: rates, she said. developers, Congress and the international Meanwhile, at least in the immediate regulatory community have begun to dis- aftermath, Aerion remained a going entity. cuss such alternative concepts, and Lock- The word “bankruptcy” had not been heed Martin is planning noise trials with BoardingBBoooaaar Pass mentioned but to all those involved, but a demonstrator over land to test a softer DEPARTURE:D ANYWHERE rdr EP RRT diddiniin Back TUR nng E g YWY PPa PPASSENGER:A HERRE sss the company was taking steps to shutter. thud or supersonic aircraft that do not pro- SE E s We’re in Time... NGNGE DESTINATION:D R EST TWA Hotel, JFK Airport TION YYOOU H SSEAT #: U te , J High-level employees gave notice of duce the same noise or emissions profile. EEAAT 12 K Ai #: rp rt 12B their availability for other opportunities, When Aerion began, this conversation was and Aerion chairman, president, and CEO a nonstarter at the regulatory level. It was ...and in Person ; the JETNET iQ Summit returns with new life, Tom Vice was believed to have been reach- told to demonstrate that there was suffi- new ideas and a new location at the neo-retro, super swanky TWA Hotel ing across his network to make sure his staff cient interest before regulators would con- located at the JFK Airport. Reconnect with colleagues, business was taken care of to the extent possible. sider evaluating noise requirements. leaders and old friends in this exciting new space, where the past meets The fate of the company’s intellectual Beyond tackling the conundrum sur- the future. Come and celebrate our 10th iQ Summit...back in time. property and some four dozen patents rounding noise regulations, Aerion also Visit jetnet.com/summit for more info. still remain unclear. recognized that clean emissions were crit- ical in gaining acceptance of a supersonic A Longtime Dream aircraft and promised its model would fly Aerion began as a dream of keeping civil on 100 percent sustainable fuel. supersonic travel alive at a time when the As this continued, analysts clearly saw TWA Hotel at JFK | Sept. 15-16th, 2021 had retired. Richard Tracy, the a market for supersonic, but not for all of noted aerodynamicists who worked for the players. companies such as Lockheed and Doug- “The market is clearly there,” said Rol- las, formed Asset Group in 1991 to pursue land Vincent, president of Rolland Vin- his research in supersonic natural laminar cent Associates and JetNet IQ creator/ flow. He teamed with Bass in the founding director. “Pricing has been established. of Aerion in the early 2000s to use that The technology does not require any leaps research to form a foundation for a new of faith. Capital is cheap and [I thought] supersonic aircraft. generally available.” Tracy remained with Aerion and Bass JetNet had forecast a 10-year market throughout its time. for 300 supersonic business jets, which Network Experience Inspire Convenient Aerion slowly worked to flesh out the incidentally was the forecast production Hob-nob over cocktails Dazzling speakers from Brainstorm with the A single flight from with all the right people. across the industry. biggest brains in BizAv. almost anywhere. concept and developed a company with rate Aerion projected for its AS2. seasoned industry executives that brought While it is unclear how much of Aerion’s credibility and interest to the possibilities backlog was backed with significant depos- of supersonic. its, companies such as Flexjet appeared These included, over the years, for- eager to move into that sector. Flexjet was mer Learjet president Brian Barents, who to have been a launch customer, jumping retired from Aerion in 2018 as executive onto the program as early as 2015 with an chairman, and former Gulfstream presi- announced order for 20. More recently THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY dent Bryan Moss, who joined the Aerion NetJets placed options for 20. board in 2018. As Barents retired, Vice, “Flexjet ordered its AS2’s from Aerion GET THE LATEST NEWS, DATA, AND ANALYSIS a former executive, Supersonic in 2015 and the company has ON THE FUTURE OF AVIATION took the helm of Aerion. been a supporter of the program since Under Vice’s stewardship, Aerion then,” said Kenn Ricci, principal at Flex- moved away from that original natural jet parent Directional Aviation. “We were COMPREHENSIVE OBJECTIVE, EXPERT MARKET HIGHLY RESEARCHED, DATABASE TRACKING INTELLIGENCE, DATA AND IN-DEPTH REPORTS ON MAJOR laminar flow design to a more traditional particularly impressed with the recent NEW AIRCRAFT PROGRAMS COMMENTARY TRENDS DRIVING CHANGE supersonic design that would be easier to design changes and generated industrialize and bring to market. by Tom Vice and his current team. While And a little over a year ago, he laid out we are disappointed to hear from the com- a concept in which the AS2 would be just pany that they are ceasing operations, we the beginning. Aerion would become a understand the vast investment required company that facilitated door-to-door by such programs to bring them to frui- travel through partnerships and use of tion and the inherent risks involved.” emerging eVTOL platforms. Meanwhile, as Aerion announced its end of operations, it touted its successes. “The Noise and Testing Aerion Corporation has assembled a world- Critical to moving ahead with the technol- class team of employees and partners, and ogy were environmental approvals from we are very proud of our collective efforts various government entities. Fully cogni- to realize a shared vision of revolutionizing zant that the environmental community global mobility with sustainable supersonic would never permit the return of a noisy flight. Since our company’s formation, our Concorde, Aerion took a more practical team has created disruptive new innova- approach, designing an aircraft that could tions plus leading-edge technologies and be efficient at high subsonic speeds over intellectual property.“ land and supersonic over the ocean. The company further said its aircraft This could serve as a starting point as met “all market, technical, regulatory, and it worked to convince regulators of a con- sustainability requirements” and that the Register today for a FREE 30 day trial! cept of accepting a that still market for a new supersonic segment was occurred but didn’t reach the ground with validated by its order base. n the same impact as the Concorde. Aerion Contributing to this article were Charles FutureFlight.aero was targeting just over supersonic in the Alcock, Jerry Siebenmark, and Chad Trautvetter

