Aviation International News December 2024

GOVERNMENT: CHANGE COMING WITH NEW ADMINISTRATION

MODS: FINOFF PUTS THE POWER IN THE LEGACY PC-12

SAFETY: NTSB'S CONCERNS WITH PART 135 SAFETY

ROTORCRAFT: NEWS FROM EUROPEAN ROTORS

Bizav's Big Year

The G700 entry into service is just one of the highlights of a fascinating 2024

Finno Aviation bundles Pilatus PC-12 upgrades into Elite Performance Package

Special Report: Finish line still eludes AAM rush

European Rotors 2024 focuses on vertical flight future

6 Washington to see aviation policy shift 8 SAF flow to reach Northeast U.S. FBOs

10 Perfect storm thwarts G700 delivery ramp up in 3Q

12 Eclipse flight tests Daedalean visual awareness system

Special Report: Laying foundation of future in 2024 14 Aircraft in 2024: Bigger, better, bolder 20 Business jet market stable heading into 2025

A year of partisanship and change, a year of bipartisanship and stability

Avionics move into the future

Stepping up on mental health

Connectivity market sees shakeup

2024 brings major leadership changes

NTSB probes top safety concerns in Part 135

Rotorcraft | 46 On the Ground | 48 MRO

YEAR - END REPORT 2024

As we go to press, conditions in the U.S. suggest that we have a so-called Goldilocks economy. All major indicators are just right—not too strong and not too weak—and you could say the same about the business aviation field.

Of course, things could turn on a dime, especially given the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The results of November’s U.S. election might also negatively impact the economy, though historically we’ve often seen a strong rebound after a presidential election regardless of which party has won.

The business aviation market settled down this year, following unsustainable increases during and right after the pandemic. The boost in activity, particularly among first-time charter users, was unsustainable. Still, the net e ect was positive in that the pandemic brought people into our industry who had not previously used business aviation.

A lingering negative of this surge is that entrepreneurs entered business aviation thinking they were smarter than those running the companies already entrenched. The newcomers learned quickly—the hard way—that this is a tough field in which to make money. The adage is true: a good way to wind up with a million dollars is to invest $10 million in business aviation.

THE YEAR AT AIN MEDIA GROUP

It has been two years since our company celebrated its 50th anniversary. That’s when we announced that AIN Media Group would continue to be owned by the Leach family but with a non-family member overseeing day-to-day operations.

I am pleased to report that Ruben Kempeneer, now finishing his second year as AIN’s president, has done an outstanding job of taking over those operations. Dave Leach is our board chair, and Jennifer Leach English is managing personnel and Business Jet Traveler while helping to lead the company.

Businesses, and particularly small ones, need to be nimble and adjust to changing times. Marketing can’t operate with an on/o switch. It is a dynamic and fluid part of the business world, an intangible that is often di cult to measure.

AIN Media Group understands this and has responded to today’s marketing needs with a variety of developments and engagements.

I am so proud that we have adapted to the digital world with o erings such as our daily AINalerts newsletter, which remains one of the most valuable products in the business aviation community. It continues to enjoy an open rate of more than 20 percent, which, to my knowledge, is unmatched by any other newsletter in any field.

Meanwhile, we’re continuing to deliver our industry’s bestread print products—the monthly AIN and the annual Business Jet Traveler Buyers’ Guide, as well as our show dailies. All these award-winning publications are also available digitally, but it’s important to note that we remain committed to print. Independent research confirms that it’s virtually impossible to successfully brand a product without it.

NOTABLE EVENTS

This past October, Ed Bolen and his team produced an NBAA event that was as good as any in recent memory, and my congratulations go to all involved.

I am constantly asked my opinion about the future of domestic and international aviation shows. My answer: because marketing will always be essential, so will these

events. Like everyone in charge of running business enterprises, the organizers of trade shows around the world will need to make adjustments. Those who do not will lose market share and potentially fail. Those who create new forums and means of engaging buyers with sellers will win. Speaking of engaging buyers with sellers, part of our growth here at AIN has involved the introduction of two-day events called Corporate Aviation Leadership Summits (CALS). These under-the-radar, invitation-only gatherings put identified buyers and sellers face-to-face in a focused, intimate, and confidential setting. These so-called “hosted buyer” events feature concise, engaging, and e ective programs that are producing results for our clients. Keep an eye out for future CALS events in Europe and beyond.

Another exciting AIN event offering for 2025 is our first annual FBO Awards Dinner and Gala, to be held March 27 in New Orleans. At this event, we will unveil our rankings of the FBOs worldwide that scored highest in our exclusive annual survey of pilots, flight schedulers, and dispatchers.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

AIN Media Group is poised for sustainable growth into the foreseeable future. We are a focused, evolving, up-to-date media company that is staying ahead of the power curve— and enjoying every minute of it. We love the industry, we love the people, and we thank you all for your continued vote of confidence. It keeps us going every single day.

Sincerely,

Wilson S. Leach Founder & Chair Emeritus

Answers to Some Pressing Industry Questions

Here are a few of the queries I’ve been hearing lately from folks in the business aviation field, along with the consensus answers from industry experts:

Are labor costs stabilizing?

They certainly appear to be, but they’re not headed in the direction OEMs would like.

Are those new to private lift since 2020 staying?

Some frequent travelers are, but not the “family weekend in Aspen” bunch.

Will OEM order backlogs remain at current levels?

No, and we don’t want them to. Who wants to wait more than two years for a new jet?

Have used aircraft inventories leveled out?

Perhaps. For-sale inventories now represent 6 to 9 percent of fleets, depending on the category. That seems right versus 14 percent pre-Covid and 2 percent during the pandemic, but who knows?

Is the pilot shortage over?

It has moderated, but owners need to accept that the working world has changed.

Has the supply chain been fixed?

No, but parts of it are improving.

Amid all these changes, one constant is that AIN continues to invest in its products to deliver awardwinning independent journalism while serving as a trusted marketing partner. We remain committed to o ering unparalleled return on investment with ways to reach your customers in print, online, and in person.

Ruben Kempeneer President

AIN’s Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit.

New White House sets stage for aviation policy shift

BY KERRY LYNCH

January is poised to bring changes to aviation policy in Washington, with former President Donald Trump returning to the White House after a four-year absence. However, how far those changes may go remains to be seen.

The most immediate change will be in personnel running key agencies. Unless he chooses to leave, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker will remain in place essentially for the duration of the incoming Trump Administration, confirmed to the post for a five-year term just last year. However, other key agency and department officials are more likely to be replaced, beginning with the Secretary of Transportation, a post currently held by Pete Buttigieg.

At press time, among the candidates reported as floated for that role was House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri). Changes could go further downstream as Trump seeks to shore up his support within the administration. Shortly before leaving office in his first term, the former president issued a “Schedule F” executive order that essentially stripped policy officials within the federal government of certain civil

service protections, meaning they could be fired over different policy views or actions. Estimates have been that Schedule F could apply to up to 50,000 employees. This does not necessarily mean they will be fired, but it gives the president more power to exert control over agency actions.

The FAA, and largely the Department of Transportation, tends to remain more bipartisan so it’s too early to say how vulnerable career agency officials would be.

A key initiative that Trump had indicated during the election season was a desire to impose 10% to 20% tariffs on imports. This might affect business aviation goods, such as jets, engines, and other components. Most of the primary OEMs have some presence in the U.S.—and some with assembly or another form of production—so again, it is unclear how such a proposal would apply. Other changes could affect the sweeping audits that the Biden Administration launched in a range of areas—including on business aircraft use—in a quest to close loopholes and make sure companies and individuals are “paying their fair share.” The new administration may be less amenable to such efforts. z

News Briefs

BOMBARDIER DELIVERIES DIP IN 3Q, BUT REVENUES JUMP

Bombardier delivered 30 business jets in the third quarter—one fewer than in the same year-ago period—but still posted a 12% increase in revenues as shipments of Globals edged up, pricing remained strong, and its services business continued to expand. Company president and CEO Éric Martel cited the supply chain as the reason for the decrease, but said it remains on track to meet guidance of 150 to 155 deliveries this year. In the first nine months, Bombardier delivered 99 jets (45 Challengers, 44 Globals) versus 82 (39 Challengers, 43 Globals) in the same period last year. Revenues in the quarter reached $2.073 billion, while profits rose to $117 million.

WHEELS UP REFRESHES JET FLEET WITH CREDIT FACILITY

Wheels Up is modernizing its jet fleet through a plan to consolidate jet types to primarily two models: the Embraer Phenom 300 and Bombardier Challenger 300/350. As part of the transition plan, Wheels Up will sell its 13 Citation Xs, gradually retire its fleet of light and midsize jets, and retain some Beechcraft King Air twin turboprops. It also announced a $332 million credit facility from Bank of America. In addition, Wheels Up has acquired GrandView Aviation’s entire fleet of 17 Phenom 300s and 300Es, along with some maintenance assets, for $105 million.

AVIATION PARTNERS, 4AIR TEAM ON EMISSIONS TRACKING

Aircraft winglet technology company

Aviation Partners is collaborating with aviation sustainability firm 4Air to o er emissions footprint assessments to its clients. Aviation Partners will provide clients with 4Air-certified sustainability tracking for one year following winglet installation. These assessments will give operators detailed insights into their carbon footprint.

Tari s on imports and key agency personnel changes will be under review.

SAF is poised to become far more available as providers such as Jet Aviation, Signature, and Avfuel significantly increase their supply of the fuel.

SAF flow to reach Northeast

BY CURT EPSTEIN

Jet Aviation, Signature Aviation, and Avfuel are greatly expanding the footprint of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). These efforts include finally bringing the renewable fuel to business aviation hubs in the Northeast.

Beginning January 1, Jet Aviation will more than double the number of its FBOs that carry SAF through a partnership with World Fuel Services. The company’s facilities at Dallas Love Field (KDAL) and Houston Hobby Airport (KHOU) in Texas, along with Palm Beach International (KPBI) in Florida will all carry continuous supplies of blended SAF.

That’s in addition to its FBOs at Boston Hanscom Field (KBED) and New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport (KTEB).

These five locations will join Jet Aviation’s existing SAF distributors at California’s Van Nuys Airport (KVNY); Bozeman, Montana (KBZN); and Scottsdale, Arizona (KSDL). The company also plans to stock SAF at its under-construction facility at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (KOPF) once it opens in third-quarter 2025. Likewise, Signature—through an agreement with fuel supplier Valero Marketing and Supply—will add six new locations to its SAF network in January: KDAL; Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD); Miami International (KMIA), KOPF, and KPBI in Florida; and KTEB.

Signature recently passed the 40-milliongallon mark of blended SAF pumped since 2020. This expansion will increase the number of Signature locations that carry SAF to 23, including eight of the top 10 largest business aviation markets in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Avfuel will expand its distribution of SAF across the Southeastern U.S, through a distribution agreement with Valero Marketing and Supply. The new multi-year deal will greatly increase Avfuel’s volume and geographic access to SAF.

According to the Ann Arbor, Michiganbased company, it will make the SAF produced by Diamond Green Diesel—using used cooking oil, fats, and greases in the HEFA pathway—more accessible to its customers, with an emphasis on Florida business aviation operations to start. Avfuel is focused on establishing area logistics, with the first FBO delivery expected in the coming months.

GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce hailed the expansion of SAF into new territories. “I think [this] will send a message to our operator community that ‘Okay, there are no impediments, I don’t have to go through a process of book-and-claim. I can actually just give word as I am inbound to the FBO and say we want SAF.’” z

News Briefs

NETJETS, FSI POST STRONG 3Q

Third-quarter revenues at Berkshire Hathaway’s aviation services, which includes NetJets and FlightSafety International (FSI), soared 10.4% year over year, echoing second-quarter numbers, and marking a 9.8% increase in the first nine months. However, pre-tax earnings for aviation services fell 17.5% versus third-quarter 2023. This revenue growth was primarily driven by fractional provider NetJets, which continued to benefit from increased flight activity and demand for private aviation. Despite rising operating costs, including those for maintenance, personnel, and fuel, NetJets and FSI have been key contributors to the growth of Berkshire’s aviation division.

TEXTRON AVIATION SHIPS 41 BIZJETS IN 3Q

The 41 Cessna Citation deliveries in the third quarter outpaced the 39 business jets shipped by Textron Aviation in the same period a year ago, despite a four-week strike of its aircraft production workers. Textron Aviation also delivered 25 turboprops in the quarter, down from 38 a year ago. However, this manufacturing disruption will translate into fewer deliveries in the fourth quarter, Scott Donnelly—chairman, president, and CEO of parent Textron Inc.—said. He wouldn’t discuss how many fewer aircraft that will be but said the strike will result in about a $500 million reduction in forecast revenues this year at Textron Aviation.

BOMBARDIER CHALLENGER 3500 REACHES 100TH DELIVERY

Bombardier’s Challenger 3500 has set a new speed record: the fastest in the super-midsize category to reach 100 unit deliveries. On October 31, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer handed over the 100th Challenger 3500 to an unnamed customer just two years after the aircraft model entered the market.

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Perfect storm thwarts G700 delivery ramp up in 3Q

BY CHAD TRAUTVETTER

A confluence of events caused Gulfstream G700 deliveries to lag by 11 units in the third quarter, according to Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO of Gulfstream Aerospace parent General Dynamics. As a result, planned overall Gulfstream deliveries this year have been contracted from 160 to 150. Forecast G700 shipments fall from 52 to 42. In the first nine months, the company handed over 89 jets (76 large cabin models and 13 super-midsize G280s), up from 72 (57 large cabins and 15 G280s) a year ago.

Novakovic said during the company’s third-quarter investor call on October 23 that only four of the planned 15 G700 deliveries occurred during the quarter. She explained that this was due to paint rework as engine delivery delays led to aircraft being painted before engines were installed, as well as additional type

certification procedures due to complex interiors, a quality escape from a vendor that required replacing 16 parts on each aircraft, and four lost workdays after Hurricane Helene.

The revised schedule going forward called for deliveries of 27 G700s in the fourth quarter, with Novakovic breaking it down by month: five in October, nine in November, and 13 in December.

Despite the G700 delivery challenges, General Dynamics’ aerospace division— which includes Gulfstream and Jet Aviation—saw third-quarter revenues climb year over year by 22.1%, to $2.482 billion, and earnings up 13.8%, to $305 million. For the first nine months, aerospace revenues soared by 27.7%, to $7.506 billion, and earnings rose 19.9%, to $879 million, from a year ago. z

News Briefs

EMBRAER EXECUTIVE JETS SEES RECORD YTD DELIVERIES

Embraer Executive Jets logged a record third quarter, delivering 41 aircraft, up more than 45% year over year (YOY). Revenues at the division rose by 65% over the same period. Through the first nine months of the year, the OEM has delivered 86 business jets—20 more than last year—and is well on its way toward meeting its forecast range of 125 to 135 aircraft this year. Business jet segment’s backlog stood at $4.4 billion for the quarter, an increase of 3% YOY but a 4% quarter-over-quarter decrease due to a “seasonally slower period for sales.”

GULFSTREAM COMPLETES 100% SAF EMISSIONS TESTS

Gulfstream Aerospace has completed a ground-test program on its G700 using various fuels, including 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The goal of the tests was to understand the environmental characteristics of di erent fuels with a focus on unblended SAF. Using SAF produced by World Energy, personnel measured the gaseous and particle emissions from the G700’s Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines. Preliminary data showed minimal to no sulfur contamination and a decrease in non-CO2 greenhouse gas production, demonstrating the potential of 100% SAF for improving the air quality near airports and possibly lessening the formation of contrails.

UK PLANS 50% TAX HIKE FOR BIZJET CHARTER PAX

The UK government will impose a 50% hike to air passenger duty for most business aircraft charter flights beginning April 2026, under plans announced in its annual budget statement. The new Labour administration has also launched a consultation over more fundamental reforms to how the duty applies to what it categorizes as private jets in a process that will run through January 2025.

DAVID MCINTOSH

Gulfstream plans to deliver 27 G700s in the fourth quarter.

We were meant to fly.

Our engines power flight.

A love of flight powers us.

