NBAA-BACE Convention News 2023 by Aviation International News

NBAA CONVENTION NEWS

DAY 1

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NBAA CONVENTION NEWS

DAY 1

OCTOBER 17, 2023

Embraer upgraded its entry-level jet with a 190-pound lighter interior and added avionics safety features.

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SUSTAINABILITY SAF Arrives The three Las Vegasarea airports are offering SAF for aircraft during NBAA-BACE. | 2

AIRCRAFT Excel Ascending BARRY AMBROSE

The new flat-floor Citation Ascend is at the BACE static display in mockup form. | 10

OEMS GAMBLE ON LIGHT JETS By Matt Thurber Four business jet OEMs are raising the stakes in the light jet market. One new jet—the HondaJet Echelon—is in development, and significant upgrades are happening to three well-established models: the Embraer Phenom 100EX, Pilatus PC-24, and Textron Aviation Citation CJ3 Gen2. Predecessors of these latter three light jets have sold well, but this is a market that likes new and shiny, and a lack of regular upgrades is a sure way to turn oﬀ potential buyers. Remarkably, in this age of high inflation, Embraer has not only excised 190 pounds from the Phenom 100EX but has also added many features while maintaining the $4.995 million price tag. Owners who pay the bills will appreciate the EX cabin’s finer touches such as the upper tech panel inspired by Embraer’s larger models, wider seats, and flush-to-the-wall tables. Pilots who have flown the latest Phenom 300E will see the same runway overrun awareness and alerting system, stabilized approach, and new radar features in the 100EX. As announced in June, Honda Aircraft is proceeding with “commercialization” of its next model, unveiled as the Concept

2600 at NBAA-BACE 2021. Now named the HondaJet Echelon, the jet features midsize jet comfort, speed, and range but in a light jet airframe that can fly coast-to-coast in the U.S. nonstop. Pilatus has sold out production of the PC-24 since it entered service in 2018, and the updated version will no doubt help the Swiss manufacturer maintain its momentum. Now available with a side-facing divan and a Lufthansa Technik Nice cabin management system, the PC-24’s range is 200 nm higher, up to 2,000 nm with six passengers. A new predictive maintenance system has also been added. Textron Aviation’s Gen2 update of the CJ3 brings this jet in line with other Gen2s. It oﬀers new features to the model’s owner-pilot and charter operator buyers, such as a fold-down side-facing seat in the front of the cabin and new swiveling options for the passenger seats. All seats have USB-C ports and wireless charging trays. Pilots will appreciate the • Phenom 100EX page 44 new autothrottles integrated • Pilatus PC-24 page 42 with the Garmin G3000 avi- • CJ3 Gen2 page 83 onics and extra leg room in • HondaJet Echelon page 84 the flight deck. z

MEDICAL Mental Health Pilot mental health is an urgent issue, and the FAA is helping remove roadblocks. | 30

MARKETS Bizjet Forecast Honeywell’s annual forecast projects a strong market over the next decade. | 48 alerts

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NBAA-BACE progresses on sustainability By Hanneke Weitering NBAA-BACE 2023 is kicking off with a series of discussions on sustainability and the progress toward decarbonizing aviation. Held concurrently with the industry showcase this week, NBAA’s annual Business Aviation

Sustainability Summit will commence today at 11 a.m. with a panel discussion about the next generation of aviation professionals and “the critical role that young people play in helping the industry to meet environmental goals.” At noon, a panel of propulsion experts will discuss the future of electric and hybrid

MARIANO ROSALES

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, standing alongside Wisk Aero’s electric aircraft, is a strong supporter of industry sustainability efforts.

aviation at an invitation-only newsmaker luncheon. To wrap up the first day of the sustainability summit, at 2:30 p.m. a group of aviation regulators and industry leaders will discuss the future of advanced air mobility (AAM) for urban and regional transportation. Discussions of AAM will continue tomorrow, as Day 2 of BACE kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with a keynote session about new technologies that will enable sustainable on-demand flight operations. That panel includes speakers from Blade, UP Partners, and the FAA. Day 2 of the summit will feature another invitation-only newsmakers luncheon at noon, in which a panel of government and business leaders will scrutinize the aviation industry’s progress toward decarbonization and plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Following the luncheon, another panel will convene at 1 p.m. to discuss the impacts of environmental policies on the business aviation industry in the U.S. and Europe. z

SAF on tap at all three Las Vegas airports during NBAA-BACE Aircraft operators flying to Las Vegas for NBAA-BACE have the oppor- explained Atlantic Aviation chief commercial and sustainability officer tunity to refuel their aircraft on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). For the Brian Corbett. “SAF is jet fuel, and currently it is the most meaningful first time in the annual business aviation showcase’s history, SAF is way to make an impact on aviation emissions.” available at all three area airports. For the first time in conjunction with Henderson Executive Airport (KHND), the show, SAF—sourced like the rest of home to the show’s static display, received WFS deliveries to Las Vegas from World 40,000 gallons of blended SAF from World Energy’s Paramount, California refinery— Fuel Services (WFS). That is more than will also be available at North Las Vegas twice the amount available at the airport Airport (KVGT). during NBAA-BACE 2021, the last time the “Expanding SAF supply to three locaannual convention was held in Las Vegas. tions during NBAA-BACE showcases our At Harry Reid International Airport commitment to the growth of SAF supply,” Atlantic Aviation is one of the local FBOs serving SAF. (KLAS), WFS has supplied the Atlantic Avisaid Malcolm Hawkins, WFS’s senior v-p ation FBO with 16,000 gallons of blended for global business aviation. “We continue SAF. Additionally, Atlantic will offer the ability for customers to use its to help enable our customers’ journey to net zero and to help the SAF book-and-claim program to purchase usage credits through its industry cut carbon emissions by 50 percent.” SAF Marketplace at its Los Angeles (KLAX), Long Beach (KLGB), and Signature Aviation will also be providing SAF at its KLAS facility proStockton (KSCK), California locations. vided by sister company Epic Fuels this week through the 2023 Formula “We are extremely mindful of business aviation’s responsibility to 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 19. The chain will also be providing combat climate change and work towards a cleaner environment,” SAF book-and-claim for interested attendees at each event. C.E.

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Bizav accelerates to net-zero goal By Kerry Lynch The business aviation community has coalesced behind a new campaign—Climbing Fast—to highlight the progress and promise it has made toward the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Unveiled this morning at the kickoff NBAABACE 2023, the Climbing Fast advocacy campaign will be used to educate public opinion leaders and decision-makers on business aviation’s commitment to—and leadership role in—sustainability. The campaign will involve a dedicated website that will be used as a promotional vehicle, as well as a resource. In addition, plans call for paid digital advertising, a multi-channel social media presence, and a targeted media relations program. And, the campaign is threaded throughout BACE this year, from signage and pins to sessions, including a newsmaker luncheon tomorrow entitled “Business Aviation is Climbing Fast on Sustainability.” Climbing Fast builds on the long-time advocacy campaign No Plane No Gain, said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. Now about 30 years old, No Plane No Gain has evolved over the years to adapt to different environments, media platforms, and types of messaging. “It has always been kind of a focal point for our industry, a rallying call based on a catchy phrase that was well known…and it

has allowed us to talk effectively about who we are and the societal benefits that business aviation offers,” he explained. But industry leaders recognized that in addition to touting societal benefits, “We need to be clear and unequivocal about our commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050,” Bolen said. This comes as the industry has been increasingly targeted by eco-protesters. As such, industry associations collectively

The business aviation industry is taking the lead by highlighting its progress on sustainability. have spent several months “understanding how best to present all that we are and all that we’re doing, including our commitment to sustainability to a public that may not know, understand, or appreciate business aviation.” Working with an established pollster, “we learned that there are, maybe as you would expect, a lot of people who don’t know business aviation [and] don’t understand business aviation. When asked about business aviation and sustainability, they don’t make

Raise a paddle for Corporate Angel Network Corporate Angel Network’s annual fundraiser is already underway with a silent auction live at FundAnAngel.org. Meanwhile, the organization’s Fund An Angel cocktail party will kick off tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at the Conrad in Las Vegas, where more than 40 items will be available for silent and live bidding. Items include tennis rackets signed by

Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, and Stefanie Graf; various flight training packages from CAE and FlightSafety International; jet fuel cards; Apple watches; club-level Giants tickets; and various vacation packages. Corporate Angel Network is hoping to raise more than half a million dollars to support its mission of providing free flights to treatment for cancer patients and their families. J.L.E.

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a positive connection.” The polling also showed that when presented with facts about what business aviation is doing on sustainability, people began to change their opinion. “We saw there were a significant number of people who were persuaded that business aviation is an essential industry with a commitment to sustainability.” The industry needs to recognize that it can convey what it’s done, what it’s doing, and what its commitment is, he further said. As far as telling this story, he said, several options were examined and focus groups were conducted. That led to Climbing Fast. Climbing, he said, shows forward motion in aviation, and fast represents a significant sense of urgency. The logo is styled with a leaf to represent sustainability and the environment. “So, we are climbing fast to net-zero emissions. We are climbing fast to create new jobs. We’re climbing fast to provide economic development. We’re climbing fast to help companies get where they need to be when they need to be there safely, securely, flexibly, sustainably. And we’re climbing paths to provide even more humanitarian relief,” he said. “But really, what you hear in these words and see in the logo is our mission to net zero.” Bolen stressed that this is not just a mission, it’s a promise. “Business aviation is the technology incubator for the aviation industry as we lead the way in advancing safety and sustainability,” said Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, another of the associations supporting Climbing Fast. “Our industry supports over 1.2 million total jobs and over $247 billion in total economic output in the United States. When you look at our industry, Climbing Fast truly describes the work we have been doing to foster aviation’s sustainability and technology, advance safety, strengthen economic growth, and provide valuable services to communities.” Bolen stressed that the Climbing Fast campaign is an industry-wide effort with several aviation organizations involved and supporting the effort. z

BARRY AMBROSE

The Global 7500 fleet has amassed 100,000 hours since service entry in December 2018. Owners will be able to upgrade to the Global 8000 configuration after 2025.

Bombardier notches 150th Global 7500 By Mark Huber Bombardier marked the delivery of its 150th Global 7500 ultra-long-range business jet on yesterday at NBAA-BACE 2023. The aircraft was actually delivered to an undisclosed customer in September. In addition, the Global 7500 fleet has amassed 100,000 hours since service entry in December 2018. The aircraft also set 20 speed/distance records to date, including a 8,225-nm October 2019 flight from Sydney, Australia, to Detroit, Michigan. Bombardier claims the Global 7500 has a dispatch reliability rate of 99.8 percent. The 7500 features a “smooth flex wing” that reduces drag, fuel burn, and turbulence; a four-zone passenger cabin with the Lufthansa Nice Touch cabin management system, Nuage zero-gravity single executive seats, and Soleil cabin lighting designed with circadian rhythm-based technology to combat jet lag; a large galley; and dedicated crew suite. A revised version of the aircraft announced in 2022, the Global 8000, remains under development and on track, according to Bombardier, with plans for it to enter into service in the second half of 2025. The program’s lone test vehicle has flown 150 hours to date backed by 1,000 hours of ground rigging tests. The Global 8000’s top speed is Mach 0.94 thanks to a software change to its GE Passport engines.

During flight testing in 2021, the aircraft exceeded Mach 1 in a shallow dive. Maximum range increases by 300 nm, to 8,000 nm, as a result of fuel storage optimization. The aircraft also adds advanced Hepa cabin air filtering. Overall aircraft dimensions are unchanged from the Global 7500, and 7500 operators will be able to upgrade their aircraft to Global 8000 configuration via service bulletin for a modification and calibration process that will take approximately one week. Bombardier CEO Eric Martel said the company has more than 200 “order options” from large operators of Challenger and Global aircraft, with Global 7500 and 8000 models accounting for nearly half the total. He said the company “has set a solid foundation for its future,” adding that the company had no plans to sell any additional assets to pay down debt. Bombardier disposed of its rail car, aerostructures, turboprop, and commuter jet divisions in recent years and is now a pure business jet player. “We’re on a nice path. We’ve been reducing the debt by more than half so far and still, you know, have a bit of work to do, but I think [we’re headed] in the right direction.” Martel said the company was sticking with 2023 annual revenue guidance of $7.63 billion, up from $6.9 billion in 2022. Bombardier also paid down $1.1 billion of its outstanding debt, but still had $6 billion in long-term debt

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remaining at the end of last year. It lost $128 million from continuing operations in 2022. Moody’s currently rates Bombardier’s debt at B2 or stable. The company also has added 1,100 employees since the end of 2022 and its workforce currently stands at 17,000. This week Bombardier also is showcasing its used aircraft resale program called Certified PreOwned (CPO) and discussing the Smart Services Elite enhanced product support program. Paul Sislian, Bombardier executive v-p of aftermarket support and strategy, said aircraft that go through the CPO process on average sell for 10 percent above Blue Book value and sell 40 percent faster than those that do not. Bombardier will offer aircraft it has acquired on the aftermarket for the program and also will offer it for customer-owned Learjet, Challenger, and Global aircraft. The CPO refurbishment program includes a full cabin upgrade with new soft goods, electronics, and connectivity. “The customer feels like he is walking into a new aircraft,” Sislian said. The process also includes all applicable service bulletin updating and a one-year warranty that includes corrosion coverage and Bombardier Smart Parts enrollment for the customer. “It’s full peace of mind,” Sislian said. A 10-year-old Challenger 300 that has been through the process is on static display this week at NBAA-BACE. Sislian called Bombardier’s new Smart Services Elite maintenance plan “the most comprehensive cost per hour program on the market bar none” that consolidates the current Smart Services program into a single offering with a single invoice that “eliminates all the confusion” of menu-driven plans. “We’ve made the program easy.” z

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Textron Aviation’s Citation Ascend mockup makes BACE debut By Hanneke Weitering Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation Ascend, the latest Excel/XLS variant, is making its U.S. debut this week at NBAABACE in cabin mockup form. The fullsize cabin replica of the new midsize jet, which the company announced at EBACE 2023, is available for viewing at its BACE static display. While EBACE attendees had the opportunity to look inside the Ascend cabin mockup, guests at BACE are the first to see the aircraft’s exterior. “This mockup has been completely reworked since EBACE, including the hardshell with a beautiful exterior, fully sustainable interior, [and] more functionality within the cabin,” said Lannie O’Bannion, Textron Aviation’s senior v-p of sales and flight operations.

Flattening the Floor A key feature of the Ascend is its flat floor, which makes the cabin feel more spacious despite having a little less headroom than earlier models with dropped aisles. Taking advantage of the added floor space in the Ascend, Textron designed new ergonomic seats that passengers can swivel and track to create more legroom and get comfortable. Customers can choose from a variety of sustainable materials to customize the seats and other aspects of the interior. The Ascend will come equipped with the Garmin G5000 avionics suite, which includes an integrated autothrottle system and four touchscreen controllers that help reduce pilot workload and improve safety. Textron Aviation CEO Ron Draper said the company has begun flight testing an early prototype of the Ascend equipped with Garmin G5000 avionics. He said a production-representative version is on track to begin flight testing before year-end. The $16.7 million jet is expected to enter service in 2025. z

A flat floor and swiveling seats give the Ascend’s cabin a more spacious feel.

Garmin G5000 avionics with an autothrottle system helps reduce pilot workload.

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ForeFlight is adding oceanic plotting to its popular mobile app.

ForeFlight’s portfolio gains new features By Matt Thurber ForeFlight has added improvements to its core ForeFlight Mobile app and Dispatch web platform that bring new safety benefits for pilots and improved eﬃciency for flight departments and dispatchers. Simpler processes for multilicense purchases and easier self-help for adding and removing users are among the changes, along with new Dispatch diversion planning features, live fleet tracking, and oceanic plotting. For ForeFlight users, the runway analysis service continues to grow, with an expanded list of airplane models now able to use the ForeFlight engine-out procedures (EOPs). “We have passed the 80 percent mark and now support a large percentage of the models currently active in the business aviation fleet,” said content marketing manager Sam Taylor. More airplanes are added every month, and ForeFlight now has more than 10,500 EOPs at airports worldwide. Runway analysis allows pilots to fly with the maximum payload possible while meeting terrain- and obstacle-clearance requirements in case of loss of one engine during the takeoﬀ phase of flight. Airlines have long used runway analysis EOPs

to allow dispatchers to calculate the highest possible maximum takeoﬀ weight for specific runways while meeting minimum climb, available runway length, obstacle clearance, and other requirements. Earlier this year, ForeFlight began providing EOPs in the app’s interactive 3D view, which allows users to preview the EOP from a “bird’s eye” and movable vantage point instead of just on a flat 2D map. “It’s a great way to visualize what the procedure requires you to do,” he said. The new fleet-tracking solution will allow Dispatch users to view aircraft with non-blocked ADS-B information or to track blocked aircraft that are part of the user’s own fleet. This feature is in partnership with RadarBox developer AirNav Systems, and it should be available soon after BACE. Some fleet tracking capabilities include overlay of weather and other information on the map, flight status, and linking to Dispatch when tracking the user’s own aircraft. ForeFlight is adding oceanic plotting to ForeFlight as an optional feature for the active navlog that is available for Performance Plus subscribers. Users can plan the flight, select diversion airports and equal time points,

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and—once entering non-radar airspace—note information for each fix and perform gross navigational error checks. After the flight, pilots can sign, save, archive, and email the plot as a PDF. “It integrates with the flight plan flow,” said Taylor. “[Plotting] has been a hugely requested feature, it’s the last piece of paper our pilots have in the cockpit and eliminates the need for charts in the cockpit. Dispatch has had oceanic planning capabilities for a while, but then dispatchers would have to give the flight plan to pilots and they bust out the paper chart. Now they can do this on their iPads.” ForeFlight has also added contingency planning for Dispatch, allowing users to add adequate diversion airports that they can specify for the entire flight, configured for a particular aircraft. “This helps operators select which airports they could divert to that meet certain runway, procedures, and weather requirements,” said Kelsey Pittman, director of product. “It helps them narrow down potential solutions when they’re going to be outside the range of closer airports.” Before this feature was available, users had to research airports that met the required criteria as diversion airports. “The workflow was more cumbersome,” she said. “Now we help them make those selections. We help narrow it down based on ETOPS rings and where the route has to stay, to make sure those diversion airports are going to be within your aircraft’s capabilities.” Another new Dispatch feature is a reserve fuel policy builder. Instead of having to use one of ForeFlight’s 12 built-in fuel reserve policies, users can define their own in great detail and then use those for their flights. Or users can modify fields on a per-flight basis. To make managing ForeFlight licenses easier for multiple users, the company has added a self-serve capability, eliminating the need to contact a salesperson to buy licenses for Dispatch, runway analysis, fuel advisor, and other products. “It works for aircraft-specific licenses and app-specific licenses,” Taylor said. “You can buy directly on the web and assign to the aircraft, and it’s prorated to the end of the subscription. This covers a huge chunk of our support requests. Any business account administrator can access those.” z

I N T R O D U C I N G T H E N E W C E S S N A C I TAT I O N C J 3 G E N 2 .

B U I LT F O R YO U R PURSUIT OF THE P O S S I B I L I T I E S A H E A D. The new Citation CJ3 Gen2 culminates over 50 years of Textron Aviation’s Cessna personal jet travel prominence. From its advanced Garmin G3000 flight deck with autothrottles to its array of cabin comfort and convenience upgrades, the Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen2 has been intelligently designed to fulfill your every expectation.

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G E N 2 I S T H E M O S T C A PA B L E C J 3 Y E T. In the world of single-pilot jets, the Citation family sets the standard for operational ease, efficiency, and confidence. The new Citation CJ3 Gen2 is all that and much more. Among its many cockpit features, the Gen2 showcases dual touchscreen interfaces with Garmin’s latest software, making the Garmin G3000 suite significantly more intuitive and easier to use. To optimize operational capabilities, the advanced suite also features dual FMS/WAAS-enabled GPSs, TAWS-B, TCAS II, ADS-B Out/In, and more. To help optimize situational awareness even in low-visibility situations, the CJ3 Gen2’s Garmin glass panel includes synthetic vision and Garmin’s new GWX8000 StormOptix digital radar with turbulence detection and ground clutter suppression. Plus, you can upgrade with the optional Enhanced Vision System (EVS). Another advancement is the addition of new full-regime autothrottles with under-speed and over-speed protection, significantly improving the management of the Williams FJ44-3A engines while reducing workload. Besides being extremely capable, the new Citation CJ3 Gen2 is, like all Citations, a pure joy to fly. And, after all, isn’t that what being a pilot is all about?

