Aviation International News August 2023

SURVEY: BUSINESS AIRCRAFT PRODUCT SUPPORT

OPERATIONS: SHIFTING STRUGGLES OVER 5G

WORKFORCE: PILOT SHORTAGE, AIRLINES SQUEEZING BIZAV

Special Report: MORE MRO AT OEMS

Africa on the Table

For Vertis Aviation clients, business aircraft charter in Africa is a necessity, not a luxury

16 Special Report: OEMs make big moves into MRO

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Workforce: Hera initiative seeks to move the needle in bizav careers

20 AIN Product Support

4 Honda Aircraft green lights HondaJet 2600 light jet

6 CAE: Aviation industry needs 1.3M professionals by 2032

8 Search for Titan sub ends with Harding and all lost

10 Fatalities from U.S. bizjet accidents rise in first half

12 Geared Up: Bose unveils A30 digital ANR aviation headset

14 Market Corner: Choosing the right aircraft management approach is not easy

32 Vertis sees value in Africa charter market

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Safety Talk: T&I Chair Sam Graves on protecting the ‘gold standard’ of safety

Workforce: Airline demands squeezing business aviation pilot supply

Training: VR and cost are driving newgeneration flight training devices

44 Spectrum wars continue summer sizzle

Survey: Airframe manufacturers

THE GULFSTREAM DIFFERENCE

Your success is our inspiration. Every investment we make—in advanced technology, sustainability innovation, precision manufacturing and worldwide customer support—is an investment in you.

News Briefs

HONEYWELL ADDING HUD TO ITS AVIONICS PORTFOLIO

Honda Aircraft green lights

HondaJet 2600 light jet

BY MATT THURBER

Honda Aircraft is moving ahead with plans to “commercialize” the HondaJet 2600 concept light jet that it unveiled at NBAABACE 2021. Powered by two Williams International FJ44-4C turbofans and with a Garmin G3000 avionics suite, the 2600 will also share the original HA-420 HondaJet’s over-the-wing-engine-mount design. Certification is planned for 2028.

The last design before former Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino retired in March 2022, the 2600 promises midsize jet comfort, speed, and range in a light jet airframe.

Capable of carrying 11 occupants (two pilots and nine passengers or one pilot and 10 passengers), the 2600 will have a max cruise speed of 450 knots, ceiling of FL470, and 2,625-nm NBAA IFR range (four passengers, one pilot). Max takeo ff weight will be around 17,500 pounds. For the 2600, the FJ44-4C variant will produce 3,550 pounds of thrust.

The 2600’s Garmin G3000 flight deck has three large displays in the panel, two touchscreen controllers , autothrottles, autobrakes, Honda’s Advanced Steering Augmentation System, and runway overrun awareness and alerting system.

When he unveiled the new jet in 2021, Fujino said that with a cabin altitude of

6,363 feet at FL470, the 2600 would feature a composite fuselage and empennage, similiar to the HA-420. But Spirit AeroSystems will produce the 2600 fuselage, instead of GKN, which manufactures the HA-420’s fuselage.

The 2600 fuselage will be more ovalshaped, and the cabin is 62.5 inches high and 61 inches wide.

Seating configurations include two double clubs or a single club seating area and a divan across from two seats. A fullheight galley is up front (a smaller galley goes with the single club/divan) and in the back, an enclosed lavatory is larger than the HA-420’s. Adding more light to the cabin are four round skylights (two in the main cabin and two in the lavatory).

Honda Aircraft said the 2600 will offer 20 percent better fuel efficiency compared with typical light jets and more than 40 percent better fuel efficiency than medium-sized jets during typical missions.

“The commercialization of our new light jet represents Honda’s next chapter of skyward mobility,” said Honda Aircraft president and CEO Hideto Yamasaki. “By building on the expertise behind our technological innovations, we will accelerate the development of the program with sustainability...throughout.” z

Honeywell, which has not manufactured its own head-up display (HUD) as part of its avionics o erings, plans to acquire HUD assets from Saab and integrate a HUD with its Anthem and Epic avionics systems. No timeline was provided for the deal’s completion. Once concluded, Honeywell will manufacture the HUD, according to Andrew Barker, v-p of integrated avionics. “Honeywell will be the manufacturer, and it will be a Honeywell-led operation,” he noted. The company plans to o er the HUD as an integrated feature of its new Anthem avionics suite but also for aircraft equipped with Primus Epic flight decks.

HONDA LAUNCHES CERTIFIED PREOWNED PROGRAM

Honda Aircraft’s new certified preowned program (CPO) is available to customers through its authorized sales network. The company said it practices a “discerning selection process” for choosing aircraft and rigorous inspection and maintenance processes before issuing the CPO designation. The program also o ers “end-to-end services,” from entry-into-service to post-sales support. Each CPO HondaJet must pass a 208-point standard inspection and is brought up to the highest performance level available for each model, based on applicable service bulletins.

BOMBARDIER BUYS MEXICOBASED WIRING BUSINESS

Bombardier reinforced its supply chain via its acquisition last month of Latécoère’s electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) business in Querétaro, Mexico. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This acquisition enables Bombardier to take key EWIS activities in-house and secure both the expertise and assets to manufacture electrical harnesses. Bombardier added that the move is in alignment with insourcing initiatives designed to improve its supply chain.

News Briefs

DAYJET STAGING A COMEBACK?

CAE: Aviation industry needs 1.3M professionals by 2032

BY KERRY LYNCH

The global civil aviation industry will need a combined 1.3 million new professionals by 2032 to support the growing commercial and business aviation markets, according to flight training giant CAE. In its recently released 2023 Aviation Talent Forecast, CAE projects that the business aviation industry alone will need 106,000 to join the segment—32,000 pilots and 74,000 maintenance technicians. The airlines will need to recruit 252,000 pilots, 328,000 maintenance technicians, and 599,000 cabin crew.

“With a need for 1.3 million people by 2032, CAE’s Aviation Talent Forecast is a call to action for the industry to promote careers in aviation to the next generation, reach out to underrepresented communities, and develop innovative support programs to expand the pool of talent needed for the continued growth and safety of our industry,” said CAE civil aviation group president Nick Leontidis. “As commercial aviation nears full recovery and business aviation exceeds pre-pandemic levels, CAE’s...forecast shows that the demand will

continue to grow, and the industry will have to come together and find creative ways to ensure a steady pipeline of highly trained personnel for the next 10 years and beyond.”

The forecast projects 18 percent growth in the business aviation fleet over the next decade, from 22,000 to 26,000 aircraft in 2032. Over the same period, the airline fleet will expand from 31,000 to 43,000 aircraft, or 39 percent growth, CAE further forecasts.

Compounding this growth, from a workforce standpoint, is the aging population. Thirty percent of the U.S. workforce will be of retirement age by 2030, and 38 percent of pilots are currently over age 50. More than half of aircraft maintenance technicians are at least 40.

“With massive retirement numbers projected over the next 10 years, the percentage of aviation personnel over the age of 50 will keep increasing in comparison to the total civil aviation industry pool,” the forecast noted. “The retirement of experienced pilots will need to be countered with an even larger wave of new hires.” z

A newly launched website for Boca Raton, Florida-based AtlantisRoad indicates that Nancy Iacobucci, who co-founded DayJet along with her late husband Ed Iacobucci, is attempting to reboot per-seat, on-demand private jet service. DayJet launched such service in Florida in October 2007 and expanded operations before shutting down a year later. AtlantisRoad said it plans to use HondaJets for its planned service but does not yet have an FAA Part 135 certificate. The new company, which counts many former DayJet employees among its ranks, has filed a trademark application for DayJet and still owns the DayJet.com domain name.

GO RENTALS LANDS INVESTMENT FROM REDBIRD

Go Rentals, a luxury car rental provider that focuses on the private aviation market, on July 10 announced a “significant investment” from private-equity firm RedBird Capital Partners. According to Go Rentals, this funding will fuel organic growth while allowing the company to benefit from RedBird’s ecosystem of aviation, sports, entertainment, and financial services platforms. Under the agreement, co-founders and owners Kavous and Kaye Gitibin will continue to lead Go Rentals.

AEROVANTI SHUTTERS AMID FRAUD CHARGES

The future of membership club AeroVanti remains uncertain amid reports that the company has largely shuttered operations. Several sources claim the company has not made payroll since June 6, left unpaid bills that resulted in at least one aircraft being repossessed, is the target of an FAA enforcement investigation, and is the subject of civil litigation alleging fraud. The FAA investigation is believed focused on the fact that AeroVanti was operating under Part 91F instead of Part 135.

CAE sees a need for 1.3 million pilots, technicians, and cabin crew to make up for sta ng shortages, fleet growth, and anticipated retirements.

Search for Titan sub ends with Harding and all lost

BY CURT EPSTEIN

The search for a submersible on a sightseeing mission to the remains of the Titanic ended in tragedy when the U.S. Coast Guard announced June 26 that it had located the wreckage of the Titan on the sea floor less than 2,000 feet from the doomed ocean liner’s bow. All five on board were lost, including Hamish Harding, chairman of Dubaibased aircraft brokerage Action Aviation and a noted adventurer, who was onboard as a “mission specialist”—one of the individuals who paid up to $250,000 for the trip.

The Titan, which had survived previous dives to the Titanic, lost contact with the surface less than two hours after it began its descent. It is not known when the submersible suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” although rescuers spent two days futilely trying to home in on what was described as a banging noise in the area. The urgency of the search was spurred by the limited hours of life support available on the Titan.

The wreckage was observed via a remotely-operated submersible, and an expert from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute explained that the distribution of the debris field was consistent with an implosion in the water column.

Harding, 58, a commercially licensed jet pilot, was inducted as a Living Legend of Aviation last year. Aside from founding Action Aviation in 2004, he was a member of the Explorers Club and his thirst for adventure took him from the depths of the Marianas Trench to sub-orbital space

aboard a Blue Origin rocket. In 2019, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission, Harding was part of “One More Orbit,” a record-breaking pole-to-pole circumnavigation in a Gulfstream G650ER. He also made several trips to Antarctica, landing on an ice runway, while working with tourism company White Desert to introduce regular business jet service there.

A frequent speaker at aviation conferences as an expert in the aircraft sales arena, Harding expressed continued optimism in the business aviation markets during a recent AIN interview, noting his business was booming.

AIN contributor Peter Shaw-Smith, who had interviewed Harding on a number of occasions, called him the “quintessential bizav man,” and added, “His succinct precis of the market in the Middle East and around the world were avidly consumed by readers seeking an insight into the true workings of the bizav market.”

While he loved the business, Harding also was one of Dubai’s foremost proponents, he said, “never missing an opportunity to extol the city’s virtues as his business’s node. He lived the city to the full, enjoying life from his villa on Palm Island, as all Dubai’s most successful do.

“Knowing he won’t be coming back is a sad loss to his colleagues at Action Aviation and it is hard to know where they will go from here without his steady hand on the tiller. He will be missed and it is sobering that he is lost to us in his prime.” z

News Briefs

GULFSTREAM TO EXPAND ST. LOUIS COMPLETIONS CENTER

Gulfstream is again expanding its completions facility at St. Louis Downtown Airport (KCPS) in Cahokia, Illinois. Coming on the heels of last year’s growth at the center, this latest $28.5 million improvement will also include new equipment and tools that will boost capacity for exterior aircraft painting, cabin furniture installations, avionics integrations, and other tasks required for customer deliveries straight from the KCPS location. This latest round of growth will also add career opportunities for skilled labor in avionics, interior installations, structures, and testing, along with procurement, parts management, customer service, and engineering.

FLEXJET ADDING AIRCRAFT

Flexjet plans to add 22 mid- and super-midsized jets by year-end, bringing its global fleet to 270 aircraft. Its current fleet includes the Embraer Phenom 300 and Praetor 500 and 600; Bombardier Challenger 350 and 3500; and Gulfstream G450 and G650. To support its growing fleet, Flexjet plans to hire 1,400 employees this year, including 388 pilots and 338 maintenance technicians.

STARTUP JETQUITY OFFERS AIRCRAFT VALUE BACKING

Aviation technology and financial entrepreneur Asad Rahman and former NATA executive v-p Ryan Waguespack have launched Jetquity, an international private investment house that backs residual values of private jets. With o ces in the U.S. and the Middle East, Jetquity is rolling out two plans: Protect Plus, for aircraft up to three years old, which protects a minimum of 80 percent of the residual value for five years, and Protect, for aircraft between three and 15 years old, which protects a maximum of 75 percent of the residual value for five years. While a new program, Jetquity has built a backlog of 18 aircraft globally to enroll.

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Fatalities from U.S. bizjet accidents rise in first half

BY GORDON GILBERT

Four fatal U.S.-registered business jet accidents, three of them while under Part 91 personal flights, claimed the lives of nine people in the first half of this year versus zero such fatalities in all of 2022. Separately, two people were killed in one non-U.S-registered special missions

business jet accident in the first six months, compared with six who perished in one non-U.S-registered charter jet crash in the same period last year.

On January 2, an Embraer Phenom 300 crashed after the pilot lost control during

continues on page 60 

ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS WORLDWIDE (FIRST HALF 2023 VS FIRST HALF 2022)

News Briefs

PIAGGIO SEES BUYER INTEREST

Piaggio Aerospace’s extraordinary commissioners have received 18 expressions of interest (EOIs) for the purchase of Piaggio Aero Industries and Piaggio Aviation. Both operate under the Piaggio Aerospace brand and under government-appointed extraordinary administration. Half of the EOIs were submitted by businesses domiciled in Italy, with others submitted by entities in Europe, North America, and Asia. The commissioners are now evaluating the submissions to determine which entities qualify for bidding. They intend to identify a new owner for the company by year-end.

PORTUGAL ROLLS OUT BIZAV CARBON TAX

Portugal instituted a carbon-emissions tax for business aircraft with up to 19 seats at the beginning of last month. Similar to a measure introduced in 2021 for airline passengers, the tari is much more onerous for private aviation flights. According to OpsGroup, a 250-seat airliner flying between Lisbon and Newark airports will pay a €500 surcharge, but a large-cabin Gulfstream G650 on the same route will pay four times that amount, despite the airliner’s greater fuel burn. The new tax will be imposed on all commercial and non-commercial business aircraft flights departing from Portugal. It also applies to tech stops in the Azores.

NEW SAF FACILITY IN WA

* For example: air ambulance, aerial survey, ferry, training, testing, manufacturer, government (non-military).

Construction of a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility started on July 11 in Moses Lake, Washington. Twelve Corp., a California-based clean energy startup, plans to produce what it calls “e-jet” fuel there using carbon dioxide and renewable energy. The new plant will produce one million gallons of e-jet fuel annually, with “significant potential to expand beyond that.” Twelve’s SAF is expected to be fueling flights starting in early 2024.

FAA, NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, AIN research

AIN tables show “incidents” as well as “accidents” to distinguish mishaps based on their degree of severity. Investigators often draw fine distinctions between the two events, but, typically, incidents result in minor or no damage and their investigations are sometimes delegated to local o cials. Accidents are events that range from minor damage to destruction and/or injuries. Also, some incidents ultimately get upgraded to accident status during the investigative process.

GO WHERE NO BUSINESS JE T HAS GONE BEFOR E

Geared Up

Bose unveils A30 digital ANR aviation headset

BY MATT THURBER

After four years of development, Bose launched its latest active noise-reduction (ANR) aviation headset, the A30. Bose will no longer sell the A20 (which is now available at a discounted price), except to fulfill some customer commitments during the coming year, and the A30 will be its top-of-the-line, around-ear headset.

Retailing for $1,249, the A30 is slightly lighter than the (formerly) $1,195 A20 and offers lower clamping pressure while incorporating digital ANR features similar to those in the ProFlight 2 in-ear headset. Like the A20 and ProFlight 2, the A30 is FAA technical standard order (TSO) approved.

“The A20 has been such a great headset, it’s really been hard to make something better,” said Bose senior product manager Matt Ruwe. “Our engineers have shed a lot of tears trying to do just that.”

The new digital chipset powering the A30 ANR is designed to optimize power consumption, he explained, “and requires significantly less power, providing at least 45 hours of battery life.” The A30 with nonpanel-power plugs uses two AA batteries.

For pilots who fly with the ProFlight, the A30’s control module will look familiar, with the same “high-medium-low” settings for adjusting the noise cancelation level as the ProFlight, although it is modified and updated. The high mode gives the most cancelation, Ruwe explained, and should be optimal for noisy aircraft, typically piston-powered and unpressurized types. Pilots flying quieter aircraft such as pressurized pistons and turboprops might find medium more suitable. And in a superquiet jet flight deck where being able to hear outside the headset is important for

crew communication, the low setting facilitates hearing crew and passenger voices.

Two key changes on the A30 include clamping pressure and weight. A30 clamping pressure (360 grams) is 20 percent less than the A20 (450 grams), which makes wearing the headset comfortable for longer periods.

Both the A20 and A30 weigh nearly the same, with the latter lighter by six grams. The combination of a change in the A30’s balance (center of gravity and where it touches the wearer), the lighter clamping force, and the lower weight contribute to the improved feel of the A30.

The A30 has multiple equalization circuits that automatically optimize audio, depending on whether it’s radio or intercom communications or music. “The Bluetooth circuit shapes whatever is coming through that circuit automatically, independent of what’s coming through the intercom,” Ruwe said. The microphone rejects far-field noise to improve voice input and transmission.

Compared to the A20, the A30 looks more sophisticated, with cleaner lines, no wires showing on the headband, and

Clean lines, lighter weight, lower clamping pressure, and digital noise reduction are all features of the new Bose A30 aviation headset.

smoother-looking ear cups. The headband on the A30 is made of sintered aluminum instead of the magnesium that was used on the A20.

Even though the A30 weighs only slightly less than the A20, I immediately noticed the lower clamping pressure the first time I tried it on. I brought both the A30 and A20 with me on two flights in a Cessna 172 to compare them.

It’s very difficult to perceive any difference in audio quality. I like having the option of selecting the noise-cancelation level on the A30, but I found the most comfortable setting for that airplane is the high option. The high setting on the A30 seems to correspond with the noise cancelation of the A20.