Eclipse tests Daedalean visual awareness system

BY MATT THURBER

Eclipse Aerospace has begun flying Daedalean AI’s visual awareness system in an Eclipse 550 twinjet, testing the system’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based capabilities for detect-and-avoid traffic deconfliction. Ultimately, Daedalean’s visual awareness system will offer the traffic capability, as well as landing guidance and navigation in GPS-denied environments.

Although this project is in the early stages of testing and not yet on a certification track, Daedalean is pursuing an FAA Part 23 supplemental type certificate (STC) for its PilotEye visual traffic detection system in partnership with Avidyne. The company is also developing a similar traffic system, Ailumina Vista, for Part 27 rotorcraft and is working on an EASA STC.

The visual awareness system relies on cameras mounted on the aircraft and employs machine learning, which Daedalean explained is a form of AI that “leverages increased computer power to do more efficiently what until now could only be done by people.” The technology uses Daedalean’s “situational intelligence,

the ability to understand and make sense of the current environment and situation and anticipate and react to potential threats.”

For the Eclipse testing, the 550 jet is equipped with two cameras, one forwardfacing and one looking downward. The tests are being conducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Eclipse is headquartered. According to Daedalean, “The focus is to evaluate Daedalean’s system capabilities for detect-and-avoid in critical phases of flight and provide the pilot with information needed to capture, identify, and deconflict with both cooperative and noncooperative traffic.”

A certified system would use more cameras, with the two nose-mounted cameras facing forward and downward, and one camera on each wingtip, covering a full field of view of 226 degrees. All of this camera input would ultimately serve the three visual awareness system functions: detect-and-avoid traffic deconfliction, landing guidance, and navigation in GPS-denied environments. z

News Briefs

CAE UPS ANTE IN SIMCOM TRAINING JOINT VENTURE

CAE is purchasing a majority of Simcom shares from Volo Sicuro for $230 million, leaving joint venture partner Flexjet with a minority stake in the training provider. According to CAE, this investment will further solidify the company’s presence in its core business aviation training market, increase recurring revenue streams, and reinforce its commitment to delivering training solutions in this market segment. Additionally, CAE and Simcom will each extend their respective exclusive business aviation training services agreement with Flexjet and its a liates by five years, to 15 years.

FIVE KILLED IN HONDAJET REJECTED TAKEOFF CRASH

A HondaJet crashed during takeo from Falcon Field (KFFZ) in Mesa, Arizona, on November 6, seriously injuring one occupant and resulting in the death of four people and one person on the ground in a vehicle.

According to an FAA preliminary report, the twinjet ran o the end of the runway during takeo and struck a vehicle o airport property before erupting in a post-crash fire. The NTSB is investigating the accident, which is the first HondaJet mishap to involve fatalities.

TEXTRON AVIATION MACHINISTS STRIKE ENDS

Textron Aviation’s machinist union members agreed to a new five-year contract on October 20, ending a four-week strike that halted aircraft production at the company’s Wichita headquarters. Among the key points of the new labor agreement are maintaining major manufacturing operations in Wichita, a 31% salary increase over the five-year contract, a guaranteed $3,000 annual lump sum payment per employee, and a higher 401(k) company match.

Daedalean’s visual awareness system camera mounted in the nose of an Eclipse 550 jet.

Laying the foundation for the future in 2024

Despite the ongoing disruptions of a persistently uneven supply chain, labor constraints, geopolitical roils, and uncertainties surrounding elections, aviation took significant steps forward this year while seeing a “normalization” overall. Aircraft production increased, flight activity ebbed but only slightly, long-term FAA reauthorization passed, a regulatory basis for advanced air mobility was established in the U.S., and new and substantial advancements in avionics were unveiled. On the aircraft front, the fiercely competitive ultra-long-range category continued to progress with models in development and notably the long-awaited certification of Gulfstream’s new crown jewel: the G700.

Aircraft in 2024: Bigger, better, bolder

BY MARK HUBER

The 2024 Honeywell Aerospace forecast predicts the delivery of 8,500 new business jets over the next decade. But how will these aircraft differ from today’s aircraft in terms of features and performance, and which trends have emerged? Airframers took several steps into that future with key advancements this year.

LONGER, WIDER, FASTER

GULFSTREAM’S NEW FLAGSHIPS

Perhaps the most notable advancement in 2024 was the U.S. certification of Gulfstream Aerospace’s G700 in late March. That milestone had followed two years of delays largely stemming from more extensive reviews and stricter certification requirements that followed in the wake of the Boeing Max crashes.

Upon completing certification, Gulfstream president and CEO Mark Burns declared: “We have successfully completed the most rigorous certification program in company history with the G700.”

Importantly, not only did the approval clear the way for the 7,750-nm twinjet to reach market in the U.S., but certification

also opened the door to a stream of international validations; within a little more than 100 days, Gulfstream had already accrued eight international approvals along with a nod from EASA that came in midMay. Those validations have continued to expand. Deliveries have begun to pick up pace as well, but not at the rate originally anticipated, with plans to ship the first 52 out the door this year scaled back to 42.

G700 nod also clears the plate, to an extent, for focus on certification of the even longer-range G800. The 8,000-nm

sibling, which first flew in June 2022, was anticipated to trail G700 approval by six to nine months. However, Gulfstream has been quiet on any update to that.

Gulfstream’s new flagships build on its wildly successful G650/ER. The G700, however, adds a 10-foot cabin stretch yielding up to five separate living zones and an overall interior length of 57 feet.

While the G700 offers many cabin layouts and seemingly endless finer details, what makes it a true luxe long-hauler is the available “Grand Suite” in the aft fuselage.

Deliveries of Gulfstream’s flagship G700 have accelerated following FAA approval in March.

It’s the closest thing to a five-star hotel room in a production business jet. It can be equipped with a curved-edge, queensize bed opposite a full-size dresser.

The G700’s Symmetry digital flight deck was first introduced on the G500 and G600. Based on Honeywell’s Primus Epic system, the avionics of all three are so similar that G500/G600 pilots can qualify to fly the G700 with transition training.

Power comes from a pair of Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines that each deliver 18,250 pounds of thrust. The G700 has a range of 7,750 nm at Mach 0.85 (6,650 at Mach 0.90) and maximum operating Mach number is 0.935.

Meanwhile, the G800, which was unveiled in 2021 alongside the smaller G400, shares a wing, tail, fuselage cross-section, flight deck, and Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 turbofans with the G700. The follow-on to the G650ER, the longer-legged aircraft, however, is 10 feet shorter than the 700, akin to its predecessor aircraft.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream’s busy R&D schedule continues to hum along with the G400, which marked its first flight on August 15, flying for almost three hours, reaching a top speed of Mach 0.85 and an altitude of 41,000 feet.

Powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812GA engines, the G400 will be able to fly 4,200 nm at Mach 0.85. It features the advanced high-speed wing and winglet design as used by its G500 and G600 siblings, along with the Symmetry flight deck and predictive landing performance system.

DASSAULT’S WIDENING PRODUCT LINE

Dassault Aviation this year has been working to spool up production and begin a flow of deliveries of its clean-sheet wide-cabin offering, the Falcon 6X. At the same time, it is increasing activity around its entrant in the ultra-long-range category, the 7,500-nm 10X.

The first 6X model entered service late last year after EASA certification and FAA

validation in August 2023. “The 6X is arriving,” declared Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier during the company’s half-year results release in July. “It went through a certain number of delays because the certification was postponed, and the first deliveries are not easy because of the problems in the supply chain.”

Even so, the aircraft is proving to have a smooth entry into service. This year, the airframer brought the aircraft on a world tour, involving 400 flights and 600 hours. The results, according to Trappier: “a very good reliability.”

Introduced in February 2018, the 12to 14-passenger 6X has pushed Dassault into a new cabin class with the largest cross-section of any—currently—in-production, purpose-designed business jet: 8.5 feet wide, 6.5 feet high, and just over 40 feet long yielding 1,843 cubic feet of volume.

The 6X can use runways as short as 3,000 feet and deliver a range of 5,500 nm (eight passengers, three crew, and a cruising speed of Mach 0.80). It has a top speed of Mach 0.90. Fitted with a next-generation fly-by-wire flight control system and the new EASy IV cockpit, based on Honeywell’s Primus Epic avionics, the 6X is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW812D engines that deliver 13,500 pounds of thrust each.

With the 6X completed, Trappier added, the company is now turning its research and development funding resources into the 10X. The even wider cabin model, however, has suffered from similar supply chain issues, prompting Dassault to push off the market entry target by two years to 2027.

Even so, production on the model has progressed throughout the year. During EBACE, Trappier noted that the first examples of major assemblies—including the wings, fuselage, and empennage sections— have been built at Dassault and its partner factories. Final assembly was expected to begin this year at Dassault’s facility in Bordeaux-Mérignac. And notably, Rolls-Royce confirmed in October that it has completed the flight test campaign for the Pearl 10X turbofan powering its Falcon namesake.

The 10X has a 2,780-cu-ft cabin that sets it apart from competitors, supplanting the 6X with the largest cross-section of a purpose-built business jet with an interior width of 9 feet 1 inch and height of 6 feet 8 inches.

Leveraging experience from the Rafale fighter jet, the 10X’s highly swept wing will be made of carbon fiber composite materials. A big change on the 10X is the T-tail configuration of the empennage, a switch away from the distinctive-looking cruciform and downward-canted horizontal stabilizers on earlier Falcons.

The Falcon 10X will have the widest and tallest cabin of any purpose-built business jet.

GLOBAL 7500’S EVOLUTION INTO THE 8000

Meanwhile, upping its own ante and keeping the top end of the market highly competitive, Bombardier is progressing with the certification of the Global 8000 anticipated next year. As the testing program for Bombardier’s new flagship Global 8000 nears completion, the Canadian airframer announced during NBAA-BACE in October that it has begun construction of the first production model. Modified Global 7500s were used for the test program. By late October, the program approached 300 hours of testing.

The successor to the 7,700-nm Global 7500 will feature a range of 8,000 nm at a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85. Top speed will be Mach 0.94.

A retrofit kit will be available for Global 7500 customers looking to bring their aircraft to the 8000 standard.

DEFENDING THE MIDDLE

CITATION’S ASCENSION

Through a variety of upgrades and enhancements, Cessna’s Citation Excel/ XLS series of midsize jets is deep into its third decade of production, and Textron Aviation is determined to keep the platform relevant after more than 1,000 deliveries. The latest variant, the Citation Ascend, is in flight testing, and deliveries are expected to start next year.

Announced during the 2023 edition of EBACE, the Ascend features a revised cabin with a standard flat floor, improved seating, more in-cabin storage, a wireless cabin management system, larger cabin windows, and enhanced cabin sound insulation.

Garmin G5000 avionics include synthetic vision that supports approach minima as low as 150 feet. Power comes from a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines with autothrottles. Performance targets include a 441-knot cruise speed, a 1,900-nm range (four passengers) at high

cruise power, and the ability to climb direct to 45,000 feet.

RECHARGING THE LIGHT BRIGADE

A NEW GENERATION OF CITATIONJETS

In October, Textron Aviation unveiled the Gen3 models of its popular Cessna Citation M2, CJ3, and CJ4 light jets. All three will be equipped with Garmin Autoland and the avionics in the CJ4 will be upgraded to the new Garmin G3000 Prime system with interactive multi-touch technology, larger secondary displays, and fewer buttons.

CJ4 Gen3 will enter service in 2026 and the other two models in 2027. All three will be equipped with Garmin autothrottles, runway occupancy awareness, and 3D Safe Taxi. Owners of Gen2 M2s with autothrottles and CJ3 Gen2s will be able to incorporate Autoland via service bulletin once Gen3 aircraft are certified.

Individual model upgrades on the CJ4 Gen3 include True Blue Power lithium-ion batteries, new winglets and winglet lighting, new cockpit lighting, and better cabin acoustics.

With seating for up to 10, the CJ3 Gen3 adds 4.5 more inches of pilot legroom, swiveling single executive passenger seats, and RGB accent lighting.

The M2 Gen3 adds new interior styling, ambient lighting, remastered and illuminated cupholders, an optional folding side-facing seat, wireless charging, and USB A and C ports at each seat.

REFRESHED PILATUS PC-24

Pilatus Aircraft began delivery of its upgraded PC-24 earlier this year. Unveiled just before NBAA-BACE in 2023, the upgrades include a 600-pound increase in payload (for a maximum of 3,100 pounds), boosting range to 2,040 nm, and a new 6-foot, 6-inch side-facing divan that can convert into a bed.

Payload was increased with refinements in the wing and fuselage structural elements.

Other interior refinements included a reduction in ambient noise levels, and new cabinets designed to optimize space, and upgraded Lufthansa Technik cabin management system.

HONDA HA-480 ECHELON

Honda Aircraft officially greenlit development of its new, longer, and longer-range light jet last year and has been working toward first flight, anticipated in 2026, followed by entry into service in 2028.

Honda already claims letters of intent for more than 350 of the aircraft. It builds

The M2 Gen2 will be supplanted by the G3 version with Garmin Autoland.

BARRY AMBROSE

on the design of the shorter HA-420, which posted its 250th delivery earlier this year.

Compared with the HA-420, the new model will sport a fuselage that is 4.5 inches taller and 1 inch wider, and an interior that is 25.4 feet long. With one pilot and four passengers, the aircraft has a maximum range of 2,625 nm and a top cruising speed of 450 knots.

The avionics suite is built around the Garmin G3000 system with Autoland, autobrakes, and autothrottles. Power comes from a pair of Williams International FJ44-4C turbofans.

TURBOPROPS FOR THE TIMES

PIPER’S FURY

The FAA certified Piper’s new $4.15 million M700 single-engine flagship in March and FIKI (flight into known icing) approval

followed in May. Foreign certifications are ongoing, and by mid-year, the company had delivered the first seven to customers. Certification came just a few months after Piper unveiled the top-of-the-line M-Class turboprop single in February.

The aircraft comes standard with the Halo safety system, featuring Garmin Emergency Autoland. It also features the G3000 avionics suite with autothrottle.

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 700-shp engine, the M700 has a maximum cruise speed of 301 knots, a max range of 1,852 nm at a 206-knot cruising speed, and a standard useful load of 2,320 pounds.

BEECHCRAFT DENALI NEAR TAKEOFF

Delays with GE’s fuel-efficient Catalyst engine have pushed the anticipated certification for Textron Aviation’s new $6.95 million turboprop single into next year. But

the airframer continued to make strides in its development including kicking off certification flight testing earlier this year.

GE hopes to have the new 1,300-shp engine certified by the end of this year. Preliminary performance numbers for the Denali include a maximum range of 1,600 nm, maximum cruise speed of 285 knots, and full fuel payload of 1,100 pounds. The flat-floor cabin can accommodate up to nine passengers and can be reconfigured for all-cargo or combi operations, facilitated by an oversized rear door.

The aircraft’s single executive cabin seats, which will meet the latest FAR Part 23 standards, were developed specifically for the Denali. Garmin G3000 avionics in the Denali are integrated with Autoland, autothrottle, and single-lever power control in a cockpit designed to ease pilot workload. z

AIN staff contributed to this report

THE SUPER VERSATILE JET

E xperience comfort never before offered in this class of aircraf t. Or the class above it.

Business jet market stable heading into 2025

BY CURT EPSTEIN

As the business aviation industry continues to recover from the post-Covid era, the major forecasts are seeing growth ahead for the industry. Yet some near-term hurdles forced a slight downgrade in the predicted yearly delivery totals from the OEMs.

“We have adjusted our JetNet iQ business jet delivery forecast downwards for the year 2024 to reflect slower-than-planned [Gulfstream] G700 shipments and the strike impacting Textron Aviation,” said Rolland Vincent, president of Rolland Vincent Associates and founder/director of JetNet iQ. “Together, we estimate that a total of 33 jets will now slip out of 2024 and into the next year. Whereas we had been predicting an 11% year-over-year increase in jet shipments in 2024, we now estimate that jet shipments will be approximately 775 units.”

That total—the highest amount since pre-Covid 2019—still represents a 6% increase over 2023’s 730 jet deliveries across the entire spectrum, ranging from light jets all the way to bizliners, Vincent noted.