T H I S I S W H AT AS P I R AT I O N A L LO O K S L I K E . Nothing says you’ve arrived like stepping into the cabin of the Citation CJ3 Gen2. It is bright, open, and inviting, whether lit naturally from the 14 windows or by the high-efficiency color-selectable LEDs. The redesigned cabin also features newly upholstered seats with tracking capabilities on the base and floor, providing comfortable seating on the aircraft for up to 10 occupants. If you need more options, you can choose the custom galley prep area configuration that allows for beverage and food preparation with a durable surface storage system and seating for 9 occupants.

To optimize convenience and productivity, each pedestal seat

Speaking of the Williams FJ44-3A engines, they deliver more

features USB-C outlets, wireless smartphone charging, and

efficient performance in hot and high conditions than their direct

top-loading executive or slimline tables.

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Lastly, the private, rear-located lavatory and fixtures are also totally redesigned. It features CoolView skylights to supply abundant natural lighting and an optional newly redesigned

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T H E E F F I C I E N CY TO E N A B L E YO U R PURSUIT OF POSSIBILITIES. Cessna Citations have always been among the leaders in efficiency, and the new Citation CJ3 Gen2 continues that commitment. From its economical FACEC-equipped Williams turbofan engines to its advanced Garmin WAAS/GPS naviga-

lyze, and use data to troubleshoot faster and reduce downtime. Another upgrade that reduces the workload of both pilots and maintainers is the available Garmin GDL 60 Datalink, enabling wireless database updates, transmission of aircraft diagnostics, and other benefits.

tion, enabling more direct routing, to eco-friendly materials in

From enabling more comfortable and efficient flights to helping

the cabin, the CJ3 Gen2 makes significant strides in reducing

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ideal new-generation jet is the Citation CJ3 Gen2.

To learn more about the all-new CJ3 Gen2, visit Textron Aviation exhibit C8744 or static display AD_51 during NBAA-BACE 2023. Or visit: Cessna.com/CJ3-Gen2

Supply-chain issues still slowing production By Curt Epstein

CHAD TRAUTVETTER

“This is a relationship-driven industry. How do you have a relationship when you don’t have The lingering supply-chain issues resulting from all the parts on your shelf that you need?” the Covid pandemic are still putting pressure on Dobbins asked rhetorically. the aviation industry, according to speakers at “Right now, every one of us—whether they last month’s annual JetNet iQ Summit in New will admit it or not—is calling customers York. While those constraints are acting as a saying your airplane is going to be delayed,” drag on production in a period of strong OEM Amalfitano explained candidly. “We’re all doing it, some more so than others dependbacklogs, some see that as a positive. “A big issue for a lot of us right now is the ing on the segment you are in—that’s reality.” supply chain,” explained David Rosenberg, To help ease supply bottlenecks, he said, Textron Aviation’s senior v-p and CFO. “We Embraer has more than 60 employees stawould all love to be building more airplanes tioned with critical suppliers around the world, right now, but the supply-chain constraints looking to boost their production levels. His have resulted in a better equilibrium between supply and demand.” “What that’s done is maintain price discipline, maintain supply growth, and maintain production levels so the industry stays healthy,” added Michael Amalfitano, the president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets. “That helps the new buyer and that helps the used buyer because they have a residual value to protect.” Problems in the supply chain have had a cascading effect that extends all the way to the support network, noted General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce. “An aircraft operator needs to be company is also looking to see what outside serviced and all of a sudden we get word that production it can bring in-house to give more a first-tier supplier can’t provide an essen- certainty and control to supply lines. tial engine or avionics [component] on time Thierry Betbeze, CEO of Dassault Falcon, because they can’t get parts, so they may have stated that rather than see its production lines to take parts off the production line and give hobbled by parts shortages, his company is them to the aftermarket line to be able to fix it.” sending factory workers out to bolster the proDelray Dobbins, the head of sales and duction lines at some crucial small providers strategy for Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Eagle and has even acquired some of those companies Service Plan, noted that the industry’s repair whose owners are looking to exit the industry. capacity is not where it was pre-Covid. He But it’s more than just the finished prodnoted that normally if the company’s techni- ucts that are in short supply, noted Amalfitano, cians couldn’t repair a part or component they citing windshields as a pinch-point example would simply sell the customer a new part, in the manufacturing and repair sectors. “If which is now difficult with a reduced spare you have a windshield, it has resins in it, and parts inventory. there’s a challenge with windshields all across “The lack of repair capability has exacer- the globe, so you don’t magically fix some of bated the strain on new-parts supply,” he said. these things even at the raw-material level,

whether it’s carbon-fiber, aluminum, titanium, resins, [semiconductor] chips, there’s a lot of challenges in terms of this recovery.” Juergen Wiese, chairman of the European Business Aviation Association and managing director of BWM’s corporate aviation operations, added that there is competition for these materials between aviation and his employer’s industry as well. The parts shortage has even begun to aﬀect pricing on the second-hand aircraft market, according to Emily Deaton, CEO of aircraft brokerage JetAviva. “I think what is most interesting is the impact that we are seeing in the bigger marketplace as it even pertains to values because of the supply chain,” she explained to the audience. “We are having to devalue aircraft that are coming up on a hot section because we’re proactively anticipating extended downtimes and a lack of rental engines despite their being on programs or not.”

The post-Covid supply chain disruption is causing airframers to have to modify their delivery schedules due to parts shortages. Labor, or the lack thereof among suppliers, is a major contributor to supply-chain problems. “The same lingering issues that we’re facing in terms of bringing talent in and filling our staﬃng requirements, our suppliers are facing as well,” said Rosenberg. The shortage of such talent comes as the industry looks to increase production in the face of strong demand for new aircraft. “When we had these types of backlogs, our industry has ramped up rapidly,” said Bunce. “Then when something happens like a recession, all of a sudden we are looking at layoﬀs, and we have these big amplitudes,” he explained. “A lot of these companies either went out of business or they are trying to ramp back up and they don’t have the labor out there.” z

a i n o n l i n e . c o m • October 17, 202 3 • N B A A Convention News 13

King Aerospace’s Arkansas facility receives first BBJ maintenance job

The new FlightSafety simulator adds more Praetor pilot training capacity.

Praetor pilots to train in new FlightSafety Orlando simulator By Matt Thurber FlightSafety International has added a new Embraer Praetor 500/600 full-flight simulator at its Orlando, Florida learning center. The Praetor simulator is already FAA levelD-qualified and became available for training last month, with recurrent training slots just added this month. Another Praetor simulator will be placed at a FlightSafety facility in Europe, although the companies haven’t identified the location but said training there will begin by year-end 2024. FlightSafety offers Praetor and Legacy 450/500 pilot training in Dallas and St. Louis, as well as Orlando. Maintenance training for the midsize jets is available at the company’s Paris Le Bourget and St. Louis learning centers. Online ground school for certain pilot

and maintenance courses is also available through FlightSafety’s LiveLearning portal. “Oﬀering additional training capacity is important for supporting our customers,” said Carlos Naufel, president and CEO of Embraer Services and Support. “These two new full-flight simulators bring us even closer to Praetor family pilots and operators in the U.S. and Europe and will provide us with the opportunity to share our latest technological updates and best-in-class support.” “FlightSafety is committed to addressing the increasing demand for Embraer Praetor training,” said Nate Speiser, executive v-p of FlightSafety sales and marketing. “As Embraer’s training partner, we are proud to announce consecutive simulator deployments in two regions to support the worldwide training demand for this quickly growing fleet.” z

14 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

King Aerospace’s new facility at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (KXNA) will receive its first head-of-state Boeing Business Jet for service later this year. The Texas-based company, which specializes in the modification and integration of government owned and operated VVIP aircraft, established its KXNA location last year after leasing two hangars idle there since the 2004 closing of Ozark Aircraft Systems. They are capable of sheltering aircraft as large as the Boeing 777. The BBJ will fly more than 7,000 miles for service at Bentonville in the fourth quarter of this year, making it the first aircraft of its type to use the facility. “We’re pleased to announce this latest agreement to service our foreign government customer’s aircraft,” said company chairman and founder Jerry King. “The distance they are willing to travel shows their confidence and trust in our capabilities.”

The BBJ will fly more than 7,000 miles to Bentonville for its maintenance work. Demonstrating its familiarity and commitment to the type, the company last month held its second annual BBJ Operator Forum, a two-day event. With business increasing at the KXNA location, the company is looking to expand its staff with people “who are not only technically competent but who also share in our values and principles,” said King. C.E.

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Rolls-Royce runs Pearl 700 on hydrogen fuel By Charles Alcock Rolls-Royce and its partners recently ran a Pearl 700—the turbofan engine that powers the Gulfstream G700—on 100 percent hydrogen fuel as part of longer-term work to develop a hydrogen combustion engine for narrowbody airliners by the mid-2030s. Working with the UK’s Loughborough University and German aerospace research agency DLR, the aero engines group said tests on a full annular combustor proved that hydrogen can produce maximum takeoﬀ thrust. According to Rolls-Royce, the breakthrough is based on new fuel spray nozzles that control the combustion process. “This involved overcoming significant engineering challenges as hydrogen burns far hotter and more rapidly than kerosene,” the company explained. “The new nozzles were able to control the flame position using a system that progressively mixes air with the hydrogen to maximize the fuel’s reactivity.” The individual nozzles were initially tested at intermediate pressure at Loughborough

University’s new test facilities at the National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology. Then the hardware was tested at the DLR’s facility in Cologne, Germany, where the final full-pressure combustor evaluation was conducted using rigs at the agency’s Institute for Propulsion Technology. “This is an incredible achievement in a short space of time,” said Rolls-Royce chief technology oﬃcer Grazia Vittadini. “Controlling the

“Controlling the combustion process is one of the key technology challenges the industry faces in making hydrogen a real aviation fuel of the future...” Grazia Vittadini, Rolls-Royce chief technology oﬃcer

combustion process is one of the key technology challenges the industry faces in making hydrogen a real aviation fuel of the future. We have achieved that and it makes it easier to move forward.” Rolls-Royce is working with low-cost carrier EasyJet to develop a larger hydrogen propulsion system. Last year, the company successfully ran an AE2100 turbofan engine on green hydrogen at the Boscombe Down research facility in southern England. Airbus is also involved in the newly formed UK Hydrogen Alliance. The next step for the partners is to incorporate the learnings from both sets of tests to develop a full gas hydrogen ground test on a Pearl engine. Beyond that, they intend to conduct ground tests on the same type of turbofan using liquid hydrogen. At the Paris Air Show in June, French startup Beyond Aero unveiled plans to develop a hydrogen-powered midsize business jet. The company aims to bring the aircraft to market by around 2030 and with a target range of 800 nm. The Toulouse-based company has already built and tested an 85-kW subscale technology demonstrator of the hydrogen fuel cell-based powertrain it intends to develop in-house. It said the 1-MW class propulsion system will include a pair of ducted fans at the rear of the fuselage. z

Propulsion engineers at the UK’s Loughborough University prepare to test new fuel spray nozzles as part of ground trials that ran a Pearl 700 business jet engine on hydrogen fuel. Special fuel spray nozzles were used to control the flame position by progressively mixing air with hydrogen.

16 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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The Falcon 6X will soon enter service, bringing the tallest and widest cabin of a purpose-built business jet to market.

Dassault Aviation readies first Falcon 6X deliveries By Cathy Buyck Dassault Aviation expects to start delivering Falcon 6X large-cabin business jets to customers imminently. The model gained EASA and FAA type certification in mid-August and training of the flight crew of the first Falcon 6X operator began in early September, the company confirmed to AIN. The simultaneous certifications concluded a more than two-year-long test campaign during which three flight-test airplanes logged 1,500 flight hours. The certification process was very demanding, said Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier, explaining that the Falcon 6X was the first new aircraft to be certified after the two fatal accidents of the Boeing 737 Max. The crashes, in October 2018 and March 2019, triggered a consideration of the integrity of the certification process to assure safety “in

the U.S, even in Europe and the rest of the world,” he said. “Everyone was very vigilant,” Trappier told French news channel BFM Business, revealing that he expects first deliveries to take place in early November. “EASA, which was responsible for the Falcon 6X type certification, was very diﬃcult with us, which is normal,” he said. “Even for a large aircraft manufacturer like us, with a lot of experience, it was a lot of work.” He said the fly-by-wire Falcon 6X “combines the best qualities of Dassault Aviation’s world-leading business and fighter aircraft expertise to create the longest-range jet in its class with unparalleled passenger comfort and maximum mission flexibility.” The 5,500-nm twinjet project was launched in February 2018, followed by rollout in December 2020 and first flight in March 2021. The aircraft’s maximum operating speed is

18 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

Mach .90. Its engine, the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812D, received approval last year from the FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada. The Falcon 6X is being introduced into service in a turbulent context, with growing criticism of aviation’s—in particular business aviation’s—perceived environmental footprint in Europe, supply-chain constraints, and a faltering order intake rate. Dassault does not disclose sales by aircraft model, but the French OEM registered orders for just 12 business jets in the first six months of 2023, less than a third of the 41 Falcons it sold in the year-ago period. “We had a very good 2022 in terms of sales, with 64 orders taken,” Trappier remarked. “Now, it is slightly slower. The post-Covid upturn in growth witnessed in 2022 began to ease off in the last quarter of 2022, a slowdown that continued in the first half of this year.” The fear of a recession that emerged at the end of last year “may be a source of concern for our business,” the Dassault Aviation leader said. “When our [Falcon] business is doing well, the economy is doing well. When we’re not doing so well, some people have some concerns about the global economy.” Still, Trappier hopes Falcon sales will pick up once the 6X enters service. “There’ll be a demonstrator, and future clients will be able to assess the 6X in flight, and this will definitely boost the sales of 6X,” Trappier told analysts and reporters during the company’s first-half results presentation. Certainly in the U.S., customers typically wait to buy until after they are able to test the aircraft, he noted. Europe and the U.S. are the biggest Falcon markets, with Asia developing rapidly. Dassault Aviation is maintaining its fullyear delivery guidance and expects to turn over 35 Falcon jets in 2023—up from 32 in 2022 and 30 in 2021—despite a weak first half, which Trappier said was marked by a “continuing [difficult] supply-chain environment” and the difficulties involved in recruiting people. “This situation has an impact on the development and production of our aircraft, which we need to ramp up to meet our commitments,” he conceded. The company delivered nine Falcons in the first six months of this year, compared with 14 in the first half of 2022. z

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Duncan Aviation steps up mx expansion plans By Gregory Polek Duncan Aviation (Booths C9008, N4702), which lays claim as the largest privately owned business jet service provider in the world, is pressing ahead with major expansion plans in both Lincoln, Nebraska, and Battle Creek, Michigan. Speaking with AIN ahead of this year’s NBAA show, Duncan Aviation president Jeff Lake explained that the company hatched the plans for significant expansion before the onset of the Covid pandemic, attesting to its prescience ahead of the industry’s rapid growth since then. Using the latest “green” construction technologies, the company worked with longtime partner Tectonic Management Group to build at both locations a 46,000-sq-ft hangar with 32-foot-high doors and an additional 62,000-sq-ft, two-floor wing for storage and back shops. Costing about $66 million and slated for completion during next year’s first quarter, the projects feature sustainability elements such as light harvesting, radiant floor heating with energy-efficient boilers, LED lighting fixtures with sensors, and automatic dimming. Tectonic estimates that its buildings and systems will perform more than 25 percent more efficiently than required by standard energy codes. The increased footprint for aircraft projects will require the addition of 80 employees at each location “in the short term,” said Lake, and the hiring push has begun. The jobs include airframe technicians as well as positions in interior, installations, engine, paint, and support shops. The Lincoln and Battle Creek expansions follow a similar project completed in 2019 in Provo, Utah, where the employee roles have expanded from 125 to 400 since then. Capabilities in Provo include avionics installations and modifications; interior completions; airframe maintenance for all

models of Bombardier, Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer, and Textron Aviation aircraft; on-wing engine work, engine changes, and quick turns; paint; and ground support equipment manufacturing. The Provo site also hosts a two-year A&P apprenticeship program, one of the initiatives Duncan has instituted to address the alarming shortage of maintenance professionals. “We have been able to add significant [numbers] this year,” said Lake. “I would say we were much more challenged last year. It was really tough to even get people to apply for jobs. We couldn’t get people in to interview.” The extent of the shortage varies depending on where the need for mechanics arises, observed Lake, who noted that Provo has presented a particular challenge. “We were more challenged in Provo just because of the competition [for talent] we had there,” he explained. “Years ago, when we decided to go into Provo, in the 2007, 2008 timeframe, it was much diﬀerent. So we thought we had a very good labor market…but over the past 10 years,

Provo and that whole valley just exploded. “When we look for locations, people sometimes wonder, ‘Why are you in Battle Creek, Michigan, or why are you in Lincoln, Nebraska?’ And quite honestly, we have an advantage getting that labor resource here because we’re not competing with a bunch of other large manufacturers or MROs.” The other big challenge for Duncan— as for virtually every player in the MRO business—centers on the supply chain disruptions and the resulting lack of parts availability. The situation has strained the company’s ability to perform repairs in a timely way, explained Lake, who added that the problem cuts across just about every area of need and extends to things such as engineering services that Duncan outsources. Meanwhile, late parts deliveries mean aircraft that should have left Duncan’s facilities remain in the hangar, taking space needed for new business. “Hopefully we’ll see some improvement by the middle of next year,” said Lake. “At the same time, you can’t just hope for something. So we’re doing everything we can to make sure we’re pre-planning better and looking for other sources…So we’ve really worked with our customers to schedule out in advance. We’ve got work scheduled for well into next year. We’ve even got aircraft scheduled into 2025.” z

A Duncan Aviation mechanic inspects the wing on a Bombardier Challenger 300.

20 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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Cessna Grand Caravan EX Deliveries will commence in 2024.

Textron confirms Surf Air 20 Caravan order By Jessica Reed On September 26, Textron Aviation confirmed an order from Surf Air Mobility for the first 20 units of the Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft. This procurement forms part of Surf Air Mobility’s previously disclosed initial fleet order, which can extend up to 100 aircraft, with options available for

an additional 50 units. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled to commence in the first half of 2024. Sudhin Shahani, co-founder and CEO of Surf Air, remarked on the announcement, saying: “This initial fleet delivery solidifies our commitment to bringing advanced electric aircraft to market to reduce fuel emissions and the cost of air travel.”

Textron Aviation inks 1,500-jet deal with NetJets By Chad Trautvetter Textron Aviation and NetJets last month announced an all-options fleet order for up to 1,500 Cessna Citation Ascend, Latitude, and Longitude twinjets over the next 15 years. This agreement—estimated by industry analyst Brian Foley to be worth approximately $32 billion—builds on an existing NetJets fleet agreement for Citation Longitudes. It also makes the Columbus, Ohio-based fractional aircraft provider the launch customer for the midsize Ascend, an upgraded Citation XLS+ variant unveiled in May at EBACE that is set to enter service in 2025.

“NetJets customers around the world continually select Citations as their aircraft of choice. We’re honored to be the largest provider of industry-leading aircraft to NetJets and look forward to continuing to work

The Cessna Caravan is certified in 100 countries and has accumulated over 24 million flight hours since its introduction. The Cessna Grand Caravan EX model is designed to accommodate high payloads and to enable operations on short runways. Surf Air plans to upgrade the Cessna Grand Caravan EX single-engine turboprops to its proprietary electric or hybrid-electric powertrain technology. The company hopes to receive supplemental type certification from the FAA in 2026. “The Cessna Caravan’s adaptability for passenger and cargo operations makes it an ideal platform for hybrid electric and electric propulsion innovations,” commented Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president of global sales and flight operations. Surf Air Mobility intends to deploy the hybrid electric Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft across its network, further bridging regional airports with direct short-haul services throughout the U.S. This initiative is geared towards forging a sustainable mass transport system that interconnects communities. Surf Air will also exclusively supply Textron Aviation with specific battery electric and hybrid electric powertrain technologies tailored for the Cessna Grand Caravan. z

together to design and deliver the best aviation experience based on customer feedback,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper. Over the past 40 years, NetJets has taken delivery of more than 800 Citations, including exercising more than 300 options for Citation Latitudes and Longitudes during the last eight years. Through the years, NetJets has owned and operated the Citation SII, V, Excel/XLS, Sovereign, X, Latitude, and Longitude. z

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22 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2023 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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Prizm’s headliner mod for the Beechcraft King Air brings bright lighting to dated interiors.