44 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com COMPLIANCE countdown by Gordon Gilbert

Within 6 Months landing performance calculations. July 6, 2021 NEW The new compliance date of the U.S.: Changes to NTSB rules, amended on Aug. 1, 2019, and originally set to go into effect on Accident Notification Form Nov. 5, 2020 is now Aug. 12, 2021. Revisions have been proposed to the National Transportation Safety Aug. 25, 2021 Board (NTSB) accident notification EASA: Aging Aircraft Structure form 6120.1, the document required to be filed with the safety board by Incremental deadlines are set for the pilot, operator, or representative implementing new and revised EASA of an aircraft involved in an accident regulations to address large turbine or incident that meets safety board airplane structural aging risk factors. reporting criteria. Among the proposed Design approval holders are required changes: update the form’s certification to develop data to support continu- statement to include that by signing the ing structural integrity programs. At document, the pilot/operator consents the same time, operators of covered DELIVERING to the public release of the informa- airplanes need to revise their main- tion contained therein. Comments tenance programs to incorporate on the proposal are due July 6, 2021. those data and to address the adverse effects of modifications and repairs on July 20, 2021 NEW each airframe. The second of several U.S.: Unmanned Aircraft incremental deadlines, including ON A 10-DAY the submission of compliance plans Accident Definition by STC holders, is Aug. 25, 2021. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) proposes amending Nov. 25, 2021 the definition of ‘‘unmanned aircraft Canada: ELTs accident’’ by removing the weight- PROMISE based requirement (under 300 pounds) Starting on Nov. 25, 2021, Canadian- and replacing it with an airworthiness registered commercial and private certificate or airworthiness approval aircraft are required to have an emer- requirement. The weight threshold is no gency locator transmitter that broad- longer an appropriate criterion and the casts simultaneously on the 406 MHz proposed definition will be flexible to and 121.5 MHz frequencies. Foreign- account for changes in the unmanned registered aircraft operating in Canada aerial systems industry. It also allows must have at least one 406 MHz ELT A fleet the NTSB to respond quickly to UAS by November 25. Currently, Canadian operator and events with a safety significance, while aviation regulations only require that first-time not burdening the agency or public with aircraft operate with one 121.5 MHz ELT. customer unnecessary responses. Comments on knew this the proposal are due July 20, 2021. Within 12 Months Citation XLS couldn’t be Aug. 9, 2021 NEW April 30, 2022 down for U.S.: Pilot Records Database Columbia: ADS-B Out Mandate more than 10 days, yet a This final FAA rule requires air carriers, Starting on April 30, 2022, unless completely charter operators, specific operators hold- specifically authorized by ATC, no new look was ing out to the public, entities conducting person may operate an aircraft within requested. public aircraft operations, air tour opera- Colombian territory in any controlled Duncan tors, fractional ownerships, and corporate airspace or other airspace in which Aviation’s flight departments to enter relevant data a transponder is required without Finish Shop on individuals employed as pilots into ADS-B Out operational capability. delivered by the electronic pilot records database hydrodipping (PRD). August 1 is the first of several Beyond 12 Months the interior PRD compliance deadlines that extend components to Sept. 10, 2029. In addition, this rule Sept. 16, 2022 and Sept. 16, 2023 in 10 days. identifies the air carriers and operators, U.S.: UAS Remote ID including corporate flight departments, required to access the PRD to evaluate New FAR Part 89 requires that after WATCH NOW: www.da.aero/videos/10-day-promise the available data for each pilot candi- Sept. 16, 2022, no unmanned aircraft date prior to making a hiring decision. system (UAS) can be produced without FAA-approved remote identification Aug. 12, 2021 capability. After Sept. 16, 2023, no EASA: Criteria for Aircraft unmanned aircraft can be operated unless it is equipped with remote ID Landing Performance capability as described in new Part 89 or Due to continuing disruptions in the is transmitting ADS-B Out under Part 91. aviation industry from the Covid-19 pandemic, EASA has delayed the For the most current compliance status, see: effective date of regulations imple- https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ menting new standards for aircraft compliance-countdown