“If there is ‘good news’ out of these shipment delays, it is that we believe the outlook for 2025 has improved—we have bolstered next year’s shipments as we do not believe that these delays are causing customers to cancel their orders,” he told AIN. All the major OEMs are expected to finish the year with book-to-bill ratios at or above 1:1.

While the supply chain issues that plagued assembly lines over the past several years are easing, they are still not entirely resolved—a situation that continues to temper the pace of production.

“We were a little hampered between 2020 and 2023 because of supply chain constraints,” said Kevin Schwab, a systems engineer with Honeywell and lead analyst on the company’s recently released annual business jet operators survey. “We’re

seeing some improvements in the supply chain, and that is enabling the OEMs to have these production rate increases.”

Ron Epstein, a managing director with Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research, noted that the situation is not just limited to business aviation. “It’s not just this industry; the entire aerospace and defense industry is constrained,” he said. “You have an industry that is constrained from a labor point of view, and you’ve got multiple constraints in the supply chain, so I guess the good news is nobody can overproduce.”

It is that situation that led the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) to issue its Aerospace Supply Chain Resiliency Task Force Report to Congress last month. The report determined that, among other factors, the U.S. aerospace supply chain “is vulnerable to labor shortages, obstacles in critical materials, and the health of supporting infrastructure,” adding, “Investment in these three areas, well beyond today’s current levels, will be needed to ensure that the

aerospace supply chain is able to operate in the presence of supply chain disruptions.”

The report noted that while global workforce shortages have been on the horizon for decades, the Covid-19 pandemic, the “great resignation,” a constantly expanding industry, economic cycles that encourage early retirement, and retention challenges have served to exacerbate workforce issues, leading to pressure throughout the supply chain.

“For us in Germany, it’s not necessarily labor,” said Frank Moesta, senior v-p of strategy and future programs with RollsRoyce Deutschland. “We have got the mechanics; we have got the equipment; it’s just when you can’t get parts, you can’t build engines.”

Despite, or as a result of, these headwinds, Vincent noted that the industry backlog has stood at approximately $50 billion for the past three years. “We’re not clearing out the backlog, but the good news is the backlog is holding,” he stated.

In the third-quarter JetNet iQ survey, Vincent noted a great deal of pessimism among its recipients, with the industry’s

JetNet iQ founder Rolland Vincent forecast shipments of 775 business jets in 2024.

net optimism score the lowest since the start of the Covid pandemic in the second quarter of 2020. North America had led the plunge, likely due to pre-election jitters in the U.S. Based on the survey’s historical data, uncertainty was seen in the third quarter in each of the past two election years but rebounded after the election results were certified.

For this year’s annual 10-year forecast, JetNet predicts deliveries of 8,600 business jets worth a total of $262 billion. In the same decade outlook, the forecast added 4,300 turboprops at $25 billion through 2033.

Honeywell Aerospace’s latest forecast, released in October at the start of NBAABACE, was slightly more conservative, calling for the delivery of 8,500 new business jets worth $280 billion over the next decade and cracking the 900-units-a-year delivery threshold for the first time since 2008 at the tail end of the forecast window.

“The business aviation industry is in a prolonged period of healthy growth, and we don’t see that positive trend changing any time soon,” said Heath Patrick, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies’ president for the Americas aftermarket. “Business aviation continues to see more users and, as a result, manufacturers are ramping up production to keep pace with growing demand, a trend we expect to continue for the foreseeable future.”

Next year, the company predicts 16% more business jet deliveries than in pre-Covid 2019. Over the next half decade, Honeywell’s survey anticipates that large-cabin jets will account for one-third of the delivery total and two-thirds of the total revenue value.

In terms of where deliveries are anticipated over the next five years, North America is expected to receive two-thirds of the total, followed by 13% to Europe, 10% to Latin America, 7% to Asia Pacific,

and the remaining 3% to the Middle East. While the preowned aircraft market has cooled somewhat since the record low inventories of 2021 and 2022, Honeywell noted that used jet values remain strong compared with those of the previous decade. The report predicted that while the inventory should continue to slowly rise, prices should remain stable. Operators in the survey noted that they expect to rely more heavily on the preowned market to expand their fleets than in previous years. Vincent noted continued stabilization in the preowned jet market as some young aircraft have begun to appear on the market for the first time in several years. “The market is moving, and it’s normalizing back up to 7 to 8% of the fleet [availability],” he said. “We want to start seeing numbers like that because with two-year backlogs, [preowned] is another way to get people into the industry.” z

A year of partisanship and change, a year of bipartisanship and stability

This has been a pivotal year for aviation policy, setting in motion the foundation for the FAA’s activities over the next several years. Further, the release of the long-awaited safety management system (SMS) is pushing operators and companies into action that until then may have adopted a wait-and-see approach.

However, 2024 also ratcheted up the bureaucracy on top-tier corporate operators who may have been swept into the populism of “paying their fair share,” and on charter operators who may have been pulled into the Part 380 wars.

But perhaps most importantly was the outcome of the November elections that will bring in a new administration and Congress.

THE WASHINGTON SHAKE-UP

As November concluded, Washington was readying for the changes that will come with the new administration, as former President Trump returns to the White House following a four-year absence. In the immediate aftermath of the elections, several names were named for key positions.

Absent from that immediate first tranche was transportation secretary, which undoubtedly will turn over after Pete Buttigieg held the post for the past four years. However, House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri) has been floated for the role and has said he would be honored to be considered.

The changes also bring uncertainty for others within the DOT, but FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker likely will have the option to remain in place throughout the new administration; he was confirmed just

BY KERRY LYNCH

a year ago to a five-year term.

Lawmakers also are preparing for the new U.S. Congress with a shift in power that will follow Republicans taking control of the Senate. With Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) set to become majority leader, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is next in line to chair the Senate Commerce Committee. Cruz, who won reelection in November, is the current ranking member of the committee. But it is unclear whether he’d remain or look for a different assignment on another committee.

In the House of Representatives, Graves is bumping into a leadership term limit on T&I but has applied for a waiver to remain at the helm of the committee (that is if he doesn’t move over to the Cabinet). Also, House aviation subcommittee Chair Garret Graves (R-Louisiana), a key contributor to writing the FAA reauthorization bill, has opted to retire. So it’s possible

the committee will see new leadership in both places.

At the same time, the FAA is putting pieces in motion for hundreds of new mandates that came with the massive reauthorization bill that was signed into law on May 16.

The cornerstone 1,000-page aviation package, which included both FAA and NTSB reauthorization, passed with overwhelming support in the House and the Senate even if it took four short-term extensions of the FAA’s authorization to get it passed. By congressional terms, however, that was relatively quick compared with the lengthy delays and numerous extensions required in the past bill.

But importantly for the industry, the bill set a clear foundation of priorities in Washington for aviation: airport funding, consumer protections, safety workforce, security guardrails, and advanced air mobility and future technologies among them. In

Washington is facing a shakeup, but a massive FAA bill sets a stable foundation over five years.

a first for an FAA bill, Congress also sent a strong signal on the importance of a vital general aviation industry by giving the sector a full title in the bill dedicated to it.

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, noted during the 2024 NBAA-BACE Convention that, while much work remains to be done to implement the bill, its overwhelming passage set a mandate regardless of who came into power.

“Presidents come and go; Congress is forever,” Larsen joked during a Newsmakers Luncheon at the 2024 NBAA-BACE ahead of the November elections. “In this sense, we passed the bill 387 to 26 out of the House of Representatives—and I know where those 26 people live—and with 88 to four out of the Senate. It sends a bicameral, bipartisan message about the bill that we passed. So, regardless of which administration comes in, they’re not going to be able to come to us and say, ‘Well, you didn’t mean to do that.’”

What it does mean is the first significant funding increase for airports—aside from the pandemic aid—in years: $4 billion per year, in fact, with more money headed towards general aviation airports. And it addresses many key issues for the business aviation community such as protecting operator data privacy, clearing out the certification backlog, establishing a Part 135 aircraft conformity working group that recommends improvements in the aircraft conformity processes, stepping up implementation of runway safety equipment, providing more access to better weather information, supporting workforce initiative programs, probing cybersecurity risks, and so on.

A RULE FOR 2,000 MORE OPERATORS

While 2024 may have been looked at as the year of reauthorization on Capitol Hill, it was not the only major action in Washington. Also notable was the FAA’s longawaited release of the safety management

system mandate for Part 135 and many air tour operators, along with manufacturers. That rule, issued in March, has been long expected, and industry groups and private firms had been working to line up programs and resources to help assist the transition for operators, especially the small ones.

The final rule—which applies to nearly 1,850 Part 135 operators and more than 70 air tour operators—drew mixed reactions, with NBAA noting that it reflects comments urging flexibility and scalability to enable SMS programs to be tailored to the size and complexity of operations.

However, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen also cautioned: “While the FAA’s new rule appears appropriate in broad brushstrokes, the key going forward will be for the agency and industry to work in collaboration to ensure that rule’s realworld implementation is smooth, scalable, and squarely focused on measures that

demonstrably enhance safety.” In the FAA bill, Congress added language reinforcing that collaboration.

Also on the agenda this year and still ahead are fundamental changes to how Part 380 works. While a DOT economic rule, a couple of airlines and associated pilot organizations put on a full-court press to get this overhauled, making accusations of security and safety weaknesses as they complained of unfair competition.

A gamut of airport groups, community organizations, and nearly the entire general aviation industry pushed back, saying evidence does not support their accusations and competitive concerns should not shape safety policy. Plus, they argued, Part 380 often supports small communities.

However, the FAA in June announced that it was moving forward on a rulemaking to alter the definitions of “scheduled,” “on demand,” and “supplemental” as it

seeks to tighten the requirements for operators flying under Part 380. In addition, the FAA said it would form a Safety Risk Management Panel (SRMP) to discuss the potential for a new operating authority for scheduled Part 135 operations in 10- to 30-seat aircraft.

This drew mixed reactions, with NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen saying, “We call upon the FAA to step forward with a data-driven basis that explains the need for this change, and detail its intended process for engaging with all voices in a meaningful dialogue about the agency’s approach to public charter policy.” However, industry groups did praise plans for the SRMP.

Meanwhile, tax policy took center stage this year with the Biden Administration rolling out audits on large corporations and high-net-worth individuals to ensure they are properly classifying business use of

aircraft for tax purposes. This was part of a larger effort to make sure these entities and people “pay their fair share.” That effort also included proposals to increase private jet fuel taxes fivefold and to lengthen depreciation schedules. The audits kicked off already and are said to be extensive, but the other tax policies face an uphill battle with the new White House.

BUSY IN EUROPE

While Washington has been busy, so too has Europe. The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) joined Dassault Aviation in legal action against the European Commission’s Taxonomy Delegated Act on the grounds of discrimination.

The so-called EU Taxonomy is a classification system that identifies approved sustainable economic activities to help companies and investors make decisions over “green”

financing. EBAA secretary general Holger Krahmer said the European Commission specifically excluded business aviation on ideological grounds, discouraging investment in the sector’s efforts to decarbonize.

More recently, the EU further delayed the introduction of its Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric fingerprint and facial scan check system for non-EU citizens at all EU borders. It was pushed back after Germany, France, and the Netherlands said their systems were not ready. Rather than giving a specific timetable for EES implementation, the EU is now planning to introduce it in phases.

However, since October 6, all visitors to the EU who do not need a visa are required to obtain travel approval through a new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). This authorization grants a visa waiver for a stay of up to 90 days. z

Finish line still eludes advanced air mobility rush

BY CHARLES ALCOCK

Advanced air mobility (AAM) is where the space race meets the gold rush, with a dwindling group of start-ups scrambling for the elusive “finish line” marked by type certification and service entry for new eVTOL aircraft.

For these companies and their doubtless impatient investors, 2024 is drawing to a close with some important questions answered, but plenty of remaining doubts as to when the hype will be replaced by a sustainable flow of commercial returns from the billions of dollars that have already been plowed into the sector.

Joby chief test pilot James “Buddy” Denham flying one of the company’s eVTOL aircraft.

What does seem clearer is that the race is tightening, with just a handful of companies now visibly in contention for what might be seen as the first wave of eVTOL air services. Some contenders that might have seemed viable even a couple of years ago are barely on the radar anymore.

Others, in a group that includes the likes of Hyundai subsidiary Supernal, Embraer spinoff Eve Air Mobility, Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero, Airbus, and Textron eAviation, have consciously opted out of the race to be first to market. For them, the horizon seems to lie more in the 2030s than the 2020s. They appear to have deep enough pockets, and management teams taking the long view, not to get drawn into the froth around what will or won’t happen in 2025.

FUNDING DRIES UP

But there are other players around which existential concerns have escalated in recent weeks. Lilium, often viewed as one of Europe’s leading AAM contenders, has been forced to seek shelter in the German self-administration process after being refused German federal and state government funding of around $108 million.

As of press time, it was unclear whether the move would lead to further funding being lined up, with the possibility that ownership of the company could change hands and/or some operations could relocate to France.

In the UK, Vertical Aerospace is another eVTOL developer with a future that appears to be hanging in the balance. With a full-scale prototype of the four-passenger VX4 now in flight testing, shareholders Stephen Fitzpatrick and Mudrick Capital Management have been publicly at loggerheads over the terms under which further financing could be urgently raised to keep the program afloat. By contrast, on the other side of the Atlantic, eVTOL developers Joby and Archer are ending the year apparently flush with funds, having boosted their war

chests significantly in 2024. Nonetheless, as of press time, it remained far from certain whether either of these companies would hit their declared target of achieving FAA type certification before year-end.

In fact, Sergio Cecutta whose SMG Consulting firm provides expertise to the AAM sector, believes industry timelines could be moving more slowly than industry promoters would have us believe. He told AIN that the first U.S. and European type certificates might not even be issued by the end of 2025 (see sidebar).

OPERATING RULES PROVIDE CLARITY

Regardless of when that key milestone is achieved, eVTOL aircraft manufacturers are now rapidly digesting what the newly-released FAA special federal aviation regulation for the “Integration of Powered Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations” will mean for service entry of early use cases such as eVTOL air taxi services. The U.S. regulator earned the industry’s gratitude for apparently taking on board a plethora of concerned comments over an earlier draft version.

The final document makes repeated use of the term “alternative requirements,” supporting the FAA’s willingness to accept a more performance-based approach to compliance in key areas such as energy reserves (governing eVTOL aircraft range) and training and certifying type-rated commercial pilots.

The new year may yet see adjustments to early use cases and plans to launch commercial services as prospective operators, including the likes of Delta Air Lines, come to terms with where and how they will be able to start reshaping public transportation.

It is by no means a given that the “where” will first materialize in the U.S. Joby has suggested that its first air taxi services may very well be in Dubai, where regulators seem determined to fulfill the Emirate’s ambition for another world-first.

2024 Year in Review

CHRIS CLEMENTI CEO AEG FUELS

2024 has been transformative for AEG Fuels as we bring a major focus to building our branded FBO network, providing sustainable aviation fuel solutions to our customers, and cementing our position as one of the largest independent marketers of aviation fuel to the commercial, government and business aviation segments. In a rapidly evolving landscape, we have seen remarkable shifts, from the resurgence of international travel to an amplified focus on sustainability and operational resilience. As CEO of AEG Fuels, I am proud of our team’s ability to navigate these changes, providing seamless service and trusted support to our partners worldwide.

The demand for efficiency and reliability in aviation fuel and trip support services has only intensified, underscoring the importance of agile, customized solutions for our clients. At AEG Fuels, we remain committed to innovating our offerings to address these demands, with notable investments in technology and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to support lower-carbon travel.

Looking ahead, we anticipate continued growth driven by partnerships, operational expansion and acquisitions that align with the evolving needs of our clients. We are also optimistic about future developments in sustainable fuel sources and infrastructure enhancements across our network. As we reflect on this year, we are energized by the progress and look forward to an even stronger aviation community in the year to come.

That said, the manufacturer recently indicated it will be late 2025 before the first passenger-carrying flights happen, with operations in U.S. launch cities New York and Los Angeles to follow.