Prizm lights the way for King Air cabin update By Gregory Polek Elliott Aviation subsidiary Prizm Aircraft Products comes to NBAA-BACE 2023 fresh from securing several deals, including its selection

by Aviation Fabricators (AvFab) to provide RGBW wash lighting in its King Air 300-series headliner modification product. Another recent contract calls for Prizm to provide the ethernet interface between Cabin Management

24 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

Solutions’ cabin management system (CMS) and Prizm’s cabin lighting system and for full Prizm RGBW lighting control through the Send Solutions AirText Oasis app. Finally, Collins Aerospace confirmed it will integrate Prizm cabin lighting control into its Venue software, allowing users to operate Prizm lighting entirely within the Venue app. For the AvFab contract, Prizm’s headliner mod gives life to dated interiors. According to the companies, the upgrade resembles the cabins in factory-new King Air 360s. “We’ve been hearing King Air owners complain about the rectangular fluorescent lights for years because of their propensity to break and the choppy look they give the headliner, especially when the lights aren’t in use,” said AvFab’s Hayden Lowe. “We initially thought we’d simply be providing customers with a smooth headliner that didn’t have unappealing boxes throughout the cabin, but we realized along the way that Prizm’s LED downwash lighting was a perfect fit and took the mod to the next level.” AvFab expects to launch the product in November. Separately, Prizm’s seamless ethernet interface between Cabin Management Solutions’ CMS and its own cabin lighting system came at the request of numerous dealers, said Prizm sales director Tim Lockerby. The interface allows full control of the Prizm RGBW lighting via the Cabin Management Systems’ CMS app, ranging from white light to preset mood lighting. “It’s a seamless interface between the two systems featuring less wiring and a robust Ethernet interface,” explained Cabin Management Systems v-p of sales Dave Feuerhak. Prizm expects to have completed work on the integration in January and to finish its integration work on the AirText Oasis app that month as well. “Customers and dealers have been asking for this interface,” noted Lockerby. Allowing the Oasis app to control Prizm lighting oﬀers a simple way to adjust cabin lighting without switching between apps for control. “When combined with Prizm lighting, our Oasis Cabin Entertainment Router provides a seamless interface for customers to access cabin entertainment options and control the lighting,” said Send Solutions g-m Jonathan Pinson. z

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FlightAware adds tracking services for helicopters

and satellite ADS-B. “HyperFeed combines those and makes intelligent decisions based on the information it’s receiving and uses the best information for the most accurate flight picture,” he said. “For helicopters, we had to tweak a good amount of logic to account for their charBy Matt Thurber said, “We’re using Aireon space-based ADS-B acteristics,” Parkman added. “Aireon is key. as a supplemental data source to power our Helicopter operators have been a little less Flight-tracking provider FlightAware has [GFH] product.” trustful of ADS-B tracking because of difficuladded helicopters to its global flight-trackAireon’s network is enabled by ADS-B ties with accuracy. The satellite solution does ing service. Dubbed Global for Helicopters receivers hosted on Iridium’s Next satellite improve that greatly, with Aireon implement(GFH), the new service launched on Monday constellation, and these receivers can detect ing a more granular, higher data feed.” at NBAA-BACE offers tracking capabilities ADS-B transmissions from aircraft where The result is much-improved position similar to those provided by the company’s ground-based receivers are not available, reporting, which used to be every minute or FlightAware Global product for airplanes but including over oceans. For helicopter track- so and now is fewer than every 10 seconds. with features targeting the unique needs of ing, Aireon can “see” aircraft equipped with “This is much better for tracking helicopters helicopter operators. 1090-MHz transponders even at low altitudes, with their more unusual flying patterns,” he “Our mission is being the provider of in mountainous areas, and behind buildings. said. Another data source that Flightthe stories of flight,” said FlightAware has added is Spidertracks. Aware president and general manTo address the challenge of trackager Matt Davis. “We want to tell ing where helicopters land, Flightthe stories of flight in airspace on Aware created a custom airports a global basis. We’ve been focused feature, which lets customers define on fixed-wing historically…[but] their own helipads. This lets Hyperhelicopters are flights and we want Feed treat these locations as helito be telling those stories as well.” copter departure or arrival airports While FlightAware tracks aircraft so it can include them in ETA calcuwith its own network of groundlations, Parkman explained, “rather based ADS-B receivers, hosted than in the past where it said it’s by individuals and companies all close to this airport or city because it over the world, these aren’t didn’t have a specific location always ideally situated to in our database. This allows capturing helicopter movecustomers to define the FlightAware’s new Global for Helicopters service taps into Aireon’s space-based ments. “It’s a bit different polygons that they can enter, ADS-B data feed to enable tracking of helicopters anywhere in the world and in than the fixed-wing story,” exit, and be alerted on.” normally hard-to-track areas. Davis said. A firefighting crew, for Business jets take off from well-established “We’re taking that technology and moving it example, could define an area—polygon—for runways, where helicopters can operate from into the helicopter market,” Davis said. “With alerting the base as to a helicopter’s location. nearly anywhere and often not from airports. [GFH] leveraging ADS-B technology, it makes Other features available with GFH are Tracking helicopters is a more complex tech- it easy, and there’s nothing the operator has to similar to those in FlightAware’s Global prenological challenge, and FlightAware has do to start tracking their helicopters.” mium tracking product, including live surface made new investments to offer that service “We realized we needed to make some tech- movement tracking, predictive ETAs, alertto helicopter operators who want to monitor nology evolutions to be able to track helicop- ing, FBO coordination, premium weather their rotorcraft. ters the way we want,” said senior product layers, and the ability to view an entire fleet “There are other helicopter flight-tracking manager James Parkman. “In the past, we’ve on a map. solutions,” Davis acknowledged, but these had some difficulty distinguishing between The new GFH service costs $3,600 per aircan be expensive, requiring installations of helipads and runways.” craft annually for tracking helicopters with special onboard hardware and some sort of To bolster the experience for helicopter 1090-MHz transponders. FlightAware can operators, FlightAware made improvements also track helicopters with 978-MHz ADS-B satellite communication capability. To keep costs more reasonable and elim- to its HyperFeed engine, which combines data Out, but this service level doesn’t include the inate the need for onboard equipment, he from a variety of sources, including terrestrial Aireon tracking. z

26 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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QTA has developed corrosion-resistant thrust-reverser doors for the HTF7000.

Tackling thrust-reverser corrosion—once and for all By David Donald Quiet Technology Aerospace (QTA) has designed an upgrade of the thrust-reverser (TR) doors for the Honeywell HTF7000 engine, which powers a number of popular business jet types. The doors answer a recurrent issue with corrosion, which can be costly to put right, and follows on from a successful program to develop a carbon graphite inner inlet barrel, of which over 400 have now been delivered. The company received an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) for the doors in May and received approval from Europe’s EASA in September. DGAC (France), ANAC (Brazil), and Transport Canada clearance is expected soon, along with other nations that acknowledge FAA/EASA approval. The approved model list (AML) covers the Bombardier Challenger 300/350/3500, Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600, and Gulfstream G280. The Cessna Longitude is due to be added early next year. Owing to the nature of the STC, adding a new type is a relatively quick and easy process.

There is no physical diﬀerence in the TR doors between one type and another, so the certification process is largely a paper exercise, transferring the approvals to the type-specific part numbers. A physical installation conformity verification and functionality check can be performed on the ground without the need for the engine to be powered up, and the process takes roughly half a day. QTA’s TR door upgrade tackles a problem that has dogged HTF7000 operators: jet erosion corrosion. High-velocity stream, as encountered in jetpipes, breaks down the molecular surface of the doors and leaves the aluminum liable to corrosion. The products of combustion—carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen dioxide—combine readily with water to create an acidic environment that attacks the metal, particularly when the aircraft is at rest and polluted rainwater collects. Only a certain amount of remedial action can be undertaken before a new and expensive door replacement is required, and fitting standard new doors means that they will continue to corrode in the future. Ironically, the problem is more prevalent in newer aircraft

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models that feature higher-thrust engines, in which the greater temperatures and pressures accelerate the erosion process. Drawing on its expertise in engine STCs, which began with hush kits for types such as the DC-8 airliner and Gulfstream II/III in 1986, QTA has engineered a solution that tackles the root cause of the corrosion and solves the issue permanently. The corrosion-affected parts of the door are replaced with CP-70 titanium skins that conform exactly to the original door shape and maintain the same exit area—key factors in gaining certification. QTA can upgrade individual doors if required, although normally customers opt for the full set of six. Once the upgrade is complete, QTA becomes the certification authority for the doors and provides full after-sale support. Like its upgraded inlets, QTA’s TR doors are backed by $50 million product liability insurance against any issues such as aircraft grounding, although the company reports that it has never received a claim. A lifetime warranty is transferrable between owners. Work to perform the upgrade is quoted as six weeks, although as production progresses, that time is being reduced. The company has two complete sets of doors available for exchange or rental to minimize aircraft downtime during the upgrade process. It also maintains six individual doors available on an exchange basis for AOG cases. QTA is reporting a high uptake for its TR doors, stating that it is “the best-selling STC we’ve ever done.” It has already completed seven upgrade sets. Arguably, the company’s biggest issue is upgrade capacity, and it is growing the workforce to meet demand. Production is around 24 TR door sets per year, but that is being increased by adding a second shift. As the STC holder, QTA can also license out work if required. A firm believer in maintaining parts inventory, QTA already holds a stock of titanium skins suﬃcient for 150 door sets. Getting the Longitude added to the AML and increasing the production rate are the main concerns at present. However, QTA is eyeing other opportunities such as talking to airframers about getting its TR doors available for new-build aircraft. The upgrade could be applied as part of the pre-delivery completion process. z

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More work needed on pilot mental health By Kerry Lynch

Mental Health and Wellness in Aviation.” The FAA is making strides in This session is designed to provide a deeper look into the removing roadblocks for pilots struggling with mental health medical and regulatory landscape issues but work remains to surrounding mental health issues, dispel some of the myths assoas well as folding these issues and wellness in general into riskciated with these issues, said Doug Carr, NBAA senior v-p of management plans. safety, security, sustainability, Doug Carr Regarding mental health, Carr said, “We believe there is a great and international operations. NBAA senior v-p of opportunity to provide solid direcMental health is “one topic safety, security, that permeates most of avia- sustainability, and inter- tion for pilots and others who need tion,” Carr told AIN. In fact, national operations a medical certificate to do their the topic is being addressed jobs—provide them with much today at NBAA-BACE as part of the associa- more clarity on what it means to get help, to get tion’s National Safety Forum with a session help that keeps you safe, that keeps you healthy, entitled “What’s on Your Mind, Literally? that keeps you alive while reducing risk.”

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Following the “rumor-mill” world, he said, pilots fear these issues will put their livelihoods at risk. They worry about what will happen if they talk to someone to work through these issues. Therapy visits might require insurance, insurance might require a diagnosis, and a diagnosis is what they fear could risk their medical certificate. “That is what leads to many pilots self-medicating or self-diagnosing…and remaining in a flying status with a condition that really should be treated,” Carr said. As such, “people avoid getting the help that they need, and we need to correct that. We need healthy, smart, trained pilots on the flight deck.”

Making Progress Carr does believe progress is being made on this front. “A lot of this, I think, falls at the feet of the FAA,” he said. “The federal air surgeon, Dr. Susan Northrup, has done a tremendous job in tackling this issue head-on.” This includes providing guidance to address what it means to get help, along with giving air medical examiners more latitude to certify pilots who previously would have required additional FAA review. Dr. Susan Northrup “I think that’s FAA federal air surgeon where change is starting to be felt, [also] with the FAA expanding the number of approved medications that pilots can be on…That’s where we are seeing some real leadership coming from the FAA on getting ahead of this.” Carr cautioned that change will take more than action by the federal air surgeon. It will require the support of the entire community. “But knowing that this is a priority for the FAA and for the federal air surgeon I think makes the work a little easier for the rest of us who are on the front lines, talking with members, talking with pilots about what’s really at stake if you need to put your hand up and say I need help,” he concluded. z

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FBO group Million Air marches to its own beat By Curt Epstein It’s been more than two decades since former charter pilot Roger Woolsey went from being a Million Air FBO franchisee to owner of the company brand. And in that time, the industry has seen some changes. In 2001, when Woolsey acquired the brand, Million Air was one of the largest FBO chains in the business, consisting of 25 facilities—24 owned by franchisees and just one companyowned location. “We were the first chain not all under one ownership,” Woolsey told AIN on the eve of NBAA-BACE 2023. “We were kind of a well-organized group, but we had 25 different cultures and 25 different microbrands underneath a kind of common look.” It took the better part of the next decade to hone those divergent locations into a single mindset of one brand, one focus, and one mantra, Woolsey explained. “When we stepped into the leadership, we really wanted to be the top-quality player,” he said. “No offense to my competitors out there, but it wasn’t like we were looking at some brand saying they’re awesome and we wish we could be them.” Woolsey began to examine market-leading brands in other industries to try and understand what made them special. During that period, there was some churn in Million Air brand locations as company-wide facility and amenity quality standards were rolled out to all the owners, leading some to shy away from committing to such investments. “Sometimes I was scaring them because they were like, ‘You are way overinvesting in this,’” recalled Woolsey. “I said, ‘No, that’s the difference between understanding what your product is. If you think your product is selling jet fuel, you are so right, I am overinvesting and I am stupid. However, if you think our product really is the service, if our job is to be in the kingmaking business, then I’m not overinvesting, and we’re actually very

appropriately focused on doing things differently from our competitors and differentiating ourselves.’” Today, the Million Air chain lists 37 locations, 13 of them company-owned. While that represents growth from 2001, Million Air has not kept pace with the expansion of its private equity-backed mega rivals Signature and Atlantic Aviation, each with triple-digit locations now under their brand. “For those [chains] it’s easier for them to go write checks and pick up locations,” said Woolsey. “What we’ve done is with our own internally generated funds and debt, so although we are able to do it, we’re a bit slower and that’s given my competitors a bit of advantage on acquisition.” Instead, rather than quantity, the company has decided to focus on quality and customer experience, with amenities such as Mercedes-Benz crew cars and Starbucks coffee bars. As an example, in 2019 it opened its long-anticipated new $80 million facility at New York’s Westchester County Airport,

featuring a two-story terminal with enclosed passenger drop-oﬀ, three glass-sheathed conference rooms, six fireplaces, and a room-size golf simulator. In this age of FBO consolidation, Million Air might be viewed as a ripe target, but Woolsey said he has no exit strategy and expects to someday pass the company reins to two of his hardest working employees: his daughter Allison, who was recently named chief of brand after a decade with the company, and his son Chase, a captain with Million Air sister company American Jet International, an aircraft charter and management provider. With aviation having been a part of their lives since they were born, it’s not surprising that some of Woolsey’s children would be drawn into the family business. They are part of generation 2.0 as he describes them, citing other multi-generational business aviation companies such as Duncan Aviation and Cutter Aviation. “I did not really realize it, I don’t think they realized it, but their entire life they’ve been in a master’s level program for aviation,” said Woolsey. “They sat around the dinner table listening to business problems and business opportunities, challenges and solutions, and little did they know that they were being infused, if you will, with both the love of aviation and education.” z

Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey flying with chief of brand and daughter Allison and son Chase, now a captain with Million Air sister company American Jet International.

32 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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Robinson sees increased helicopter production in 2023 By Mark Huber Robinson Helicopter CEO Kurt Robinson said the company is on track to deliver more than 300 helicopters this year, besting 2022’s total of 258. Through the first half of the year, Robinson delivered 161 aircraft, according to information from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. While some supply chain issues remain, Robinson said he expected virtually all of them to be resolved by early next year. “We continue to work through shortages, but we’re very pleased that the market is growing. Delays are less frequent, and I think by

early next year they will be a thing of the past.” The company also is working on updates to its factory pilot training program and plans to have more details on that early next year. Last month, Robinson Helicopter received FAA certification for a new empennage on its R66 single-engine turbine helicopter. The redesigned empennage provides enhanced roll stability during high-speed flight and replaces the original 2,000-hour-TBO asymmetrical horizontal stabilizer with a 4,000-hour-TBO symmetrical horizontal stabilizer mounted on the tailcone, positioned forward of the original.

The R66’s new symmetrical horizontal stabilizer will be offered as a retrofit for earlier models.

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The empennage configuration is standard on all new-production R66s beginning with R66 S/N 1279. Robinson Helicopter is working with civil airworthiness authorities worldwide to obtain foreign validations and, once received, R66s destined for those markets will be delivered with the redesigned empennage. Plans also call for offering it as a retrofit kit. “I think people will be excited by this modification, it’s a cleaner look for the aircraft,” said Kurt Robinson, who said the company worked on it “for quite a while.” He stressed to AIN that the new stabilizer “does not alter in any way the authorized flight envelope of the R66,” especially with regard to high-speed flight, avoiding significant turbulence, and prohibitions on low-G maneuvers. However, “our pilots have found that the aircraft feels more stable at high speeds and in turbulence toward the outer ranges [of the approved flight envelope]. That is what you will notice.” The stabilizer also makes the R66 less susceptible to mast bumping under certain conditions and the possible in-flight breakup that could result. The potential for mast bumping is inherent in two-bladed teetering main rotor designs. This issue typically occurs in low-G conditions that can trigger aircraft rolling. An overly aggressive compensating movement of the cyclic by the pilot could cause the rotor hub to strike the mast. Mast bumping can also occur in turbulence. “Everything we do is to try and increase safety,” Robinson said. He added that the new stabilizer on the R66 is the latest in a line of standard and optional safety enhancements added to the company’s helicopters. They include crash-resistant fuel cells, 4K cockpit video cameras, night vision goggle-compatible cockpits, and autopilots. He said a large number of aircraft are leaving the factory heavily optioned. “What we’re finding is that more and more of our aircraft are going out of here fairly loaded with all the Garmin equipment and the autopilots. People are embracing the technology,” he said, estimating that a very wellequipped R66 carries a retail price tag in the $1.2 million range. z

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SmartSky Lite is latest addition to ATG offering By Matt Thurber During the past year, SmartSky Networks completed its ground network, added more supplemental type certificates (STCs) for the installation of airborne hardware, and released the Lite version of its air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity system for smaller aircraft. A Pilatus PC-12 is the smallest aircraft STC’d so far for this system, and more approvals are expected soon for the Lite (one antenna) and Flagship (two antenna) systems. “We are now at 15 STCs issued, covering 6,286 tails,” said SmartSky president Ryan Stone. “We’ve got another dozen active projects covering another 7,000 tails that should finish soon. There are three or four on their last steps with the FAA and a few more beyond that

we’re working on and will announce soon.” This week at NBAA-BACE, SmartSky is demonstrating its Lite system at static display AD_19 in a customer Citation CJ3+. “We’re now a nationwide network,” Stone said, “and customers are talking and getting the word out. You can talk to people who have used SmartSky and get their feedback and opinions and see what our customers are experiencing.” While the PC-12 is the smallest airplane to have a SmartSky Lite system installed, it is also suitable for smaller business jets and those where installing two belly-mounted antennas would be challenging. For example, a customer purchased a Lite system for a Gulfstream G200 due to the difficulty of installing a second antenna near the jet’s ventral fins. “The upgraded G280 has

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NBAA-BACE attendees can try out SmartSky’s Lite system at the static display. plenty of room,” he said. “Super midsize and up will be a Flagship system, and anything below that will be the Lite.” SmartSky’s nationwide network is complete, but there are pockets in the upper Midwest and northern Nevada where the company is adding ground towers to get more “densification,” Stone explained. “We want to get a good, consistent experience there.” There are no problems with network capacity, he added, because SmartSky’s “beamforming” technology was designed to accommodate 100 percent business aviation market penetration, based on the busiest day and hour, which would be about 1,100 aircraft flying and using SmartSky at the same time. “We’re sized to handle that,” he said. The main diﬀerence between the Lite and Flagship systems is the speed at which they send information. Flagship gets up to 20 mbps downloads and five to 10 mbps uploads, while Lite has the same upload speed but about 10 mbps down. Service plans cost $3,495 per month for a Lite unlimited package, or $995 per month for 10 hours of service and $99 for each additional hour. The Flagship service starts at $3,495 per month for five gigabytes and has various service levels up to the $9,995 per month unlimited flat rate. Meanwhile, SmartSky is promoting its Skytelligence platform, which is enabled by high-speed connectivity. “Once you have connectivity, now it’s what you can do with it,” Stone said. This translates into sustainability benefits that become available when making dynamic flight plan changes to auto route around weather or making trajectory changes automatically instead of manually. “With a capable network you can do these things, and that really changes the game,” he said. z