AIN_DuncanAviation_June2021.indd 1 6/7/2021 3:51:19 PM ainonline.com \ July 2021 \ Aviation International News 45 PEOPLE in aviation by Kerry Lynch

VICKI BRITT PATRICK LUCY BRYAN DUNN ASHLEY UDICK HARRY MITCHEL

The Citation Jet Pilots Owner Pilot Associ- The Air Charter Association appointed Pat- Luxaviation Group promoted Gary Bryan Dunn has joined Leading Edge ation (CJP) has named Trent Corcia as rick Lucy as chair of its Next Generation Forster to managing director for Execu- Aviation Solutions as vice president of air- CEO. Corcia joins CJP after spending group formed to promote greater aware- Jet Caribbean. Forster joined ExecuJet craft sales. Dunn formerly served with nearly a decade with FlightSafety Interna- ness of the air charter industry, particularly Middle East in 2012, helping to launch StandardAero for seven years as North- tional and he has also held positions with among emerging professionals. Lucy is the its new FBO in Riyadh, later leading east regional sales manager. and served as a U.S. Air area sales manager for Avinode. the opening of an FBO in Bali, serv- USAIG announced several promotions: Force C-130 instructor/evaluator, naviga- Dassault Aviation’s board of directors has ing as regional FBO manager for Asia- Douglas Bosworth was named v-p and tor, and mission commander. selected Besma Boumaza to serve as an Pacific, and most recently holding the underwriting branch manager in Seattle; Cadence Aerospace appointed Olivier independent director and Thierry Das- role of global FBO business develop- Kathleen McCoy, a risk and compliance Jarrault as CEO and Brian Bentley CEO sault as a director. They take the terms ment manager. analyst in the customer care department, of the Cadence Aerostructures segment. of Catherine Dassault, who departed the Sage-popovich promoted Shawn was appointed v-p; Brenda Riech, the cus- Jarrault succeeds Julian Guerra, who will board, and the late Olivier Dassault. Farrington to v-p of flight operations. tomer care department’s policy language remain on the board of directors. Jarrault Helicopter Association International Farrington, who joined the company in analyst is now a v-p; and Casey Hudson has served on the board since June 2020 elected Brian Jorgenson of Timberline 2016, began as an aircraft detailer and is assistant v-p and quality assurance coor- and has served as president and CEO Helicopters and Rick Kenin of worked in ground/line service, mainte- dinator in the customer care department. of Albany International and group pres- MedFlight to three-year terms on the nance support, parts , liqui- Ashley Udick was appointed general ident of Alcoa Engineered Products and board of directors. Both are serving on dations, and flight coordination roles. manager of Aero Center Lakeland, SAR Tril- Solutions. Brian Bentley formerly was the board for the first time. In addition, Bluetail hired Roy Gioconda to serve as ogy Management’s FBO complex at Lake- general manager of Perfekta and Premier Randy Rowles of Helicopter Institute v-p of customer success. Gioconda brings land Linder International Airport. Udick Processing and held management roles at was named incoming chair and Jeffery 35 years of experience to the role, includ- brings more than 10 years of aviation expe- Raytheon Technologies and Bombardier. Smith of R.O.P. Aviation vice-chair. ing leadership positions with Camp Sys- rience to her new role, including holding Anna Galoni was appointed CEO of Jack Matiasevich of Southern Califor- tems, Traxxall, IBM, American Airlines, leadership positions at Sonoma Jet Center, bearing and seal specialist Marsh Brothers nia Edison is treasurer for the upcom- and Flight Options. Winter Haven Airport, and Sheltair. Aviation. She succeeds Terry McGowan, ing term and B. Adam Hammond of Arjun Garg has joined Hogan Lovells’s Precise Flight promoted Bill Hoback who stepped down after holding the role Tennessee Valley Authority is assis- transportation regulatory practice as a to general manager. Hoback has served for 14 years. Galoni has held a number tant treasurer. partner based in Washington D.C. Garg with Precise Flight for nine years, most of senior roles within Marsh including NBAA appointed Kali Hague to a formerly was chief counsel and acting recently as senior director of busi- human resources director, new product three-year term on the board of direc- deputy administrator at the FAA and also ness development. development, and most recently chair, a tors as the Young Professional director. has served as a U.S. Department of Jus- Avidyne has made a number of changes position she continues to hold. A pilot and flight instructor, Hague is a tice trial attorney in the Federal Programs to its sales organization, including the Ryan Scott was named president partner at Jetlaw, where she advises cli- Branch of the Civil Division. addition of Dan Reida as director of of