Aviation International News September 2024

AVIATION INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TECHNOLOGY: BATTERY BREAKTHROUGHS ON HORIZON

MX: DOBSON'S DELIGHTFUL CACHE OF PLANE PARTS

OPS: MANDATORY SMS FOR CHARTER, NOW WHAT?

Special Report: Avionics Support Survey

Fantastic Farnborough

Qatar's Emiri Air Force Boeing F-15QA shreds the air while taking off for an airshow demo

LONDON TO NEW YORK NONSTOP.

Scan the QR code to see the mission

30 Dodson keeps business aviation flying

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@EAA AirVenture: Blackhawk's TBM

Skyryse simulator demonstrates future of flight control

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Kompass Kapital plots new course with Airshare buy

Rolls-Royce reports progress with Pearl 10X turbofan

Dassault Falcon deliveries rise, backlog grows slightly

@EAA AirVenture: GE Catalyst turbine prepares for year-end FAA approval

14 AIN Product Support Survey: Avionics 24

@Farnborough Airshow 2024 highlights innovation, progress

New challenges for charter and air tour operators with FAA’s SMS mandate

Electric aircraft developers prepare for battery breakthroughs 41 Book-and-claim crucial to SAF expansion

Kompass Kapital plots new course with Airshare buy

BY SARAH ROSE

Private equity group Kompass Kapital made a strategic investment in private aviation company Airshare; both businesses are headquartered in Kansas City. Kompass Kapital now leads the Airshare ownership group, with previous investors maintaining an active role with considerable equity positions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled to have Kompass Kapital join the Airshare ownership group and strongly believe its investment will have a material impact on our future,” said Airshare CEO John Owen. “When we made the decision to raise capital in support of our strategic goals, we were diligent in defining the ideal partner for us, both professionally and culturally.

“We immediately received considerable interest, but it quickly became clear we had the perfect match just down the road in Kompass Kapital. Kompass’ reputation is impeccable, and their track record in helping businesses flourish is well known. Additionally, they have already demonstrated great success in partnering with our legacy

ownership group through other investments. The confidence they’ve shown in Airshare is extremely validating.”

Kompass Kapital managing partner Bradley Berger said he is “very excited” about the partnership. “We invest in people, and when evaluating the potential of any opportunity, we start with company leadership. The executive team at Airshare is outstanding, and they inspired us with their vision to strategically expand the company’s geographic footprint, fleet, and customer base. The growth prospects are very encouraging, and we believe the company is uniquely positioned to further capture market share,” he noted.

The companies have called the investment part of a “transformative year for Airshare.”

Following the company’s acquisition of the Wheels Up aircraft management business in September, Airshare doubled in size to nearly 600 employees while operating a fleet approaching 150 aircraft, becoming one of the largest fleet operators in the U.S. z

News Briefs

GULFSTREAM DELIVERIES

CLIMB 54% WITH G700 LIFT

Second-quarter aircraft deliveries soared by 54% year over year (YOY) at Gulfstream Aerospace, to 37 aircraft (six super-midsize G280s and 31 large-cabin jets). While G280 handovers were flat from a year ago, the large-cabin jet shipments climbed by 72%, mostly driven by 11 deliveries of the recently certified G700. First-half deliveries rose nearly 36% YOY, to 61 jets (nine G280s and 52 large cabins), putting it on pace to reach parent company General Dynamics’ forecast of about 150 this year, including 50 to 52 G700s. Revenues at General Dynamics’ aerospace division ascended 50.5% YOY, to $2.94 billion, in the quarter, while earnings rose 35%, to $319 million.

BOMBARDIER DELIVERIES, SERVICE REVENUES JUMP

Bombardier’s revenues jumped 32% in the second quarter to $2.2 billion as deliveries reached 39 business jets, a 34% increase from a year ago. Also helping that revenue bump was Bombardier’s services business, which topped $500 million for the first time in quarterly results. As for deliveries, they weighted more toward Challengers, with 20 handed over versus 15 in second-quarter 2023, while Global deliveries reached 19, compared with 14 last year. For the first six months, Bombardier delivered 32 Challengers and 27 Globals.

EMBRAER SHIPMENTS RISE 18%

Embraer’s executive aviation division improved on its first-quarter deliveries, handing over 27 Phenoms and Praetors in the second quarter of the year for a total of 45 business jets (31 Phenoms and 15 Praetors) in the first half—a more than 18% increase over the first half of 2023. The division ended the first half with a $4.6 billion backlog and expects to deliver 125 to 135 business jets this year.

Airshare will have new growth opportunities following a major investment by Kompass Kapital.

ONLY GARMIN.

Garmin is proud to now offer an industry-leading all-Garmin retrofit solution for the CJ2. Adding incredible new capabilities such as auto mode radar with the GWX™ 8000 weather radar and VNAV capabilities with the GFC™ 600 autopilot and GTN Xi navigators, you’ll drastically reduce pilot workload and increase the lifespan of your aircraft.

Rolls-Royce reports progress with Pearl 10X turbofan

BY CHARLES ALCOCK

The Pearl 10X turbofan Rolls-Royce is developing for the Dassault Falcon 10X business jet has logged more than 2,500 flight hours and 7,700 cycles on the UK aircraft engine manufacturer’s Boeing 747 testbed. In a media briefing ahead of the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow in July, Rolls-Royce business aviation director Dirk Geisinger said the 18,000-pound-thrust engine is already “smashing” projected performance targets, having surpassed targeted thrust levels since the first test run.

Rolls Royce’s Pearl 10X features the Advance2 engine core combined with a high-performance low-pressure system that the company said will deliver its highest-thrust turbofan to date for business aircraft applications. It also has a 5% improvement in specific fuel consumption compared with earlier-generation engines.

Pearl engines also feature combustor tiles that Geisinger said have delivered 20% more efficiency in cooling the walls and temperature reductions to improve the performance of the high-pressure turbine. The additive-layer manufacturing techniques

used for these tiles have reduced the design and manufacturing time by 75%.

Geisinger also reported that the entry into service of Rolls-Royce’s Pearl 700 engines on Gulfstream’s G700 business jet has been “flawless.” As of July 11, he said the 12 G700s delivered at that point had flown 750 hours, including a nonstop flight from New Zealand to New York City-area Teterboro Airport, taking full advantage of the jet’s 7,750-nm range.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is supporting Gulfstream’s efforts to complete type certification of the 8,000-nm G800 to allow it to enter service later this year. The manufacturer has started to ramp up production of the Pearl 700 turbofans for this program.

According to Geisinger, 75% of new Rolls-Royce engines for business aircraft are now enrolled in its CorporateCare power-by-the-hour maintenance program. The support is provided to operators through more than 85 authorized service centers worldwide, 10 parts stores, and more than 75 on-wing services technicians. More than 250 engines and nacelles are also available for lease under the program. z

News Briefs

VISTA AMERICA SHEDDING CITATION ULTRA, X FLEETS

Vista America, the U.S. operating partner of charter operator Vista Global Holding, on August 6 said it is shifting away from “legacy aircraft models” and will thus sell its Cessna Citation Ultra and X fleets. The U.S. branch comprises charter and aircraft management providers Jet Select, Red Wing Aeroplane, Western Air Charter, and XOJet Aviation, and they will serve customers with the remaining core fleet of Bombardier and Gulfstream jets, as well as midsize Citation XLSs. At press time, pilots afected by the fleet rationalization plan were being reassigned to other aircraft models at the company.

PW545D ENGINE FOR CITATION ASCEND GETS FAA NOD

Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has secured FAA approval for its PW545D turbofan, checking of another key milestone as Textron Aviation works to bring the Cessna Citation Ascend to market next year. The certification came just two months after Transport Canada’s nod. Rated at 4,218 pounds of thrust, the PW545D will provide a 1,900-nm range, 441-knot maximum cruise speed, and a 30-minute time to climb to FL450 maximum altitude for the Ascend. The PW545D sports Fadec, enabling integration of autothrottle, and an enhanced three-stage compressor.

SOUTHERN STAR BUYS FUNIAN AVIATION FROM METROJET

Metrojet Haite Business Aviation has completed the sale of its stake in Chinese aircraft operator Funian Aviation to Southern Star Aviation. The Hong Kongbased company, which is a joint venture between ExecuJet Haite and business jet operator Metrojet, said the transfer of its remaining shares in the company was completed on July 26. ExecuJet Haite and Metrojet Hong Kong Commercial Aircraft acquired Funian in 2022.

Rolls-Royce developed the Pearl 10X engine for Dassault’s Falcon 10X business jet.

We were meant to fly.

Our engines power flight.

A love of flight powers us.

Dassault Falcon deliveries rise, backlog grows slightly

BY SARAH ROSE

Dassault Aviation delivered 12 Falcons in the first half, up from nine in the first six months of last year, and took in net orders for 11, one fewer than a year ago, the company said on July 23. It reported total revenues of €2.538 billion ($2.78 billion) in the first half versus €2.295 billion in the same period last year, with its Falcon business jet unit accounting for €980 million, up from €827 million in first-half 2023. Dassault’s defense business—largely Rafale fighter deliveries—accounted for the majority of revenues, at €1.558 billion.

Falcon backlog grew by about € 110 million, to € 4.758 billion, in the first six months, covering 83 Falcons, down one unit since the end of last year.

Meanwhile, Dassault is keeping its sights on supply chain delays and a shifting global political landscape, including elections in the U.S. and France and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“The global context in this first half-year remains marked by the war in Ukraine and the state of war in the Middle East. In France, the President of the Republic, as head of the armed forces, wrote to defense manufacturers urging them to step up

their efforts in the context of a war economy. In response to this call, I instructed Dassault Aviation employees to prioritize Rafale production, for both France and for export,” said chairman Éric Trappier.

The company signaled that supply-chain problems are continuing to create issues into 2024, including shortages at all stages of production and suppliers facing financial difficulties and capacity shortages. It said the situation has also affected its customer support bandwidth. But the company is hoping to counter supply issues through its participation in an investment fund dedicated to supporting the French aerospace supply chain and monitoring actions to anticipate the risks of new supplier inefficiencies.

Dassault has also given priority to the production of Rafale jets and export at the request of the French government and has delivered six Rafales to the country.

On the Falcon side, the company touted its expansion, including a new service center in Malaysia, as well as increased production capacity in Brazil and Florida. It also reiterated its commitment to being carbon neutral by 2050. z

LABACE 2024

News Briefs

LABACE MOVING TO NEARBY CAMPO DE MARTE

The LABACE show held last month at São Paulo Congonhas Airport was the last at this venue, according to Flávio Pires, CEO of Brazil business aviation association and LABACE organizer ABAG. Next year, the annual Latin American bizav show will be held at Campo de Marte Airport. The underused area at Congonhas that has been ceded yearly for LABACE will no longer be available as airport operator Aena reconfigures the field to handle more airline trafc. Pires sees great potential in the move to Campo de Marte, including the possibility of adding a fly-in and demo flights.

BUSINESS AVIATION LAUDED AT LABACE OPENER

Brazilian aviation ofcials praised business aviation for its humanitarian eforts and ability to expand access during LABACE 2024. ANAC director Ricardo Bisinotto Catanant made special note of the Transplantar program that waives fees and eases rules to facilitate organ transport. Meanwhile, Tomé Franca, Brazil’s secretary of civil aviation, pointed out that airlines “serve 2% of Brazil’s cities, while general aviation serves them all—more than 3,000 cities. General aviation lets Brazil grow for everyone, and the government should be alongside it.”

AVANTTO EXPANDS FRAX OPS

Brazilian fractional aircraft provider Avantto now has three Epic E1000 turboprop singles in service and expects three more to join the fleet by year-end. The aircraft are part of Avantto’s plan to take its fractional share program to Brazil’s Central-West region, which company CEO Rogerio Andrade said is moving apace, noting a base has been established in Goiânia. He told AIN at LABACE that E1000 share sales are brisk and customers are pleased with the aircraft.

GE Catalyst turbine prepares for year-end FAA approval

BY MATT THURBER

GE Aerospace’s Catalyst turboprop engine is meeting and exceeding its targeted performance numbers and is on track for FAA certification by year-end, the company said at EAA AirVenture 2024. The engine powers Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft Denali single- engine turboprop, which is set for certification next year. Both were on display at AirVenture, although this was the first time the GE display hosted the actual engine instead of a mockup.

Engines in the flight-test program have logged more than 2,100 hours and 900 flights, which “gives a lot of confidence in the performance,” noted Paul Corkery, head of GE’s Catalyst program. Compared to other 1,300-shp powerplants, he said the GE engine burns 18% less fuel while producing 10% more power at altitude.

The $6.95 million Denali first flew on Nov. 21, 2021, and certification was planned for 2023, but delays in the Catalyst program pushed that to 2025. According to Corkery, “We faced tough new regulations that were more challenging than expected.” These had to do with ice crystal and super-cooled liquid droplet mitigation. “We had to bring in very experienced folks to get those [requirements] over the line,” he said. “Those were big headwinds. But we feel we’ve mitigated the risk to get certification by the end of the year.”

A Catalyst engine on display at AirVenture.

 We expect all that testing to be wrapped up by the end of the third quarter, then we’ll be finalizing and submitting the final reports. 

— Paul Corkery Head of GE’s Catalyst program

Catalyst’s Fadec engine controls, adapted from systems on larger GE turbine engines, are integrated with the Denali’s Garmin G3000 avionics and autothrottle, enabling Textron Aviation engineers to design a single-lever power control. This simplifies the workload for the pilot and protects the engine from exceeding critical parameters.

For FAA certification, the Catalyst had to complete 23 key engine-level tests, and 19 of those are done. The remaining four— covering endurance, vibration, blade-out, and compressor operability—are underway in four separate test cells. “We expect all that testing to be wrapped up by the end of the third quarter,” Corkery said, “then we’ll be finalizing and submitting the final reports.”

Meanwhile, GE is standing up its service infrastructure to support the Catalyst once the Denali begins shipping. The production readiness phase is also underway, and GE has already built 35 engines. “We’ll deliver what Textron Aviation needs,” he said. “We’re aligned with their schedule.” z

News Briefs

REDBIRD MARKETS MIXEDREALITY TRAINING

The Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland, Florida, will be the first aviation education organization to install Redbird Flight’s new mixed-reality flight training platform. Combining a virtual reality headset with proprietary software, the mixedreality platform will serve as a foundation for future add-ons to new and existing Redbird training devices, the company said. Integrated into the company’s core simulation engine, the platform gives pilots a view of simulation graphics through the headset.

CONTINENTAL SIGNS SUSTAINABILITY PACT

Continental formed a strategic partnership with sustainable aviation solutions provider APUS Zero Emission at EAA AirVenture. Germany-based APUS Zero Emission—whose goal is “to make air trafc 100% emission-free and uncompromisingly climate-neutral”—is a pioneer in the hydrogen-powered and hybrid-electric flight arena. Announced during AirVenture, the collaboration is focused on exploring sustainable, cutting-edge piston engine technology to significantly reduce general aviation’s climate impact. The joint efort will focus on developing innovative power plant solutions for current and future aircraft owners.

CIRRUS DELIVERS 10,000TH SR - SERIES AIRPLANE

Cirrus Aircraft has reached a production milestone with the delivery of its 10,000th SR-series piston-single airplane. The company handed over the first SR20 in 1999 and in the intervening 25 years, it has gone on to become the best-selling aircraft in its class, with the latest being the seventhgeneration (G7) editions. To celebrate, the manufacturer unveiled a one-of-a-kind 10,000th SR series airplane, an SR22T G7.

Textron unveils ‘Crimson Edition’ of King Air

BY MATT THUBER

EAA AirVenture 2024

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Beechcraft King Air series, Textron Aviation created a special Crimson Edition of the turboprop twins. Announced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the Crimson Edition will be available for 2025 King Air deliveries and features a “striking new interior and a vibrant red and silver exterior paint scheme.”

Also at AirVenture, Textron Aviation unveiled an improved cockpit for the Cessna Caravan and Grand Caravan EX. New features include black instrument and cockpit panels, and the Caravan is now equipped with electroluminescent lighting, matching the configuration of the Grand Caravan EX.