Meanwhile, China provides perhaps a cautionary tale for those struggling to contain their impatience to see the dawn of the eVTOL age. It is now more than 12 months since EHang became the first eVTOL manufacturer in the world to achieve type certification, when the Civil Aviation Administration of China approved its autonomous EH216-S two-seater.

Another five months elapsed before the Chinese company secured the production certificate required to start series manufacturing. More importantly, as of press time, neither EHang nor its prospective customers had the air operator certificate required to launch commercial services.

MORE TO AAM THAN EVTOLS

Keep in mind that AAM is not all about all-electric eVTOLs. Companies like Electra Aero feel they can deliver more value with hybrid-electric STOL aircraft like the nine-passenger model for which it unveiled the first full-scale prototype in November. The Virginia-based company expects its “ultra short” fixed-wing aircraft to be able to operate from patches of real estate barely bigger than a football field, transforming regional air services in the process.

In Europe, effort and investment are going into developing new airliners to meet net-zero carbon imperatives for the air transport sector. Among the pioneers are Sweden-based Heart Aerospace and Maeve in the Netherlands, while ZeroAvia has been making progress with its plans to convert regional airliners to hydrogen-electric propulsion systems.

This article is courtesy of AIN Media Group’s FutureFlight coverage. To read more, please visit https://www.ainonline.com/ futureflight. z

EXPERT DAMPENS TIMING EXPECTATIONS

AIN asked independent AAM industry consultant Sergio Cecutta for his perspectives on progress made this year and expectations for 2025. Here are his key takes:

2024:

I think we all expected to be in a more advanced state of development, but this is a result of underestimating how di cult and capital-intensive aerospace programs are. We all thought for a long time that $1 billion was the price tag for the certification of an eVTOL; it is now clear that depending on the level of vertical integration, it will come to about $1.5 billion to $2 billion [in the West]. The development of the regulations has happened as hoped, with the FAA pulling a rabbit out of the hat with the fast turnaround on the SFAR [operating regulations]. While we did not expect it, I think the European eVTOL sector is in trouble with the three champions in dire financial straits, a marked di erence from their U.S. and Chinese peers. For the second wave of AAM aircraft, we wonder where the remaining funding will come from.

2025:

We do not expect any eVTOL type certifications in the U.S. or Europe, except for Volocopter, but for them, the make-orbreak moment is whether they will have the funds to develop the larger [higher payload] VoloCity aircraft. We expect type inspection authorizations to be issued to Joby, Archer, and Beta [giving approval for type certification flight testing to be conducted for full credits].

Beta’s CX300 [conventional takeoff and landing version of its Alia 250 eVTOL] might cross the type certification finishing line before the year is over. The UAE will be getting ready to host its first eVTOL flights in early 2026. I expect to see vertiports in the UAE but not in any other jurisdiction in the world as it becomes clearer and clearer that without government support, closing the business case for vertiports is quite di cult.

Hyundai-backed Supernal aims to bring its four-seat eVTOL to market in 2028.

2025 NBAA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

JAN. 27-29, 2025 • AMELIA ISLAND, FL

Simplify Your Leadership

The 2025 NBAA Leadership Conference will take you on a transformative journey, starting with the basics. Across three days, engage in interactive sessions centered around effective communication, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking and authenticity.

This event is designed to elevate your leadership skills to new heights, focusing on the foundational elements that foster exceptional leadership growth and development for you and your team so you can lead with clarity and purpose.

Avionics advancing slowly but surely into the future

While it might seem that avionics design had reached a plateau with few significant advances, this year has seen some interesting developments from new integrated touchscreen flight decks to the practical application of artificial intelligence and the proliferation of autothrottles in smaller airplanes.

INTEGRATED FLIGHT DECKS

Garmin announced its latest integrated flight deck—G3000 Prime—just before this year’s NBAA-BACE in October. For many years, Garmin has employed touchscreens as avionics controllers and more recently has offered touchscreen main displays with its TXi avionics. Now, the G3000 Prime flight deck is bringing touchscreens to integrated flight decks with 14-inch edge-to-edge touch displays in the primary and multifunction display positions and improved pilot interfaces that make the system even easier for pilots to manage.

With G3000 Prime, the screens are now called primary display units (PDUs). The current Garmin touch controllers are replaced by secondary display units (SDUs), and these have 40% more screen area than the original controllers. Now the SDUs are all standby-capable, eliminating the need for separate standby instruments.

On both the PDUs and SDUs, the capacitive-touch displays recognize when a hand is resting on the display and still allow fingers to manipulate the screen simultaneously, which makes interacting with the displays easier in turbulence. There are no knobs on the SDUs, but there is a new Garmin control unit (GCU 315) under each secondary display with physical knobs

BY MATT THURBER

and buttons. The GCU enables navigation through applications, zooming of windows, pane focus on the PDUs, and radio tuning.

Textron Aviation became the first airframer to announce the adoption of G3000 Prime at NBAA-BACE, and this will be in the Citation CJ4 Gen3.

Honeywell’s new Anthem avionics suite made significant progress this year, including logging hundreds of flight hours in the company’s Pilatus PC-12 testbed. Designed for a variety of aviation segments, from Part 23 to 25 general aviation aircraft and commercial airliners to military aircraft, Anthem is a platform that could introduce new pilots flying training aircraft to its new operating philosophy. They might then graduate to different types or larger aircraft equipped with the familiar Anthem interface.

In the flight test PC-12, the Anthem setup includes three touch-display units (TDUs). Two pilot interface display units (PIDUs) are mounted in front of the center console, underneath the center TDU. Each TDU can host a page that looks exactly like the PIDU, called a pilot interface window (PIW), so all the functions that control Anthem are available on any display. Airframers that select Anthem can opt for a cursor-control device as an alternative to all-touch interfaces.

The PIW is the primary interface that pilots will use to manage Anthem, and its touchscreen has all the buttons for operating radios, planning a flight, and pulling up systems synoptics. At the bottom of the PIW is probably the most unique feature of Anthem: the multiple data field or smart scratchpad, which Honeywell calls the predictive user interface.

Garmin’s G3000 Prime flight deck adds large touchscreens to the entire cockpit.

Scratchpads are a common design feature on FMSs, allowing users to input, say, a frequency and then select which radio will be assigned that frequency. The Honeywell User Experience (HUE) design team took the scratchpad further into the future and made it much more useful. Touching the scratchpad enables the user to input various types of data, and the scratchpad automatically recognizes the data type and prepares it for proper placement.

AUTOTHROTTLES

Recognition of the safety and operational benefits of autothrottles is growing, and airframers are adding these to smaller airplanes. The most recent addition was Honda Aircraft’s HondaJet Elite II, while more of Textron Aviation’s Garmin G3000equipped CitationJets are equipped with or adding autothrottles. Turboprops such as the Beechcraft King Air 260 and 360 include factory-standard autothrottles (made by Innovative Solutions & Support), while the newest versions of the Pilatus PC-12 and Daher TBM 960 are autothrottle-equipped. Many of these airplanes

support Garmin’s Autoland capability, which requires autothrottles.

AI AVIONICS ARE REAL

Eclipse Aerospace has begun test-flying Daedalean AI’s visual awareness system in an Eclipse 550 twinjet, testing the system’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based capabilities for detect-and-avoid traffic deconfliction. Ultimately, Daedalean’s visual awareness system will offer the traffic capability, as well as landing guidance and navigation in GPS-denied environments. Daedalean’s Visual Positioning System uses cameras to determine aircraft position, along with a Visual Motion Unit to calculate the distance and direction that the aircraft is flying, updated by the positioning system’s camera-based visual references.

One of the first products that could result from Daedalean’s AI efforts is a Part 23 supplemental type certificate (STC) for its PilotEye visual traffic detection system in partnership with Avidyne. The company is also developing a similar traffic system, Ailumina Vista (for Part 27 rotorcraft), and working on an EASA STC.

At NBAA-BACE, Universal Avionics demonstrated its AI-driven system that uses external camera inputs, audio capture, and ADS-B In information to paint a picture for the pilot of the situation at the airport while taxiing. The AI system uses Universal’s FAA-certified Aperture visual management system, which delivers video inputs and imagery to flight deck displays and head-up displays (HUDs), including Universal’s SkyLens head-wearable display (HWD).

The AI application for the Aperture product is image content analysis, using data captured from sensors such as Universal’s EVS-5000 multi-spectral camera mounted on the nose for HUDs and HWDs, as well as external cameras, and audio captured from the aircraft’s communications radios. The AI system can isolate and ingest com radio audio and it knows which instructions are for its aircraft.

For example, if a controller clears that aircraft for takeoff, the AI system recognizes the registration number that the controller uses in radio calls to the pilot. Any other communications to other aircraft can safely be ignored because they are for different aircraft. Once the AI captures the controller’s message, it is displayed in text on the upper right side of the display (either head-down on an instrument panel display or head-up on a HUD or HWD). The text annotation is backed up by a graphic depiction on the display showing a line for the taxi route and a flashing white line at the runway threshold to indicate a “hold short” instruction.

The view will also show other objects such as aircraft identified by their call sign or registration number and ground vehicles to help improve the pilot’s situational awareness.

The pilot can still see other traffic on the head-down display, HUD, or HWD, even if it is obscured visually by inclement weather, thanks to ADS-B In, and it is easy to match that traffic with the display of its call sign via incoming radio calls. z

Autothrottles in the HondaJet Elite II enable addition of Garmin’s Autoland feature.

Aviation community steps up on mental health

BY AMYWILDER

The issue of mental health in aviation

reached a critical turning point in 2024, with government leaders and stakeholders across the industry coming together to address long-standing barriers that have discouraged pilots, air tra ffi c controllers, and other aviation professionals from seeking necessary care. As such, the past year has seen a series of updates, initiatives, and other collaborative efforts focused on easing the path for pilots and air tra ffi c controllers in need of help.

Notably, a much-anticipated Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) report was published in April heralding significant changes in the industry’s approach to mental health.

Formed in December 2023, the ARC was tasked with identifying and addressing the barriers preventing aviation professionals from disclosing mental health concerns. The committee’s report laid out 24 specific recommendations to foster a safer National Airspace System through better mental health support for pilots and controllers.

Key ARC member and NBAA director of safety and flight operations Mark Larsen highlighted the critical need for such changes, pointing out that concerns about culture, trust, stigma, and fear often keep aviation professionals from seeking timely care. “These concerns often stand in the way of pilots and controllers seeking mental health help,” he said in April.

The ARC’s recommendations are divided into key focus areas, including creating non-punitive pathways for disclosing mental health conditions, revising reporting requirements for certain mental health conditions, and expanding peer support programs.

The FAA responded by updating its Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners (AME Guide). Pilots with a history or diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or related

conditions now have clearer, less restrictive guidelines for obtaining medical clearance, provided they meet certain criteria. The new rules allow AMEs to issue unrestricted medical certificates immediately for aviators who have an established medical history of up to two uncomplicated conditions, such as anxiety or depression.

The FAA has also made strides in reducing the time it takes to process medical certifications for pilots with mental health conditions. Historically, the certification process could take months, or even years, due to the complex paperwork and evaluations required. In 2024, the FAA introduced a new AME decision tool to streamline this process, helping to reduce wait times and making it easier for pilots to get back in the air.

However, the progress is not without limitations. The FAA still requires more extensive review for pilots with multiple conditions, recent medication use, or any history of self-harm or suicidal ideation. But the change in policy represents a significant step toward normalizing mental

health care within the aviation industry, signaling that the FAA recognizes the importance of treating mental health at the same level as physical health.

To further support mental health initiatives, the FAA has increased training for AMEs, who are critical in the certification process, as they are responsible for assessing whether a pilot is fit to fly. In 2024, the FAA expanded its training curriculum to include more robust mental health education, including effective interview techniques, mental health literacy, and how to engage in conversations with applicants about sensitive topics.

The goal of this expanded training is to ensure that AMEs are equipped with the tools to identify potential mental health concerns, offer appropriate guidance, and facilitate referrals for treatment if needed. This effort is important in reducing stigma surrounding mental health in aviation, as AMEs play a key role in shaping the industry’s culture of openness and acceptance. While the U.S. has made strides in

Pilots worry that revealing their mental health issues will lead to career-ending grounding.

improving mental health support in aviation, global collaboration remains essential in creating a universal standard for addressing these issues. The ARC’s recommendations were influenced by the experiences of other international aviation authorities, and the FAA has continued to monitor global best practices.

As the regulatory landscape evolves, industry groups are stepping up with initiatives of their own.

At the NBAA Regional Forum in June in White Plains, New York, Larsen moderated a panel discussion on mental health, focusing on a larger effort to expand peer support programs, which are increasingly seen as essential to mental healthcare in aviation.

Peer support has been shown to be highly effective—80% to 90%—in addressing or preventing many mental health concerns, according to ARC member and Aviation Medicine Advisory Service CEO Quay Snyder, participating in the NBAA panel. Snyder pointed to international studies to support this.

Peer support is unreported to the FAA, offering a confidential means of support for pilots who might avoid seeking help due to the fear of medical certification issues or job loss.

Laila Stein, a CFI who has researched

student mental health, highlighted the University of North Dakota’s pioneering peer support program, which has shown success in addressing mental health concerns among aviation students. “Ultimately,

everyone deserves to be able to talk to someone,” Stein said.

Business aviation presents unique challenges when it comes to peer support programs. Unlike airlines, which can scale to offer robust peer support systems, small flight departments often lack the resources to implement such programs. However, efforts are underway to adapt models that have been successful in other sectors. NBAA, in line with ARC recommendations, is exploring creating an aggregated approach to peer support to ensure that business aviation pilots have access to appropriate resources. Larsen noted this will require creative solutions and cooperation within the industry to overcome the inherent limitations of smaller, dispersed operations.

One company at the forefront of mental health support for aviation professionals is MedAire, which launched a partnership with OdiliaClark in May 2024 to develop a peer-to-peer support network for flight crews. The peer support network allows flight crew members whose employers have contracted with MedAire to access real-time assistance from trained volunteers. The services range from offering a sympathetic ear

to someone who is simply going through a rough patch to providing more intensive support for those dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic in-flight event, such as an onboard medical emergency. According to OdiliaClark sales director Peter Whitten, peer support is particularly effective in aviation because it leverages the shared experience of being part of the same high-pressure, often isolating profession.

MedAire’s model is in direct response to the FAA’s encouragement to expand support networks for aviation professionals, with the goal of intervening before mental health issues escalate into crises. The company’s peer support program has been designed with strict training protocols to ensure volunteers can handle sensitive situations and know when to escalate concerns to professional healthcare providers.

Another new player in the field is MD Onboard, which launched in 2024. Built on the telehealth technology of Northwell Health, MD Onboard’s proprietary app connects commercial airline and business aviation crews directly with paramedics for immediate triage, bypassing the traditional communication delays that often

LAILA STEIN FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

MedAire’s peer support network o ers flight crews real-time emotional support.

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hinder timely medical advice during flights.

The platform also provides mental health support, offering a direct line to professional help for pilots or crew members experiencing stress or other psychological issues on duty.

As we head into 2025, the progress made in 2024 offers a hopeful outlook for the future of mental health in aviation. FAA

rule changes, expansion of peer support programs, and the growing number of services aimed at providing confidential mental health care are all steps toward ensuring that pilots and other aviation professionals have the tools and support they need to stay healthy—mentally as well as physically.

While the stigma surrounding mental health in aviation is gradually decreasing,

it will take continued effort to fully integrate mental health care into the industry’s culture and operational processes. The progress made in 2024 is a testament to the industry’s commitment to addressing mental health challenges head-on, and supportive structures are being put in place to enhance well-being in the skies. z

Innovation, acquisitions abound in connectivity market

BY MATT THURBER

This past year has seen extraordinary changes in the airborne connectivity market, with new entrant Starlink making big inroads, SmartSky’s sudden shutdown and resurrection, Gogo buying Satcom Direct, and Viasat consolidating its 2023 purchase of Inmarsat. Competition in the low-earthorbit (LEO) market is heating up with the arrival of Starlink’s aviation service and the imminent launch of Gogo Galileo on Eutelsat’s OneWeb network, and other entrants such as Telesat and Kuiper planning to enter this space.