jetAviva, overseeing the company’s ents in the U.S. and internationally on all Baker Aviation appointed Harry Mitchel business aviation sales. Also, Bryan Embraer market activities. Scott brings aspects of aviation law and co-presents v-p of operations. Mitchel has more than 35 Kahl was promoted to senior director more than 30 years of experience to his the firm’s NBAA-approved Professional years of experience in operational leader- of North American sales, support, and new role including as a founding mem- Development Programs, as well as speaks ship and consulting roles, most recently as customer experience; Jorge Hernandez ber of Embraer Executive Jets, where he throughout the country on aviation best COO of Executive AirShare and also as v-p was promoted to director of international served as senior v-p of sales. practices and compliance. of operations for Colgan Air. and government sales; Steve Lawson is Gogo appointed Gustavo Nader as leading Avidyne’s turbine and helicopter chief strategy officer and Melissa Hale fleet sales; Dale Ferrer is covering sales as senior v-p of product and marketing. in the West region of North America, and Nader, a telecommunications executive AWARDS and HONORS Macie Dann now handles sales in the with 30 years of experience in the terres- East region of North America. trial and satellite communications indus- NBAA has selected Dr. Martine Roth- on the flight deck.” Rothblatt also has Duncan Aviation promoted Leon Hol- tries, previously was head of strategy for blatt as this year’s recipient of its highest played a role in the emergence of elec- loway to director of human resources for Thales InFlyt Experience and has held honor, the Meritorious Service to Aviation tric helicopters and is an integral player in the enterprise. Holloway, who has spent senior positions with Echostar, Inmarsat, Award. A fixed-wing and rotorcraft pilot, advanced air mobility companies, includ- nearly 10 years with Duncan Aviation, Ligado Networks, and T-Mobile (formerly she helped to revolutionize the satellite ing Beta Technologies, which has won con- has 18 years of human resources leader- Sprint Nextel). Hale brings 17 years of avi- radio industry by co-founding the com- tracts from the U.S. Air Force, Blade Urban ship experience including as director of ation experience to her new role, previ- pany that has become SiriusXM. To be Air Mobility, and United Parcel Service. human resources for a St. Croix manu- ously as director of program avionics at presented during NBAA-BACE October 12 Her work has focused on the use of new facturer and serves on several advisory Gulfstream Aerospace. to 14 in Las Vegas, the Meritorious Service eVTOL aircraft for organ delivery, among boards such as the NBAA Diversity, Equity Gulfstream Aerospace has promoted Vicki to Aviation Award recognizes “extraordi- other purposes. & Inclusion Working Group. Britt to senior v-p of innovation, engineer- nary lifelong professional contributions” She is considered an early visionary in Don Milum was appointed director of ing, and flight. She succeeds Colin Miller, to the field. biotechnology as well. After her daughter sales for Universal Avionics. Milum, who who is retiring after serving with the com- NBAA called Rothblatt a trailblazer was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial joined Universal in February of 2019 as pany for eight years. Britt has more than in aviation and other industries whose hypertension, she founded United Thera- regional sales manager, has more than 25 30 years of aerospace experience, including work “fostered the availability of satellite peutics in 1994 to develop drugs to treat years of aviation industry experience that the last 25 with Gulfstream and before that weather information and Nexrad graphics that condition and other rare diseases. n also has included roles with Honeywell, with NASA’s Langley Research Center. Textron, and StandardAero. n

46 Aviation International News \ July 2021 \ ainonline.com U.S. Customs now open! Strength of a Chain, Flexibility of an Independent

Your designated alternate for West Palm Beach (PBI) TFR Just 15 miles North of Palm Beach County

Stuart Jet Center, LLC

Concierge Services • Aircraft Charter • Aircraft Maintenance Aircraft Sales • Aircraft Hangars • Executive Ofces

2501 SE Aviation Way, Stuart, FL 34996 Phone: 772-288-6700 • Fax: 772-288-3782 • Toll free: 877-735-9538 • stuartjet.com PUB-AIN-NX_Cabin-275X352-HD-V7.pdf 1 29/04/2021 18:45 BIGGEST SMARTEST QUIETEST. A PERFECT10.

C

M

J

CM

MJ

CJ

CMJ

N

Behold an incredible, new Falcon; a 7,500 nm (13,900 km) aircraft designed solely around the needs of today’s business passenger. No other cabin is bigger, quieter or more flexible. And no other flight deck is smarter. It’s beautiful in every way. The Falcon 10X. Simply perfect.

WWW.DASSAULTFALCON.COM I FRANCE: +33 1 47 11 88 68 I USA: +1 201 541 4600