Both Caravan models are also upgraded with a wider cockpit boarding ladder, making it easier for pilots to climb into the left seat. For in-flight comfort, the two rectangular cockpit air vents have been replaced with four circular adjustable air nozzles. The lower center pedestal now has two USB-C charging ports instead of the previous 12-volt power adapter, and

the right-hand subpanel on the right-seat pilot’s side has two USB-C charging ports. For more flexibility to power headsets, LEMO jacks were installed next to the two general aviation headset jacks. Finally, headset hooks were installed underneath the cockpit glare shield.

All of these new features will be standard on 2025 Caravans and Caravan EXs. z

BLACKHAWK PUTS MORE POWER INTO THE DAHER TBM 700 SERIES

EAA AirVenture 2024

Blackhawk Aerospace is developing a supplemental type certificate (STC) to re-engine the Daher TBM 700 series with 150 more shaft horsepower, in partnership with sister company and TBM-authorized sales and service center Avex Aviation. The STC will replace the 700-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-64 on the TBM 700A, 700B, and 700C2 with the 850-shp PT6A-66D.

Performance of the re-engined TBM 700 will be boosted to that of the TBM 850, according to Blackhawk. Time to climb to FL310 for the PT6A66D-powered TBM 700 drops to 14 minutes from 16 minutes 39 seconds, and maximum cruise speed ranges from 287 to 307 ktas, improving overall efciency and adding to safety margins.

EAA AirVenture attendees were able to check out N590JL, the TBM 700C2 that Blackhawk is modifying, at the company’s exhibit. Avex’s Camarillo, California team has already

refurbished this TBM with a new interior and LED interior lighting, and a full panel of Garmin avionics, along with fresh paint by ArtCraft Paint.

“The XP66D engine upgrade exemplifies The Blackhawk Group’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in the aviation industry,” said Edwin Black,

president of Blackhawk Aerospace. “By partnering with our sister company Avex, we are able to combine its vast expertise in all things TBM with Blackhawk’s extensive knowledge of STC development to offer an unparalleled upgrade for our mutual customers.” M.T.

Aspen Avionics adds engine instruments to its displays

BY MATT THUBER

EAA AirVenture 2024

On the 20th anniversary of its founding, Aspen Avionics unveiled a partnership with engine instrumentation manufacturer Electronics International to bring engine instruments to Aspen displays. The move fits with Aspen’s long-time goal of enabling customers to keep updating their displays to add functionality.

“We have kept with the hardware that can be used and reused,” said Aspen president and CEO John Uczekaj. “We haven’t succumbed to the bright shiny object avionics world where you’re constantly changing platforms and forcing the customer to swap out for new hardware. We will continue to stay true to our roots, which is our Aspen platform.”

Aspen demonstrated a beta version of the engine instrumentation at its EAA AirVenture booth and expects to receive FAA certification for the upgrade in mid-2025. No modifications other than a software upgrade are required for the Aspen Evolution MFD500 Max and MFD1000 Max multifunction displays to show the engine instruments.

At EAA AirVenture, Uczekaj also announced that Aspen has increased its factory warranty to three years from two for the Evolution Max and E5 displays. This includes unlimited transferable coverage and covers all system components regardless of hours accumulated. z

AIN Product Support Survey: Avionics

AIN readers rate avionics, cabin management, and airborne connectivity manufacturers

The MRO business appears to have rallied from the problems wrought by the Covid pandemic and subsequent supply chain constraints, according to assessments among the companies that participated in this year’s avionics support survey. Although still not completely recovered, members of the industry expressed far more optimism about the pace of growth and the gradual improvement in parts supply since last year.

Efforts 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

BY GREGORY POLEK

agencies to help supplement parts inventory.

However, the storm clouds that gathered over the industry in the form of a short supply of qualified mechanics appear no less threatening and continue to affect timely access to MRO services. Stepped up recruitment efforts have helped, but an answer to the need for a more enduring solution has proved elusive.

Maintenance shops continue to work toward clearing backlogs within the limitations of the mechanics’ shortage, all the while improving the quality of their support offerings, as evidenced by sector leaders such as Garmin.

The Olathe, Kansas-based supplier took the top slot among flight deck suppliers and airborne connectivity providers with a 9.0 and 9.1 score, respectively. The company secured at least a 9.0 rating in five of the eight categories measured both in the flight deck avionics and airborne connectivity categories, including a 9.3 in overall reliability in both.

Among cabin management systems suppliers, the starkest change involved Lufthansa Technik and its Nice system, which vaulted to the top with an 8.2 average, tying for the top spot with Honeywell, which climbed significantly from a 6.9 rating last year. z

N/A*: Did not draw enough responses for inclusion in results.

SURVEY RULES AND METHODOLOGY

AIN ’s annual Product Support Survey aims to quantify and rate through statistical analysis the product support functions of business aviation 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 airframe, engine, and avionics 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, and primary region of service. 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 avionics categories: Cost Per Hour Program; Parts Availability; Cost of Parts; AOG Response; Warranty Fulfillment; Technical Manuals; Technical Reps; and Overall Avionics Reliability.

THE RESULTS

In total, 679 unique respondents, representing 2,221 aircraft, from 62 countries completed the survey. While slightly above last year’s total, AIN did not receive enough responses to verifiably report on Universal Avionics in flight deck avionics, Collins Aerospace in airborne connectivity, and Textron Aviation in cabin management

systems. Textron Aviation was included in last year’s results. Rolland Vincent Associates reviewed the data to ensure accurate and valid responses. It also compiled the final survey results in close coordination with AIN

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 started to level between the May 2023 to May 2024 survey period but flying still exceeded pre-pandemic levels. More flying leads to more maintenance demand.

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

COMING NEXT

AIN has published its 2024 Product Support Survey results for avionics, cabin electronics, and airborne connectivity in this issue; next month will feature engine manufacturers, the final report in this series for 2024.

For the 15th year in a row, Garmin reached the top ranking in the flight deck avionics category and this year also ranked first in the airborne connectivity category, finishing with composite scores of 9.0 and 9.1, respectively.

The flight deck avionics score represented an improvement from the company’s top-ranking 8.7 in 2023. However, the company did not draw enough responses in the airborne connectivity category for inclusion in that area in the 2023 results.

GARMIN

In the flight deck category, Garmin managed to reach at least a 9.0 rating in five categories, namely cost-per-hour programs, parts availability, warranty fulfillment, technical reps, and overall avionics reliability.

In airborne connectivity, it finished with a score of 9.0 or above in five categories as well, registering an 9.3 in AOG response, 9.5 in warranty fulfillment, 9.0 in technical manuals, 9.5 in technical reps, and 9.3 in overall reliability. Its 9.5 score in technical reps ranked as the top score among all companies and categories.

THE IMPROVEMENTS:

The top ranked vote-getter in AIN ’s product support survey last year managed to improve by three points in 2024, as it added new instructor-led classes and training customized to meet the needs of several popular owner/ pilot associations.

Subsequently, the company celebrated the first anniversary of the Garmin Aviation Dealer Academy website, where it hosts short-format training videos at a rate of one new video per week. The videos provide authorized installers with the latest tips to maximize installation quality and efficiency for Garmin customers.

According to Garmin director of avionics product support Lee Moore, the company continues to expand self-service options with a growing library of “knowledge articles” in its frequently asked questions database.

Moore added that Garmin continuously improves chat availability and call-back options to reduce customer hold time, including a new option to reserve a date and time for a call-back.

Garmin also implemented an auto-renewing purchase system for aviation database and Garmin pilot subscriptions. Finally, the company added what it calls its expert, pilotrated staff to help support more calls, emails, and chats from end customers.

Some examples of improvements the company has registered over the past year include Citation CJ2 avionics with Garmin G600 equipment following receipt in July of an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC).

The upgrade features two G600 TXi touchscreen displays specific to the CJ2, including stabilized approach monitoring and aural V-speed alerting during takeoff, as well as Garmin’s engine indication system. Two GTN Xi navigators enable vertical navigation (VNAV) using the GFC 600 autopilot, including coupled VNAV descents and coupled go-arounds.

Meanwhile, a Citation XLS+ and XLS Gen2 upgrade will allow owners to install the G5000 avionics, offering features such as touchscreen displays, synthetic vision technology, and advanced weather radar. It also includes automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) Out compliance and allows for future growth and expansion through software updates.

UNIQUELY GOGO

Connect anywhere on any business aircraft

Beyond speed: key considerations when choosing an inflight connectivity provider

New broadband Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are ushering in a new era of inflight connectivity for business aviation operators on a global scale.

With new LEO networks in place, business aviation aircraft owners and passengers no longer have to worry about the availability, performance, cost or geographic coverage of the network. And LEO enables new antenna technology that is smaller, lighter, and more affordable to operate than ever before.

When a passenger is flying with a LEO system onboard, they’ll enjoy an inflight internet experience that will make them forget they’re flying at 40,000 feet, and at a fraction of the installation and service cost of traditional GEO (geosynchronous) global satellite services.

When considering an inflight connectivity solution and provider, Sergio Aguirre, Gogo Business Aviation’s president and COO, gives a fresh perspective on what actually is important versus what sounds important. Fast peak speeds are impressive, but when you need predictability and consistency in your flight operations and an excellent in passenger experience, there’s more to consider.

“When you’re making the kind of investment to add inflight connectivity to your aircraft, you need to be sure you make the right choice. You need to ask: Is the company committed to business aviation for the long term? Is there a foundation of trust and reliability? And what kind of customer support will you get?” said Aguirre. “Gogo does one thing – inflight connectivity for business aviation, and we do it very well. Your inflight connectivity is our only concern.”

Throughout its 33-year history, Gogo Business Aviation has continually evolved as new networks, antennas, and hardware and software technologies got faster and more efficient. Simply put, innovation is in Gogo’s DNA.

The LEO Satellite Revolution

Today it’s not a question of LEO versus GEO but instead, which LEO service provider is best positioned for business aviation? Virtually any LEO satellite provider can fulfill the promise of fast, low-latency inflight Wi-Fi, but there are many other critical components to consider. And the question operators should be asking is, ‘Do I want to get it right now or get it right?’ because with inflight Wi-Fi you’re making a long-term commitment.

“Gogo Galileo and LEO satellite connectivity is revolutionizing business aviation inflight connectivity

like never before by delivering a solution for aircraft of all sizes, especially small aircraft which currently have no broadband options if they operate outside of North America,” said Aguirre. “Our HDX antenna is small enough to fit on any size business aircraft from turboprops on up which is something no one else is offering.

“We are currently completing installation of the HDX antenna on our Challenger 300, which will serve as the Gogo Galileo testbed, and flight testing will begin late this summer. Everything is progressing as we expected,” he added.

Uniquely Gogo

A few aspects of Gogo’s business help it stand out from the rest of LEO crowd.

› A singular commitment to business aviation: Gogo only serves business aviation, it’s the company’s sole focus which means Gogo understands the unique needs business aviation operators have and the expectations of the industry’s discerning customer base.

› Reliability and performance: Gogo’s technology was designed for business aviation to deliver reliable connectivity and high performance even in challenging environments such as during bad weather or over remote areas, like the polar regions. This reliability ensures uninterrupted connectivity throughout any flight.

› World-class customer support: Gogo provides dedicated customer support from a team of people who are experts in business aviation connectivity, and they are available 24/7/365, including every major holiday. This helps ensure a smooth and hassle-free inflight connectivity experience and the assurance of a quick resolution if an issue does arise.

› AVANCE: If you already have a Gogo AVANCE system (SCS, L3 or L5) installed in your aircraft, the cost and downtime to upgrade to Gogo Galileo is significantly less compared with adding a non-Gogo system and starting from scratch. AVANCE helps future proof your investment because AVANCE was designed so you can easily add satellite with air to ground for redundancy and increased bandwidth, as well as any future

networks and technological advancements. With AVANCE you’re always on the path to the next best solution.

› Gogo Vision: The industry’s only inflight entertainment service offering hundreds of movies and TV programs, a premium 3D moving map, 30 leading magazines titles in digital format, and business news.

› Over-the-air software updates: Keep all Gogo AVANCE LRUs updated and with the latest technology, which is done for you automatically, for one aircraft or an entire fleet, from anywhere in the world, with no down time required.

› Global coverage: The network powering Gogo Galileo spans the globe, ensuring connectivity regardless of your flight route.

When you’re making the kind of investment to add inflight connectivity to your aircraft, you need to be sure you make the right choice.”

SERGIO

AGUIRRE, Gogo Business Aviation’s President & COO

› Customizable solutions: Gogo offers customizable connectivity solutions tailored to the specific needs of business aviation operators and passengers. Whether it’s for a small business jet or a large global aircraft, Gogo provides two antenna options that fit the full breadth of aircraft sizes and requirements. It’s two options for one perfect fit.

› Cybersecurity: Gogo prioritizes the security of its inflight connectivity services, implementing robust measures to safeguard data transmitted over its network. This commitment to security is crucial for business users who need to exchange sensitive information during their flights. With Gogo, security is built into every system.

› Superior partner network: Gogo is partnering with Hughes Network Systems to manufacture the HDX and FDX (larger, best in class) antennas, a trusted name in aviation. And Gogo’s network of choice is Eutelsat OneWeb, the only LEO satellite operator today with a fully deployed global satellite network. And, it’s an enterprise-grade network with guaranteed service levels, not one designed for millions of consumers with high levels of variation in performance.

The Bottom Line

LEO satellite networks represent a paradigm shift in the way we connect and communicate. The advantages LEO satellite networks provide to business aviation operators compared to the more traditional GEO satellite networks are significant: superfast broadband Wi-Fi, low latency, smaller on-board hardware and antennas, affordability, true global coverage even over polar routes, and the ability to scale with new technologies as they emerge, to name just a few.

Gogo Galileo will leverage the power of LEO technology to bring broadband inflight connectivity to the entire breadth of business aviation. It’s the first time business aircraft worldwide, regardless of the size or mission of the aircraft, can get true broadband service on their aircraft. When coupled with AVANCE, Gogo Galileo enables customizable solutions that are proven, reliable, and secure, with an award-winning team of dedicated customer support professionals. That’s why Gogo has been, and remains, the preferred choice for thousands of business aircraft operators including all the largest business aviation fleet operators, corporate flight departments, OEMs and individuals.

COLLINS AEROSPACE

The second-place finisher in flight deck avionics with an 8.6 rating, Collins Aerospace improved by 0.5 in its overall average from 2023. The avionics manufacturer did not draw enough responses to be included in the airborne connectivity category.

In flight deck avionics, Collins’ 9.0 score in both warranty fulfillment and overall reliability boosted its overall score from 8.1 in 2023.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Collins Aerospace continues to invest in people, processes, infrastructure, and technologies as the RTX subsidiary develops digital tools to more quickly resolve issues and respond to customer information requests faster.

Examples include the addition of warranty personnel for processing claims faster and service center capacity to ensure the company’s preparation for fleet growth and mandates.

“Additionally, as the industry faces new challenges and embraces new technologies, we are collaborating and innovating with our customers to bring big ideas and new products to life, as well as drive continuous improvement and support to our existing products,” said Peter Tuchel, senior director for customer support and avionics at Collins Aerospace.

Examples include flight deck upgrades to meet next-generation modernization requirements, enhanced situational awareness, and connectivity for the cockpit and cabin. Business jet cabin management system upgrades allow for installation of 4K monitors, improved maps, support for third-party peripherals, and control of cabin functions onto mobile devices.

Collins has launched an airport ground monitoring system that provides real-time tracking and recording for aircraft and ground equipment movement. According to the company, its Airport Surface Awareness System (ASAS)

will provide a holistic view of on-field operations that can enhance efficiency and help reduce the risk of ground incursions and improve airport surface safety.

The system uses three components to generate an accurate picture of airport operations, including aircraft tracking with ADS-B and radar feeds both for arriving aircraft and those on the ground; real-time tracking of motorized and non-motorized ground equipment; and an interactive map application with geofencing to allow operators to set location and speed restrictions for different assets with alerts for any violations.

Collins also recently introduced a “smart monitor” for its Venue cabin management system (CMS), allowing aircraft owners and operators to install the monitor as a standalone inflight entertainment (IFE) system or as part of a Venue CMS. Buyers can start with a smart monitor and build a CMS in a phased approach, according to Collins. The smart monitor allows integration of IFE products such as Airshow moving maps and Stage on-demand entertainment and it is upgradeable via software updates.