With the lower clamping pressure, I found that the A30 needed a little more adjusting on my head to make sure I had the best noise cancelation results; it doesn’t just mold onto my head the same as the A20. But my head did appreciate the lower pressure and I found wearing the A30 during the test flight, which lasted two hours, quite comfortable.

The A30 is available with most plug types, including dual GA, panel power (Lemo,) Airbus XLR5, and U-174 (helicopter). Other more specialized plug types will be added later, Bose said. z

Choosing the right management approach: not as simple as it may appear

BY KEVIN O’LEARY

One decision aircraft owners have to make is whether or not to allow their airplane to be chartered out when they’re not using it. On the surface, chartering seems to make good business sense: if the aircraft isn’t being used and the crew is available, why not have it produce revenue? As with most financial decisions in private aviation, the answer is not always as simple as it may seem.

Once the decision to charter the aircraft has been made, one major task is determining which type of aircraft management company to select.

Most businesses are rewarded for growing revenue quickly and consistently and beating financial projections. Stock prices soar when companies grow quickly, and a business may have a great growth story

even when profitability is minimal, because it is gaining market share and stronger results are believed to be coming. In many industries, once a company’s annual fixed costs are paid, incremental sales result in higher profit margins.

Aircraft ownership is different. One reason is that an aircraft is a depreciating asset, so generally the more it is flown, the less it is worth when it’s sold. The second is that once the aircraft is chartered over a certain number of hours annually, the fixed costs rise because the owner needs to hire an additional pilot or two. This mutes or even eliminates the financial benefit of the additional flying.

While at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as a doctoral student, I

conducted an unpublished research study, “Aircraft Management Company Selection.” The study used actual management proposals and historic charter performance combined with a Monte Carlo simulation.

Five hundred Monte Carlo simulations were run to estimate the number of charter hours each aircraf management company would fly per year. Those simulated charter hours were assigned to the financial budgets proposed by three basic management companies. The study compared how they proposed to staff to fly the hours and how much revenue the flights would produce.

As expected, the high-demand management company (HDM) simulation showed the most charter hours each year and significantly more revenue than the other two management

companies. The medium-demand management company (MDM) simulation showed the second most charter hours while the low-demand manager (LDM) showed the least.

The financial projections for these simulations incorporated a reduction in the aircraft value based on a factor derived from the value index book for aircraft valuations. This means that the additional hours flown each came at a future cost based on a reduced value for the aircraft.

The key to the study was the different philosophies on aircraft management. The HDM and MDM both had significant discounts that were offset by their high management fees and staffing costs.

Their proposal included additional pilots ready to fly with minimal notice to drive the aircraft’s higher revenue. The LDM had lower pilot salaries and lower management fees combined with the highest fuel surcharge (which goes directly to the owner as revenue). The LDM’s financials had the lowest revenues in nearly all the simulated financial models.

It is important to understand how management companies make their money. The best ones are transparent and disclose how and where they are profiting. The most transparent managers make their money off management fees and charter revenue only. But notably, managers make the majority of their income off commissions based on charter revenue, which means they make more when revenue increases.

When the aircraft flies more, the aircraft declines in value with higher use and there is a need for more pilots to meet the flying requirements. The manager’s commissions are based solely on top-line revenue produced by charter and are not reduced when fixed costs or depreciation increases.

With those assumptions, the study concluded that 85 percent of the simulated financial models showed the LDM had the best overall return for the owner. The MDM was never the best solution in any of the simulations. The HDM showed as the best financial option only when the HDM

produced the maximum number of charter hours while the LDM produced the least.

This happened in only 15 percent of the simulations and in real life seems unlikely. It is counterintuitive to assume the HDM is producing the maximum amount of charter in the same year the LDM is producing the least amount of charter. If demand is extremely high in the market, all managers tend to charter more hours.

The most important lesson for an owners considering aircraft management is that the manager that watches the bottom line the closest without compromising safety will most likely be the one that produces the best financial results. It is easy to be seduced by the manager that will double the revenue. But don’t be taken in by the shiny penny—look for companies that watch over the finances as if they were their own dollars being spent. Remember, managers make commission

off top-line revenue, not profitability. Managers in the U.S. are some of the best in the world and deserve to be compensated for their efforts and expertise. The best financial result is usually found by determining the staffing levels necessary to satisfy the owner’s needs first and then looking at what levels of charter can be accommodated by that staff. Remember, increasing the number of staff pilots or hiring contract pilots at day rates solely to chase charter revenue generally doesn’t help the owner’s financial situation. Watch the bottom line!

Kevin O’Leary, Ph.D., is the CEO and founder of Jet Advisors, an aircraft acquisition, brokerage, consulting, fleet planning, and insurance firm. z

The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by AIN Media Group.

OEMs make big moves into MRO

BY KERRY LYNCH

Business jet manufacturers are taking giant steps into the MRO realm as they seek to tap into new revenue streams, as well as address ongoing capacity and supply constraints.

“It’s a whole new way of looking at business,” said Ken Thompson, managing director of regulatory affairs for the National Air Transportation Association.

These moves are necessary to increase capacity because the business jet fleet is growing. But so too are the sizes of aircraft. “Some of these larger [independent] MROs are building bigger hangars because the aircraft are getting bigger,” Thompson added. But not all have that ability. “Some new aircraft are too large for their hangars.”

“Maintenance requirements and fleet size have outgrown existing shop capacity,” agreed Tim Ferrell, senior v-p at JSSI

Tech Services. “OEMs and independent MROs have been expanding their footprint to meet demand, which is beneficial to operators worldwide and eases availability constraints.”

At the same time, there are OEMs that are bringing work back in to manage parts

and components. “They want to control the environment rather than be at the mercy of the vendor,” Thompson said.

As for the move by the OEMs into MRO, “It’s a big change. I think it is the opportunity being seized,” said Rolland Vincent, JetNet IQ creator and president of Rolland Vincent Associates. “There’s been recognition for many years that the aftermarket is where OEMs make money. It’s been that way for the engine world forever. In a development program, the monies are made long term—10 years out, 20 years out sometimes, especially with the airlines. So that business model has been introduced to business aviation over the past years.”

He added that he sees this as a recognition by the OEMs that they need

In the past five years, Dassault has added 19 MRO facilities and 1,000 employees to its worldwide network.

KEN THOMPSON NATA MANAGING DIRECTOR REGULATORY AFFAIRS

to do a better job of keeping customers and not let them drift away to thirdparty independents.

Manufacturers of the largest business jets—Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Dassault—have invested heavily in expanding their MRO footprints.

Bombardier has poured hundreds of millions into its strategy to “Bring Our Jets Home.” The Canadian manufacturer of the super-midsize Challenger and ultralong-range Global families has increased its MRO facilities footprint worldwide by 1 million square feet in the past two years alone, noted Paul Sislian, executive v-p of Bombardier aftermarket services and strategy. And more is coming. “It’s a massive investment we’ve made into our future,” Sislian said.

This growth comes from a strategy laid out about six years ago. “In 2017, we set the

vision as a company of this is who we want to become and then we set the journey of the whole team driving towards there,” he said. “It was a pinnacle strategy to Bombardier because it sent a clear message to the industry and mostly to our customers that we are here and we want to make sure that we take care of our customers and we add value.”

He noted Bombardier supports a fleet of 5,000 aircraft. “We have to make sure that we properly serve our customers. It’s a life cycle, the relationship we have with them.”

has one of its largest centers based in the London area and the ability to fit 14 Global 7500s in its service center at a time. Its new Miami-Opa locka center has that same capability, while the Singapore center was quadrupled in size.

While not ready to detail Bombardier’s plans, Sislian made it clear that the company is continuing to explore opportunities for further growth. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s an evolution, there’s no destination, you just got to keep going,” he said.

Bombardier vies to double its services revenues from $1 billion in 2020 to $2 billion in 2025, and this year brought in $424 million from services in the first quarter alone, a 17 percent year-over-year increase.

To back that sentiment, he said, Bombardier needed to have the right infrastructure.

This is key because Bombardier’s aircraft have become larger with the addition of the Global 7500, which sports a 112-foot fuselage length, a wingspan of 104 feet, and a height of 27 feet. With the expansion at London Biggin Hill, Bombardier now

While it continues to look for opportunities, perhaps in new areas, Sislian said Bombardier faces the same constraint as the rest of the industry: workforce. “Do I think that we have enough brick-and-mortar capacity presently to meet the demand? The answer is yes. Do I think that we’re going to need to grow our brick-and-mortar over the next five years? Yes. But do I think that we have enough human capacity today? Not yet.”

Bombardier is working with local officials and schools in the regions it enters to develop a talent pipeline, which in turn will help the company increase capacity within the same square footage.

Bombardier hopes to double its service revenue from 2020 to 2025 and plans to keep adding MRO capabilities.

ROLLAND VINCENT JETNET IQ CREATOR

PAUL SISLIAN BOMBARDIER EXEC V-P AFTERMARKET SERVICES

Another aspect of having its own centers is supply chain, Sislian said. “Obviously having your own MROs, you have a little more control over that. There’s a very, very close coordination between the MRO needs and our supply chain capability.” Bombardier is able to balance its inventory between its original equipment manufacturing and MROs. “If parts are in scarce resources, then having your own MROs allows you to be able to move the materials to best suit the customers.”

Gulfstream is another OEM that’s poured hundreds of millions into its service center network—in fact, the company estimates upwards of $500 million—as it looks to keep up with its growing fleet. Just in April, the manufacturer of the G280 super midsize aircraft and a line of largecabin long-range models announced it was investing another $100 million into its service center at its headquarters facility at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia.

This is only one of numerous projects that Gulfstream has been developing over the past 15 years as it saw a need to increase capacity as its aircraft sizes grew. In the past decade, Gulfstream has added more than 2 million sq ft of hangars, shops, warehouse space, and offices and has numerous other expansion projects still ongoing in the U.S. and the UK.

“When the G650 was introduced in 2008, we saw the need to modernize our service facilities to accommodate the very large cabin business aircraft Gulfstream brought to the market, and with that came building larger hangars and streamlining the support experience for our customers,” explained Derek Zimmerman, president of Gulfstream customer support. “The introduction of the G400, G500, G600, G700, and G800 further reinforced that need for modernization and expansion.”

overhaul capabilities “help[s] us gain more control of the supply chain.”

As far as future projects, he said, “We feel confident in our current footprint and customer support offerings and continually assess them to identify opportunities for growth.”

Gulfstream believes its factory-owned networks provide it a venue to directly engage with its customers, Zimmerman said. “We work closely with them so that we can understand their end-service experiences and use this information to enhance our programs and projects.”

While it has an expansive network, Gulfstream has the advantage of having Jet Aviation as a sister company as well. Acquired by parent company General Dynamics in 2008, Jet Aviation helps extend Gulfstream’s service network, Zimmerman said, noting the multi-faceted aviation business chain remains its partner of choice in the regions it serves.

Not only is the aircraft size growing but the fleet itself is rapidly expanding, Zimmerman said, which is also prompting the airframer to implement the strategic expansion plan throughout the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere. This plan spans increased footprint, but also investments in people and parts.

And like Bombardier’s Sislian, Zimmerman agreed that having in-house repair and

Like its competitors, Dassault has made significant strides in securing a strong MRO presence, a strategy that it embarked upon some five years ago. But unlike its business jet OEM brethren, Dassault has sought expansion as much through acquisition as through new-build facilities.

This was evident in 2019, when the French manufacturer of super-midsize, large, and ultra-long-range Falcons made three strategic acquisitions: Luxaviation’s

DEREK ZIMMERMAN PRESIDENT GULSFTREAM CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Gulfstream has spent more than $500 million on its service center network to keep up with its growing fleet.

ExecuJet MRO facilities, TAG Aviation’s MRO business, and Ruag operations in Geneva and Lugano airports in Switzerland. In all, that culminated in 19 additional facilities and 1,000 employees—helping Dassault extend its reach worldwide.

And since then, the company has been investing in those centers. “Throughout the TAG MRO and ExecuJet network, we’re growing,” said Jean Kayanakis, Dassault senior v-p of worldwide customer service and service centers, pointing to centers coming online in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai’s Al Maktoum International. The latter will be able to accommodate 18 to 24 business jets at a time, with space to house the Falcon 6X and 10X.

“You feel responsible from the beginning to the end of the customer experience.”

But, he said, “Clearly, we bring something more because we have been able to integrate into the whole customer service organization the ultimate needs of the customer up to the engineering. And that is now producing a significant effect for the aftermarket.”

For independent MROs, developing an engineering solution might be a difficult business case for individual aircraft, whereas Dassault can more easily develop one and offer it to the fleet, he said.

OEMs do turn to independent MROs for authorized service center relationships. But Vincent said, “My sense is that these authorizations have been trimmed back here and there, especially at some of the OEMs.”

Some look at these authorizations as long-term strategic partnerships. “If you want to sell an airplane, you’re going to need somebody on the ground to do the work to help you out there. So, in the longterm, you need these international partnerships to keep your fleet active and flying and your customers happy,” he said.

while AWFs typically serve multiple OEMs. Further, Gulfstream’s in-house technicians are training for new products while they are in development and have a more mature level of expertise by the time they reach the market, he added. “No one knows Gulfstream aircraft better than we do.”

Dassault, meanwhile, continues to look at expanding its authorized service center (ASC) network, but it too is based on where its fleet is growing. “It’s case-bycase when we need [them],” said Kayanakis.

As far as a future concern of a competitive struggle between the independent MROs and the OEMS, NATA’s Thompson said he doesn’t think the independent MROs are looking at it that way. “I don’t think they’re thinking that in the future as much as I’ve got all this work in front of me.” But he acknowledged “it is an ebb-and-flow situation.”

This is providing the necessary capacity for Falcon customers. “These [centers] are now doing more than 30 percent Falcons,” Kayanakis said.

In addition, Dassault plans to add a 175,000-sq-ft facility under its own brand in Melbourne, Florida, that will help prepare to bring the large-cabin Falcon 6X and 10X into service.

As for capacity after that, Kayanakis called America the primary booming market and said the company may look at the Northeast after its withdrawal from Wilmington, Delaware. “The rest, I think, right now we have enough.” But he added, “We are preparing for the 10X in America. We want to be solid.”

The additions of the service network enable Dassault to have more direct control of the customer experience, Kayanakis said.

Bombardier’s Sislian agreed. “I think that the strategy towards the authorized service centers hasn’t changed, and we’ve been very clear. Our strategy is to bring our jets home. We want to be able to serve our customers,” he said. “Do we think that we could do that in every region? No, and we do have certain authorized service facilities. Will we maintain them? The answer is yes.” However, he added: “Are we looking to expand that? No, we’re not.”

Gulfstream’s Zimmerman also said his company’s focus is remaining on its own service center expansion, but it is also expanding its authorized warranty facilities (AWF) footprint. “We have aircraft based around the world and these AWFs offer convenient access to warranty service, maintenance, and parts for our customers,” he said.

However, he noted advantages to in-house service in that company-owned centers focus only on Gulfstream aircraft

“This is the constant yin-and-yang sort of struggle that goes on,” Vincent agreed. “When times are good, you sort of look around and say well, what else can we do here? And, that’s what is going on. Capital allocation has been going over towards building and expanding service centers and new locations.”

However, when things slow down, such activity may pull back, he further said, adding economists strongly believe that will happen more broadly. “If we see an economic slowdown, what happens first? Flight activity slows and has slowed already. That tends to reduce the demand for MRO.”

But in the current climate, Vincent does not look at that as a negative. “It’s good for our industry. We really have too much demand for the supply. That has been the story here for a couple of years.”

A worry about the overheated demand is that quality control may suffer, he added. “Not every shop provides the same level of service. If I go to Shop A, I get this. If I go to Shop B, I don’t get this,” Vincent noted. “One of the things I like about this OEM strategy of growing their aftermarket businesses is hopefully we’re going to see a little bit more standardization of service quality.” z

JEAN KAYANAKIS

DASSAULT SENIOR V-P GLOBAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

AIN Product Support Survey

Gulfstream and Textron Aviation share position as top-rated airframers

BY GREGORY POLEK

Results in AIN ’s 2023 Product Support Survey showed a tie in the business jet category between Gulfstream and Textron Aviation, each of which posted an overall average score of 8.1—just onetenth of a point ahead of last year’s top scorer, Embraer. Meanwhile, helicopter maker Leonardo finished in the top spot among all companies still producing aircraft with an 8.7 rating. Finally, Pilatus’s support of the PC-12 turboprop earned the highest score among all

in-production fixed-wing aircraft at 8.6, equaling its score from 2022.

Virtually every company surveyed continued to feel the results of supply chain constraints, reactions to which appeared varyingly effective in mitigating its impact. E ff orts to relieve the pressure took several forms among the respondents, including more communication and hands-on help for suppliers, increasing inventory levels, and maintaining closer ties with teardown agencies to

help supplement its parts inventory.

Other factors included a need for more staffing as several companies added or continue the process of adding more square footage for MRO operations and parts warehousing.

A total of 593 respondents completed the survey this year, 402 of which hailed from North America. Latin America followed with 50 responses and Europe and Asia-Pacific with 46 each, with the remainder from the rest of the world.

Gulfstream G650

Citation Latitude

SURVEY RULES AND METHODOLOGY

AIN ’s annual Product Support Survey aims to quantify and rate through statistical analysis the product support functions of aircraft manufacturers over the past year. The survey, whose respondents include operators of business jets, pressurized turboprops, and turbine-powered helicopters, endeavors to encourage continuous improvement in aircraft product support throughout the industry.

SURVEY TOOL

For the third year, AIN conducted the survey via a questionnaire developed in partnership with

Rolland Vincent Associates, a Texas-based consultancy focused on aviation market research, strategy, and forecasting. Designed to provide improved ease of use and to encourage more participants to complete the entire questionnaire, the survey tool included Spanish and Portuguese versions along with clearer language and imagery around the categories and evaluation scale. Finally, it asked respondents to evaluate one full aircraft at a time, including airframe, engines, and avionics.