Meanwhile, the U.S. air-to-ground (ATG) market, thought to be ceded to Gogo Business Aviation after SmartSky’s shutdown in August, will remain competitive with Apcela’s October announcement that it is buying SmartSky’s assets and relaunching the ATG service. Apcela, which built the network for SmartSky, hopes to complete the acquisition by the end of the year, and plans call to switch the service back on around mid-December. This will be welcome news for aircraft owners who installed SmartSky systems and were facing the prospect of replacin g them.

LEO SATCOM

At October’s NBAA-BACE show, Gogo Business Aviation COO Sergio Aguirre said that the planned purchase of Satcom Direct wasn’t in response to Starlink’s rapid rise. This was the third attempt to buy Satcom Direct, he explained, with issues such as debt payments hindering previous efforts. “This was not an acquisition based on defense,” he said. “We’re on full-on offense.”

Gogo isn’t targeting Starlink customers with its Galileo LEO system but rather the

still-large number of business aviation customers who don’t have airborne connectivity. “This has nothing to do with Starlink, but it sure is going to make their life hard,” he said.

One advantage that Galileo has over Starlink is antenna size. Gogo is o ff ering two electronically steered antennas (ESAs) for Galileo: the smaller HDX (half-duplex) or larger FDX (full-duplex). The HDX, about half the size of the FDX, is better suited for installations on smaller aircraft, although Starlink has demonstrated its

Low-earth-orbit satellite communications are gaining significant ground in business aviation.

system installed on a King Air 200 using a supplemental type certificate (STC) developed by AeroMech. The Starlink antenna weighs about 48 pounds and measures 39 inches long and 31 inches wide, while Gogo’s HDX weighs 21.6 pounds and is 24 inches long, 11.8 inches wide, and 2.1 inches high. The FDX weighs 40 to 45 pounds, with a length of 30 inches, width 24.6 inches, and height the same at 2.1 inches.

Starlink has picked up the pace on STCs and has many more coming, principally from AeroMech and Nextant Aerospace. More recently, Starlink opened the door to OEM STC development, and Gulfstream was first with an OEM STC, starting with the G650, with many other models to come. Textron Aviation service centers are now installing AeroMech’s Starlink STC on the Citation 560XL and King Air 200 and 300.

Retail price of a Starlink system is $150,000 and that includes the antenna, power supply unit, two wireless access points, and wiring harness. Service prices range from $2,000 per month for 20 GB (plus $100 per GB additional) to $10,000 per month for unlimited, with download speeds from 40 to 220 Mbps and upload 8 to 25 Mbps.

Gogo Galileo systems as an add-on to Avance L5 ATG cost $120,000 for HDX or $190,000 for FDX. Service speed for the HDX system is up to 60 Mbps download and 11 Mbps upload, while the FDX will offer 195 Mbps download and 32 Mbps upload. Service pricing starts at $3,500 per month for 25 GB to $10,500 for unlimited data.

GEO SATCOM

Gogo’s purchase of Satcom Direct gives it some new geostationary orbit (GEO) satcom product lines that supplement the Gogo Galileo LEO and ATG products.

Satcom Direct has developed its own line of PlaneSimple antennas for GEO satcom as well as offering Ku-band satcom through its Intelsat FlexExec service. The Plane Simple mechanically steered

antennas are available for Ku- and Ka-band GEO satcom, but Satcom Direct also developed an ESA for Eutelsat OneWeb.

Uniquely, Satcom Direct had announced a program where aircraft owners can buy the ESA equipment for a fixed monthly fee of $15,000 and no initial capital outlay, for a three-year period.

It is not known yet whether Gogo will keep all of these products after it completes the Satcom Direct acquisition. However, it is clear that Gogo will offer strong competition for Starlink and the long-entrenched GEO satcom provider, Viasat (and its Inmarsat products).

Since buying Inmarsat in 2023, Viasat has consolidated the two companies’ business aviation offerings into four key product lines: Jet ConneX, Viasat Ka, SwiftJet, and SwiftBroadband. The latter is still the only safety services-qualified satcom available other than Iridium.

SwiftJet was a new Inmarsat service announced just before the acquisition, and it will be marketed by three distribution partners, Collins Aerospace, Honeywell, and Satcom Direct. Sharing the same L-band satcom frequency band as SwiftBroadband, SwiftJet operates at up to 2.6 Mbps, four times faster than SwiftBroadband. Terminals were scheduled to start shipping in the fourth quarter.

Jet ConneX runs on the former Inmarsat satellite network while Viasat operates its own satellites, so these are separate systems. A trend in the satcom market has been owners selecting dual-band systems— for example, one Ka- and one Ku-band terminal—in aircraft large enough to accommodate two antennas. Now, buyers have the choice of buying dual-network systems from one company, and this can help ensure that communication remains online even if one network is having problems. z

WINGX GLOBAL INSIGHT POWERS GROWTH

Special Report

2024 brings major leadership changes, big moves at Boeing and Wheels Up

BY JESSICA REED

The aviation industry witnessed notable leadership and strategic personnel changes in 2024, highlighting new directions for Boeing, Wheels Up, EASA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and many others. These changes signal strategic shifts and set the tone for innovation, restructuring, and continued efforts in safety and sustainability. Here’s a look at some of the year’s most impactful moves and what they mean for the industry.

One of the year’s most high-profile transitions was Boeing’s departure of CEO Dave Calhoun, whose time at the aerospace giant was marked with turmoil. Calhoun’s tenure involved the aftermath of the 737 Max crisis, the Boeing 737-9 door plug failure, supply chain disruptions, and pressures in both commercial and defense sectors. In addition, he navigated the company as it faced constant scrutiny from Congress, the NTSB, the FAA, and the public alike.

In August, Robert K. “Kelly” Ortberg, a seasoned leader formerly with Rockwell Collins, took over as Boeing president and CEO. Ortberg’s extensive background brought promises of renewed focus on innovation and operational integrity. Stephanie Pope moved from her role as COO to head Boeing Commercial

Airplanes, highlighting Boeing’s emphasis on streamlined leadership and strategic growth. However, early into both their new roles, they faced many of the same challenges, including a nearly two-month strike. Wheels Up experienced a transformative year marked by leadership shifts to fortify its position amid financial challenges. Dave Holtz was promoted to COO in February, and in May, Dave Harvey joined as chief commercial officer. Harvey, formerly Southwest Airlines’ chief sales officer, is expected to help drive Wheels Up’s restructuring efforts. Additionally, chief financial officer Todd Smith and chief legal officer Laura Heltebran announced their departures in August. With these moves, Wheels Up sought to optimize its fleet management and enhance customer experience to better navigate the competitive private aviation market.

Meanwhile, AOPA welcomed a new president and CEO, Darren Pleasance, who will assume his role in January 2025. Pleasance, with more than 8,000 flight hours and a solid business background, brings fresh insight to AOPA, succeeding Mark Baker who is retiring after his decade-long leadership. Pleasance’s operational expertise and passion for general aviation are expected to drive AOPA’s focus on pilot

advocacy, member support, and public outreach as the organization addresses evolving industry regulations, AOPA said. Supporting this renewed focus on safety, Mike Ginter, AOPA’s former v-p of airports and state advocacy, now leads the Air Safety Institute at AOPA.

In Europe, Florian Guillermet’s appointment as executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) represents a critical transition for Europe’s aviation safety landscape. Guillermet’s two decades of experience in air navigation and regulatory roles, including leading SESAR, position him to guide EASA as it faces regulatory challenges brought by digital aviation advancements, drone integration, and sustainability initiatives.

In the private and business aviation sectors, Solairus Aviation appointed Brent Monroe as chief growth officer and promoted Bob Marinace to chief experience officer. Daher appointed Didier Kayat as chairman of the board and CEO. Air Charter Service (ACS) appointed Elie Hanna as CEO of ACS Dubai, strengthening its presence in the Middle East. Additionally, the Citation Jet Pilots owner-pilot association selected retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and former F-16 instructor Rob Balzano as its new CEO.

Amy ArianoBrad TrenkleBrent Monroe

Patrick DesboisRobin Hayes Florian Guillermet

Darren Pleasance David Smith

Robert K. Ortberg

European Rotors 2024 focuses on vertical flight future

BY AMY WILDER

Key innovations and safety updates were highlights of the 2024 edition of European Rotors, which hosted 18 helicopters on display.

European Rotors returned for a 2024 edition from November 4 to 7 in Amsterdam, hosting a bevy of orders, attracting more than 4,600 participants, and focusing on safety advancements and emerging technologies with a particular emphasis on eVTOL aircraft. Speakers at the event addressed pressing topics such as safety protocols and the integration of digital technologies into rotorcraft operations.

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the European show jointly organized by the European Helicopter Association (EHA) and EASA, with the support of Vertical Aviation International (VAI), appears to have settled into a rhythm, drawing a

steady stable of attendees, exhibitors, and announcements, including those regarding new orders.

“The 2024 edition of European Rotors was a great success,” said EHA board chair Fredrik Kämpfe. “The exhibition floor was filled with enthusiastic people, and the feedback we received was very positive.” Kämpfe pointed to the educational program, Career Day, and the large turnout for workshops and best practice sessions as indicative of the event’s success.

There were more than 230 booths and 18 helicopters displayed in the exhibition hall.

A key part of the event is that it is held in tandem with an EASA Safety Symposium,

which addresses regulatory compatibility and urban air mobility, as well as workshops on rotorcraft safety and efficiency.

Networking opportunities also were a major draw, with industry leaders and regulatory bodies engaging face-to-face, organizers maintained. “We held a technical briefing here at the show that was significantly stronger and more detailed due to being in-person,” said EHA vice chair Thierry Couderc.

The show further hosted a flurry of orders, with announcements covering dozens of new helicopters—along with support and training deals—from companies including Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, and Bell.

Østnes Helicopters, which is the official distributor for Airbus in the Nordic countries, signed a contract for 10 Airbus H125s. These will join a fleet of more than 150 examples of the single-engine model in the region.

Also announced was a framework agreement between Airbus Helicopters and French operator Airtelis, which is buying up to five H145s. These helicopters will be operated by its subsidiary Oya Vendée Hélicoptères, which provides support flights for the offshore wind industry.

Leasing group GDHF signed a framework agreement with Leonardo to add 10 more AW189s to its portfolio. It expects the twin-engine aircraft to be deployed in the energy industry support sector, with deliveries planned between 2027 and 2029.

UK-based Offshore Helicopter Services is expanding its North Sea fleet through a deal to buy a pair of AW139 intermediate twins. These aircraft are set to enter service in the second quarter of 2026.

Italy’s National Fire Corps inked an agreement to boost its mountain rescue and firefighting fleet with an order for specially-equipped AW139 helicopters. Deliveries will start in 2025, adding to an existing fleet of 28 of the type.

Bristow Group signed a long-term support and training agreement with the manufacturer covering its AW139 and AW189 helicopters. This will involve a new AW139 full-flight simulator to be installed at the operator’s base in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is adding four more AW189s to its fleet in 2025 and 2026.

Meanwhile, in tandem with the Air Medical Transport Conference in Salt Lake City, Leonardo signed an agreement for Utahbased Intermountain Health to acquire a new AW109 GrandNew twin. The operator is also leasing an Enhanced Training Device Virtual Extended Reality system.

Global Medical Response (GMR) has ordered 28 Airbus helicopters (six H125s, five H130s, and 14 H135s), which will bring its air medical fleet to nearly 200 Airbus helicopters.

In addition, GMR signed a purchase agreement for 15 IFR-configured Bell 407GXi helicopters and options for nine more.

For Bell, the show represented a milestone. The company announced the sale of the 100th Bell 505 in Europe, to be delivered to Adam Fawsitt, along with another three 505 purchase agreements. All four helicopters are for private operators.

Also during the show, Rotortrade launched a certified preowned helicopter program in collaboration with Safran Helicopter Engines. Under the partnership, helicopter broker Rotortrade and the turbine engine manufacturer will help buyers ensure the health of the Safran engines in their newly purchased helicopters.

The certified preowned program will include a prepurchase inspection conducted by Safran experts; a technical report and certificate of compliance to document the engine’s condition; a six-month or 50-hour warranty; credit of up to € 21,000 (about $22,000) toward the Safran by-the-hour maintenance program; and access to free training.

In other news, Rotortrade is joining the Fred North Helicopter Safety Mentorship program as a founding partner. The mentorship program “solidifies the long-standing relationship between Fred North and Rotortrade, highlighting their shared commitment

to improving safety standards within the helicopter industry,” according to Rotortrade.

Implementation of the program, led by Fred and Peggy North, will see seasoned pilots act as ambassadors who will “carefully vet and recruit a pool of mentors who will guide young pilots, providing them with the knowledge, support, and tools needed to build successful and safe careers in aviation.” Plans call for the expansion of the program worldwide, as well as the development of an online platform where young pilots can be paired with mentors.

After a Covid-related postponement, EHA—working with EASA and VAl— debuted the European Rotors as a show and safety conference in 2021. Organizers were encouraged that the initial event still drew more than 150 exhibitors from 36 countries despite the pandemic delay, and it laid the groundwork for the future of the event. Organizers opted to rotate the event annually but have Cologne, Germany—home to EASA headquarters—as the anchor location, hosting it roughly every other year.

In fact, the 2025 edition has been scheduled there, from November 17 to 20, and it is already taking shape. “We have registered a record number of exhibitors and sold square meters of exhibition space,” Kämpfe said. z AIN staff contributed to this report

The European Rotors opening ceremony took place on November 4.

NTSB probes top safety concerns in Part 135

BY STUART “KIPP” LAU

The NTSB highlighted several safety issues with Part 135 in a recently published aviation special investigation report (AIR-24-03). The report revealed the findings of a study of 116 fatal and 460 non-fatal accidents over 12 years (2010 to 2022). As a result of those findings, there is now a fresh set of safety recommendations that could lead to significant changes for charter operators.

Safety issues identified in the July report included operational control and flight locating deficiencies, weight and balance concerns for single-engine aircraft, the importance of implementing organizational risk management strategies such as scalable safety management systems (SMS), and the use of flight data monitoring (FDM) programs. In addition, the report identified a need for improvements in the collection of flight activity data for Part 135 certificate holders.

Over the years, the NTSB has become frustrated with making recommendations to the FAA; some are acted on, while many others are ignored. The Safety Board, following the issuance of this report, has issued three new and reiterated two existing recommendations to the FAA.

The new recommendations include improving operational control by using certificated dispatchers for nearly all Part 135 operators, new weight and balance requirements for single-engine aircraft, and improved methods of gathering data that relate to the flight activities for Part 135 certificate holders. Older recommendations include strengthening organizational risk management by implementing proactive SMS and FDM programs.

According to the report, “Historically, accident rates for Part 135 operations have fluctuated year-to-year but have remained

higher than the accident rates for Part 121 commercial airline operations, which are subject to the FAA’s highest level of regulation and oversight.”

One goal of the report and subsequent recommendations, according to the NTSB, is to close the gap in accident rates between Part 135 and Part 121 operations without hindering the operator’s ability to provide services.

CERTIFICATED DISPATCHERS

The NTSB’s recommendation is to require all Part 135 operators (except single-pilot and single-PIC operators) to use certificated dispatchers who hold joint responsibility with the PIC for the safety and operational control of flights.

On-demand charter, helicopter air ambulance, scheduled commuter, and air tour operators currently employ personnel

One of the NTSB’s longstanding recommendations for Part 135 charter operators is to implement flight data monitoring programs.

to perform various flight support duties. Terms or titles such as flight follower, flight monitor, flight coordinator, operational control agent or specialist, flight locator, and flight scheduler are commonly used, but none of these individuals are required to hold an FAA-issued dispatcher certificate, and their duties are not defined by current Part 135 regulations.

In contrast, Part 121 domestic and flag operators use certificated dispatchers who hold joint responsibility with the pilot-incommand for the safety and operational control of flights and whose responsibilities include pre-flight planning such as fuel planning and weather; flight dispatch, release, and cancellation decisions; and active flight monitoring.

Dispatcher certification requires the completion of an approved training course and passing scores on knowledge and practical tests. In addition, there are recurrent training and competency checks. A certificated dispatcher is inherently more accountable for their performance since their certificate can be suspended or revoked if they perform in an unsafe manner.