HONEYWELL

Honeywell remained at the bottom of the rankings among flight deck avionics makers this year and saw its score in that grouping fall two-tenths of a point from its 7.7 showing in 2023. However, it performed significantly better in cabin management systems, where it tied for first with an 8.2 score and in airborne connectivity, where it posted a

relatively strong result of 8.4, which nevertheless placed it in a last place despite the 0.5 increase.

Among the three groupings, the company saw its biggest progress in support of cabin management systems with a 1.3-point improvement from its 2023 score. Within that grouping, it registered a mainly middling performance,

scoring its highest tally in warranty fulfillment with an 8.7 and its lowest in parts availability with a 7.6.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Last year’s MRO laggard among flight deck avionics makers in AIN’s survey, Honeywell saw its score in that category fall still further this year by two-tenths of a point. However, the company sees a path to improving on those numbers with a new technical publications portal that tackles the deficiencies of a 15-year-old system.

Honeywell Aerospace vice president of technical support Malcolm Fleming explained that the old portal’s problems left it at a serious disadvantage compared with other big OEMs.

“That was really what was preventing us from moving into the current century,” explained Fleming. “We did go live with a new technical publications portal at the end of last year. It was a completely re-architected back end of the system into a modern format. We’ve already seen improved download speed. We’ve done continuous enhancements over the first six months of this year, and I think some of the key things we want is the availability of integrated electronic technical manuals by the end of this year.”

While several companies reported a measure of progress in addressing supply chain constraints, Fleming and Honeywell Aerospace vice president of customer and product support Todd Owens described the state of the supply chain as somewhat improved but still an impediment.

“The delivery performance of our avionics product lines is improving steadily,” reported Owens. “One of the things we’re still challenged with is just the unprecedented demand. As we’re recovering, our OE demand is very high, which puts additional strain on our constrained supply chain.”

Owens conceded that Honeywell had fallen short in terms of transparency with customers. To help address the shortcoming, it committed to communicating more effectively with what Owens called a distressed product line document that will appear in its updated portal.

“Then we’ll also share with our customers as we’re meeting with them, to let them know where we’re investing in our supply chain, let them know where we’re dual sourcing and, in some cases, triple sourcing…to improve our supply chain delivery performance,” said Owens. “So, we’ve actually shared a few drafts of those with some of our airline customers, and we’re going to share a couple of drafts with our business aviation customers to get some feedback to make sure that we’re not missing the mark.”

Addressing one important area where Honeywell believes it can tackle some of its volume challenges, Owens explained that the company has begun to move its business aviation support processes toward something akin to an airline model for large fractional operators such as NetJets. “We have to think of new spaces in business aviation that we really haven’t ventured in to before, so having rotable pools, exchange pools, hardware at repair stations for our fractional customers,” he said. “So that’s an exciting space for us that also points back to [the need] to continue to be diligent.”

UNIVERSAL AVIONICS

Universal Avionics did not draw enough survey responses for inclusion in the final results.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

As Universal Avionics (UA) continues to leverage the use of its remote tools technology, the company’s technical support

team in Arizona recently loaded new InSight software in a Hawker 800XP for UA dealer Redimec in Buenos Aires. Similar tools, including Universal-deployed HoloLens virtual reality technology, have improved the team’s efficiency, saving travel time and overall cost for UA, its dealer, and the end customer. This year UA began moving away from paper with digital

 Honeywell continued

downloads of all its technical publications. The company also began developing requirements for authoring in S1000D—a modern standard for producing and distributing technical publication—and for automating service information communications to customers.

Finally, in the field of training, UA continues to add innovative content to its online learning center, UA Academy. It has also developed a ClearVision simulator specifically for its new 737 program, which has received positive feedback from the FAA’s Aircraft Evaluation Division (AED) and the company’s integrator. Finally, the company has begun expanding the use of scenario-based learning in its training curriculum and software.

After failing to draw enough responses for inclusion in AIN’s 2023 cabin management systems survey, Lufthansa Technik (LHT) rose to a tie for first place in this category. Recording an 8.2 overall rating in 2024, the company saw its network integrated cabin equipment (Nice) exceed an 8.0 rating in all but one category—namely, cost of parts, where it posted a score of 7.6. LHT‘s best score came in the warranty fulfillment category, where it finished with an 8.7 rating, again placing it in a tie with Honeywell for the top position in that category.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Lufthansa Technik’s Nice customer support team has kept busy over the past 12 months working on several improvements and initiatives, including the introduction of field unit testers that give customer service agents the ability to update aircraft component firmware at the customer site. The company expects the program to result in lower component removals, increased reliability, and reduced aircraft downtime for its customers.

Separately, the MRO provider expanded its repair network for Nice components by introducing them to Lufthansa Technik’s cabin electronics repair shop in Frankfurt, which almost exclusively handled components for commercial aircraft. The company expects the resulting increase in the company’s repair capacity to reduce the turnaround times for

LUFTHANSA TECHNIK

repairs, especially for time-critical components of the system. Access to well-trained personnel represents another key aspect of its customer support services. Consequently, Lufthansa Technik also increased Nice training of maintenance personnel, air crew, and aircraft owners in the past year.

The company’s Original Equipment Innovation (OEI) unit expects to introduce the next generation of its Nice platform next year and has begun to install cabin systems

on the latest additions to the Embraer Phenom 100EX.

With each evolution of the Nice platform, LHT plans to facilitate further upgrades to the capabilities of the in-flight entertainment and cabin management systems. “The core system doesn’t have to be changed, and you can deliver new benefits at the software application level,” explained Wassef Ayadi, the company’s senior director for customer relations with the OEM & Special Engineering Services unit.

GULFSTREAM CABIN MANAGEMENT

A year after finishing in a tie for first place among cabin management system suppliers last year, Gulfstream saw its two-tenths of a point decline this year place it last in the category for 2024. Its best showing came in technical representatives with an 8.9 rating, giving it a clear lead in that category among the four companies that drew enough survey responses for inclusion in the ratings. However, customers paid handsomely for parts, as Gulfstream scored well below its competitors with a 6.2 rating, placing it dead last in that category. Otherwise, its performance changed little from its first-place overall showing in 2023.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

The certification of the G700 business jet has given Gulfstream’s CMS personnel the opportunity to work with the company’s cabin development team to provide in-cabin access to the technology on the all-new aircraft. The company’s CMS team has produced what Gulfstream calls the latest cabin innovations in the industry, including upgraded lighting system control, all-new circadian lighting sequences, and new ways to monitor flight information and cabin control. Bluetooth audio receivers and transmitters have become the company’s top customer-requested CMS products, prompting Gulfstream to explore more opportunities for product enhancements. The new advancements provide passengers with a “robust experience” streaming onboard content to personal devices. Gulfstream also modernized its cabin charging ports and optimized HDMI input to support High-bandwidth digital content protection.

Connectivity remains an essential aircraft component, and further development of the technologies help

operators leverage multiple network sources to deliver the best possible coverage, performance, redundancy, and service flexibility.

In fact, the company worked to incorporate SD Plane Simple Ka-band and Ku-band antenna advancements, and Gulfstream recently received an FAA supplemental type certificate for the Plane Simple Ka-band tail mount terminal for a Gulfstream G650. The advances offer users access to more speed, data, and service flexibility.

Gulfstream’s approach to developing consistent service to all Gulfstream operators led the company to develop its own CMS modernization efforts specifically designed for legacy aircraft. The enhancements allow passengers to control their personal seat preferences and amenities through a mobile device application, doing away with the need for multiple cabin switches. Technicians can now replace physical switches with graphics that support a modern appearance along with reduced cost and installation time.

 Lufthansa Technik continued

TEXTRON AVIATION CABIN MANAGEMENT

Textron did not draw enough responses for inclusion in the final survey results. However, in 2023 it had scored an overall average of 8.1, placing it in a tie with Gulfstream for that year.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Textron Aviation supports Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker customers throughout their ownership journey by investing in avionics upgrades based on customer feedback. As the original equipment manufacturer of the aircraft, Textron Aviation says it can offer the OEM-certified upgrades that maintain system integrity as originally certified.

Textron Aviation has won repeat FAA Diamond Awards for all U.S.-based airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics, product support, and global field support teams. All 11 North American service centers and team members across six field support teams and five technical support teams domestically and internationally received awards.

The plaudits came as Textron Aviation added resources and team members in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to increase parts and maintenance support for customers

outside the U.S. For example, the company added a third member to its 1CALL team based in Spain to support customers with unscheduled maintenance needs and a technical support team based in Australia.

SATCOM DIRECT

Satcom Direct posted a respectable second place showing in airborne connectivity this year, maintaining its rating from 2023 at 8.6. This year’s results showed technical reps accounted for the company’s highest score among all categories with a 9.0, while not scoring below an 8.0 in any line item except cost of parts, where it finished in second place with a 7.9.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Over the last 12 months, Satcom Direct has boosted its team of customer support professionals around the globe as it added new connectivity plans, including the rollout of the SD Plane Simple Ku-band tail mount antenna. While seeing increasing numbers of customers opting for customized connectivity services, Satcom Direct promotes its “follow the sun” provision of around-the-clock service, ensuring it rarely resides more than a 12-hour journey from its customers.

Satcom Direct took its Connecting with Customers (CwC) program on tour this year, holding three events on the U.S. West and East Coasts as well as one dedicated to its military-government customers, which have specific connectivity needs. The company held similar events in Basel, Singapore, and London.

The CwC meetings allow SD customers to gather information about the latest connectivity topics and share skills and insights through workshops, presentations, and networking.

Finally, Satcom Direct continues to develop its training

courses to support connectivity, cybersecurity, and the inflight experience. As cyber events become more prevalent, SD continues to train in all aspects of cyber awareness. This year, it has added topics related to “smishing,” which uses fake texts to extract data, and “vishing,” which uses voice-generated AI to create fake voices that sound like familiar ones also to extract information. Meanwhile, SD continues to work on updates to the industry’s only AeroIT-certified program for aviation IT professionals, as an increasing number of customers return to ensure currency in the rapidly changing realm of connectivity.

Finishing just one-tenth of a point below Satcom Direct with an average score of 8.5 in airborne connectivity, Gogo Business Aviation saw its composite increase by two-tenths of a point from 2023’s 8.3 rating. Highlights included a 9.1 in warranty fulfillment and a 9.0 in technical reps, but Gogo’s 7.5 in cost per hour programs tied it for last place among all participants in the category with Honeywell’s 7.5 flight deck score.

THE IMPROVEMENTS

Gogo Business Aviation customers have completed more than 1,000 Avance air-to-ground system software updates since enabling its over-the-air (OTA) feature late last year. The upgrades replace the cumbersome process of using a USB device to update each connectivity system manually and cut upgrade time by 83 percent, according to Gogo.

The first of its kind for the inflight entertainment and connectivity industry, Gogo launched OTA last November. The approach gives new and existing Gogo Avance customers worldwide an easier, more convenient, more affordable method for updating system software, doing away with the need for mechanics to go on board to update the system.

“We designed OTA to be a sustainable benefit and value- add to our global customers,” said Todd Krawczyk, senior director of product strategy and marketing for Gogo. “The most popular OTA use we’ve seen is with our large fleet customers operating aircraft positioned around the world. Through OTA, Gogo helps relieve the logistics involved with updating software and makes

access to our most up-to-date features easier tha n ever.”

As Gogo readies for the anticipated launch of its Gogo Galileo Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite products, OTA will also expand to support antenna software updates.

Launched in conjunction with Avance software update, version 4.4 and has become the fastest-adopted software update in Gogo’s 30-year history, according the company. Accessible through the Gogo DASH app-based toolkit, the OTA eliminates the need for additional downtime to perform the manual software updates. The system slashes upgrade time by 83 percent when used with a Gogo Cloudport, a device that allows for what amounts to a hotspot in customers’ hangars.

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Farnborough highlights innovation, progress

BY CURT EPSTEIN

The eight-engine Bristol Brabazon, which appeared at one of the first Farnborough Airshows in 1949, flies over the famous Cody Tree.

The UK’s Farnborough Airport has always been associated with advancements in aviation and so is a fitting location for the biennial air show staged there. After being the site of the country’s first powered flight in October 1908, it became the headquarters of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the First World War and the site of the Royal Aircraft Factory, which designed and built hundreds of airplanes during the war.

In 1918 when the RFC was renamed the Royal Air Force (RAF), it was thought to be too confusing to have two entities with the initials RAF. And so, the aircraft design and manufacturing facility was renamed as well to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, a name which it would hold for much of the 20th century.

While several successful aircraft came out of the Farnborough facility during the

1914–1918 conflict—the first war in which aircraft played a major role—the British government decided it would change the RAE’s role.

“They said you should leave the building of aircraft to the companies that had emerged to make them,” said Richard Gardner, chairman emeritus and former president of the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum. “They had to make thousands of them, and the RAE would be concentrated on development, evaluation, and testing; all aspects of aviation, basically.”

The successful designs would then be handed over to industry for mass production. “RAE did the initial build in parallel with industry because the RAE had its own designers and they had workshops and the facilities to actually put the engines and the airframes together and test them. It was obvious with the needs of the First World War you had to get the wider industry involved,” explained Gardner. “That

sort of set a pattern and established Farnborough as one of the [...] leading aviation research centers in the world.”

Among the early successes in material sciences developed at the RAE was the creation of anti-incendiary paint coatings for the fabric that covered the early, flimsy airplanes that had previously been easy to set on fire with ammunition. New camera housings that allowed for the easy removal and exchange of film canisters for battlefield intelligence were developed, and pioneering work in aerial radio communications was conducted.

The facility continued to grow with the addition of ever more sophisticated wind tunnels and eventually employed thousands including many of the top scientists and engineers in the industry. “They were developing absolutely everything, from the evacuation of aircraft, survivability of aircraft in ditching, bombing equipment,

Farnborough Airshow 2024

radar, and electronic countermeasures, all of these pioneering things were all tested there,” said Gardner.

That pioneering spirit included the first flights of Britain’s first single-engine and twin-engine jets.

By 1945, RAE had more than 100 aircraft based there for research and development and test flying, and the following year, after the Allied victory in World War II, a public display was held at Farnborough with approximately 60 captured German aircraft on exhibit. It would be the first large-scale public aviation display at Farnborough, but certainly not the last.

AIRSHOW GROWS INTO GLOBAL ROLE

The ancestor of today’s Farnborough International Airshow was an RAF Pageant held in 1920. It was first held in the north London suburb of Hendon as a gathering of RAF aircraft including a flight display. This continued into the 1930s as a combination of RAF flight displays along with exhibits from the companies that produced the aircraft, showing off their latest designs and innovations.

Organized by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC), the event grew and was forced to change venues several times, first to Hatfield, and then to the Radlett Aerodrome in 1946. Initially meant as a showcase for British-built aircraft, it was gradually expanded to include aircraft powered by UK-built engines or equipped with other British content such as avionics. After the war, SBAC began considering a permanent site for the annual show. With convenient access to London by road or rail, and with plenty of available space, the first Farnborough Airshow took place in 1948.

“Most of the UK industry had been geared up for wartime production, but by 1948, they realized there was a slowly growing civil market that could do with new designs,” Gardner told AIN. “There were some very radical aircraft for that time being considered, big airlines with the possibility of powering them with jet engines

or turboprop engines, and SBAC was very keen to show them off.”

The formula of what became the typical Farnborough show solidified the following year. “You had an industry banquet to start it off and the SBAC had the list of VIPs to invite, which would be the chief executives of the major companies, and invited foreign guests, and then they widened it out to include what were then the dominions Australia and Canada, which also had sizable aircraft industries at the time,” Gardner explained. “In 1949 they decided to make more publicity about having a flying display at the end of this exhibition week, and 275,000 visitors came on the last two days.”

The 1950s saw the heyday of the UK aircraft industry with new aircraft of all categories emerging every year, and SBAC built a 67,000-sq-ft exhibition hall at Farnborough to house company stands. “There was more of a development of high technology from the late 1950s onwards, and although the aim of SBAC remained to sell British aircraft and equipment, the show was also huge— what we now call a networking opportunity,” Gardner said. In those pre-internet days, if your company was producing a component to go on an airplane, you could just walk a few yards to speak with a key person from Boeing or de Havilland.