METHODOLOGY

AIN emailed qualified readers a link to the password-protected survey website active from

late April to mid-June. It asked respondents to rate individual aircraft and provide the tail number, aircraft age, primary region of service, and whether they used factory-owned or authorized service centers, or both. The survey also asked respondents to rate, on a scale from 1 to 10, the quality of service they received during the previous 12 months in the following categories: Factory-owned Service Centers; Authorized Service Centers; Cost Per Hour Program; Parts Availability; Cost of Parts; AOG Response; Warranty Fulfillment; Technical Manuals; Technical Reps; and Overall Aircraft Reliability.

THE RESULTS

In total, 593 unique respondents representing 1,821 aircraft, from 57 countries completed the survey. While slightly above last year’s total, AIN did not receive enough responses to verifiably report on Bell or Airbus Helicopters. Rolland Vincent Associates reviewed the data to ensure accurate and valid responses. It also compiled the final survey results in close coordination with AIN

AIRFRAMERS

RESULTS ANALYSIS

AIN’s analysis of the survey showed that scores slightly improved this year despite several challenges faced by product support organizations:

» Flight hours remained elevated between the May 2022 to May 2023 survey period and flying exceeded pre-pandemic levels in all business aviation segments. More flying leads to more unscheduled maintenance and demand on support teams.

One of two airframers to rise to the top spot in the business jet segment, Gulfstream saw its total score of 8.1 result from very high scores in overall aircraft reliability (9.0), technical representatives (9.1), warranty fulfillment (8.7), and factoryowned service centers (8.2). The company saw its weakest score in cost of parts (6.0). Although, parts availability, at 7.4, appears low compared with the rest of Gulfstream’s results, the company finished ahead of each of the other four business jet makers—underscoring the ongoing supply chain struggles throughout the industry. Gulfstream’s score this year inched up by 0.2 from 2022 results, propelling it to the top spot.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Intent to ensure that customers receive the exact same level of support regardless of their location, Gulfstream has embarked on an infrastructure expansion plan that saw it announce in April the continued growth of its Savannah, Georgia-based MRO facility. Already one of the largest dedicated business aviation MRO facilities in the world, Savannah will see the creation of an additional 200,000 square feet of workspace for inspections and maintenance, avionics upgrades, and interior redesigns.

Following the Savannah announcement, the company opened a new repair and overhaul shop at Farnborough in the UK that will bring significantly more capacity for work on wheels, brakes, and batteries. Other projects either finished or in progress over the last year include expansion of facilities in Mesa, Arizona; Fort Worth, Texas; and Farnborough.

Over the past year, Gulfstream also has invested heavily in spare parts storage and distribution, locating warehouses near key airports such as Atlanta Hartsfield and Amsterdam Schiphol. It purposely chose the Dallas-Fort Worth area as the location for its new component repair and overhaul facility for its proximity

» Supply chain disruptions created longer lead times for parts acquisition and have shown little sign of easing.

COMING NEXT

AIN has published its 2023 Product Support Survey results for aircraft in this issue; next month will feature avionics, cabin electronics, and connectivity; and engines will follow in October.

to the largest air cargo operation in the U.S. and DFW Airport.

The company says it invested more than $1 billion in parts inventory around the world to help mitigate supply chain disruptions. Another strategy centers on its expansion of in-house repair and overhaul (R&O) capabilities to help it gain more control over the supply chain. According to Gulfstream, R&O proficiency aligns with its sustainability goals, allowing it to extend aircraft life cycles while reducing the need for raw materials and manufacturing of replacement goods.

Finally, Gulfstream strengthened its workforce by identifying and placing new roles within the support organization and adding headcount. The company now employs some 5,000 people in more than a dozen MRO locations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It claims to maintain a sharp focus on employee training and has committed significant investment in on-the-job training resources.

Now preparing for G700 entry into service, Gulfstream support teams have undergone what the company calls extensive training to support delivery of the aircraft.

TEXTRON AVIATION

Also notching a composite score of 8.1—up from 2022’s 7.8, Textron Aviation benefitted most notably from a high score in warranty fulfillment (8.9), technical reps (8.8), and factoryowned service centers (8.2). It also scored best among the five OEMs in the category in cost per hour programs with a 7.9 rating and only a tenth of a point behind Gulfstream in parts availability with a score of 7.3. However, it performed comparatively weakly in overall aircraft reliability, tying Embraer at 8.6 for the lowest score among the five business jet airframers. Other conspicuous ratings included an 8.4 for authorized service centers, which, although relatively high, placed Textron at the bottom of the rankings in that category.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Textron Aviation’s expansion of its global footprint, people, and inventory highlighted its product support offering over the past year, giving Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker customers more ready access to parts and services they need to maintain their fleets. Specifically, it added team members in Europe and Latin America to further expand its presence outside the U.S. and established a 1CALL AOG support team in Spain as well as customer support teams in Germany and Brazil to facilitate parts ordering, returns, and warranty claims.

Now building another 180,000 sq ft of space at its parts distribution warehouse in Wichita, Textron Aviation aims to invest further in inventory to support not only new models such as the Cessna SkyCourier and Beechcraft Denali, but older models as well. The company says the expansion will make it easier for customers to conduct business with features such as a dedicated lane for customers to drop off or pick up parts in person and opportunities for consolidated shipments.

Textron Aviation recently added a stockroom in Fairbanks, Alaska, allowing Cessna Caravan and SkyCourier customers to receive parts faster than those shipped from

the company’s headquarters in Kansas. It also opened a new satellite service center at Dallas Love Field to support customer demand in the high-traffic Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The location offers customers additional flexibility for support and complements the company’s unscheduled AOG response.

Textron also continues to adopt digital platforms such as the Service Management app, which eases customers’ review and approval of work and connections with service centers.

Meanwhile, Textron Aviation redesigned its parts product website to make it easier for customers to ensure they order the correct parts. Customers can shop for parts by aircraft model and save them for future use. They also can track their orders from the moment the company receives them, giving operators visibility of the order’s shipment status.

Separately, Textron Aviation has instituted new pricing policies. Customers on ProParts fixed-cost programs benefited as their rates increased at a lower percentage than the Consumer Price Index adjustment for 2023.

Finally, ProAdvantage maintenance budgeting and price protection programs now cover Wi-Fi hardware installed on customer aircraft at no additional cost.

Embraer’s 8.0 overall score placed it in the middle of the grouping of five business jet manufacturers, albeit only a tenth of a percentage point below the two top-ranking OEMs and the same as the Brazilian manufacturer posted last year. Last year’s

winner in the category also saw high ratings in technical manuals (8.5), technical reps (8.6), cost of parts (the highest at 7.1), and authorized service centers (8.7). Lingering supply chain issues likely resulted in a low ranking in parts availability (6.4).

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Brazil’s Embraer took deliberate steps to confront supply chain disruptions and higher fleet utilization with an investment in additional inventory and human resources around the world to support throughput, resulting in more than a 20 percent increase in parts availability compared with its performance in 2022. Meanwhile, revenues generated by the company’s services and support division has already returned to above pre-pandemic levels and backlog growth compared with last year stands at 8.3 percent.

Embraer now counts more than 680 aircraft enrolled in its Executive Care program, including the fleet of a new customer from Brazil—fractional operator Avantto. The company also appointed ExecuJet as its authorized service center for business jets in South Africa, at Lanseria International Airport near Johannesburg.

“Capacity expansion is our priority in [our] MRO network,” said the company. “Last year we increased staffing in our MROs and we plan to keep capacity growing, hiring experienced technicians, and enhancing our portfolio. The expansion is driven by [sustainability] efforts. We are working on LED lighting upgrades and on battery-powered [ground service equipment] replacement.”

Other sustainability measures include 25 hours of free carbon-neutral flight hours for enrollees in the Embraer Executive Care program through 4AIR to offset carbon emissions during their first year of ownership.

Separately, as pilot training capacity becomes ever more strained, Embraer has taken steps to boost the number of student slots and availability of full flight simulators. For example, it added a simulator in Las Vegas to address U.S. demand. A joint venture between Embraer and CAE called

ECTS will operate the machine at the new CAE Las Vegas Training Center near Henderson International Airport. Six Phenom-series simulators reside in Dallas, London Burgess Hill, and Guarulhos Airport in Brazil. Along with CAE for the Phenom fleet, Embraer has partnered with FlightSafety International for Praetors. Embraer plans for a new Praetor simulator in Orlando during this year’s third quarter.

So-called digital transformation stands as a key pillar in Embraer’s support foundation. The company recently launched a new feature within its AHEAD health analysis and diagnosis system called Health Monitoring, which provides trend analysis and detects parts degradation to avoid AOGs and unscheduled maintenance. Furthermore, the company’s Smart Troubleshooting program has resulted in about 30 percent less troubleshooting time and a 9 percent decrease in labor expenditures. Finally, the company’s Beacon maintenance-coordination platform tracks scheduled and unscheduled events and allows technicians to accelerate return to service from any device, eliminating the need for emails and multiple phone calls.

DASSAULT

Finishing with an overall score of 7.9, Dassault ended up just two-tenths of a point behind the leaders in the overall average category, thanks to a first-place score in authorized service centers (8.8) and relativelly high scores for warranty fulfillment and technical reps (8.7), and overall reliability (8.9). These scores also helped boost its overall average by

four-tenths of a point compared with 2022. The company’s weakest scores this year reflected its high cost of parts (6.4) and relatively low-rated cost-per-hour programs (6.8) and AOG response (7.6). The Falcon service provider finished in the middle of the grouping of five bizjet OEMs in parts availability (6.9) and technical manuals (8.4).

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Dassault this past year has continued to commit major investments in expanding and improving its customer support network while working with key vendors affected by the supply chain crisis to monitor recovery plans and boost inventory levels. One of those investments, namely a new spares management system, required some “debugging,” said the OEM, but it now performs as intended. The company also has increased the size of its rotables inventory as an added resource for operators and a means to minimize the effect of supply chain disruptions.

Finally, as the Covid crisis led to more retirements and other employment dislocations, Dassault boosted recruiting efforts in all service disciplines.

Meanwhile, Dassault expects to see the opening of additional service centers following the establishment of its ExecuJet Dubai MRO early this year to serve Middle East owners and operators of the newest and largest Falcons. Other new MRO centers will open soon in Kuala Lumpur and, later, in Melbourne, Florida, in 2025. In India, Dassault operators now have access to a new authorized service center in New Delhi through Indamer, complementing two other ASCs in Mumbai.

Through the Dassault MRO network, the company has developed what it calls efficient service packages for major

inspections, including Falcon 7X 2C checks (a 16-year inspection), minimizing downtime and cost for operators.

Finally, as the Falcon 6X approaches the cusp of service entry, Dassault has assembled a dedicated team to manage pilot and maintenance training for the type. Dassault senior v-p of worldwide Falcon customer service Jean Kayanakis said customer training will begin shortly in a full-flight simulator at CAE Burgess Hill in the UK.

“Dassault MRO centers will be ready to support the aircraft at EIS with trained technicians and $80 million in parts and tools,” said Kayanakis. “We’ll have several go teams in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East ready to dispatch when needed.”

BOMBARDIER

Bombardier finished with the same 7.6 overall score as last year’s survey, placing it a half-point behind the leaders and three-tenths of a point behind fourth-place Dassault. The Learjet (out of production), Challenger, and Global manufacturer trailed the other OEMs in factory-owned service centers (7.3), AOG response (7.4), warranty fulfillment (7.8), technical manuals (7.7), and technical reps (8.1). However, it posted relatively high scores in authorized service centers (8.6) and overall aircraft reliability (8.7).

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Recently executing a plan to more than double its aftermarket services network, Bombardier designed its infrastructure

expansion to complement its “Bring Your Jets Home” campaign, meant to encourage owners and operators to return to the OEM for service. By the end of last year, the plan came into clearer focus, resulting in a doubling of its worldwide aftermarket footprint to nearly 1 million sq ft. Along with the facilities expansion, the company remains in the process of hiring more than 300 technicians around the world.

Over the course of six months, Bombardier opened new service centers in Melbourne, Australia, and Miami. It also inaugurated major facility expansion in Singapore, London Biggin Hill, and Paris, where it operates a line maintenance station. The company also broke ground on a new Abu Dhabi service center last December.

Reaction to supply chain constraints resulting from the Covid pandemic included increased communication with primary and sub-tier suppliers and deploying Bombardier staff members to their facilities. The company also acquired more critical parts and raw materials, adding inventory purchased in the fourth quarter of 2021 and first quarter of 2022. It also maintained close ties with third-party aircraft teardown agencies that provided removed inventory.

Over the past year, Bombardier’s customer support team accelerated response time to AOG events, boosted support capacity with the expansion of its service center network, introduced its Smart Link Plus connected aircraft system, lengthened maintenance intervals, added a customer support response center in Singapore to allow for round-the-clock

service, and maintained a network of 54 field support staff around the world.

Bombardier expanded its Mobile Response Team (MRT) last year as more customers asked for mobile aircraft maintenance. In the U.S., it added new teams in Charlotte, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Hammond, Louisiana. In Europe, MRT crews in Geneva and Paris have expanded to include more trucks and 14 new staff members. Bombardier’s MRT now operates 21 trucks in the U.S., 11 in Europe, and two in Dubai.

Now that several aviation regulators this past April approved Bombardier’s Smart Link Plus connected aircraft program, operators of most in-service Challenger and Global aircraft have clearance to install what Bombardier calls the most advanced aircraft health monitoring system in business aviation.

With Smart Link Plus installed in their aircraft, customers enjoy real-time aircraft performance monitoring, remote troubleshooting capability, and live OEM data and support. Under the program, customers benefit from constant connection to Bombardier’s customer service team, which receives automated real-time notification of critical aircraft events, including takeoff and landing advisories, in-flight fault notifications, and all related data. Moreover, with the customer’s permission, Bombardier can automatically send engine trends and exceedance notifications to the powerplant OEMs in accordance with their coverage programs.

TURBOPROPS

PC-12 manufacturer Pilatus—the clear winner of the turboprop group—outscored every other OEM across all three categories except Leonardo and Mitsubishi, registering an 8.6 overall average rating and placing seven-tenths of a point ahead of Textron’s King Air support apparatus. Meanwhile, Pilatus’s 9.3 rating in overall aircraft reliability not only placed it ahead of Textron’s position in the turboprop grouping, but three-tenths of a point above the winner of the business jet category, Gulfstream.

Matching its score of last year, Pilatus outscored

Textron’s King Air support in every category and finished well above all companies except Mitsubishi in AOG response with a score of 8.6. Other highlights included a 9.1 score in factory-owned service centers, an 8.9 in warranty fulfillment, and 8.8 in technical manuals.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Pilatus Aircraft’s expansion of its authorized service center network saw the addition of five locations around the world, helping boost the support division’s revenue

contribution by 10 percent in 2022. Further growth came in the form of a new paint shop at its location in Broomfield, Colorado, and the acquisition of sales and service center Skytech. Founded in 1976, Skytech maintains two East Coast bases—in Baltimore, Maryland, and Rock Hill, South Carolina—and has served as a Pilatus-authorized center since 1993.

In Europe, Pilatus opened a factory-owned line station at EuroAirport Basel equipped with a PC-12 NG to dispatch its AOG recovery team. The start of construction of a new repair facility in Buochs, Switzerland, and a composite structures building in nearby Ennetburgen reinforces its European presence.

Among its engineering and design improvements, Pilatus instituted several systems enhancements to the PC-24 jet to extend the model’s mission profile and boost reliability.

For its CrystalCare program, Pilatus now offers renewal packages of three or five years in response to customer input. Designed to complement standard warranties, CrystalCare eliminates the uncertainty of maintenance cost variations and includes a mobile recovery service that dispatches mechanics and parts when a maintenance need arises away from home.

Separately, the company held seven customer-oriented operators’ conferences and launched the enhanced MyPilatus 2.0 customer portal.

Pilatus reached several delivery milestones since AIN published its previous customer support survey, starting with the shipment of its 2,000th PC-12 as the fleet’s flight-hour total surpassed 10 million. Separately, the world PC-24 fleet reached 200 airplanes, which together clocked a total of 60,000 flying hours. Finally, the company delivered its 260th PC-12 NGX. That fleet has accumulated 120,000 flight hours.

TEXTRON AVIATION (KING AIR)

Although unremarkable compared with its turboprop rival Pilatus, Textron managed a respectable 7.9 composite score for its King Air support, also the same as 2022. Textron’s authorized service center score of 8.7 placed it above several others in that category, while its AOG response of 7.2 placed it last among every company in every grouping. However, it did finish relatively high in overall aircraft reliability at 8.9, a score matched only by Pilatus (9.3), Gulfstream (9.0), and Dassault (8.9)

THE IMPROVEMENTS

See summary of Textron Aviation improvements on page 23.

The leading composite scorer in all three categories of aircraft (except for out-of-production Mitsibishi), Leonardo posted an 8.7 rating—a tenth of a point above turboprop maker Pilatus and six-tenths of a point ahead of business jet OEMs Gulfstream and Textron Aviation, maker of the Citation, Hawker, and Beechcraft models. With an overall rating this year that was one-tenth higher than last year’s, Leonardo finished with more scores of 9.0 or above than any other company (except for Mitsubishi). Specifically, it posted a 9.2 in factory-owned service centers, 9.3 in authorized service centers, 9.5 in warranty fulfillment, and 9.0 for its technical reps. The company also finished ahead of all other aircraft in the survey in cost-per-hour programs (8.9) and cost of parts (8.2). Leonardo’s AOG response (8.4) also exceeded all in-production companies except Pilatus at 8.6.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Leonardo’s efforts to ensure customer satisfaction have taken several forms, including closer proximity and quicker responsiveness of its support centers. Recent examples include the expansion of its gearbox MRO in Melbourne, Australia, as part of what it called the “reinforcement” of its Australian subsidiary. In the U.S., it opened a new facility in Milton, Florida, to provide dedicated service to customers in that area.

