BART 139

editorial

From the Editor

THE POWER TO TAX A WIND OF PANIC has recently invaded Europe and, more particularly, the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. First there s the Greek economy that seems to be in unremitting decline as it struggles under the weight of the IMF s healing measures. But it s not only Greece, countries like Spain, Portugal and Italy have also seen their economies collapse.

When trying to counterbalance a budget deficit, the first solution always proposed by a government in a financial downturn is to apply new taxes. First on their list is anything and everything considered a luxury and within their paranoia falls Business Aviation, thus amalgamating our business aircraft with yachts, jewelry and fine furs.

For example, the Italian government recently introduced new taxation, known as Salva Italia (Save Italy), which aims at reducing the Italian deficit and balancing its budget.

One of the measures adopted by the Monti government has been to tax so-called luxury goods , including high caliber cars, yachts and private aircraft. Another tax enacted by the Italian parliament as part of their debt reducing efforts is the new aero-taxi tax that would apply to all air passengers in Italy. Even Germany has introduced a new ´Luftverkehrsteuer aviation tax!

Have we not suffered enough? The aviation industry has been flat on its buttocks for nearly three years now. The major airframe manufacturers in general aviation are heavily into layoffs and production shutdowns as deliveries have dropped a trifling 75 percent over the past four years. And this is the industry that Europe and other national authorities are trying to impose new taxes on!

No nation ever taxed itself into prosperity.

Rush Limbaugh

Our segment of the aviation industry is already paying more than its fair share: sales tax, user tax, excise tax all applying to aircraft acquisitions and operations. It is simply appalling to realize that these men are smart enough to be elected to run a national government and yet have no perception of Business Aviation. When a herd of business jets flies into British airports for the Olympics, these politicians will only see a wealthy group of executives exercising perks that must be taxed. The irony is that most of these jets are chartered or belong to such marquee companies as of Nike, Adidas, Wilson, BMX, Omega, Giro, Roxi and others all of whose sport products are being put in front of millions of attendees and TV viewers. If Rafael Nadal wins a tournament with a Babolat racket, the whole world knows thanks, in part, to Business Aviation.

The search for new ways to tax is a neverending quest, and our representatives zeal in pursuing new, untapped sources of revenue is only exceeded by the mounting ease with which they spend these revenues. I cannot remember how far back one must dig to find the last year there was a balanced budget in our countries.

The power to tax is nothing more than the power to destroy, and it is past time we gird those loins. If you agree, let your voice be heard. Write those cards and letters to your MP or, if you re on the other side of the Atlantic, to your congressman. Join and support your Associations. But don t just sit there, do something! If we do not maintain constant vigilance against the slings and arrows from our politicians, we will soon find that we are being taxed right into extinction.

VECTOR AEROSPACE BUYS PT6A OVERHAUL SHOP

AGENDA FARNBOROUGH INT’L AIRSHOW 2012 July 9-15 Farnborough, UK

Vector Aerospace, a leading provider of aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services has entered into an agreement to purchase from Pratt &Whitney Canada its P&WC (A’Asia) Pty Ltd’s Brisbane, Australia PT6A engine repair and overhaul facility.

Brian Thompson, senior vice-president commercial, explains how this purchase aligns with Vector’s strategic growth plan. “The acquisition of the assets and facility associated with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine repair and overhaul shop in Brisbane, Australia is another milestone in achieving strategic growth and enhancing business opportunities for Vector within targeted international markets.”

JETEXPO 2012 September 27-29 Moscow, Russia NBAA 2012 Oct. 30 Nov. 1 Orlando FL, USA MEBA 2012 December 11-13 Dubai, UAE

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT SERVICES ORDERS SIX G1000 UPGRADES Hawker Beechcraft Services (HBS) announced it has taken orders for six Garmin G1000® fully integrated flight deck installations for the Beechcraft King Air 300/350. Garmin recently received the supplemental type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for this upgrade (SA01535WI-D), enabling operators of King Air 300/350 aircraft to enjoy the benefits of integrated flight information systems on large, high-definition displays.

With this STC, the G1000 upgrade is now available at HBS facilities for a wide range of models in the world’s best-selling line of turboprops: King Air C90, 200, B200, 300 and 350 models.

“The G1000 is a very popular upgrade for operators of our King Air aircraft,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Global Customer Support. “We have seen considerable interest from customers and we expect to see much more now that the STC for the King Air 300/350 is finalized. Our HBS facilities have completed numerous King Air 90 and 200 installations and we look forward to additional King Air 350 projects.”

AERION EXPANDS NASA COLLABORATION Aerion Corporation announced that it is collaborating with NASA Glenn Research Center to mature NASA’s new SUPIN (SUPersonic INlet) computer code, which has been developed to perform aerodynamic design and analysis on engine inlets for future high-speed aircraft, such as Aerion’s planned supersonic business jet (SBJ).