ICONIC VENUE, EXCEPTIONAL VIEWS OF FLYING

In addition to the stands, exhibitors would also tow hospitality trailers up to the hill terraces above the runway where the rows of corporate chalets stand today. It was that view that made the site an iconic airshow venue.

“You were so close to the runway and you had such a good overall view of everything because you were on the hill, only a hundred yards from the runway,” explained Gardner, “whereas if you were down by the flight line, you were only just beyond the wing tips actually, incredibly close which made it very popular on the public days.”

While safety rules have limited the maneuvers demonstration pilots can perform, the displays were designed to amaze. The RAF’s Black Arrow demonstration team showed up one year with a routine involving 22 Hawker Hunters, while the Royal Navy pilots performed a stunt where two Supermarine Scimitars landed and folded their wings as they taxied down the runway while a third Scimitar landed between them in the opposite direction. In another year, nine Hawker Seahawks landed simultaneously in a diamond formation.

“That really reached a climax in the 1960s where you had a lot of competition between the navy and the air force,” said Gardner. “The RAF and navy had whole series of staged mock attacks on the airfield, with multiple aircraft one year, where virtually everything the air force had they threw at it, and that sequence was about an hour of continuous flying.”

Yet, as airframers consolidated in the post-war years, it slowed the number of new aircraft arriving on market and diminished the need to have an annual show, particularly when the rival Paris Air Show was taken into consideration.

“Farnborough was traditionally in September, and the Paris show was always late May or June, and it was very expensive for the exhibitors to basically repeat the show for Farnborough,” Gardner explained, adding that Farnborough organizers in 1962 made a decision that they wouldn’t have a show the following year. “The next one would be in ’64, and it was established that it would be biennial thereafter and would alternate with Paris so they didn’t duplicate things.”

NEW AIRCRAFT TAKE A BOW

One of the most exciting moments at the show was always the first demonstration of a new aircraft, but Gardner noted that the most recent Farnborough debut on the civil aviation side was the Airbus A350 a decade ago, with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner arriving on the scene in 2010.

Given the current backlogs held by the two leading civil manufacturers stretching for years, he believes it might be a while until the next one. “I suspect we won’t see all new serious aircraft emerging for at least another decade,” he said. “If an airline wants to stay in business, it’s got to have aircraft that make money. As long as airlines want to buy sort of bulk standard A320s and 737s, [the airframers] will keep doing it.”

Yet Gardner still describes the show as a must-go event for the industry even as the focus shifts with the emerging emphasis on new technology such as urban air mobility and sustainability.

On the military side, he expects to see some changes among the exhibit stands due to the recent geopolitical situation and the development of future air combat systems. “We’ve had almost three

decades where all the combat experience has been in anti-terrorism in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and now we’ve got what would have been unthinkable until a few years ago, that sort of stateon-state threats, China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia,” he said. “With the Ukrainian war underway, a lot of lessons are being learned with what you can and can’t do.” z

ADAPTING BUSINESS JETS FOR DIVERSE SPECIAL MISSION ROLES

Farnborough Airshow 2024

In recent years, demand and scope for using business aircraft as platforms for a wide array of special missions has been rising. Leading manufacturers in the sector—namely Embraer, Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault, and Textron—are all now vying for contracts covering applications ranging from electronic warfare to transportation for government leaders and emergency medical services.

A pair of recent orders from authorities in the Nordic region represents a prime example. Finland’s coast guard chose Bombardier’s Challenger 650 jet for its MVX airborne surveillance requirement, while Sweden exercised an option to acquire a third example of the Canadian company’s Global 6000-based S 106 GlobalEye airborne early warning (AEW) platform.

Over the years, Gulfstream has delivered more than 200 business jets to customers in over 40 countries, including all branches of the U.S. military. According to Leda Chong, the company’s vice president of worldwide government sales, it is currently engaged in projects with air forces in the U.S., Australia, and Italy.

End users can choose from Gulfstream’s several in-production aircraft, ranging in size from the G280 to the latest long-range, large-cabin G700 and upcoming G800 models. Alternatively, pre-owned examples of the G550 jet can be adapted as well.

Last year, L3Harris started delivering the first of a new generation of electronic attack platforms to the U.S. Air Force. The EC-37B is based on a G550 airframe, and Gulfstream is part of the Compass Call Rehost program team, which also includes BAE Systems.

Selecting the airframe is just the start. Gulfstream handles the extensive modification work in-house with a dedicated team of engineers who work closely with end users and the manufacturers of the advanced systems that need to be fitted for the various roles, including leading defense prime contractors. Customers select the mission equipment, often as part of a wider defense acquisition process.

Among the factors that draw special missions customers to today’s larger business

jets are their extended range and ability to quickly reach higher altitudes. Chong highlighted factors such as an unrestricted field of view and flight endurance as important factors too.

Cabin sizes are well suited to accommodating equipment required and can be more cost-effective options than larger airliners. Beyond North America and Europe, demand is also strong in the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific region, and Latin America.

At the 2024 Farnborough Airshow, visitors viewed the U.S. Navy’s new training aircraft for the first time. Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft King Air 260 multi-engine training system is replacing the earlier King Air 90-based Beechcraft T-44 Pegasus. C.A.

L3Harris worked with Gulfstream and BAE Systems to convert the G550 business jet into an electronic attack platform for the U.S. Air Force.

Aerospace industry faces net-zero challenge

BY CHARLES ALCOCK

The RTX Technology Research Center is testing STEP-Tech propulsors as one of the group’s hybrid-electric powertrain development projects.

Farnborough Airshow 2024

The existential threat to the air transport industry if it fails to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and the mounting dangers from military conflicts around the world were hard to ignore at the Farnborough Airshow this year.

Threats faced by the aerospace and defense industries beg for answers in the form of technology, technology, and yet more technology. This year the show has proved light on major product reveals, but the event has been packed with tidings of technological progress for the next decade and beyond.

Air transport’s challenge is simple to define but much harder to execute, requiring a mix of short- and long-term sustainability solutions. For the defense contingent, the emphasis seems to be on pooling an array of complex technologies, including artificial intelligence, to make warfare simpler.

Engine makers stand on the front lines of the war on carbon. Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and the CFM International partners GE and Safran are all working on improving fuel and energy e ffi ciency for their respective legacy turbofans in the GTF, Trent, and Leap families.

Even incremental progress can make a positive contribution when scaled up over large fleets, such as the 1% improvement in fuel burn e ffi ciency Rolls-Royce is preparing to introduce on its Trent XWB-84 turbofan for the Airbus A350-900 with modifications to the compressor system.

For the past three years, CFM has advanced its planned Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) program for the long-envisioned, nextgeneration single-aisle airliners meant to replace the ubiquitous Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. The objective is to be ready with a propulsion solution whenever the airframe behemoths show their hand.

At the same time, they are placing longer- term bets on a variety of options for new hybrid-electric powertrains that could power aircraft ranging in size from general aviation aircraft to regional airliners, and potentially even single-aisle narrowbodies.

RTX, including Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace, offer a prime example. Through programs including the European Union-backed HECATE (hybrid-electric regional aircraft distribution technologies), STEP-Tech (scalable turboelectric powertrain technology), and SWITCH(sustainable water injection turbofan comprising hybrid electrics), the group is drawing expertise not just in engine-making but in electrical systems to edge up from power ratings of 500 kilowatts to the 20-megawatt class needed for future narrowbodies.

Looking further ahead, Airbus sees hydrogen propulsion in its future. Behind

the scenes, the company is evaluating which of three concepts from its ZeroE program it might pursue to meet the objective of delivering an aircraft capable of carrying 200 people around 2,000 nm by 2035. Rolls-Royce already has started evaluating hydrogen as a fuel in one of its Pearl business jet engines, as it explores options for scaling up the technology.

FUTURE AIR COMBAT

In the defense sector, the main technological developments are encapsulated in the Global Combat Air Program, a sixth-generation fighter under development by the industries of the UK, Italy, and Japan. A large model of its latest shape was on show in the BAE Systems hall.

Sensors such as radar, infrared, and electronic warfare systems provide a very high level of situational awareness. All of the aircraft’s systems are linked with data fused automatically within the system. Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous, handling the enormous amount of data that the sensors gather on board and presenting the pilot with clear information that is relevant to the mission. z

MAJOR OEMS INVEST HEAVILY IN SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL INITIATIVES

Major OEMs announced significant sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) financing initiatives at the Farnborough Airshow in a move to wrest control of the fight against climate change away from the major oil companies.

A group led by Airbus and including the Air France-KLM Group, Associated Energy Group, BNP Paribas, Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., and Qantas Airways, co-invested in a SAF financing fund to accelerate production of the green fuel. The collaborators worked with Burnham Sterling Asset Management to establish the SAF Financing Alliance (SAFFA) investment fund, in which Airbus serves as an anchor investor. Commitments by the seven partners amount to around $200 million.

“Each partner brings experience and financial expertise to the fund with the ambition to accelerate the availability of SAF by investing mainly in technologically mature SAF-producing projects using, for instance, waste-based feedstocks,” Airbus said in a statement issued at the Farnborough Show. “Investments will be diversified across various SAF production pathways and also by region.”

Each partner might then enter into priority contracts to secure SAF oftakes from the various projects in which SAFFA will invest for its allocated volumes. SAFFA’s focus centers on SAF eligible for RefuelEU Aviation or CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction

Scheme for International Aviation) certification.

Many believe that the urgency of developing SAF has increased the pressure on the world’s top OEMs to take steps to deliver the fuel type, after demand for cleaner fuels has met with painfully slow progress. In addition, oil and gas companies seem as keen as ever to press ahead with the development of new hydrocarbon wells and resources.

Boeing and Clear Sky, an investment company dedicated to aviation sustainability, are collaborating to accelerate SAF development with an initial project to help in testing and advancing the UK’s Firefly Green Fuels’ technology to increase SAF production in the UK.

“SAF offers the greatest opportunity to decarbonize aviation, and the industry’s collective challenge of bringing it to scale

globally requires new sustainable pathways,” said Brian Moran, chief sustainability o f cer for Boeing.

“Clear Sky combines many years of investment expertise with knowledge on aviation’s decarbonization challenges. Firefly’s technology holds transformative potential as the SAF feedstock, sewage waste, is accessible in all regions of the globe.”

According to Boeing, SAF today represents 0.1% of global jet fuel use. In the UK, the pending mandate to achieve 10% SAF in the jet-fuel mix by 2030 will require 1.2 million tonnes of SAF by 2030.

The new UK Labour Government’s SAF mandate will start in 2025 at 2% of total UK jet fuel demand, increase on a linear basis to 10% in 2030 and then to 22% in 2040. P.S.S.

Investment in SAF reflects growing pressure on OEMs to deliver cleaner fuel solutions.

Farnborough Airshow 2024

Dodson keeps business aviation flying

BY MARK HUBER

On March 5, 2015, actor/pilot Harrison Ford crashed his vintage Ryan ST-3KR monoplane onto a Venice, California golf course following an engine failure. Eventually, the wreckage ended up in the boneyard at Dodson International in Rantoul, Kansas.

Dodson buys and sells used aircraft parts. That includes accident aircraft, those that are no longer airworthy, or others that are worth more parked and parted out. Most were owned by people or entities you’ve never heard of, but there are a few notable exceptions: the late actor John Wayne’s Jet Commander, a Jetstream 31 turboprop once owned by Nascar racing legend Richard Petty, a Gulfstream GIII formerly belonging to Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, the Piper Meridian that disgraced financier Marcus Schrenker parachuted from in an attempt to fake his own death in 2009, four Piaggio Avantis from the defunct Avantair, and a Hawker 4000 from that aircraft’s flight test program.

Dodson began as an FBO operator’s side hustle of parting out old Cessna 172s and

Piper Cherokees. Today, it is one of the world’s largest suppliers of business aircraft and turbine helicopter parts. Learjet 30 series and early Cessna Citations are particularly popular, as are vintage Bell JetRanger and model 212 helicopters.

But there are newer business jets on the lot as well, including a late-model Dassault Falcon 7X. Dodson also deals in commuter and some large transport category aircraft, as well as aircraft support vehicles including fuel trucks and tugs.

Drive through the rolling pastures just outside of town on Vermont Road and you’ll find the incongruous sight of a Lockheed JetStar mounted atop a pylon. Go through the adjacent gate and you will come to what was once a giant dirt-floor cow barn that formerly hosted rodeos.

It’s part of Dodson’s nearly 200-acre complex with more than 200,000 sq ft under the roof, home to 18 million aircraft parts including 2,000 fuselages. The latter are neatly placed in the surrounding fields and arranged in groupings by make and model. CEO J.R. Dodson estimates that the

company has recycled 5,000 aircraft since its founding in 1984. J.R. Dodson runs the company with his sons Dilon and Nic and 65 other full-time employees.

Dodson obtains the aircraft and the parts from a well-established network of insurance and other companies. About 70% of its business is from North America. Occasionally, J.R. Dodson, a type-rated jet pilot and Embry-Riddle graduate who once aspired to fly for the airlines, will pilot his Falcon 10 to a site of a prospective acquisition to inspect it. He calls the Falcon a “Ferrari on steroids” and notes that the business he does on one trip often can pay the operating expenses on the 10 for the entire year.

Dodson also has partial ownership of a Falcon 50 and 900. While photos and videos are nice, Dodson said there is no substitute for looking at an aircraft in person.

Some aircraft Dodson dismantles itself, and others are taken apart through contracted FAA Part 145 repair stations. Dodson does not hold a Part 145 certificate but does employ airframe and powerplant mechanics for quality and compliance

All sorts of still-needed aircraft parts are harvested in Kansas pastures.

reasons. The airplanes arrive on trucks or are flown in by contract pilots, either to a grass strip across the road or the airport in nearby Ottawa, Kansas (KOWI), home to sister company Dodson Aviation. Components that have been recently overhauled or have a good amount of remaining useful life are particularly prized. During AIN ’s visit, Dodson technicians were in the process of tearing down a newer Cirrus SR22 piston single, a medevac Leonardo AW109 twin-turbine helicopter, and a fire-gutted TBM turboprop.

Inputting inventory involves a painstaking process of documentation, inspection, and evaluation, then data entry and bar-coding. The relevant data is stored on triple-redundant servers. The parts themselves are photographed and tagged and

then either capped, bagged, caged, or sealed and then sent to warehouse for retrieval. Dodson uses a program that allows authorized users to access data and photos of any part of its inventory on a cell phone.

Engines, around 20% of Dodson’s business, are stored separately and maintained according to recommended schedules. Vintage avionics also are a hot item and “are very valuable,” said J.R. Dodson. The company’s customers are primarily MROs and individual flight departments, but the continuing Covid overhang supply-chain disruptions have created a new class of customers—the OEMs.

“The inability of manufacturers to provide certain parts has obviously helped us,” he said. “There are a lot of structural pieces and other things that manufacturers

now have long lead times for, and sometimes the OEM just can’t tool up to produce in a timely manner. Not a month goes by that we don’t have an OEM buying a part they don’t have.” This is particularly true when it comes to engines, according to J.R. Dodson. “Typically, the engine MROs have escalated their pricing and increased their lead times, so there are opportunities there.”

But there is also risk. Dodson must hold onto wreckage in the event that any insurance or NTSB matters remain unsettled. Beyond that, there is no certainty as to when a particular component will find a buyer. While those timelines are not formally set, he said, “If we have a number of items that we know will never sell, we may purge the inventory of certain quantities.”

Top left: John Wayne’s former Jet Commander; top right: JR Dodson; bottom left: inside a Dodson warehouse; bottom right: once a Daher TBM.

Dodson prices parts using a formula that incorporates the purchase value of the aircraft. And while supply-chain issues present opportunity, he notes that it has also placed acquisition price pressure on the company. “It costs more to reload.”

Fortunately, Dodson has strong ties with its creditors, according to Dilon Dodson, who serves as vice president. “Thankfully, we have creditors that we have long-term relationships with. They don’t really micromanage too much; we have a decently long leash with a lot of them.” He adds that Dodson’s longevity attracts customers, particularly insurers. “They know we’re a good source for a quick transaction.”