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Embraer expands business jet support and services business By Cathy Buyck Backed by strong demand for its Phenom and Praetor models, Embraer is looking to expand its global aftermarket service capabilities with an increased focus on building up its owned service center network. “We do have plans to expand our owned service center network, as many of our customers prefer to come to the OEM for maintenance,” Embraer v-p of worldwide customer support and aftermarket sales Marsha Woelber told AIN ahead of NBAA-BACE 2023. “We believe the need for capacity in the market for maintenance slots will support growth.” While more resources will be directed toward company-owned service facilities, the Brazilian airframer doesn’t intend to abandon the use of authorized third-party maintenance repair and overhaul providers. “Embraer has relied on a large authorized

service center network in the past to give our customers the most flexibility during their ownership experience,” Woelber said. “We will continue to work with these entities to manage our growth.” Embraer’s support and services business unit—which caters to business aviation and airlines, as well as military and agricultural customers—is already at above-pre-pandemic levels with a $2.7 billion backlog in the second quarter, Woelber said. The segment reported revenue of $1.27 billion last year, representing year-on-year growth of 12 percent, and 28 percent of total Embraer revenue. The services unit and the executive aviation unit outperformed all other business segments of the group. In the first half of this year, Embraer’s services and support business revenue accounted for 33.1 percent of company revenues. Growth overall is supported by strength in aircraft

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sales and continued investment in aftermarket infrastructure and products, Woelber noted. Embraer does not reveal the specific mix of the aftermarket business and does not disclose how much revenue it derives from support to business jets, but the OEM has more than 1,660 executive aircraft flying and the firm order backlog for Phenoms and Praetors at the end of the June was $4.3 billion. Its book-to-bill ratio stood at 2:1, a level that Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes Neto described as “very comfortable.” Last year, the airframer delivered 102 executive jets, 66 light jets, and 36 midsize jets. The guidance for this year is to deliver 120 to 130 executive jets. “Growing Embraer services and support capabilities is a priority for the company,” Woelber said. “First, we are increasing our investment in digital infrastructure, aiming to boost eﬃciency and improve our customer experience. Examples include the development of tools to accelerate RTS, like Beacon, and Smart Trouble Shooting—a platform for operators, OEMs, and maintenance providers to collaborate seamlessly for faster aircraft return to service.” According to Woelber, Smart Trouble Shooting reduces troubleshooting time by 30 percent and decreases labor expenditure by 9 percent. In addition, Embraer is expanding staff in its Customer Care Center to support the growing fleet and adding leadership positions in the U.S. market to respond to the growth in this region. “Most of our customer base is in the U.S. and our investment in service infrastructure—like full-flight simulators and MRO—is defined based on the aircraft and customer density in the region,” Woelber said. As part of expanding its training footprint, Embraer this month added an Embraer Praetor 500/600 full-flight simulator in Orlando in cooperation with FlightSafety International. Six months ago, the third full-flight simulator for Phenoms in Las Vegas went online. This facility is run by the EmbraerCAE joint venture ECTS. An additional Praetor full-flight simulator will come online in Europe in mid-2024. z

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Bose demos in-ear and over-the-ear headsets By Matt Thurber Earlier this year, Bose unveiled its newest aviation headset, the A30, an active-noise-reduction (ANR) over-the-ear product that replaces the A20. Four years in development, the A30 is slightly lighter than the A20 but its ANR system features digital electronics, similar to those in the ProFlight 2 in-ear headset. Pilots can try out the Bose headsets this week at its NBAA-BACE booth. The A30 and ProFlight 2 also share the high-medium-low settings for adjusting the level of noise cancellation, although the A30’s are modified and updated. The high mode gives the most noise cancellation and should be optimal for noisy aircraft, typically pistonpowered and unpressurized types. Pilots flying quieter aircraft, such as pressurized pistons and turboprops, might find the medium setting more suitable. And, in a super-quiet jet flight deck where being able to hear outside the headset is important for crew communication, the low setting allows the wearer to hear crew and passenger voices. The low setting is also accessible by doubletapping one of the A30’s ear cups.

The A30 makes moving the mic and down cable from one side to the other easier and with no tools needed. Just toggle two clamps on the mic side and one clamp on the other side, and swap the two pieces. The A20 requires the use of a small Phillips screwdriver. Another new feature for the A30 is the USB (micro B) port in the control module, which can be used to add features via firmware updates to keep the headset current with the latest technology. So far, Bose hasn’t identified what these might be, but the option to provide updates is there. Pilots flying with night-vision goggles no longer have to tape over the LED lights on the control module, which in the A30 can be switched oﬀ. Compared with the A20, the A30 looks more sophisticated, with cleaner lines, no wires showing The A30 is lighter and has less clamping force. on the headband, and smoother-looking ear cups. The headband uses a similar The A20 and A30 weigh nearly the same, center-pivot spring, but the A30 has longer with the latter lighter by six grams (including protective pads that are built-in versus the the headset and the upper half of the down hook-and-loop-attached pads on the A20. cable). However, the combination of a change The headband on the A30 is made of sinin the A30’s balance (center of gravity and tered aluminum instead of the magnesium on where it touches the wearer), lighter clamp- the A20 and is more durable, according to Bose. ing force, and lower weight contribute to the Like the A20 and ProFlight 2, the A30 is improved feel of the A30. FAA technical standard order approved. The The down cable was also redesigned and A30 retails for $1,299 with or without Blueis about 20 percent thinner and lighter than tooth and with most plug types, including the A20’s cable, resulting in a more “supple” dual GA, panel power (Lemo), Airbus XLR5, movement. and U-174 (helicopter). z

Textron Aviation’s Greensboro service center turns 30 Textron Aviation is celebrating 30 years of aircraft maintenance and modifications at its Greensboro (North Carolina) service center, it announced late last month. The factoryowned location, which opened in 1993 at Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO), commemorated the anniversary this month with a celebratory event for employees and longtime customers. The facility provides MRO services for current and legacy Textron Aviation aircraft.

It is one of the busiest locations in Textron’s global network of 20 service centers, which offer maintenance services, avionics upgrades, equipment installations, interior refurbishments, exterior paint jobs, and other specialized work. “During the past three decades, we have developed strong relationships with customers in Greensboro and throughout the southeastern region, and they count on our skilled team to provide factory-direct service and

40 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

support to their aircraft,” said Jeff Dowden, who manages the service center. “They know they can trust us to support them wherever they are.” Originally called the Cessna Citation Service Center, the facility has grown and expanded since its opening. In addition to Cessna Citations, the facility now provides support, maintenance, and modification services for all Beechcraft and Hawker models, as well as Cessna Caravans. H.W.

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Pilatus boosts PC-24’s payload, range, and cabin By Charles Alcock

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Pilatus has announced increased payload and range for its PC-24 twinjet, along with a new cabin interior that will be available for deliveries in 2024. With six passengers onboard, the light business jet’s maximum range climbed by 200 nm, to 2,000 nm, based on a 600-pound increase in full fuel payload. According to the Swiss manufacturer, the performance boost has been made possible after many design updates to the PC-24’s airframe. “The payload increase was achieved by refining both wing and fuselage structural elements to reduce the airframe empty weight while simultaneously increasing the maximum gross takeoﬀ weight limit,” explained Bruno Cervia, Pilatus Aircraft vice president of engineering. After the changes were made, Pilatus engineers conducted an extensive flight-test

campaign to expand the performance envelope for the higher design weights. At maximum takeoﬀ weight, the PC-24’s balanced field length at sea level is 3,090 feet, giving what Pilatus calls its “Super Versatile Jet” access to short and unpaved runways. The aircraft now oﬀers a full fuel payload of a single pilot plus 1,315 pounds and a maximum payload capacity of 3,100 pounds. Improvements to the PC-24 cabin include changes to the standard cabinetry, storage area, and entrance to maximize available interior space. Engineers were able to reduce ambient noise even further through improvements to the passenger service unit ducting and using tuned engine accessory air intake ducts, as well as the addition of noise-absorbing panels. Working with Lufthansa Technik, Pilatus is incorporating the Nice integrated cabin management system. It features a 10-inch touchscreen controller with a 3D moving map,

Pilatus has expanded the PC-24’s range and added new cabin amenties such as the Nice CMS.

42 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2023 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

four high-fidelity speakers with a sub-woofer option, mood lighting, USB ports, and a media storage server. The most visible change to the interior will be an optional side-facing divan. At 6 feet 6 inches in length, customers will be able to convert this into a bed. Depending on options selected, Pilatus said it expects new-production PC-24s to be priced at between $13 million and $13.5 million. The new divan option is part of a wider interior options package, adding about $130,000 to the cost. From serial number 501 onwards, PC-24s will feature a predictive maintenance system. This will automatically transmit aircraft data after each landing to Pilatus, which will analyze it and recommend proactive maintenance measures to operators as required. At EBACE 2013, Pilatus announced the PC-24 as its first jet product alongside its PC-12 turboprop single and PC-6 utility turboprop. The first prototype was rolled out in August 2014, with first flight achieved in May 2015. In July 2021, the manufacturer announced new features in the PC-24 cabin and flight deck. These included lie-flat seats and a galley option, as well as improved controls for the Honeywell avionics suite and SmartRunway and SmartLanding safety features. “More range, greater payload, enhanced comfort, and increased operability were the primary focus of this major PC-24 improvement program,” said Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher. “The PC-24 upgrade includes over 1,000 modifications throughout the aircraft. Yet again, we went all the way to the limits of what is possible, making maximum use of our engineering capabilities to deliver the best PC-24 ever.” The first example of the new PC-24, featuring the interior with the convertible divan, is available for viewing this week at the NBAABACE static display. Pilatus said few PC-24 delivery slots remain available for 2024, although some of its authorized service and sales centers around the world may have more availability. Overall, PC-24 order backlog extends to the end of next year. z

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By Chad Trautvetter Embraer Executive Jets has completely revamped the cabin of its entry-level Phenom and added more cockpit safety systems while still maintaining its $4.995 million list price and shaving 190 pounds of interior weight. Now known as the Phenom 100EX, the light twinjet is the latest to incorporate Embraer’s design DNA, including upper tech panels, wider seats, increased use of more sustainable materials, and flush-tothe-wall tables. It also makes standard the previously optional side-facing fifth seat and a belted lavatory. The aircraft is also making its public debut this week at the NBAA-BACE static display at Las Vegas Henderson Executive Airport. According to company v-p of design operations Jay Beever, the 100EX’s passenger seats are wider than those in the predecessor Phenom 100EV, with a two-inch backrest gain. The seats also have extra support at the knee. Meanwhile, the armrests are engineered to

retract up and in toward the seats to increase the aisle width by three inches. Customers can also choose from four interior color schemes—navy blue, gray, tan, and black—and three new seat styles, providing 24 diﬀerent interior combinations. The interior also makes more use of leather and ecofriendly Ultra Leather and less veneers to maximize durability and maintainability. “The sidewall veneers were at knee level and easily scratched by passengers,” said Beever. “Now they are ultra leather with French stitching. That increases durability, and they’re easier to clean—ink blots can even be removed from white ultra leather with little eﬀort.” Beever also said the headliner and sidewalls were redesigned for easier maintainability and to maximize the Phenom 100EX’s “oval light” cabin cross-section. Concurrent with the upper tech panel, which has flat gasper air vents, there is an additional one inch of headroom than in previous Phenom 100 models. The window side panel can be

Phenom 300E, Praetor 600 Fly 100% SAF Embraer Executive Jets has successfully flown a Phenom 300E and Praetor 600 using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the manufacturer announced on the eve of NBAA-BACE 2023. The flight tests took place at Embraer’s campus in Melbourne, Florida. During those test flights, the right engine of each airplane was powered by neat SAF provided by World Fuel, while the left engine ran on traditional jet-A. According to Embraer, the flight tests provided valuable insights into the engines’ performance. “This achievement is an important milestone in our journey toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and demonstrates our

commitment to sustainability, our customers, and our stakeholders,” said Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano. The Phenom 300E light jet is powered by a pair of 3,478-pound-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E1 engines, while the midsize Praetor 600 is propelled by two 7,638-pound-thrust Honeywell HTF7500E turbofans. This flight-test campaign marks the first time that a Honeywell business jet engine has flown on pure SAF, and the engine “performed just as flawlessly as when running on traditional jet fuel,” Honeywell said. H.W.

44 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

BARRY AMBROSE

Embraer Phenom 100EX sports roomier cabin

The Phenom 100EX interior is completely redesigned, shaving weight while adding space. removed by one person in less than eight minutes and allows a window shade to be replaced in less than 30 minutes versus eight hours in a typical business jet, Embraer said. The cockpit was also enhanced by adding more pilot legroom and an open-concept cockpit for easier communication within the cabin. In addition, a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS) has been added to the Phenom 100EX’s Garmin G3000 avionics system, making it the first light jet with this feature. Other avionics upgrades include the Garmin FlightStream 510 wireless gateway, automatic 3D volumetric scanning radar with lightning and hail prediction, stabilized approach, and predictive windshear. “We are proud to announce the Phenom 100EX—an aircraft designed to experience excellence with superior comfort and disruptive technology that enhances safety,” said Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano. “This product reimagines the entry-level flight experience, oﬀering enhanced comfort, empowering pilots, and enriching journeys to deliver more value to our customers.” The Phenom 100EX is already ANAC, FAA, and EASA certified and the first delivery will occur by year-end. z

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SPONSOR CONTENT

GJC sees business keeping pace

BARRY AMBROSE

A BBJ 737700 is on display at NBAA-BACE and available for purchase or lease.

New Boeing Business Jets boss takes the controls By Matt Thurber Joe Benson took over as president of Boeing Business Jets in March, but he’s a long-time Boeing alumnus—he joined the company in 2010 after nearly 11 years in the U.S. Army. Benson was not unfamiliar with Boeing Business Jets before taking on his latest role, having worked as business director and as deputy to former division president Erika Pearson. Representing the brand this week at the NBAA-BACE static display is a BBJ 737-700— YG128—which was completed in 2012 and is available to buy or lease. The bizliner’s interior features a suite-aft layout with a shower, queen-size bed, separate guest room, and large open living space, according to the company. Recent upgrades include Aviation Partners Split Scimitar Winglets and Ka-band satcom. Benson’s new role at Boeing Business Jets, as with all of his jobs at Boeing, presents unique challenges, he told AIN. “However, I can confidently say this is the most rewarding job I’ve had with Boeing. Working with our amazing customers and industry partners on these gorgeous airplanes with the best team in the industry—I love what we do.” He said his principal goal as Boeing Business Jets president is “to make sure we are always putting our customers at the center of everything we do and ensuring we continuously deliver the most reliable, technologically

advanced jets in the world.” Although not many new VIP airliners—such as BBJs and Airbus ACJs—are delivered each year, “We see continued growth and strong demand for our family of jets,” Benson said. “More efficient, advanced BBJs with improved operating economics and environmental performance are very enticing to our customers as they consider replacing aging or smaller aircraft. While we do cater to a select group, including head of state travel, corporations, and VIPs, our production skyline offers flexibility to meet customer demand over the next decade.” What makes BBJs attractive, he explained, is the various models’ ability to serve all segments of business aviation, ranging from the BBJ 737 Max and 787 to the BBJ 777X. “It depends on the mission and what our customers are looking for in a business jet. Everyone has different requirements, and we are focused on demonstrating the flexibility of a BBJ to meet their needs.” As for upcoming models, the BBJ 737-7 and 777X are next in line. The 737-7 will be “the longest-range, non-widebody business jet in its class,” Benson said. “We are also seeing interest in the new BBJ 777X, which will be capable of connecting any two cities in the world nonstop. Design improvements, innovative new technologies, and the customized cabin experience strongly position both of these jets in the market.” z

46 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

Despite the unprecedented surge and then retraction in the business aviation market, Global Jet Capital (GJC) CEO Vivek Kaushal is encouraged that business has remained steady. “Business has been good this year,” Kaushal said. “We’re roughly on pace with where we were back in 2022, which is actually really good considering that it’s been a somewhat smaller marketplace.” Kaushal noted that sales transactions in its target markets are down probably in the 35 to 45 percent range, but said that was not unexpected given that “it was a blistering year last year.” But for GJC financing and leasing products, he said that—along with keeping pace with 2022—“we’ve also gotten a good chunk of business in our backlog going into 2024 and 2025.” He pointed to the continuing strength of the OEMs’ order books and said, “The underlying demand is there, and there is predictability” in the business aviation market. He noted that the GJC team has worked to be “out in front” of events such as one in Hong Kong when it was emerging from Covid lockdowns, as well as EBACE. “People in the industry were just thrilled to get back,” he said. “From our perspective, there’s a lot of engagement with the industry and that’s led to what’s been a nicely diversified book of business for us that cuts across geographies, aircraft mix, and OEMs.” Going forward, he said, “It’s clear that we’re slowing, but we’re slowing moderately.” Noting that GJC is approaching its 10th anniversary, Kaushal said, “This is a special NBAA for us. We launched the business back in 2014. Here we are nine years later, and we’re close to about $4 billion in originations. We’re not quite there yet but we’ll get there in due course, and we’re very well established.” K.L.

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Honeywell forecast sees strong appetiteAVIATION for bizjets By Curt Epstein The business aviation market could see as many as 8,500 new jet deliveries worth $278 billion over the next decade, according to the results from Honeywell Aerospace’s 32nd annual Global Business Aviation Outlook. Released on Sunday ahead of NBAA-BACE 2023, the outlook calls for 730 business jet deliveries worth $23 billion this year, while in 2024 it sees a 10 percent increase in deliveries, passing the 800unit mark for the first time since 2019. According to the company’s 10-year outlook, it predicts more than 800 deliveries a year through 2031, when the industry could once again surpass the 900-unit plateau. “Our industry is on the upswing,” said Heath Patrick, president of Honeywell Aerospace’s Americas aftermarket division. “Operators are showing confidence with plans to expand their fleets at a faster rate than any time in the previous decade.” He cited recent plans from fractional operators to boost their fleets by several hundred aircraft, the third consecutive year of growth in that area. “Additionally, new users in business aviation have increased demand by 500 aircraft and 6 percent more flights over the next 10 years. This, along with expected double-digit increases in turbofan deliveries in 2023 and 2024, shows our industry’s commitment to meeting growing demand.” The company’s annual operator survey— which the forecast is in part derived from— showed that the five-year purchase plans for new business jets have increased by two percentage points from last year, surpassing preCovid 2019’s level and are equivalent to nearly 20 percent of the in-service fleet. North America is expected to account for 64 percent of new jet deliveries in the first half of the decade, a rate that is on par with last year’s forecast and is driven by 90 percent of the North American survey respondents believing the economy will at least remain the same or improve—making it the region with

resulting from the Covid pandemic. “There is a gap between what the world would have needed between 2020 and 2022, and what the industry delivered,” Serrano explained to AIN, adding the deficit was due to supply chain shortages. “Now we know there was no drop in the highest degree of optimism. demand, there was a drop in supply so for the European deliveries in that same period next few years we have to catch up. Backlogs REGIONAL SNAPSHOT are estimated to account for 14 percent of may not be increasing at the same rate as 2022, A breakdown of business jets in service by region the total, down 1 percent from last year and but they are not going away, we’re not seeing driven by economic uncertainty and growing cancellations either. After things have settled sustainability issues. down, once you add up the pre-Covid total Europe North is predicted to cap- %and % region The Asia-Pacific the new total, that’s where we get the 500. % America ture 11 percent of the new jet delivery total They’re not new versus last year, we’ve just Asia Pacific through 2028, up one point from last year’s been% able to identify them.” forecast. “For the past%twoLatin years we’ve seen Over the next decade, new jet deliveries Africa / Middle East America activity increase, especially in those fleet oper- and expenditures are expected to grow at an ators, even out of China,” noted Javier Jimenez annual 2 percent rate, in line with expected Serrano, manager of strategy and market global economic growth. research. “We’re not going to see huge growth While the top-end, ultra-long-range segcome out of China, but we are finally seeing ment is anticipated to account for nearly 69

OUTLOOK 2023 14

AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES

PURCHASE PLANS BY AIRCRAFT CLASS

Heavy/ Long-Range 69% of total valuation

Medium

21% of total valuation (Medium to Super-Midsize)

8,500

aircraft projected through 2033

Worth 800 $278 projected 2024 billion deliveries valuation

Small

11% of total valuation

37% 29% 34%

Operators are showing confidence plans to expand their percent of expenditures over fleets the next five that demand and usage show up here in the with at a faster rate than any time in the previous decade. demand for new jets.” Operators in the region years. “It does give me pause that a lot of the Patrick, President, Americas Aftermarket, Honeywell have the second-highest utilization growth rateHeathgrowth and a lot of the industry value is on in 2023, trailing only the Middle East, which is these $80 million-plus assets,” said Serrano. “However we keep tracking indicators such expected to capture 6 percent of the five-year as the changes in list price, and we have seen deliveries, up two points from last year. Expectations for Latin America dipped by those list prices increase, we haven’t seen two points from last year to 5 percent of deliv- them stay constant or go down, so that’s an eries. Nearly 70 percent of this year’s survey indication there is a healthy demand, and not respondents in the region believe local eco- going away.” nomic conditions will either stay the same or Serrano also noted some improvement in a decline over the next several years, making it smaller class. “I would say that this year, the the most pessimistic of the geographic groups. medium segment has increased [by] a couple While the number of deliveries forecast of percentage points, taking those percentage over the next decade remained the same from points from the top-end jets,” he said. “We last year’s outlook, Honeywell’s analysts have are particularly excited there because that’s isolated 500 aircraft as the “new user” impact where Honeywell has the HTF engine.” z

48 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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Euro Jet expands; reduces emissions

A new electric Mercedes-Benz EQV van for passengers and crew is part of Euro Jet Intercontinental’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions at its 17 FBOs in Europe.

