Aviation International News January 2024

JANUARY 2024 | Vol. 53 No. 1 | AINonline.com

ROUNDTABLE: PREPARING FOR AAM INFRASTRUCTURE INFOGRAPHIC: ARE NEW PRIVATE FLYERS HERE TO STAY?

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In this issue

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AIN Roundtable: Preparing for advanced air mobility

Special Report: Exploring avionics advances for crewed and uncrewed ops

New technologies aim to mitigate risk of inflight smoke and fire events

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EcoPulse demonstrator makes first hybrid-electric flight

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FAA rulemaking committee to tackle mental health barriers

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G600 makes first transatlantic flight on 100% SAF

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GAMA: Q3 GA deliveries up across all market segments

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Kern raises key issues at Bombardier Safety Standdown Bizav outlook is stable in 2024 European bizav facing uncertain political climate in 2024 FAA bill takes increased urgency in 2024 Market Snapshot: Are newcomers here to stay?

Best of AINalerts Photos of the Week

DEPARTMENTS 46 Rotorcraft | 50 On the Ground | 52 MRO 54 Accidents | 56 Compliance | 58 People in Aviation

On the cover: Honeywell's Anthem avionics 2

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

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News Briefs FALCON 6X ENTERS SERVICE Dassault delivered the first Falcon 6X to an unidentified customer on November 30. The largest jet in the Falcon lineup—until the 10X enters service in 2025—the 5,500-nm 6X received FAA and EASA type certification concurrently on August 22. “Since that time, postcertification upgrades that were applied required EASA approval,” according to Dassault. Three flight-test airplanes logged more than 1,500 flight hours during a test campaign that lasted more than two years.

First flight took place on March 10, 2021.

EcoPulse, the hybrid-electric technology demonstrator aircraft jointly developed by Daher, Safran, and Airbus, started its flight-test campaign on Nov. 29, 2023. The testbed is based on a Daher TBM 910 modified with electric thrusters and a turbogenerator.

EcoPulse demonstrator makes first hybrid-electric flight

BY CHARLES ALCOCK

EcoPulse, the hybrid-electric technology demonstrator aircraft jointly developed

by Daher, Safran, and Airbus, has started its flight-test campaign. In mid-December, the partners announced that the first flight happened on November 29, with the modified Daher TBM 910 taking off from Tarbes Airport in the southwest of France for a 100-minute sortie.

During the flight, pilots deployed all parts of the powertrain, including the six 50-kilowatt electric power units, the turbogenerator, and six sets of electric thrusters, or “e-propellers,” installed along the wing.

The flight tests will validate the results of earlier ground testing and also 10 hours of flight tests that were conducted without the electric propulsion system functioning

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in May and June. The first test also evaluated the flight control computer and high-voltage battery pack.

Safran is responsible for the integrated motor/thruster units, as well as for the turbogenerator, which combines a gas turbine with a generator. The French aircraft engines and systems group has also developed EcoPulse’s power distribution and rectifier unit that protects the high-voltage network, in addition to the power harnesses.

Airbus developed the high-energy density battery pack, which is rated at 800 volts DC and can deliver 350 kilowatts of power. The European airframer also made aerodynamic and acoustic modifications to the TBM testbed aircraft, as well as developing the flight control computer. z

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FRACTIONAL JET PROVIDER VOLATO LANDS ON NYSE Fractional aircraft and jet card provider Volato has merged with special purpose acquisition company Proof Acquisition Corp.

(PACI) and began trading December 4 on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). At the same time, PACI announced the closing of an additional $12 million in private investments, which—along with $14 million in Series A Preferred Equity financing—was converted to common stock. These, with the conversion of Volato’s convertible debt, bring more than $60 million in total new capital funding raised for the company.

COURT OKAYS AIR METHODS BANKRUPTCY PLAN Air ambulance provider Air Methods has received approval for its pre-packaged Chapter 11 reorganization plan from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Air Methods continued to operate normally since filing for bankruptcy protection on October 24 and was expected to emerge from Chapter 11 before the end of 2023. The reorganization plan was approved by the company’s lenders and noteholders and will reduce its overall debt by $1.7 billion while infusing it with $185 million of fresh capital from investors.

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FAA rulemaking committee to tackle mental health barriers B Y K E R R Y LY N C H

The FAA has established a Mental Health that empowers people to get the care they and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemak- deserve to be healthy in mind and in body… ing Committee (ARC) tasked with provid- will strengthen safety,” Homendy said, ing recommendations on breaking down adding that people who do seek help can “any remaining barriers” that discourage face a “frustrating maze of federal bureaupilots and air traffic controllers from seek- cracy to get back to work. It’s an unaccepting mental health care. ably long wait.”

The rulemaking will have a tight timeThe first panel featured the parents of line, with recommendations due by the end a young pilot who took his life rather than of March. The agency said the committee’s risk his medical, and others who shared work is intended to build on its previous their stories of deciding to pursue treatwork to prioritize pilot ment but have faced mental health. years of unsuccessful The ARC has five attempts to get a spemajor areas of focus: cial medical issuance factors that prevent so they may return pilots and controllers to flying. They also from reporting mental detailed the steep costs health issues; how the of this quest—$10,000 FAA should address a to $20,000. The panelmental health diagnoists were hopeful that JE N N IF E R H O ME N DY sis; steps the FAA can they would eventually N T S B C H A IR take to mitigate aviabe successful. tion safety issues during the time between Penny Giovanetti, D.O., director of the disclosure of a mental health diagnosis and medical specialties division for the FAA— subsequent issuance of an aeromedical who also participated in the NTSB forum— decision; how other civil aviation authori- stressed that the agency hopes to dispel ties address pilot/controller mental health myths about seeking help. “We have a huge issues; and development of mental health task in front of us,” she said. education programs.

Giovanetti noted that pilots who The ARC announcement came a day demonstrate successful treatment will before the National Transportation Safety get their medical back. She said the FAA Board’s aviation safety summit on “Nav- is looking to expand its list of acceptable igating Mental Health in Aviation” held medications to cover more involving menon December 6. NTSB Chair Jennifer tal health issues, and it has already begun Homendy opened the summit expressing addressing low-risk conditions. But she concern that the current rules are a disin- also pointed to the “elephant in the room,” centive for pilots and controllers to seek which is the lengthy time it takes for spehelp and an incentive to underreport their cial issuance, and noted that cases have mental health concerns. significantly jumped since the pandemic.

“The safety risk comes from a culture of The FAA is adding staffing but needs to do silence around mental health. A culture more, she conceded. z

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News Briefs TJC TO BUY L3HARRIS’S CAS UNIT An affiliate of private equity firm TJC has agreed to purchase the L3Harris Commercial Aviation Solutions (CAS) business for $800 million, including $700 million cash and $100 million based on certain 2023 and 2024 performance targets. TJC expects the acquisition to close in the first half of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. L3Harris CAS employs about 1,450 people and provides flight training, flight data analytics, avionics, and advanced air mobility products. An L3Harris surveillance joint venture is included in the CAS transaction, although it is subject to a right of first refusal, according to L3Harris.

PIAGGIO DELIVERS FIRST RETROFITTED AVANTI II+ Piaggio Aerospace has retrofitted an initial P.180 Avanti I to a new Avanti II+ configuration for the Italian Air Force, which plans for the upgrade of a dozen of the turboprop twins. The Italian military plans also include 15 new Avanti Evo turboprops carrying a new configuration of Avanti Evo+. Both the modernized aircraft and the new-procduction Evo+s will come equipped with updated avionics, landing gear with enhanced steering, and anti-skid brakes.

DEPARTING EUROPEAN ROTORS HELICOPTER CRASHES On December 1, an Enstrom 280FX crashed onto a busy motorway moments after departing the site of European Rotors conference in Madrid, held from November 27 to 30. The helicopter, French registered F-HPUX, had two aboard and was flying from the Ifema Convention Center to the Cuatro Vientos Airfield. It crashed onto a Jersey wall in the median and hit a car just short of a bridge abutment on the M40 at 10:12 a.m. local time.

Both helicopter occupants were injured, as was the driver of the car. Authorities said a heavy wind gust could have been a factor.

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G600 makes first transatlantic flight on 100% SAF B Y CUR T E P S T E I N

Gulfstream continued its pioneering use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), completing the first transatlantic flight powered by 100 percent SAF on November 19. The milestone was accomplished with a G600 burning unblended SAF in both Pratt & Whitney PW615GA engines on a flight from the airframer’s Savannah, Georgia headquarters to London-area Farnborough Airport. Total flight time was 6 hours 56 minutes.

“Gulfstream continues to break new ground in the sustainable aviation space, and we applaud them for completing this mission as we work to validate the compatibility of our engines with unblended SAF,” said Anthony Rossi, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s v-p of sales and marketing.

The fuel was produced by World Energy and delivered by World Fuel Services. It consisted of 100 percent hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, and the SAF provided at least a 70 percent lifecycle CO2 emissions reduction compared to the same use

of conventional, petroleum-derived jet fuel.

SAF is currently approved at blends of up to 50 percent due to most legacy engines’ need for the aromatic compounds in jet-A that expand their seals, forming tight seals. One of the major considerations regarding the use of 100 percent SAF is the lack of aromatic compounds.

Gulfstream, along with its partners and suppliers, will use the data collected during this flight to gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold conditions in long-duration flights.

“One of the keys to reaching business aviation’s long-term decarbonization goals is the broad use of SAF in place of fossilbased jet fuel,” noted Gulfstream president Mark Burns, whose company has been using SAF since 2016. “The completion of this world-class flight helps to advance business aviation’s overarching sustainability mission and create positive environmental impacts for future generations.” z

News Briefs NBAA PUBLISHES RUNWAY EXCURSION PREVENTION GUIDE NBAA has released a publication to help business aircraft crews avoid runway excursions, meaning overrunning or veering off a runway during takeoff or landing. The 25-page document addresses psychological and physical factors that can cause excursions and explains how to address them in training programs and safety management systems. Runway excursions are the leading cause of accidents in business aviation, accounting for nearly 41 percent of them between 2017 and 2022, according to the Flight Safety Foundation.

ROLLS-ROYCE TO EXIT ELECTRICAL PROPULSION Rolls-Royce is open to offers from prospective buyers for its Electrical division, which is focused on electric propulsion systems for eVTOLs. The UK-based aircraft engine maker revealed the move as part of a wider restructuring plan that could include other divestitures across the group expected to raise up to £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) over the next five years. Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç made it clear that the business aviation sector will remain a core activity, however.

FAA OPENS CPDLC TO ALL EQUIPPED OPERATORS IN U.S.

Gulfstream’s G600 was fueled with unblended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) ahead of its landmark flight as the first aircraft to fly transatlantic fueled by 100 percent SAF.

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The FAA has rescinded the notam that restricted access to domestic en route controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) services in the U.S. Previously, CPDLC was available only to trial participants.

Now any business jet with the proper equipment can use CPDLC, and the FAA has published detailed information on the equipment requirements. Basically, this includes a VHF digital link radio (VDL Mode 2) that is approved to TSO-C160a and a push-to-load-capable FMS. FAA InFO 23008 describes the steps operators can take to sign up for domestic en route CPDLC services.

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News Briefs AIRBUS H160 GAINS CANADIAN CERTIFICATION

Embraer year-over-year deliveries rose by 27 percent through the first nine months of 2023, led by the Phenom 300/300E, which jumped by 25 percent.

GAMA: Q3 GA deliveries up across all market segments B Y CUR T E P S T E I N

Demonstrating the continually receding effects of the recent supply chain disruptions, general aviation aircraft deliveries were up across all sectors year-over-year, according to the third-quarter delivery statistics released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

For the first nine months of the year, business jet deliveries increased by 2 percent over the same period in 2022, with 455 aircraft handed over.

Embraer saw the largest improvement, with its deliveries rising by nearly 27 percent compared with the first three quarters of 2022. The Brazilian manufacturer saw increases in all of its executive jet offerings; its popular Phenom 300/300E light jet rose by 11 units compared with last year’s third-quarter results.

Despite the deletion of the Learjet family from its product slate last year, Bombardier still improved upon its nine-month 2022 delivery totals by nearly 11 percent this year, handing over nine more Challengers and two more Globals than it did a year ago.

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Gulfstream Aerospace saw its delivery numbers dip by 12 percent from a year ago, handing over nine fewer of its large-cabin aircraft than through the first nine months of 2022. While anticipating the certification of its new flagship G700 before the end of the year, the Savannah, Georgia-based OEM reportedly has at least 15 of the new ultralong-range twinjets completed and waiting.

Textron Aviation experienced a 6.3 percent decrease in deliveries, handing over nine fewer Citation M2 Gen2 jets than it did a year ago. Dassault Aviation reports only its mid-year and year-end delivery totals.

Pilatus Aircraft posted an increase of more than 18 percent for its PC-24 compared with the same period last year, while Cirrus boosted its SF50 Vision Jet output by 13 percent, delivering 61 of the light jets through the first three quarters of the year.

Honda Aircraft remained static, handing over one fewer HondaJet thus far in 2023.

Turboprops rose by nearly 15 percent in the first three quarters, and the high-end pressurized segment experienced a 13.3 continues on page 60  percent increase.

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Airbus Helicopters’ H160 intermediate twin has received Transport Canada Civil Aviation type certification, and the initial delivery in that country will be to an undisclosed private buyer. The H160 received EASA certification on July 1, 2020, and FAA validation on June 30, 2023. Civil market customers have ordered more than 100, and the fleet has accumulated more than 2,800 flight hours. The helicopter also is certified in Japan, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia.

ABU DHABI INVESTORS ACQUIRE FLY VICTOR Abu Dhabi’s Aviation Investment Group acquired on-demand private aircraft charter platform Fly Victor in late November, purchasing all outstanding shares from company founder and chairman Clive Jackson.

According to London-based Fly Victor, its new backers intend to fund expansion into new markets. It has yet to announce details of the growth plans, but indicated that these will involve upgrading the flight booking platform’s customer service and the recruitment of specialist staff “with deep knowledge of the markets that the brand will move into.”

ACCIDENTAL HANGAR FOAM DISCHARGE STRIKES AGAIN Accidental fire foam discharge claimed another victim when a fire-suppression system was inadvertently activated on October 28 in a city-owned hangar at Dallas-area McKinney National Airport.

Video of the incident shows a large hangar—containing what appears to be a Bombardier Challenger 300, Cessna Citation X, IAI Westwind 2, Diamond DA42 piston twin, and an unidentifiable piston single—rapidly filling with foam. According to the city of McKinney, there is an ongoing investigation into the incident and several of the affected aircraft are back in service.

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Kern raises key issues at Bombardier Safety Standdown B Y M AT T T HUR BE R

At the Bombardier Safety Standdown, business aviation safety expert Tony Kern adopted the role of a visitor from the future, sent to warn the industry about possible dangers as experienced flight crews age out of the cockpit, leaving less experienced pilots to step up.

Launching this year’s Bombardier Safety Standdown on November 7, Convergent Performance founder Tony Kern brought his unique perspective to a packed audience of business aviation professionals.

Wearing a shiny suit that looked like something George Jetson would have worn during the animated television show of the 1960s, Kern claimed to have beamed into the Standdown via a wormhole from the future, showing up on the stage at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita to pass along warnings about what’s happening in business aviation safety.

Business aviation is facing a critical moment, Kern noted, with many professionals poised to retire and preparing to relinquish their roles to younger generations. “We are undergoing a huge, massive handoff,” he said.

“Safety concerns are increasing because of our business aviation accident rates,” Kern said. “Staffing issues are critical. It’s

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tough right now getting good people, getting any people.

“The only time you get bad pilots is when you need them really bad. So we have to be careful with our standards,” he cautioned, adding that the industry will have a younger, less experienced set of leaders while wisdom ages out of the flight deck.

“The experience base, the wisdom, and the judgment of [seasoned pilots] need to be picked up earlier and faster. Already we’ve got people in leadership positions that are a decade younger than previously because people are moving up, people are moving out.”

Kern added, however, “I believe the biggest challenge right now is not so much that we’re not going to get enough qualified people. Supply and demand will work its way out like it always does. But it’s what’s going on with all of us. We’re at an inflection point, and that’s why I’m back.

“All of life, but especially our professional

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

life, is built on the integrity of our bodies, our minds, and our purpose. There’s a constant battle going on inside us.”

Using the metaphor of T-cells, which destroy harmful viruses and even cancer cells, Kern explained that part of staying physically healthy is helping T-cells by exercising, eating properly, and not exposing ourselves to carcinogens. Before showing a video of cytotoxic T-cells in action, Kern said, “As we look at this, I want you to keep that in mind before we switch over and use this metaphor for another purpose.”

After the video, which showed T-cells injecting cytotoxins into cancer cells, he said, “Isn’t that cool? Don’t you want to root for those guys?”

Continuing with his theme of having come back from the future, Kern explained the metaphor and why he showed the video of the T-cells. “I’ve come back to talk to you about the mental health challenge that we have, what I’m calling cancers of the

mind…How do we build an immune system against the things that are slowly but surely eroding our stability, our resilience, our resolve, our mental health?”

If people don’t build their immune system, they are not building their psychological strength, he continued. “Then when it gets bad enough, just like it does when your immune system [and] your T-cells can no longer fight the cancer cells, you’ve got to get help where you die as a professional and then you start counting the days to retirement. It’s not a fun way to live.”

SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

Citing studies from 2016 and 2017 of commercial pilots, Kern explained that the results showed 4.1 percent having suicidal thoughts. He extrapolated that to the approximately 100,000 pilots in North America.

“Even back in 2016 and 2017—pre-Covid, before it got really bad—4,100 of them are having suicidal thoughts. Does that scare you? If you look a little bit deeper, way more are experiencing what are diagnosable symptoms of clinical depression.” In the surveys, 12.6 percent met the threshold for clinical depression.

Kern cited more recent evidence of mental health problems, including the axe-wielding pilot who attacked a parking lot gate in Denver, the first officer who last year threatened to shoot the captain if he landed the airplane before the destination for a medical emergency, and the jump seater who pulled the fire handles in a 737, nearly shutting down the engines before the pilots intervened.

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” he said. “But there are some weird indicators that things are not well. This isn’t a oneoff. This isn’t a two-off, brothers and sisters; this is a trend. Whatever we’re doing is not working.”

Trying to get aviators to seek professional help isn’t going to work, even though that is how some are approaching the mental health problem, Kern said. a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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“Pilots are not likely to do that in large numbers for a variety of reasons.” Pilots will never seek help because their paychecks are at risk, and most people, not just pilots, don’t seek help when they need it.

“They literally would rather die than cross the threshold to see a counselor or in some cases, they’d rather kill. So what we’re doing right now is not solving the problem.”

Instead of just telling people they need to ask for help, “We also need to teach them to reach in. We have an untapped pool of psychological strength inside of us,” he said, but it is underdeveloped, and he shared some ideas to help.

“Every one of us in this room can grow stronger, to learn to handle more. And when we learn to handle more, [that is] better coping, mental agility, emotional recognition, all of those things, which are trainable, learnable, applicable, shareable.

All of those things we are not being taught.”

Well-adjusted people with a learning mindset understand this, he explained.

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen welcomed attendees to the 27th Annual Bombardier Safety Standdown.

contributors to the shared goal. Psychosocial our mind fighting against all of these other strength is integrity and action, and it’s not issues in mental health.” just a professional skill—it’s a life skill.”

Illustrating his next point, Kern showed Psychosocial strength is not the same as an image of a hand holding an orange next psychological safety, Kern explained. “Psy- to a basket, and he asked the audience chological safety creates an environment… whether the image showed the hand putting so that everybody can speak their mind with- the orange in or taking it out of the basket. out fear of ridicule. Psychosocial strength is “Are you a consumer or a contributor? If what you need when psychological safety is you’re a consumer, it means your profession not there.” is supposed to serve you.”

PSYCHOSOCIAL STRENGTH But while organizations strive to provide This means that there is an expectation But most of us could benefit from develop- an environment of psychological safety, he that “your organization is supposed to serve ing psychosocial strength. “It’s something added, “for all of our best intent [it] will you. You’re inwardly focused, right? Feed me. you constantly develop...to speak your truth never be universal in any organization or I need stuff. I need money. I need dignity. I and contribute effectively even when and any team. People have conflicts; there will need respect. I need adulation. I need pats where your opinions and ideas and maybe remain bullies and secret harassment going on the back, Whatever it is, you’re always your whole body are not welcome. To remain on. There’ll be all kinds of that stuff that you looking for that.” strong and focused under the pressures of run into in your career over time. It’s time That attitude “leads to frustration,” he the times and of the moment. To welcome we gave people the skills to handle that. But said. “And if you don’t deal with the frusthe unwelcome and ensure they become oh, by the way, it also feeds the T-cells of tration, it turns into something more permanent…cynicism, right? And then you get to the point where you become so cynical, nothing matters and everybody’s feeding you crap right to where you’re angry at your profession; you can’t wait to get out of it.”

A contributor, however, will ask: “What can I give? Who can I help? What do the others need?” That person will have psychological safety. “That feeds your sense of well-being and your overall mental health.

If you’re here to give, it’s going to help you stay stable and more satisfied.”

The aviator who has the right relationMore than 400 business aviation participants joined this year’s Bombardier Safety Standdown. ship with their profession is one with

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Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

gratitude for the career opportunities and who also enjoys the fun aspects. “We can’t let the pleasure drip out of it,” Kern said. “We have to find a way to challenge ourselves and our team…and to keep it fun when it’s fun. Everything about that whole mental health thing gets better.”

However, he added, we need to face the truth that mental health trends in aviation are not headed in the right direction. “Unless we make some major changes, we’ll probably have a few more funerals and some more bad press. If we choose the difficult path of trying to solve these things, what can we do now?”

Kern then introduced a concept he’s been working on, an idea that gelled during the Covid pandemic when he experienced cynicism and frustration whenever he had to put on a mask. “What would it look like if we built something that would strengthen our mental health immune system?” he wondered.

What he came up with is called Armored Knight, a science-based program designed to help anyone—what he calls inoculating the herd rather than treating the symptoms of individuals. Kern has designed the program to be part of crew resource management (CRM) training.

ADAPTING CRM

CRM training is going to have to take into account new people joining the aviation industry. “There’s a lot of weird stuff going on socially with our industry and…the more the merrier…we want more women, we want more minorities, we want diversity…we don’t have enough people. It all sounds like a great idea. But if you haven’t prepared for it, it’s gonna generate all kinds of interpersonal challenges that interrupt that CRM loop.”

Kern explained that what underlies psychosocial strength is “your cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and behavioral strengths.”

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CRM training addresses various factors such as communication, decision behavior, team building and maintenance, distraction, and avoidance, but all of those elements require mental stability. Psychosocially strong people will be an important resource when it comes to working with the diverse people who are increasingly making up the aviation industry. “What could be more important than that?” he asked.

“Meanwhile, we can all help ourselves and others with some small moves that will have a beneficial impact,” he said.

“Make intentional outreach to people who aren’t like you; find some common ground to get to know somebody better. Learn and practice emotional intelligence and empathy. We’ve got to shake up our training to make this stuff happen. It’s not just good enough to have a good idea. We need to build some world-class stuff to get this out there—the clock’s ticking.” z

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Preparing for advanced air mobility B Y: A I N S TA F F

Industry leaders mull needs for the future of AAM The fast-emerging advanced air mobility sector is poised to bring eVTOL aircraft and other new technology to early adopter cities including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Paris, and Singapore from 2025. AIN brought together experts from this exciting field to discuss what will be necessary to pave the way for eVTOL aircraft to enter commercial service and what this future might look like. Here are some highlights from their main conclusions.

AIN ROUNDTABLE

MATHEU PARR

NATE WARD

ADRIENNE LINDGREN

ADDISON FERRELL

KEVIN COX

T H E PA R T I C I PA N T S ! MATHEU PARR – CUSTOMER DIRECTOR, ROLLS-ROYCE ELECTRICAL

Rolls-Royce Electrical is a division of the aircraft engine manufacturer and is focused on the development of electric propulsion systems for a variety of VTOL and fixed-wing applications. In 2021, the company set a new world speed record with its all-electric Spirit of Innovation aircraft. ! KEVIN COX – CEO, FERROVIAL VERTIPORTS

The vertiports division of Europe-based airports, railways, and highways group Ferrovial is working on plans to build and operate ground infrastructure to support eVTOL aircraft operations. It has partnerships with manufacturers including Vertical Aerospace and Lilium, including plans for a vertiport hub at Lake Nona in Central Florida. ! ADRIENNE LINGREN – HEAD OF CITY ACTIVATION, SUPERNAL

Supernal is the advanced air mobility division of South Korean carmaker Hyundai. It is developing a four-passenger eVTOL aircraft and is also working with partners to develop an operational ecosystem in multiple locations worldwide. ! NATE WARD – CHARGING NETWORK DEVELOPMENT LEAD, BETA TECHNOLOGIES

Beta Technologies is developing electric VTOL and conventional takeoff aircraft for a variety of applications. The company is seeking to establish a network of electric charging stations across the U.S. and has introduced its own design for a charging cube that could be used by multiple aircraft types. ! ADDISON FERRELL – DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE, SKYPORTS

Skyports has been active in drone operations for several years and is also rolling out plans to operate vertiports for eVTOL operations. It is part of a consortium preparing to begin flights during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

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On Issues To Support the Launch of EVTOL Aircraft MATHEU PARR ! When we reflect on once we’ve got the technology certified, it is going to be essentially the aftermarket, the maintenance. How do we support these aircraft in operation? How do you get enough equipment, health management, monitoring, and capability in use? This is quite a significant challenge. Where are we going to stick those maintenance facilities? They’re not going to look great on top of a vertiport, but they are going to have to be in a local [area] that allows rapid access. I think the whole aspect of how we maintain these aircraft is a big challenge that will be right on the back of infrastructure as we go forward.

NATE WARD ! Many of the advanced configuration aircraft coming online are fully electric, and fast charging is going to be foundational to their operation within the national airspace system. There are 5,000 general aviation airports just here in the U.S. that are publicly accessible.

We think that as these next-generation aircraft come online, we need to be planning ahead to think about where they’re going to go, how they’re going to refuel, and where they’re going to go next. We’re

subject to the operational limitations of a given aircraft: how far, how fast, in what weather, and with what payload. There are always trade-offs with any aircraft [to ensure] that you’ll be able to go to a location, charge, and then go to the next spot.

ADRIENNE LINDGREN ! When we talk

about commercial operations, what do we need to do for the groundwork? Are we talking about maybe a 2025 timeline where you have a single route with low frequency under ideal conditions, or are we looking at expanding AAM to diverse geographical and weather challenges?

That presents significant complexities, starting to feed into scale as we socialize the service.

It’s really about cultivating the market.

We need to make that experience something that is attractive and as comfortable to people as their existing modes of transportation.

Overcoming some of that historical reticence towards small aircraft through demonstrations, simulations, and direct engagement is a priority.

On AAM’s Dependence of Existing Infrastructure ADDISON FERRELL ! In the long term,

we’re going to have a mix of different ground infrastructure types, be that

existing airports, big or small existing helipads and heliports, and then the new infrastructure, greenfield vertiports. Can we launch operations using existing infrastructure? Absolutely. And I believe that would be part of the proving ground for the industry.

But equally, do I believe that it can truly scale and meet the demands of the investors who poured so much money into it without net new infrastructure? No, because in any part of the world, if you look at commercial heliports, there just aren’t that many of them.

To get people close to the places where they want to be, it really is critical to have new infrastructure, and even the existing infrastructure requires some upgrades or at least electrification. [Existing infrastructure is] part of the solution but it can’t in and of itself be the long-term solution.

KEVIN COX ! We look at it starting with

what’s the quickest and most thoughtful path to commercial viability. To do that, you have got to bring the aircraft where the people are or where they want to go.

Building one vertiport is not commercially viable. You’ve got to build multiple vertiports. Our objective is to go to the thickest markets where the [operators] are best

Ferrovial intends to build vertiports at locations where people want to go. a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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positioned to bring the people the kind of customer service, convenience, and cleanliness that comes with this technology.

Our goal and objective is not to build it and they will come, but to build it where the people want to go.

On Aircraft Recharging Needs MATHEU PARR ! To tackle it, [we look

at] standards and then capacity. We have a degree of standardization between the AAM players. We’re looking at the same sort of automotive standards that are available today and how we can bring them into the airspace.

What modifications do we need to make? We’re relying on a key capability like bus voltage—almost everyone is driving towards 800-volt buses. That does influence the infrastructure that’s necessary onsite.

We’re also looking for the ability to turn around the aircraft within short periods.

When it comes to the capacity, we do think that there is a risk that you can look to operate these aircraft out of locations that may not necessarily have the correct civil engineering works in place to allow you to do the rapid charge that you want.

Within the Rolls-Royce portfolio, we are making a containerized energy storage system where we take some batteries with containers traditionally used in data centers but perfectly placed to also be able to enable peak charging [as] a sort of battery backup to power.

NATE WARD ! We’ve really worked hard to coalesce industry peers around a single standard. At the end of the day, access to reliable, fast charging is something that we’re all going to need. We’ve worked to develop an aviation-specific fast charger.

We call it a charge cube. It’s got some core differences from the fast charger you may see on the side of the highway today. It’s just as powerful; it’s going to run at a max of 320 kilowatts. And it’s also going to have a 50-foot corded reel. So it’s going to give

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Beta's Nate Ward showcases the Charge Cube, which offers 320 kilowatts continuous power. you some operational flexibility on the ramp. We’ve had a lot of success in having conversations with others who need similar technology.

that pathway forward on the charging systems, then it’s our goal and aspiration to be able to accommodate everybody.

On Working through ADRIENNE LINDGREN ! I think that pro- Airspace Conflicts moting standardization and interoperability in charging infrastructure is quite ADDISON FERRELL ! The FAA has been essential. In terms of sort of grid capacity fairly conservative when you talk about and how we get there, I would probably eVTOLs for cargo [and] passengers. They emphasize early coordination and plan- can follow the same rules of the national ning into the existing electrical infra- airspace system today. structure and upgrades that are currently That’s true in many nations around being planned. the world. Helicopter routes exist today.

For major metropolitan areas, one of Approach and departure obstacle limitathe hang-ups has been not having that tion surfaces exist today. In many respects early coordination with utilities with other [an eVTOL] can fit right in. It shouldn’t be stakeholders and then finding out what that big of a problem from an airspace perwas cost-variable and what was expensive spective—especially because we’re talking later versus earlier. For us, communicating about an industry that’s going to start in our requirements is going to be essential. low volume and gradually scale over time.

Airspace for eVTOLs, we see as an KEVIN COX ! We support the goal of stan- important consideration in urban areas dardizing charging. But we look at it more with the obstacles. But in terms of the holistically—that it’s not just the charging rules of the road, it slots right in, and we piece, it’s just not the turning-on-the- feel like it will actually work quite well. lights piece. It’s a whole ecosystem of the electrification that’s got to occur.

KEVIN COX ! These aircraft, except for Various elements go into that. We’re being electric and going up and down vertitalking primarily now about standard- cally, can and will—for a foreseeable time— ization of the chargers. At the same time, operate just like any other aircraft in VFR we’ve got competing companies doing conditions. When you’re bringing them into competing things. Our objective is to try highly urban areas, you’ve got to deal with to coalesce around solutions that work for issues of potential corridors that could foleverybody. If we are not capable of finding low existing helicopter paths. It gets a little

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

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more complicated when you’re flying in congested larger airports, and how you get those aircraft in and out of there. You don’t want a [Boeing] 777 in tow of a four-seater aircraft.

ADRIENNE LINDGREN ! We’re not going

to darken the skies overnight, but we are focused on working with the FAA and with other partners to understand what is required to operate, especially given our entry into service timeline, looking at 2028.

What is required to operate in densely populated airspace environments and potentially adverse weather conditions?

What can we do within the existing confines of rules, regulations, and procedures without major disruption to the status quo? Our focus has been on transparency in how we collaborate on airspace.

There is a risk today that we see a divergence between FAA and EASA that leads to a slower adoption rate as aircraft manufacturers have to manage two different standards. But in the conversations we have with both those agencies, they want to drive a closer alignment. It comes down to they have a principal role to ensure passenger safety, and they’re not going to compromise that.

While I appreciate the pace and the time they are spending to understand this industry, I also really appreciate the rigor and that they’re not going to be rushed. Nobody wants to get into one of these aircraft and have an experience any less safe than the previous aircraft that they used to travel in.

I think 2028 is about when they expect to be ready to support the operations of these aircraft.

that’s replicable. We totally agree on all those things.

We’re already out operating in Class Bravo and Charlie airspace on a regular basis, integrating with other aircraft that are there. These aircraft will be well ahead of 2028 out there operating in the NAS. Beta made the decision to go forward at 2025.

I certainly appreciate the importance of having fuel requirements in place. Beta has worked hard on this topic [for] something that’s just a commonsense approach and not looking for special treatment.

Electric vehicles work in kilowatts. How can we think about a new energy source in a way that makes good common sense?

When you’re coming in on short final and you’re a little bit low, you want to know you have the power you need. Those are the kinds of conversations that we’re having.

N AT E WA R D ! Certainly, harmonizing on a global standard is important in the U.S. market. Beta and the FAA have the exact same goal: we want something that’s certifiable, of course, that’s safe,

ADDISON FERRELL ! There’s guidance

On Regulatory Concerns MATHEU PARR ! We are seeing strong

engagement from regulatory authorities.

They recognize a clear customer demand for these aircraft and that they need to engage.

that comes from the FAA for what infrastructure should look like. The FAA has been very engaged. Maybe [the guidance is] not perfect, but it’s a demonstration

Skyports Infrastructure and Joby Aviation are testing the passenger experience in this living lab setup.

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MARIANO ROSALES

that an engaged body is there to support the industry. We may not agree with every single thing in that guidance, but it’s not a fundamental blocker to the launch of the service. In other countries, we’re also getting similar guidance with regulations for the infrastructure.

Will it evolve over time? Yes. Are the things that we think can be improved in those early drafts of the document also?

Yes, but it’s a great starting point. And it’s not something that keeps me up at night.