Parts typically come from shelves stacked high inside the “rodeo barn.” It now has a cement floor, and a quick tour reveals a plethora of parts any OEM would be hardpressed to match: brakes in one row, axles in another. Dust caps, torque plates, flaps, trim tabs, spoilers, wing sets, and landing gear assemblies are among others. “We try to keep the aisles clear, but increasingly we’re running out of space. We’ll probably be expanding this building and maybe adding another warehouse,” Dilon Dodson said.

Windshields are a particularly hot item. He attributes it to difficulties that manufacturers are having onboarding trained workers post-Covid. “It’s something that’s way, way backed up now. They have to hire and train people to make them. Where pre-Covid you were seeing a fail rate of 5 to 10%, now they’re having a fail rate of 40 to 45%.”

The sheer volume of what Dodson does can be daunting, he admits. “It can feel overwhelming. But on the flip side, you always get to be doing something new and that’s really exciting. I wake up on Monday doing one thing and by the time Friday rolls around, I’ll be doing something new. It’s always interesting.”

What interests him at this moment is shipping containers. “They’ve gotten very hard to find and become very expensive.” Dodson typically requires 15 to 20, but now it needs more.

 It can feel overwhelming. But on the flip side, you always get to be doing something new and that’s really exciting. I wake up on Monday doing one thing and by the time Friday rolls around, I’ll be doing something new. It’s always interesting. 

— Dilon Dodson, Vice President

Although it has a mounted JetStar at its entrance, J.R. Dodson said the company probably would not be interested in turbojet aircraft now. “I can’t imagine going out of my way to get [a Gulfstream] G1 or a JetStar, anything of that nature, unless there was some sort of extenuating circumstance.”

But the JetStar on the pylon is staying. Putting it on the pole was the idea of J.R.’s father. Dodson acquired it for its four Pratt & Whitney JT12 engines in the 1980s when the JT12 “still had some viability,” according to J.R. Dodson. It was the fourth from the last JetStar Lockheed produced and belonged to a Mexican mining company. The mining company was not just retiring the aircraft—it was retiring its captain. He

flew the plane into Ottawa and handed over the keys. “He had tears running down his eyes,” J.R.Dodson recalled.

Meeting that captain, and scores of others, is the best part of his job, he said. “The most unique thing about aviation is that it’s a crossroads of very interesting, successful, driven, and wonderful people who all come together and share their love of travel and airplanes. You meet people from all over the world. It’s just priceless and I’ve enjoyed every moment.”

And what became of Harrison Ford’s wrecked Ryan? Dodson sold it to the Airline History Museum at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City. Due to an ongoing lease dispute, the museum has been closed. z

MARK HUBER

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024 | 12:00PM ET

Unlock the Power of SMS with Ease: Driving Tangible ROI and Operational Safety

With upcoming mandates for Part 135 operators, now is the time think about your Safety Management System. Join us on September 17th to learn how you can go beyond compliance to drive true ROI with easy-to-implement SMS software.

We’ll be discussing:

— How paper-based approaches to SMS can leave you with blind spots

— How an integrated approach to SMS, QMS, and Risk can deliver outsized ROI

— How you can take the complexity out of SMS implementation and FAA-compliance

Hosted by:

Sponsored by:

Panelists:

KARL STEEVES CEO TrustFlight

VP, Sales TrustFlight

The FAA’s SMS mandate brings new challenges for charter and air tour operators

The FAA now requires safety management systems (SMS) for all Part 135 operators, certain Part 91 air tour operators, and some type certificate and production certificate holders under Part 21. Part 135 operators include on-demand charter, commuter, and air ambulance operators. But for the operators, what does this mean? And are they ready?

The final rule was published on April 26, 2024. The number of affected organizations is significant, and now each has less than 36 months to comply with the new SMS mandate. The deadline for an operator to provide the FAA a Declaration of Compliance (14 CFR 5.9) is May 28, 2027. It’s important to note that from a regulatory compliance perspective, the Declaration of Compliance is the end of the SMS development and implementation process—not the beginning.

BY STUART “KIPP” LAU

Business aviation industry groups and the NTSB are overwhelmingly supportive of the new SMS rule; however, some have brought up concerns.

Requiring and verifying the effectiveness of an SMS in all revenue passengercarrying aviation operations has been a long-standing recommendation by the NTSB. The Safety Board first recommended SMS for Part 121 airlines in 2007, resulting in an FAA mandate for airlines and the establishment of Part 5 (SMS) in March 2015. Since then, the NTSB has consistently supported the adoption of SMS by other aviation service providers.

“Requiring more operators to implement proven strategies to protect the flying public is a positive step for safety, and one the NTSB has long supported,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. Recently entering her second five-year term as the NTSB

Chair, Homendy believes the SMS mandate “will go a long way toward protecting flight crews and passengers in our skies.”

NTSB member Michael Graham added, “This is a significant step forward for aviation safety. I’m pleased the FAA issued the final rule requiring all Part 135 operators and Part 91.147 air tour operators to implement a safety management system.” He continued by saying, “Operators are safer when they proactively and systematically identify hazards and mitigate their changing risks through an SMS.”

NBAA provided significant feedback to the FAA leading up to the new SMS rule. The final rule reflects much of that feedback, including scalability, an exclusion for single-pilot operations, and an expansion of the implementation timeline from 24 to 36 months.

“The business aviation community has always considered safety to be a core value

and has led the way in voluntary adoption of SMS and other best practices,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. He continued, “This final rule largely reflects comments from NBAA and hundreds of others who have noted that for an SMS to be effective, it must be tailored to the size and complexity of each operation.”

The National Air Transportation Association’s (NATA) position on the issue is: “NATA supports the adoption of SMS and believes that all operators can benefit from implementation. However, there are still hurdles to achieving the full promise of SMS.”

The organization is concerned about a lack of training and resources available to FAA inspectors and industry. As such, NATA provides several educational resources and is working to provide operators with the information and materials needed to meet their regulatory requirements and realize the full potential of an effective SMS.

CAUTIONARY TALES

Despite all of this, several business aviation safety professionals feel there will be a substantial impact on the charter and air tour community as operators prepare for SMS implementation.

“The most significant impact for business aviation and air tour operators will be allocating resources for the development, implementation, and ongoing management of the SMS,” said KB Solutions CEO Kodey

Bogart. “This includes hiring or training staff dedicated to safety management and investing in software or systems for tracking and analyzing safety data as necessary.”

through the SMS implementation process. “My concern is how the FAA will evaluate and assess for compliance once a Declaration of Compliance is submitted,” he said.

 Operators are safer when they proactively and systematically identify hazards and mitigate their changing risks through an SMS. 

— Michael Graham NTSB member

Bogart, a safety program consultant, educator, and former Black Hawk helicopter pilot, added, “The initial costs of SMS implementation can be significant, and smaller operators may find these costs particularly challenging. However, operators need to remember that an SMS does not have to be overly daunting and can be kept simple and scalable to the organization’s size. While the initial costs and changes might be challenging, the long-term benefits of improved safety, operational efficiency, and market competitiveness are substantial.”

And, although Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) president and CEO Bryan Burns generally does not see a significant departure from what should be in an operator’s SMS, he does voice some concerns. Burns and the ACSF have guided many operators

Burns believes that 36 months is an adequate amount of time to implement an SMS “as long as the operator starts now.” He added, “In my view, we should continue to focus on what reinforces an effective program with an emphasis on leadership, culture, and professionalism.”

Since the FAA published the final rule, the ACSF has experienced an uptick in requests for support, Burns said. “We receive two to three requests per week to demonstrate and view our SMS tools and platform.” ACSF offers a simple low-cost, customizable platform that is both scalable and flexible as it relates to FAA Part 5 compliance.

He added, “Much like the success of ACSF’s ASAP program, I suggest an operator retain a third party like ACSF to not only help with the implementation process but also assist in educating the FAA Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs). Through its organizational-based ASAP program, the ACSF has established relationships and trust with over 65 FSDOs throughout the U.S.”

Sonnie Bates, CEO of the safety specialist Wyvern, has mixed views on the state of the business aviation community and its ability to adopt an SMS. Bates said, “Most air charter operators are scrambling to

meet the requirements of this rule. Most of them do not have a viable SMS…or they have a documented SMS, but they lack the tools, training, and culture to make it work.”

Wyvern provides education, training, consulting, auditing, and safety intelligence solutions to business aviation operators. Bates, a former U.S. Air Force and corporate pilot, has been involved in developing and implementing auditing, safety management, and leadership development programs for more than two decades and has two distinct views on how operators implement an SMS program; the unfortunate “copy and paste mode” or the more desirable “organic development mode.”

According to Bates, “The way it should be done (organic development) is for leadership to commit to having a positive safety culture and through that commitment require the implementation of an SMS and not do it because some outside entity required it. But that’s not the reality here.” He added, “Those who have waited this long to implement an SMS because the FAA has finally mandated it are way behind the power curve as it’s likely their leadership has not committed to ensuring a positive safety culture.”

Bates views the “copy and paste” approach as working backward. “Many air charter operators with a mature SMS began the same way, in a rush to implement an SMS so they could put a certificate of achievement on the wall to get more business without realizing the true value

of a fully functional and effective SMS,” he said. “But over time, the operators who rushed to implement an SMS to gain Wyvern Wingman status or another status from a third-party entity eventually saw the true value of having an SMS—which is to capture more safety-related data (internal and external), analyze that data, and convert it into usable information, and share that information appropriately as

SONNIE

BATES CEO OF WYVERN

 For those operators who have not implemented an SMS and now are in a rush to do so to meet the FAA mandate, they should begin with training and tools. 

safety intelligence, so the organization can continually learn and improve their policies, processes, procedures, and overall resiliency.”

Bates continued, “It is this continual learning process that can only be attained by having a just and overall positive safety culture, which takes time to develop if it’s not already there.”

ACSF’s Burns agreed and believes the new rule is important to the charter industry. “It all starts with company culture,” Burns says. “Employee buy-in is crucial for the success of any safety program…not just your crews, mechanics, dispatchers, schedulers, but the entire staff.” He adds, “However, most importantly [for] senior management and leadership…without safety as a core value of an organization, the SMS program will not succeed.”

Wyvern’s Bates cautions operators from taking this mandate lightly, adding, “I think the operators who do not already have an SMS are thinking this will be easier than it really is. This is because the FAA has changed its approach to validating SMS implementation. Instead of the astronomically overdone approach the FAA has used in the past years with their voluntary program, with this new rulemaking, they have apparently taken a more simplified compliance approach that is like any other FAA regulation, so on the surface, the SMS requirement does not seem to carry any more weight than

any other FAA regulation. But what the operators will soon realize is that SMS requirements are complex and require a cultural shift.”

Bates continued, “It will take time, both for operators and FAA, to become proficient with SMS. Operators who approach this new safety concept in collaboration with their FAA principles will set up a learning culture where operator personnel and FAA inspectors will learn together to better understand how to make SMS work for each unique operation.”

SMS RESOURCES

KB Solutions’ Bogart thinks many operators are trying to determine what the new SMS rule means to their organization and suggests that a good first step is to have a discussion with a consultant. “Organizations are still trying to wrap their head around what the regulation means for their organization: How will they allocate resources, complete their research or RFPs for what companies to work with, and what is needed for their organization versus what they already have?”

Bogart continues, “Starting with a consultant is a great way to have a structured and efficient approach to understanding and implementing SMS. A consultant can provide tailored guidance, help identify gaps, and offer solutions that align with the organization’s specific needs and existing practices.”

Beyond implementation challenges, Bogart sees some positive aspects of the new rule. “There is a myriad of reasons this rule is important for business aviation and air tour operators. The rule promotes higher safety standards, operational efficiencies, financial savings, and market competitiveness for operators,” Bogart said.

She added, “By mandating SMS, the FAA aims to ensure that all operators are equipped to manage safety risks proactively and effectively, ultimately enhancing the safety and reliability of the aviation sector as a whole.”

“The fact is many operators believe they have a safe organization because they may not have had any incidents. This is not a realistic approach to safety. Many things below the surface that can lead to an event are unknown to management and stakeholders,” Bogart continued. “I have personally worked in an organization that believed they were safe. However, I could see they were only a few steps away from a significant event and they had no interest in changing anything—in addition, they definitely had a blame culture rather than a just culture. Operators need to look at work as done, not work as imagined, and make adjustments and improvements as necessary.”

She stressed that the new rule is about fostering a proactive, data-driven approach to safety. This will protect the company and propel the industry.

NEXT STEPS

Wyvern’s Bates provided some insight into how long it will take an operator—starting from scratch—to become compliant with the new SMS rule and be able to provide the FAA with a Declaration of Compliance.

“For those operators who have not implemented an SMS and now are in a rush to do so to meet the FAA mandate, they should begin with training and tools,” he said, noting that the training needs to be appropriate for all levels of the organization, from the senior executive team to the accountable executive and all the way to the newest frontline employee.

“The sooner they get into a comprehensive set of safety management tools (SMS software), the better because it takes time to become familiar with these tools and to use them effectively,” Bates said. “However, through the daily use of these tools and with proper training, each person in the organization will learn the value of SMS through daily practice of hazard identification, risk analysis, risk management, and sharing of lessons learned. Over a period of three years, if the leadership in the organization is committed to developing a safety culture and an effective SMS, they can achieve the FAA’s objective.”

Further, KB Solutions’ Bogart provided additional insight for those who already have an SMS. “Operators with an existing SMS need to ensure their system aligns with FAA requirements through a thorough review and update process,” she said. “By conducting a gap analysis, updating documentation, performing internal audits, and submitting the necessary compliance documentation, operators can obtain the FAA’s Declaration of Compliance, confirming that their SMS meets the required standards.”

Wyvern’s Bates feels that operators with their SMS supported and validated by a third party are ahead of the game. “Operators who have an effective SMS already will simply complete the proper documentation to self-declare,” he said. “This will be true for certified Wyvern Wingman operators and other operators who have implemented an effective SMS and had it validated by a professional third-party audit organization.”

Bates concluded: “As each operator declares compliance, they will embark on a new relationship with their FSDO inspectors, who are likely new to SMS themselves. There will be a learning curve both for operators and FAA inspectors. Operators who have engaged third-party assistance to align their SMS with 14 CFR Part 5 will have a leg up. By contrast, those operators who ignore this preparation prior to the mandate deadline will only find themselves struggling to demonstrate to their FSDO inspectors their method of compliance.” z

KODEY BOGART CEO OF KB SOLUTIONS

Electric aircraft developers prepare for battery breakthroughs

BY HANNEKE WEITERING

Eviation’s electric Alice will require sophisticated batteries to achieve the goal of regional passenger operations.

With electric trainer airplanes already in service and the first eVTOL models on the brink of certification, lithium-ion batteries have staked their claim on yet another electrifying industry. Lithium-ion batteries may not offer the kind of energy and power that the aviation industry yearns for, but that hasn’t stopped aircraft developers from pursuing their electric aviation dreams and building battery-powered, emissions-free aircraft.

For the advanced air mobility industry, batteries available today are sufficient for small aircraft operating short flights, but scaling the technology to larger, longer- range aircraft will require a breakthrough in battery technology.

Exactly what that breakthrough might entail remains to be seen, but in the meantime, new-and-improved batteries could be closer than you think—and they may not be that different from the batteries we already us e today.

POWER VS. ENERGY

One of the key challenges that battery developers face is the interplay between power and energy. Higher energy density means a battery can store more energy per unit of volume, whereas power density refers to how quickly a battery can discharge its energy. Ideally, batteries powering electric aircraft would be able to provide both high energy and power densities, but unfortunately, those two qualities don’t go hand-in-hand.

Electric aircraft, particularly new eVTOL models, need batteries with high power densities to provide enough lift during takeoff and landing. At the same time, they need enough energy density to support the desired range plus energy reserves.

The FAA has not decided on energy reserve requirements for eVTOL aircraft, but current regulations require commercial airplanes to carry 30 or 45 minutes of energy reserves in day or night VFR

conditions, respectively, whereas helicopters are required to have 20 minutes.