Former GrandView Aviation president Jessie Naor agrees with the NTSB’s recommendation to require certificated dispatchers in charter operations but feels there are alternatives and best practices within the industry that work well; although, she stresses, those would need to be codified.

“As an industry, we cannot keep sending flight crews on trips and leave them with zero operational oversight,” said Naor, host of The VIP Seat podcast. “Many professional Part 135 and management companies already understand this and have a process, but not all, particularly when flying Part 91. Every flight and every significant change to a flight needs the approval of another set of experienced eyes beyond the flight crew. Too often, the pilot or pilots do all the flight planning and are permitted to make go/ no-go decisions on their own.”

Twelve accidents were identified in the NTSB report that highlighted operational

control or flight locating deficiencies; these accidents killed 45 people and resulted in 13 serious injuries. Often the pilots of these accident flights were unsupervised, lacking operational support from their company. Accordingly, these deficiencies could all be addressed using certificated dispatchers.

FORMER GRANDVIEW AVIATION PRESIDENT

 As an industry, we cannot keep sending flight crews on trips and leave them with zero operational oversight... 

In one accident, a helicopter air ambulance flight operating under VFR encountered IMC and crashed in Ohio, fatally injuring the pilot and two medical personnel. The company operated 17 aircraft from 15 di ff erent bases and employed 70 pilots and 12 operations control specialists. The duties of the operations control specialist included analyzing weather information to determine marginal or hazardous conditions.

Investigators found that company procedures did not include elements such as en-route weather risks or refusals of previous requests for flight (known as weather turndowns) from other operators. The operations control specialist for the accident flight did not fully use the weather tool available

for pre-flight and in-flight planning; the accident pilot spent only 28 seconds reviewing the weather information. As a result, crucial meteorological risks were overlooked including snow, icing, and reduced visibility along the accident flight route.

Sean Mulholland, a former director of safety for a large helicopter air ambulance operator, believes employing a certificated dispatcher for every flight could be challenging. “I have always been an advocate of third-party flight following and flight planning assistance. However, these capabilities often come at great financial cost. While a certificated dispatcher for every flight might improve the margin of safety, this approach would likely create a financial barrier insurmountable for smaller, simpler operations,” he said.

“Operators implement processes and controls that effectively manage risk without them,” he continued. “A threshold of operational complexity that includes fleet size, type of operation, and a comprehensive risk profile should be established based on safety data and analysis to determine the appropriate triggers for any certificated dispatcher requirement.”

During Naor’s tenure at GrandView, she was deeply involved in building a large flight operations organization that included business jets and helicopters. Naor provided some additional insight into current practices for operational control and certified dispatchers, saying, “In smaller departments, it’s as simple as a director of operations or their designee, like base captains or other pilots with experience in the aircraft looking at the weather and runway conditions at each field, en-route weather, fuel planning, and the flight risk assessment for each leg before departing.”

She added, “When we look at accident reports, many could have been avoided if someone else had stopped the flight or modified the planning. Pilots have added pressure from the clients on the ground, the desire to get home to the family overnight, and other forces that need a stopgap,

JESSIE NAOR

and operational control is supposed to be just that. But the use of operational control varies widely—some chief pilots will only look at a flight risk assessment, and if the score is low enough, they approve the flight to depart. That’s not good enough; the entirety of the flight plan needs careful review and support, which is why the NTSB is suggesting certificated dispatchers.”

As an organization grows, employing certificated dispatchers can be beneficial, Naor agreed. “As our business grew, it became impossible for a single person, or even the entire 119 management personnel team, to carefully review every flight leg and change daily. Suppose the company does not have the infrastructure to do this. In that case, a licensed dispatcher or similar must be considered, either employed by the company 100% of the time or shared across multiple operators.”

Naor believes that it takes more than just hiring a dispatcher: an organization must have processes in place to ensure operational control. She further pointed out, “It’s important to note that it’s not only the dispatcher or approver that matters, but the process of approving the flight. Just checking the weather and the duty times of the flight is minimal; the approval process should be as in-depth and detailed as the pilot’s flight planning, and the dispatcher must understand the company’s operating procedures, the experience of the flight crew, the aircraft, and many other factors.”

WEIGHT AND BALANCE

The next recommendation is to expand the applicability of load manifest and recordkeeping requirements to include Part 135 single-engine aircraft operations. Current regulations (CFR 135.63(c)) require operators of multi-engine aircraft to prepare and retain a load manifest for each flight—this is not the case for single-engine aircraft. However, single-engine aircraft employed in Part 135 operations are now larger and more complex than in the past.

Five related accidents in the study resulted in 11 fatalities and six serious injuries. Most of these accidents were in remote areas of Alaska where there are many additional challenges.

In one accident, a single-engine float-equipped airplane operating as an on-demand charter flight entered an aerodynamic stall and crashed after takeoff; the pilot was fatally injured, and the two passengers were seriously injured.

As the pilot prepared for departure, the cargo load weighed 800 pounds (200 pounds greater than anticipated) and consisted of masonry mortar bags, food, stores, two propane tanks, and a utility sink.

As the aircraft taxied for takeoff, witnesses noted that the aft portion of the floats was deep underwater. The aircraft failed to get airborne during its first takeoff attempt. During the next takeoff, the airplane slowly lifted off, attained a nosehigh attitude, cleared some trees, rolled left, and crashed.

Post-accident analysis revealed the aircraft was loaded about 76 pounds over maximum gross takeoff weight with a center of gravity near the aft limit.

ORGANIZATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Additionally, the NTSB applauded the FAA’s recent requirement for Part 135 operators to develop, implement, and maintain appropriately scaled SMS. The NTSB has classified its previous recommendation to require all Part 135 operators to establish SMS programs as “Closed—Acceptable Action” because the FAA is now mandating SMS. Part 135 operators must provide the FAA with a declaration of compliance (14 CFR 5.9) by May 28, 2027.

Mulholland is now the director of safety for Magnifica Air, a new Part 121 airline, but in the past has participated in industry safety events such as the NTSB’s “roundtable” discussion on implementing SMS in small to midsized operations.

“I believe that the Part 135 community is ready for the SMS mandate,” Mulholland maintained. “SMS has been in place at large and small Part 135 operators for over a decade. Many colleges and universities include SMS as part of their curriculum, creating a pool of prospective employees with the knowledge and capability to implement the program. Also, many thirdparty providers of software and consulting

Pilots would benefit from assistance of certificated flight dispatchers, according to the NTSB.

services, as well as industry consortiums and foundations, o ff er reasonably priced tools and expertise for those who need them. There is no shortage of resources in the market to help any Part 135 operator subject to the SMS mandate to implement a Part 5-compliant program that meets the needs of their operation.”

Naor concurred: “While an SMS may initially seem overwhelming to an operator, once you understand what it is, it’s not nearly as intimidating and can be very simple to implement. The terminology is the biggest hurdle to overcome. There are plenty of free online programs and even more paid consultants to help set up your SMS and train you.

“The key for operators is not to let the system just sit unused once it’s created; the three-year implementation period means a functioning SMS that has data, reports, and findings in it, so don’t wait until year three; you need to be using it and putting information in it now,” she noted.

Another longstanding NTSB recommendation is for all Part 135 operators to install flight data monitoring devices capable of supporting a flight data monitoring program.

The NTSB again reiterated this recommendation in its special investigative report.

When asked about FAA-mandated FDM programs for Part 135 operations, Naor responded, “FDM is a natural extension of SMS—SMS data is observational and contributed by humans, which can be messy and inconsistent, while FDM is pure data from an aircraft.”

She further maintained, “Once a company has fully embraced just culture in their SMS, pilots feel comfortable sharing mistakes company-wide, and management is transparent in handling and using the data, the next phase is FDM. Just like SMS, you uncover information you would have never learned without it, and I have heard many reports from large operations that the maintenance cost savings well exceed the cost of running the programs.

“However, the mountains of data from these systems must be organized; focus on

one or two in the beginning, such as stabilized approaches. You’ll quickly discover your higher-risk airports that might need additional training time in the simulator. The possibilities are endless.”

Mulholland, while supportive of FDM programs, has a different view on whether the industry is ready.

“In my opinion, the Part 135 industry is not yet ready for an FDM mandate. There are still major challenges in terms of easy access to system- generated parametric data, portability of data, as well as costs associated with hardware, software, analytical expertise, and data legal protections,” he said. “This is not to say that there are currently no options for gathering data from camera- based systems, electronic flight management systems, flight data recorders —when present—or even portable systems such as tablet computers.

SEAN MULHOLLAND FORMER DIRECTOR OF SAFETY FOR A LARGE HAA OPERATOR

“Given the lack of uniformity in Part 135 aircraft fleet avionics, there are many challenges in turning disparate data sources into cohesive analyses and actionable information. There are also financial barriers for which operators, especially smaller ones, are not prepared. Investments in hardware, software, technical expertise, and an emerging trend of equipment manufacturers monetizing safety data can keep FDM capabilities out of reach.”

Naor and Mulholland both had similar concerns about data usage and protection. Naor said, “You’ll also have to contend with the legal implications of having this data,

and this is where FAA oversight gets tricky. Once you have this data, you need to use it and do something with it; do not turn on an FDM system unless you have someone who can make meaningful observations and corrections to the operation. We need to ensure the data is protected and isn’t used punitively. I’m not sure how the FAA will handle this as a regulator whose job is to enforce laws and how their approach will vary from inspector to inspector.”

Mulholland further expanded on data protection and the cost of implementing an FDM program. “Many operators also express concerns about legal liability and enforcement exposure associated with FDM data. Without the data protections of a formal, FAA-approved flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) program, many operators choose not to pursue FDM. Such approvals can be time-consuming and expensive. Operators must choose where best to make safety investments that are right for their operation.

“A mandated FDM program may force an operator to limit investment in other areas, which may be more effective in managing their risk. Operators should be encouraged to rely on the outputs of their safety management system to guide their safety dollars rather than by imposed mandate. The regulator could also help by simplifying the FOQA program approval process to reduce the barriers of time and complexity, thereby encouraging more to pursue this avenue of safety assurance within their SMS.”

There are several significant changes on the horizon for Part 135 operators. On the heels of the new FAA SMS mandate, a few new recommendations could further impact these companies.

As an example: excluding the smallest operators, there are more than 1,300 charter operators in the U.S. If the FAA acts on the proposed certificated dispatcher requirement, the industry could be overwhelmed with training and hiring so many dispatchers. Other pending requirements such as an FDM mandate could add further challenges for the charter industry. z

Finno Aviation bundles Pilatus PC-12 upgrades into Elite Performance Package

BY MATT THURBER

new PT6A-67P engine and seven-blade

Finnoff Aviation Products has combined upgrades for the Pilatus PC-12 into a single offering called the Elite Performance Package, which includes a new engine, propeller, electrical bus-tie, and various battery options. The bundle saves buyers about $100,000, equivalent to the price of the propeller, according to Finnoff.

Available for the pre-2008 PC-12/45 and /47 models, the Finnoff package starts with replacing the original Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B engine in legacy PC-12s with the PC-12 NG’s PT6A-67P. While both engines produce 1,200 shp for takeoff, the -67B’s maximum continuous power is limited to 5 minutes, then power is limited to 1,000 shp. The -67P is fitted with power

turbine blades made of a super-nickel alloy that is more resistant to creep and higher heat levels, and it can run at an interstage turbine temperature (ITT) of 820 degrees C continuously, with a 5-minute limitation of 850 degrees. The result for the modified PC-12 is a much faster climb rate, faster time to climb, and higher cruise speeds.

The engine upgrade cost is about $1.29 million and that includes a new engine and its five-year, 2,500-hour warranty plus free Eagle Service Plan membership. For an engine near overhaul time, paying for the upgrade may be worthwhile.

Typical overhauls cost $1.2 to $1.5 million, according to Finnoff, and some can be as high as $1.85 million. When an upgraded

legacy PC-12 with the new engine goes on the market, the extra cost of the upgrade is generally recouped, the company said.

Swapping the engine in the PC-12 takes 10 to 14 days and 350 to 450 hours of work. There is some composite work and a larger NACA scoop on the cowl plus many wiring changes.

The upgrade package’s seven-blade MT composite propeller reduces vibration, lowers noise levels by 4 to 6 dB(A) and cabin noise by 6 to 7 dB(A), and improves climb performance, even without the engine upgrade. Finnoff flight testing achieved a reduced takeoff ground roll, which is documented in the PC-12’s flight manual. With the seven-blade propeller

A

MT composite propeller make legacy PC-12s perform like NGs.

alone, ground roll is 10% lower and takeoff distance over a 50-foot obstacle is reduced by 15%, although actual performance is better than the conservative numbers published in the manual.

Compared to the four-blade aluminum Hartzell propeller, the seven-blade is slightly less than 3 inches smaller in diameter. But the many blades still could interfere with a tow bar, so Finnoff designed a special tow bar adapter that slides underneath the blades and eliminates any interference.

The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P upgrade delivers more power thanks to more robust power turbine blades.

With more blades, the new propeller has a smaller diameter, which provides more ground clearance and FOD protection. And there are no changes required to the engine or governor when installing the seven-blade propeller. Individual blades can be replaced if damaged, unlike some propellers where all blades would need replacement. Field repairs are also possible, and a damaged area on a blade can be fixed with an epoxy repair.

The electrical bus tie upgrade solves a limitation on the legacy PC-12s, which are equipped with two generators, one 300amp and the other 120-amp. The existing bus tie is limited to 115 amps, and failure of the primary generator thus requires shedding electrical load to match the bus tie limitation. With the new engine installed and a 300-amp backup generator

or a Finnoff upgrade to install the larger backup, the bus tie upgrade matches the PC-12 NG’s 220-amp limit, allowing the backup generator to carry much larger loads.

Battery options with the Elite package include dual lead-acid Concorde or single or dual True Blue Power TB-40 lithium-ion batteries. The advantages of the TB-40 batteries are their lighter weight and longer life, with no maintenance required for seven years.

To see the performance change to a legacy PC-12, Richard Phelan—chief pilot of Finnoff Aviation’s sister company, Avex— demonstrated the difference between old and new in the company’s converted legacy PC-12, serial number 460. With four people on board and 2,700 pounds of fuel, the PC-12 weighed about 10,400 pounds, slightly below mtow.

We took off from Rocky Mountain Metro (KBJC) near Denver, climbed to 14,000 feet, and aligned so winds were perpendicular to our flight path.

Continuing the climb through 16,000 feet, I started a timer to measure how long it took to climb to FL280 with power set at the 760-degree maximum ITT to simulate the legacy PC-12. Total time for the climb was 14 minutes 30 seconds. Outside air temperature was ISA plus 12 degrees.

While level, we did some speed checks, and at the same simulated maximum power setting, true airspeed settled at 243 knots, with fuel burn 330 pph.

Phelan then pushed the power to 820 degrees ITT, the maximum continuous for the new engine, and fuel burn climbed to 370 pph while true airspeed notched up 21 knots to 264 knots. He pointed out that Pilatus pilots don’t typically fly at maximum power, preferring to trade longer engine life and lower fuel burn for reduced speed.

We ran the same test after descending to FL220. With power set to 760 degrees, true airspeed was 247 knots and fuel burn 380 pph. At 820 degrees ITT, true airspeed climbed to 273 knots and fuel burn was 420 pph.

Back at 14,000 feet, we returned to a climb attitude, and I restarted the timer passing through 16,000 feet with power set to 820 degrees ITT. This time, the climb took 10 minutes 50 seconds.

Phelan pointed out a key benefit of the more powerful PT6: faster climbs through ice-laden clouds. This is especially helpful in the Denver area.

AIN editor-in-chief

Matt Thurber flew right seat during a demo flight with Avex chief pilot Richard Phelan. Time to climb from 16,000 to 28,000 feet was nearly 4 minutes less in the modified PC-12.