On Getting Cities on Board

Supernal is dedicated to the development of UAM batteries, autonomous systems, and other started to where we are now, we’ve seen technologies. Its S-A1 eVTOL aircraft will operate with a pilot on board. significant progress. I do think there’s some room to figure out who’s the right facilitat- KEVIN COX ! As this ecosystem unfolds, I think this technology is coming a lot ing body to look across the cities and tease AAM is going to look a lot like the sooner than people realize, and it’s going to out best practices for implementation, both other businesses already involved in scale sooner. You’ll see launch markets first. for creating standardization across those [transportation]. In fact, it’ll just be But today, it’s 2 percent or 3 percent of airdifferent geographies and also to help each another part of the public transporta- ports serving 70 percent of the traffic, and geography along in the process. tion infrastructure. there’s all these other locations. When you Every site is different, every community I firmly believe there will be a tipping think about the magic of aviation, whether it is different, and they will require different point [and] there will be a recognition of be cargo, logistics, health care, access, work strategies to be successful in developing how quiet, how quick, and how convenient from home, or tourism—that’s when you that infrastructure. So, pivoting towards these are. Cities, municipalities, and pri- fundamentally change the operating ecothat public process can’t be disregarded. vate developers will see the benefit of this. nomics. It’s going to be a whole new world.

The fact is, there can also be risks that It will start with the path of least resisare introduced if it’s not done well in a tance in those cities and communities that ADRIENNE LINDGREN ! Cities are conparticular place. We all have a vested inter- are leaning forward. tinuing to grow. Populations continue to est in the industry, in trying to get to the centralize around some core locations. best service possible, safest service, and an ADDISON FERRELL ! There will be a few In the same way that we went underattractive service . distinct launch markets [where] we can ground to move people around, we need bring together the various elements of the to go aboveground. We need all the The Bottom Line ecosystem all at once. The benefit of that different possibilities to move people is it will be a showcase for the rest of the through cities effectively. And the future MATHEU PARR ! When we look at the bil- world and other markets. They’ll be able to is very green. lions of investments that have been made see the commercial viability of it and the There is something exciting about addinto these aircraft, it’s clear to us that we benefit of it, and just the way that it can ing a new mode of transportation that augcan enable an AAM mobility solution of integrate into the fabric of the cities. ments an existing system and gives people hundreds of aircraft operating. more choices, more flexibility, and more But our expectation is this market will NATE WARD ! One of our fundamental opportunity to go places. The exciting start a lot smaller, this market will start goals of Beta Technologies is to do our part is how you connect to different places, effectively in helicopter channels while we part to turn the corner on climate change. especially in the populated environments understand that full ecosystem. For us, it’s That’s why we’ve leaned in not only to try that today are just hard to move around. z the engagement across all the players that to develop industry-leading aircraft but is necessary at the moment. also to support the whole ecosystem.

Roundtable sponsored by Rolls-Royce Electrical ADRIENNE LINDGREN ! From where we

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Supply chain probems steadily improving B Y J A ME S C A R E L E S S

Industry leaders see increasing stability and strength in business aviation in 2024.

Industry leaders are anticipating the con- aircraft,” he said. “At some point, perhaps be in a better position to enable our coltinued post-pandemic strength to carry in 2024, when demand begins to moderate, lective efforts to advance aviation safety, over into 2024, albeit at a slightly more the strong backlog driven by supply chain technology, and innovation.” muted pace. But the supply chain remains challenges will limit the amplitude of the Aircraft dealers, meanwhile, still see a on everybody’s minds. next cycle. That would benefit everyone, continued leveling of the market in 2024.

Eric Hinson, president and CEO of Sim- OEMs, suppliers, and service providers, as “My crystal ball perspective isn’t always com Aviation Training in Orlando—and abrupt changes in production rates, up or fail-safe but overall, I foresee stabilization outgoing chair of the General Aviation down, stress the entire system.” continuing through 2024,” Phil Winters, Manufacturers Association—is among At the same time, Hinson said that in chair of the International Aircraft Dealers those cautiously bullish about the indus- 2024, the industry is closely watching “the Association (IADA) and v-p of aircraft sales try’s future. race to certification in the advanced air and charter management with Western Air“Pilot training demand for general and mobility space.” Several manufacturers craft, told AIN. “The most interesting thing business aviation remained strong through have targeted 2024 or 2025. to watch, for me, in 2024 is the supply chain 2023,” Hinson told AIN. “And while total “While that timeline may prove optimis- relative to the OEM demand on those supflying hours have abated slightly, we predict tic, we expect significant progress next pliers. Historically, the OEMs will make as healthy training demand to continue in 2024.” year,” he said. “And with one or two excep- many airplanes as they can, especially the Hinson noted the struggles surround- tions, developers of these aircraft plan to, Wall Street-owned OEMs, prior to a downing the supply chain but remained hopeful at least initially, use pilots. This will drive turn, right? The year 2024 is certainly going that an easing may be on the horizon. “Due significant new demand for pilot training. I to be an interesting one in a lot of areas.” to ongoing supply chain constraints, our also believe, with newly confirmed AdminAs for the market in 2024, Winters said OEM partners have not been able to meet istrator Whitaker in place, the FAA will be business aircraft ownership supply and 100 percent of the current demand for new on a more positive trajectory in 2024 and demand are expected to continue on a

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stabilization trajectory. “The real question on analysts’ minds will be about supply and demand pressure on OEMs and their vendors,” he said. “Can they reach each others’ demands through the course of 2024? And will that shorten the book-tobill ratio of OEM backlogs? That is probably going to happen to some degree.”

Vendors will get better, he continued, “and as they do, OEMs may push a bit harder for more production. Then, will the new airplane market demand be able to keep the book-to-bill ratios healthy for the OEMs? And by healthy, I suggest greater than one-to-one. Or will the backlogs shrink and shorten the wait time for new airplanes?”

As for the future health of the aviation industry, he noted potential pitfalls. “On everyone’s list of variables is inflation, regional conflicts, and the noise of the U.S. election year,” Winters said. “In the next year, interest rate challenges will exist for some borrowers, especially in the lowerto mid-size markets, as the Fed tries to address inflation. International hotspots might dampen enthusiasm in some regional markets. And in the past, we’ve had good U.S. election years and we’ve had bad election years. It’s not predictable, really, other than that there is going to be a lot of negative noise most likely, and a lot of division, which can slow the market.”

IADA executive director Wayne Starling amplified Winters’s insights with this latest IADA data for 2023. Noting that IADA’s membership accounts for 50 percent of all the preowned jet transactions worldwide, Starling said, “One thing we track each month is the number of transactions where the price is reduced and/or the transaction falls apart. This gives us an instant picture of any swings that are taking place. Last quarter, both categories showed a slight decrease.”

This signifies that buyers and sellers are coming together on asking and offering prices, Starling explained. “We [have been] expecting a solid fourth quarter.

The supply chain is still problematic as consumers that came in during Covid. I some transactions are on hold because of think this is our opportunity to really a shortage of parts and a lack of pre-buy reshape the next five to 10 years in busislots. This will affect the first quarter as we ness aviation.” will see a backlog carryover.”

As for the economic health of aviation in On the charter and management side, 2024, and the notion that things are slowing Ryan Waguespack, a partner with the pri- down after the post-pandemic boom? “From vate investment firm Jetquity, warned a macro standpoint, I think we’re in a strong of several challenges but also pointed to position if we can maintain this level of seropportunities ahead in 2024. One of the vice,” said Waguespack. “I do get concerned. challenges is finding and retaining enough We see charter activities declining, but overtalent, both at the employee level and as our all flight activities are fairly stabilized.” leadership continues to retire, Waguespack As the aviation industry enters 2024, said. At the same time, “I would say we’ve Waguespack said it is starting from a place got a real opportunity to start weaving in of reasonable economic shape. “We started more technologies and more analytics into seeing some cracks and some challenges our products and to improve what we’re recently, but I think overall we’re up in offering our customers as it relates to sup- a fairly healthy spot,” he told AIN. “Q4 ply chain forecasting and the operational 2023 has been good. Q1 2024 is shaping scope of managing their assets. up already, so that’s good. We just need to “I think for the most part that we’re see- keep these airplanes flying and keep our ing some significant stickiness with the quality folks retained.” z

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European bizav facing uncertain political climate in 2024 B Y C AT H Y BU YC K

Business aviation needs to be included in the EU’s sustainable investment criteria, according to the EBAA. In terms of European Union regulations, business aviation in the EU’s sustainthe business and general aviation sector able investment criteria, known as the experienced an intense year in 2023 with taxonomy, and the future adoption of a the adoption of new green financing rules book-and-claim system in the ReFuelEU and legislation commanding a sustainable Aviation regulation to overcome the comaviation fuel (SAF) blending obligation in plexities in the SAF supply chain. the bloc’s 27 member states plus Iceland, The EU developed the taxonomy to proLiechtenstein, and Norway. vide a clear definition of what is “sustainHowever, 2024 is poised to be even more able” for investment and financing projects. demanding with nearly 10 parliamentary Industry leaders are concerned that the elections set to take place across the con- exclusion of business aviation in the taxontinent. Notably, a new EU Parliament is omy could result in higher interest rates or scheduled to be elected in June, and the dry up green financing altogether as banks appointment of the new EU Commission and other investors will look at other projis slated for the fourth quarter of 2024. ects to support.

“There are a few things we’re still actively “I think we lost the fight on the taxonpursuing from a legislative regulatory per- omy case, but we are not giving up. We spective,” General Aviation Manufactur- are now working directly with some of the ers Association (GAMA) v-p for European banks to try and make sure they underaffairs Kyle Martin told AIN. stand what business aviation is doing and This includes further work to include their sustainability advances,” Martin

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noted. “We are also working with the European Commission’s DG Fisma [the commission department responsible for EU financial policy] to see if there’s a different way of interpreting what they have proposed.”

The taxonomy criteria and disclosure requirements linked to the new activities are applying gradually from January 1, following their publication in the EU’s Official Journal in late November.

Concurrently, the Commission has set up a request mechanism for stakeholders to submit suggestions on new activities that could be added to the EU taxonomy or on changes to existing activities.

An expert group of the European Commission has already been tasked with developing a new batch of taxonomy criteria, including for the manufacturing of emergency aircraft.

“We understand from the Commission Taxud [directorate-general taxation and that if we meet certain standards, on— customs union], and the DG for energy for instance—SAF usage, all of business have taken a more front seat in some aviation might still be included in the areas that really affect us. So we’ll have to taxonomy,” said European Business Avi- monitor that as well as the transition to a ation Association (EBAA) COO Robert new Commission.”

Baltus. EBAA is placing a strong emphasis on understanding the interpretation and LOBBYING FOR SAF BOOKimplementation of the new taxonomy criAND-CLAIM, AGAINST TAXES teria and disclosure requirements, he said, GAMA and its fellow industry trade bodies expressing his view on the EU’s decision are continuing efforts this year to establish to exclude the manufacturing and mainte- a fully-fledged EU-wide SAF book-andnance of business aviation aircraft from the claim mechanism. The ReFuel regulation list of green investments as “unfair.” has now entered into force, with the first “If you want to move to newer and more SAF mandates applying from Jan. 1, 2025. efficient equipment or invest in change, The text, however, incorporates an SAF you want to have access to capital at the flexibility mechanism which, among other best rates,” he explained. things, requires that the European ComEBAA and its members have been mission by July 1 draft a proposal to the extremely active in environmental sustain- EU member states and the European Parability in Europe, Baltus maintained. “We liament on how an SAF book-and-claim want to make sure that the business avia- system could be integrated into the ReFuel tion commitment to climate change is also regulation. The Commission has tasked a reflected in the legislation and meets or consultancy to work on the file. exceeds the standards of whatever Europe “We are actively following that and workcomes out with,” he told AIN. ing with other stakeholders, including the He feels that, despite the sector’s fuel suppliers, to make sure we make a dynamic outreach and advocacy, still too strong case for that,” said Martin. “We’re many “don’t understand what we do and gathering evidence from our members as what the merits are of business aviation.” to how we can make it clear to the ComEBAA’s primary focus in its lobbying mission that a book-and-claim is essential.” efforts this year will be to familiarize itself Baltus named the full implementation with the new members of the EU Parlia- of the Single European Sky (SES), a packment and the incoming Commission. “It’s age of regulatory reforms to streamline going to take some time for us to see who Europe’s patchy air traffic management, as we need to talk to and who will take which “the one file” EBAA wants the current Comportfolio,” said Baltus. mission to complete before the end of its The task will be extensive, given that an five-year term on October 31. increasing number of Commission depart“We’ve seen a lot of good work by some ments are becoming involved in both parliamentarians and the Commission on business aviation and aviation as a whole. trying to make the SES work,” he remarked “We’re very, very active always with DG while refraining from confirming wideMove [directorate-general for transport spread concern the SES will never be fully and mobility]. And there are some very implemented. “There’s a lot of skepticism smart and capable people there; we know because it’s been taking so long and some them well. But I think that the playing field key member states still prefer to protect in the Commission has changed whereby their own ANSP [air navigation service we see that, for instance, DG Clima [direc- provider] over the environment. There is a torate-general for climate action], DG solution to reduce CO2 by up to 10 percent.

The member states that are attacking the industry for the CO2 it emits are the same member states that block the SES. It is extremely frustrating.”

Progress appears unlikely. Negotiations on the SES2+ proposals—which were proposed by the Commission in 2013— between representatives of the Parliament, the Council (which represents the member states), and the Commission were deadlocked all of last year; Belgium, currently holding the six-month rotating Council presidency, had not put the topic on the agenda as of last month.

Another challenging topic that both EBAA and GAMA, along with their members, will closely monitor in 2024 revolves around curbing the proliferation of aviation taxes at both EU and national levels.

The European Commission aims to eliminate the current tax exemption on kerosene throughout the EU as part of its proposal to revise the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) and achieve the objectives outlined in the Green Deal. Achieving the proposal’s approval requires unanimity among the 27 member states, but discussions have stalled, with some governments opposing the measures.

But, as Martin pointed out, while some member states reject the idea of EU-wide taxation on aviation fuel, many are simultaneously imposing various forms of new aviation taxes at the national level. Portugal, for instance, in July expanded its carbon tax on passengers departing from the country’s airports to include non-commercial business jet flights.

“Particularly objectionable is the notion of governments imposing taxes on kerosene or carbon without any commitment to reinvest the revenues in the decarbonization of aviation,” Martin said. “Charging the industry for its climate pollution and then not actively supporting efforts to decarbonize the industry doesn’t make any sense. Whether it’s SAF, electric propulsion, or hydrogen propulsion, these initiatives require massive investments.” z

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FAA bill takes increased urgency in 2024 B Y K E R R Y LY N C H

Business aviation leaders are encouraged that FAA’s leadership has finally settled in place and that Congress has crafted a multi-year FAA reauthorization bill they believe will foster new technology, sustainability, and workforce.

However, the five-year reauthorization bill got hung up in Congress in 2023, and leaders are urging quick passage early this year to provide the FAA the wherewithal to move on those issues.

In addition, leaders are watching an array of issues before the agency this year that range from the implementation of safety management systems (SMS) and a looming new special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) for advanced air mobility (AAM) to the possible reshaping of Part 380, all of which the business aviation community has weighed in on through comments.

“We feel 2024 can be a really good year for business aviation,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “We’ve got a strong leadership team at the FAA. If we can get a strong FAA reauthorization bill passed, that’s important. If we can see some of our comments to the docket reflected in some of the final rules and regulations, that would be important. And certainly, if we get our message out on our commitment to net-zero emissions, safety technology—all of those things are really important.”

In late October, Congress confirmed Michael Whitaker to a five-year term as FAA administrator with broad support and almost unprecedented speed—his confirmation was unanimous, and he was approved less than two months after he was nominated. His appointment followed the naming of Katie Thomson in July as FAA deputy administrator and David Boulter in August as associate administrator for aviation safety. Also,

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Edward Bolton, Jr., in November was appointed chief of staff. This filled out a roster that had largely been held on an acting basis.

At the same time, the House in July passed a carefully crafted 800-page reauthorization bill with rare bipartisan support. However, that bill was delayed in the Senate, initially over the 1,500-hour requirement for airline pilots but Senate leaders more recently have indicated that other issues might be at play.

MIC H A E L W HI TA K E R FA A A D MI N IS T R AT OR

While the FAA’s authorization had been set to expire at the end of September, Congress passed an extension to the end of the year. Last month, the chamber was finalizing another extension, this time, to March 8.

General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) president and CEO Pete Bunce testified before Congress late last year, citing a “critical need” to finish the FAA bill. “I’ve never seen a time that is more important for us to get the FAA reauthorized and address some of the critical issues,” he said.

He pointed to “daunting” challenges in front of Whitaker and said he needs to be able to focus on safety, workforce, and other priorities without the disruptions of continuing extensions and potential shutdowns.

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

The House bill addresses key issues such as FAA staff training and the regulatory process, which is threatening the progress of new technologies, as well as controller hiring, Bunce further noted.

With the turnover at the agency, not only at the top ranks but within safety staff, rulemaking, certification work, and other projects have slowed, Bunce noted and said during a recent NBAA webinar. “The FAA has got to do its job,” he stressed. “I know there’s a lot of frustration in a lot of quarters with the FAA being able to perform.”

But he was hopeful now that Whitaker is in place. “He’s got a mandate to fix things, and we are there to support him and to provide especially some of the pathways that we think we can allow technology to not only help with the sustainability journey but also just be able to make aircraft safer and make flying safer,” Bunce added.