Given that most eVTOL aircraft in development today are intended to operate on short inter-city hops of around 20 miles or less, existing energy reserve requirements would double or even triple the planned weight of the batteries. The eVTOL sector has been lobbying for a performance-based approach, rather than the traditional time-based requirement, to help maximize the already limited range of eVTOL aircraft and make the technology more economically viable.

While energy density is important for range, power density is especially critical for eVTOL aircraft during takeoff and landing. Electric car batteries discharge at a relatively steady rate, but eVTOL aircraft require short bursts of high power to take off and land. Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are not optimized for the varying power output of eVTOL aircraft. Aircraft

also have much stricter weight limitations, which is another reason that EV batteries are not ideal for eVTOL applications.

ALTERNATIVES AROUND THE CORNER?

Lithium-ion battery technology may not yet be advanced enough to support long-distance flights but for now, they remain the best solution. However, that could soon change; novel approaches to battery chemistry have already emerged from research institutions and made their way into some commercial products.

Examples of new battery chemistries that could be promising for aviation applications include solid-state batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries, both of which can offer the higher energy densities needed to enable longer-range flights.

Scientists and engineers have already demonstrated that such alternative battery chemistries are technologically feasible, but they’re a long way from becoming economically viable and certified for use in electric aircraft.

Solid-state batteries have emerged as potentially the most promising alternative when it comes to aviation applications, and the automotive industry is already testing the technology in EV batteries. Samsung announced in August that it had begun pilot production and testing of a solid-state EV battery that it said

would provide 600 miles of driving range, ultra-fast charging times, and longer battery lifespans.

“But these are still in the infancy stage, and it will take several years before we can even judge how they’re going to behave under these harsh [eVTOL operating] conditions,” Ilias Belharouak, a battery scientist with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee, told AIN . As head of ORNL’s electrification section, Belharouak leads research focused on advancing battery technology and manufacturing processes.

Earlier this year, Belharouak and his colleagues published a study that assessed how various EV batteries would perform under eVTOL operating conditions.

They found that the power and performance demands for eVTOL flight reduce battery performance and longevity, highlighting a need for tailored, performance-based battery options. Before any new type of battery is certified for electric aircraft propulsion systems, “it has to be tested under these very specialized protocols, or the strain conditions, and then we have to judge whether they’re going to be valuable or not,” Belharouak said.

SOLID-STATE BATTERIES

Considered by many to be the holy grail of energy storage solutions, solid-state

batteries are slowly making their way into the EV market and appear to be the most likely contender for the next generation of aircraft batteries.

Whereas lithium-ion batteries typically contain liquid or gel polymer electrolytes, solid-state batteries have solid electrolytes. They have much higher energy densities than traditional lithium-ion batteries and are generally considered to be safer, making them an ideal candidate for aviation applications.

Lithium-ion batteries are prone to thermal runaway—uncontrollable overheating that may result in fire or explosion—partly because they contain flammable liquid electrolytes, typically consisting of organic solvents mixed with lithium salts and other additives. In the event of a short circuit or other physical damage, flammable electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries can ignite, potentially making an already bad situation much worse.

In solid-state batteries, the flammable liquid electrolytes are replaced with solid ionic conductors that aren’t flammable. Compared with lithium-ion batteries, solid- state batteries have better thermal stability and can operate efficiently in a wider range of temperatures. With a higher energy density, they also reduce the total weight of the batteries, enabling longer flights with larger aircraft and heavier payloads.

Electric aircraft manufacturer Archer launched its own high-volume battery manufacturing facility in San Jose, California.

The electrolyte is the material between the cathode and anode, or the positive and negative electrodes at opposite ends of the battery cell. It facilitates the movement of lithium atoms between the two electrodes as a battery charges and discharges.

When a battery is discharging, or outputting electricity, lithium atoms are released from the negatively charged anode and flow toward the positively charged cathode. During this process, the lithium atoms shed their outer electrons and become positively charged lithium ions. Those freed electrons, which have a negative charge, then move toward the cathode. The opposite happens when a battery recharges; lithium ions are released from the cathode and move back toward the anode.

Researchers have been experimenting with different types of solid electrolytes for decades. All have generally run into the same problems: low ionic conductivity, high surface resistance at the electrode-electrolyte interface, and poor mechanical stability with brittle solids. Higher resistance and lower conductivity both hinder the flow of electricity through the battery, limiting its performance and reducing the overall energy efficiency.

For these reasons, solid-state batteries on the commercial market have so far been limited to small electronic devices, including some hearing aids, pacemakers, and wearable fitness trackers. However, just as lithium-ion batteries have evolved over the years, the technology behind solid-state batteries is ever-improving and becoming more

relevant for a wider range of applications. Unfortunately, solid-state batteries are also more expensive than lithium-ion batteries, both in terms of raw material prices and the cost of the more complex manufacturing processes. To compete with lithiumion batteries in any market and make them worth the extra cost, solid-state batteries will need to deliver a pretty dramatic improvement in performance over their ubiquitous liquid-state counterparts. With the state of battery technology today, the most advanced lithium-ion batteries for aviation applications are just about on par with solid-state battery performance numbers.

LI-ION BATTERY BREAKTHROUGHS

While the automotive industry eagerly awaits the arrival of solid-state EV batteries, the aviation industry is praying for a Nobel Prize-worthy breakthrough that could someday make long-distance travel on batteryelectric airplanes possible. In the meantime, pragmatic scientists are still working to improve the lithium-ion batteries that so many have long been eager to replace.

In addition to increasing power and energy, researchers are looking to make lithium-ion batteries more resilient and increase their lifespans, thereby reducing the frequency of battery replacements.

Belharouak believes that the solution to optimizing lithium-ion batteries for eVTOL applications all boils down to the electrolyte. He and his team at ORNL have been developing and testing new liquid and gel electrolyte materials that can

conduct lithium ions more quickly and efficiently than traditional electrolytes found in today’s batteries. Belhaourak and other battery researchers are also looking into alternative materials for cathodes and anodes.

Whereas the most common material used for anodes in lithium-ion batteries today is graphite, silicon has recently emerged as a promising alternative anode material, particularly when it comes to electric aircraft. Silicon can store up to 10 times more charge than graphite. However, the material swells during charging, which causes it to crack and degrade over time. To solve that problem, researchers are looking at ways to protect and reinforce the silicon anodes.

For example, a team of researchers at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea has devised a solution that slows down degradation in anodes using a chemical additive. They injected silicon anodes with a graphene oxide solution that forms a “web-like structure,” holding the anode’s particles together without impeding their capacity to store and release lithium atoms.

Amprius, an aircraft battery manufacturer based in California, appears to have cracked the code in silicon anode technology with its family of highperformance lithium-ion battery cells featuring patented silicon nanowire anodes. Implementing a nanowire structure for the anode creates more surface area in

MagniX’s Samson300 batteries promise high energy density and long service life.

Book-and-claim crucial to SAF expansion

BY CURT EPSTEIN

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is widely considered to be the solution with the greatest potential to help the aviation industry reach its goals of decarbonization, and the introduction of industry book-and-claim programs is the tool that is going to greatly advance its production and adoption.

While the global supply of SAF this year is expected to triple 2023’s total, reaching 400 million gallons of unblended SAF, it still only accounts for less than half a percent of the amount of jet fuel consumed. That number is expected to grow exponentially as more production facilities come online and new production pathways are approved.

In the U.S., the fuel is available primarily on the West Coast due to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which aims to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels burned in the state and incentivize—through taxes and credits—the production and distribution of low life cycle carbon emission fuels.

LCFS, which has also been enacted in Oregon and Washington, provides credit to offset the production cost of SAF and also provides a rebate or discount to the consumer. SAF is now available to business aviation customers at approximately 30 locations in the U.S., and a similar amount in the rest of the world, mainly in Europe.

To airports near the SAF production facilities, the renewable fuel can be easily

transported—even by pipeline, in the case of Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. The fuel can be moved by tanker truck, ship, or rail. But, beyond a certain distance, the costs of transport and resulting environmental penalties begin to weigh upon the price and benefits of the fuel, eroding them.

For SAF, its carbon emissions savings over conventional jet fuel are calculated on a life cycle scale, including transportation to the end user. If it is trucked hundreds of miles, those subsequent emissions must also be factored into the equation.

“There are airports where the distribution points are close to the producers that have the right tax incentives or the right subsidies

Although Signature Aviation has sold more than 35 million gallons of SAF since 2000, most of that fuel is available only on the West Coast.

in place—California with the LCFS is a great example—and so there are certain airports where it just makes sense to put the fuel. You are going to get the cheapest cost per gallon, and you really want to maximize the amount of fuel that you can put there because it would be the best economics for a book-and-claim program,” said Kennedy Ricci, president of industry sustainability solutions provider 4Air. “If we tried to truck it to Teterboro, you are probably going to pay double or triple the amount that you pay for putting that fuel in in California.”

With the physical fuel sequestered in a geographic area, and with an industry customer base around the country, book-and-claim programs were instituted. These programs enable operators to pay a “green” surcharge to obtain the environmental benefits and carbon reduction credits anywhere, without the actual fuel being pumped into their aircraft.

KENNEDY RICCI PRESIDENT, 4AIR

 You are going to get the cheapest cost per gallon, and you really want to maximize the amount of fuel that you can put there because it would be the best economics for a bookand-claim program... 

BEATRICE BATTY DIRECTOR OF FUEL PLANNING, SIGNATURE

“That’s how the process needs to work,” said Beatrice Batty, Signature Aviation’s director of fuel planning and risk. “You have to be able to separate the physical molecules from the carbon attributes and of course the premium for it to be able to create that SAF book-and-claim credit, but the gallon [of SAF] has to be put into the aviation system to be burned. That is how it is accomplished.” She added that the green surcharge or price delta for SAF blend is currently around $1.50 a gallon above the cost of conventional jet-A, due to the higher production costs associated with the refining of neat (pure) SAF.

Signature is the largest SAF retailer in the business aviation sector, having sold more than 35 million gallons of blended SAF since 2020.

“We saw the need [for book-and-claim] very early on,” Batty explained to AIN . “When we started looking at how [to] get SAF to our customers, we realized that because of the very immature production landscape and that it was only focused in California—yet there is so much demand elsewhere—we recognized that book-andclaim was going to be a necessity to help get adoption and a greater flow of product into the marketplace. We will need bookand-claim until we get a more large-scale production landscape throughout the world, but especially in the United States.”

With the industry’s focus on sustainability, the reduction of carbon emissions, and its goal of reaching net zero by 2050, the ability to keep accurate records of SAF usage for reporting purposes is crucial to an operator’s ESG plans.

“SAF is different from jet fuel in that where it comes from determines how sustainable it is,” said Ricci. “The blend of the fuel [and] the feedstock of the fuel determines what you can actually claim from using it. It’s not all created equal. You need robust documentation showing which batch you used, what blend it was, and if you purchased it [so] you can actually claim those benefits.”

The backbone of book-and-claim is a strong ledger system, which tracks the volumes of fuel and prevents double booking of the carbon emissions reduction claims. “We are audited every single year on all of our transactions,” said Batty. “There are some customers that want every single piece of detail and for us to prove all o f that—and we do. They have it independently audited as well to prove that the y can make the claim that they do, so we are very confident in that processing program.”

To provide further confidence in the system, groups such as the Council on Sustainable Fuels Accountability (CoSAFA) are working to provide standardization, paving the way for worldwide acceptance of the process.

“We are supporting and providing the publicly available, neutral, generally accepted accounting principle similar to the GAAP [generally accepted accounting principles] as you see in the financial markets the way public disclosures are done,” s aid CoSAFA executive director Madison Carroll.

Carroll stated that presently there are at least 10 fuel programs offering book-andclaim—each of which had to develop its own bookkeeping methodology—a number that she expects to continue to rise until consolidations begin to take hold. “We are trying to standardize the way SAF transactions work,” she added.

Doing that involves the use of a product transfer document that records the chain of custody of the fuel and contains information about the SAF attribute.

The document tracks both the fuel and the attribute.

“So a customer knows what they are purchasing, what market it has already been used for, and what market it is still eligible to be used for. All of that is done through a unique identification code that we have developed,” Carroll noted in an interview with AIN . “If all fuel is tracked by the same code, then you can create operability between registries to know if that batch of fuel has been registered anywhere else.”

SKEPTICAL EUROPE

While book-and-claim is now an accepted process in the U.S., the European Union has taken more of a wait-and-see approach, with a report slated for July pushed back until later in the year. “The hesitation is wanting to really push to get SAF at all airports to push production and also ensuring that there is robust tracking of it in order to ensure there is no fraud,” Carroll added.

Ricci said 4Air has seen growing acceptance for the process. “At the end of the day, people prefer to have physical fuel, but we don’t have the availability for that today,” he said. “Book-and-claim hopefully by 2050 is a mechanism we won’t need with widespread SAF distribution and the ability to use it at any airport. But until then, it is a key mechanism to help in the early stages.”

MADISON CARROLL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COSAFA

 ...a customer knows what they are purchasing, what market it has already been used for, and what market it is still eligible to be used for. All of that is done through a unique identification code that we have developed... 

Batty noted that Signature’s sales of SAF are growing month over month and “every gallon of SAF we are bringing in we are selling, and a large percentage of that is book-and-claim.” While the fuel is available at the point of purchase at many of its West Coast FBOs, the majority of its sales happen at a level above the p ilots and flight crews. “We would talk to the pilots and they would say, ‘I’m not authorized to make that decision,’” she said. “Our experience is the decision is made at a different point. It’s made by a sustainability program manager; it’s made by the C-suite who made a dedicated effort to reduce carbon footprint. So consequently, we’re having more of a system network-wide conversation.”

She added that while Signature has a global footprint, it must evolve its programs to be applicable to all its regions and has therefore not extended its book-and-claim program to its European locations given the EU’s hesitation in approving the process.

“What we do as an industry, I think, is going to be a critical part of moving the needle to get a global industrywide acceptance of book-and-claim,” concluded Batty. “As an industry, we are going t o have to align around a particular standard and then the registries will evolve as they see fit.” z

While Signature Aviation says it will sell every gallon of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) it receives this year, the world’s largest SAF retailer for general aviation noted that educating its customers on the book-and-claim process is ongoing.

Rotorcraft

Skyryse simulator demonstrates future of flight control

BY MATT THURBER

demonstrates the

This may sound sacrilegious, but during a demonstration flight in the Skyryse flight simulator, I realized that this is exactly how a helicopter ought to fly. There is just one flight control, a stick, and forget about managing a collective (power), cyclic (pitch and bank), and pedals (yaw).

Skyryse’s SkyOS flight control and operating system eliminates the complexity and makes flying pure fun. At the same time, it’s still possible to make the modified helicopter fly like a regular helicopter, even though it’s far easier and much less of a burden on the pilot.

Founded in 2017 by CEO Mark Groden, Skyryse has a headquarters facility in Southern California’s aerospace cluster in

El Segundo. Flight testing of airborne hardware is done at Camarillo Airport.

The company’s goal is clear: to develop a flight control system using fly-by-wire technology and software to turn existing rotorcraft and fixed-wing airplanes into machines that can be flown by almost anyone but still benefit from their full performance and flight envelopes.

The first commercial product from Skyryse is a modified Robinson R66. While I was expecting that the Skyryse control system would be bolted onto the R66’s flight controls, sort of like a fancy autopilot, that was not the case. In fact, Skyryse removes not only the cockpit controls but also a pile of pushrods, bellcranks, and components

and replaces it with its own flight control system, including digital engine controls.

COCKPIT LAYOUT

The R66 control system consists of a center stick between the two front seats, comfortably located for the right-seater’s left arm or the left-seater’s right arm. I flew from the right seat because that is traditional in this and most helicopters. But in this machine, my seat choice could also have to do with which hand I prefer to use.

There are two displays, a primary and a multifunction display (PFD and MFD).

The stick moves fore and aft and twists for yaw control. Vertical flight is selected using a sliding half-circle-shaped switch

Warren Curry (left), Skyryse v-p of sales,

Skyryse simulator’s single control stick simplicity to AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber.

or vertical thumb lever near the top of the stick. Push up on the thumb lever to go up, down to descend.