By Charles Alcock FBO and ground handling services group Euro Jet Intercontinental has stepped up investments in its network of facilities, which are concentrated mainly in central and Eastern Europe. In recent weeks, the Czech Republic-based group opened a new crew lounge at Prague Vaclav Havel International Airport, with space to relax and work alongside the FBO’s hangar. At the same time, Euro Jet is working to reduce carbon emissions from its operations, with plans to replace existing ground support cars with electric vehicles. This process also started in Prague with the recent delivery of a Mercedes-Benz EQV van for transporting passengers and crew. Euro Jet marketing

manager Jana Midriakova told AIN there are plans to further reduce carbon emissions at its 17 facilities. The group, which was founded in 2008, also has flight support agents ready to help clients at some 170 airports in locations including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Armenia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Hungary, and across central Asia in Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. It employs around 200 multi-lingual, English-speaking staff with more than 30 diﬀerent nationalities. Other Euro Jet Intercontinental FBOs are located in Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia,

NBAA honors Nel Stubbs with Doswell Award Nel Stubbs, revered as an expert on business aviation tax and ownership optimization issues, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the NBAA John P. “Jack” Doswell Award. The association is presenting the award, one of its highest honors, this week at NBAA-BACE. Created in 1987 in memory of industry advocate and pioneer Jack Dowsell, the award honors “high standards for lifelong individual achievement on behalf and in support of the aims, goals, and objectives of business aviation,” NBAA said. The association praised Stubbs as the “foremost strategist in aviation tax planning and audits, cost and financial analysis, budgeting, and aircraft ownership and operating structures.”

Kosovo, Croatia, and Ukraine, where it has maintained a presence at the capital Kyiv even in the wake of the Russian invasion. The most recent additions to the network have been Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rzeszow in Poland. In addition to business aircraft, Euro Jet serves passenger and freight airlines, especially in locations where they may have little presence and when special flights need to be arranged at short notice. Euro Jet also provides flight planning, contract fuel purchases, flight permits, catering, and crew accommodation. The group supports more than 15,000 flights each year from its 24/7 operations control center in Prague. z

Aeronautical University’s Business Industry Advisory Board, and the NBAA Tax Committee. Stubbs, a v-p at JSSI’s Conklin & de Decker She also has served on the NBAA Advisory business unit, joined NBAA in 1987 and played Board, HAI Finance and Leasing Committee, a key role in developing its advocacy and boards of directors for the surrounding tax issues on a national National Aircraft Finance Associaand state level. This included the cretion and the Arizona Business Aviation of its State Tax Report, which ation Association. NBAA called an industry standard, and “Nel’s unequaled ability to analyze launching the NBAA Tax Committee. and articulate critical considerations In 1999, she joined the aviation for optimizing business aircraft use research and consulting firm Conklin has been essential to success for & de Decker. Stubbs became an Nel Stubbs organizations of all types and sizes,” owner in 2000, and remained with said NBAA president and CEO Ed the company after JSSI acquired it in 2018. Bolen. “We are pleased to present her with our In addition to her role with JSSI, she serves Doswell Award in recognition of her outstandon the National Air Transportation Associa- ing contributions and service to the business tion’s Air Charter Committee, Embry-Riddle aviation community.” K.L

50 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

Pentastar Aviation nears 40th anniversary Edsel Ford II, the great-grandson of automobile innovator Henry Ford, fell in love with corporate aviation at an early age, relishing the occasional trip with his father on Ford Motor Company flight department aircraft. Much later, after working as an executive for the family business for several decades and stepping down from its board of directors in 2001, Ford heard rumors that fellow automaker Daimler Chrysler was looking to sell its FBO at Detroit-area Oakland County International Airport (KPTK). Though the rumors also indicated that there was already an interested buyer, Ford contacted the company and found that Daimler Chrysler’s v-p of strategy was a former Ford employee with whom he had worked. “I called him up and said, ‘I’m interested,’” Ford told AIN. “He knew me, I knew him, and he was going to give me a fair price. There were very few issues, and we closed pretty quickly.” He then restored the name Pentastar Aviation (Booth N4702), which the FBO had used before the Daimler-Chrysler merger. Ford acquired the company after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but he noted that any decline in business did not last long. Daimler Chrysler—a multinational business with offices in Detroit and Stuttgart—ran Airbus shuttles several times a week between the U.S. and Germany, and Pentastar continued to handle them, providing fuel and catering. To provision these large aircraft, Ford decided to bring catering production in-house. Thus was born the Five Star Café, a restaurant-sized kitchen in the terminal staffed with chefs capable of preparing virtually anything a customer might request. It has since become so popular that it not only serves the sizable traffic at KPTK—it now delivers catering orders to other area airports as well. A daily menu is available to the FBO staff and other airport workers. Having its own catering facility helps make

Pentastar a one-stop shop for aviation customers. It oﬀers maintenance, completions, and refurbishment services, as well as a robust aircraft charter and management division. Established in 1964 as Chrysler’s flight department, Pentastar Aviation celebrates its diamond anniversary next year. It began oﬀering full FBO services, including transient fuel and handling, in November 1983 at Willow Run Airport (KYIP) near Detroit through the acquisition of an FBO then known as Willow Run Services.

CURT EPSTEIN/AIN

By Curt Epstein

With a presence at Detroit-area Oakland County International Airport for four decades, Pentastar Aviation has become a model of consistency and customer service. The company relocated the operation to KPTK in 1990, and in the ensuing years, it has become a favorite among pilots in the annual AIN FBO Survey, having earned the highest overall score in the world for the past three years. That response is not surprising, as the company has run its own internal customer satisfaction survey for years. “If there is any doubt [Ford] takes this seriously, if we get one [survey] in and there is negative feedback, we’re talking to the customer within 24 hours,” said Pentastar president and CEO Greg Schmidt. “I can guarantee we’re talking to Edsel before that.” As a hands-on owner, Ford has been known to

52 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

call customers to resolve any problems with the FBO. “We are just possessed with customer satisfaction, and it goes up and down my entire organization,” he said. “It’s either going to make us or break us.” Attention to customer service extends not just to the pilots and passengers who transit the terminal but even to directors of maintenance (DOM) who visit the facility to oversee major maintenance events. “When a DOM comes to Pentastar, is he or she happy when they leave? Are they out on time? Are they out on budget? Has everything been done according to what they want?” asked Ford. “And when they’re here, what can we do for them? They don’t want to be sitting in the FBO all day long, so we try to put together programs for them. It’s all part of this big customer satisfaction and it’s all facets of our business that we spend an enormous amount of energy on.” Ford has learned some lessons along the way, not all of them positive. Shortly after he purchased the company, he partnered on an expansion to Los Angeles-area Van Nuys Airport (KVNY), an experience he later described as a nightmare. Among the low points was a labor action filed against the company over giving employees company cell phones, which was interpreted under California law as overtime. After several years, the partnership dissolved and Pentastar left the West Coast. “As I look back, the location wasn’t that great, either,” Ford said. “We were at one end of the field and the building wasn’t very good. So, I have made some not-right decisions.” That chapter made Ford rethink any future expansion plans. “We will look at other locations in Michigan because we can do Michigan,” he said, “but we will not look elsewhere. We know it doesn’t work for us.” Having owned the company for more than two decades, Ford still maintains his passion for the industry. In this era of FBO industry consolidation, the highly regarded FBO is certainly being watched closely, but Ford has no intention of selling Pentastar despite the occasional oﬀer. A spry septuagenarian, he plans on keeping it in the family. “I figure I’ve probably got a good 10 years or so, and my son Calvin likes it here, so I think this could last forever,” Ford said. “People know I don’t need to sell.” z

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Privately-owned Farnborough Airport serves the London area and is seeking to increase the limit on annual movements to 70,000.

Farnborough Airport bids to increase movement limits By Charles Alcock Farnborough Airport (Booth C6734) wants to increase the number of annual aircraft movements permitted at the London-area business aviation gateway to 70,000 from 50,000. On September 20, the privately owned facility published proposals to support its case as it aims to win public support for an approval process that could take up to two years. According to the airport, demand for flights will reach 70,000 movements by 2040, with the current 50,000 limit being particularly constraining as it includes movements over weekends. Its promise to the local community, with which it has just begun a series of public meetings, is that the expansion of flight activity will support 1,100 new jobs and generate £470 million ($585 million) in gross added value to the economy. The airport said it already supports 3,000 local jobs. Besides seeking to increase movements, Farnborough intends to request changes to current aircraft weight categories to remove restrictions on models that slightly exceed the baseline of 50 tonnes. This change would allow more movements for aircraft weighing between 55 and 80 tonnes to ease limits on newer types such as the Bombardier Global

7500. With just a few exemptions, the airport cannot accept aircraft weighing more than 80 tonnes. The public consultation runs through tomorrow, at which point the airport is expected to submit a planning application for the movement increases to Rushmoor Borough Council. This local government body will have 16 weeks to hold a subsequent “statutory consultation” in which other interested parties, including surrounding counties and communities, could participate. On this basis, the application could reach Rushmoor’s planning committee in March 2024, which could approve or reject the application, potentially triggering a lengthy appeal process. At the same time, the UK will be facing a general election in which environmental concerns are set to be a divisive issue. In recent years, opposition to airport traﬃc growth has extended beyond aircraft noise to wider objections concerning carbon emissions. Farnborough Airport has made significant investments to reduce its environmental footprint and last year achieved Level 4+ carbon neutrality as it strives to achieve net-zero carbon from controllable emissions no later than 2030. The Farnborough team also stressed

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that modern business aircraft have lower noise profiles than those they are progressively replacing. Part of the airport’s commitment to confronting climate change is to increase its financial contributions to environmental projects. It already supports a Community Environmental Fund administered by Rushmoor Borough Council and is now proposing to launch a sustainability fund that airport CEO Simon Geere said will raise £6.5 million for community projects between now and 2040, equating to £750,000 per year for work on carbon reduction and biodiversity. “We’ve made significant investments in this airport and between 2009 and 2022 traﬃc grew by 28 percent while local jobs increased by 100 percent,” Geere told AIN. According to UK government economic data, Rushmoor is the fastest-growing local authority in terms of gross domestic product during that period. Farnborough has been a strong advocate for increased use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) by business aircraft while recognizing ongoing supply limitations with energy companies not yet producing viable quantities at airports. “We can’t do anything by ourselves, but we do have a leadership role,” said Geere. “My message to the government is that we need support on sourcing SAF, with more refining capacity and production capacity in the UK. One of the main roadblocks is who is going to underwrite the demand.” The UK does have a mandate requiring that 10 percent of all fuel delivered at its airports be SAF by 2030. “[With the right support and policy], we could do things even quicker and we would welcome a discussion about Farnborough becoming the country’s first SAFonly airport,” Geere stated. “If we can secure the supply, we can secure the demand.” So far in 2023, Farnborough Airport has seen traﬃc volumes similar to those it handled in pre-Covid 2019. Geere indicated that this year has seen a more normal activity profile after a frantic 2022 when there were sometimes challenges coping with the post-pandemic uptick. The airport is still some ways short of the overall 50,000 movement limit but is getting close to the boundaries of the weekend restrictions. z

Flight Pro releases trip-planning tablet app By Matt Thurber

During a market research phase, FPI asked clients for troubleshooting feedback and best practice needs. This helped the company’s development team address its approach to quality, which encompasses five pillars: cloud-based infrastructure, geo-redundancy, on-demand scalability, security, and mobile optimization.

Trip-planning provider Flight Pro International (FPI) has developed a secure tablet app that allows clients to conduct all their interactions with FPI on the cloud-based iOS or Android Flight Pro Connect (FPC) app. FPI is demonstrating FPC this week at its NBAABACE exhibit and expects the app to go live Lessons Learned in the first quarter. Features available on the app include “Most FPI team members have worked in trip schedules and daily view; aircraft ser- global trip management for 25 to 30 years vices details with status updates; crew and apiece, and we’ve seen a litany of technical passenger manifest and documentation; lessons learned from a variety of operations access to trip documents; trip alerts for experiences,” said Roberto Cormack, FPI’s critical services and documents; and real- executive v-p and CIO. He also leads the FPC development team. time communication.

FPI was launched in 2021 by a group of former Air Routing International executives. By being cloud-based, FPC is freed from typical non-cloud server constraints that aﬀect ground-server-based platforms, “such as limited speed flexibility, IT technician availability, on-demand storage capacity (scalability), and lacking nationwide backstops in case of disruptions,” according to FPI. The geo-redundancy feature makes it possible to move the platform and tripmanagement data from one region in the U.S. to another, the company explained, “and to do so within a single hour.” From a security standpoint, FPI performs annual penetration testing and partners with Microsoft on cybersecurity. “At the inception of FPC development, our goal has always been to remain customer-centric as the core driver behind the FPC program, even if it appears to be overkill for the average client trip,” said Cormack. z

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Scott IPC brings more tech to int’l plotting app

The Scott Plot app has undergone continuous improvement.

By Matt Thurber International procedures training company Scott IPC released the Scott Plot iPad app nearly three years ago and has updated this software to make oceanic crossings even easier for pilots. Scott Plot not only helps pilots eliminate paper charts during oceanic crossings, but it is also part of Scott IPC’s international procedures training program. This week at NBAA-BACE, the company is trying something new, according to Phil Tyler, head of business development. “We have the booth set up with a welcome sales team,” he said, “but the rest of the booth is broken up into instructors, developers, and the Scott flight team.” Visitors will be able to get demonstrations of the Scott Plot app and customers who are familiar with it will be able to share ideas for new features with the development team. “We’ll give people a better look at all of our wares,” Tyler said. “It’s a mini-classroom environment, and we hope to reach more people with what we do.” The newest feature is the ability to synchronize Scott Plot data between two iPads in a flight deck, he added. This makes it easier for pilots to split up duties during an ocean crossing. For example, one could be doing oceanic plotting while the other does fuel planning on the master document. Data from both pilots is synchronized, which “helps with the internal conversation in the cockpit,” Tyler said. This feature took a while to develop because Scott IPC needed to ensure data security. “We don’t want to lose data [either],” Tyler explained. “By having the two iPads synced, data is automatically—within seconds—copied to the other.”

A benefit of using something like Scott Plot is that it helps standardize how flight departments handle international documents, Tyler said. The consolidation of information also allows, for example, a chief pilot to share certain material with an FAA inspector. European ramp inspections are another area where recording plotting information can facilitate the process. “Charter operators and large management companies have aircraft all over the place,” Tyler said. “Trying to get data from each file, standardized, and in a central repository is a challenge.” The next move for Scott IPC is adding partnerships to bring more utility to Scott Plot. “Everybody wants to do everything in one app,” Tyler said. “We’re good at what we’re good at and we want to add information to put data at pilots’ fingertips. Some of these developments could include capturing winds and weather information in the app and sharing that with other pilots. “We want to expand tools for contingency situations,” he added. “Like tools for dead-reckoning.” However, simply adding a neat feature isn’t always productive. “We’ve learned that offering tools for contingencies that never happen While Scott Plot is designed to replace the is a waste of time unless they’re built around paper oceanic plotting chart, users are finding training,” Tyler said. benefits in other types of international flying. “I’m not going to practice dead-reckoning The app incorporates all the tasks, functions, on my time off, but if I had training and could tools, and forms needed into one master simulate it and do it at a flight department document along with the plotting chart and training session, now there are some things a customized checklist. Users can add notes we could do. As we offer more contingency and photographs to the master journey log- stuff, we want [to offer] training that they can book and share the logbook with anyone who use in conjunction with in-house training,” needs to see it. he explained. z When Apple came out with the split-screen view for the iPad, Scott IPC tapped into that technology as well. “Users find that a beneficial tool so they don’t have to get out of the app,” Tyler said, “and they can look something else up and have our app on the screen. This also allows for multiple apps to share the same GPS. The split-screen helps individual apps not lose GPS connectivity.”

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Manny expands Mexico handling service footprint By Curt Epstein Manny (formerly Manny Aero)—which operates one of the largest aircraft ground handling networks in Mexico—announced that it has signed co-branding agreements with six FBO locations. Each will integrate Manny staﬀ members as they look to increase aircraft traﬃc through the new network relationship. They include Asertec at Toluca International Airport (MMTO), Platinum at Torreón International Airport (MMTC), Redwings at Querétaro International Airport (MMQT) in the central part of the country, Jetmach at Del Norte International Airport (MMAN) in Monterrey, and RaJet at nearby Saltillo/Plan de Guadalupe International Airport (MMIO).

Manny has co-branding agreements with six FBOs. The airport-operated FBO at Loreto International Airport (MMLT) on the Baja Peninsula will also be co-branded. All six locations have been vetted by the company for their ability to deliver exceptional aviation services to passengers and flight crews through their well-equipped facilities and ground handling capabilities. Each includes

SMART

comfortable lounges as well as dedicated conference rooms. The FBOs will be able to leverage Manny’s strong relationships with airport authorities to ensure smoother issuance of clearances and permits and customs and immigration processing. The company also operates its own catering division in Toluca. The division oﬀers operators throughout the Mexico City region a diverse range of meals to cater to various dietary preferences and requirements. Manny Catering also acts as a subcontractor to many of the global in-flight catering providers, oﬀering a network of vetted sources of catering across the country. “We are thrilled to unite with these prestigious FBOs, as their dedication to safety, quality, professionalism, and the delivery of outstanding customer experiences mirrors those of Manny’s longstanding tradition and legacy,” company CEO Manuel Romero Vargas told AIN. “Together, we will continue in establishing the benchmark for aviation services throughout Mexico.” z

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10/3/23 4:44 PM a i n o n l i n e . c o m • October 17, 202 3 • N B A A Convention News 57

Helicopters are prime candidates for Genesys’s integrated avionics and autopilots.