The investments add to the capabilities of its Gulf of Mexico support center, whose offerings this year will expand to repair services for AW169 blades. Other initiatives include the opening of a training academy in the U.S., a new helicopter service and logistics center in Brazil, a new service center at Paris Le Bourget Airport, and soon, another one in London.

Meanwhile, supply chain disruptions continue to demand operational agility and organizational ingenuity.

“Clearly, the pandemic and the geopolitical scenario have affected the industry in every part of the value chain, from raw material sourcing to end-customers’ operations,” the company said.

“To overcome these new challenges, we have extended the firm order horizon toward our suppliers and we have included additional flexibility in the volumes projected for the next two years, anticipating a substantial financial

risk, in order to ensure continuity to all our customers.”

The company added that it has streamlined its order management process, including with the online Leonardo Store, increasing efficiency and transparency of any logistics order—including AOG orders.

“Despite the constraints over the past years, we are constantly investing in increasing and strengthening our network and partnerships worldwide in order to be even closer to our customers and to guarantee a widespread offer of capabilities and services in proximity to their areas of operation,” Leonardo stressed.

As part of an effort to leverage data sharing and analytics in recent years, the company welcomed the new Diagnostic Services Tower in Sesto Calende, Italy. Engineers can monitor thousands of parameters and analyze data generated there to support customers’ fleets and optimize service in all operating scenarios.

Finally, Leonardo launched a new family of so-called enhanced training devices called virtual extended reality (VxR) simulators. The first device of its kind designed and built with native helicopter OEM characteristics, the VxR uses qualified Level D full flight simulator data and features real flight dynamics, performance, and cockpit components, allowing users to interact with the physical cabin and panels. It integrates with a VR headset and uses a visual database to provide a 360-degree immersive view for pilots. Leonardo’s initial focus centers on the single/light twin market with the development of a single-seat simulator cockpit for light helicopter simulation. The device can also support multiple platforms with the integration of additional cockpits.

Bell did not garner enough responses for inclusion in this year’s survey results.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Led by 20-year Bell Helicopter veteran and former director of support and services Chris Schaefer since July 2022, Bell’s “Customer Experience” unit counts several successes in the past year, including increasing time between overhaul for transmissions on Bell 407s from 5,000 to 6,000 hours, launching its extended maintenance customer advantage plans (CAP), upgrading the avionics suites in the Bell 429 and 412, and reaching the final stages of the integration of Australia’s Eagle Copters Maintenance.

The company also reports favorable changes to its warranty policy for 2023, thereby benefitting its Customer Service Facility (CSF) network by allowing spare parts warranties to start upon installation rather than a year from delivery. It also began modernizing the first nine CH-146 Griffons under its $800 million Griffon limited life extension program, which involves replacement of avionics, engine upgrades, and integration of new sensor systems.

Meanwhile, due to an increase in CAP volume, the company expanded its Miami operation to support component repair

and overhaul. Bell says its CAP Select program means it can customize those offerings to meet individual needs of customer. The company plans to expand CAP offerings, allowing customers flying less than 200 hours a month to benefit from simple and easy-to-understand coverage plans.

Finally, Bell this year plans to share details of a still unannounced plan involving its partnership between TRU and Bell Training Academy, whose students have benefitted from virtual reality advancements in their training curricula.

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

Airbus Helicopters did not garner enough responses for inclusion in this year’s survey results.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Airbus Helicopters continues its efforts to innovate and, in its words, transform the company to benefit its customers with its recently restructured HCare offering. Calling HCare the best combination of support and services for each customer’s unique profile, the program offers different packages— namely, HCare Initial, HCare In-Service, and HCare Lifetime. Airbus tailors the three levels of support to the life cycle of customer fleets to best match the needs of high or moderate flyers with wide-ranging operating environments.

In the realm of ensuring fleet availability, Airbus Helicopters conceded that spare and overhauled parts represent a key area of concern for its customers,

particularly in the context of a constrained supply chain.

“We have made substantial efforts in this domain with an overall investment of almost $400 million dollars,” said Airbus Helicopters executive v-p of customer support and services Christoph Zammert. “We have invested considerably into additional spares and a top-up of our rotable pool, complemented by the acquisition of ZF Luftfahrttechnik to make the H135 and H145 main gearbox repair activities part of our internal value chain. We have also added more than 80 new repair solutions to our portfolio as an alternative to the use of new parts.”

For out-of-production aircraft, Airbus Helicopters continued to buy back specific helicopters to reinject their overhauled parts into the material supply cycle for the in-service fleet.

Airbus Helicopters also has invested in additional human

resources, recruiting more than 50 people to staff its front office and logistics organizations to ensure closer proximity and reaction times.

In the training domain and following the successful certification of the Loft Dynamics virtual reality simulation device for H125 training, the company expanded its cooperation with Loft Dynamics under which it expects to add a similar device for the H145 by the end of 2024.

The company has begun installing an H160 full flight simulator at its facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, and H160 training operations are expected to begin in 2025. Also in Grand Prairie, Airbus installed a multi-purpose test bench for dynamic components, allowing for a two-fold increase in testing capacity for main gearboxes.

SUPPORT FOR MU-2 STRONG AS FLEET RAMPS UP FLYING

Mitsubishi’s MU-2 is somewhat of an outlier among business aviation turboprops, having been out of production since 1986 after more than 700 were manufactured. Since then, the robust twin-engine MU-2 has enjoyed a dedicated following among owner pilots and even commercial operations, bolstered by the strong ongoing support from OEM Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America (MHIA).

Based in Dallas, the MU-2 Product Support Program provides parts, engineering, field support, quality assurance, flight safety, and customer support for the remaining 230 MU-2s still flying.

“In the past 12 months, MHIA has been seeing more flying by MU-2 owners and pilots taking advantage of their MU-2 as a general aviation aircraft supporting business and personal transportation needs,” said Yoshiaki Asako, MU-2 product support director. “MU-2 community members are returning to pre-pandemic active lives.”

Last September, more than 80 MU-2 owners/operators met in Cleveland for the MAXRPMS safety seminar, which provided MU-2

operational tips, accident analyses, and information on MU-2 safety enhancements. A new group was also formed in May, MU-2 Flyers Association.

Meanwhile, MHIA, the FAA, and Japan’s regulator JCAB are working on consolidation of the FAA and JCAB MU-2 type certificates under the FAA. This is expected to be done in the next 12 months. “Once completed, this will provide streamlined and improved processes to maintain the MU-2 type design

into the future,” Asako explained. MHIA is also continuing e orts to move more spare parts manufacturing to the U.S., he added. MU-2 support is provided by five MU-2 authorized service centers.

Although it has been out of production for many years, MU-2 owners/operators rated the product support they receive with high marks, with a 9.1 overall average and above 9.0 ratings in many categories. The lowest rating was for cost of parts, typical for most OEMs. M.T.

Vertis sees value in Africa charter market

BY PETER SHAW-SMITH

Africa remains an important part of the business of Swiss charter broker Vertis Aviation, which saw its best-ever year in 2022, CEO Jeffrey Emmenis told AIN

Several factors drove the company’s increased business, he said, including the number of customers traveling for leisure. “That was very big for us,” Emmenis noted. “Customers on the business side, particularly in Africa, flying to more remote locations. We look after a number of heads of state and there was a lot of travel as governments started opening up and doing business. I see a little bit of softening in 2023, but it will still be quite impressive.”

He said Africa is now “on the map,” as the recent visits of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Johannesburg made clear. Attention to Africa from the U.S. is increasing, Emmenis believes, with significant investment coming in. “Africa is really front and center at the moment in the world. That…can only do the continent good. It’s in the news.”

Emmenis does not like to use the term “private aviation” with regard to Africa because he does not consider the travel

mode a luxury on the continent. “I consider our industry a necessity,” he said, “because of the infrastructure and connectivity challenges. If you are in Ghana and you want to fly commercially to another part of western Africa, occasionally you have to travel over Addis Ababa, which is several hours in the other direction, just to turn back to get to where you need to be. When you see captains of industry and mining giants doing that, it’s not efficient.”

Emmenis agrees that the traditional centers of business aviation in Africa, like South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco, remain strong, but he identifies other growth areas, including southern and central Africa. “If you look at Cote d’Ivoire, that’s quite mature,” he said, “as is South Africa, but actually we are seeing more interest in equatorial Africa—for example, in the Congo, Gabon, and Zambia.

“There are now some newer types of aircraft in Cameroon,” Emmenis added. “It really is around this commodity belt. Cameroon—cocoa, cobalt, gold, copper. Now there’s been a big oil and gas find in Mozambique and of course off the coast of Namibia, as well. So there are many things happening.”

Vertis’s business model revolves around one-off charters, aircraft leases, and whole aircraft acquisitions to its charter management program. Customers can buy an airplane from Vertis and put it on charter; Vertis then supports the commercial aspects of the airplane while it’s in its operation. “When [customers] want to dispose of that asset or renew it, we’ll sell that one and source a new one for them to buy,” he said. “The only thing that Vertis doesn’t do is operate aircraft. We’ve never done that and have no desire to. We leave that to the professionals in that field. We’ve done multiple deals, particularly in Africa. That’s where we’ve been doing a lot of business. I would like to say where, but I can’t.”

He said the majority of business aviation transactions in Africa involve preowned aircraft. “I know of a customer who just two weeks ago took delivery of his brand-new 7X,” Emmenis recalled. “That’s one of the few new airplanes that I know has gone into Africa. If you do get the newer ones, then it also tends to be for the Nigerian market, which is very mature, anyway. A few of the owners of those aircraft are renewing their fleets.”

Getting people onto the continent to do business can be difficult, Emmenis said. “Occasionally, even to get from Europe into certain parts of Africa is challenging,” he explained. “You end up having to go over, as an example, Brussels; then there’s a stop somewhere else, and then you land. All of a sudden, [what could otherwise be] a relatively quick trip, which could be a direct flight of five or six hours, takes you a whole day, and occasionally, because the flight starts early, you need to travel the night before. And that’s not really convenient.

“If you are working in the Middle East, or happen to be there,” Emmenis continued, “there are direct flights into a wider variety of places including using Ethiopian or Turkish Airlines or Qatar Airways or Emirates, and it gets you there in a shorter time. I think it can only be a benefit. It’s about having that interline service available to go off to the smaller lodges and places like that if you’re on the leisure side [or] if you’re on the business side, then into mines or wherever else you’re going.”

Emmenis does not believe that Africabased aircraft present a challenge in terms of age, safety, or maintenance. Aircraft in Africa are being operated by companies with good pedigrees.

“You have Luxaviation Group, which is one of the biggest players on the continent,” he said. “Avcon was doing quite a lot in Africa at one time. There are some really good operators out in Africa. Bestfly is one of them. I don’t think there’s an issue with that. If you are working with a good operator, with a good fleet of aircraft and a good track record, you are as safe as you’d be anywhere.

“In Africa, experience counts for a lot,” Emmenis added. “When you’re going to locations that are more remote, going with an African operator who understands that landscape and the cultural nuances and operating environment, I think, actually enhances your safety.”

Regarding aircraft finance on the continent, given the problems experienced by Credit Suisse, Republic Bank, and Silicon Valley Bank, he said he did not know how financial

JEFFREY EMMENIS CEO, VERTIS AVIATION

contagion might affect the African market.

“I’m aware that Investec does the financing of aircraft,” he said. “If they’re newer assets and the customer is of a particular caliber, you end up with your more traditional banks such as UBS. A lot of the aircraft going into Africa are preowned aircraft that are past their cutoff in terms of financing lifespan. A traditional financing model is then not available.”

Scheduled capacity continues to impact business aviation operations in Africa. “I

believe the airlines are pretty much back to 70 or 80 percent of where they were in 2019,” Emmenis said. “It’s just that the airplanes are very expensive at the moment because, while sales and acquisition prices of aircraft have been softening, it’s certainly not a buyer’s market.”

Emmenis finds himself traveling on the continent frequently. “I do travel around, but not as much this year,” he said. “I think for me it still remains southern Africa, and then Namibia, Zambia, the Congo, Gabon, where you’ve got all of these commodities. There’s a lot of money in that middle part— equatorial Africa and just into southern Africa. South Africa remains a powerhouse but also given economic uncertainties and political changes, it’s perhaps not what it once was. And that’s giving rise to other opportunities.

“I am African,” Emmenis added. “I’m loving Africa. It’s a place to be reckoned with.” z

T&I Chair Sam Graves on protecting the ‘gold standard’ of safety

BY KERRY LYNCH

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) took over the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as chairman this year as Congress kicked o work on a comprehensive aviation bill to reauthorize the FAA’s programs and address a host of other issues. Congress faces a September 30 deadline to reauthorize the agency. Graves, who has served in Congress since 2001, formerly was the ranking member of the committee and is known in the industry as a general aviation advocate. He has co-chaired the House General Aviation Caucus; spearheaded House legislation on issues involving pilot rights, airport funding, and warbirds; and hosted an annual town hall and airshow—the Wingnuts Flying Circus—at Gould Peterson Municipal Airport near his hometown of Tarkio, Missouri. He talked with AIN about his desire to provide stability at the FAA, boost safety, and foster general aviation and advanced air mobility through a comprehensive reauthorization bill.

The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act spans five years. Why is a five-year bill important?

The five-year reauthorization will provide long-term stability and certainty for the FAA and the entire aviation industry. Short-term extensions of the expiring law can’t provide that, and it doesn’t help the agency or the aviation community to have to worry about the harmful e ff ects of a partial FAA shutdown every time a short-term extension ends. I want to be clear that I have no intention of letting the law expire, but only by the House and Senate working together to get a new long-term law in place can we truly look forward to the future of the U.S. aviation system.

Our bipartisan bill is called the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act for a reason. We want to ensure that the American aviation industry has the leadership it needs to continue to maintain and expand upon our nation’s status as the gold standard in aviation safety and innovation. That’s not something that can be achieved by kicking the can down the road with shortterm reauthorizations.

The first title jumps into FAA reform. The previous reauthorization bill had called for FAA reforms, and the agency in recent years has been reorganizing. Why more reforms? What key issues are you trying to address?

Our bill improves the FAA’s efficiency through reasonable organizational reforms and restructuring. The FAA is simply too slow in everything it does—from rulemakings to aircraft registrations and certifications to just simple paperwork. It’s becoming more and more impossible to get FAA to “yes” on any decision or, frankly, even provide a decision, and this bill makes the agency more agile, in a manner that won’t harm its safety mission.

Previous reorganization efforts have focused more on making one area of the agency work better for one part of the industry, but this bill is about making the entire agency more agile and more responsive for everyone who interacts with it.

Also, you include numerous safetyspecific provisions. How did the recent near-collisions shape some of these provisions?

America’s aviation system is safe, but the system is not immune to stress and

must continually be made safer. The bill addresses multiple safety issues, including the recent uptick in runway incursions.

In particular, the bill requires the FAA to establish a Runway Safety Council to develop strategies to address safety risks of ground operations at airports. The bill also requires the agency to identify and deploy technologies, equipment, and systems to enhance ground operation safety at all medium-hub, large-hub, and other airports that lack surface surveillance capabilities.

Among the most important safety features of this bill is the title for a five-year reauthorization of the National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB]—the independent federal agency that investigates all civil aviation accidents...Having the NTSB functioning and well-equipped is critical to preventing future aviation and transportation safety issues by learning what caused previous accidents.

A key difference with this year’s reauthorization bill is the first title dedicated to general aviation. Why a separate title?

GA underpins the American aviation sector as we know it. GA airfields across the country have given more Americans than ever the opportunity to fly. From providing the foundational building blocks for most

airline pilots to serving as economic engines for small and rural communities, our aviation sector wouldn’t be where it is today without a strong GA community.

Most of our aviation professionals, including pilots and mechanics, get their start in GA. But too often, GA issues are ignored or deprioritized by the FAA. This bill recognizes that the success of the U.S. aviation system is built upon a strong GA foundation, which is why I felt it was so important to include the first-ever general aviation title to secure our aviation industry’s long-term success.

There are several provisions in this bill that are essential to the success of the GA sector: increasing Airport Improvement Program [AIP] funding to $4 billion per year, up from the $3.35 billion per year it has remained at for years while construction costs have continually increased.

Capitalizing on the successes of BasicMed by expanding the specifications for eligible aircraft and allowing designated pilot examiners to fly under it. Growing and supporting the aviation workforce through the establishment of the National Center for the Advancement of Aerospace, a center where government and aviation industry stakeholders will collaborate on advancing programs to develop a 21st-century aviation workforce. Expanding protections for pilots by prohibiting the FAA from weaponizing the exclusive review of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data against a pilot in certain instances.

Ensuring that the FAA is processing aircraft registration and renewal applications in a timely manner while also authorizing aircraft owners to continue operating their aircraft during the renewal process so long as certain conditions are met.

The bill includes protections and additional funding for general aviation airports. While recent pandemic-related bills set aside additional funds, have general aviation airports recovered?

As I mentioned, GA is the biggest pipeline we have for aviation professionals,

so ensuring that those airports have the resources they need to continue operating smoothly and fostering growth in the profession is a top priority. It’s important to remember that airport funding provided in recent pandemic-related laws primarily benefited America’s larger airports. Our bill’s proposed increase in AIP funding levels will particularly benefit GA airports. But too often, communities don’t recognize the value that airports provide and look to shut them down or provide few resources.

What are your key safety concerns about integration of AAM and how does this bill address that?

AAM [advanced air mobility] is one of the truly exciting innovations and developments happening in aviation today. We are seeing companies and communities begin to invest in and plan for the introduction of aircraft that can provide additional mobility...while addressing issues around community acceptance. However, the FAA has struggled to keep up with the pace of industry even though some of these aircraft have been in design for over a decade.

Since these issues came to light, FAA leadership has stated multiple times that they are committed to putting in place the rules required to allow for commercial operation of powered-lift aircraft by 2025. Our bill holds them to that timeline while ensuring that what is ultimately produced considers the actual operation of these aircraft.