It takes a few minutes to get used to what the controls can and can’t do. Tilting the stick produces a bank, which feels natural. Pushing the stick fore or aft commands the helicopter to move level forward or backward.

Here’s where the Skyryse philosophy vastly simplifies helicopter flying. In a traditional helicopter, the cyclic (stick) controls pitch and bank, but moving the cyclic back, for example, pitches the nose up, which causes the helicopter to slow down unless power is added by pulling up on the collective, and don’t forget to step on the correct pedal to keep the yaw in trim. It’s a constant marriage of movement that never stops.

In the Skyryse R66, moving the stick fore or aft adjusts the airspeed, and the power automatically adjusts to support the selected speed. Hold the thumb switch up to climb and then down to descend.

FLYING THE SKYRYSE SIMULATOR

Curry demonstrated how getting ready to fly is much simpler with SkyOS because it manages all aspects of operating the helicopter, including operating limitations that if exceeded could cause an expensive overspeed or engine overtemp. “This operating system is managing all of that for you,” he explained. “If it recognizes an abnormality or exceedance, it’s going to go ahead and shut the aircraft down. Gone are the days of you and I missing a step, which we’ve all done…it’s doing it all for you.”

To get ready for takeoff, I pressed the “flight” button on the PFD and the engine responded appropriately, settling into flight idle. The engine start is also fully automatic. For the takeoff, Curry demonstrated how with a swipe on the PFD, I told SkyOS to pick up into a hover, and the torque climbed, then the helicopter dutifully lifted smoothly into the air and hovered at six feet. I hadn’t yet touched the control stick. As we hovered, the display changed to offer

a set down as the automatic option.

“You are still the pilot, you are still in control, but it definitely is providing inputs based on the flight parameters and flight conditions you’re on,” he said.

While hovering, Curry had me do pedal turns, which isn’t quite an accurate term in this helicopter because there are no pedals. I used my left hand on the stick and twisted it to yaw the helicopter, which stayed impeccably balanced during the maneuvering. The more I twisted, the faster the rate of turn, but SkyOS won’t allow exceeding any limitations.

Next, while still hovering close to the ground, I pushed up on the thumb lever, held it, and watched the helicopter’s rate of climb increase. I let go of the thumb lever and the helicopter settled back into a hover, but now we were at 64 feet. “If we were to drop the collective in a real helicopter,” he said, “it would start a massive rate of descent and potential vortex ring state and at this point, probably not enough altitude to recover.”

Curry then had me push the thumb lever all the way down as hard as I could and hold it; the helicopter started descending but not at more than 300 fpm, and as it neared the ground, it automatically prevented us from colliding with the ground.

The SkyOS pilot doesn’t have to use the stick to command the helicopter but can plug in targets into the display. Curry had set 60 knots and 600 feet before we took off, and he also selected a heading. More commands are available on the autoflight page.

MANUEVERING WITH SKYOS

We were flying at 55 knots and 360 feet, and Curry had me push the thumb lever up and hold it to get a desired rate of climb until we reached 600 feet. I let the lever spring back to neutral and the helicopter leveled off, still at the same speed. I next tried lateral control by tilting the stick, including a full deflection. SkyOS prevented a high rate of descent or too steep a bank, thus keeping the machine well within its safe envelope

but still allowing me to maneuver. This was a markedly different feeling than flying a traditional helicopter because I feel constrained in how much I can bank.

Speed control was next on the menu. Moving the stick fore and aft commands a speed on the PFD, and SkyOS just matches that speed.

We picked a spot at the airport to land and I thumbed to 500 feet then continued descending while pulling back on the stick to command a slower speed. We descended through 60 feet, slowing to seven feet and zero knots. The display offered an auto set down. I swiped to select that, and down we went for a smooth landing, which SkyOS did properly.

I tried a manual lift-off, which just means pushing the thumb lever up and then letting go to hover. Pushing forward on the stick, I accelerated to 60 knots and flew around, getting more of a feel for how the controls interact. I found that once I understood what the controls do, I could position the helicopter fairly precisely.

AUTO AUTOROTATION

I took off again, climbed to 1,000 feet, and lined up with the runway for the autorotation demonstration. For our demo in the simulator, Curry set up the autorotation while I steered the helicopter toward the desired landing spot. At about 150 feet, I pulled the stick back to start the flare, then pushed the thumb lever all the way up. SkyOS automatically kept the rotor rpm in the green and initially targeted 75 knots, later slowing to 60 knots in the glide. After the flare, the helicopter pitched forward and then touched down smoothly. “The anticlimactic nature of what we did is just dramatic,” Curry said.

Skyryse is planning to develop SkyOS for many aircraft types—not just helicopters but fixed-wing airplanes as well. The R66 is expected to receive supplemental type certification next year and will sell for $1.8 million, about $400,000 more than a typically equipped new R66. z

On the Ground

World Fuel Services To Acquire Epic Fuels GA Business

World Fuel Services has agreed to purchase Epic Fuels’ general aviation operations from Signature Aviation. In addition to Epic’s general aviation fueling network, the transaction will also include its Epic Card business. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval but is expected to conclude by the end of the year. In addition to all Epic Card holders, the transaction will give World Fuel Services 300 new fuel customers, including 100 FBOs, bringing its network to approximately 700 FBOs.

In 2018, Signature Aviation (known then as BBA Aviation) purchased privately-held Epic. Under the terms of the agreement with World Fuel Services, Epic will retain its commercial fueling operation, along with its QT Pod self-serve fuel system division.

Signature Expands at KIAD with Dulles Jet Center Buy

Signature Aviation has signed an agreement to purchase Dulles Jet Center (DJC) at Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD). The move will bring Signature to 194,000 sq ft of hangar space at KIAD, along with added office and shop space.

The DJC campus consists of 197,000 sq ft of hangar space, office space, and a luxury passenger lounge. It made news in February 2010 when a massive snowfall collapsed the roofs of three of its hangars. They were later rebuilt while the insurance battles over the damaged and destroyed business jets within raged for years.

In June, Sky Harbour announced that it would install a luxury turnkey 136,000-sq-ft private hangar complex at KIAD with its own fuel farm for tenants, a move which some in the industry suggest may have been a factor in DJC ownership’s decision to sell.

Loyd ’ s Aviation To Take Over Paso Robles FBO

Loyd’s Aviation, an aircraft charter and management provider based at California’s Meadows Field Airport (KBFL) since the late 1950s, has won the bid process to take over the lone FBO at Paso Robles Municipal Airport (KPRB) currently managed by ACI Jet.

Loyd’s—which owns and operates the Bakersfield Jet Center at KBFL—will assume control of the facility, located in the airport terminal in the fourth quarter. The company will then begin a 5,200-sq-ft, two-story addition to the existing terminal to add a conference room, crew lounge, private lobby, and customer reception area.

The $9 million project will also include the construction of a hangar complex for small to midsize business aircraft, featuring individual private-use hangars. Meanwhile, a new maintenance shop will occupy an existing 10,000-sq-ft hangar.

NetJets Expands Dedicated Airport Network

NetJets will take over the former Signature Aviation South FBO terminal at Teterboro Airport (KTEB). NetJets had long occupied space in the terminal that will now be renovated in cooperation with Signature and entirely dedicated to serving the company’s fractional aircraft owners.

The enhanced facility will include many of the amenities found in other NetJets exclusive-use terminals, including a private ramp and hangar space, owner lounge, conference rooms, refreshment bar, and dedicated parking starting in 2025. Signature recently increased its presence at KTEB with its purchase of Meridian, formerly the last independentlyowned FBO on the field, giving it control of four of the six FBO locations there, and it will continue to operate Hangars 2 and 3 at the rebranded NetJets facility.

FBO AND AIRPORT NEWS BY CURT EPSTEIN

Southern Sky Aviation: Boosting Business at Trent Lott International

When Southern Sky Aviation took over the lone FBO at Mississippi’s Trent Lott International Airport (KPQL) in 2021, the U.S. and indeed much of the world was still in the midst of the global Covid pandemic.

At the time, the airport was closed due to a widening and resurfacing project on its 6,500-foot runway, so the new owners took advantage of the situation by conducting a $1 million renovation on the two-decadeold facility. “It was kind of like an old bus terminal; it had that atmosphere,” said Tim Thomas, the company’s v-p of FBO operations and general manager of the Pascagoula facility. “We made it more of an FBO. We revamped the entire structure here and made it look a lot more professional.”

Among the improvements was the establishment of the Sky Café in the hangar, a move that has proven so successful the company recently expanded its space from 20 seats to 45. Serving breakfast and lunch, the venue is popular not only among customers but also the local community.

While the $100 hamburger is a classic meme in general aviation, Sky Café‘s hungry patrons line up for Diane’s famous chicken sandwich. Though the community beyond the airport fence is charged $14 for a meal, FBO customers pay only $8, while for active-duty military members, it’s just a buck. “We have a large military training traffic that comes in and out of here,” Thomas told AIN , adding the FBO holds a current Defense Logistics Agency fueling contract. “We are proud that they come here and eat at the café so we can fuel both the planes and the pilots.”

Also part of the initial improvements in the ownership changeover was a new fuel farm with a capacity of 20,000 gallons of jet-A and 12,000 gallons of avgas, the latter with self-service capability. Today, the

FBO’s two jet fuel tankers (5,000 gallons and 3,000 gallons) and single avgas truck pump more than a half-million gallons of fuel a year.

“Three years ago when we started, they were only flowing about 180,000 gallons [annually], so we’ve made a large change for the airport,” explained Thomas, noting that business is up more than 57% over the previous year.

The 4,800-sq-ft terminal includes a passenger lobby with complimentary refreshments including a soft-serve ice cream machine; pilot lounge with snooze room, eight-seat conference room, shower facilities, crew cars, and onsite car rental. The facility with its Avfuel-trained sta f of 10 is open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekends with after-hours callout available. Twentyfour-hour planeside customs clearance with advance notice is available, along with the FBO obtaining international trash disposal approval, helping boost KPQL’s credibility as an international arrivals gateway.

With Pascagoula a well-known military shipbuilding hub, that industry draws trafc

to KPQL consisting of traditional business aviation as well as military aviation in the form of aircraft required to test the defense systems activity on the new vessels. As well, the FBO is home to a fleet of light fish-spotting aircraft, which guide boats in the gulf to harvest fish oil for the dietary supplement producer located just of the field.

The casinos in nearby Biloxi are also a draw of private aviation trafc, dispatching limousines to the airport to pick up high rollers who arrive on their own aircraft. "We're closer in timing than the other airports in the area," said Thomas. "We're about 10 minutes faster to get there because there is one red light between us and the casinos."

While much of the Gulf Coast region is susceptible to flooding, Thomas points out that KPQL sits 17 feet above flood stage, leaving it operational when other airports may be underwater due to storm surges.

Earlier this year Southern Sky opened a new FBO at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (KECP) in Panama City, Florida. Thomas joked that when targeting new locations for the company, it's "nowhere that requires deicing." C.E.

Southern Sky Aviation at Mississippi's Trent Lott International Airport. Since the company took over the FBO operation there, it has nearly tripled fuel sales.

BY AIN STAFF

Rolls-Royce, JSX Sign $300M Engine Services Agreement

Rolls-Royce has signed TotalCare and SelectCare service agreements with JSX for its 162-strong fleet of RollsRoyce AE3007A engines powering the air carrier’s 77 Embraer ERJ-145 and ERJ-135 twinjets. Valued at $300 million over 10 years, the agreement—signed during the Farnborough Airshow—provides the air carrier with predictability and a known cost for the services and maintenance of the fleet, according to Rolls-Royce.

TotalCare will cover 127 engines while SelectCare applies to 35 engines. The SelectCare deal includes an option to transition coverage into TotalCare.

Piper Extends Boeing ’ s Role as Parts Supplier

Piper Aircraft has extended a partnership through which Boeing will continue as its exclusive distributor of aviation components and parts for the next five years. Under the agreement, Boeing will manage the distribution of critical parts for Piper general aviation aircraft to the U.S. manufacturer’s global customer base.

Boeing currently maintains more than $22 million of Piper parts inventory and has achieved a fill rate of more than 98% on forecasted parts, meaning that customers’

orders are fulfilled immediately from available stock. The Boeing distribution business unit, formerly known as Aviall, has operated Piper’s main parts depot since 2010.

Gogo, Duncan Collaborate on Learjet 5G Connectivity

Gogo Business Aviation has teamed with Duncan Aviation to pursue an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) for Gogo 5G on Bombardier Learjet 40/45/70/75 jets. According to Gogo, its 5G system will deliver more speed, capacity, live experiences, and the ability to connect more devices for crew and passengers of these Learjet models in North America.

More than 300 Learjets are equipped and flying with a Gogo air-to-ground (ATG) system, including legacy ATG (ATG 1000, 2000, 4000, 5000) and Avance L3 and L5 hardware. With installation led by the Duncan Aviation Houston satellite shop team, the STC provides operators of Learjet 40/45/70/75s—of which more than 700 fly today—an upgrade path to faster, higher-performing inflight connectivity with the installation of Avance L5 and Gogo 5G provisions.

Bombardier Installs 3,000 Solar Panels at London Service Center

Bombardier completed the installation of more than 3,000 solar panels on the roof of its London Biggin Hill Service Centre in a move that the Canadian aircraft manufacturer said will provide for up to 32% of the facility’s energy. Installed in collaboration with Zestec Renewable Energy, the photovoltaic solar panel system is expected to generate more than 1.133 million kWh while lowering the facility’s carbon emissions by up to 252 tonnes.

The service center is equipped to provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, modifications, and avionics installations on Bombardier Learjets, Challengers, and Globals.

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Accidents

BY DAVID JACK KENNY

Preliminary Reports

Low Fuel Leads to Falcon 10 Crash in Afghanistan

Dassault Falcon 10, Jan. 20, 2024, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

The air ambulance-configured aircraft crashed into a snow-covered mountain in Afghanistan in January after the crew reported they were running low on fuel, according to information in a recent safety report from the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee.

The 1978 Falcon, which according to Air Safety Network preliminary information was registered to Athletic Group (RA09011), was carrying two crew and four passengers—two medical workers and two others being transported. The crew and medical workers were injured, while the other two were killed.

The aircraft departed from U-Tapao Airport in Thailand at 1:20 p.m. local time on January 20 for the 3,895-nm journey to Zhukovsky Airport in Moscow. Preliminary information reveals that the aircraft refueled at Gaya International Airport in India and continued at 4:10 p.m. local time toward a second refueling at Tashkent International Airport in Uzbekistan. However, a deviation led to additional fuel consumption, and at about 7:05 p.m. the crew radioed that they were low on fuel. Fourteen minutes later, the crew reported one engine had flamed out; 10 minutes later the second engine had flamed out.

The crew initially hoped to make an emergency landing at Kulob Airport in Tajikistan but instead decided to make an emergency landing in the mountainous area of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

and ended up colliding with the mountain slope.

Helicopter Accident Ends SWAT Team Exercises

MD Helicopters MD600N, July 16, 2024, Eagle Lake, Texas

Four members of the SWAT team of the Harris County Sheriff ’s Office and the pilot of their helicopter were hospitalized after an accident officially described as a “hard landing” during nighttime training exercises. By the following morning, all had been discharged.

The flight was part of a larger exercise involving other SWAT team members at a site about 70 miles west of downtown Houston “designed to simulate real-world scenarios under the cover of darkness.”

Details of the program, which was cancelled after the accident, were not disclosed.

Seven Killed in Crash after Autopilot Malfunction Report

Pilatus PC-12/47E, July 26, 2024 Gillette, Wyoming

All seven occupants perished when the single-engine turboprop departed controlled flight at FL260 after the pilot reported an autopilot malfunction. The victims included three members of a well-known gospel music quartet, their assistant, and a family member. The pilot was the chairman of the Georgia Department of Corrections; his wife was the sixth passenger.

The flight was en route to Seattle to board a gospel-themed cruise to Alaska. The crash, near the Montana border, ignited a wildfire that eventually spread to 38 acres before being suppressed by the combined

efforts of aircraft, heavy equipment, and fire engines deployed by Campbell County ground crews. Initial reports did not indicate any violent weather in the vicinity.