Genesys Aerosystems makes Moog transition By Matt Thurber Almost three years after Genesys Aerosystems was purchased by Moog, a manufacturer of precision control components and systems, the Mineral Wells, Texas-based avionics manufacturer’s brand has transitioned into the Moog color and styling. The new branding can be seen this week at Genesys’s NBAABACE booth. “It’s important as we grow to do more work with the U.S. government to have the backing of a big company like Moog,” said Genesys director of sales and marketing Jamie Luster. “We want to keep the Genesys Aerosystems name; it does have traction in [the] marketplace. We value it but we value what Moog as our parent brings to the industry and especially to the customers that we’re pursuing.” The new Genesys website, she added, “will be geared more for special-missions military type markets without losing that smallcompany feel we’ve always had.” However, Genesys, which manufactures general aviation autopilots under the S-TEC brand name,

“is not moving away from our general aviation partners by any means,” she emphasized. “As we look onward and upward, we have to look at who our future customers will be.” Moog had already done some work on autonomous flight, including fully autonomous test flights of a Robinson R44 helicopter in 2021. “They recognize that optionally piloted aircraft and autonomous flight are going to be [the] future of aviation,” Luster said. Although Moog engineers developed the control laws that enabled the R44 flights, the company lacked experience with FAA certification on standard-category aircraft. That made the acquisition of Genesys Aerosystems, with its expertise in autopilot development and certification to stringent DO178 software standards, a perfect fit. “They looked at us to merge and port their control law intelligence into our already certified hardware with new software,” she said, “and get it installed on aircraft and be certified for things we don’t want the pilot to do.” The idea is for autonomously flown aircraft to be deployed for life-threatening operations

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such as moving cargo in hostile environments, firefighting, and military missions. “[These operations] “are much safer when there is not a pilot on board,” she said. “That’s where we at Moog and Genesys see aviation going and we want to be on the forefront, creating safety-enhancing avionics for those types of missions.” Genesys has been working with Volocopter to help it develop the German company’s eVTOL flight controls. “That’s our first partnership where we’re developing from scratch,” Luster said. “We want to continue to add partners, but we’re also doing it selectively. We expect to go in both directions for newly manufactured autonomous vehicles and making current aircraft optionally piloted or unmanned.” Moog has also been working on the HE350 Recluse, an uncrewed hybrid-electric aircraft designed to carry 500 pounds at up to 80 mph to a range of nearly 150 miles. The Recluse is a further development of technology that Moog acquired from its purchase of assets of the SureFly program from Workhorse Group in 2019. Meanwhile, Genesys is moving ahead with its 4th-axis autopilot system for the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, with testing being conducted by XP Services in Tullahoma, Tennessee. This product will eventually include auto takeoﬀ and landing capability, Luster said. Genesys is retaining the S-TEC brand for its line of autopilots but also manufactures flight displays and radios and oﬀers a full avionics suite for the rotorcraft market, all of which are on display at the company’s BACE exhibit. Aircraft that carry the Genesys avionics suite include the Airbus Helicopters EC-145e, Bell 412, Leonardo TH-73 Thrasher and TH-119 trainer helicopters, and Sikorsky S-61 Triton and UH-60 Black Hawk. On the fixed-wing autopilot side, the latest Genesys projects include the S-TEC 5000 digital autopilot for the Cessna Citation 550 and 560 twinjets. Flight testing is underway, and issuance of a supplemental type certificate (STC) is planned for early to mid-2024. This autopilot will be the first Genesys system retrofitted to a Part 25 aircraft. Genesys does have its autopilot on other Part 25 aircraft, including the Casa CN-235 and C-212 turboprops, but these are factory forward-fit installations. z

PioneerLab tests greener helo tech By Mark Huber Airbus unveiled its PioneerLab twin-engine helicopter technology demonstrator at the German National Aviation Conference in Hamburg. The testbed aircraft is tasked with evaluating technologies specifically dedicated to twin-engine helicopters. Based on the Airbus Helicopters H145, the company said the helicopter’s flight-test campaign is already underway in Donauwörth, flying with a rotor strike alerting system on board the aircraft and pending testing of an automated takeoﬀ and landing system. Using a hybrid-electric propulsion system and aerodynamic improvements, PioneerLab aims to demonstrate a fuel reduction of up to 30 percent compared to a conventional H145. Airbus will also flight test structural components made from bio-based and recycled

The modified H145 helicopter will feature hybrid-electric propulsion and an automated takeoff and landing system. materials aimed at reducing the aircraft’s environmental footprint across its life cycle. Further research will include the integration of the latest digital technologies into the aircraft’s flight control system, along with associated sensors to increase autonomy and safety during

critical flight phases such as takeoﬀ and landing. PioneerLab joins Airbus’ FlightLabs fleet of rapid-technology testbed aircraft, part of the company’s strategy to bring incremental innovation to improve its current products and mature technology for future platforms.z

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Bizav industry investing in a net-zero future By Kate Sarsfield

Added to this setback, the European Commission has omitted business aviation from its EU Taxonomy initiative. Part of the European Green Deal program, Taxonomy is a common classification system for sustainable economic activities. It directs investments toward sustainable projects and activities, the Commission explained, to enable the EU to meet its climate and energy targets for 2030. “We have been surprised that business aviation, which serves as an incubator for new technologies and has a robust CO2 reduction plan, is not part of the initiative, despite commercial aviation being added to the list,” said Baltus. “EBAA is actively engaged in ongoing discussions with stakeholders to advocate for a change.”

impact the industry’s eﬀorts to achieve its net-zero ambitions. Barely a week passes without a weatherBusiness aviation’s concerns were heightrelated event being blamed by environmental ened last month with the formal adoption of activists and their erstwhile political cheer- the European Parliament’s first-ever sustainleaders on human-induced greenhouse gas able aviation fuel (SAF) mandate. This calls emissions, compounding the narrative that for the scaling up of the use of SAF at EU airurgent action is needed to negate ports, reaching 70 percent by 2050. the impact. Baltus points to a “noticeable lack” of a book-and-claim meaBusiness aviation has been sure despite a “very hard push” caught in the crosshairs of these Bizav Is a ‘Tech Incubator’ from EBAA and other industry strident environmentalists with their opprobrium manifested trade associations. Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General in disruptive and increasingly Under book-and-claim, opera- Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), destructive protests, sometimes tors that do not have access to SAF calls the omission “short-sighted and incredattacking and defacing busiat their airport can purchase it, ibly frustrating. They clearly don’t understand ness aircraft. Robert Baltus, paying the additional surcharge for what a great technology incubator business This includes an incident in May EBAA COO use by operators elsewhere. The aviation is.” operator paying the premium for at EBACE in Geneva where demResearch and innovation are at the core of this sector, he added, from airframes and onstrators knocked down fences around the the SAF gets the environmental credit for it. show’s static park and chained themselves to Recognition of book-and-claim is neces- avionics to powerplants and fuel. “Inflicting private jets, causing costly damage. sary, Baltus stressed, to ensure a level playing harm on the industry by discouraging investVilification of business aviation is nothing field between airspace users and ment because of this crazy perception that the business jets out new, of course. For decades its proponents to help overcome logistical and there aren’t contributing to the have tirelessly defended business aircraft geographical constraints. “This net-zero solution is counterproagainst pernicious labels such as “rich men’s is particularly relevant given the limited development of SAF infratoys” and “admirals’ barges.” ductive,” Bunce said. For Robert Baltus, COO of the European structure,” he added. He attributed the policy to Business Aviation Association (EBAA), these Book-and-claim can also attract “politically motivated class warfare” negative tropes are being promulgated by further financing into the SAF sysdesigned to punish the industry. It opponents today to curtail—or at the extreme tem and help support demand, the shows a “total disregard” for the EBAA COO added. fringes, halt—private jet movements. Pete Bunce, vital role business aviation plays in “Business aircraft are portrayed as big “It’s regrettable that the final GAMA president local and national economies. polluters despite being responsible for less agreement doesn’t include such and CEO “If major companies like than 0.04 percent of global greenhouse gas a system,” Baltus said. Further[France-headquartered] Dassault emissions,” Baltus noted. Opponents ignore, more, the mandate, which has still to be Aviation and Daher cannot secure investment often wilfully, the industry’s pledge to reach endorsed by the 27 EU member states, sets revenue from the banks to continue innovatnet-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions— a threshold of 800,000 passengers a year, ing and introducing new products, they could which Baltus describes as a “major hurdle” move outside the EU,” said Bunce, “perhaps to relative to 2005 levels—by 2050. These negative perceptions of business avi- for the industry. China, who are very bullish on aerospace techation are a growing cause for concern among “Given the limited availability of SAF at nology and willing to invest, and/or to the U.S. advocates. Many fear that policymakers will small airports, this will make the ability to where they already have established bases. This exclude or overlook business aviation as they meet decarbonization objectives all the more would be a huge loss [to Europe].” shape regulations to meet global climate and challenging and the industry less appealing to In the U.S., business aviation is largely energy targets. This could in turn adversely investors,” he said. acknowledged for delivering vast economic and

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practical benefits to the country. The dissenting added appeal to financiers of being used across attract young people into the industry, many voices of environmentalists and their political industries and global regions, “which creates from traditionally under-represented commuproponents are being drowned out—for now. a highly diversified and economically resilient nities,” he said. “They need to persuade their peers that busi“We are certainly not complacent and base of users.” acknowledge there is a groundswell of opposiFarrant acknowledges the rise of anti-business aviation is part of the solution to net-zero, tion here to business aviation,” Bunce admitted. ness aviation sentiment but he does not rather than chaining yourself to the gear of an He stressed the industry takes its environmen- envision financing becoming aircraft or throwing orange paint,” Bunce added. “We have a great tal, social, and governmental (ESG) commit- “explicitly conditional on sustainments very seriously and is “an incredible ability criteria.” story to tell.” steward of the environment. That said, business aviation will That sentiment is echoed by Ford Von Weise, global head, air“I don’t ever want to see a time when future continue to attract undue attention craft finance, at Citi Private Bank. investment in our industry from banks and other from activists, he said, due to its high-profile nature. It is therefore financial intuitions is curtailed,” Bunce said. “The default position of the industry Such directives are unlikely to impact the incumbent on the industry “to do is ‘keep your head down and don’t business aircraft sales and acquisitions market, a better job of educating the public Ford Von Weise, be noticed’ but that is not the right approach any longer,” he said. according to Steve Varsano, founder of interna- and policymakers on the significant global head, aircraft tional brokerage, The Jet Business. “Cash is used strides we have made to reduce our finance, at Citi He describes business aviation as in the vast majority of transactions, and those environmental impact. We must Private Bank a huge success story. A positive narrative of how an industry contributbusiness aircraft that are financed are viewed by also promote the economic benefits financiers as high-quality assets used by compa- the industry derives in terms of technological ing a tiny percentage of global CO₂ emissions is doing so much to lower aviation’s environmennies and individuals with a great credit rating.” advancements and job creation.” Varsano’s views are supported by Global Jet GAMA’s Bunce believes the industry’s best tal impact must take front and center before it Capital chief marketing oﬃcer Andrew Far- advocates are its growing young and diverse is hijacked by activists. “Perception is everyrant. He suggests business aircraft have the talent pool. We are proud that we continually thing,” Von Weise concluded. z

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Lufthansa Technik hangars full as bizliner demand continues to grow By Peter Shaw-Smith Lufthansa Technik’s VIP and special-missions unit expects fleet rollovers in the Middle East and burgeoning business in Asia to keep its hangars in Hamburg, Germany, full at least until 2026. “It’s a very positive time for the whole industry; business for 2023 and 2024 is increasing,” Wieland Timm, v-p sales, told AIN. “We have had very good recent years and our outlook through 2025 shows this continuing. Our main products—completions and maintenance—are in high demand.” Lufthansa Technik’s slot fill rate this year is at nearly 100 percent, Timm said. “In 2024, we already are at around 70 percent on maintenance and close to 90 percent for completion. In 2025, we expect several requests for modification and maintenance on aging aircraft.” Fleet rollovers are expected in the Middle East in the next five to six years. Aging aircraft are still in service and need upgrades, especially for communications and in-flight entertainment systems that are more than 10 years old, leading to obsolescence. Timm said the biggest widebody market is the Middle East. In May, Qatar’s Amiri Flight sent two widebody aircraft to the coronation in the UK—an A340 variant over more than two decades old and a BBJ 747-8 now believed to be more than 10 years old. “In the U.S., it’s only head of state,” Timm said. “Very few private individuals own widebodies. They normally fly narrowbody or business jets, as well as instances of special aircraft like medevac versions and so on. We have Middle Eastern customers who have aircraft that have been regularly maintained and already refurbished several times [such as 747-300s and A340-200s]. Maintenance and related areas are limited.” Lufthansa Technik claims to be one of the world’s biggest Boeing 747 outfitters, having done 28 to date. “The aircraft requires special

Lufthansa Technik is preparing designs for VIP versions of the widebody Boeing 777-9.

expertise and repair capabilities; we are still number one because mother airline Lufthansa is still flying the 747-400 and the 747-8,” Timm said. “We have the capabilities, spare parts, and knowledge for easy and professional repair. This has led to many recent customer requests for widebody aircraft.” While some of these aircraft are 20 to 30 years old, in recent years fleet replacement has not taken place. “Today, everybody wants to do it as fast as possible,” Timm said. “As the 747 is out of production, many in the Middle East are focusing on the Airbus ACJ350 and the BBJ 777-9, the biggest aircraft available at the moment, and a natural 747 replacement. It is still under construction— the first ones will be delivered in 2025. If the aircraft had entered service three years ago, fleet rollovers would already be underway; today, everybody’s waiting for the aircraft.” Timm called the variant “the natural highend aircraft of the future. We are a widebody company. Given our 777 focus, we expect many customers, especially in the Middle East, to order this aircraft. At the Dubai Airshow net month, demand for its outfit will be huge. We want to display the finished product. We have some nice ideas about how to do this, due to the unique width of the fuselage. You can do a little more with

62 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

the 777 due to that width than on the A350.” In 2025, the first commercial 777-9 will be on the market, and by 2026 or 2027, the first VIP aircraft will be available to customers for outfitting. “We are right on time because developing a unique design for a special customer or government takes around one year,” Timm said. “The supplier industry takes up to 15 months to produce the required parts. We are on schedule, and that’s why we want to put it on show this year: 2024 preparation, 2025 engineering, and then the aircraft more or less enters service in 2026.” Regarding international markets, requests from Asia are on the rise. “Asian countries are purchasing narrowbody aircraft, as is the Middle East market,” Timm said. “These are, I would say, our most important markets today. Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, and others are very active in aircraft purchase.” Timm expects five BBJ 777-9s to be ordered in the next two or three years. “That’s my guess, but that’s a Wieland Timm number, not an oﬃcial number,” he said. “Boeing has not given us oﬃcial numbers. It’s just our guess—a handful of aircraft.” At NBAA-BACE, on the VIP side, Lufthansa Technik is showcasing elements of its new BBJ 777-9 design, being done in cooperation with Boeing Business Jets. It will also display the aircraft design at the Dubai Airshow. z

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MyAirOps simplifies access to trip support By Charles Alcock MyAirOps is introducing a new tool to make it easier for clients to use its trip support service in tandem with its flight operations management system. The aviation software specialist has added a trip support button to the request screen of the portal to simplify complex operations. By pressing this button, customers can open a direct line of communication to the MyAirOps trip support team while still in the flight operations management system. “Whether it is last-minute adjustments, unforeseen logistical challenges, flying into a new region, or any other trip-related concern, users can access prompt assistance without navigating through multiple menus

or suppliers,” explained Mike Bennett, the UK-based company’s head of marketing. According to MyAirOps, aircraft operators are faced with increased complexity in fulfilling trip management tasks and its objective has been to simplify the path to getting the right help so that they can focus on core responsibilities. Pressing the newly added button will automatically relay all the relevant trip details to the company’s trip-support team, avoiding the need for separate emails or having to re-enter data with the possibility of introducing errors through a manual process. Operators can input additional information as part of the request process. Once a request has been made and actioned, a member of the MyAirOps trip support team will add information about the services

required to the user’s own platform. That could include details of flight permits and plans, as well as arrangements for ground handling and hotel and transportation for aircrew. While applying software to automate flight operations management and trip-support functions, MyAirOps places a strong emphasis on providing a high degree of expert, personal assistance. According to the company, its trip support team, which is based at London-area Farnborough Airport, has decades of experience in business aviation operations. One additional responsibility now facing operators flying into any of the 27 European Union states is the requirement to provide information about all passengers and crew via the European Travel Information and Authorization System. The process, which is similar to the existing U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization, was scheduled to go into eﬀect in 2024 but this may be shifted to 2025. When implemented, the onus will be on the operator to manage all details to comply with data-protection rules. z

Wichita Aviation takes center stage at NBAA-BACE 2023 The Greater Wichita Partnership is promoting the Air Capital of the World this week at NBAA-BACE 2023. The business aviation convention serves as a platform to showcase the Greater Wichita region’s advanced aviation capabilities and its network of more than 450 suppliers. The Greater Wichita region holds the distinction of being the top manufacturing metro area in the U.S., accounting for 35 percent of all general aviation manufacturing activity in the country. “NBAA-BACE is a premier opportunity to leverage the Greater Wichita region’s robust aviation workforce, industry depth, and innovative technologies,” said the partnership’s executive v-p of economic development, Andrew Nave. “Our attendance is critical to fostering relationships and engaging with expanding companies to drive economic development efforts.” Textron Aviation, Spirit AeroSystems, and other employers from the region are hosting a significant presence at NBAA-BACE this year. Their participation underscores the critical role Wichita plays in the national aviation landscape. The Greater Wichita Partnership, a consistent exhibitor at NBAABACE since 2005, is spearheading a delegation of 14 local companies and organizations integral to the region’s dynamic aviation ecosystem. The contingent includes Aerospace Systems & Components, NIAR, Aircraft Covers Unlimited, Ortega Aviation Services, Aviation Consulting &

64 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

The Greater Wichita Partnership is promoting the Air Capital of the World at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas. Textron Aviation is playing a key role in the Wichita representation. Engineering Solutions, Park Aerospace, Bodycote, Pinnacle Aerospace, Mid-Continent Aviation Services, and Southwind Global Aviation. Other sponsors contributing to the initiative include Harvey County Economic Development, Spirit AeroSystems, Mid-State Aerospace, and the Wichita Airport Authority. The city of Wichita, Sedgwick County, and the Kansas Department of Commerce—along with other key economic development partners—are also attending. J.R.

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BJT Readers’ Choice Survey Here are the results of the Business Jet Traveler 2023 Readers’ Choice survey, which attracted nearly 1,300 respondents and incorporated many questions that we didn’t ask in previous years. As promised, we have made a contribution for every completed survey to Corporate Angel Network, which arranges free flights on business aircraft to treatment centers for cancer patients.

If you could regularly fly on any of these aircraft, which would you choose in each category? 60

56%

VERY LIGHT JETS (VLJs)

30%

29%

24% 20

20 9%

15%

0 60

24%

6% 0

Embraer Honda Aircraft Cirrus Phenom100 HondaJet Vision SF50 56%

Eclipse 550

Embraer Cessna Phenom 300 Citation CJ4

Pilatus PC-24

Embraer Phenom 100

Bombardier Hawker/ Learjet 70/75 Beechjet 400

SMALL-CABIN/LIGHT JETS Embraer Phenom 300

30%

29%

24% 20

24%

20 9%

15%

6% 0

Embraer Honda Aircraft Cirrus Phenom100 HondaJet Vision SF50

Eclipse 550

Embraer Cessna Phenom 300 Citation CJ4

Pilatus PC-24

Bombardier Hawker/ Learjet 70/75 Beechjet 400

MIDSIZE CABIN JETS 40

38%

40 26%

34%

31%

25%

22% 20

13%

11%

Cessna Citation Latitude

Embraer Praetor 500

Gulfstream G150

Hawker 800/900

66 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

Bombardier Challenger 350

Gulfstream G280

Cessna Embraer Cessna Citation Latitude Citation Praetor Longitude 600

SUPER-MIDSIZE-CABIN JETS

38%

40 26%

34%

31%

25%

22% 20

13%

11%

Cessna Embraer Bombardier Challenger Citation 350 Praetor 500 Latitude

Gulfstream G150

LARGE-CABIN JETS

Hawker 800/900

Bombardier Challenger 350

Gulfstream G280

Cessna Citation Longitude

Embraer Praetor 600

49%

45%

40 30%

27% 21%

19%

10%

0 Gulfstream G500

Dassault Falcon 7X

Bombardier Global 5500

Gulfstream Bombardier G650/G650ER Global7500

49%

Dassault Falcon 8X

Gulfstream G600

Gulfstream G500

ULTRA-LONG-RANGE/HEAVY JETS

45%

40 30%

27% 21%

19%

10%

Gulfstream G650/G650ER

0 Gulfstream G500

Dassault Falcon 7X

Bombardier Global 5500

Gulfstream Bombardier G650/G650ER Global7500

Dassault Falcon 8X

Gulfstream G600

a i n o n l i n e . c o m • October 17, 202 3 • N B A A Convention News 67

Bizav groups critique green policy By Cathy Buyck The European Union’s Green Deal aims to decarbonize all sectors of the economy with the long-term goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and reduce the bloc-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. However, business aviation and general aviation industry groups fear that some of the policies will in fact undermine these objectives. Of particular concern is the pending addition of aviation in the EU’s “taxonomy for sustainable finance,” a classification system that defines which industries are environmentally sustainable and can be considered green investments. According to the European Commission, this comprehensive and highly technical toolset will “create security for investors, protect private investors from greenwashing, help companies to become more climate-friendly, mitigate market fragmentation, and help shift investments where they are most needed.” Much to the sector’s frustration, business aviation is not included in the draft text setting the taxonomy criteria for aviation, unlike airlines flying regional ATR and Embraer aircraft or narrowbody or widebody Airbus or Boeing airliners. Commercial aircraft will have to fulfill certain criteria and conditions to be considered for green investment, but the EU’s proposed technical screening criteria for manufacturing of aircraft—also covering repairs, maintenance, overhauls, retrofits, designs, repurposes, or upgrades—explicitly excludes both aircraft below 5.7 tonnes (12,566 pounds) and all aircraft “produced for private or commercial business aviation.” The draft text makes one small caveat, namely for aircraft with zero direct (tailpipe) CO2 emissions. However, aircraft that fly on fully electric or 100 percent green hydrogen power are still in their research phase and EASA has certified only one aircraft in this category— the two-seat Pipistrel Velis Electro trainer. “Not even hybrid electric aircraft are included in the EU taxonomy. This means

European business aviation groups feel their efforts to reduce carbon emissions through measures such as adopting sustainable aviation fuel are being excluded from new European Commission plans. that general aviation and business aviation aircraft are out,” General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) v-p for European aﬀairs Kyle Martin told AIN. “Such an exclusion targeting a specific sector of an industry is without precedent in the EU taxonomy for any other transport mode and is wholly unjustified. There are no similar provisions for exclusive yachts and private cars, so why are we being left out?” “My personal opinion is that this is patently unfair, politicized, and simply unsupported by the facts,” said Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “Business aviation has always been the cradle for innovation and really engaged in decarbonization,” he maintained, disclosing that the company is considering legal actions for breach of the principle of equality. GAMA and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), as well as some of their members, have engaged extensively with the European Commission over the past two years to try to reverse the proposed exclusion of general and business aviation from the EU taxonomy. “Despite our eﬀorts, the text did not change,” Martin complained. “We are still trying but it is like pushing against a brick wall. It is all about gesture politics and creating the perception that [the European Commission] is actively mitigating climate change by taking

68 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

these ‘elite business jets’ out of the green investment classification. There is no scientific or factual validation for it.” As a matter of fact, EASA’s most recent European Plan for Aviation Safety 2023-2025 states that the general aviation and unmanned aircraft systems industry “act as catalysts for innovation.” Additionally, Eurocontrol considers business aviation as a “test bed for sustainability innovations” due to its possibilities of investing in sustainable aviation fuel and the latest aircraft technology. Examples of environmental innovations that are developed and deployed by business and general aviation before being scaled up for commercial aviation include the use of winglets, head-up displays, combined vision systems, and advanced navigation systems enabling optimized trajectories. Further, this segment is pioneering the development of hybrid electric, fully electric, and hydrogen propulsion. GAMA estimates that, as it stands now, up to 95 percent of Europe’s certified civil aircraft fleet will be excluded by the technical screening criteria of the EU taxonomy and thus not be regarded as green investments. Besides business and corporate aviation, these aircraft cover a diverse range of activities, such as search-and-rescue, emergency

medical services, express cargo services, and agriculture (including crop spraying). The Commission’s proposal does not differentiate by the origin of manufacturing and so applies to EU and non-EU aircraft, parts, and equipment. According to Martin, it is diﬃcult to quantify the EU taxonomy’s impact partly because it is a voluntary scheme and it does not impose legal requirements on financial institutions to invest in a way that is 100 percent taxonomy compliant. However, the regulation does require that certain financial institutions disclose the proportion of their revenues, capital expenditure, and operating expenditure derived from or related to products or services associated with economic activities that qualify as environmentally sustainable. “What this will translate to in real terms for OEMs, operators, the supply chain, FBOs, MRO providers, and lessors, will depend on how the financial institutions will be following this,” Martin noted. “We are concerned that the access to financing will become more diﬃcult.