Aerion and NASA will work together on inlet design and advanced boundary layer control methods to achieve efficient and stable supersonic inlet operation without boundary layer bleed. The use of bleed reduces efficiency, as well as increases cost and complexity. Thus, a no-bleed inlet could benefit SBJ performance in anticipated real-world operating conditions.

Collaboration with NASA on their SUPIN code began this month and is expected to last approximately one year.

“Our collaborative effort with NASA Glenn to mature the SUPIN supersonic inlet design code builds on our existing relationship with NASA Dryden and both partnerships could pay dividends for years to come in the form of faster and more efficient flight,” said Dr. Richard Tracy, Aerion’s chief technology officer.

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WORL D - C L AS S T RAIN I N G. W O R L DWIDE R E AC H.

Come to Farnborough for Challenger 605 Training

O

perators of Bombardier Challenger 605 aircraft now have the option to train at FlightSafety’s London Farnborough Training Center. Our high-

quality Challenger 605 training offers exceptional overall value and can be tailored to your specific requirements.

Our experienced instructors use comprehensive courseware, a new Level D-qualified full flight simulator, and our exclusive MATRIX training system to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your training.

This is just one of the many initiatives we’re taking to serve business aircraft operators in Europe and around the globe. We continue to invest in new high-quality training programs, advanced-technology simulators for current and next-generation aircraft, and in expanding our global network of conveniently located training facilities.

Now that you have a choice, take advantage of our new Challenger 605 programs no matter where in the world you are based. Come to Farnborough and experience the very best.

Challenger 605 image provided courtesy of Bombardier Inc.

FlightSafety, the world leader in aviation training and simulation, provides factory-authorized professional instruction at convenient locations in our worldwide Learning Center network. Everything we do is designed to help you achieve the highest levels of proficiency.

London Farnborough Training Center • +44 1 252 554 500 • farnborough@flightsafety.com Scott Fera, Vice President Marketing • 718.565.4774 • sales@flightsafety.com • flightsafety.com

A Berkshire Hathaway company

G280 FLIES PARIS TO NEW YORK IN LESS THAN EIGHT HOURS Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s super mid-sized Gulfstream G280 recently set an unconfirmed citypair speed record from Paris to White Plains, N.Y., making the flight in 7 hours, 40 minutes. Official recognition of this city-pair speed record by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) is pending.

The G280, which is nearing certification and entryinto-service later this year, took off from Paris Le Bourget Airport on May 17 and flew nonstop to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y., at an average speed of Mach 0.80 against an average 32-knot headwind.

At maximum takeoff weight, the aircraft climbed to 43,000 feet in 22 minutes. The aircraft landed with an excess of NBAA IFR fuel reserves.

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT SIGNS DEALS FOR 11 AIRCRAFT AT EBACE Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced that it secured orders for 11 aircraft – including three of its flagship Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jets, a Hawker 400XPR, six King Air 350i turboprops and a King Air 250 – during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE). The total sales amount to more than $120 million.

“EBACE 2012 has been an inspiring show for us, underscoring that this region of the world is important to the growth of Business Aviation and that Hawker Beechcraft has highly sought aircraft solutions to meet the transportation needs here,” said Shawn Vick, HBC executive vice president, Customers. “We are particularly proud that these orders are based on existing relationships, an endorsement of the quality of our products and the customer support delivered by the Hawker Beechcraft team.”

SECA / VECTOR AEROSPACE UNVEIL GLOBAL ENGINE MANAGEMENT SERVICE

JET AVIATION ADDS FBO FUEL SALES SERVICE

SECA and Vector Aerospace have unveiled GEMS - a comprehensive engine management program for the global operator market.

“During EBACE 2012, we invited business and regional jet operators, Original Equipment Manufacturers and vendors to meet with SECA’s and Vector’s experienced team of Sales and Customer Support specialists to discuss how we can support their specific engine maintenance, repair and overhaul requirements through the launch of our GEMS (Global Engine Management Service) program,” said Fabrice Dumas, president and chief executive officer of SECA. Jeff Poirier, president of Vector Aerospace Engine Services-Atlantic explained the foundation of the GEMS (Global Engine Management Service) program. “This new service, which is based on the combined expertise and experience offered by SECA, Vector Aerospace Engine Services-Atlantic and Vector Aerospace Engine Services-UK, offers a wide range of engine services; from basic off-wing maintenance and specific programs to complete fleet management for regional airline and business and general aviation operators around the globe.”

Jet Aviation has launched a new fuel sales service for its entire chain of Fixed Based Operations in the EMEA and Asia regions.

Using its global purchasing power to negotiate a better fuel price with World Fuel Services, a leading jet fuels supplier, Jet Aviation has introduced the new fuel sales service to pass significant cost savings on to FBO and MRO customers visiting Jet Aviation FBO facilities in EMEA and Asia: London Biggin Hill; Dusseldorf; Riyadh; Dubai; Jeddah; Singapore; Zurich; and Geneva. It will be offered in tandem with the company’s existing fuel program, which is exclusive to aircraft management clients.