Bolen echoed similar sentiments on the expediency of reauthorization passage in 2024. “First thing is let’s get a reauthorization bill done,” he noted. “I think that’s fundamental.”

He also pointed to the personnel changes at that agency. “It has taken a while to get here, but today the leadership of the FAA is in place, and it is strong,” he said. “And now the hope is that the legislative body provides that kind of predictability that’s inherent in a long-term reauthorization bill. So, the earlier in the year we can get that bill passed and signed into law the better it will be not just for the aviation industry but for our country.”

This is key, he said, to foster innovations that are moving through the FAA approval process. “Business aviation is really an incubator for aviation technologies. It’s important for safety to bring those to market. It’s important to be able to bring them to market in terms of

companies investing in research and development,” he said. “Having a high functioning FAA where people have the expertise and the resources to make important certifications to allow innovations, that’s really important.”

On a more granular basis, the industry is watching as the SMS final rule that, according to the most recent Department of Transportation (DOT) schedule, is now on track for release midyear. The proposed rulemaking, released in January 2023, would mandate SMS for Part 135, air tours, and manufacturers.

“SMS is a great tool,” Bolen said. “But it’s got to be scaled appropriately. Both the scalpel and a chainsaw are good for cutting, but they’re not interchangeable cutting devices.” NBAA and the business aviation community have appealed to the FAA to consider the varied operations and organizations and refrain from a blanket application of rules originally written for airlines.

Another major concern is possible action on alterations to safety regulations governing operators that fly under DOT Part 380 economic authority for public charters. The FAA in August issued a notice of intent to draft a rulemaking that would change the definitions surrounding certain carriers operating under Part 380, pushing some from Part 135 regulations to Part 121.

“Part 380 has been around for decades and while the industry has grown significantly, accidents and incidents have not,” Bolen said. “We hope and believe that data can be enormously helpful in all of these.

With Part 380 we have not seen data to suggest that needs to be changed.”

Bolen also pointed to the SFAR under development for AAM. The FAA in June released its proposed SFAR to serve as a foundation for the introduction of AAM, including operating rules.

While the effort is supported, business aviation groups have expressed concern about energy reserves and language

E D BOL E N N B A A P R E SID E N T A N D C E O

around a need for a dual control variant of each aircraft platform.

“We want and need an SFAR, but the SFAR has to work,” Bolen said. “With some of the requirements, like dual controls, there are showstoppers in there. We’re making that case, and we’re hoping that gets resolved in a positive way.”

Remaining at the forefront is sustainability, from a push to extend the expiring

blender’s tax credit to expanding potential sources for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and getting the message out about business aviation’s commitment to net-zero during an election year.

“We’ve seen real progress on our commitment on climate change,” Bolen maintained. “When we look at sustainable aviation fuel, five or six years ago people didn’t know what we were talking about.

Now we’ve seen the White House has a SAF grand challenge.”

It is critical to keep progress accelerating, he said, both from an SAF standpoint and other forms of technological development such as AAM. “We’re hoping in the final rules all of that comes together in ways that allow us all to move forward. The question is how do we get there?” Bolen said. “Part of it is getting the right people in the right place at the right time with the right processes in place.” z

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a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

27

Market Snapshot

Are newcomers here to stay?

Private Jet Card Comparisons took a look at those new to business aviation since the Covid-19 pandemic and found that about 95 percent planned to continue flying privately. In addition, more than 86 percent of existing flyers plan to continue or increase their private flights.

HOW DO YOU EXPECT YOUR PRIVATE FLYING TO CHANGE AFTER POST-COVID?

2021 Newcomers

2022 Newcomers

Existing Flyers

57.1% 42.9%

0%

65.1% 31.9% 3%

2023 Newcomers

Existing Flyers

59.6%

54.5% 39.9%

Existing Flyers

51.9% 43.2%

53% 33.5%

28.5% 11.9%

5.6%

13.6%

4.9%

Existing Flyers (were flying privately before the pandemic)

Newcomers (started private flying during pandemic) Will likely continue to fly privately regularly post-pandemic Will likely fly privately once in a while post-pandemic Will likely stop private flying post-pandemic

Will likely continue to use private aviation for similar trips post-pandemic Will likely increase private aviation flights post-pandemic Will likely decrease private aviation flights post-pandemic

HOW HAVE AIRLINE AND AIRPORT DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS IMPACTED YOUR USE OF PRIVATE AVIATION?

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New flyers 2022

New flyers 2023

Considering private aviation 2023

All 2022

All 2023

I am or will fly privately more because of what’s happening with the airlines.

54.3%

54.0%

45.9%

47.0%

62.1%

59.0%

62.5%

63.0%

It hasn’t impacted my use of private aviation.

45.7%

46.0%

54.1%

53.0%

37.9%

41.0%

37.5%

37.0%

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

PreCovid flyers 2023

Considering private aviation 2022

PreCovid flyers 2022

REASONS TO FLY PRIVATELY

2021 All Flyers

2023 All Flyers

2022 All Flyers

For vacation/ personal travel only

52.9%

57.7%

50.7%

Business travel only

2.8%

1.5%

1.0%

44.3%

40.8%

48.3%

A combination of vacation/personal and business travel

2021 New Flyers

2023 New Flyers

2022 New Flyers

For vacation/ personal travel only

62.1%

57.7%

54.9%

Business travel only

1.9%

1.5%

0.8%

36.0%

40.8%

44.4%

2021 Pre-Covid Flyers

2022 Pre-Covid Flyers

A combination of vacation/personal and business travel

2023 Pre-Covid Flyers

For vacation/ personal travel only

52.4%

50.6%

45.8%

Business travel only

3.6%

1.1%

1.3%

A combination of vacation/personal and business travel

43.9%

48.3%

53.0%

Source: The Jet Card Report 2023/2024 by Private Jet Card Comparisons. Data is based on survey responses of more than 1,000 private flyers.

a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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New technologies aim to mitigate risk of inflight smoke and fire events B Y S T UA R T “K IP P ” L AU

Inflight smoke and fire events are among the most dangerous and have resulted in catastrophic accidents.

The threat of an inflight fire exists on any operators need to provide both pilots and to help pilots fly in a smoke-filled cockpit. flight, at any time. An uncontained fire cabin crew with the tools necessary to “The Saved product provides another tool in can lead to the catastrophic loss of an air- safely combat this threat. which flight crew can have a fighting chance craft in minutes, making it one of the most “The threat of inflight fire and smoke is of getting their aircraft safely on the ground stressful and hazardous situations that a one of the most visceral threats to flight or ditched,” the company says. pilot can face during flight. safety,” said Klatt Works CEO Nathan Smoke, fire, or fume (SFF) events are on From the moment a fire warning is acti- Klatt. “Historically, smoke in the cockpit the rise. While the origins of these events vated on an aircraft, according to a Cana- has caused aircraft to divert every 12 to vary, a growing number of these incidents dian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) 48 hours, globally. By the time smoke has are attributed to the proliferation of lithstudy, pilots have only 17 to 19 minutes to occluded the ability to see cockpit instru- ium batteries that power everything from get the aircraft on the ground. Any later ments or out the windscreen, problems can smartphones to electronic vape devices. than this means the chances of survival are be compounding within the aircraft.”

Each pilot, cabin crew member, and highly unlikely.

Klatt Works is an emerging innovator passenger typically carries at least two Once smoke or fire is confirmed, the focused on improving aviation safety. The electronic devices onboard a flight; each is clock begins to tick. Immediate action is company recently certified its Saved (Smoke powered by a rechargeable lithium battery required to land the aircraft as soon as pos- Assured Vision Enhanced Display) prod- that holds the potential to torch off at 500 sible. To increase the chance of survival, uct that uses augmented reality technology deg C (932 deg F).

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Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

The FAA first began to collect data on lithium battery fires in 2006. Since then, there have been nearly 500 events reported.

The agency acknowledges that these figures include only the reported events. The actual number of lithium battery fires on aircraft in the U.S. is underreported.

According to the FAA, lithium battery fires on airlines are on the rise and occur at a rate greater than 1.4 reported events per week. In 2022, there were at least 74 lithium battery air incidents involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat. In the first three quarters of 2023, there have been 53 verified events—a number that matches the full-year total in 2021.

Data indicates that passenger flights are three times more likely to have a lithium battery fire than cargo flights. This is due to the high number of personal electronic devices powered by lithium batteries. The most common type of device to cause a fire on a flight are batteries or battery packs (40 percent of all incidents), followed by e-cigarettes and vape devices (20 percent).

Cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices account for the remainder of the incidents.

heat to cause adjacent cells to ignite. The resulting fire can flare repeatedly as each cell ruptures and releases its contents.”

In addition to a heavy dose of industry safety work, Brown flies as a Boeing 757/767 captain for a large Part 121 airline.

He stressed, “Early recognition of a possible thermal runaway by a crewmember may prevent a potential smoke or fire event. A thermal runaway can manifest in different ways depending on the device, including on-screen warning statements, discoloration of screens, smoking, expanding, or swelling of the device, or simply being hot to the touch.”

FIRE IN THE CABIN

FAA Advisory Circular 120-80B provides guidance on firefighting and handling a high-energy fire caused by a device powered by a lithium battery. The recommendation is to “aggressively pursue” a fire to determine the source of the fire and attack

the fire using all available resources.

AC 120-80B also discusses containment products used for firefighting; the devices are often called fire containment bags.

There are a number of these products marketed for inflight use. Researchers at the FAA emphasize that the portable electronic device (PED) should be cooled prior to being moved into a containment device and warn of the dangers of picking up a PED in an unstable condition.

In December 2020, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced a new standard for fire containment devices. The new standard, UL 5800, includes testing and certification and should reduce the risk of inflight thermal runaway events in the future.

It is important to note that UL 5800 is the only certified standard for fire containment devices. Many fire containment bags are marketed as “FAA certified” or “FAA tested,” but according to AC 120-80B, the

THERMAL RUNAWAY

Thermal runaway is a term used frequently in relation to lithium battery fires. A thermal runaway event is a phenomenon where the lithium battery enters an uncontrollable, self-heating state.

According to Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations executive v-p Bob Brown, “Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries and are capable of overheating. This can lead to thermal runaway, which can cause the sudden release of the battery’s contents as a flaming jet, heavy smoke, or unburned hydrocarbons.”

Brown, who serves as the chairman of the federal government’s Lithium Battery Air Safety Advisory Committee, added, “In some cases, the battery can explode or rocket. Once one cell in a battery pack goes into thermal runaway, it produces enough

The Klatt Works Saved viewing system gives pilots a way to see critical flight information and outside views on displays mounted inside the oxygen mask. a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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agency does not have any test standards that relate to fire containment devices. The only standard that exists today is UL 5800.

In response to an increase in the number of lithium battery fires on aircraft, the FAA issued Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 09013. The SAFO provided an additional warning that relates to handling PEDs with unstable batteries. It warns, “Do not use fire-resistant burn bags to isolate burning lithium-type batteries. Transferring a burning appliance into a burn bag may be extremely hazardous. Do not move the device until you are certain the fire is extinguished, and the device is cool.”

difficulty reports identify nearly 900 smoke or fire events in transport category aircraft each year.

At the first indication of an inflight fire or smoke event, pilots must first protect themselves by donning oxygen masks.

They then need to communicate with the cabin crew, begin a diversion, and determine the source of the fire. During an actual fire, the situation can become overwhelming to the flight crew in minutes.

Analysis of fatal accidents caused by a catastrophic inflight fire identifies several challenges for the flight crew that involve not only cascading aircraft system failures (thermal damage to the flight controls, electrical LITHIUM FIRE GUARD systems, oxygen systems, etc.) but Lithium Fire Guard president also an environment on the flight Andrew Reenstra provides caution deck that is filled with dense smoke on the use of fire burn bags on airand toxic fumes. craft, saying, “The industry has In one case, the smoke on the become complacent with a burn flight deck of a Boeing 747 freighter bag product, of which several exist was so thick that, within minutes, it in various shapes and sizes. The severely obscured the visibility in the FAA...advises full extinguishment cockpit to nearly zero. As a result, the of the battery and fire before placpilots were unable to change radio ing into a burn bag.” This is due frequencies (radio located on the to the risk of an unstable battery center console) and had difficulties causing further harm.

Lithium Fire Guard’s fire containment case can safely contain a manipulating the mode control panel “Any movement in that condilithium-ion battery in thermal runaway for hours. and flight management systems. Vistion could precipitate a further ibility outside of the flight deck was reaction with unknown results,” the FAA Reenstra provided details on some of impossible due to the dense smoke. has further said. the testing of the device: “During one of According to the company, Lithium Fire the UL5800 tests, a battery literally shot VISIONSAFE EVAS Guard is the only fire containment case out of its housing like a bullet. The PG100 VisionSafe managing director Alex Werthat is tested and certified under the new stopped the projectile cold while continu- jefelt understands the hazards of an UL 5800 standard. Its product, the PG100 ing to perform its other duties on fire and inflight fire or smoke event and said, “FAA PED Fire Containment Case, can contain smoke.” He added, “I certainly wouldn’t statistics show an average of three incia lithium battery that is in a thermal run- want to be standing over a burning PED dents of smoke, fire, or fumes happen each away condition for hours. The PG100 is without any form of protection against an day in the U.S. alone and [are] a leading sold as a kit that includes the Fire Contain- explosion like that.” cause of ETOPS diversions.” ment Case, safety glasses, leather welder He continued, “It has prompted the FAA gloves, and a mechanical “grabber” to pick SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT to issue InFO [information for operator] up the burning device.

In addition to lithium battery fires, other reports and other notices on the matter “The patented metal case allows for the sources of inflight fires include faulty wir- urging operators to adopt practices to safecrew member or passenger who is acting as ing and circuit protection, electrical and guard against the associated threats. If one a firefighter to be protected against explo- electronic equipment failures, bleed air were to try and predict what could cause sion and fire by allowing them to stand leaks, and lightning strikes. FAA service the next accident, statistics would show

32

over the product while being protected behind a clear poly shield. The device can be in any state of fire, explosion, smoldering, and the firefighter is protected nonetheless,” Reenstra explained.

The PG100 is a metal case that contains lithium battery fires, filters toxic smoke, and protects the crew members and passengers against explosion. A high-temperature spring-loaded silicone gasket allows for water to be added once the burning device is secure in the PG100.

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

that smoke, fire, and fumes would likely rise to the top of what would be a contributing factor.”

VisionSafe has deployed thousands of its FAA-certified Emergency Vision Assurance Systems (EVAS) around the globe. To date, EVAS has been installed in more than 4,000 aircraft including corporate, airline, and cargo aircraft.

According to the company, nearly 70 percent of all cargo jets fly with EVAS, including “blue chip” companies like FedEx, UPS, Cargolux, Atlas, and many others.

EVAS is a self-contained device that provides a clear space of air through which a pilot can see flight instruments and out the front windshield for landing.

At the first indication of fire or smoke, each pilot readies the device by pulling it out of its container and positioning it on the glare shield.

When needed, pilots activate the system, and the inflatable vision unit (IVU) inflates with one lobe above the glare shield to see outside the aircraft and another lobe below to view the flight instruments. Pouches are provided on each side of the IVU to view checklists and approach plates.

Operators routinely train with EVAS in the simulator to provide pilots with the confidence in using the device in a real-life situation. According to VisionSafe’s Werjefelt, having EVAS installed on an aircraft relieves stress in a big way.

“From those who have armed EVAS during smoke events, even if they did not do a full deployment, they said their stress and sense of panic was reduced by knowing that if the conditions became worse, they had a solution for the problem.”

Werjefelt continued, “EVAS allows pilots to maintain a view of instrumentation, checklists, and out the windshield should smoke in the cockpit become blinding, to guide them to a safe landing. We have had major airline pilots come to us with harrowing stories, some having had multiple

With thousands installed, the VisionSafe EVAS provides a simple way for pilots to be able to see outside and view critical instrumention when a flight deck is filled with smoke. blinding smoke events where they couldn’t see anything. These pilots have become adamant about supporting efforts to get EVAS on their fleets. Ultimately if a pilot can’t see, he can’t fly. Sight is the most fundamental aspect of safe flight.”

KLATT WORKS SAVED

Klatt Works recently developed and certified another tool to combat inflight smoke and fire events.

The Saved viewing system is integrated within the pilot’s full-face oxygen mask and goggles to help pilots navigate with a smoke-filled flight deck.

Saved uses augmented reality (AR) technology to display critical flight information directly on the goggles using head-up display symbology and exterior views of the aircraft from a camera mounted on the nose of the aircraft. Saved is viewable in all lighting conditions. In the absence of smoke, the system is turned off and stowed out of the normal field of view so the pilot can continue using the oxygen mask.

According to CEO Klatt, “The Saved product displays nose-cam video with HUD symbology, allowing the pilot and

copilot the ability to continue to aviate in a very bad smoke-in-the-cockpit situation.

The system can be rapidly employed within five seconds of donning the oxygen mask, and the displays can be turned off in a seethrough mode as the situation changes within the aircraft.”

Klatt Works teamed with FedEx to develop Saved and has been jointly working on the system for more than two years.

The FAA recently awarded a supplemental type certificate for the Saved system on the Boeing 777. FedEx plans to equip its 777 freighter fleet with Saved and has plans for future STCs on the Boeing 757 and 767.

“We are proud to be a part of this solution contributing to a safer future for aviation,” Klatt said.