Our bill also contemplates the reality of integration and encourages the FAA to plan ahead. To give an example, while we know powered-lift operations will begin in low volumes that can be handled by air traffic services in most places, any large volumes will require planning and will put additional burdens on an already strained air traffic controller workforce. This is why we want the FAA to study the humanfactor impacts of these aircraft and one of the reasons it is important for the FAA to maximize controller training.

The Senate-introduced bill covers many of the major themes that this bill addresses. Yet the Senate bill is still very different. How much in agreement are you with the Senate?

There are certainly differences between our bill and the Senate’s, and we’ll work those out once both chambers of Congress have approved their two versions of the legislation. I’m extremely pleased that we marked up our bipartisan bill, which was passed unanimously by the T&I Committee, in line with the ambitious schedule we set at the beginning of this Congress. I look forward to the Senate acting on their bill as soon as possible so that we can then get to work on ironing out any differences. My goal is to have the final product across the finish line and signed by the President by the September 30 deadline, and I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that happens.

What else about this bill would you like to emphasize for our readers?

I just want to emphasize that this bipartisan bill is critical to America’s global leadership in aviation, to our economy and millions of jobs, and to making the entire system safer and more efficient for all users and the traveling public. I also want to thank Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Washington), aviation subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-Louisiana), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) for working with me on this bill—and for all the members of the Transportation Committee engaged in providing input into the development of our bill and working through two days of a committee markup.

Between members of the House and the stakeholder community, we had more than 2,000 legislative priorities to consider in assembling this bill. This has truly been a comprehensive and bipartisan effort, and I think that was reflected by the unanimous 63-0 approval our bill received during the [committee] markup. z

Airline demands squeezing bizav pilot supply

BY PETER SHAW-SMITH

The ability of airlines to attract pilots away from business aviation with lucrative contracts continues to have a deleterious effect on corporate flight department rosters. At the same time, the costs of pilot training remain a serious impediment to addressing the supply shortage, industry experts agree. But clearly, this is a good time to be a pilot.

“Whether it’s business aviation or airlines, the shortage of pilots has created challenges for the operators and opportunities for the pilots,” said David Cox, academy director for L3Harris Flight Academy in Sanford, Florida. “It’s really a very competitive landscape right now where you’ve got the airlines and the corporate operators competing with each other. Good jobs that pay well tend to be able to attract the

right type of people. It is also a little bit of a lifestyle choice.

“The corporate side is a different lifestyle,” Cox continued. “Some people like it; it’s a little bit more adventuresome. You’re going to go to a lot more places. And the airline side is a little bit more predictable.”

Today’s debate over the shortage of pilots is not the first time the issue has come up. In 2012, the FAA said a looming dearth of pilots could be “painful” and that the then-new flight, duty, and rest rules would create a need for more pilots and could drive up airline staffing demands. This ultimately would impact the Part 135 charter segment vying for the same pilots.

In a 2018 hearing of the U.S. House Small Business Committee, an

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

official said that 97 percent of the nation’s business aviation community were smallto midsize businesses and other entities such as nonprofits. “Without a source of pilots, maintenance technicians, flight attendants, schedulers/dispatchers, and trained support personnel, the economic engine of business aviation will be significantly impacted,” he warned.

At the same hearing, the NBAA explained that in a recent member survey, most respondents indicated that they were experiencing difficulties in retaining pilots and that fewer replacement candidates were available. “More than 60 percent of operators surveyed experienced pilot turnover since 2015, with 43 percent of pilot

departures from business aviation going to the commercial airlines,” the association told the committee.

More recently, a 2023 UK government-sponsored report entitled “Options for Addressing the Cost of Pilot Training,” prepared by Systra Group and Northpoint Consultants, found that with a highdemand, low-supply scenario, the shortage of business aviation pilots could amount to more than 7,500 in 2026 and 19,900 in 2041.

SCHEDULING STABILITY

Interchangeability is a salient industry factor that often works in commercial airlines’ favor when they’re trying to woo pilots from business aviation. “I’ve been a Gulfstream and an airline pilot; I’ve flown Airbuses and Gulfstreams,” Cox said. “Ultimately, the cockpit disciplines are very similar.”

At airlines, pilots obtain their schedules a month in advance, he explained. “You’re going to know where you’re going to go. Your job is to show up and fly the airplane with a certain level of professionalism and discipline. However, you’ve got dispatchers that are planning the flight and a lot of mission support.

“On the corporate side, it is very much planning your flight, and working on getting your landing permits. You need to understand the rules of the countries that you’re operating into and out of. You’re really planning that mission. You’re responsible for your curfews, for understanding where you can and can’t go, and a lot of times fixing the things that need to be fixed.”

Cox believes the routine nature of the airlines can be more attractive for some.

Given the current shortages, only 10 percent of the pilot roster is generally destined for business aviation careers, with the rest allocated to scheduled.

“Airlines need so many pilots, you’re going to see probably 90 percent of graduates head to the airlines,” Cox said. “A lot of people don’t fully appreciate and

understand how to get into the business aviation side, but it’s a very enjoyable and rewarding career. That’s one of the areas that I’m working on here—to help explain and explore that as a career opportunity for people that are coming to the academy.”

Gregory Newman, v-p at Wilmington, Delaware-based PilotsGlobal, said business and corporate aviation are trying to work through the global pilot shortage as airlines require more pilots to fully staff their aircraft. Industry averages point to more than 15 pilots needed per major airline airplane in the U.S., for example, compared with less than three pilots per airplane in the corporate aviation sector.

which branch of the industry they will end up in, L3Harris expects 350,000 new pilots to be required by 2030. At the Paris Air Show, CAE said it was predicting a lower figure, 232,000 pilots, of whom 32,000 would go into business aviation by 2032. Aimed at the wider scheduled market, Boeing’s even broader forecast points to a requirement for 602,000 new pilots by 2041.

Newman cited a recent market report as evidence that the U.S. will remain the center of attention. “Forecasts today—including a CAGR of 16.2 percent over the next decade—focus on the U.S. being the focal point of growth,” he said. “The PilotsGlobal website hosts almost 600 business aviation vacancies, with over 75 percent of those being based in the U.S.”

Of the current vacancies on PilotsGlobal, more than two-thirds are for captains, he further noted. “This was to be expected given that the overall industry shortage has caused many pilots-in-command [PICs] to be poached by mainliners, with a rippling effect impacting others down the line in business aviation.”

“The shortage in pilots needed remains as there is competition from scheduled aviation luring experienced corporate pilots over to mainline, with benefits and brand names that business aviation has difficulty competing with—all else being equal—and occasionally even exceeding those offered by the corporate sector,” Newman explained.

“The U.S. is far and away the global leader in hiring opportunities as well as where corporate aviation pilots are interested in working, although we’re still seeing a shortage of multiple thousands of pilots compared to seats available.”

PILOT PREDICTIONS

The lack of uniformity in forecasts is another sign of the febrile state of the market today. Although it does not specify

Newman said two types of pilots in particular gravitated to the corporate side. First, because corporate aviation does not impose a blanket mandatory retirement requirement for those operating under Part 91, those interested in flying longer could stay in their cockpit seats.

Second, U.S. citizens who had worked as pilots overseas had to restart career paths toward the bottom of the ladder due to seniority schemes and FAA guidelines when coming into an American-based airline. It is easier for them to slot into business aviation positions where a lot of the rules and regulations were not nearly as strict and hierarchical while they can keep a high quality of life and benefits similar to those offered by scheduled carriers.

Newman said pilots interested in working in business aviation would have a vastly different experience than those in the

 When you see airlines pull service out of certain cities because of lack of crews...the current pilot shortage is real. 

— David Cox, academy director for L3Harris Flight Academy in Sanford, Florida

commercial aviation: more flexible worklife balance with less hierarchy; on-call times to contend with; home-based work; a lesser overall workload demand that can permit more family time; and lower entry barriers and regulatory requirements.

“For example, there is no ATP requirement by regulation as opposed to the more restrictive commercial aviation sector, allowing first officers to start earning meaningful compensation faster,” he said. “Furthermore, it allows faster time to transition and build turbine and oftentimes jet time, which is valuable for one’s career progression.”

A lower flight-time requirement for someone to get started as a first officer is important. “For example, one can generally get a seat with 1,000 hours in business aviation whereas that pilot would need 1,500 hours minimum—unless they are former military or aviation college graduates eligible for Restricted ATP—to be a first officer at a commercial airline,” Newman said. Business aviation jobs were seen as more stable and secure and slightly less competitive than positions at publicly

traded airlines. “The perks and benefits in business aviation are catching up with those offered by airlines,” Newman said.

PilotsGlobal sees the average business aviation PIC salary in the range of around $160,000 to $220,000, although this does not include additional benefits offered by employers, which can add insurance packages, relocation assistance, paid medicals, and ongoing training.

“Most requirements for PICs...vary from 2,000 to 3,500 hours at the top end of the broadest range, excluding the highest-end roles,” he said.

“Broadly speaking,” Newman said, “business aviation roles approaching $300,000 would require the pilot to have over 5,000 to even 6,000 hours of total time or a decade of experience in corporate aviation, at least 3,000 turbine, 3,000 PIC. We have not seen that many roles, or candidates, that meet all of these criteria.”

PilotGlobal, meanwhile, sees first-year PIC salaries at North American airlines average at $238,000. However, at 12 years, those salaries are more in line with top-end business aviation salaries at an average of $280,00.

“With our cadets here at the academy, we spend time talking to them personality- wise about where they want to go,” Cox said. “We’ve got a lot of different partnerships with scheduled airlines, low-cost carriers, and charter and cargo airlines. Then you start looking at the corporate operators like the XOJets, the Vistas, the NetJets, and even some of the large corporate flight departments.”

Cox added that once students arrive at L3Harris Flight Academy, “I’ll talk to them about the different opportunities that are out there. We’re working more of that as we start to develop better relationships with the corporate operators so we’re able to o ff er our cadets another gateway or opportunity to launch their pilot careers.

“When you see corporate and charter operators with airplanes sitting on the ground because of lack of crews, it’s happening now. When you see airlines pull service out of certain cities because of a lack of crews, that’s happening now. The current pilot shortage is real.” z

Hera initiative seeks to move the needle in bizav careers

BY MATT THURBER

Hera Aviation Group, a non-profit organization created to help companies and individuals manage modern workplace issues such as retention and family dynamics that keep women (and men) from participating in aviation careers, has launched the Hera initiative to help companies deal with these issues. Hera was founded by corporate pilot Jessica Webster, a mother of two children who has faced her own challenges with workplace discrimination against caregivers.

The initiative is focused on four key elements: education outreach, mentoring, internships and other ways to welcome new entrants, and ongoing career coaching and development. The spur for creating the initiative is that Hera found that even with enlightened and welcoming companies and hiring programs, a significant number of female professional pilots gave up on their careers after going through all the steps to gain certification and become employable.

Hera has found success in encouraging companies to hire and employ more women, but there remains a problem with retention. Based on Hera’s research, Webster said, “Every year, we may be getting more people to be interested, but there’s a bigger hole at the other end. We are not keeping and retaining the professional pilots that we create.”

Where Hera can help, she explained, is to work with companies that are willing to be flexible in order to attract and retain valuable candidates plus help those candidates with roadblocks to current and future employment.

What that looks like, from one example of a woman Hera helped, is a career pilot

who had to take time off for her family because there was no workplace that could facilitate her needs at the time. So when she was ready to return to flying full-time, she faced significant obstacles to get current and ready to fly professionally again. The cost to go to formal training was estimated at $20,000.

So Hera intervened and found a local training company in New Hampshire that was able to help this pilot train to the level where she was employable, by donating simulator time. And the total cost to Hera was minimal, only about $500. “It wasn’t that hard,” Webster recalled.

Unfortunately for business aviation, the pilot, with Hera’s help, reached out to a

number of directors of aviation to see if they would be interested in hiring her, but there weren’t any suitable opportunities. Although the pilot preferred business aviation, she ended up with an offer from an airline.

“It doesn’t have to be this complicated,” Webster said. With business aviation operators and companies facing severe staffing shortages, it makes sense to figure out how to attract women to career opportunities and also retain them as they face work-life balance challenges during their careers. Working with a consortium of leaders from all facets of business aviation, Hera is trying to help.

In Webster’s vision, the Hera initiative doesn’t just apply to pilots because all types

Jessica Webster, a corporate pilot and mother of two children, founded non-profit Hera Aviation Group to help companies and individuals manage modern workplace issues such as retention and family dynamics that discourage individuals from participating in aviation careers.

of business aviation employees can benefit from career development. “We want to be willing to try some new things,” she said. “We can move the needle on this staffing crisis. It isn’t even about pilots, it works for maintenance, HR, dispatchers, and operations people, and it’s something that can be scalable. We can do something to pay attention to people in their career journey.”

FLIGHT DEPARTMENT EFFORT

The director of a Midwest corporate flight department learned about Hera during a meeting with his peers and feels that an important part of his job is “helping a more diverse group find its way into this industry,” he told AIN . Corporate aviation has always been kind of a black box for those who aren’t already in the industry, he explained. “People say networking [is the

answer], but if you’re outside the industry, you might not know it’s a possibility. This initiative is huge.”

His goal in working with the Hera initiative is to help attract more people from a variety of backgrounds into business aviation. That means, he explained, “We have to reach further out to help people find their way and provide our expertise.” This starts in his company’s case by giving tours to local kids all the way from preschool to college and coaching those who are interested. “You have to tell your story,” he said, “and help them connect to other people.”

But there is more to solving this problem, and he appreciates how Webster and Hera have been helping coach women who want business aviation careers and helping those who want to continue working even as they raise families.

TAKING FLIGHT. Navigating

“This leads to the next stage, what Hera and I are working on,” he said, “how to instill larger-scale change in this industry and enable people not from traditional backgrounds or older people [to participate]. A lot of my pilots have kids of different ages. One [is an airline pilot] and her husband is a corporate pilot, they have a young daughter. There are things we can do to offer balance. Letting employees have self-determination on which trips they fly, and being able to trade trips. A lot of [flight departments] won’t be as flexible.”

Another area where Hera helps is because of the network that Webster and her team have built. “They have a desire to be proactive in the space of diversity,” he said. And members of the network can help each other. “If you’re looking for somebody, reach out,” he said.

Helping under-represented groups learn about business aviation careers, helping them prepare for future jobs, and mentoring them through their careers is important for this flight department director. “If we can be a little more human it goes a long way,” he said.

For Webster and Hera, bringing about change in business aviation hiring and retention practices remains a challenge.

“The needle hasn’t moved since 1920 when Amelia Earhart took Eleanor Roosevelt flying,” she told AIN . “The needle points in a direction that is unsustainable for our future in aviation, women’s empowerment, and families. With all that said, we are one organization that is working to transform the industry in a way that helps to move the needle. We can’t do it alone. Furthermore, we believe that even moving one person’s thinking, one person’s way of leading, one organization opening the door to a woman, primary caregiver, or underrepresented cohort is moving the needle. So yes, we are moving the needle. And yet, we have a long ways to go.” z

WE’RE FLYING HIGHER WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS!

Virtual reality and cost drive a new generation of flight training devices

BY MARK HUBER

At this year’s recently-concluded FlightSim Expo in Houston, it became clear that the training technology lines between hobbyists and licensed pilots are becoming increasingly blurred. Major OEMs including Boeing are licensing cockpit components to companies that heretofore catered exclusively to enthusiasts, while FAA-certificated flight training device manufacturers are turning to architecture that more and more resembles the hardware from the gaming world.

The trends are being driven by a variety of factors: the soaring cost of full-motion simulator training, where individual simulator units easily run into the millions of dollars, and simulator time slots increasingly hard to come by, as well as continuing

advances in augmented/virtual reality (AR/ VR) and artificial intelligence (AI). The trend was in many ways punctuated by FlightSafety’s 2022 acquisition of Frasca International, a company that provides a technology gamut of simulators and flight training devices but is perhaps best known for its comparatively inexpensive line of training devices used for private pilot primary and instrument training, as well as full-flight level-B,-C, and -D simulators for lighter aircraft including Cessna, Diamond, and Piper piston-engine aircraft and business aircraft including the Cessna Citation CJ1+, Beechcraft King Air, Cessna Caravan, and Bell helicopters.

But analysts argue what really got FlightSafety’s attention was when, in 2021,

Frasca was tapped to provide 18 level-6 and -7 flight training devices for the U.S. Navy’s TH-73A rotorcraft Aircrew Training Services (ATS) program. Frasca’s participation in the program was a clear sign that the Pentagon, one of the world’s largest pilot training customers, was clearly thinking better, faster, and cheaper. And as goes the Pentagon, often go the airlines, and then business aviation.

It is important to note the distinctions between FAA-certified full-flight simulators (FFS, such as a level-D) or flight training devices (FTD), such as a no- motion machine, both modeled after a specific aircraft make as well as cockpit and performance parameters, and an aviation training device (ATD), which

To prepare for flying the Leonardo TH-73A helicopter, Navy pilots use devices that include a desktop avionics trainer, a mixed-reality part-task trainer, and a flight training device, all running common software.

can be more agnostic. ATDs come in two flavors: basic aviation training device (BATD), a procedural training device that can be used for certain instrument training hours and recurrency; and an advanced aviation training device (AATD), which can be used to log additional time toward certain pilot certificates and for recurrency. FFS and FTDs (collectively known as FSTDs—flight simulation training devices) can only be used for practical tests or any portion thereof when an FAA aviation safety inspector or aircrew program designee is present.

But even before Frasca won favor with the Navy, the FAA’s list of approved ATDs appeared to be growing geometrically. According to research firm Reportlinker, the global flight simulator market is expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9 percent from 2023 to 2028. The civil side of the market is expected to grow even faster, with a CAGR of 8.72 percent over the forecast period, from $1.15 billion to $1.75 billion.

Where once there was just a handful of companies providing simulators and other ATDs, by 2022 the FAA recognized 38 of them. Given the increasing demand for pilots and pilot training, there is no reason to believe that this trajectory will level off any time soon. Many have, or are in the process of, developing ATDs for home use at prices that increasingly make sense, given the cost of initial and recurrent training on FSTDs and particularly on FFS.