“Given the global nature of this industry, the exclusion of this sector from the EU taxonomy will inevitably distort global competition and disadvantage the whole general aviation and business aviation ecosystem in the EU.” For instance, he pointed out that the UK has not announced plans to develop a similar set of rules. Bernhard Fragner, CEO of Austrian private jet operator GlobeAir, anticipates the new EU approach will hit the business aviation sector in multiple ways. “It will become more diﬃcult to secure financing [for the acquisition of aircraft], so we will need to access more private equity which is more expensive. This, in turn, will render the flights more expensive and flights will become accessible for a smaller group,” he told AIN. As a result, he expects consolidation will intensify and “our industry will become smaller. I am convinced about that.” Asked whether he sees a risk of financing, ownership of aircraft, and jobs transferring abroad, to non-EU countries, he responded, “For sure. Absolutely.” For Trappier, not recognizing business

aviation as green investments will represent a handicap for some of the OEM’s subcontractors. “The SMEs and mid-caps in our supply chain will be hit first. The exclusion means that it will be harder for them to access financing while they are already experiencing issues,” he noted, while highlighting the risk of distortion of competition in a field where the EU has until now strong international assets. “In the U.S., industries are receiving subsidies to become carbon neutral and making rapid progress. Europe is putting less money on the table and imposing standards,” he said. “I’m not very happy, indeed, about this European taxonomy and this over-regulation imposed upon us by Europe.” The European Commission published the draft text excluding general and business aviation from the taxonomy’s scope in June. The text of the Delegated Act is now being reviewed by the Council of the EU (member states) and the European Parliament. They have until later this month to reject or approve the text without the possibility of amendment. z

a i n o n l i n e . c o m • October 17, 202 3 • N B A A Convention News 69

StandardAero quality inspector Brian Taylor inspecting an engine at the company’s facility in Augusta, Georgia. Engines account for 75 percent of StandardAero’s MRO business.

StandardAero remains on growth trajectory By Gregory Polek StandardAero plans to invest between $12 million in leasehold improvements over 2.5 years at its MRO facility in Springfield, Illinois. The work includes a hangar door overhaul, interior door replacement, resurfacing of hangar floors, interior and exterior paint, new HVAC systems, flat roof replacements, paint facility upgrades, and parking area and road resurfacing. StandardAero (Booth C8431) has started the repair and overhaul process for the facility’s hangar doors, said Dave Pearman, v-p and general manager of the Springfield location. “And we’re proceeding with the other phased improvements. We are grateful to the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport for their support, and once all of the upgrades are completed, we’ll essentially have a like-new operation.” Apart from Springfield, StandardAero operates at primary business aviation MRO facilities in Van Nuys, California; Dallas; Houston; Augusta, Georgia; and the UK. The company also maintains regional service centers in the U.S., Brazil, the UK, South Africa, and Singapore, as well as mobile service teams around the world. The Springfield project follows a period of healthy growth for StandardAero, whose

business has expanded even beyond the industry’s 20 percent overall increase in flight hours from 2019 to today, said StandardAero business aviation president Tony Brancato. Keeping up with demand hasn’t happened without its challenges, however, given the industry’s shortage of maintenance professionals and long lead times for parts deliveries, he noted. “We have an aging workforce, which isn’t uncommon in aviation,” said Brancato. “We work closely with our team members, those getting ready to retire, to give us six to 12 months’ notice and then we’ll pursue talent.” Generally coming directly from A&P schools, new hires undergo 90 days of further training at the StandardAero Aviation Maintenance Academy, where they spend time in the classroom and on the shop floor to work with training masters. “The long-term growth and dealing with training challenges has got to come from internal training programs, bringing [trainees] along and getting them indoctrinated into our culture,” said Brancato. The company’s Dallas facility ranks as its largest, employing some 325 maintenance professionals. There, StandardAero competes for mechanics with airlines, posing a constant struggle to retain qualified people. Still, he

70 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

noted, the company has done well to maintain a flow of recruits. “We’ve taken people who have HVAC experience or electrical experience, brought them in, done some testing, and then put them into our training academy,” he explained. StandardAero also oﬀers reimbursement for expenses at A&P schools. “We’re very aggressive in that area,” said Brancato. “We’ll bring them in as interns while they’re between semesters and pay them an hourly wage. Then, if they’re interested, they’ll come work for us, and we’ll finish paying their second semester or whatever it may be.” The other major challenge—parts shortages due to supply-chain disruptions—has proved as stubborn as the dearth of mechanics. In fact, Brancato noted that the improvements expected this year haven’t materialized, adding that he doesn’t expect a much better situation in 2024. “We work closely with our customers, we coordinate their service and maintenance needs in advance. It’s a tight-knit group we’re pulling together, between customers and the OEMs—whether they be engine or avionics or airframe—and ourselves to try and coordinate this better because of this challenging time that we’re all faced with.” While Brancato explained that the problem applies “across the board” in terms of the range of parts aﬀected, he did note some improvement in the supply of avionics. “Chip shortages have really reduced…getting boards, getting antennas, things like that. They still have challenges—don’t get me wrong. But they’ve probably progressed the most in terms of coming out of this trough.” Engine work, meanwhile, still accounts for some 75 percent of StandardAero’s business, requiring a high level of coordination with OEMs and its customers, who benefit from the company’s lease pool of nearly 100 engines. “A lot of it comes with working with customers on what their flight hours look like, when they’re planning downtime, when we can do an engine change, when they want to bring the airframe in for an annual inspection,” continued Brancato. “The pressure is on us to meet the turn time; the pressure’s on them to work with us and plan, get it in on schedule, get it out on plan, and keep it to a defined workscope as much as we can.” z

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AIN Product Support Survey: OEM support By Gregory Polek Results in AIN’s 2023 Product Support Survey showed a tie in the business jet category between Gulfstream and Textron Aviation, each of which posted an overall average score of 8.1—just one-tenth of a point ahead of last year’s top scorer, Embraer. Meanwhile, helicopter maker Leonardo finished in the top spot among all companies still producing aircraft with an 8.7 rating. Finally, Pilatus’s support of the PC-12 turboprop earned the highest score among all in-production fixed-wing aircraft at 8.6, equaling its score from 2022. Virtually every company surveyed continued to feel the results of supply chain constraints, reactions to which appeared varyingly eﬀective in mitigating its impact. Eﬀorts to relieve the pressure took several forms among the respondents, including more communication and hands-on help for suppliers, increasing inventory

Combined Overall Overall Overall Average Average Average Ratings of Newer and 2023 2022 Older Aircraft

Rating Change from 2022 to 2023

levels, and maintaining closer ties with teardown agencies to help supplement its parts inventory. Other factors included a need for more staﬀing as several companies added or continue the process of adding more square footage for MRO operations and parts warehousing.

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

Gulfstream G650

FactoryAuthorized Cost per Overall Owned Parts Cost of AOG Warranty Technical Technical Service Hour Aircraft Service Availability Parts Response Fulfillment Manuals Reps Centers Programs Reliability Centers

Business Jets Gulfstream

8.1

7.9

0.2

8.2

8.5

7.8

7.4

6.0

8.2

8.7

8.5

9.1

9.0

8.1

7.8

0.3

8.2

8.4

7.9

7.3

6.6

8.1

8.9

8.4

8.8

8.6

Embraer

8.0

(0.0)

8.0

8.7

7.8

6.4

7.1

7.8

8.1

8.5

8.6

Dassault (Falcon)

7.9

7.5

0.4

7.8

8.8

6.8

6.9

6.4

7.6

8.7

8.4

8.7

8.9

7.6

(0.0)

7.3

8.6

7.7

6.5

6.4

7.4

7.8

7.7

8.1

8.7

Pilatus (PC-12)

8.6

0.0

9.1

8.9

7.8

8.2

6.8

8.6

8.9

8.8

8.7

9.3

Textron Aviation

7.9

0.0

8.1

8.7

6.8

7.4

6.5

7.2

8.1

8.2

8.9

8.7

8.6

0.1

9.2

9.3

8.9

7.7

8.2

8.4

9.5

8.7

9.0

8.9

0.3

9.7

9.3

8.4

8.8

7.4

9.6

9.8

9.5

9.7

9.5

(Mid- and Large-Cabin)

Textron Aviation (Citation, Beechcraft, Hawker)

(Phenom, Legacy, Praetor)

Bombardier

(Learjet, Challenger, Global)

Turboprops

(King Air)

Rotorcraft Leonardo

Turboprops (out-of-production) Mitsubishi (MU-2)

9.1

N/A

72 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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AIN Product Support Survey: Avionics By Gregory Polek Garmin took top billing in this year’s AIN Product Support Survey for avionics makers, capturing the highest rating for flight deck avionics suppliers. Winning the category by a comfortable margin last year, Garmin this year posted an average overall score of 8.7, placing it well ahead of the second-place finisher, Collins Aerospace, but still two-tenths of a point behind its 2022 performance. Gulfstream and Textron Aviation, meanwhile, which tied for top honors in the business jet category of AIN’s Product Support Survey for airframers, similarly tied in the cabin management system support category in this edition of of the survey, each with an overall rating of 8.1. Meanwhile, Satcom Direct’s 8.6 rating in airborne connectivity support placed it at the head of that category. While feedback from OEMs for this year’s airframer survey showed that virtually every company continued to feel the results of supply chain disruptions for a variety of parts, avionics respondents generally appeared Category & Overall Average Ratings for Avionics Systems

Overall Average 2023

more circumspect in their responses. Lufthansa Technik reported diﬃculties securing semiconductors, in particular, while others worked hard to address labor shortages; Honeywell, for example, added 1,000

Rating Cost per Overall Parts Change Hour Average Availability from 2022 Programs 2022 to 2023

employees over the past year to its repair and overhaul organization while dedicating some 150 managers to work on securing workers and a steadier flow of raw materials among suppliers. z

Cost of AOG Warranty Technical Technical Parts Response Fulfillment Manuals Reps

Overall Avionics Reliability

Flight Deck Avionics Garmin

8.7

8.9

(0.2)

8.9

8.8

7.8

8.6

8.8

8.9

8.7

9.2

Collins Aerospace

8.1

8.2

(0.1)

8.1

7.8

6.6

8.0

8.6

8.1

8.3

8.7

Honeywell

7.7

7.6

0.1

7.7

7.5

6.4

7.5

8.4

8.2

7.5

8.4

Cabin Management Systems Gulfstream Cabin Management

8.1

8.0

0.1

7.5

7.6

6.6

8.7

9.2

8.2

9.1

8.0

Textron Aviation Cabin Management

8.1

7.9

0.2

8.0

7.4

7.2

8.7

8.3

8.9

7.9

Collins Aerospace

8.0

7.5

0.5

8.1

7.7

6.6

8.1

8.9

8.2

Honeywell

6.9

7.0

(0.1)

6.9

6.2

6.0

6.4

7.3

7.4

7.3

7.8

Satcom Direct

8.6

8.4

0.2

7.6

8.4

7.4

9.0

9.1

8.7

9.5

8.7

Gogo Business Aviation

8.3

8.2

0.1

7.4

8.4

7.4

8.8

8.9

8.1

8.9

8.3

Honeywell

7.9

(0.0)

7.4

7.9

7.1

8.2

7.6

7.9

8.4

8.3

Airborne Connectivity

74 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

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Eisenhower’s Columbine II Constellation is on its way to becoming an airworthy flying museum.

First Air Force One Connie relives presidential history By Matt Thurber Not all NBAA-BACE exhibits highlight current products, FBOs, aircraft, engines, and avionics. In fact, one unique exhibit—at Booth 2213—aims to appeal to lovers of history and classic airplanes. There, First Air Force One is promoting the restoration of President Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower’s Lockheed Constellation, “Columbine II.” Manufactured in 1948, the Columbine II wasn’t Ike’s first presidential airplane, although it is the only one that served just one president. He selected the Constellation after being elected in 1952 and flew it from 1954 until 1959 when it was replaced by a Boeing 707. Ike’s first airplane, an Aero Commander L-26B—dubbed “Ike’s Bird” and the “smallest Air Force One”—is still flying, under the care of the Commemorative Air Force’s DFW Wing in Dallas. After being replaced by Columbine III, a Super Constellation, Columbine II was sold to Pan Am, where it operated for two years before returning to military duty with the U.S. Air Force. The Constellation was retired in 1968 and languished in the Arizona desert for decades until Dynamic Aviation co-founder Karl Stoltzfus Sr. learned about the historic

comprehensive restoration once $4.5 million has been raised, which will cover the first 12 months of work. Stoltzfus is also planning to build a dedicated facility to house Columbine II, much like the museum hangar where B-29 Doc is airplane and decided that it must be brought based in Wichita. First Air Force One will fly Columbine II to back to life. Stoltzfus and a team of mechanics from airshows and events such as NBAA-BACE and Dynamic Aviation and the Mid America Flight EAA AirVenture. “It will tell stories about that Museum in Mount Pleasant, Texas, spent a time in our history and the evolution of the year getting the Constellation airworthy and new world order,” Ganger said. “This airplane flew it back to Dynamic’s Bridgewater, West was in the middle of it.” Virginia base on March 22, 2016. The museum will include videos, photo“They did some work now and then,” said graphs, and logs of who flew on Columbine II, Bruce Ganger, director of community engage- telling the story of how Columbine II was an ment, and a fundraising expert who came out early example of business aviation operations. of retirement to help First Air Force One with “It was a tool for Ike to keep things moving the Columbine II project. “But they decided it along,” he said. was too big a lift to do as one company.” “We’re excited about the vision for ColumAn estimated $12 million and three years bine II and being at BACE,” Ganger told AIN. are needed for the restoration, and First Air “If you look at it, this was the first presidential Force One’s goal is to make Columbine II a air transport that was business aviation. Ike flying museum and offer it for meeting space used it as a tool to be more effective, efficient, and other uses. and timely. “We’re restoring it from the tail to the nose to “The world began to know wherever Air look like it did [during Ike’s presidency],” Ganger Force One was, something significant was taksaid. “The interior and exterior will be period ing place. Ike was notorious for being a man of authentic,” and this will include a recreation of peace, and this was the facilitation for him to Ike’s desk, as well as parachute harnesses for Ike do that. We believe this is going to be a convenand his wife Mamie and even grandson David to ing point to open doors to youth and others to bail out of Columbine II if necessary. careers in STEM and aviation. It’s going to be Although some work has been done on a wonderful [opportunity] for veterans to see Columbine II, including rewiring the air- Air Force One and relive and tell stories about z frame, a lot more remains. The plan is to begin their time in service for their country.”

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Jet East’s facilities in West Palm Beach (left) and Dallas offer customers from Mexico a choice of locations for maintaining their aircraft.

Jet East approved for Mexico mx By Gregory Polek

Apart from Dallas and West Palm Beach, Jet East also operates maintenance hangars in Millville, New Jersey; Statesville, North Carolina; and Solon.

touch, Jet East explained. Each composite structure presents an opportunity to solve a unique puzzle, and the technicians at Jet East must carefully evaluate the damage, envision the final result, and meticulously implement repairs. A creative eye is crucial, stressed the company, because technicians must repair the damage and ensure that the repaired area seamlessly integrates with the aircraft’s overall design. The process involves restoring structural integrity while ensuring that the repaired area seamlessly blends with the aircraft’s original aesthetics. “This year alone, we have seized numerous opportunities to salvage composites that other establishments deemed irreparable,” added Prokesh. “With added time and attention, we not only preserved the component but also spared our customers the expense of acquiring replacements.” z

Gama Aviation subsidiary Jet East has obtained Mexican Federal Civil Aviation Agency authorization, the Solon, Ohio-based business aircraft MRO company said. The approval allows The Art of Cowl Repair Jet East to perform maintenance services on Jet East recently completed a cowling comMexico-registered aircraft at its facilities in posite repair on a Gulfstream G550 at its facility in Ohio, highlighting what it calls its West Palm Beach, Florida, and Dallas. The locations of Jet East’s MRO opera- precision engineering and artistic creativity. tions align perfectly with the demand for “In our daily operations, we continually aircraft maintenance near Mexico, said the encounter challenges,” said Chris Prokesh, Jet company. “These geographical advantages East’s general manager for component repairs. enable Jet East to provide prompt and reli- “I believe that our ability to adapt and excel in able maintenance services to customers this ever-evolving environment is what makes from Mexico, ensuring minimal downtime us successful. Our Jet East family is so dedifor their aircraft.” cated and committed to overcoming composMonterrey, Mexico’s second-largest avia- ite obstacles.” tion hub, lies 575 miles from Jet East’s DalComposite repairs demand more than las facility, while Toluca, another prominent technical proficiency; they require a creative aviation center, sits in relatively close proximity to the company’s facilities in Texas and Florida. “We are thrilled to have obtained the Mexican authorization, which strengthens our position as a leading provider of aircraft maintenance services,” said Jet East international sales director Ozzy Torres. “We look forward to welcoming customers from Mexico so they have the opportunity to experience the Jet East difference as they entrust us with their aircraft mainte- Jet East’s recent composite cowling repair on a Gulfstream G550 required a mix of engineering nance needs.” prowess and artistic sensibility.