The threat of an inflight fire or smoke event is a growing problem in aviation.

Multiple industry efforts are in play to help mitigate the threat and to prevent each event from escalating into an uncontained fire with catastrophic consequences.

The risk is obviously real, and more operators need to pay attention to technology that can protect their flight crew and passengers from smoke and fire events. z

a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

33

Best of AINalerts

Photos of theWeek

Throughout the year, our AINalerts newsletter readers have submitted many interesting and eye-catching pictures for the Friday Photo of the Week feature. Here’s a sampling of the ones we’ve published. Our thanks to everyone who has contributed photos.

Keep them coming!

OCEANIC ADVENTURER Bombardier Challenger 604 pilot Ashwin van der Aarssen took this photo in cruise over Europe on his first oceanic crossing while the captain took a quick coffee break. “I hope someone gets a kick out of it. I know it makes me smile every time I see this picture,” he said. We’re smiling too.

CERULEAN BLUE Air Journey’s Anais Pouille snapped this stunning photo from an Embraer Phenom 300 departing São Tomé Airport (FPST). She captured this view of the African island nation, which is close to the equator, during Air Journey’s “Islands of Indian Ocean and Beyond” pilot travel adventure in 2022.

KING OF FIRE Julio Flores, a sheet metal technician at Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems, took a photo of this Beechcraft King Air 350 on the MRO company’s ramp at Tennessee’s Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport (KMQY) with a fiery sunrise skyline in the background.

MOUNTAIN HIGH !

Pilot Luke Egan shot this photo (right) of his company’s Falcon 2000LXS during a “spectacularly clear day” at Telluride Regional Airport (KTEX) in Colorado while waiting to depart. “Taking a moment to enjoy the beauty in life,” he explained.

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Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

DRAGONS EXIST AND CAN FLY AIN contributing photographer David McIntosh snapped this photo of a de Havilland DH89A Dragon Rapide at Old Warden Aerodrome, home of the Shuttleworth Collection, in Bedfordshire, UK, during a de Havilland fly-in.

JUST CHILLIN' ON THE RAMP Bombardier Global Express captain Trevor McGregor was in Quebec for an afternoon and, unfortunately, the freezing rain forecast “proved much worse than anticipated.” He added, “Type 1 and Type 4 [anti-/deicing fluids] were applied for the trip home.”

THIS COMMUTE’S A REAL BREEZE DOM Wayne Kaler occasionally flies a Piper J-3 Cub to work at Sunrise Jets at Francis Gabreski Airport (KFOK) in Westhampton Beach, New York.

“It's a joy to fly a J-3 with the doors open on a beautiful summer day.”

MANY MOONS AGO Phil Stearns, marketing director at Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems, took this image on a Southwest Airlines flight from Ohio’s John Glenn Columbus International Airport (KCMH). “Sometimes even great shots come from the exit row on a Southwest 737,” he said. “Looks like we have four moons due to the reflection on the cabin windows.”

OBSTACLES IN VICINITY Pilatus PC-24/PC-12NG captain Giovanni Dameno snapped this image shortly after landing his company’s PC-12 at Courchevel Airport (LFLJ) in the French Alps. Not only did he capture the mountains and a hot-air balloon in this photo, but also the airport’s short 537-meter (1,762-foot) runway with a slope gradient of 18.6 percent.

If you’d like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels. a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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Special Report

The future of avionics design for piloted aircraft B Y M AT T T HUR BE R

Honeywell’s Darwin project could pave the way for single-pilot operations in air transport aircraft.

Airframe and engine design hasn’t changed training burden that today’s pilots must much in the past decades and, apart from endure. The technical term for this is simthe opportunities provided by electric pro- plified vehicle operations (SVO), and it has pulsion, likely won’t progress dramatically applications in all segments of aviation, in the near future. The design of avionics especially upcoming advanced air mobility and the way pilots control the increasingly (AAM) aircraft. electronic aircraft they fly, however, are on a rapid pace of advancement. The future of HONEYWELL avionics is not just coming: it is already here Andrew Barker, Honeywell Aerospace v-p and profoundly affecting the way we fly. of integrated avionics, is spending a lot One of the most interesting develop- of time thinking about these issues as he ments is the declining cost of advanced oversees development of the company’s flight control systems—autopilots—and next avionics platform, Anthem. “There’s how some are nearly morphing into fly- so much intelligence that we could capiby-wire controls. This ultimately will make talize on,” he said, but typically avionics flying easier and will enable more people to design continues to incorporate traditional become safe pilots without the enormous ways of pilot interaction. “[As] the physical

36

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

controls get less, as the autonomy and intelligence in the avionics proves itself, then pilots become more comfortable relying on the avionics. So that intersection [the pilot interface], it changes pretty significantly; you create smarter and more capable avionics systems.”

A simple example is the baro setting, which is manual and done by pilots. The only recent automation of this function has been to synchronize the setting across all altimeters in the instrument panel so pilots don’t have to remember to adjust the baro setting on each primary flight display and each backup display.

“Realistically,” he asked, “if my avionics are smart enough, do I need a physical

baro control? I can get a baro reading over the radio. My avionics can go, ‘Oh, you just got a baro update, do you want to accept it?’ Yes [or] no. Okay. Done.”

The Anthem platform is exploring concepts such as this, as well as voice control and combinations of touchscreens and physical controls. As it has done with its Epic avionics platform but to an even greater degree, aircraft manufacturers will be able to tailor Anthem interfaces to their specific needs. Anthem is designed for small to large aircraft in every segment. So far, it has been selected by AAM developers Vertical Aerospace, Lilium, and Supernal, and more OEM announcements are expected soon.

One huge benefit of all the work being done on AAM flight controls is that fly-bywire systems are being adapted to smaller vehicles, which will lead to sophisticated controls moving downmarket into light aircraft.

“That’s the objective of what we did with our compact fly-by-wire,” Barker explained.

“Let’s open up that envelope and bring the safety and the ability of that fly-by-wire system into general aviation. Our compact flyby-wire is a huge step in that direction.”

Barker sees avionics evolving so that flyby-wire flight controls become “the backbone of the airplane and avionics. Then you get into that reduced crew and single-pilot and that simplified vehicle operations continuum.”

What that continuum looks like could eventually be a lone pilot supported by a team on the ground, connected via secure links to the airplane. One of Anthem’s many features is cloud connectivity, and that will facilitate this kind of operation. The ground operator might only need touchscreens and a keyboard and no physical controls.

“Maybe everything is a touch [control] once we go to fully on the ground,” he said.

Further to these developments, Honeywell is leading research into the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to support single-pilot operations under a European Union SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking project.

The goal is to “develop AI-powered digital

ANDRE W BARKER HO N E Y W E L L A E RO S PAC E V- P OF I N T E G R AT E D AV IO N IC S

Honeywell’s Brno, Czech Republic, development center.

Darwin will use human-AI teaming to address key challenges for single-pilot operations in air transport aircraft, including: “The need to keep cockpit workload sufficiently low to allow one person to address even the most demanding situations; the need to replace the second pair of eyes to cross-check actions of the pilot in command; and the need to detect and mitigate a pilot incapacitation.”

assistants and a human-AI collaboration UNIVERSAL AVIONICS framework to support both extended min- Universal Avionics has completed initial imum crew operations and single-pilot flight testing of its software-based interoperations, ensuring the same (or higher) active flight management system (i-FMS) level of safety and same (or lower) work- in Austria, on a government-owned Bell load as operations with a full crew today,” 212 helicopter. The tests are part of a joint according to Honeywell. effort with Universal parent company Elbit, The Digital Assistants for Reducing testing the i-FMS as an add-on to the heliWorkload and Increasing collabora- copter’s mission computers. tion (Darwin) project includes partners The goal of the tests is to enable NextPipistrel, Germany’s DLR research insti- Gen capabilities using global navigation tute, Eurocontrol, EASA, and Slovenia satellite system features. These include Control. The research will be done at RNAV (area navigation), RNP (required

The Universal Avionics Aperture system uses video inputs to provide imagery of the outside world on flight deck displays. Further developments might incude augmented-reality solutions that could show obstacles and traffic to pilots. a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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Special Report navigation performance), and VNAV (verCOLLINS AEROSPACE tical navigation), to be used for all phases Adam Evanschwartz, who leads Collins Aeroof flight when flying in civilian airspace and space’s avionics business unit product stratwithout special air traffic control handling, egy, outlined “technology frontiers” that the according to Universal. company is working on, “which you could During test flights, pilots demonstrated view as building blocks for future aircraft holding patterns and floating waypoints in and flight deck solutions. We’re engaged civilian airspace as well as loading and fly- with OEMs, and so you’ll start to see these, ing SIDs/STARs, using RNAV to and from and some are going to be very evolutionary A DA M E VA N S C H WA R T Z heliports and airports, and using actual changes.” These are all aimed at enhancing C OL L I N S AV IO N IC S L E A D, P RODUC T S T R AT E GY and required navigation performance safety by reducing the workload on pilots. allowing the system to provide VNAV guid“Perception sensing” involves sensors that, ance in climb, cruise, and descent. Fur- in the future, will help the pilot and the air- objective data on pilot alertness. “This is ther improvements were realized during craft make sense of what’s going on in the a big frontier in all the segments we seranother flight test in October. outside world. This could include image rec- vice,” Evanschwartz said. “It starts with Because it is software-based i-FMS, it ognition so the aircraft can detect and avoid the concept of a fatigue risk management can be hosted on a variety of hardware non-cooperative traffic. Vision-based land- system and the view that this is importplatforms, and customers can spec- ing systems will supplement information ant to have in place, but heavily reliant on ify desired functionalities. In a future that pilots get from enhanced flight vision subjective reports by individuals to assess development, i-FMS will integrate with systems and head-up displays, including their fatigue state.”

Universal’s SkyLens head-wearable dis- millimeter-wave sensors, and use all that Collins is working on advanced sensor play “to project waypoints and informa- information to ease the pilot’s workload, systems that could replace antiquated systion from the FMS into the real world,” for example, by automatically warning that tems such as air data computers relying according to Universal. “This augmented something is blocking the runway. on pneumatic pressure inputs and dissimreality will enable pilots, for example, to Resilient navigation is another important ilar inputs that provide another layer of interact with features through head/eye building block, and this addresses issues with redundancy. Instead of relying on pilots tracking and a selection button on the air- GNSS jamming and spoofing, as well as 5G to detect when an input is bad, the system craft throttle.” cellular interference with radar altimeters. is designed to evaluate the quality of the Universal’s TSO’d Aperture uses mulAt last year’s NBAA-BACE, Collins dissimilar inputs and choose the best. tiple video inputs to deliver improved demonstrated its pilot support system, The communications building block is imagery on flight deck displays. Aperture which uses flight deck sensors to capture looking at full-time inflight connectivity processes eight video streams and can output them to four independent users, according to Universal Avionics, “enhancing safety and improving decision-making for flight crews and mission specialists.”

Ongoing development will add “more video/sensor channels, low-latency video aggregation and manipulation, and generation of synthetic imagery.” Eventually, it plans to use these capabilities to provide augmented-reality solutions, which could include “visual positioning, obstacle detection, taxi guidance, and traffic awareness to dramatically improve their situational awareness in high-workload environments.”

An example of pilot alertness information that Collins’ pilot support system can provide.

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for the avionics. The idea is to reduce crew workload by letting the avionics do the work. For example, instead of making the pilot input a new frequency, the avionics could handle that as a push-to-load function into the FMS. Collins is also working on natural language processing, speech-totext and vice versa, for routine communications with controllers.

Finally, Collins is tackling task automation, with simple measures to reduce pilot workload. Using extensive sensing capability, which modern aircraft have already built-in, the avionics could verify checklist items. If the checklist says to switch on the landing light, for example, it could poll the sensors and confirm that the landing light is on and show that item as complete. A further extension of this concept is to use the checklist as a control input, by letting it not only confirm that an item is completed but also effecting the change.

SVO is a continuation of the trend of aircraft becoming simplified and requiring fewer crew members, Evanschwartz explained. “We’re taking advantage of these building blocks and what’s possible in the design of the flight deck. It’s important for continuous improvement in aviation safety…and it’s also very natural, given where we are with today’s state of the art and what’s likely to be ahead in the next generation of airplanes and flight decks.”

THALES

Thales’ avionics activities are focused on three main trends, according to Marc Duval-Destin, v-p strategy, products and innovation, flight avionics activities: refocusing human resources on their strategic and decision-making added values; increasingly intelligent automation, including AI, to serve humans; and “hyper-developed ground/onboard collaboration thanks to increasingly available, reliable, and cyber-secured connectivity.”

Ten years ago, Thales began working on its “cockpit of the future” concept, which should be fielded in helicopters by 2027.

Thales’ FlytX large display system is designed with a touchscreen control interface.

One of the results of this research is the As more aircraft adopt fly-by-wire controls, FlytX large-display system “designed to Duval-Destin said, “These capabilities will reduce training, optimize workload, and allow aircraft manufacturers [to introduce] increase safety” and display “only rele- new functions—and they do—to expand the vant and necessary information…when capabilities and safety of their aircraft.” needed.” Although touchscreen control is at the heart of FlytX, airframers can opt for GARMIN cursor-control devices and keyboards.

Garmin has been incrementally adding helpAnother tool that Thales has developed ful new features, not only to its integrated is PureFlyt, a connected FMS that is linked avionics systems but also to individual to non-avionics systems such as electronic products, and many of the features come flight bags and operational control centers under the company’s Autonomi umbrella. and that can take advantage of real-time Autonomi was created after Garmin’s family weather information, helping pilots opti- of flight control assistance products came mize the flight trajectory. about, and since then more capabilities Although fly-by-wire flight controls have have been added. This includes electronic predominately featured in larger aircraft, stability and protection (ESP) in autopilots, Thales is pursuing opportunities to apply emergency descent mode for business jets, this technology to smaller aircraft, specifi- Autoland for single-pilot airplanes, Smart cally urban air mobility and electric aircraft. Rudder Bias to help with engine failure in “We are convinced that fly-by-wire is an asset multiengine airplanes, and Smart Glide to for aircraft safety, performance, and com- guide airplanes automatically to a suitable fort,” he said. In larger aircraft, he added, “by airport in case of engine failure. protecting the aircraft from high loads, flyIn fact, Autoland was basically a culmiby-wire…allowed the aircraft designers to nation of previous technologies. “It was all reduce the aircraft structural weight, provid- of them working together,” said Dan Lind, ing for fuel savings and much longer range.” senior director, aviation sales and marketThales has been manufacturing fly-by- ing. “ESP could activate emergency descent wire components, specifically flight control mode, which could turn into activating computers, for Gulfstream large-cabin jets Autoland.” ESP evolved from its introducsince the G650, with the latest the G700. tion in Cirrus SR single-engine airplanes in a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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2008, adding overspeed, underspeed, and coupled go-around capability.

“There hasn’t been an inflight loss-ofcontrol accident in Cirruses equipped with ESP,” said Phil Straub, Garmin’s executive v-p and managing director for aviation. “A lot of people came back to their loved ones because of this.”

The ESP capability isn’t just available in Garmin’s integrated flight decks but also in its lowest-cost autopilot, the GFC 500. The benefits are thus available for any aircraft that can be certified for installation of the GFC 500, including a Cessna 195 that was the latest undergoing the STC process at Garmin’s Olathe, Kansas hangar in November.

AVIDYNE

“Both at the OEM and retrofit level, flight controls are going to be where a lot of the action is,” said Dan Schwinn, Avidyne president and CEO. Tens of thousands of aircraft have old autopilots that are either poorly integrated with avionics or unrepairable. “People are looking for what’s next,” he said. The current general aviation autopilots, he added, are the baseline technology, and we should expect to see development progress from that baseline.

Avidyne is also working with AAM companies on integrated avionics systems and AI incorporated into avionics in new electric aircraft.

These technologies aren’t just for technology’s sake but all aimed at improving safety and utility and making pilots more comfortable with their skills. “There’s so many benefits,” he explained. “There’s the safety one when you’re in unfortunate conditions, or if you happen to be a little bit rusty. There’s the ability to have very safe personal minimums that are a little bit more aggressive based on having really good systems on board.

[This] means you can use your airplane more, which means you just increase [its] utility.”

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Garmin’s Autoland and autothrottle system is now available for Beechcraft King Airs.

This will be a natural transition, Schwinn said, because people are getting more used to automobile features such as lane assist and automatic braking, “all this kind of stuff that is becoming more and more mainstream, and people are saying, ‘what’s the flying equivalent of these driver assistance systems?’

“Technology has enabled a far wider variety of possible solutions. The first go-around of integrated flight decks in the 2000s was a huge step forward from mechanical instrumentation. The next generation is going to put way more useful stuff on those screens.”

GENESYS AEROSYSTEMS

Modern flight controls will increase aircraft utility, said Avidyne founder Dan Schwinn.

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

Genesys Aerosystems, a Moog company, sees key avionics developments in the modularity of systems, artificial intelligence integration, and immersive cockpits with larger displays, virtual copilots, and other advanced technologies, according to senior marketing manager Edward Popek.

“As software and processing power continue to improve, it’s a natural migration to flexible platforms tailorable to specific mission needs, AI processing and alerting for pilot actions, and integrating more virtual reality elements in the cockpit to improve situational awareness and mission effectiveness.”