Since New State Aviation Holdings purchased Finno ff Aviation last year, the three firms in the holding company’s stable—Avex, Blackhawk, and Finnoff—have expanded their offerings and services. The Elite package is the latest of the new products, but owners and operators of Daher TBM, PC-12, and Beechcraft King Air series turboprops should expect to see even more interesting developments from the renamed holding company, now called the Blackhawk Group. z

On the Ground

Jet Aviation Breaks Ground in Miami

Ending months of speculation, Jet Aviation announced it has broken ground on a new FBO at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (KOPF). The facility will occupy 27 acres on the bustling dedicated general aviation airport.

The FBO will feature a silver LEED-certified 8,500sq-ft terminal, a 4,800-sq-ft U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility for onsite clearance, 12.4 acres of ramp space, and a pair of 20,000-sq-ft hangars. When the first phase of development is completed in thirdquarter 2025, it will be the fifth FBO on the field.

Third FBO To Land at Toronto Hamilton Airport

A new hangar complex is taking shape at Toronto Hamilton International Airport (CYHM) in Ontario. The facility, expected to open in first-quarter 2026, will house charter provider FlyXcite as its primary tenant.

The $50 million, 50,000-sq-ft first phase of the project will include an FBO-style terminal with passenger lounges, conference rooms, and other amenities, along with a large hangar. A second 50,000-sq-ft phase is planned.

The company, which has permission to operate as an FBO, intends to provide hangar space and ground handling for transient aircraft from the start. FlyXcite will also have its approved maintenance organization at the facility to support both airplanes and helicopters.

Vantage Aviation Buys Richmond FBO

Vantage Aviation, which aims to establish a new FBO network, has acquired its first facility: Dominion Aviation at Richmond Executive-Chesterfield County Airport (KFCI) in Virginia. Dominion, the sole FBO provider at KFCI, offers ground

handling, fueling, and hangar storage, in addition to charter management, flight training, and Part 145 maintenance.

The FBO’s 14,300-sq-ft private aircraft terminal includes crew and passenger lounges, 15- and 30-seat conference rooms, on-site restaurant, showers, and flight-planning room, with amenities such as onsite rentals cars, crew cars, and catering. It also has 50,000 sq ft of space capable of sheltering up to a Gulfstream G650, and a 600,000-sq-ft ramp.

Skyservice Breaks Ground on New California Facility

Skyservice Business Aviation broke ground on a new 60,000-sq-ft FBO complex at California’s Napa County Airport (KAPC). The company has operated from a temporary facility there since May 2023.

The two-story terminal, slated for completion in late 2025, will feature a rooftop restaurant offering views of the ramp and surrounding environs; a passenger lounge with refreshment bar; a pair of conference rooms seating a dozen participants each; a pilot lounge with snooze rooms, flight-planning area, and private shower facilities; and available office space. The facility will also include a 40,000-square-foot hangar and nine-acre ramp.

Sheltair Starts Orlando FBO Expansion

Sheltair is expanding its FBO at Orlando Executive Airport (KORL) in Florida. The $16 million project— slated for completion by the end of 2025—will add approximately 65,000 sq ft of hangar space.

Since 2003, the family-owned company has added more than 182,000 sq ft of improvements at KORL, including a new terminal in 2019.

Hangar 18—at 32,956 sq ft—will be designed to serve as an MRO facility, while 32,504-sq-ft Hangar 19 will add to the facility’s community aircraft storage tally.

FBO AND AIRPORT NEWS BY CURT EPSTEIN

Flightstar: Serving Illinois Aviation for Nearly a Half-century

In 1978, Bill Giannetti and a fellow pilot received permission to establish an FBO at the University of Illinois/Willard Airport (KCMI) in Champaign. The university-owned and -operated airport began operations in 1945, and despite its being home to the university’s Institute of Aviation—a flight training and research facility—for decades, it had no general aviation service provider.

“We started with a trailer, we moved to a bigger trailer, and about 10 years later we built the building here. We’ve grown it from basically a flight school to a full-service FBO with charter flying and aircraft management,” Giannetti told AIN, noting that it has gone from just three employees at the start to 170 today.

The company’s 10,500-sq-ft terminal opened in 1989, and at an age now when other service providers are considering knocking down their buildings, Flightstar’s remains pristine. “We’re constantly remodeling and improving,” said Giannetti. “We have people come in here and ask if we just built this because we never let anything sit very long.”

The building features a full crew lounge with a pair of snooze rooms and two private restrooms with shower facilities. Set just o the main lobby, one side of the room has a glass wall.

“Back when we were designing the building, we hated pilot lounges that were in the back of the facility,” Giannetti said, adding that he wouldn’t use them because he feared he would miss his passengers' arrival. “We made ours so the crews can see their passengers when they show up.”

Other amenities include a refreshment bar, a flight kitchen, a trio of crew cars, and rental cars delivered to and processed at the terminal. One unusual service is an aviation medical examiner's office in the terminal to conduct pilot physicals. "That's worked out really well," said Giannetti. "We

has grown into a full-service FBO at the University of Illinois Airport.

set him up with a whole o " ce, and it's for the convenience of our crews and everyone else around here."

The FBO added a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility three years ago. Located adjacent to the terminal, and built to CBP specifications, the $2 million facility provides international arrivals clearance with advance notification.

The Avfuel-branded dealer provides all the fueling services on the field, including commercial, and manages the airport’s aging fuel farm, pumping nearly 2 million gallons of fuel a year. The underground fuel storage system holds 62,000 gallons of jet-A, 14,000 gallons of avgas, 3,500 gallons of automobile gas, and 3,500 gallons of diesel.

Flightstar’s NATA Safety 1st and Avfueltrained technicians operate a fleet of trucks including a 5,000-gallon and 3,000-gallon jet-A refueler and a pair of 1,200-gallon avgas tankers to service the farm. The location also provides Type I and Type IV deicing.

The FBO—which is open daily from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. with after-hours call-out available—has approximately 109,000 sq ft of hangar space, which can accommodate

regional airliners and is home to 10 business jets ranging from a Bombardier Global 7500 to a Learjet 45. That total space will increase in January as a $7 million, 28,000sq-ft hangar under construction for the past nine months comes online. Flightstar also has more than 16 acres of ramp.

The facility handles 24,000 operations a year, including dozens of large sports charters for the university. Giannetti said that the fall season is its busiest time of year based on the university’s athletic schedule, which sees football, basketball, and other major sports in full swing.

In addition to its other o erings, the FBO’s Part 145 repair station is a Bombardierauthorized service facility for Learjets, but the company is working to earn that status for Challenger series aircraft as well. It has its own avionics shop, and Flightstar also provides MRO services for regional airline Envoy Air (American Eagle), performing maintenance on two Embraer E175s every night. When it comes to customer service, positivity is the driving factor for the company. “I think we are known for our can-do attitude,” explained Giannetti. “If you ask us a question, if we can do it, the answer is always going to be yes.” C.E.

Flightstar

BY AIN STAFF

Rolls-Royce Expands CorporateCare Support Capacity

As part of efforts to clear logjams delaying support for business aircraft engines, Rolls-Royce recently started using an additional hangar in Indianapolis to keep its CorporateCare power-by-the-hour customers flying. The facility has allowed the manufacturer to fast-track North American operators with additional slots available to handle short-notice tasks, such as engine changes.

The initiative introduced in recent months has quickly made a difference to the extent that Rolls-Royce is now looking at where else it could add more hangar capacity in regions including Europe. The first hangar is located at Indianapolis Regional Airport (KMQJ), which is not too far from the company’s existing facility in the city.

Honeywell O ers Real-time Engine Monitoring

Honeywell Aerospace unveiled Ensemble during NBAABACE, offering an end-to-end digital maintenance solution for its business jet turbofan engines. Integrated within its propulsion maintenance service plan (MSP) for engines, Honeywell Ensemble aims to streamline engine maintenance by providing near-real-time engine monitoring and analysis.

Honeywell Ensemble automates data collection, transmitting engine information via a Wi-Fi-enabled gateway to Honeywell Forge, a cloud-based analytics platform. This data is then analyzed to assess engine performance, with insights and alerts delivered to operators through the Forge Engine Data Viewer and the Honeywell Ensemble mobile application. The solution reduces the need for manual reporting and administrative tasks by automating data reporting requirements and improving access to engine maintenance records. Data collected by Ensemble will also enable rebates for customers enrolled in MSP.

FAA Stays Burdensome Maintenance Interpretation

The FAA has shelved a legal interpretation that would have required supervising aircraft mechanics to observe apprentices closely enough to intervene if needed. Referred to as the Moss Interpretation, the legal determination was in response to a query on whether it is legal for mechanics to supervise non-licensed technicians remotely—for example, via streaming video calls or similar technology.

The response to the request disallowed that remote supervision capability but then went further to define “in person” to mean a supervisor must be watching the nonlicensed technician closely enough to intervene if something was done incorrectly. This changed longstanding practice of the supervisor observing sometimes in close physical proximity and also often from elsewhere in the facility.

On October 15, the FAA responded with a letter stating it “is issuing a stay of the legal Interpretation of 14 CFR § 43.3(d) dated September 3, 2024, while the agency reviews its policies and regulatory options.”

Ontic Expanding To Sunshine State

Parts manufacturer for legacy aircraft and MRO provider Ontic will expand its operations into Florida with the opening of a new facility early next year. The Miramar location will be a dedicated MRO center of excellence focused on supporting customers of the company’s manufactured parts and systems.

With the opening of the site, Ontic will transfer its North Carolina MRO operations to Florida to allow the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities at the former location. The company is not planning any staff reductions due to the relocation. It will offer its maintenance workers in North Carolina the opportunity to move to the Florida facility or transition into manufacturing roles at their current site.

Environmental and Skills Innovation Converge at Biggin Hill MRO

What does it take to run a successful maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility as the business aviation sector enters the second quarter of the 21st century? Obviously, technical competence, a relentless focus on safety, and keeping the customer’s aircraft in service have to be assured. But now, companies are under pressure to operate with as small an environmental footprint as possible, and it’s no longer a given that they will be able to recruit and retain the skilled employees on which the success of these operations is based.

The innovation it takes to make the grade in these ways is much in evidence at Bombardier’s service center at London Biggin Hill Airport. The facility is part of the airframer’s global product support network, which—outside North America—encompasses bases in Berlin, Paris, Singapore, Melbourne, and Dubai.

Bombardier’s plan to reduce carbon emissions from its MRO activities now includes the installation of solar panels and electric charging stations at the large Biggin Hill site. More than 3,000 solar panels are now providing 32% of the 250,000-sq-ft site’s energy needs. They are expected to generate more than 1.133 million kilowatt-hours of power, lowering the facility’s annual carbon emissions by up to 250 tonnes.

The green focus plays into Bombardier’s human resources strategy. Now the company has plans to provide e-bikes for employees, mainly to give them an alternative to the almost-one-mile walk to the nearest bus stop and therefore an alternative to a carbon-spewing automobile drive to work each day.

The Biggin Hill facility employs 283 B1/B2 engineers and mechanics, and Bombardier is seeking to increase this total above 310. In Singapore, it employs 210 and in Berlin, there are 150.

Significant numbers of the Biggin Hill facility’s staff come from across the UK, and high real estate prices in the leafy London suburb can make it hard for them to relocate. This challenge is evidenced by a trend in which some employees have taken to living out of RVs around the site and returning to faraway homes when they go o duty.

In partial response to the lengthy commutes sta face, Bombardier adjusted shift patterns to a rotation of five days on, four days o followed by four days on, five days o , guaranteeing fixed weekend periods for personal time. In partnership with Biggin Hill Airport’s private owners, the company now plans to build an accommodation block to provide more settled local lodging for employees.

The manufacturer is investing in its skills future and has 49 apprentices engaged in a three-year program. These young recruits will receive initial training at Farnborough College of Technology while also building experience at Biggin Hill. The college is adjacent to Farnborough Airport, where Bombardier added a line maintenance

station in July. The goal is to hire 16 technicians from the program each year, and five more from a retraining program.

Bombardier is taking a similar approach at other MRO locations. Earlier this year, it launched an apprenticeship program with Wichita State University’s Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology to gain airframe and powerplant mechanic qualification. Over the two-year paid program, students complete hands-on instruction at Bombardier’s Wichita service center as well as attend classroom training.

At Red Oak in Texas, the business jet builder has run another apprenticeship scheme with Texas State Technical College. This program led to the recruitment of technicians involved in manufacturing the wing for the Global 7500.

The company is active in the U.S. Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, which provides training for military personnel wanting to acquire skills for a career in the aerospace industry. Trainees have access to 60- to 90-day in-person training at Bombardier service centers across the U.S. C.A.

Bombardier is working to make its service centers attractive places to forge a career while also reducing their impact on the environment.

Accidents

BY DAVID JACK KENNY

Preliminary Reports

Close Call for King Air, A319 at KDCA

Beechcraft King Air 300, Airbus A319, May 29, 2024, Washington, D.C.

The King Air turboprop twin was landing on and the Airbus airliner taking off from intersecting runways at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) when they narrowly averted a ground collision.

The A319—operating as American Airlines Flight 2134—was cleared by ATC to depart on Runway 1, conflicting with the King Air, registered as N205AA, that was inbound for intersecting Runway 33.

According to the NTSB, the air traffic controller initially cleared the King Air to land on Runway 33 while the A319 was instructed to line up and wait on Runway 1. Then, the American Airlines flight was cleared for takeoff while the King Air was on short final. Readback of ATC instructions was correct for both aircraft.

The controller canceled the takeoff clearance for Flight 2134 and requested the King Air to go around. Flight 2134’s crew successfully rejected the takeoff; the King Air crew stated it had already touched down and could not go around. The aircraft did not collide, and no injuries were reported on either aircraft. The American Airlines crew requested a maintenance inspection after the incident and then departed several hours later. Preliminary reviews indicate a moderate traffic volume and clear weather conditions at the time of the May 29 incident.

Similar incidents at KDCA and other airports across the U.S. have been raising significant safety concerns. As authorities continue to examine the incident, the FAA, industry experts, and safety advocates are

calling for an urgent review of air traffic management protocols at the busy airport to prevent future occurrences.

One Drowned in River Impact

Bell 206B, Sept. 7, 2024, King Salmon, Alaska

The helicopter crashed into the Naknak River during a special VFR departure from King Salmon Airport. One of the four passengers on the Part 135 charter flight was unable to escape the sunken wreckage and drowned.

Prevailing weather was reported as one-quarter mile visibility in fog under a 200-foot indefinite ceiling with southerly winds at five knots.

The flight was intended to take the passengers to a fishing camp south of the airport. The pilot requested and received clearance to depart under special VFR and was instructed to report once clear of Class D airspace.

Shortly after the helicopter’s departure, the tower controller received a telephone report that it had crashed into the river. The pilot later reported “encountering an area of dense fog while flying over the very calm water” in which he lost all visual references.

Passenger Successfully Lands King Air

Raytheon C90A, Oct. 4, 2024, Bakersfield, California

With assistance from air traffic control, a front-seat passenger without formal flight training took the controls and made a successful emergency landing after the King Air’s pilot suffered an incapacitating medical event.

The flight was en route from Henderson (Nevada) Executive Airport to Monterey (California) Regional Airport at FL 200 when the pilot lost consciousness.

The passenger, identified in press accounts as the pilot’s wife, attempted

CPR before contacting Southern California ARTCC, which provided navigational assistance. After landing the airplane rolled into the overrun area of Kern County Meadows Field’s Runway 30R and came to a stop without damage. The pilot was hospitalized but did not survive.

Three Perish Attempting O -airport Approach

Bell 206L3+, Oct. 7, 2024, Owenton, Kentucky

The pilot, flight nurse, and flight medic were killed when the helicopter struck a guy wire supporting a 601-foot-high television transmission tower.

The Part 135 air medical flight arrived at the designated landing zone next to a high school at 17:24 and was advised that the fire units tasked with preparing the site were still en route. The pilot responded that he would circle until the landing zone was prepared. At 17:29, he reported the high school in sight and advised that he would perform “a couple of recons, and then head down.” Witnesses saw the helicopter approach at “low altitude” from the north and strike the wire. “Pieces,” specifically the main rotor, separated from the helicopter before both fell to the ground. ADS-B data showed the helicopter approaching the tower on a ground track of 210 degrees at about 350 feet above ground level. At the time, the sun was 18 degrees above the horizon at an azimuth of 246 degrees.