For example, Gleim’s FAA-approved BATD, which replicates the Garmin G1000 system in the Cessna 172SP, can be purchased for home use for just $7,500. The Gleim system is based on X-plane 11 flight simulation software, previously the domain of gamers/hobbyists but now licensed for FAA-approved devices (as well as its successor, version 12). And the FAA allows these devices to count for some training hours and IFR recurrency.

Increasingly, BATDs and AATDs are being designed for a variety of primary training aircraft. RealSimGear of San Diego has designed BATDs for Cessna 172s and 182s, Piper PA-28s, and Cirrus SR20s, SR22s, and SR22Ts. Redbird Flight Simulations produces AATDs for a wide variety of piston, turboprop, and jet aircraft, from Cessna 172s to the CJ1+. And Precision Flight Controls builds a variety of modular, panel, motion, and “ProMotion” AATDs for dozens of aircraft models, from the Cessna 152 to the turboprop de Havilland Twin Otter. There are many, many more companies that provide devices for training for these and similar aircraft.

TIME ALLOWED

The FAA allows for up to 2.5 hours of simulator time to be credited against the flight time required to obtain a private pilot license (PPL) and up to 50 hours of the 250 hours of required flight time for a commercial license to be “flown” in a simulator under FAR 61.129(i)(1). In both cases, an instructor must be present for the time to count. And the device must be on the FAA’s approved list of devices via a specific

letter of authorization (LOA) and/or statement of qualification (SOQ) for either Part 61 or Part 141 training from the FAA’s National Simulator Program. The LOA and SOQ will specify how much time is allowable and which maneuvers can be credited.

For example, with the Gleim BATD, students can credit training times of up to 2.5 hours for the PPL and up to 10 hours toward instrument training at a Part 61 school, and up to 15 percent of total PPL training time and 25 percent of instrument time at a Part 141 school. Using it to fly six instrument approaches, holds, tasks, intercepts, and tracking counts as IFR currency. Just like aircraft, the ATDs in most cases will have a minimum equipment list (MEL) for the time to count. However, without formal written FAA approval, time logged in a device is useless as far as counting toward legal training time.

That said, the chief benefit of broader adaptation of ATDs is a more thorough understanding of the aircraft, procedures, and maneuvers and better knowledge retention that translates into more effective in-aircraft training time, a point made by the Navy when it contracted for the TH-73A

Flying fans young and old got to try out a variety of fun flight simulators at FlightSim Expo 2023 in Houston, including this device equipped with Honeycomb Aeronautical controls.

ATDs. The Leonardo TH-73A is now the Navy’s new primary and instrument rotorcraft trainer. The service plans to acquire 130 of the Leonardo rotorcraft by the end of 2024 in a program valued at $648 million.

The Navy’s approach for the TH-73A was to integrate a variety of simulation technology into the overall training program for the aircraft that includes an ATD desktop avionics trainer and a mixed-reality part-task trainer (PTT) that uses common software. The PTT allows for a variety of advanced scenarios including dual-pilot, multi-ship, and night vision goggle operations. Finally, students graduate to a full, high-fidelity FTD for instrument, emergency, and other scenario-based training. The Navy spent five years revamping its primary helicopter training in preparation for instruction in the TH-73A. Students must now complete substantial ground coursework, use virtual reality, and log extensive simulator time before stepping into the actual aircraft. Naval aviators spend approximately 38 weeks at Whiting Field in Milton, Florida, before graduating onto flying fleet rotorcraft including the H-60, H-53, and AH-1.

EASA HARMONY

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is intentionally moving to harmonize standards with the FAA whenever possible following signage of a 2020 bilateral agreement covering reciprocal acceptance of FSTDs, including FFS, and qualification of new technologies, including virtual and augmented reality. EASA laid out the roadmap for this approval in March when it published the information paper, “FSTD Special Conditions Development and Assessment Process.”

EASA noted, “The development of applicable standards for the validation of FSTD should move in parallel with the pace of innovation.” EASA recognized that these devices have the potential to enable an “increase in training capabilities” especially with regard to pilot training

for electrical vertical takeo ff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

One of EASA’s first approvals of a VR-based training device was for Loft Dynamics’s VR-based Robinson R22 helicopter that features Varjo’s Vario XR-3 VR headset. Loft has subsequently developed additional VR simulators for the Airbus H125 turbine-single helicopter and is in the process of developing one for the larger H145, a variant of which is the primary helicopter training aircraft for the U.S. Army and the mainstay of numerous air ambulance fleets worldwide.

The Loft design mates a full-motion electronic control loading platform to a VR goggle system to create a realistic training experience. The first H125 delivered to a U.S. customer went to Colorado Highland Helicopters in Durango, Colorado. Along with high-altitude operations and initial training, including hovering and autorotations, the company uses the simulator to train pilots on external load flying.

NovaSim uses a similar-looking individual platform combined with VR-projected exterior images and a real cockpit layout to create a mixed-reality experience at Lufthansa Aviation Training in Switzerland.

The U.S. Navy and others think the benefits of VR are clear.

The Naval Air Systems Command described the benefits of incorporating the new technology into its Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) as, “Using a skills-based approach to training with just-in-time methodology, and by incorporating modern technology, AHTS will help produce rotary-wing aviators at a higher quality and more efficiently. Aviators will be ready to meet the challenges faced in the fleet and the advanced rotary-wing and intermediate tilt-rotor training requirements for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard through 2050.”

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University claims that incorporating VR technology into its PPL training cuts time to solo by 30 percent.

A 2022 study in the Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research concluded, “Based on the results of this and many other recent studies, leaders in aviation education should seriously consider increasing research and development support related to VR innovations.”

As shown at the most recent FlightSim Expo, there is no shortage of companies ready to incorporate those innovations into approved, useful, and cost-e ff ective flight training devices. z

The Loft Dynamics Airbus H125 simulator matches virtual reality with actual controls and a full-motion platform to deliver a highly realistic flying experience.

Spectrum wars continue summer sizzle

BY MARK HUBER

This summer the spectrum wars have continued between the wireless and aviation industries in the U.S. Initially, stakeholders tried to tackle the issue of 5G C-band interference on radio altimeters (radalts). Now the field of play shifts to the potential of the Ligado Wi-Fi system to disrupt GPS/ GNSS satellite navigation on the L-band.

After delays triggered by aviation industry concerns over 5G C-band interference on aircraft radalts and cellular companies’ temporary agreement to restrict a wider roll-out of the service and/or the full power of certain transmitters, the FAA-imposed July 1 deadline came for aircraft to either be equipped with interference-tolerant radalts or refrain from operations susceptible to 5G interference (under Airworthiness Directive 2023-10-02). That includes low-visibility approaches. Air carriers not equipped with interference-tolerant radalts will not be allowed to operate in U.S. airspace beginning in 2024. Restrictions had been previously in place

via an ever-expanding list of notams only in areas of proven 5G C-band interference via an earlier AD, 2021-23-13. Issued in late May, AD 2023-10-02 supersedes that earlier action. The date of the restrictions reflects that on or after July 1 up to 21 wireless companies were expected to “power up” their 5G C-band cellphone network transmitters.

The impact of all of this on business aviation was immediate. OEMs issued advisories for aircraft flight manuals (AFMs) to be modified in accordance with the new restrictions. Typical was Gulfstream, which advised customers via a maintenance and operations letter issued on May 31: “As no Gulfstream aircraft are considered radioaltimeter compliant at this time, operators will be required to comply [with the restrictions] on or before June 30, 2023.”

A separate AD governing helicopters (AD 23-11-07) could have a profound impact on that industry. Those limitations prohibit using radalt minimums for offshore approaches and instead using barometric

limitations; using autopilot hover mode that requires radalt data; engaging search and rescue autopilot modes that use radalt data; and performing any takeoffs or landings in accordance with any procedure in the RFM or OpsSpecs with radalt data. Helicopter air ambulance operators using night vision goggles are exempt (under Exemption Number 18973B).

Representing the airlines, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) previously noted that the July 1 deadline was unrealistic, given ongoing supply-chain issues, and said the FAA had wildly underestimated the cost of compliance, which the trade association pegged at $638 million. The FAA had estimated $26 million. For rotorcraft, the Helicopter Association International (HAI) estimated that installing new filters to modify existing radalts can cost up to $10,040 per helicopter and a new radalt carries a price of up to $40,000.

While some cell carriers have voluntarily agreed to signal-strength mitigation efforts

(NBAA-BACE), taking place from Oct. 17-19 in Las Vegas. View fixed-wing aircraft of all sizes – from single-engine airplanes and turboprops to long-range jets. See today’s helicopters and tomorrow’s advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft.

NBAA-BACE is the biggest and most productive event of the year for business aviation.

around some airports through 2028, even that may not be enough to reduce travel disruptions, IATA warned, noting that the technological fixes to comply with the July 1 deadline were merely a stop-gap solution, while a new standard is being developed for radar altimeters and is due next year.

IATA senior v-p Nick Careen classified the July 1 requirement as a “temporary holding action,” noting that, “under current scenarios, airlines will have to retrofit most of their aircraft twice in just five years. And with the standards for the second retrofit yet to be developed, we could easily be facing the same supply-chain issues in 2028 that we are struggling with today.”

While the FAA is continuing to study the problem, it appears to be shifting much of the burden related to information generation and gathering aimed at resolving the continuing issue over 5G C-band radio altimeter interference to avionics and aircraft OEMs, aircraft operators, and a civilian contractor to the agency. In a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) issued May 29, the FAA requested that manufacturers of radio altimeters and aircraft, as well as operators, continue to voluntarily provide “specific information” related to those altimeters’ design, functionality, and usage; continue to test the equipment in cooperation with federal authorities; and

report results to both civil aviation authorities and spectrum regulators.

The FAA said it is continuing to collaborate with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on the issue as it assesses options beyond its related ADs. The agency called the requirements interim actions pending the development of a “Technical Standard Order for radio altimeters…that meets international minimum operational performance standards.”

Information requested in the SAIB is detailed, potentially voluminous, and in many cases likely proprietary. The FAA further asks that all retrofit plans and details be forwarded to the Mitre Corporation—the FAA’s chief civilian technical contractor for collection, aggregation, and de-identification. It places a heavy burden on avionics and aircraft manufacturers in particular for equipment and procedure testing and analysis, updating aircraft flight manuals, reporting anomalies, and developing retrofit plans. Part 121 operators are requested to incorporate the potential for 5G C-band interference into their safety management systems and flight planning and coordinate information on interference with avionics and aircraft manufacturers.

The SAIB also notes that “operators should consider the potential loss of pilot trust in dependent aircraft safety systems in the assessment of existing, and the development of new, crew procedures.” Pilots are encouraged to report all radio altimeter anomalies to air traffic control and submit detailed incident reports to the FAA.

Pilots began doing so last year and AIN obtained more than 500 pages of those reports earlier this year via a Freedom of Information Act request. The concern over “loss of pilot trust” in key systems looks real in those reports as suspect 5G interference seems to degrade or disrupt function of key safety and aircraft control systems in all categories of aircraft, particularly regional jets, business jets, and helicopters. A sampling of the reports reveals that interference triggered alarms and otherwise had the potential to distract pilots during critical phases of flight, especially low-visibility operations. Malfunctioning aircraft systems included traffic and terrain alerting systems, windshear detection systems, and head-up displays. In addition, reports pointed to delayed deployment of autospoilers, erroneous master warning and caution alarms, muting of aural automated altitude call-outs on approach, and false altitude readings that at times fluctuated wildly from reality. For rotorcraft, the

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...under current scenarios, airlines will have to retrofit most of their aircraft twice in just five years. And with the standards for the second retrofit yet to be developed, we could easily be facing the same supplychain issues in 2028 that we are struggling with today. 

problem was even more critical, with some operators reporting that the impact of interference forced them to terminate missions.

The following typify the reports contained in the AIN FOIA request:

On Jan. 21, 2022, while at 200 agl on short final to Runway 16R at Midland, Texas (KMAF), a Bombardier Challenger 300 got an erroneous aural call for “40” (feet agl), and then the digital and moving tape readout for the radalt vanished on both primary flight displays. At 100 agl, the digital RA display reappears with an erroneous readout of “30,” then “15,” then “40” before vanishing again, reappearing after touchdown rolling at 60 knots. The crew noted, “We are supposed to get aural calls of ‘50, 40, 30, 20, 10,’ but did not. No voice calls and no RA [radalt] displays. After touchdown, the autospoilers are supposed to deploy immediately but did not due to no RA input/failure.”

On June 1, 2022, an Embraer E175 regional jet taking off from Sacramento, California (KSMF) Runway 35R reported erratic radalt fluctuations while climbing at 2,000 fpm through 1,000 feet with readings of between 0 and 2,500 agl with accompanying “bank angle” and “terrain” audible warnings.

On Sept. 25, 2022, an Airbus Helicopters

EC135T2+ departing Indian Head, Maryland (2W5) on a medevac flight experienced an RA that displayed “zero altitude” shortly after takeoff while the aircraft was at 1,200 feet agl. As a result, the flight was canceled and the helicopter returned to base

The FAA’s approach to the 5G C-band radalt problem is not being emulated in at least two key aviation markets—Australia and Canada. Australian authorities are focusing on continued 5G C-band restrictions around airports and other critical areas until at least 2026 to give operators time to either modify or replace interference susceptible radalts. But even after that deadline, technical measures will be taken by local wireless carriers to mitigate potential interference including the establishment of a permanent 200 MHz “buffer zone” between wireless broadband and

radio altimeter frequencies and limits on C-band power and emissions.

However, Australian aircraft operators continue to report a broad spectrum of 5G C-band interference problems including uncommanded autopilot disengagement, spurious altitude indications, erroneous warnings, muting altitude aural call-outs on approach, and problems with the autoland system.

GPS ISSUES TOO

Now comes the potential problem with GPS. Canada’s decision in June to deny Ligado (formerly LightSquared) use of frequencies in the L-Band spectrum for its 5G network is fueling hopes in the U.S. that the FCC may reverse its controversial 2020 approval to allow it in the U.S. Aviation groups including NBAA, HAI, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association have opposed the use of portions of the L-Band for wireless communication because of its potential for interference with global positioning system (GPS) and other global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology. As recently as April 2023, these aviation groups, along with 90 other organizations, sent a letter to President Biden urging revocation of the FCC’s “Ligado Order,” citing interference evidence from a 2022 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS).

Ed Bolen, NBAA’s president and CEO, said the collective evidence mandates that the FCC revoke the Ligado decision. “With numerous studies now reaffirming our industries’ concerns about dangerous interference to these vital systems from the Ligado network, it’s long past time for the FCC to do the right thing and rethink this ill-considered decision,” he said.

The Biden Administration opposed the order via a petition for reconsideration issued by the NTIA. The opposition groups maintain that the order “is fundamentally flawed, incompatible with the FCC’s rules, and inadequate in protecting incumbent services from the harmful

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PRESIDENT AND CEO

interference from Ligado’s proposed operations.” The groups note that the order also is opposed by the Department of Defense (DOD) and a bipartisan group of federal legislators.

Due to national security considerations alone, the groups maintain that the order should be stayed, noting the NAS study showed that “the terrestrial network authorized by [the Ligado Order] will create unacceptable harmful interference for DOD missions.”

NAS’s 2022 study found that Ligado would likely trigger “harmful interference to mobile satellite service” provided by Iridium. The U.S. DOD is Iridium’s largest customer and employs high-precision GPS receivers, which would be the most vulnerable to L-band interference from the Ligado system. The committee that prepared the NAS report concluded that interference mitigation could be problematic due to test, certification, and time constraint issues, and overall costs. However, it found that Ligado would not impact most commercially available GPS systems.

In denying Ligado’s application in Canada, Canada’s Innovation, Science, and Economic Development agency noted concerns from aviation OEMs and groups, in particular the ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) impact on aircraft safety systems, such as helicopter terrain awareness warning systems below 300 feet agl.thamultiple Ligado ATC base stations could have related aviation impacts in ways yet to be fully understood. z

NBAA

Airbus H160 challenges Leonardo AW139

BY MARK HUBER

Airbus Helicopters is about to cash-in a big bet. In late June the company received FAA certification for its H160 medium-class twin—exactly three years after it received EASA certification and eight years after the helicopter was first announced as a replacement for the company’s AS365 and H155.

The approval clears the way for deliveries into the U.S. where Sikorsky has discontinued manufacture of the S-76D medium twin, which presents an opportunity.

But the larger question is, can the H160 credibly challenge Leonardo’s slightly larger and market-leading AW139 intermediate twin across its broad mission spectrum, from offshore energy to air ambulance and even some military applications? Airbus thinks so. The H160’s overall maintenance costs will be more in line

with that of a light twin than a medium one; and its comparatively lighter weight and greater efficiency, an estimated 15 to 20 percent better than the AW139’s, will resonate with buyers.

LENGTHY GESTATION

The H160 received EASA certification on July 1, 2020; however, various novel design features outside the existing parameters of FAR Part 29 regulation slowed the U.S. approval process, which Airbus executives had hoped would conclude as early as 2021.

That included recently adopted “special conditions” related to the helicopter’s main gearbox redundant lubrication system. FAR Part 29 requires a helicopter to have the ability to fly for 30 minutes following gearbox lubrication failure, validated via bench testing. Airbus was allowed

to satisfy the requirement inclusive of “reduction factors” related to associated systems such as oil coolers.

U.S. launch customer PHI Aviation will operate four Airbus H160s to support Shell Exploration & Production in the Gulf of Mexico under a 10-year contract from its base in Houma, Louisiana.

Entry into service in the U.S. will be facilitated by the addition of North America’s first H160 level-D full flight simulator (FFS). The FFS is expected to be ready for use as early as the second half of 2025 at the Helisim Simulation Center inside the Airbus Helicopters facility in Grand Prairie, Texas. It will join an existing H160 FFS in Marignane, France.