One of Genesys’ primary product lines is autopilots, but it also manufactures flight displays and radios as well as a full avionics suite for fixed- and rotary wing aircraft.

Like other avionics manufacturers, Genesys is exploring advanced functionality to help

pilots fly safely in various weather conditions. “We imagine further integration of additional features to aid the pilot in emergency situations such as autoland and autothrottle plus autorotation for helicopters,” Popek said. “We also envision additional features to enable single-pilot crewed aircraft in IFR conditions such as hover hold for helicopters and lower minimums accuracy for flight into lower visibility conditions.”

Popek said Genesys sees evolutionary changes instead of radical technologies due to the need for “exhaustive testing and high safety criticality levels to keep flying safe,” he explained. “We will see larger displays with more software features and more functionality built into existing avionics.” z

A fully integrated Black Hawk avionics suite with four-axis autopilot by Genesys Aerosystems.

Exploring advances in autonomous flight technology B Y JE S SIC A R E E D

Autonomous flight is at a pivotal juncture, marked by groundbreaking advancements and the promise of transforming air travel and cargo services. Industry-wide efforts signal a future where autonomous technology not only enhances safety and operational efficiency but also reinvigorates regional connectivity, potentially reshaping the landscape of air transport for passengers and cargo.

The evolution of autonomous flight in general aviation reflects a dynamic journey.

This evolution is characterized not only by remarkable technological advancements but also by a gradual and deliberate integration of autonomous technologies. “General aviation is the incubator of technology,” according to Walter Desrosier, v-p of engineering and maintenance at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

He noted that general aviation includes a wide range of products, types of operations, and use cases. “In that, there’s

WA LT E R D E S RO SIE R G A M A V- P E N G I N E E R I N G A N D M A I N T E N A N C E

a very broad safety continuum: we can do a lot more, and we can build experience,” he said. “Initial applications and initial use might be strictly recreation [or] experimental, and then it can build from there to low-risk types of operations.”

This progressive trajectory includes not only enhancing pilot assistance but also laying the groundwork for fully autonomous aircraft.

Honeywell’s strides in compact fly-bywire systems and the development of its adaptable Anthem system exemplify this shift. Its technology focuses on enhancing pilot interaction with the aircraft, improving safety and operational efficiency.

Similarly, Rotor Technologies’ approach to retrofitting existing helicopter fleets with autonomous systems epitomizes the industry’s adaptability. Rotor Technologies is accomplishing this not only through innovation but also through compliance with existing regulations and the facilitation of a smoother transition to autonomous operations. This is crucial in an industry where safety and regulatory compliance are paramount.

Xwing’s contribution further underscores this evolutionary trend. The company’s focus on completely automating flight operations—from takeoff to landing, without pilot intervention—signals a significant leap

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towards full autonomy. “One of the major things that we’ve been focusing on over the past year is making sure that we’re building a modular technology that we can then apply to other vehicles,” explained Maxime Gariel, president and chief technology officer at Xwing. The company’s work in certifying AI and machine learning applications in aviation offers a glimpse into a future where autonomous flight is not just a possibility but a reality.

M A X IME G A R IE L X W I N G P R E S ID E N T A N D C T O

According to Desrosier, “Machine learning is a big part of helping equipment and technology make those decisions, different from how a person traditionally makes those decisions.” For GAMA, “Machine learning isn’t quite at our doorstep yet,” he added. “I think it’s at the R&D stages.”

 Machine learning isn’t quite at our doorstep yet, I think it’s at the R&D stages.  — Walter Desrosier, GAMA Moving from enhancing pilot capabilities key aspect of its system is human-superto the development of fully autonomous air- vised autonomy, where a remote operator, craft signifies more than just technological who is a certified pilot, oversees the operadvancement; it represents a paradigm shift ations. This blend of advanced technology in aviation. Each step change, from improved and human oversight addresses both the safety mechanisms like advanced autopi- technological challenges and the safety lots and envelope protection systems to the concerns inherent in autonomous flight, visionary concept of pilotless flights, marks a particularly in the developmental stages. critical phase in this ongoing evolution. These Honeywell is pushing the boundaries developments not only promise increased with its development of compact fly-bysafety and efficiency but also foreshadow a wire systems and advanced actuators. future where aviation is more accessible and These systems are critical in improving the connects remote communities. precision and responsiveness of aircraft Rotor Technologies’ integration of auton- controls, essential factors in autonomous omous technology into existing helicopter flight. Additionally, Honeywell’s modular fleets enhances the capabilities of proven flight deck—Anthem—is a testament to airframes but also is aimed at accelerating its forward-thinking approach, the comthe adoption of autonomous technology pany says. Andrew Barker, v-p of avionics, in the aviation industry. “There’s not a lot explained that the company has designed of autonomous flight technology out there. “a platform that’s very expandable and can We’re hoping to change that,” the compa- grow as regulations and as customer needs ny’s founder and CEO, Hector Xu, said. continue to develop.”

Rotor’s engineering includes redundancy Xwing’s Gariel mentioned that the comwith no single point of critical failure. A pany is working with the FAA on building a

Rotor Technologies is refitting traditional helicopters such as this Robinson R22 with autonomous flight controls.

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framework for certifying machine learning software. “Nobody has certified machine learning so far,” he said. “We are proposing a framework that deals with the entire certification—not just how to show that the neural network [works], but what is the performance, how to manage the data to train it, how to show that it works all the time.”

SAFETY AND RELIABILITY

For autonomous technology to move forward, developers must be able to ensure and demonstrate safety and reliability.

Rotor Technologies said it places a strong emphasis on operational mitigations and rigorous testing to ensure the safety and reliability of its autonomous helicopters.

“At least in 2024, this aircraft is going to be operating under waivers and exemptions in airspace over unpopulated areas, without any people on board,” commented Ben Frank, chief commercial officer at Rotor, saying this is part of its risk management strategy. “There are a bunch of operational mitigations. It’s important to us to control the risk. It’s new technology, and we want to be thoughtful in how we build it.”

The company conducts extensive safety analysis work, considering various failure scenarios and building mitigation strategies for each. This proactive approach to safety is rooted in the founders’ personal motivations and experiences. One of the founders’ close calls in a rotorcraft inspired a commitment to improving safety in light helicopters, driving the development of technology that could prevent similar incidents in the future.

Honeywell’s compact fly-by-wire systems and advanced actuators are underpinned by a suite of safety features. A key aspect is the incorporation of triple-redundant dissimilar hardware designs and lockstep processing.

Xwing conducts a comprehensive safety analysis that is integral to its development process. The company’s approach to safety involves anticipating and mitigating a wide range of potential failure

Xwing aims to remove pilots from the cockpit and enable the aircraft to handle any contingencies. conditions. “Part of our framework is an operational hazard assessment where we’re showing in an extensive manner where are we going to be operating, what are all the hazards that we could encounter, and how we are going to address those hazards to make sure that we are flying safely,” Gariel explained.

Xwing employs redundancy methods in critical functions, such as using both lidar and cameras for object detection, ensuring that if one system fails, another can provide backup. This layered approach is crucial in its quest to remove the pilot from the cockpit, requiring the system to handle every contingency autonomously.

Xwing’s operational safety assessments encompass various scenarios, including adverse weather conditions and unexpected obstacles.

REGULATORY NAVIGATION

Navigating the regulatory environment and fostering collaborative efforts are crucial for the successful integration of autonomous flight technologies into the aviation industry. Rotor Technologies adopts a strategy that harmonizes with existing airspace regulations while actively collaborating with the FAA.

“There are definitely still open questions with the FAA—policy questions of how to integrate uncrewed aircraft into the national airspace system,” Rotor’s Frank remarked. “Our approach is, in the near-term, to deploy this technology as soon as is practical and safe in these hazardous missions using the pathways that exist today.”

Honeywell is navigating the regulatory environment through active collaboration with both regulators and OEMs. Barker pointed to Wisk, which is working on a self-flying eVTOL aircraft, saying that these efforts are beneficial for the entire industry and “forces the hand on moving that forward.”

GAMA’s role in the industry provides a unique vantage point to understand and influence the regulatory framework. “From an engineering standpoint, if you think about full autonomy, there still has to be systems designed, equipment designed and integrated into the aircraft to manage those flight controls,” said GAMA’s Desrosier.

“I think where we’re at with autonomy is similar to where we were at with drones eight or 10 years ago, and where we were at with eVTOL five years ago,” commented David Dunning, director of global

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information and policy for GAMA. “We’re just now beginning more meaningful discussions with civil aviation authorities around the world to start diving into what this means as far as future requirements.”

Xwing’s engagement with the FAA, particularly in proposing frameworks for certifying machine learning, marks a significant step in the regulatory progress. “The key priority is to get to certification,” Gariel said.

“We are continuing to make very strong progress demonstrating to ourselves and the FAA that the technology is safe.”

INDUSTRY IMPACT

Autonomy will not only revolutionize the technical aspects of flight but also reshape the operational and commercial landscapes of aviation. And the journey to full autonomy is as much about technological advancement as it is about societal and industry readiness.

Rotor Technologies focuses on specific mission applications where autonomy can make a substantial difference, such as firefighting and crop dusting. Autonomous flight technology can perform hazardous tasks, reducing risk to human pilots and potentially changing the dynamics of these critical services.

Honeywell’s perspective on the evolution towards autonomous flight is one of incremental development. Barker acknowledged the technological feasibility of full autonomy but emphasized the importance of public acceptance and gradual integration into the industry.

The aerospace giant’s developmental strategy illustrates a roadmap where each step towards autonomy not only enhances safety and efficiency but also builds public trust and regulatory confidence in autonomous systems.

The impact of autonomous technology extends to the regional air cargo sector and the broader aviation industry.

Gariel of Xwing envisions a future where

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Honeywell is supplying its Anthem avionics platform for the Lilium Jet. talk about autonomy, we have to address it holistically: address it on the engineering and the design side, the pilot and the training side, the operations, and airspace integration. That’s a much bigger challenge—to look at all of those things simultaneously to enable and facilitate the introduction of increasing autonomy into our airspace.”

LOOKING AHEAD Xwing’s perspective focuses on the Rotor CEO Xu envisions a future trajectory immediate priorities and challenges for autonomous flight that is intertwined it faces in certification and technolwith significant safety enhancements. He ogy development. The challenge lies in expects autonomous systems to be inte- the novelty of its technology—certifygrated into light aircraft, transforming ing artificial intellligence and machine them into safer and more efficient modes learning applications in aviation is of transportation. uncharted territory.

As Desrosier of GAMA explained, “We’re Honeywell’s Barker expects to see sigtalking about a regulatory policy environ- nificant advancements in autonomous ment—not only [for] the hardware and flight. “We’ve already got autopilots that how to certify this new piece of equipment. can fly the aircraft through nearly every Now we’re tying it into the regulatory and single phase of flight,” he said. policy environment for the pilot, training, What needs to happen to enable full and operations. That’s a much more com- autonomy is “putting all those technolplex regulatory policy environment that ogies together, adding things like the we’re looking to change.” communication, autonomous detectHe added, “A lot of the technologies and-avoid.” He sees a timeline of about we’ve introduced over the decades did not 20 years to fully explore what is possible have that broad of an impact. When we with autonomous aircraft. z autonomous flight technology enhances connectivity, especially for remote communities currently underserved by traditional aviation routes. By automating cargo flights, Xwing anticipates a significant reduction in operational costs and an increase in service frequency and reliability.

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

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Rotorcraft

Hill Helicopters tops 1,000 orders B Y M A R K HUBE R

Hill Helicopters’ HX50 will be available in wheeled or skid gear versions.

Hill Helicopters has surpassed 1,000 immediately following the product reveal orders, will operate a flight operations pushed orders over the 1,000 mark. The center at the Halfpenny Green Airport at HX50 typically has a base price of $747,000 Wolverhampton, and is slated to begin and the HC50 retails at $910,210. Howground testing of its proprietary GT50 tur- ever, the limited-time promotion offered bine engine shortly. new depositors those aircraft at a subCEO Jason Hill reported these develop- stantial discount—$784,600 for the HC50 ments during an in-person product reveal ($721,890 for customers already holdand live-streaming event showcasing ing HX50 positions) and $673,000 for non-flying examples of wheeled and skid the HX50. gear versions of its HX50 kit helicopter at Hill maintains that the company can the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, UK, offer the aircraft at those price points on December 6. due to its extensive manufacturing vertiHill also said it would make the certi- cal integration, including developing and fied version of the helicopter, the HC50, building the GT50 engine. available to the general public. Until now, “Traditionally these [helicopter] comthe HC50 was only available to HX50 posi- ponents would have been astronomically tion holders. expensive. This really talks to our vertiAt the beginning of December, Hill cal integration strategy and the pain that reported that its order book stood at we’ve been going through over the last 975—789 HX50s and 186 HC50s. How- couple of years developing the processes ever, a one-week order discount program to make gears, bearings, and flight-critical

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components so that I have end-to-end control of the costs. We can do that now, and we can make these parts to the price we say.”

The carbon-fiber, five-seat HX50 has performance targets of a 140-knot cruise speed, 700-nm maximum range, and 1,760 pounds of useful load.

Features include leather seats, climate control, digital cockpit, two-axis autopilot, choice of retractable or skid landing gear, and a choice of colors. The fuel bladders hold 175 U.S. gallons and sit behind the rear cabin bulkhead and ahead of another bulkhead for the capacious cargo compartment, capable of carrying three full-sized rollaway bags or multiple sets of golf clubs.

Options include in-seat electric heaters and air-conditioned seat ventilation; a refrigerated center console compartment beneath the armrest cushion to chill drinks and snacks; and a power supply for each

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Rotorcraft

passenger’s tablet computer with audio streamed directly to passenger headsets.

LUXURY AUTO INTERIOR

Hill readily admits that the HX50 takes styling cues and cockpit features from the luxury automotive sector, including flush pop-out door handles, perforated leather seats, and high-end interior coverings and carpets.

The instrument panel features two 15.6inch digital displays and a center mounting point for the largest iPad available to display navigation, weather, and other flight information that syncs directly with the onboard flight computer and the autopilot.

The small touchscreen Interactive Pilot Interface (IPI), mounted between the two pilot positions, replaces the traditional radio, audio panel, and transponder stack.

“Everything you need to input into the helicopter is available on the IPI,” Hill said.

The flight control system features conventional mechanical linkages with pushpull cables, bellcranks, and a Simplex hydraulic system with manual reversion.

SLICK SHAPE

Beneath the smooth lines, he said the helicopter is “a simple structure, a simple mechanical layout, and a simple implementation of the blades” designed to generate “long life and reliability of service.”

The empennage sports a curved horizontal stabilizer with fences designed to keep the ship stable in all flight regimes, including high rates of descent, and a large ducted tail rotor with large-chord blades.

The latter is designed to ensure robust tail rotor authority in wind up to 35 knots in any direction and under multiple conditions—such as at maximum gross weight at 10,000 feet on an ISA +15-degree C day.

Hill also zeroed in on simplicity. “You’ve got to try and make the whole experience of flying as easy as possible.” That includes wheeled landing gear and Hill’s Helimove

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Two 15.6inch displays flank a center mounting spot for a large iPad in the HX50. A touchscreen pilot interface controls the avionics.

system, which he calls “a very simple soluThe compact, 500-shp GT50 features a tion to a very irritating problem” of easily direct-drive starter generator on the front moving a helicopter on the ground into of the engine and 12 fuel nozzles around hangars or parking spaces. the annular combuster that “give us great Electric motors are incorporated into atomization, great performance, great the main landing gear, allowing the aircraft combustion efficiency that’s going to help to be moved with the engine shut down get rid of all the exhaust,” Hill said, stressand even the main rotor blades folded. It ing, “This isn’t a brand-new engine. This can be controlled from within the aircraft engine is a compendium of all of the things or outside of it via smartphone controls. that have been proven on lots of different However, the HX50 also is available with engines over 70 years. skid gear that, according to Hill, is more “We’ve done a good job of bringing those appropriate for cold climates, soft field components together, vertically integratoperations, or up-tempo operations such ing the manufacturing, and using the latas air tourism. est certification standards, manufacturing Hill’s GT50 gas turbine engine is at the methods, quality control, and non-destrucheart of the aircraft and the key factor tive testing to make sure we’ve got what we to keeping the price relatively low. Hill need to make a reliable engine,” he said. believes he can produce the powerplant “This is all about manufacturing. We can’t for under $100,000 each once serial pro- be just a technology company and push duction matures. Hill said the company has manufacturing out to a third party because spent the last two to three years mastering you just lose control of your price point engine component production. and you lose everything.”

Aside from price, “We’ve got to make HOLDING PRICE POINT flying cool again, and that is what we have “The problem with making cost-effective jet done,” Hill said. “The whole design objecengines isn’t about making clever shapes; tive is to make people want to go flying it’s that, traditionally, the only people you again. We’ve got to make people want to could go to would charge you an arm and a learn to fly. These are the people [customleg. The trick is getting yourself in a posi- ers] that are used to the finest supercars in tion to make the parts,” Hill said. “We can all the world, and we need to give them a do that now.” reason to start flying again.” z

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

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On the Ground FBO AND AIRPORT NEWS BY CURT EPSTEIN

Miami Exec FBO Adding More Hangars

Second FBO Coming to Tampa Bay Florida’s Brooksville-Tampa Regional Airport (KBKV) will receive a second full-service FBO with the award of a 40-year lease with options to Bluewater Aviation.