The 19,638-hour airline transport pilot held privileges for helicopter and multiengine airplane, with multiple type ratings. He had logged 7,791 hours in type. The helicopter was equipped with a Garmin 650 GPS, a Garmin 500txi cockpit display with synthetic vision, and a helicopter terrain awareness and warning system. These had the capacity to provide the crew with both visual and aural warnings of obstructions and terrain.

Final Reports

Four Escape Wire Strike Unharmed

Airbus Helicopters AS350B1, Sept. 6, 2021, Kvæ ord Municipality, Troms County, Norway

The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority concluded that “only coincidence…and the captain’s maneuvering after he became aware of it” prevented a fatal accident when the helicopter struck unmarked power lines during a scheduled inspection flight.

The pilot saw the lines—which had already been inspected earlier in the flight— in time to raise collective but too late to avoid impact. The middle cable was lifted over the northernmost before being cut by a main rotor blade.

The blade “was not critically damaged” and the flight controls remained operational, enabling the pilot to make a successful emergency landing. The helicopter sustained damage to its skids, main rotor, and tail boom, but there were no injuries to any of the four on board.

Passenger, Crew Accounts of Hard Landing Di er

Learjet 55, Feb. 11, 2023, Rochester, New York

The pilots’ account of a “firm” landing that was “not exceptionally so” was flatly contradicted not only by passengers but also by physical evidence on the runway itself.

The pilot said that after the Part 91 flight from Palm Beach (Florida) International Airport touched down, the crew could “tell something was wrong as the aircraft was leaning to the left.” After deplaning, they “found the left strut assembly collapsed, damage to the attach point, damage to the left wing, and damage to the fuel tank.” There were no injuries to either pilot or any of the four passengers.

A passenger told investigators that she heard just before touchdown: “too fast, too

fast, which sounded like a person.” She said the airplane “slammed onto the runway” so hard that “the oxygen masks deployed, compartments inside the airplane opened, and the baby started screaming” and bounced into the air.

The landing that followed was “very bumpy.” The captain was “apologizing profusely” as they deplaned, and they were “rushed to their van because the airplane was leaking fuel.” Airport firefighters contained a leak estimated at 25 gallons and reported a “trail of fuel” leading from Runway 28 to the ramp.

In “nearly identical” written statements to the NTSB and their insurance company, both pilots said that the left wing was low during the departure roll, which they corrected with aileron. Surveillance footage showed the jet taxiing “in a level attitude, no damage to the wings…evident, and…not leaking any

fluids.” While the copilot reported landing in the touchdown zone, investigators found skid marks consistent with the left main gear tires that began 110 feet before the displaced threshold, with “fractured parts…scattered over and beyond the ground scars and tire markings.” Surveillance footage showed that the airplane flew 270 feet between its initial bounce and eventual landing.

Both crew members held airline transport pilot certificates. The 53-year-old pilot reported 13,550 flight hours including 300 in the Learjet 55. The 59-year-old copilot reported 17,000 hours but just 30 in the accident make and model, for which he did not hold a type rating.

The NTSB cited as probable cause: “The pilots’ failure to attain a proper landing flare and touchdown point, which resulted in a hard landing short of the runway.” z

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Compliance Countdown

BY GORDON GILBERT

JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Dec. 17, 2024

UK: Airspace Redesign

In a critical step towards delivering on a pledge to support airspace modernization, the UK has launched significant proposals t o redesign the airspace to improve the way aircraft fly in, out, and over the country, starting with London’s busy metropolitan area. By facilitating upgrades to the UK’s “highways of the sky” concept, the proposed plans could reduce delays, emissions, and noise pollution, “making the industry more e cient and delivering important economic growth for the whole of the UK.” Comments on the proposals are due Dec. 17, 2024.

Dec. 16, 2024

U.S.: Drug and Alcohol Testing

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend its regulations for conducting drug and alcohol testing for the federally regulated transportation industry, including pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and other aviation workers, to allow, but not require, electronic signatures on required documents, the use of electronic versions of forms, and the electronic storage of forms and data. The regulatory changes would apply to DOT-regulated employers and their contractors who administer drug and alcohol testing programs. Currently, employers and their service agents must use, sign, and store paper documents. Comments are due by Dec. 16, 2024.

Jan. 1, 2025

Europe: Emergency Locator Transmitters

Certain large airplanes certified in Europe must 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). Airplanes with a mtow of more

than 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. Additional time for compliance from the original compliance date of Jan. 1, 2023, was needed due to technical, equipment, and ATC issues, as well as aircraft delivery and type certification delays stemming from the 2020-2021 pandemic years.

Jan. 1, 2025

Denmark: Passenger Tax

Starting in 2025, Denmark will enact its long-time proposed per-passenger air travel tax with rates gradually escalating through 2030. The tax applies to all aircraft—commercial and private—with more than 10 seats and an mtow of 12,566 pounds or more. They will be levied on a sliding-rate scale based on flight length: intra-Europe, medium-haul, and longhaul. Rates initially will range from $4.48 to $44.82 per passenger but are scheduled to increase from $7.35 to $60.30 by 2030. The government said proceeds from the tax will be used to fund the transition to sustainable aviation fuel in Denmark and for cash assistance to the elderly.

Jan. 6, 2025 and July 7, 2025

U.S.: Designating a U.S. Agent

The FAA will require individuals with foreign addresses and no U.S. physical address on file with the agency who hold or apply for certain certificates, ratings, or authorizations to designate a U.S. agent for service of related documents. The U.S. agent will receive FAA document service on the certificate holder or applicant's behalf. According to the agency, “This rule facilitates the FAA's ability to accomplish prompt and cost-effective servicing of other safetycritical or time-sensitive documents to individuals abroad facilitated through their U.S. agents.” The compliance date is Jan. 6, 2025 for certificate applicants and July 7, 2025 for certificate holders.

Jan. 8, 2025

UK: Electronic Travel Authorization

The UK is rolling out an electronic travel authorization (ETA) digital permission scheme to travel to the country that is being implemented in phases, with different countries being added to the requirement at different times. The U.S. is included in the group of countries from which certain travelers must comply with ETA requirements starting on Jan. 8, 2025. Applications will start being accepted after Nov. 27, 2024. By April 2025 most international visitors

who don’t require a visa will need an ETA to enter the UK. An ETA costs 10 UK pounds and will be valid for two years.

Jan. 22, 2025

UK: Air Passenger Tax

The UK government will impose a 50% hike to air passenger duty (APD) taxes for most business aircraft charter flights beginning April 1, 2026, according to plans in the country’s new annual budget statement. The government also launched a proposal on how the duty applies to what it categorizes as private jets. The consultation will con sider whether the private aircraft APD, first introduced in April 2013, might be extended to models not now within the scope of the charges. Currently, duties apply to aircraft with a mtow of more than 44,000 pounds with 18 or fewer passenger seats. Comments on the proposal are due by Jan. 22, 2025.

May 1, 2025

Europe: Travel Information and Authorization System

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) is an online pre-travel and pre-boarding requirement applying to visa-exempt third-country nationals plan ning to travel to European states. The imple mentation date for ETIAS has been extended several times, with the latest now May 1, 2025. The information is submitted via an online application ahead of arrival at borders enabling pre-travel assessment for irregular migration risks, security, or public health risk checks. ETIAS is one of two new European travel authorization programs. The other program is EES (Entry/Exit System), compliance for which was scheduled to start in October 2024. International flight planning organizations, such as OpsGroup and Universal Weather and Aviation, have been seeking clarification if ETIAS and EES apply to private operators or just commercial flights.

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

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People in Aviation

BY JESSICA REED

FlightSafety International promoted Barbara Telek to president, succeeding Brad Thress . A former Textron Aviation executive, Thress retired after serving at the helm of FlightSafety since February 2020. Telek had served with the company as CFO since 2023. Before that, she held roles as executive v-p of strategic initiatives for FlightSafety’s sibling NetJets and as CFO for NetJets’ Executive Jet Management unit.

Kyle Bonda was appointed as Gulfstream Aerospace ’s regional sales manager for the U.S. East Coast. Bonda’s previous experience includes aircraft sales and acquisitions and market intelligence, in addition to aircraft operations, charter, and management.

Wheels Up Experience named Meaghan Wells executive v-p of enterprise planning and strategy. Wells previously was the chief investment officer at Vista Global.

Air charter provider Tradewind Aviation appointed Elise Garofalo CFO. Garofalo was previously CFO of Outbrain for nearly 10 years.

NATA promoted Jenny Ann Urban to v-p of regulatory affairs, taking over as department head from Alan Stephens, who is now a senior advisor at NATA. Urban, an international aviation attorney, started at the association in January as managing director of air charter and maintenance, having previously served as director of aviation relations and compliance for a biometric identity platform.

Business aircraft brokerage Jetcraft promoted Chris Hollingsworth and Sean O’Leary from sales directors to regional vice presidents. Hollingsworth will oversee the Central U.S. region, including the Midwest and South Central territories. O’Leary will lead development in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast U.S. territories.

Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA) is installing a new leadership team after the retirement of founding member and long-time executive

director Elizabeth Clark. She will continue as director emeritus after leading the organization for more than 31 years. Tracie Carwile, a longtime Universal Weather and Aviation executive who is now v-p of global sales and inclusion for GlobalGround Transport, is stepping into the role of CEO and executive director for WCA. Carwile has nearly 20 years of business aviation experience and was a 2020 recipient of NBAA’s 40 Under 40 honor. She has previously been a board member of WCA. In addition, Cassandra Shelby was named CFO and director of the organization. An international captain on the Gulfstream G550 and G280 for The Coca-Cola Company, Shelby has held various roles with WCA, including president and director.

Smart Aviation appointed Matt Feldon as head of charter; he now oversees the operation of all commercial and private jet charter bookings at the company. He most recently held a senior position within Chapman Freeborn Airchartering’s UK passenger charter team and has also been employed at Air Charter Service and ACC Aviation Group.

Larry Pilkington was appointed as the new senior v-p of engineering at Enstrom Helicopter. His previous experience includes serving as chief engineer at Columbia Helicopters.

Robinson Helicopter appointed Will Fulton v-p of business development. Fulton’s 15-plus years of experience includes serving as the North America head of marketing for Airbus Helicopters and working at Bell as an engineer and then a sales manager.

Duncan Aviation hired Holly Bauman as the regional manager for its east-central territory. Bauman’s expertise is in business development, customer service, and regional sales. Duncan Aviation also transferred engine shop team leader Taron Wissing to the company’s Gulfstream airframe service sales team at its facility in Provo, Utah. Wissing has worked full-time at Duncan since 2019, starting as a lead technician

BARBARA TELEK

MATT FELDON

HOLLY BAUMAN

JENNY ANN URBAN

in the engine line department and earning a promotion to engine line team leader in 2021.

Ralph Müller took on the role of CEO of hydrogen-electric powertrain system developer H2FLY. Founder Josef Kallo—the previous CEO—is now the company’s chief technology officer. Müller previously led international organizations BorgWarner and Mann+Hummel.

Curtis Grasle was promoted to technical sales manager at West Star Aviation’s East Alton, Illinois facility. Grasle started at West Star in 2013 as an apprentice aircraft maintenance technician and has held other positions, including lead aircraft maintenance technician and project manager.

Tecnam promoted Pasquale De Rosa to sales manager for Europe. De Rosa’s 15-plus years of experience include working as sales executive for an EASA-approved design organization before joining Tecnam in 2022 as marketing manager. z

AWARDS AND HONORS

Lirio Liu was selected for the NATA Distinguished Public Service Award in recognition of her career at the FAA, which spanned 33 years. She most recently held the position of executive director of certification at the FAA and had also been executive director for the O ce for International A airs.

Andy Priester, chairman of George J. Priester Aviation, was presented with the NATA Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the future of general aviation. Priester led the company’s strategic acquisition of Mayo Aviation in 2022 and acquired Hill Private Aviation in 2023.

Lou Pepper, the former decades-long CEO of Atlantic Aviation, was awarded NATA’s highest honor, the William “Bill” Ong Memorial Award, at the association’s Aviation Business Conference in Nashville. Under his leadership, Atlantic grew from just five locations in 1999 to more than 100 today, making it one of the world’s largest aviation service provider chains and helping redefine the concept of a service-first FBO.

Richard “Rick” Crider, director of Arizona’s Prescott Regional/ Ernest A. Love Field Airport (KPRC), was awarded the National Air Transportation Association’s Airport Executive Partnership Award. The accolade recognizes airport managers who successfully foster relationships between airport operators and aviation businesses. Under his guidance, Prescott Regional has emerged as a key player in general aviation, supporting more than 350

Aviation associations honored the legacy of Robert Olislagers, a prominent airport leader and general aviation (GA) advocate, in recognition of his contributions to the aviation industry. Olislagers, who served as executive director of Centennial Airport (KAPA) in Colorado for more than two decades, passed away on October 3. . Appointed as KAPA’s executive director in 2000, Olislagers helped to secure the airport’s growth by authoring and advocating for a bill that restored federal funding. This e ort solidified KAPA’s status as a critical hub for business aviation, fostering its reputation as one of the world’s top GA airports.

Éric Gérard, a test pilot at Dassault Aviation from 1991 to 2017, passed away on September 17 in a touring plane accident in Italy. Gérard was the first pilot to land on the Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier, and he contributed to the development of Dassault’s nEUROn UAS and Falcon 8X.

aircraft and housing six flight schools, a major U.S. Forest Service Fire Center, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) named six recipients for its 2024 Wesley L. McDonald Distinguished Statesmen and Stateswomen of Aviation Award: Ronald Fogleman, U.S. Air Force (retired), a decorated Vietnam combat pilot, has served as a military leader, 15th USAF chief of sta , and active aerospace advisor; Robert “Hoot” Gibson, U.S. Navy (retired), is an aeronautical engineer, Naval Top Gun, Shuttle commander, Reno Air Race champion, and active test pilot; Patricia “Trish” Gilbert has served as an air tra c controller, executive labor leader, active aviation advisor, and presidential and FAA appointee; Greg Principato, a gubernatorial and presidential appointee, has served as an aviation association executive, general aviation advocate, and global aviation leader; Bobbi Wells, U.S. Army (retired), has served as a military leader, aviation safety pioneer, commercial airline executive, FAA appointee, and employee relations leader; and James “Jim” Viola, U.S. Army (retired), has served as a military leader, combat aviator, and Army Special Operations leader, as well as FAA director, aviation safety specialist, and president and CEO of VAI.

In a nod to the recent passing of veteran aerospace communications stalwart Bill Reavis, NBAA dedicated the Media Headquarters at NBAA-BACE 2024 to his legacy. Reavis, who left his mark for his almost dogmatic representation of Honeywell Aerospace over his nearly 25-year career with the company, died March 14 from cancer.

CURTIS GRASLE

Other notable executive appointments included Patrick Desbois and Brad Trenkle as co-COOs at Garmin and Chuck Wiplinger, president and CEO of Wipaire, stepping in as chair of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association board. Embraer appointed Guilherme Paiva as director of investor relations and mergers and acquisitions.

The CEO transition at Airbus Americas saw Robin Hayes, former JetBlue Airways CEO, taking the role after C. Jeffrey Knittel’s retirement in June. Hayes, known for his leadership at JetBlue and executive roles at British Airways, brings extensive commercial experience, supporting Airbus’ continued development in the Americas. Eviation Aircraft appointed Andre Stein as CEO and Jeff Hurford as CFO.

Gulfstream Aerospace promoted Amy Ariano to senior v-p and chief people officer while hiring Smitha Hariharan as v-p and chief sustainability officer. Collins Aerospace’s appointment of Phill Godfrey as chief sustainability officer further represents dedication to greener aviation within the industry.

Meanwhile, Robinson Helicopter named David Smith president and CEO.

Stephanie Kenyon was named COO at Women in Aviation International, and Lynda Coffman was appointed as CEO of the organization.

West Star Aviation restructured its executive team, with Jim Rankin moving to executive chairman and Stephen Maiden taking over as CEO. Allen McReynolds continues as president and COO. z

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