Final Reports

Delayed Departure Ends in Tree Strike

AgustaWestland AW109SP, Nov. 1, 2022, Nantclwyd Lodge, LLanelidan, Denbighshire, UK

The five guests departing from a private hunting lodge in North Wales weren’t ready to leave at their scheduled departure time of 16:30, some 15 minutes before sunset, but instead remained in the lodge until 17:15, just three minutes before the end of civil evening twilight. They had arrived by helicopter at 09:20 that morning, after which the 3,815-hour commercial pilot flew to the Hawarden Airfield to refuel before returning to the lodge.

Once they boarded, the pilot saw the passengers “rearranging their seatbelts after sitting down but did not visually confirm they had fastened them.” He “took his time” after engine start to reduce the helicopter’s weight by burning additional fuel and decided that visual references were adequate for a vertical departure.

The pilot lifted into a hover and moved forward and left, using the searchlight to locate the nearest trees while turning into the wind. While the initial climb seemed to go as expected, the helicopter drifted backwards 23 meters (75 feet) and the main rotor blades struck trees at an altitude of 30 to 40 feet. The helicopter crashed to the ground and rolled onto its right side, but

there was no fuel spill or post-crash fire. All five passengers were injured, one seriously. “At least four” hadn’t fastened their seat belts.

Twin Otter Damaged During Antarctic Field Mission

De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, Jan. 23, 2023 Mount Lymburner field location, Antarctica

A slight lateral excursion during takeoff from a previously unprepared field site led the nose gear of the ski-and-wheelequipped airplane to strike an ice ridge, causing damage that was not fully apparent until it returned to a more well-equipped base. The flight to deliver crew and equipment to a location at the northwest end of the Ellsworth Mountains landed uneventfully after a first pass skimming the snow with the main gear’s skis. After closer scrutiny of the ice, the pilot prepared an 800meter (half-mile) skiway from which to take off marked by bamboo poles with flags.

During the takeoff run, the Twin Otter drifted toward the right side of the skiway. Just before rotation, the right ski sank into the snow. The pilot tried to correct the right yaw with rudder and differential thrust but felt “a large impact … on the nose ski.” After takeoff, the pilot noticed that the standby attitude indicator indicated a 40-degree bank in level flight. The primary attitude indicator also appeared misaligned, and the covers around the rudder pedals had been dislodged.

After assessing controllability, the pilot made a precautionary landing at an unmanned fuel depot with a prepared skiway about 40 nm west, where he added fuel and inspected the airplane. Damage to the nose and forward bulkhead did not impede the flight controls, so he concluded that the safest course was to proceed to a manned field station about 300 nm to the northeast whose staff included “a licensed engineer.”

Following an uneventful landing, the engineer confirmed damage to the upper and

lower forward bulkheads and nose skins and authorized a temporary repair to conduct a ferry flight limited to two cycles and eight flight hours.

Precise Cause of Freighter Crash Remains Undetermined

Cessna 208B, Feb. 28, 2023, Nakina, Ontario, Canada

Investigators were unable to pinpoint the specific cause of the in-flight loss of control that led the Caravan to descend into trees at high speed in a 22-degree nose-low attitude, killing both pilots. The flight was the crew’s second of the day transporting cargo between the Naina (CYQN) and Fort Hope (CYFH) Airports, both in Ontario. The investigation was hampered by the fact that the airplane’s onboard GPS tracking device failed to either record or transmit tracking data during the accident flight for

reasons that likewise remain unexplained. Search-and-rescue efforts were in turn hindered by the removal of the emergency locator transmitter for scheduled recertification on February 8, just weeks before the fatal crash. Four days passed before searchers located the wreckage 30.8 nm from CYQN on the direct track to CYFH. The 325-hour pilot had been signed off to fly solo on revenue flights just 10 days earlier. He was not instrument-rated. Due to concern about gusty winds, the 2,570-hour base manager volunteered to accompany him as an “extra crew member,” distinct from second-in-command or training captain. He held an instrument rating but did not meet IFR flight currency requirements.

Another company aircraft that flew the same route half an hour later encountered snow showers en route, and a snow squall at CYFH shortly after their arrival reduced visibility significantly. z

LOOKING FOR AIRCRAFT FOR SALE?

Compliance Countdown

BY GORDON GILBERT

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

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 action records that date before Jan. 1, 2015, to the FAA’s new pilot records database (PRD). Also beginning on Sept. 9, 2024, the Pilot Records Improvement Act (PRIA) ceases to be efective and will not be an available alternative to PRD. Also after this date, each entity that holds an operating certificate under Part 121, 125, or 135—or management specifications for Part 91K—must report to the PRD all historical records kept in accordance with PRIA dating from Aug. 1, 2010, until June 10, 2022. Since June 2023, certain operators under Part 91, 91K, and 135 were required to complete submissions to the PRD of all historical records dating on or after Jan. 1, 2015.

Oct. 21, 2024

U.S.: Organization Designation Authorization

One of the consequences of the FAA’s ongoing investigations into alleged wrongdoing by Boeing during certain airframe design, development, and production procedures ostensibly made under the manufacturer’s organization designation authorization (ODA) is that the agency has issued draft Revision C of its ODA Order 8100.15. This order establishes the ground rules for a manufacturer to obtain ODA approval and provides the procedures for FAA personnel conducting oversight of ODA holders. Under draft Revision C, 54 changes are proposed that aim to tighten up manufacturer ODA approval rules and to improve FAA oversight of ODA holders. Comments are due by Oct. 21, 2024.

Oct. 24, 2024, and April 25, 2025

U.S.: Airport SMS

Certain air carrier airports certified under FAR Part 139 are 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.

Oct. 31, 2024

Canada: ATIS Phone Broadcasts

Nav Canada, the country’s provider of civil air navigation services, will incrementally decommission all ATIS telephone voice broadcasts between Oct. 31, 2024, and March 31, 2025. To continue providing remote access to ATIS, Nav Canada has begun upgrading technology to allow the promulgation of ATIS through a new web page, including ATIS sites that do not currently have phone service. The population of ATIS information on the web page began in March 2024 and is planned to continue until December 2024. The appropriate aeronautical publications are scheduled to be amended on Oct. 31, 2024, to remove phone number information.

Dec. 1, 2024

U.S.: Notam Transition

On or about Dec. 1, 2024, the FAA is scheduled to transition its notam format to align with international standards. The agency said the transition to the new format will ensure U.S. notams are compliant with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). According to the FAA, the new format will result in improved accuracy and accessibility of notam data for pilots, dispatchers, and other notam consumers, provide notam consumers with one consistent format for domestic and international operations, and

allow for enhanced search, sorting, filtering, and archiving capabilities of notam data. An advisory circular will be published when the new format becomes effective.

Dec. 2, 2024

Europe: Part 145 SMS

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

Jan. 1, 2025

Europe: Emergency Locator Transmitters

EASA has implemented a two-year postponement of the requirement for certain large airplanes certified in Europe to be equipped with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) with distress tracking capability: ELT(DT). An ELT(DT) is designed to activate automatically in flight when it detects conditions indicative of a distress situation, or the flight crew can manually activate the ELT(DT). Under the new rules, airplanes with a mtow of more than 27,000 kilograms (above 59,500 pounds) and are first issued their certificate of

airworthiness on or after Jan. 1, 2024 will be required by Jan. 1, 2025 to be equipped with an ELT(DT) that autonomously transmits information from which the aircraft's position can be determined by the operator at least once every minute when in distress. The additional time for compliance from the original date of Jan. 1, 2023 is due to technical, equipment, and ATC issues, as well as aircraft delivery and type certification delays stemming from the 2020-2021 pandemic years.

Feb. 16, 2025

U.S.: Medical Transport of Veterans

Scheduled to start on Feb. 16, 2025, the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) will have the authority to begin reimbursing non-contract ground and air ambulance transportation at rates “significantly below costs,” according to providers. Critics charge that the move will force providers to “downsize operations and reduce hours of availability while compromising the ability of veterans, particularly in rural areas, to receive prompt medical transport.” Under the new rules, the VA will be allowed to pay the “lesser of the actual charge or the amount determined by the Medicare Part B Ambulance Fee Schedule.” The VA currently pays for the actual costs of such medical transports.

May 28, 2027

U.S.: Safety Management Systems

Certain FAR Part 21 aircraft manufacturers, Part 135 on-demand charter and commuter operators, and Part 91 air tour operators will need to implement an FAR Part 5 SMS by May 28, 2027. Less restrictive provisions apply to most single-pilot or single-aircraft organizations and other smaller entities. Guidance materials, including ACs, to support the FAA’s new SMS rules, were published after the rules went into effect on May 28, 2024.

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

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People in Aviation

BY JESSICA REED

Boeing named a seasoned industry leader, Robert K. “Kelly” Ortberg, to become the company’s president and CEO, effective August 8. Ortberg, who will also join Boeing’s board of directors, is set to succeed Dave Calhoun, who declared his intention to step down from the role earlier this year amid a broader management shakeup that also saw the retirement of Stan Deal as head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and the naming of Steve Mollenkopf as the new chairman of the board.

Patrick Desbois and Brad Trenkle are co-COOs at Garmin. Desbois, who had served as executive v-p of operations since 2017, now oversees the company’s aviation and auto OEM segments, global supply chain and operations, information technology, and human resources. Trenkle’s domain covers Garmin’s consumer business segments, engineering innovation and support, and global consumer sales and marketing.

Volato Group appointed Mark Ozenick president of its Volato Aircraft Management Services division. Ozenick’s 45-plus years of experience in business aviation spans flight operations, maintenance, and executive leadership.

Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre appointed Vivien Lau as its CEO. Most recently, Lau served as CEO of Jardine Aviation Services Group, and her career includes nearly 18 years of aviation experience.

Megan Barnes has taken on the role of COO at JetSet Media, and she will also support Private Jet Media Americas (PJMA) as it continues to grow in the Americas. Barnes founded Paragon Aviation Group, which was acquired by Luxaviation Group in May.

Jet Linx promoted Nate Legband to COO. He will also continue in his role as CFO, in addition to managing the responsibilities of chief commercial officer. Additionally, the company promoted Ryan Lemmon to v-p of account management and Paul Kloet to v-p of strategy and mergers and acquisitions. Lemmon joined Jet Linx in 2020, while Kloet joined a year later.

Smitha Hariharan was hired for the role of v-p and chief sustainability officer at Gulfstream Aerospace. Hariharan recently worked at Halliburton Energy Services as the global head of sustainability.

Aviation Personnel International (API) promoted Jennifer Pickerel to president. Pickerel joined API in 2015 and previously served as director of candidate services, director of client services, and most recently as a v-p.

George J. Priester Aviation created a new leadership team structure, with industry veteran Brent Moldowan heading up day-to-day operations as president and CEO. Moldowan was part of Mayo Aviation’s integration into the larger George J. Priester Aviation family of companies. Joining Moldowan on the George J. Priester Aviation leadership team are Viviana Kozin , COO; Ron Carlstrom , CFO; Rich Ropp, chief sales and services officer; and Stephanie Mueller, chief talent officer.

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) added three new members to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) standards board. These include Troy Hyberger of Duncan Aviation, Rick Hooper of VistaJet, and Jose Rubinho of United Aviation Services.

Cutter Aviation promoted Richard Campbell Jr. to director of FBO operations. Campbell has been with the company since 1998, when he was hired as a customer service representative. He most recently served as regional manager of line services in Phoenix.

Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics and True Blue Power promoted director of aftermarket sales and support Van Winter to v-p of marketing and aftermarket sales. Winter joined the company in 2012 as a legal contract administrator.

Haggan Aviation hired Chris Haight as v-p of operations, where he will oversee functions such as maintenance, avionics, and quality control. Haight’s nearly 30 years of experience in the

JENNIFER PICKEREL

RICHARD CAMPBELL JR.

ROBERT K. “KELLY” ORTBERG

VIVIEN LAU

industry includes working for an MRO facility as its general manager.

Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) appointed Alexis Javkin executive v-p of maintenance and supplier management. Javkin previously worked for Aerolíneas Ejecutivas (ALE) as the CEO of ALE Service Center and as the group v-p.

C.R. Sincock II, executive v-p of Avfuel, was elected for a second threeyear term as a board member of the National Air Transportation Association. Sincock is also the CEO and president of Avfuel sister company Avflight.

C&L Aerospace appointed Amanda Hartwig as regional sales manager for the company’s regional airline division. Hartwig’s 15-plus years of experience in the aviation industry include working for Rockwell Collins, Regional One, and AIRCO.

The Air Charter Association has added Shaun Quigley to its international non-executive board. Quigley, owner and managing director of Volantair Air Charter based in Queensland, Australia, will represent the Asia-Pacific region on the board.

Global Jet Capital hired Tom Kacin as v-p of sales for the U.S. Northeast and Midwest. Kacin’s previous experience includes market-facing sales leadership and management roles at Webster Capital Finance, Terex Financial Services, Citibank, and Wachovia.

Monte Koch, a private investor and chair emeritus of NBAA, was appointed as a member of the board of directors for Gogo. Koch co-founded Ten-X/Auction and also had a 25-year career in investment banking.

Skyryse hired Lirio Liu as an advisor to the company; she will focus on the certification of Skyryse One, an aircraft featuring the SkyOS operating system. Liu worked for the FAA for more than three decades, most recently as the executive director of certification.

Corporate Angel Network has elected Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets, to its board of directors. Amalfitano previously served as executive v-p at Stonebriar Commercial Finance, as well as managing director and executive head of global corporate aircraft finance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. z

The aviation community paid tribute to former senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), who died on July 9 at the age of 89. Known as a passionate pilot who spearheaded two Pilots Bill of Rights measures and maneuvered to help bring the landmark General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA) of 1994 to the House floor, Inhofe had retired from the Senate in January 2023 after a career spanning 36 years.

“Sen. Inhofe was a master legislator and general aviation’s great champion,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Those two truths are reflected in every aviation bill that has passed Congress and been signed into law over the past 35 years.”

Bolen pointed to Inhofe’s involvement with the discharge petition—largely credited for getting GARA to the floor—as well as the Pilots Bill of Rights, BasicMed, and numerous FAA reauthorization bills as measures that have protected general aviation’s access to airspace and airports and said this is just a fraction of what he had done to promote aviation.

NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna remarked, “Sen. Inhofe’s legislative skill and deep understanding of the importance of general aviation left an indelible mark on our nation’s aviation infrastructure and skilled workforce. We are a stronger, more resilient industry because of the Senator’s wisdom, leadership, and dedication.”

Inhofe was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and was propelled into the forefront with his advocacy for the discharge petition. In 1994, he moved over to the Senate, continuing his support for general aviation, including fighting for airport infrastructure, against user fees and raised taxes, and for aviation workforce initiatives, among many other issues.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Quinn Ricker, CEO of Jet Access, was again selected by IBJ Media as one of Indiana’s most influential business leaders in the third annual edition of its “Indiana 250” list. Ricker is also involved with the Young Presidents Organization and has led Jet Access since 2020.

C.R. SINCOCK II

MONTE KOCH

contact with the electrolyte, thereby enabling faster charge/discharge rates and increasing the power density.

According to Amprius, its proprietary silicon nanowire anodes are configured in a way that tolerates swelling and resists cracking. That secret sauce has enabled Amprius to produce what it claims are the most energy-dense lithium-ion batteries available to the aviation industry today. It is also offering the technology for energy storage applications in the defense sector. The company offers several versions of its silicon nanowire batteries for different uses, boasting specific energies up to 500 watthours per kilogram (Wh/kg) and energy densities up to 1,300 watt-hours per liter.

Electric propulsion systems pioneer MagniX recently stepped into the energy storage sector with plans to produce batteries specifically for aircraft. Announcing the move on June 24, MagniX said its new Samson line of batteries will deliver 300 Wh/kg and have a service life of more than 1,000 full-depth discharge cycles.

The Everett, Washington-based company intends to implement the Samson batteries with its family of electric propulsion systems with power ratings ranging from 350 to 650 kilowatts. MagniX is offering the systems as retrofits for legacy aircraft including the Cessna Caravan and de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. z

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

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Silicon anodes in Amprius batteries are designed to resist cracking.

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