The company will develop a 12-acre plot at the eastern end of the 7,000-foot primary Runway 9-27.

Phase I of the project is expected to break ground in firstquarter 2024 and be completed by the end of that year. It will consist of a fuel farm, temporary terminal, and a buildto-suit hangar complex called “The Hangars at BKV.” The company is now booking reservations for tenant aircraft.

Phase II of the project—which is anticipated to launch within two years—will include a permanent terminal and community hangars able to handle the latest ultra-longrange business jets, as well as a possible onsite restaurant.

Skyservice Expands Footprint in Vancouver Canada-based Skyservice is continuing its recent expansion efforts with the acquisition of the London Aviation Services large hangar at Vancouver International Airport (CYVR).

The 64,000-sq-ft facility—located behind the existing Skyservice FBO on the south side of the field—has a door height of 44 feet, which allows it to shelter bizliners.

Built in 2007, it incorporated numerous environmentally friendly features such as the use of recycled steel in its construction, energy-efficient lighting, and a “cool roof” system to reduce the need for climate control.

This move doubles the FBO’s hangar space at CYVR, bringing it to 123,000 sq ft, and provides an additional 12,000 sq ft of office space and 235 vehicle parking spaces.

It follows the company’s recent announcement of the purchase of a majority stake in Florida FBO operator Fontainebleau Aviation.

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International Flight Center, one of four FBOs at Miami Executive Airport (KTMB), is accepting short- and long-term leases for a hangar complex it plans to open in the first quarter.

The company already offers 120,000 sq ft of aircraft storage and this project will introduce a trio of 28,000sq-ft hangars into the tight South Florida aviation real estate market. They will bring the FBO to more than 200,000 sq ft of aircraft storage space.

The Avfuel-branded facility occupies more than 12 acres on the southwest side of the dedicated business aviation airport adjacent to the U.S. Customs office. A second phase of development will replace the current 2,300-sq-ft terminal with a modern 10,500-sq-ft, two-story building by the end of the year.

Hawaii’s Kona Airport Lands Another FBO Vendor Big Island Jet Center, a new FBO at Hawaii’s Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (PHKO), made its debut last month as the gateway’s third service provider.

Located at the south end of the airport, the company began operations on December 14 from a temporary facility on a nine-acre ramp. It includes indoor and outdoor passenger lobbies and a 50,000-gallon Avfuel-supplied jet fuel farm. The facility’s line staff is NATA Safety 1st-trained, and its customer service staff has completed the Ritz-Carlton training program.

The company expects to soon begin construction on its permanent 7,500-sq-ft “open concept” terminal, which will provide a passenger seating area, pilot lounge, conference room, flight kitchen, concierge, and executive office space.

Planning for the terminal began in 2018, with completion targeted by the end of 2024. A second phase of construction will see the addition of wind and storm-resistant hangars.

Jetex Marrakech bounces back from Covid lull Opening in early 2020, Jetex’s Marrakech FBO was an indication that the Dubai-based international FBO operator’s organic growth strategy was bearing fruit in the Kingdom of Morocco’s premier tourist location.

“We officially opened Marrakech in February 2020,” said Julian Pitaresi, Jetex’s general manager for France and Morocco.

“Unfortunately, in March that year, Covid came along.” Pitaresi noted that the Kingdom’s regulations were very strict, and it was fully locked down for almost two years as a result.

What few flights the facility received had to adhere to very specific authorizations, but Pitaresi was confident the FBO would survive Covid due to the Jetex brand.

“When Morocco was in lockdown, everything was open on the other side in Dubai,” he explained. “Thanks to the network, we achieved a kind of balance in different places.

With more than 80 people in the company in Morocco, we had to find a way to keep them motivated and active, using the time to get certifications and upgrade training.”

When the border finally reopened in March last year, it spurred an upswing in visitors to the African country. “I read in the news that in May this year, tourist arrivals were up 63 percent compared to May 2019,” Pitaresi told AIN. “The FIFA World Cup definitely had an impact. People were quick to congratulate Morocco on its achievement in reaching the semi-finals.”

Jetex has 86 employees in Morocco, 56 of them in Marrakech. It also runs FBOs in Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, and Dakhla. “We do have this supervisory network, so we can send someone to any airport just to ensure that the handling will be at the level that we require for the passengers,” Pitaresi explained.

The latest figures from the Moroccan Airports Authority (ONDA) show that Jetex handled 82 percent of the FBO traffic in

Nearly 60 people work at Jetex's Morocco FBO in Marrakech.

Marrakech. Its terminal there, modeled off the company’s Dubai facility, measures 1,000 square meters (10,765 sq ft). On the ground floor, there are separate entrances for staff, crew, and VIPs. Upstairs are company offices and meeting rooms, for an additional 250 square meters of space.

Pitaresi has seen more and more Americans coming to Marrakech, with Oprah Winfrey and Robert de Niro among recent more notable guests. “Marrakech [hosted] the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in October,” he said.

Aside from the U.S. and European passengers, Pitaresi also sees Morocco as a destination for Middle Easterners. “They really like coming here on vacation,” he said. “It is a very important station for us because people coming from Dubai are also going to Paris and London. This is why we invested so heavily—it’s an important destination and has become integral to the reputation of the company. Business aviation has only just started to grow in Morocco. This is the first FBO that we fully built in Morocco—and the most luxurious in Africa.”

Another factor in Marrakech’s favor as a destination is that Tit Mellil—the business airport planned to serve the nation’s commercial hub, Casablanca, starting in 2025—has been “indefinitely postponed,” according to Pitaresi, making operators more likely to select his destination.

The Kingdom’s private jet owners operate a wide mix of jets. Included among them are two charter companies: Rabat-based Air Ocean Maroc and Casablanca’s Sarah Airways. Together, the two companies have nine aircraft, including a Hawker 800XP, Learjet 45, and Legacy 600.

He added that everyone seems very interested in Morocco these days. “Business opportunities exist; the private sector and even the government are helping.

Earlier, it was perhaps a little complicated, but now it’s become very easy. Morocco is progressing—tourism is big here and many businesses invest in it.”

Pitaresi sees the Kingdom as one of the easiest places to handle an aircraft. “We see high rates of satisfaction from our clients in Morocco,” he said. “People really like the spirit and power of the brand, and the mix of hospitality and aviation.” P S-S

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MRO

BY AIN STAFF

NATA Launches Aviation Maintenance Apprenticeship Tracking Tool

Blackhawk Wins Garmin GI 275 Supplemental Type Certificate for 500-series Citations Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies has completed a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the installation of the Garmin GI 275 electronic standby instrument system on Cessna Citation 500/501/550/S550/560/560XL series jets.

According to the Columbia, Missouri-based company, the AML STC applies to all serial numbers of these Citation models.

Blackhawk said the upgrade offers a less expensive and easily installed alternative—along with a provided PMA kit—to the costly and difficult-to-repair original standby instrument system. The STC allows the option for use of an internal lithiumbattery-powered GI 275 or the existing standby battery system.

The data package includes the aircraft-specific airspeed markings to ensure the correct installation of the GI 275. It also allows for the installation of options such as synthetic vision, backup GPS antenna, and heading magnetometer.

Jets MRO To Launch Operations at Dallas Executive Former JSX chief operating officer Suresh Narayanan has launched a business jet and military aircraft maintenance outfit called Jets MRO. Jets MRO will occupy a 40,000sq-ft facility at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD) leased from Jet Access, a charter and management company that is developing a private aviation complex at KRBD. Jets MRO said it based its decision to operate at Dallas Executive on the “significant investment” that Jet Access has committed to development of the 80,000sq-ft complex, including an FBO, office space, and MRO hangar capacity. Along with Jet Access, Jets MRO will become an anchor business on the airfield, which is close to downtown Dallas. Meanwhile, the company will also support aircraft in the surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has launched an Aviation Apprenticeship Tracking Tool to streamline the process of developing well-documented aviation maintenance technician applicants who are ready for testing. Created in collaboration with the organization’s maintenance committee, the tool provides a structured approach to recording the on-the-job tasks mandated to fulfill the prerequisites for FAA Form 8610-2.

The tool tracks an applicant’s progress, providing a clear pathway for obtaining FAA aviation mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant privileges. It includes an FAA-recognized format for documenting hands-on experience across all necessary segments for testing qualification, as well as tracking capabilities for technicians ranging from piston- to turbine-based systems.

AMAC and Mukamalah Aviation Collaborate on VIP MRO AMAC Aerospace and Mukamalah Aviation have agreed to collaborate on providing maintenance to owners and operators of VIP aircraft located in the Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region.

The MRO services provided by the two companies will cover widebody, narrowbody, and other fixed-wing aircraft.

Founded in 2008 in Basel, Switzerland, AMAC Aerospace specializes in large aircraft MRO and completions and refurbishments. Under the agreement, AMAC Aerospace personnel will help deliver a high level of service to Mukamalah Aviation customers, according to AMAC. Mukamalah Aviation started as Saudi Aramco Aviation in 1934 and operates 54 aircraft. In addition to providing repairs on fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, the company manages aircraft as well as 18 airports and more than 300 helipads in Saudi Arabia.

Under New Ownership, Jet East Continues Rapid Growth The conclusion of Gama Aviation’s sale of its Jet East U.S. MRO business to West Star Aviation in November has established the combination as one of business aviation’s most broadly capable maintenance providers. The merger, worth some $100 million to Gama, serves to reinforce West Star’s growth trajectory while broadening Jet East’s well-established focus on the support of fractional and managed fleets around the U.S. Gama Aviation, which has provided MRO services in the U.S. since 2012, purchased Jet East for $11.9 million including the assumption of debt in January 2021.

“Jet East has subsequently performed strongly, benefitting from a highly committed management team, a complementary nationwide network of operations, strong customer relationships, and cost savings from rationalization of operations,” according to Gama Aviation. “There has also been considerable investment totaling some $25 million to enable growth, including setting up new facilities in Millville [New Jersey], Las Vegas, and Statesville [North Carolina].”

“As a combined entity, we will be able to provide unparalleled service and support to our collective customer base with greater depth in providing maintenance solutions,” said Jet East CEO Stephen Maiden of the sale to West Star. “The combination enhances opportunities for our talented workforce as our capabilities increase in size and scope.”

Solon, Ohio-based Jet East now operates MRO facilities in Dallas; West Palm Beach, Florida; Millville and Teterboro, New Jersey; White Plains, New York; Chicago; Statesville, North Carolina; Las Vegas; and Van Nuys, California. It also maintains a growing mobile repair team (MRT) operation and a component repair shop in Solon.

Now holding Mexican AFAC certification, Jet East maintains operations in the southern U.S. situated in an ideal position to serve Monterrey, Mexico, the country’s second-largest business aviation hub.

The most recent addition—the Statesville facility—opened in April and already employs 70, and the company plans to add another 40 in the next 12 months.

“The business predominately started in AOG services,” said Maiden. Now the AOG mobile teams encompass 125 employees and recently added engine teams to that number. “The engine MRT is something the industry typically has not had,” Maiden explained. “It’s a significant advantage, customers can call one number for airframe, avionics, and engine support at a time of crisis in very remote areas.”

To drive growth, Jet East is investing in hiring more technicians and making the company a place where people want to stay for their careers. “They want to be somewhere where they’re valued,” Maiden said. “As long as we’re providing great service, the ability to recruit great people will propel us into the future.”

The Jet East leadership’s “family-oriented, people-centric” culture “breeds a lot of positivity,” he added. Add to that profit sharing and health benefits without outof-pocket expenses and industry-leading wages, and Jet East hasn’t encountered

much trouble attracting new employees.

For customers, a well-trained and treated workforce helps improve quality, service, and communication, Maiden explained. Some of the Jet East facilities remain open 24 hours a day, which helps improve on-time delivery, he added, especially where aircraft utilization presents a premium consideration.

“Fleet operators are flying primarily during the day and not as much [at night],” Maiden said. “This has been a focus of ours.”

Rounding out the skillset of the MRO operation are the parts people, who face challenges as supply-chain shortages continue. “We’ve got a strong materials and supply chain team,” Maiden said. “They’re very experienced at working with our partners and providers and they know where to find those difficult parts. We’re struggling through it, the same as others, and it has created a significant amount of delays that the industry is seeing.”

But, with the right people, a 24/7 supply chain operation providing coverage in each time zone, and leveraging relationships with manufacturers, Jet East has managed to minimize disruptions.

M.T.

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Accidents

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

Preliminary Reports Pilot Killed in Off-airport Night Departure Bell 407, Oct. 8, 2023, Croydon, New Hampshire The solo pilot was killed when the helicopter crashed just 30 seconds after taking off from the field where he had made a precautionary landing two days earlier. The accident occurred at 19:32 local time, an hour and a quarter after sunset and 46 minutes after the end of civil evening twilight.

The moon had set, and while skies were clear and the stars were visible, a witness beneath the flight path described the night as “dark.”

The pilot had broken off a powerline patrol on October 6 due to low weather, landing in a privately owned field company pilots used when conditions prevented return to base.

He returned to the field in the evening of October 8 to position the helicopter for a photo flight planned for the next morning at Rhode Island’s Quonset State Airport, 115 miles south. Data recovered from the ship’s image recording system showed that it lifted off at 19:31:30, climbed vertically to 500 feet, and initially followed a northeasterly track while continuing to climb. It reached a maximum altitude of 700 feet before turning east and then southeast, accelerating as it descended.

Company personnel launched a search after signals to their tracking system ended, and around 02:00 the wreckage was located about 600 feet from the last recorded position fix.

The pilot held numerous fixed-wing and rotorcraft ratings, including instructor certificates for helicopters and singleand multiengine airplanes and instrument

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ratings for both airplanes and helicopters.

His 13,780 flight hours included 11,326 in turbine-powered helicopters. Of his 1,377 hours in the Bell 407, 220 had been logged in the preceding 12 months.

Passenger Succumbs after Engine Failure Piper PA-46-350P JetProp conversion, Oct. 23, 2023, Pierre, South Dakota The pilot suffered serious injuries and the only passenger’s injuries proved fatal in a forced landing following a total loss of engine power during climb-out. The airplane had just departed the Pierre (South Dakota) Regional Airport for Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Climbing through 11,000 feet for its assigned altitude of FL220, the engine “abruptly stopped; rolled back” without any warnings or abnormal indications.

The pilot declared an emergency and made a 180-degree turn back toward the airport, feathering the propeller after unsuccessfully trying to restart the engine.

Electrical power was lost during the descent. Realizing that he was unable to reach the airport, the pilot made a gear-up landing on rolling, grassy terrain and performed CPR on the passenger until first responders arrived.

No Injuries in Houston Runway Collision Cessna Citation Mustang CE-510 and Hawker 850XP, Oct. 24, 2023, Houston, Texas The vertical stabilizer of a Citation Mustang landing on Runway 13R of Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport was clipped by the left wing of a Hawker 850XP that initiated its takeoff roll on Runway 22 without clearance, causing substantial damage to

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

both aircraft but no injuries. The Cessna had arrived on a Part 91 flight from Atlanta’s Fulton County Executive Airport, while the Hawker was beginning a Part 135 flight to the Waukesha County (Wisconsin) Airport.

About one minute after the Hawker requested taxi clearance from ground control, the Cessna checked in with tower reporting a nine-mile final for Runway 13R and was cleared to land. The Hawker was handed off to tower as it approached Runway 22 and was instructed to line up and wait. The crew read back the clearance but immediately began their takeoff roll, not respondiing to two instructions from tower to “stop, hold your position.” Both the Hawker’s pilots subsequently told investigators that they believed they’d been cleared to take off and were subsequently distracted by rudder bias and pitch trim alerts during the takeoff roll.

They also reported not seeing the Cessna until about one second before experiencing a “thud.” They continued the takeoff but during the initial climb requested return to the airport and were given vectors to land on Runway 13R. Damage was confined to the Cessna’s tail and the Hawker’s left wing.

Final Reports Fatal Long-line Crash Tied to Undetected Manufacturing Defect Hughes 369D, April 6, 2022, Port McNeill, British Columbia, Canada Failure of the sixth-stage compressor wheel caused a total loss of engine power just after the pilot released the load at low altitude with little or no forward airspeed,

precluding a successful autorotation. with 18 skydivers and one non-jumping pas- water. The pilot was seriously injured but Though the helicopter came to rest more senger on board. escaped the airplane before it sank, was or less upright, impact forces killed the At 3,800 meters the red low fuel indicator rescued by boat after swimming to shore, 13,000-hour pilot, whose extensive experi- for the feeder tank illuminated. He asked and subsequently evacuated by search-andence in the area included more than 6,000 the skydivers to jump as quickly as possible rescue (SAR) crews. hours in similar external-load operations. and they exited in about one minute. The The charter flight departed Quebec’s Metallurgic analysis found that the com- pilot swung north to avoid the drop zone Mistissini Water Aerodrome at 8:04 local pressor wheel had fractured in two places, before re-entering right traffic for Runway time to deliver cargo and pick up three pasthe first due to fatigue cracks initiating 27, extending landing flaps without feath- sengers. Based on available forecasts and from shrinkage voids that occurred during ering the propeller. Coming in low on final, observations, the pilot anticipated clear initial manufacture and progressed to over- he retracted the flaps and the Caravan skies, with any morning fog having burned stress failure and the second entirely from “instantly sank.” Engine-out procedures off by the end of the 90-minute flight. Skies overstress. Shrinkage voids are “casting in its flight manual specify feathering the remained clear until the flight drew within defects caused when there is an insuffi- propeller and using full flaps below 80 4 nm of its destination, where a low layer of cient volume of metal in the mold” and knots airspeed. cloud obscured the intended landing area. cannot be detected by either visual inspecThe pilot descended below the clouds to tion or X-ray. While CT scans can detect Parking Brake Implicated in keep the ground in sight, but entered fog them, these are not part of either manuAnother CE-560 Mishap that reduced visibility to about one statfacturing quality control or routine overute mile.