The H160 has an all-composite airframe, a maximum takeoff weight of 13,436 pounds with seating for 12 passengers (utility

FAA approval for Airbus Helicopters’ H160 came three years after the model was certified by EASA.

configuration), and two crew in a flat floor cabin with oversized windows. The aft baggage compartment can accommodate 661 pounds. It has a cruise speed of up to 150 knots, a service ceiling of 20,000 feet, and a range of 475 nm with standard tanks.

Powered by a pair of 1,300-shp Safran Arrano 1A engines, the helicopter features noise- reducing Blue Edge rotor blades, a canted Fenestron tail rotor for greater useful load, and Airbus Helicopters’ Helionix avionics.

Airbus has received orders for more than 100 civil H160s, including more than 12 in the U.S. The helicopter already is in service in markets including Japan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Europe.

FAA certification follows the announcement of an order for 50 H160s from China’s GDAT in April and an order for 10 last year from Gendarmerie Nationale—the French National Police—as part of a contract for the procurement of 169 militarized versions designated H160Ms for the French Ministry of Armed Forces.

EXECUTIVE INTERIOR OPTIONS

In the executive transport space, Airbus has developed Airbus Corporate Helicopter (ACH) variants of the helicopter, badged ACH160, with three distinct interiors—Line, Line with Lounge, and Exclusive—and made its initial delivery into Brazil in 2022. The ACH160’s interior concepts were developed in concert with Pegasus Design and feature the same styling, high-grade carpets, leathers, veneers, plating, and connectivity as a corporate jet.

The ACH160 Exclusive is the premium version of the H160. According to Airbus, it provides 20 percent greater volume per passenger compared with previous-generation medium twin helicopters and 35 percent larger windows than its competitors, resulting in the brightest cabin in its class.

ACH interiors feature passenger seating between four and eight. However, even with the larger windows, passengers can hold conversations without headsets due to both

cabin soundproofing and the reduced noise signature of the Blue Edge blades.

NEW TECH & MANUFACTURING

The H160 represents a sea change for Airbus Helicopters, both in terms of manufacture and technology. Airbus has established a new automotive-style production line for the helicopter in Marignane that brings the helicopter together in five major subcomponents with a start-to-finish assembly time estimated at 40 days and an overall production time from component order to final assembly of just 18 weeks.

Airbus estimates the market for this category at 120 helicopters per year and Marignane will have an initial capacity of 50 helicopters per year.

On the technology side, the Safran Arrano engines feature a two-stage centrifugal compressor and variable inlet guided vanes, which cut fuel consumption in all phases of flight and particularly at cruise power. The gyratory combustion chamber features 3D-printed fuel injectors. Altogether, the engine design cuts fuel consumption by an estimated 15 percent and reduces emissions compared to current engines.

The Helionix avionics are similar to those in the super-medium Airbus H175 and in-aircraft transition training between the two requires only two instructional flights, following Leanardo’s “family” strategy of commonality with the avionics in its AW139, AW169, and AW189 models.

The avionics couple to a full-time, fouraxis autopilot and first-limit indicator that shows all the engine instrument data. Pilots can still fly the helicopter manually, but the autopilot takes over whenever hands are taken off the flight controls or the aircraft is pushed outside its safe operating envelope. For landing in limited visibility conditions such as brownout or whiteout, the pilot can “double beep” a button on the cyclic which automatically restores safe hover.

Airbus calls the H160’s avionics “accrued pilot assistance,” and it includes flight envelope protection with a pre-alerting system

to allow pilots to avoid vortex ring state. Once alerted, the pilot can simply press the “go around” button on the collective to escape the condition.

HEMS NICHE MARKET POTENTIAL

Airbus hopes these safety features will make the H160 attractive to the HEMS market. Helicopter air ambulance is one area where Airbus executives think the H160 can make a credible run at the AW139, where the company forecasts that medium twin usage could increase by up to 30 percent as more hospitals consolidate, need to transport patients longer distances, and carry more personnel and equipment.

The H160’s full-time autopilot makes it a strong IFR machine, its Safran Arrano 1A engines are designed for a two-minute start sequence and quick restarting, and its standard maximum takeoff weight still enables use at most hospital helipads.

Airbus began discussions with EMS providers early in the helicopter’s development and from that gleaned critical design features for helicopter air ambulance cabins including factory installation of medical interiors, uniform attach points for mechanical and electrical interfaces, and cabins that can be quick-changed in as little as 30 minutes.

Medical equipment that can be factory installed includes a multifunction adapter plate, side-loading stretcher system, medical swiveling seats, jump seat, multifunction cabinet with integrated service and control panel and lighting, medical stowage racks, strap-down devices with a drawer for oxygen bottles, and optional incubator.

However, the civil HEMS market for medium twins like the H160 remains relatively small at this juncture, with about 60 operating in the U.S. and 240 worldwide.

But HEMS is just one of the missions Airbus envisions for the multi-role H160. Equally important is its role serving as a catalyst for the way Airbus builds and supports its helicopters. z

Banyan Air Service Selected for CBP RSP at KFXE

Banyan Air Service—one of four service providers at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE)— has been selected by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to offer the reimbursable services program (RSP), which allows the FBO to request after-hours customs clearance on behalf of its customers. Banyan is currently the only location at KFXE to offer this capability.

KFXE is a favored entry port for flights originating from South and Central America and the Caribbean. CBP at the airport is normally open from 8 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week. By using the RSP, flights can clear customs during off-hours, without the need for an interim stop solely for the purpose of customs clearance, resulting in savings on time and expenses.

Sky Valet Adds Five French FBOs to A liate Network

Sky Valet Connect has increased its footprint in France with the addition of five new FBOs to its branded network. In the four years since its founding at NBAA-BACE, the group has grown to 37 locations in five countries. The latest additions include the airport-managed FBOs at Bergerac Dordogne Périgord, Biarritz-Pays Basque, Caen, Deauville Normandie, and Pau Pyrénées airports.

The affiliate program to the Sky Valet chain was created to give member FBOs the opportunity to retain their independence while benefitting from market power, more recognizable brand, and network, as well as increased international visibility at events such as EBACE.

Jean-François Guitard, director of general aviation and business development with parent company Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, told AIN that while he looks to pursue a Euro-centric policy for further expansion of the network, FBOs at French-administered islands in the Caribbean would also be considered for admission.

Jetex O ers Global SAF Book-and-Claim

Global trip support provider and FBO operator Jetex has signed a deal with aviation fuel management company 360 Jet Fuel that will allow it to offer customers book-andclaim for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) purchases.

Given the limited distribution of SAF, some aircraft operators who wish to use the greener fuel may not have access to it at the airports they frequent. Now, through the 360 Green Fuel platform, Jetex clients will be able to purchase SAF and receive the CO2 emissions reduction credit even though the fuel is dispensed at another location that has physical SAF supplies. Those customers will receive a certificate specifying the amount of SAF they purchased along with an audited statement of the corresponding CO2 reduction, which can be used for reporting under sustainability and/or emissions programs.

Signature Begins Construction on Huntsville FBO

Signature Aviation has broken ground on an FBO terminal that will replace its 55-year-old facility at Alabama’s Huntsville International Airport (KHSV). The chain has had a presence at KHSV—where it is the sole aviation services provider— since 1992. The $11.3 million commitment, which will also include a ramp expansion, is part of the company’s renewed 20-year lease agreement with the Port of Huntsville.

“The first and last impressions that visiting corporate leadership will have of our community will be the air terminal they taxi up to when visiting Huntsville,” said Trey Bentley, the Port’s board chair who is also a private pilot and business owner. He added that the airport has a firstclass corporate aviation operation. “This will be reflected in modern, attractive improvements to the Signature terminal.”

Expected to be completed by mid-2024, the 8,000-sq-ft terminal will replace the existing 5,000-sq-ft building and will feature lounges, private meeting rooms, and concierge services.

SkyPlace FBO: New Terminal, Big Hangars

While SkyPlace FBO, one of three service providers at San Antonio International Airport, has had a presence at the Texas gateway for a decade, the company has only occupied its new facility for less than a year. Built at a cost of $1.2 million, the building opened last November after eight months of construction. The 4,000-sq-ft terminal replaced the original SkyPlace FBO that occupied the first floor of a three-story, 15,000-sq-ft building set well back from the ramp. The company is retaining that building for tenant use, with a major renovation on tap.

Located on the north side of the field, the new terminal is in the V between 8,505-foot Runway 4/22 and 5,519-foot Runway 13L/31R and in close proximity to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) facility. “We’re literally 10 steps from customs,” said Rudy Rocha, the FBO’s general manager. “It was there before the new facility and that was the reason we decided to open this brandnew terminal.” That proximity is important, as Rocha noted his facility sees an average of eight international arrivals a day. CBP hours at KSAT are 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with after-hours clearance available with advance notice.

The modern terminal features a covered entrance to the passenger lobby, refreshment bar, business center, eight-seat conference room, pilot lounge, catering storage, onsite car rental, and crew cars. According to Rocha, among its major improvements over the former facility is its more e cient and welcoming layout.

SkyPlace is home to 15 turbine aircraft ranging from a Gulfstream G650 to a pair of Pilatus PC-24s. Commercial charter tenant Merlin 1 accounts for six of those aircraft with its fleet of Cessna Citation 650s. A flight school also leases o ce and hangar space, along with an avionics repair shop.

To house them, the FBO has two 30,000sq-ft hangars that were formerly occupied by a commercial aircraft repair facility. Those structures have 40-foot-high doors with a tail door that adds another eight feet of clearance, allowing them to accommodate virtually any business aircraft. The SkyPlace leasehold also includes more than four acres of ramp, which can accept almost any size aircraft.

An AEG Fuels-branded location, the FBO, which is open 24/7, draws from the airport’s Allied Aviation-managed fuel farm. “I always tend to tell my customers the fuel has been triple-checked,” Rocha told AIN. “They like to hear that.” It has two 5,000-gallon jet-A tankers and a 1,000-gallon avgas truck operated by the company’s 20 NATA Safety 1st-trained line sta . The FBO also has four customer service representatives.

Rocha estimates his business accounts for more than a third of general aviation tra c at KSAT, and being the only non-chain service provider on the field, he believes his staff can offer more personalized service. “We try to spend all the time we can to make sure our customers leave safely

and satisfied with our customer service,” he explained. “I like to say you are more than just a tail number here.”

An employee of the company since it opened, Rocha has worked his way up from a ground service equipment operator. He recalled a time in 2020 when the city was hit with a rare winter ice storm that shut down the airport, yet a crew and passengers showed up at the FBO anyway, hoping to get out as soon as the airport reopened.

While only Rocha and one of his line sta were there at the time, between clearing the ice blocking the hangar door and cleaning up the ramp, they catered to their customers, providing snacks and co ee.

Hours later, when Rocha received the green light from the city to reopen, that jet was among the first aircraft to depart. “We get told a lot that we need to expand because of the customer service we o er,” he said.

The FBO also handled the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four tournament in San Antonio, serving as the o cial arrival facility for team flights and the resulting media circus. C.E.

SkyPlace FBO at San Antonio International Airport o ers 60,000 sq ft of hangar space with unusually high 40-foot-tall doors, not counting the tail cut out.

Omni Earns Part 145 Approval for Learjet Heavy Mx

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Omni Aircraft Maintenance has earned an FAA Part 145 repair station certificate allowing the MRO to provide heavy maintenance on Learjet 40, 45, and 75 series aircraft.

“We’ve been doing all of the inspections, maintenance, and upgrades to support our sister company, Omni Air Transport’s Learjet fleet, for over 40 years,” explained Omni Aircraft Maintenance president Caleb Benner. “Because of our network, we’ve gotten a lot of requests from other operators to work on their Lears. Now, with the Part 145 certificate, we can support all of these operators.”

In addition, the company is fielding a new AOG mobile truck in Las Vegas, complementing its mobile services in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Atlanta, and Lubbock, Texas.

API Taps West Star Chattanooga for Falcon Winglets

Aviation Partners (API) tapped West Star Aviation’s maintenance facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as an authorized blended winglet installation center for Dassault Falcon 50, 900, and 2000-series jets. The company’s facilities in East Alton, Illinois, and Grand Junction, Colorado, already serve as authorized installation centers for API on the same aircraft models.

“API’s winglet installation relationship with West Star goes back almost 20 years, starting with the Hawkers at Grand Junction in 2004, and more recently the Falcons at East Alton in 2010,” said Aviation Partners president Gary Dunn.

API blended winglets for Falcon aircraft offer increased range—up to 5 percent at Mach .80 and 7 percent at long-range cruise—and improved climb. West Star and API estimate that winglet installations will take about five weeks to complete.

BY AIN STAFF

Pratt & Whitney Signs with Awiros for AI Inspection Tool

Pratt & Whitney has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-based aircraft engine analysis tool for geared turbofan (GTF) and V2500 powerplants. Dubbed Percept, the new product merges computer vision with a video intelligence operating system developed by Awiros.

Percept’s cloud-based interface allows users to capture images and videos of aircraft engines on their mobile devices and receive real-time parts availability status. “Instead of an inspector having to examine an engine and check partby-part, Percept automates this inspection and reduces time taken by nearly 90 percent,” the company said.

“The Percept tool helps reduce time and effort involved in the pre- and post-lease analysis of aircraft engines,” said O Sung Kwon, v-p of Pratt & Whitney customer support.

New State Aviation Increases Portfolio with Finno

New State Aviation Holdings is increasing its aviation services reach with the acquisition of Finnoff Aviation Products, which specializes in upgrades for Pilatus PC-12 and Beechcraft King Air turboprops. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Broomfield, Colorado-based Finnoff becomes the third business under the New State Aviation Holdings umbrella, which also includes Avex—a Daher TBM sales and maintenance provider—and Blackhawk Aerospace.

Under the most recent acquisition, founder Chris Finnoff and the company’s management team will remain in place. Finnoff provides engine and propeller upgrades for the Pilatus PC-12, including holding a supplemental type certificate for a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P engine modification. Finnoff is also a distributor of MT Propeller five-blade and seven-blade propellers for the PC-12, as well as five-blade propellers for King Airs.

Accidents

BY DAVID JACK KENNY

Preliminary Reports

HondaJet Destroyed in Runway Excursion

Honda HA-420, May 18, 2023, Summerville, South Carolina

The pilot and all five passengers evacuated the HondaJet without injury before much of the airplane was consumed by fire after it departed the wet runway and “slid down a series of embankments before coming to a stop” during a landing attempt. The accident occurred shortly after midnight at the end of a 50-minute IFR flight from Wilkes County Airport in North Carolina.

The pilot told investigators that he had delayed their departure to allow storms to pass through the area and that in “hundreds” of landings at Summerville in both wet and dry conditions, he’d never had difficulty stopping on the 5,000-foot runway.

After executing the GPS approach to Runway 24 at a Vref of 120 knots, the pilot touched down with full flaps and immediately applied full brake pressure. The brakes began pulsating in anti-skid mode, cycling more slowly than he remembered from previous wet-runway landings.

He considered going around after realizing that they would not make the turnoff at the second taxiway only to have the left brake “grab” and yaw the airplane left. Rudder inputs caused a series of left and right skids. The pilot succeeded in straightening the nose just before the aircraft departed the runway, striking a departure-end runway light then sliding down a 10-foot embankment onto a rocky berm and then sliding down a second sixfoot embankment. Impact damage to the right wing ignited a fire that eventually consumed that wing, the cockpit, and the center of the fuselage.

Four Lost Due to Apparent Pilot Incapacitation

Cessna Citation 560, June 4, 2023, Staunton, Virginia

The single pilot and three passengers perished when the Citation V made a near-vertical descent into a Virginia mountainside nearly two hours after the pilot stopped responding to communications from air traffic control. The flight departed Elizabethton, Tennessee, at 13:13 on an IFR flight plan for Long Island-MacArthur Airport. At 13:25, the flight was cleared to climb from FL290 to FL340. The readback of this clearance was the last transmission received from the airplane.

At 13:28, the controller instructed the pilot to level off at FL330 for crossing traffic but received no response. The Citation leveled off at FL340 and continued toward ISP on the route of its filed flight plan. It passed over the airport at 14:32 and turned back to the southwest in the general direction of its point of departure, maintaining FL340 and cutting through the Washington, D.C. Flight Restricted Zone. National Guard fighter jets intercepted the Citation about 15:20 and found the pilot “unresponsive to several radio transmissions, intercept flight maneuvers, and flare deployments.” Two minutes later, it descended into the ground in a tight right spiral.

The pilot, a retired airline captain, claimed more than 34,500 hours of flight experience that included 850 in CE-500 series airplanes. He was issued a first-class medical certificate on Oct. 10, 2022 and held seven type ratings.

No Injuries in Falcon Overrun

Dassault Falcon 10, June 6, 2023, Panama City, Florida

There were no injuries to the pilot, copilot, or any of the three passengers when the

Falcon 10 ran off the end of 10,000-foot Runway 16 at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, striking two support poles for the approach lighting to Runway 34.

The pilot reported that all aircraft systems functioned normally throughout the flight from Atlanta’s Cobb County International Airport. Skies were clear and visibility was reported as 10 miles during a straight-in ILS approach, and the jet touched down about 2,500 feet beyond the runway’s approach end.

The pilot deployed the speed brakes and set both engines to reverse idle, but the reversers did not deploy and the “system disagree” horn sounded. Normal braking produced no apparent deceleration; the copilot tried his brakes without effect. Full emergency braking likewise failed to slow the aircraft, as did recycling the brakes and thrust reversers.

Not knowing whether the reversers were deployed, the pilot chose not to abort the landing. The reversers’ piggyback handles prevented him from shutting down the engines with the throttles, so he steered the airplane between two support poles, which the inboard portion of both wings and then the engine inlets struck. The airplane bounced over a mound into soft sand, coming to rest after the landing gear collapsed.