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New ownership spurs JetNet expansion By Curt Epstein It’s been a year of change for industry data provider JetNet. As the company celebrates its 35th anniversary, for the first time in that span it is under new ownership, with a private investment firm acquiring it from the family of its founder, the late Vincent Esposito Sr. “Last year the Espositos really came to the conclusion that they had taken the company about as far as they could and that JetNet needed to be in the hands of someone with greater resources than they had to take it to the next level,” explained Paul Cardarelli, the Utica, New York-based company’s v-p of sales. “Approximately one year ago the transition was made, and JetNet was purchased by Silversmith Capital Partners out of Boston.” Since then, backed by Silversmith’s $3.3 billion portfolio, the company has been in expansion mode, acquiring three separate industry data analysis firms. First came aviation valuation firm Asset Insight, creator of the eValues realtime valuation tool. “Asset Insight just offered such an innovative product, looking at the resale and the valuation market in a different light that really brought a lot of color to the JetNet platform,” said Jason Lorraine, JetNet’s assistant v-p of strategic solutions and product sales. That was followed a few months later by the purchase of flight tracker ADS-B Exchange. Founded in 2016, the company operates a network of ADS-B, Mode S, and MLAT feeders and provides real-time and historical flight data. “There’s been cases where officials have used the ADS-B platform and data to locate missing aircraft, doing accident analysis, or trying to understand a particular market [such as] the medevac helicopter industry,” explained Lorraine. In June JetNet acquired Hamburg, Germanybased business aviation data firm WingX Advance, which tracks the activity of aircraft and airports across the globe. “Extremely important to all users of our services is understanding the utilization of aircraft, and that just touches on our whole variety of customers,” noted Cardarelli. The additions have grown JetNet’s revenues

by 60 percent over the past year. Each of the three companies has retained its own identity and is exhibiting at the JetNet booth (C11444). “We’ve looked at all three of these acquisitions as very much complementing the mission that JetNet already has,” Cardarelli told AIN. “We want to be the best, deepest, broadest purveyor of information on business aircraft, commercial aircraft, helicopters, and certain pistons as well throughout the world, so we are researching today a little bit north of 110,000 in-service airframes worldwide.” Another result of the Silversmith purchase was JetNet’s ability to bolster its staﬀ, including new CEO Derek Swaim, new COO Josh Baird, and seven other senior executives. The company employs around 85 people, the majority of whom are members of its research department. They speak with owners and operators about the status of their aircraft on a regular basis, and some are stationed at the FAA aircraft registry

in Oklahoma City, so as soon as a new aircraft is registered it is entered into the JetNet database. “I think when we started JetNet, the business jet database was something like 6,000 to 7,000 airframes. Today it’s pressing up on 24,000,” explained Cardarelli. “I’m talking in-service airframes. We have the out-of-service airframes on the database as well, but it’s 24,000 or so that are viable in-service airframes today.” As an oﬀshoot of that contact with the end users, the company—in partnership with Rolland Vincent Associates—launched JetNet iQ in 2011, a quarterly survey that captures data from operators. That information has been synthesized into quarterly reports for subscribers as well as used to fashion a 10-year business aircraft delivery forecast that has become one of the most respected in the industry. In addition to its latest forecast, at NBAA’s annual convention, the company will also present results from its just concluded 3Q survey. z

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Acquisitions position JSSI for mx ops intel By: Kerry Lynch Growing substantially in recent years both organically and through acquisitions, Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) has evolved into a maintenance intelligence provider from the beginning to the end stages of aircraft ownership. Founded in 1989, JSSI built its foundation on its core business of hourly-cost maintenance programs. But in recent years, it has added companies such as Conklin & de Decker, Traxxall, SierraTrax, and Shearwater Global Capital to its portfolio and has also grown parts and other services. “With that growth,” said Megha Bhatia, a former Rolls-Royce executive who joined JSSI this year as chief marketing oﬃcer, JSSI is striving to provide “a new level of maintenance intelligence to drive cost savings and eﬃciencies for the customer. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that budgets are stabilized, and the customer has a breadth of information available to them in terms of understanding what the operational costs look like.” This goal has remained relatively unchanged since JSSI’s beginning. But the more insight it is able to provide, the better JSSI is able to help the customer enhance residual value and aircraft availability, she said. “We’ve

strategically expanded to be able to include a suite of maintenance and financial solutions that would simplify the technical complexities as well as the economic complexities of aircraft ownership.” This begins with aircraft cost and evaluation specialist Conklin & de Decker, which it acquired in 2018. This provided expertise to assist customers in the pre-acquisition phase as they are evaluating aircraft, she said, calling Conklin & de Decker a “benchmark for operating cost and performance data for virtually all makes and models of business aviation aircraft.” JSSI launched a specialty finance unit with the acquisition of Shearwater this year. “It’s an alternative to traditional lending options,” Bhatia said. The asset-based lender “is in a place specifically to address a gap in the market looking at mid-vintage aircraft.” Once a person or organization owns an aircraft, they need to manage operating costs and protect the value of the asset. “That’s where maintenance programs come into play,” she said, pointing to maintenance tracking providers Traxxall and SierraTrax, both of which were acquired in 2021. “Our goal is to continue to build on that maintenance operating platform to add value to the community.” JSSI is demonstrating its maintenance software at

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its booth during BACE. Also, JSSI’s maintenance cost-per-hour programs—the foundation of the company and a template for support that has spread throughout the industry—provide financial certainty. At the same time, JSSI Parts & Leasing, which was founded in 2014, offers a single source for parts seekers, she said. Parts & Leasing can further work with customers on end of life with disassembly solutions. “Our Parts & Leasing arm has grown tremendously, especially over the last few years. The supply chain challenges really demonstrated a need for that single-source solution for parts,” she said. JSSI has been able to leverage its in-house expertise in asset management and customer needs to help grow this business. “We’ve taken all this information, all this data, to invest in developing this extensive inventory,” she said. JSSI has two warehouses that are stocked with more than 100,000 lines of inventory, and that includes more than 60 engines and APUs. Helping that effort are more than 400 vendors that JSSI has developed to help it source parts. If JSSI doesn’t have a part for a customer, it can leverage that network. She acknowledged that high-demand parts will always be a “tricky challenge,” but said that’s why the company has developed a team of buyers to keep an eye on the market. Capping all of this is JSSI’s Advisory Services, which covers an array of consulting, appraisal, asset inspection, and maintenance event management services. With all its units, Bhatia said, JSSI can now offer an entire suite of services across the lifecycle of an aircraft. She credited JSSI employees for helping these services flourish and said the company has concentrated on investing in its people, particularly in the last several months throughout the executives, sales, and operations ranks. Other recent personnel moves include the naming of former Flightdocs president Greg Heine as senior v-p of maintenance software strategy and operations; Manuel Ruanova as director of business development for the U.S. West Coast; and Ben Hockenberg as COO. “The goal is to continue to invest in talent and strategic expansion to be able to build on JSSI’s vision and shape the company,” Bhatia said. z

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By Mark Huber The business aviation finance market is set to grow, according to research released this week at NBAA-BACE 2023 by Airbus Corporate Jets. The study surveyed 50 private jet brokers and 50 business aviation financiers. According to the study, 82 percent of U.S.based business aviation financiers and private jet brokers expect access to this financing to increase over the next three years and 98 percent believe that jet financing rates remain attractive. But 25 percent believe future deals will require substantially more cash, while 54 percent expect only a slight rise in the cash requirements. Meanwhile, 74 percent see a preference for fixed, as opposed to floating, interest rates over the next five years for those using leases and

credit. Some 69 percent of respondents expect leasing will increase between now and 2028. A jump in demand for larger business jets over the next five years was seen by 85 percent of respondents, 51 percent believed this would aid in maintaining residual value, and 77 percent believed the increased demand would make financing of larger jets comparatively easier than smaller aircraft. Finally, 68 percent believe that specialist lenders will increase their market share over mainstream banks. The increased financing is seen as key to the $150 billion business aviation contributes annually to the U.S. economy, a number forecasted to grow to $190 billion in five years by 31 percent of those surveyed and to $180 billion by 69 percent. Fully 72 percent expect business aviation activity to increase in support of the economies

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The ACJ TwoTwenty is debuting at NBAA-BACE.

BARRY AMBROSE

ACJ survey shows bizav finance market will grow

of communities without commercial airline service, and 76 percent see an increase in the role of business aviation in supporting emergency and humanitarian relief. A separate survey of senior executives at large corporations that own private jets indicated that 77 percent of these companies already use their aircraft for humanitarian and charitable purposes and that 87 percent think such utilization will increase over the next three years. On the environmental front, 93 percent of senior executives surveyed who charter business aircraft said they would focus on chartering newer, more eﬃcient aircraft, 95 percent who own or lease aircraft said they are investing more in technology for route optimization to reduce fuel burn and emissions, and 61 percent believe their company would increase their aviation budget by up to 25 percent to buy sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and/or buy more fuel-eﬃcient aircraft. Overall, environmental awareness among this surveyed group also appears to be increasing, with 95 percent saying their companies have a good understanding of the carbon footprint of their flights. Notably, nine out of 10 said their carbon footprint understanding has improved over the past five years, with 49 percent saying that understanding has increased dramatically. The two main reasons cited for this shift include the appointment of specialists to monitor the carbon footprint of these flights and increased investment in these teams, while a third is more detailed carbon data collected on these flights. NBAA-BACE attendees can view the Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty at the static display. z

BARRY AMBROSE

Members of a Textron Aviation customer advisory board helped identify opportunities for improving the Citation CJ3, and the Gen2 version adds a refreshed interior and exterior, more legroom for the pilot, and autothrottles.

Textron Aviation unveils Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen2 By Hanneke Weitering Textron Aviation has given its Cessna Citation CJ3 a makeover with an upgraded interior, new exterior styling, and new features that enhance both the passenger and pilot experience. The Wichita-based manufacturer revealed the redesigned CJ3 Gen2 yesterday at NBAA-BACE 2023. The single-pilot-approved aircraft has seating for up to nine passengers, range of 2,040 nm, and a maximum payload of 2,135 pounds, “which rivals the larger jets in this class,” said Lannie O’Bannion, Textron Aviation’s senior v-p of sales and flight operations. “The CJ3 series is built on 20 years of success in the marketplace. Whether you’re flying for personal use, charter, in a corporate flight department, or even a special mission, there’s nothing else in the market that competes with the CJ3 G2’s cabin and performance,” O’Bannion said.

Walking up to the airplane, the first thing passengers will notice is its fresh exterior, with a paint job “that will really catch your eye,” said Christi Tannahill, Textron Aviation’s senior v-p for customer experience. The airplane also features newly redesigned steps with added handles and lighting to make boarding safer and easier, she explained. The first thing pilots will notice is the abundance of legroom, with extra space around the left seat that makes stepping into and out of the cockpit a breeze. The CJ3 Gen2 comes equipped with Garmin G3000 touchscreen-controlled avionics and autothrottles. In the front of the cabin, customers have the option to add a side-facing seat that folds down to create room for about 50 pounds of baggage. That space can also be filled with storage cabinets adjacent to the refreshment center, and optional high-power outlets can be added for small appliances like Keurig or Nespresso machines, said Jimmy Beeson, the

senior manager of technical marketing at Textron Aviation. Dimmable and color-changing accent lights are spread throughout the cabin, including under tables, within storage pockets, and inside the cupholders, which are deeper and wider in the CJ3 Gen2. CoolView skylights also add some ambient lighting to the cabin. In the aft cabin, the seats have an enhanced swivel option that “allows you to customize that cabin on the fly and really make the cabin fit that day’s mission,” Beeson said. “There really is no detail too small.” “What I think will be one of the more popular features of the aircraft is that the lavatory is now externally serviceable,” Beeson added. Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper said the upgrades to the CJ3—his favorite airplane in the company’s product lineup—were shaped by feedback from a customer advisory board. The company brought in a number of current owners to work with its engineers “on what features they would really love in the airplane,” Draper noted. “That’s why we’re excited to be rolling out and announcing at NBAA.” Textron Aviation aims to have the $10.99 million CJ3 Gen2 in service by 2025. z

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New light jet Echelon takes form at Honda HQ By Matt Thurber

BARRY AMBROSE

Honda Aircraft yesterday provided more details and a new name for its next business jet program, the light-jet category HondaJet Echelon with the model number HA-480. At the EBACE show in May, Honda Aircraft formally announced launch of the thennamed Concept 2600, a Part 23 single-pilot light jet that offers midsize jet performance and comfort features. A mockup of the Echelon is installed next to the latest version of the HondaJet, the Elite II, at the NBAABACE static display at Henderson Executive Airport. With transcontinental range of 2,625 nm (NBAA IFR, one pilot, four passengers), the Echelon carries on the unique over-thewing-engine-mount design of the HondaJet. By mounting the engines on pylons on the wings, engineers can maximize space in

the jet’s rear cabin because systems that are required for the engines are also installed in the wings, not in the aft fuselage. This design also reduces noise in the cabin and has aerodynamic benefits that help improve the airplane’s efficiency. Because the original HA-420 and HA-480 share many design characteristics as well as systems, the Echelon will be certified as an amendment to the original HondaJet’s type certificate. The two airplanes will also share a common type rating, so pilots will be able to fly both versions. Honda Aircraft has already received signed letters of intent for more than 350 Echelons, according to Amod Kelkar, Honda Aircraft chief commercial oﬃcer and Echelon program manager. Many buyers are owner-pilots, including existing HondaJet owners, while others are fractional-share and charter operators. “Our job now is to deliver that product

The mockup of the HondaJet Echelon highlights the design’s 11-occupant interior, which is 4.5 inches taller and one inch wider than the original HondaJet. With four passengers, range is 2,625 nm.

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to customers who are eager to get their hands on it,” he said. The engineering team completed the Echelon’s preliminary design review earlier this year, and critical design review is planned for summer 2024. Fabrication has begun at Honda Aircraft’s Greensboro, North Carolina, headquarters, and rollout of the first Echelon is scheduled for early 2026. Flight testing should begin in 2026 and certification and entry into service are targeted for 2028. Honda Aircraft is collaborating with Honda North America Automotive Design on the Echelon’s interior furnishings. The interior will be available in three configurations: executive, dual club, and divan. Club-facing seats will be 84 inches from seatback to seatback. Compared to the HondaJet Elite II, the Echelon fuselage will be 4.5 inches taller and one inch wider, with an additional 5.5 inches at shoulder height and 7 inches at the bottom of the seats. Both designs have a trenched center aisle. Compared to other light jets, according to Honda Aircraft, the Echelon should be 20 percent more eﬃcient “on typical missions” and 40 percent better than midsize jets. It will be powered by two Williams International FJ44-4C turbofans and carry up to 11 occupants. Maximum cruise speed will be 450 ktas and maximum altitude FL470. At FL470, cabin altitude will be 6,363 feet. Technology features in the Echelon include Garmin’s G3000 avionics suite with Autoland, autobrakes, autothrottles, runway overrun awareness and alerting system, and Honda Aircraft’s advanced steering augmentation system, which optimizes yaw factor during landing and is also installed on the HA-420. “The commercialization of the Echelon represents Honda’s next chapter in skyward mobility,” said Honda Aircraft president and CEO Hideto Yamasaki. “The HondaJet Echelon was born to create a new category that transcends the travel experience on conventional light jets. Expanding mobility skyward has been Honda’s long-lasting dream, and the HondaJet Echelon marks the exciting next chapter while showcasing a classic Honda story of a product that creates new value for people.” z

Industry solons dissect bizav’s future prospects By Jessica Reed Industry experts provided insights into the current state and future prospects of business aviation during a panel discussion at NBAABACE in Las Vegas on Monday. Sheila Kahyaoglu of Jefferies expressed some doubts about a forecast from Honeywell indicating an average annual growth rate of 2 percent. “We only have our forecast out for 2026,” she said, adding that the Jefferies business jet models take into account used jet inventories as well as insights from companies and business jet management teams. “We do it on a per-model basis. We find that we’re most accurate when we look at it that way,” she said. Jefferies’ 2024 forecast is only 5 percent above 2019 levels, she noted, and these levels are roughly equivalent to those in 2013. “The industry has not really grown over the last decade, but the market obviously has doubled since that point.” The company expects the market to be robust over the next three years or so—primarily because the supply chain is sustaining current levels of demand, Kahyaoglu remarked. “We are hesitant on the long-term growth. I don’t know if 2 percent is right.” Ron Epstein of Bank of America Global Research for Aerospace & Defense

Panelists discuss their perspectives on the business aviation industry in 2023 during the Newsmakers Luncheon at NBAA-BACE 2023.

commented on the current supply-chain difficulties. “There’s going to be more pent-up demand for aircraft for a longer time, and that’s actually good. We’re going to have a ramp-up that’s more controlled.” “Fractional programs are a much bigger share than they used to be,” Epstein said. “I’m expecting to see that trend down over time, partly due to Covid distortions.” He also expressed excitement about the

new technologies on display this week at NBAA-BACE, including advanced air mobility and electric propulsion. “Why doesn’t this industry grow faster?” Rollie Vincent of Rolland Vincent Associates asked. “Generally speaking, we don’t grow at the rate we could. Long-term, our forecasts have a growth of around 2 percent CAGR.” He noted that the complexity of the industry creates a wide variety of different job types. However, there’s an urgent need to bring in more talent and diversity. JetNet predicts roughly 775 jet deliveries this year, compared to a little over 800 in 2019. “We’re back to pre-pandemic,” Vincent said. “The pandemic was the great accelerator for this industry.” z

The TBM 900 series has outsold earlier models, with 92 of the 960 delivered this month.

Daher hands over 500th TBM 900 Daher recently surpassed 500 deliveries of the TBM 900 series single turboprop. The milestone aircraft was handed over to a U.S. customer just ahead of NBAA-BACE 2023. The TBM 900 was introduced in 2014, following the production of 324 TBM 700s and 338 TBM 850s. The first of these aircraft—the TBM 700 initially developed jointly by Socata (formerly Morane-Saulnier) and Mooney—made its inaugural flight on July 14, 1988. The more powerful TBM 850 flew in 2005, shortly before Daher took a 70 percent stake in what had become Eads-Socata. It subsequently acquired the remaining 30 percent from Eads. Notably, the TBM 900 ushered in winglets and a Hartzell five-blade Scimitar

propeller, among other improvements to the turboprop. The family evolved through the 930 (2016, a higher-end version with Garmin G3000 avionics suite), the 910 (2018, similar to the 900 with G1000 NXi avionics), and the 940 (2019, a derivative of the 930 with autothrottle and, from 2020, the Homesafe emergency autoland system). Today the flagship is the TBM 960, which is powered by a PT6E-66XT turboprop with dual-channel digital electronic propeller and engine control. Following its unveiling in 2022, the TBM 960 has been a strong seller. Deliveries had reached 92 at the end of September, and more than 100 aircraft are on order. That equates to more than two years of production. D.D.

a i n o n l i n e . c o m • October 17, 202 3 • N B A A Convention News 85

DPI Labs and Ingenio bring USB-C to cabins By Gregory Polek

MARIANO ROSALES

California-based cabin electronics supplier DPI Labs has signed a distribution agreement with Canada’s Ingenio Aerospace, allowing DPI to resell the Montreal-based company’s products to business aviation operators and MRO organizations worldwide. DPI specializes in crew and passenger controls, LED cabin lighting, and entertainment systems for business and large VIP aircraft

can stand the test of time or undergo upgrading and service well into the future. “DPI Labs still services, supports, and upgrades our systems from as far back as three decades,” she noted. “The systems we design and sell today not only include the latest audio-video technolcabins. Ingenio designs and builds products ogy such as Dolby Atmos and 4K video distrisuch as USB chargers for the cabin and cockpit. bution cabin displays, but they have built-in “Ingenio’s products greatly complement DPI measures to ensure upgradeability in the Labs’ cabin systems,” said DPI chief executive future. Ingenio Aerospace shares this vision Vicki Brown. “Our goal has always been to offer of future-proofing aircraft cabins.” Ingenio has won MFi approval from Apple passengers a positive flying experience that stimulates all their senses, whether through for development and manufacturing of eleccabin lighting, 4K video solutions, theater-qual- tronic accessories, said Ingenio CEO James Bell, calling the fact that the new Apple ity audio, or intuitive cabin control.” Brown explained that along with enhancing iPhone 15 uses USB-C technology to charge the “passenger experience,” DPI’s products “not only a game changer for consumers but even more so for the aviation industry. “The fragmented connector market has inconvenienced consumers,” he explained. “However, it has been a high-cost issue in aviation, where products have been engineered, certified, and installed, only to become obsolete in a few years. The aircraft cabin can now be a completely USB-C-friendly environment, DPI Labs’ crew which allows us to fearlessly develop to the technology’s full potential, including highand passenger controls allow speed data transfer, audio and video distribumanagement of tion, and increased power output.” cabin lighting and Showgoers can see Ingenio’s products installed in DPI Labs’ demonstration van at entertainment systems. its booth in the Central Hall. z

Viasat enhances broadband satellite communications options Viasat yesterday unveiled enhanced business aviation in-flight broadband service options that harmonize its Ka-band product with the Jet ConneX offering from its recently acquired Inmarsat business. As a result, Viasat will make available an expanded range of service options to business aviation customers using its existing GAT-5510 terminal along with three upcoming Jet ConneX terminals—Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple Ka-band, Orbit’s AirTRx30, and Honeywell’s JetWave X. All will become available in early 2024 for aircraft equipped with the GAT-5510 and upon entry into service for aircraft with any next-generation Jet ConneX terminal. Viasat developed the expanded service options based on feedback from customers and partners that asked for greater flexibility while ensuring a consistent broadband experience for passengers

86 NBAA Convention News • October 17, 2 0 2 3 • a i n o n l i n e . c o m

wherever and whenever they fly. Customers will benefit from the strength of Viasat’s network, which offers more Ka-band capacity than any other airborne connectivity provider, according to the company. Meanwhile, the lightweight design of the new terminals optimizes performance and reduces costs while simplifying installation and maintenance. With fewer line replaceable units, the next-generation terminals suit various types of business jets, including large-cabin and smaller aircraft, making them appropriate for aircraft operating globally or within just one region. Furthermore, Viasat designed the systems for installation outside the pressure vessel, saving baggage space. Viasat also announced an incentive for customers who use its SwiftBroadband and SwiftJet L-band airborne connectivity. G.P.

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