Cessna Citation CE-560XLS+, May 23, 2022, haul procedures.

He was initially unable to locate his pasSchwäbisch Hall, BaddenThe failed compressor wheel was mansengers, who were waiting on a beach rather Württemberg, Germany ufactured in 2001 and had been operated than in the waiting area described in his for 6,646.6 hours at the time of the acci- While attempting to depart on a position- preflight briefing. Staying below 500 feet, dent. It was not subject to any service-life ing flight, the crew noticed that the twin- he began a second circuit, flying a northlimits. In 2007, the manufacturer changed engine corporate jet accelerated much bound downwind leg while continuing to production from cast wheels to parts fully more slowly than usual. The right main try to keep his landing zone in sight. The machined from heat-treated bar stock. tire blew and the airplane veered off the airplane continued to slow, then began to right side of the runway; the cockpit voice sink during a left turn. The pilot increased Fuel Exhaustion Brought recorder captured one of the pilots saying power but the floatplane stalled into the Down Jump Airplane “Die Bremse ist anezogen!” (“The brake is lake about 2,000 feet from where the pasengaged!”) Neither pilot was injured in the sengers were waiting.

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, excursion from the runway.

He climbed onto the left float and then April 30, 2022, Parmiers Les Pujols As noted in several recent U.S. accident the wing as the airplane sank, eventually Aerodrome, Occitanie, France investigations, the CE-560XL’s parking coming to rest on the bottom with only Total fuel exhaustion on the day’s fifth brake is engaged by a pull knob not visible the vertical stabilizer above the water. He skydiving flight caused the loss of engine from the right seat when both pilot seats are was unable to inflate his personal flotation power that led the Grand Caravan to touch occupied. It is not cited in the before-take- device and discarded it along with a heavy down short of Runway 27, coming to rest off checklist, and its engagement does not jacket to swim the 300 feet to shore. Observin a ditch. Errors in the pilot’s configura- trigger any cockpit annunciation or input ing the crash, two of the passengers took a tion of the airplane for an engine-out glide to the Takeoff Configuration Warning boat, found the pilot on the lakeshore, and also contributed to its failure to reach Alert system. took him to a nearby cabin where he used the runway. his satellite phone to notify his company of Before the fourth flight, the pilot added Floatplane Stalled in Fog the accident.

100 liters (26.4 gallons) of fuel. During Meanwhile, SAR aircraft responding to De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter, start-up for the fifth, planned for 4,000 the emergency locator transmitter signal Oct. 12, 2022, Pluto Lake, Quebec, Canada meters (13,100 feet), the low fuel indicators spotted the cabin after about 20 minutes, for both wing tanks illuminated. Believing An unexpected fog layer over the lake led and rescue personnel parachuted in to he had 85 liters in the right tank and 29 liters the pilot to slow the airplane while circling, tend to the pilot’s injuries. The pilot and in the left, the pilot continued the takeoff resulting in a low-altitude stall into the rescuers were extracted by helicopter. z a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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Compliance Countdown

BY GORDON GILBERT

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Feb. 2, 2024

U.S.: Increase in CVR Recording Time The FAA is proposing to increase the minimum recording time of cockpit voice recorders (CVR) from the currently mandated two hours to 25 hours on all applicable newly produced aircraft manufactured starting one year after the effective date of the final rule. The new rule would not expand CVR applicability in the general aviation fleet, continuing instead to apply only to aircraft already required to have a CVR: under Part 91, multiengine, turbine-powered aircraft with 10 or more passenger seats manufactured since Oct. 11, 1991, and under Part 135, multiengine, turbine-powered aircraft with six or more passenger seats manufactured since April 7, 2010. Comments are due Feb. 4, 2024.

NEW

Feb. 16, 2024

NEW

March 4, 2024

U.S.: Medical Transport of Veterans

EASA: Maintenance Training Organizations

ICAO: North Atlantic Operations

Unmanned Aircraft

Scheduled to start on Feb. 16, 2024, the The primary objective of this notice of proU.S. Veterans Administration (VA) will posed amendments (NPA) is to eliminate have the authority to begin reimbursing or reduce fraud cases in examinations connon-contract ground and air ambulance ducted by Part-147 maintenance training transportation at rates “significantly organizations (MTOs). It also intends to below costs,” according to providers. Crit- ensure an adequate language proficiency ics charge that the move will force provid- for the trainer and students. Lastly, it aims ers to “downsize operations and reduce at improving the structure and readability hours of availability while compromising of Part-147 while ensuring a greater consisthe ability of veterans, particularly in rural tency with related regulations. To achieve areas, to receive prompt medical trans- these objectives, the NPA proposes a more port.” Under the new rules, the VA will “robust organization set-up,” introducing be allowed to pay the “lesser of the actual measures and mechanisms for fraud precharge or the amount determined by the vention and requirements for language Medicare Part B Ambulance Fee Schedule. proficiency. Comments on the NPA are The VA currently pays for the actual costs due by March 4, 2024. of such medical transports.

March 16, 2024 March 1, 2024 U.S.: Remote ID of A draft of the revised North Atlantic Operations and Airspace Manual has been published resulting from the meeting in June 2023 of the North Atlantic Systems Planning Group. The new manual is scheduled to take effect beginning on March 1, 2024. According to international operations and security intelligence organization OpsGroup, key changes in the manual include deleting the oceanic clearances requirement and a “completely rewritten” comms failure procedure.

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Drone pilots who are unable to comply with the remote ID broadcast requirements have until March 16, 2024, to equip their aircraft, a six-month delay from the original Sept. 16, 2023 date. After March 16, 2024, operators flying uncrewed aircraft without remote ID could face fines and suspension or revocation of pilot certificates. In making this decision, the FAA said it “recognizes the unanticipated issues that some operators are experiencing finding remote identification broadcast modules.”

Aviation International News \ January 2024 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m

Sept. 9, 2024

U.S.: Pilot Records Database

Final compliance date is Sept. 9, 2024, for reporting historical records concerning training, alcohol testing, qualification, proficiency, and disciplinary actions records that date before Jan. 1, 2015, to the new pilot records database (PRD). Also beginning on Sept. 9, 2024, the Pilot Records Improvement Act (PRIA) ceases to be effective and will not be an available alternative to PRD. Also after this date, each entity that holds an operating certificate under Parts 121, 125, or 135—or that holds management specifications for Part 91K—must report to the PRD all historical records kept in accordance with PRIA dating from Aug. 1, 2010, until June 10, 2022. Since June 2023, certain operators under Parts 91, as well as those under 91K and 135, were required to complete submissions to the PRD of all historical records dating on or after Jan. 1, 2015.

Dec. 2, 2024

Europe: Part 145 Safety Management Systems

Starting on Dec. 2, 2022, EASA Part 145 maintenance organizations were required to meet revised regulations that were published in November 2021. However, there is a two-year transition period, to Dec. 2, 2024, to allow maintenance organizations to correct any findings of noncompliance with the new Part-145 requirements. The main change introduced in the regulation is the required

implementation of a safety management system. To support the SMS processes, several organization requirements have been changed including the safety policy and internal occurrence reporting.

May 1, 2025

Europe: ETIAS

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) is an online pretravel and pre-boarding requirement applying to visa-exempt third-country nationals planning to travel to European states. The implementation date has been extended to May 1, 2025. The information is submitted via an online application ahead of arrival at borders, enabling pre-travel assessment of irregular migration risks, security, or public health risk checks.

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Dec. 31, 2025

Europe/UK: Portable Halon Fire Extinguishers

In 2010, both EASA and the UK Environmental Agency set Dec. 31, 2025, as the replacement deadline for the use of halon handheld portable fire extinguishers in aircraft cockpits and cabins, as well as in certain aircraft fire-protection systems.

Jan. 1, 2026

Netherlands: Eindhoven To Ban Private Aircraft

Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, fossil-fuel private aircraft operations will be banned from operating at Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands. “As private flights have a relatively large noise and CO2 footprint per passenger and only marginally meet our region’s mobility needs, we have decided not to allow them at Eindhoven Airport from 2026,” according to the airport authorities.

“If opportunities arise for sustainable smallplane aviation (such as electric flying) that adds value to the region, we would want to facilitate that.”

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For the most current compliance status, see: ainonline.com/compliance AIN_DuncanAviation_Decemberl2023.indd 1

12/6/2023 11:39:47 AM

a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ January 2024 \ Aviation International News

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People in Aviation

BY JAMES CARELESS

Líder Aviation COO Junia Hermont is moving up to CEO this month, taking over from Eduardo Vaz, who—after 25 years—will move into the chairman’s role. At the same time, Bruna Assumpção will become superintendent of business aviation. Hermont started as a manager in 1998.

Peter Turner has been named the new chairman of trustees for The Helicopter Museum. He has been a trustee of the museum since 1996 and was previously the vice-chairman.

KinectAir has appointed retired U.S. Air Force Col. Katie Buss and technology entrepreneur Ben Howard as its co-CEOs. Previously, Buss served as KinectAir’s COO and Howard as its co-founder and chief technology officer.

K ATIE BUSS Geoff Heck has been appointed president and COO of SAR Trilogy Management, the holding company of the Aero Centers portfolio of FBOs. He was previously senior v-p of global operations for Signature Flight Support.

Heider Lazzarini has joined Lightspeed Aviation as president. Lazzarini was formerly v-p of marketing at Axiometrix Solutions.

Atlantic Aviation has appointed John Redcay as chief commercial and sustainability officer. He was previously JSX’s chief commercial officer.

Bluetail has named Kent Pickard as its new chief technology officer. Before joining Bluetail, Pickard was v-p of products for Veryon (formerly ATP).

Roger Hohl has been appointed as COO with AeroVisto Group. He comes from ACM Aerospace, where he has been managing director for the past seven years.

ROGER HOHL Omni Helicopters International (OHI) has hired Paulo Couto as chief transformation officer. He has more than 25 years of experience in business transformation and strategic leadership in a broad range of industries.

Volato has appointed Mark Heinen as its chief financial officer. Before joining Volato,

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he served as the CFO of Better Therapeutics.

Bell Textron has appointed Jacinto Monge as its managing director of commercial business in Europe. Previously, Jacinto served as the managing director for Bell Asia-Pacific and as the representative director for Bell in Japan.

Vimana Private Jets has a p p o i n te d M a r c u s M a n n i n g as managing director. He is the founder and managing director of MVEE Limited.

MARCUS MANNING Gulfstream Aerospace has chosen John Kenan as its senior v-p of manufacturing and completions, effective March 2024. Most recently, Kenan served as v-p of completions across all Gulfstream sites.

Gulfstream also promoted Michael Swift to be group v-p of sales overseeing Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA), and the AsiaPacific region (APAC). He was formerly division v-p of international sales for EMEA and the Indian subcontinent.

Gulfstream Aerospace further promoted Sasha Cejic, Robert Medina, and April Morina each to regional v-ps of service center operations. Previously, Cejic was engineering group head of advanced aircraft programs; Medina was ROBERT MEDINA general manager of Savannah and Brunswick service center operations and customer support; and Morina was director of services for Palm Springs. Gulfstream additionally named Scott Larner general manager of Gulfstream’s Westfield service center. He was previously director of human resources business partners at Gulfstream Aerospace.

Professional Aircraft Accessories has promoted Keith Johnson to the role of v-p/general manager. Johnson is stepping up from his position as the company’s director of materials and production control.

Summit Aviation has appointed Tom Lark as v-p and general manager. He formerly held the same roles for the cables division at Sanmina.

Embraer Defense & Security has chosen José Gustavo as v-p of sales and business development for Europe and Africa. He was previously international sales director for these regions.

Steve Varsano has been appointed to the board of trustees at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

He is founder and CEO of The Jet Business.

Marie-Louise Philippe has been selected to be Embraer Commercial Aviation’s v-p of sales and marketing, and head of region for Europe and Central Asia. She was previously Airbus’ senior sales director based in Singapore.

West Star Aviation has promoted Ricky Myers to technical sales manager for Falcon at its East Alton, Illinois facility. He was formerly an aircraft technician at the company. West Star Aviation also promoted Rich BaertsRICK Y MYERS chi to Gulfstream aircraft maintenance team lead at its Chattanooga, Tennessee facility.

He was previously an aviation maintenance tech 3.

Meghan Knott has joined Duncan Aviation’s aircraft sales and acquisitions team as a market research analyst. She was formerly a maintenance technical analyst with Wheels Up. z

AWARDS AND HONORS The Wichita Aero Club (WAC) has selected Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) as the recipient of the 2023 Wichita Aero Club Trophy, to be awarded at its gala on Feb. 3, 2024. The Wichita Aero Club Trophy was created to recognize both contemporaneous accomplishment and a lifetime of achievement.

The Air Charter Association (ACA) has announced the winners of its 2023 Excellence Awards. The group recognized companies for their contributions to nine aspects of the industry during a recent event held in Brighton—on the south coast of England— which was attended by 500 people. The winners were as follows: Platoon Aviation (executive passenger charter operator); Loganair (commercial passenger charter operator); Atlas Air (cargo charter operator); Saxon Air (helicopter charter operator); Farnborough Airport (handling agent or FBO); Embraer (aircraft manufacturer); Air Partner (charter operators’ broker of the year); Charlie Woodward/RVL Aviation (ACA NextGen young person of the year); and Loganair (Sir Michael Marshall award for sustainability in aviation).

Former FAA Administrator and head of Midway Airlines David Russell Hinson died at the age of 90 early last month. The 13th administrator of the FAA, Hinson led the agency under then-President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1996.

Born March 2, 1933, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Hinson brought a lengthy background in airline operations and flying to the agency. A University of Washington graduate, he began flight school in 1954 with the U.S. Navy then moved into civil aviation in 1961 as a pilot for Northwest Airlines.

After helping found Midway Airlines in 1978, he later became executive v-p for McDonnell Douglas before he was asked to serve at the FAA. He managed the FAA during a period when several high-profile accidents put a spotlight on the agency and implemented a “One Level of Safety.”

He also is credited with moving the agency toward adoption of GPS navigation in the civil airspace.

Logging more than 8,000 hours in more than 70 aircraft types, Hinson further served on the board of the National Air and Space Museum and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s board of visitors.

He is survived by his wife, Ursula; their three children, Eric, Spencer, and Heidi; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

The general aviation community lost a “fierce advocate” with the November 24 passing of Selena Shilad, executive director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America (AAAA). Shilad, who was 45, died after a brief illness.

She joined the Alliance after it was formed in 2007 and was promoted to executive director within a year.

During her tenure with the nonprofit advocacy organization, she elevated the focus on the economic role that the general aviation community had on a local, regional, and national level and brought together a wide range of groups to advocate for the industry.

Before joining AAAA, Shilad coordinated high-profile initiatives for corporate and nonprofit clients across a range of industries and served as a legislative advisor in state and national campaigns, including in Arizona and Texas. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago, as well as a master’s from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

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Stans, Switzerland-based Pilatus increased the year-over-year deliveries of its single-engine PC-12 from 47 to 66, a more than 40 percent rise. Daher boosted the production of its TBMs by 21 percent this year, delivering five more 960s and one more 910 than it did a year ago. Piper Aircraft added five M600s to its total this year for a 13 percent climb, and both Epic and Piaggio remained static with deliveries of 10 E1000GXs and one P.180 Avanti Evo, respectively. Textron saw erosion in its twin-engine King Air deliveries, handing over four fewer 260s and three fewer 360/ ERs than in the first nine months of 2022.

Piston airplane deliveries saw a 12 percent gain as total airplane billings climbed by 2.5 percent in 2023 to $14.5 billion.

On the rotorcraft side, turbine helicopter deliveries increased by 6.3 percent yearover-year: 469 were handed over through the first nine months of the year.

Airbus Helicopters increased its deliveries by more than 6 percent, ramping up production of its H125s and H135s to deliver 20 more units than it did in the first nine months of 2022, and offsetting a decline of 12 deliveries of the H145.

Leonardo improved on its third-quarter 2022 totals by nearly 47 percent, almost doubling the number of AW119Kx light single- engine helicopters it delivered through the third quarter of last year and adding nine more medium twin AW139s.

Bell experienced a 26 percent dip in deliveries year-over-year with decreases across its entire lineup, led by 13 fewer light singleengine 505s handed over in 2023.

Robinson Helicopter added six R66s to its delivery total this year, representing a more than 8 percent boost for the Torrance, California-based airframer. Meanwhile, Sikorsky delivered one S-70i, three S-76s, and one S-92 in the first three quarters of the year, an improvement over the two helicopters it delivered in the same period of 2022. Total helicopter billings rose by 5.4 percent to $2.7 billion year-over-year. z

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