Two Killed in Amphibian Crash

Quest Kodiak 100, June 21, 2023, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

A privately owned Quest Kodiak equipped with amphibious floats crashed near the shore of Vancouver Island, killing two of the four on board. The flight departed Masset Airport on Graham Island for Tofino at 11:30; at about 14:00, the Joint

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

Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria was notified of an emergency locator transmitter signal. Two Canadian Coast Guard vessels, two RCAF CH-149 Cormorant helicopters, and a CC-130 Hercules airplane responded and located the wreckage in a remote area 16 nm northwest of the destination airport. Two seriously injured survivors were hoisted out by the RCAF helicopter crewmen and transported to B.C. Emergency Health Services. The extent and nature of their injuries was not initially reported, nor were the prevailing weather conditions.

Final Reports

Premature Descent Claims Conquest

Cessna 441, Feb. 7, 2021, Belvidere, Tennessee

The 78-year-old airline transport pilot’s descent below the charted minimum altitude for the final approach fix during a GPS approach in actual instrument conditions ended in a collision with trees about five miles from the runway threshold and 900 feet above the airport elevation. The NTSB concluded that the pilot had deliberately tried to get below a low overcast layer to make visual contact with the airport. He and his passenger, a 58-year-old commercial pilot and instrument instructor, died in the crash, which occurred at the end of an IFR flight from Georgia's Thomasville Regional Airport to Winchester Municipal Airport in Tennessee. Ceilings of 800 to 1,000 feet with light rime icing were reported.

Flying the GPS approach to Runway 36, the turboprop crossed the intermediate fix at the charted altitude of 4,000 feet but descended below 3,000—the minimum altitude at the final approach fix—while still four miles outside it. Radar contact was lost at 2,300 feet due to sparse coverage in that area. The last ADS-B return came

about 0.6 nm south of the final approach fix and indicated an altitude of 2,100 feet. The controller attempted to contact the pilot without success. The crash occurred just north of the final approach fix at an elevation of 1,880 feet, sparking a fire that consumed “most of the cockpit, fuselage, inboard left wing, and outboard left horizontal stabilizer.”

Turbo Commander Destroyed in Spin

Rockwell International 690B, Sept. 28, 2021, Hiles, Wisconsin

Three employees of an aerial imaging business died after the Turbo Commander entered an inadvertent spin at an altitude of 16,100 feet. ADS-B data showed that within two minutes after leveling off at a groundspeed of 209 knots, it decelerated to 93 knots, descended 500 feet on a steady northeasterly heading, then entered a rapidly descending right turn. Radio transmissions of “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” and “We’re in a spin” were received by air traffic control.

The NTSB’s performance study indicated that it reached a pitch attitude of 30 degrees nose-down and a descent rate in excess of 20,000 fpm. The NTSB noted that the pilot operating handbooks for models 690A and 690B did not include spin recovery procedures.

Bird Strike Confirmed in Helicopter Break-up

Bell 206L-1 LongRanger, July 9, 2022, Cattai, New South Wales, Australia

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed that a collision with a wedge-tail eagle, Australia’s largest bird of prey, precipitated the in-flight break-up of the 1979 Bell 206L-1 LongRanger. However, the ATSB also concluded that the impact itself, which occurred on the front left nose cowl, would not have caused significant damage to the aircraft.

Rather, the pilot’s abrupt control inputs in a last-second attempt to avoid the collision caused the main rotor to sever the tailboom, according to the ATSB. The position of the sun relative to the helicopter's flight path and radio communication duties likely prevented the pilot from seeing the eagle until just before impact.

Witnesses saw the helicopter cross Dargle Ridge at about 500 feet before pitching up and banking right. Investigators found remains of the bird in the wreckage and downhill from the accident site. The tail boom and driveshaft were 93 meters (305 feet) north of the fuselage, while the main rotor system, including the gearbox, teetering head, and blades, was found 68 meters to the west. While the pilot was also qualified in airplanes, nearly 90 percent of his experience (4,800 of 5,400 hours) was in helicopters.

Pilot Distraction Led to CFIT

Eurocopter EC135P2+, March 9, 2023, Franklin, North Carolina

The 51-year-old commercial pilot’s “improper decision” to check scheduled maintenance times against the helicopter’s logbook while operating on autopilot at night delayed his seeing a forested peak in time to avoid contact. The logbook was on the co-pilot’s seat under his night vision goggles; before returning it to its compartment in the pilot-side door, he set the autopilot to descend to 5,000 feet to avoid lower ceilings ahead, then “went back heads down.”

When the flight nurse requested an updated arrival time, he looked up, saw the trees, and applied aft cyclic to climb, but the tail boom “struck several trees,” separating the vertical stabilizer.

Three of the four occupants su ff ered minor injuries during the ensuing forced landing on a road, which caused “substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom.” Visibility was reported to be 10 miles under a 5,000-foot overcast. z

Compliance Countdown

BY GORDON GILBERT

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Aug. 10, 2023

Canada: ADS-B Out Mandate

Due to continued supply chain impacts stemming from the Covid pandemic, the previously announced implementation date for ADS-B Out in Canada is delayed beyond the original date of Feb. 23, 2023. As a result, the mandate will come into e ect as follows: Class A Canadian airspace on Aug. 10, 2023; Class B Canadian airspace on May 16, 2024; and Class C, D, and E airspace to occur no sooner than 2026. The new dates have been developed from stakeholder feedback regarding supply chain limitations and backlogs to acquire and install the appropriate equipment.

Aug. 14, 2023

U.S.: Powered-lift Pilots

The FAA proposes a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for alternate eligibility requirements to certificate initial groups of powered-lift pilots, as well as determine which operating rules apply to powered-lift on a temporary basis. This SFAR will enable the agency to gather information for the most appropriate permanent rulemaking path for these aircraft. Currently, general and commercial operating regulations do not contemplate operation of powered-lift. In addition, this action also proposes changes to practical tests in aircraft that require type ratings, training center rotorcraft instructor eligibility, training and testing requirements, and training center use of rotorcraft in flight instruction. Comments are due by Aug. 14, 2023.

Aug. 14, 2023

Europe: Extended Range Operations

EASA is proposing amendments to large twin-engine airplane extended range operations (ETOPS) rules for diverting to a suitable alternate airport in case of a single engine failure, cabin depressurization, or other emergency a ff ecting range. The proposed amendments are primarily updates and clarifications to improve the robustness of existing rules without introducing major changes. For example, EASA proposes to incorporate into the EU legal framework most of the related

ICAO standards dealing with regulatory administration and technical requirements. Furthermore, some amendments are proposed to increase harmonization with FAA ETOPS rules. Comments on the proposal are due by Aug. 14, 2023.

Aug. 16, 2023

U.S.: Advanced Air Mobility

The comment period was extended from July 17 to August 16 on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) notice seeking public input on the development of a national strategy for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), an emerging field in which novel aircraft—typically incorporating electric and hybrid-electric propulsion with vertical or short takeoff and landing capability—could provide new levels of accessibility, convenience, and connectivity for people and cargo. The DOT primarily seeks information regarding: what should be addressed in the AAM national strategy; what are existing barriers to the success of AAM implementation; and what steps should the federal government focus on in the short (two to three years), medium (four to eight years), and long term (more than eight years to maximize the potential for successful AAM operations. Comments are now due August 16.

Nov. 30, 2023

Europe: Travel Information and Authorization System

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) is an online

pre-travel and pre-boarding requirement applying to visa-exempt third-country nationals planning to travel to European states. Expected to be implemented in November 2023, the information is submitted via an online application ahead of passenger arrival at borders, enabling pretravel assessment of irregular migration risks, security, or public health risk checks.

April 24, 2024; Oct. 24, 2024; April 25, 2025

U.S.: Airport SMS

Under new regulations, certain air carrier airports certified under FAR Part 139 will be required to submit an implementation plan for a safety management system (SMS) on the following deadlines: April 24, 2024 for airports designated as hubs; Oct. 24, 2024 for airports with 100,000 or more annual operations over the previous three years; and April 25, 2025 for airports classified as port of entry, landing rights, user fee, and international facilities. In each case, the SMS must be implemented no later than 12 months after receiving FAA approval of the certificate holder’s implementation plan. Most general aviation airports will be able to obtain a waiver from the SMS requirement.

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 operators under Parts 91, 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 SMS

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

May 29, 2026

Canada: CVR and Data Link

Multi-engine turbine-powered aircraft configured for six or more passenger seats and requiring two pilots have been granted a temporary exemption from new cockpit voice and data link recorder requirements that are effective on May 29, 2023. The exemption is due to Covidrelated delays in parts production, supply chains, and transportation, as well as labor shortages at manufacturers and installers. This exemption is in effect until the earliest of May 29, 2026, or a date when the exemption is canceled by Canada’s DOT.

For the most current compliance status, see: ainonline.com/cc

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People in Aviation

BY KAIT WILSON

Elliott Aviation and its subsidiaries Elliott Jets and Prizm Aircraft Products appointed Dan Edwards as president and CEO. Edwards’s aviation career spans more than 25 years and includes executive leadership roles at MAG Aerospace, Aviation Technical Services, and Zodiac Aerospace. He most recently served as CEO of Triman Industries.

The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) expanded the role of president Bryan Burns to include the position of CEO and hired Debi Carpenter in a newly created leadership role as executive director. Prior to joining the ACSF, Carpenter served as the head of marketing and communications at unmanned aerial vehicle cargo manufacturer Natilus. She has also held senior positions with organizations including the Southern California Aviation Association and Eco Aviation International, as well as served as a board member of Women in Corporate Aviation and as a member of the NBAA local and regional leadership committee.

Brad Williams was hired by Signature Aviation as COO and Derek DeCross was promoted to CCO. Williams joins Signature from 7-Eleven where he served as senior v-p of corporate store operations and restaurants. He also held the position of executive v-p of operations with Sunoco before its acquisition by 7-Eleven. DeCross most recently served as senior v-p of customer engagement. Before joining Signature, he held the role of senior v-p of global sales with IHG Hotels & Resorts and served for 20 years with American Airlines in a variety of roles, culminating as v-p of global sales.

Bridget Gonchar was appointed as COO by Epic Fuels—a Signature Aviation company. Gonchar has more than 15 years of experience in the aviation industry having previously held various leadership positions at Signature, including v-p of operations support, v-p of integration, and director of FBO operations.

Heart Aerospace appointed John Slattery as non-executive chairman of its board of directors. Slattery continues to serve as executive v-p and CCO at GE Aerospace. Prior to joining GE, he served as president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, and before that, spent 15 years in various executive roles at leading commercial aerospace advisory, aircraft leasing, and aviation banking organizations.

The National Air Transportation Association board of directors elected Todd Anderson , COO of Sheltair, as board chair, taking the helm from Clive Lowe, executive v-p at Atlantic Aviation, who will continue to serve as immediate past chair on the organization’s executive committee. Five new board members were also elected to serve at large: Travis Grimsley, v-p of aircraft services at Duncan Aviation; Cristine Kirk, president and CEO of Malone AirCharter; Mary Miller , v-p of industry and government affairs for Signature Aviation; Kathryn Purwin , CEO and owner of Helinet Aviation Services; and Craig Teasdale, v-p of operations for Ferrovial Vertiport.

Friends of Naples Municipal Airport announced a new slate of board officers: Stephen Myers, an FAA-certified pilot, certified aviation manager, and executive v-p of Elite Jets, is now president of the Florida airport advocacy group; Bill Earls, a luxury real estate broker with John R. Wood Properties, is v-p; Christel Johnson, real estate broker and owner of Paradise Coast Property Team, is treasurer; and Bruce Byerly, a third-generation aviator and owner of Byerly Aviation in Peoria, Illinois, is secretary.

Tim Wood was promoted to regional v-p of sales for Africa, Turkey, and South Asia at Gulfstream Aerospace. Wood previously held the role of regional sales manager for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Prior to joining Gulfstream, he was responsible for the business development of aircraft management in Europe for TIM

WOOD

CRISTINE KIRK

DAN EDWARDS

BRAD WILLIAMS

ANDREA

Gama Aviation and held a role with the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Guardian Jet appointed Tom Cyr as v-p for the U.S. Upper Midwest region. Cyr has four decades of experience in the industry in a broad range of roles including as an A&P technician for Kaman Aerospace, Midwest field technical representative and technical sales representative for Pratt & Whitney Canada, director of sales for Central Flying Service, and director of business development for Jet Support Services.

West Star Aviation hired Todd Pogue as director of Bombardier at its East Alton, Illinois facility and Anthony Irwin as program manager at its Chattanooga, Tennessee facility. Pogue has more than 30 years of experience in the industry with a background in avionics, maintenance, interiors, and operations management. He previously served in roles including as a service team manager, project manager, and aircraft supervisor on refurbs. Irwin has 31 years of experience in the industry having previously worked at Embraer and on the NetJets Phenom 300 program.

Helicopter dealer Rotortrade hired Gerard Pau as managing director of its French locations and head of European region. Pau’s career spans more than 40 years in the industry and comprises various senior positions at Airbus Helicopters, including managing director, GM, and regional head of operations.

Aero Asset hired Andrea Winning as market research director, Shaun Geng as v-p of operations, and Tristan Sandor as senior director of mission-critical services. Winning has nearly 20 years of experience in the industry having served as project manager at EADS Deutschland and in marketing and customer relations roles with Airbus Helicopters. Geng has 20 years of experience in business relations and previously held senior positions at InterContinental, Hyatt, Marriott, and Accor in Europe, North America, and Asia. Her background includes roles with Global Medical Response where she was responsible

for financial operations, equipment finance, fleet management, procurement, and sales.

Jet East, a Gama Aviation company, appointed Shellie Lewis as Gulfstream product director and Kara Finn as senior director of retail operations. Lewis’s career in the aviation industry spans more than 35 years and includes a 26-year tenure with Gulfstream where he held positions including senior mechanic, senior airworthiness inspector, site lead, and quality supervisor. He has also served as director of operations with Leucadia Aviation and most recently at Leviate Air Group as chief inspector, director of maintenance, and v-p of technical services. Finn has 30 years of experience in aviation maintenance having earned her A&P immediately after high school. She held previous positions with companies including SkyWest Airlines, Bombardier, Nextant Aerospace, and Jet It.

Jet Access promoted Walt Schmeis from Hawker captain to chief pilot for its Part 135 charter certificate. Schmeis has nearly 31 years of piloting experience in a variety of operations including scheduled airlines, VIP royal and ministry special flights, VIP corporate flight departments, medevac, and Part 135 charter. He holds airman certificates from five different countries with multiple jet aircraft type ratings. He also previously served in consulting and management positions as board technical advisor, director of standards, director of flight operations, fleet supervisor and check airman. z

Malcom Anderson (Andy) Wilson, 52, passed away unexpectedly on June 1. Wilson was well known in the King Air community and had previously held roles with Ice Shield and Stevens Aerospace. He most recently served as a sales director with Jet East. His interest in history and his family’s genealogy prompted him to request that his ashes be scattered over the Highlands of Scotland. Wilson leaves behind a wife, Stacie, and a daughter, Emma Grace, as well as his mother.

TOM CYR SHELLIE LEWIS

WINNING

takeoff from Provo, Utah, on a planned Part 91 flight in day IMC. The pilot was killed and the three passengers were injured.

The pilot’s use of an incorrect checklist to respond to one of multiple EICAS messages preceded a sudden and fatal in-flight upset of a Challenger 300 during a Part 91 flight on March 3. A passenger injured during the upset later died in the hospital.

An emergency call was made by the crew of a Bombardier Learjet 36A flying on a Navy contract moments before it crashed into the sea off the coast of California on May 10. The two civilian pilots and a third crewmember perished.

Depressurization or other systems failure that deprived the pilot and his three passengers of oxygen are being investigated as a possible cause for the June 4 fatal accident of a Cessna Citation. The jet flew past its intended destination, made an inexplicable 180-degree turn, and continued until it apparently ran out of fuel.

Meanwhile, on May 15 a civilian German-registered Learjet 35A on a target towing mission for the German Air Force crashed on takeoff, killing both pilots.

Five accidents involving U.S.-registered turboprops took 17 lives in the first six months of this year, compared with four accidents and 13 fatalities in the same period last year. The fatal accidents in both periods occurred under Part 91, except for the Feb. 24, 2023, in-flight breakup of a Pilatus PC-12 on a Part 135 ambulance flight, killing all five aboard. Non-U.S.-registered turboprops were also involved in five fatal accidents, claiming 11 lives. This matched the number of fatal accidents in the first half of last year, but with 17 fatalities.

Runway excursions are typically the most common mishaps for turbine airplanes. In the first half of this year, nearly 30 percent (39) of the 134 accidents and incidents worldwide involving business jets and turboprops were classified as runway excursions. These occurrences caused no fatalities, but some did result in injuries and aircraft damage. z

JAMES HOLAHAN (1921-2015), FOUNDING EDITOR, WILSON S. LEACH, FOUNDER & CHAIR EMERITUS

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Aviation International News (ISSN 0887-9877) is published twelve times per year (monthly). Periodicals postage paid at Midland Park, N.J., and additional mailing o ces. Postmaster: Send address changes to Aviation International News, P.O. Box 8059, Lowell, MA 01853 USA. Allow at least eight weeks for processing. Include old address as well as new, and an address label from a recent issue if possible. Subscription inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 or email: subscriptions@ainonline.com.

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For feedback, letters to the editor, or other editorial needs, please contact AIN’s Editors at ainedit@ainonline.com

BUILD YOUR BRAND AND DRIVE SALES

WITH AIN CONVENTION & AIRSHOW NEWS

For 50 years, AIN has provided market-leading coverage of the most important airshows and conventions across the globe. In 2023, AIN is expanding its coverage with more events and more marketing opportunities. Drive awareness and consideration with a 360-degree marketing plan including print (where available), newsletters, and digital. Custom content opportunities are also available across all of our platforms.

January: Schedulers & Dispatchers | March: *Heli-EXPO, Sun n’ Fun, AEA | April: AERO Friedrichshafen

May: *EBACE | June: *Paris Air Show, Aircra Interiors Expo | July: EAA Air Venture

August: LABACE | October: *NBAA-BACE | November: *Dubai Air Show

Learn more at: marketing.ainonline.com/airshows-conventions