“The ability to meet all of our customers’ provisioning needs under one roof is of great value to our global MRO and FBO network,” said Frank Kusserow, Director FBO Services EMEA & Asia. “This offer is the result of our continuous efforts to improve efficiencies in order to maximize customer benefit.”

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DNA. It Matters.

Examine each and every aspect of a Falcon and you’ll find genius at work.

But what makes a Falcon a Falcon is in its genes. Lightweight strength and maneuverability, battle-tested in Mirage and Rafale jet fighters.

Unrivalled credentials for engineering excellence and technological innovation.

And generation after generation of business aircraft that consistently prove best in class for performance and efficiency. And for pure genius.

Find out why. Scan the code.

Or visit falconjet.com/dna

CAE TRAINS MASTERJET, CESSNA, DASSAULT CAE announced at EBACE that it has signed a long-term agreement with Masterjet to train pilots exclusively at Emirates-CAE Flight Training in Dubai, UAE, as well as CAE training centres near London, United Kingdom; New York City and Dallas for Cessna CJ3, Dassault Falcon 7X, 900 and 900EX EASy aircraft types.

Masterjet (Paris, France) offers private jet charter, aircraft trading, aircraft management, auditing and consulting.

“CAE meets the very high standards we have for Masterjet with regard to meticulous safety and application of advanced technology to the training programme,” said Philip G. Queffelec, President of Masterjet. “The flight training our pilots receive will help us to continue to provide exceptional service to our clients.”

JSSI ADDS VALUE TO AVPLAN TRIP SUPPORT Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for the Business Aviation industry, and Avfuel’s flight planning company, Avplan Trip Support, have announced they have teamed up to offer clients additional resources to manage any unexpected maintenance issues while traveling around the world.

Through this unique alliance, Avplan customers will now have access to JSSI’s global team of experts. By simply contacting their Avplan agent, the Avplan customer facing a maintenance issue will be connected with the JSSI Technical Advisor in the geographic area where the aircraft is located. This special partnership is possible because of the expansive technical team that JSSI has deployed worldwide to support their own hourly cost maintenance program clients.

JET AVIATION DUBAI RECEIVES BOMBARDIER AND AIRBUS APPROVAL Jet Aviation Dubai received approval from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to perform base and line maintenance on Bombardier Challenger 604 and Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 series aircraft.

The FAA awarded Jet Aviation Dubai approval to support light scheduled maintenance (A checks) on Airbus A318/A319/320/321 series aircraft and base maintenance on Bombardier Challenger 604 and 605 aircraft.

Jet Aviation Dubai director of maintenance Ata Saffari says, “These approvals validate the integrity of our workmanship and acknowledge our commitment to the highest quality standards.

“Jet Aviation Dubai has steadily worked to expand our service offerings for the benefit of our customers, as well as our entire global MRO and FBO network,” adds Michael Rucker, vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Dubai. “We are committed to meeting our customers’ maintenance requirements to ensure their safety and security.”

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SNECMA STARTS ASSEMBLY OF FIRST SILVERCREST

Snecma (Safran group) announced at EBACE that it had passed a major milestone for its new-generation Silvercrest business jet engine, starting assembly of the first complete engine, in preparation for the first ground test.

After kicking off full scale engine development in the third quarter of 2010, Snecma has now completed the design phase, in line with its development schedule. All parts for the first test engine (FETT) are now ready or in production. This first complete Silvercrest engine is being assembled and will start ground tests this summer, followed by flight tests slated for the first half of 2013.

ROCKWELL COLLINS OPENS BERLIN OFFICE Rockwell Collins has announced the grand opening of its Berlin Ascend™ flight information solutions office, which will provide flight support services for European business aircraft operators.

“Europe’s airspace is growing more complex with increasing congestion and regulations,” said Steve Timm, vice president and general manager, Flight Information Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “The expansion of our presence in Europe and new capabilities to support European operations will allow us to better serve flight departments that face these complexities and provide the most efficient and cost-effective routes possible for their flights.”

BART International attended the event at the magnificent Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, where Rockwell Collin’s new office is located.

Specific enhancements to the Ascend flight planning tools have been introduced to support European operations. These enhancements include Eurocontrol Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) routes and validation.

BLR COMPLETES ITS LARGEST WINGLET SALE EVER TO FAA

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) placed a purchase order with BLR Aerospace for 18 Winglet Systems and will install the Winglet Systems on its King Air 300 fleet.

The Winglets will include recently certified LED lighting systems.

The company recently delivered the FAA’s first two Winglet Systems. Delivery of an additional 16 ship sets will be timed to support the FAA’s back-to-back installation schedule.

“BLR could not be happier or more proud that the nation’s aviation authority has chosen to fly with our product,” said Dave Marone, the company’s vice president of Sales and Marketing.

Winglets enhance aerodynamics and safety for the King Airs on which they are installed, and operators report a range of handling and operational benefits, including fuel savings.

Fuel consumption can be reduced by 5 percent, an important consideration as the price of fuel continues to climb. In addition, Winglets deliver a 100 percent return on investment, according to Carl Janssen of the Aircraft BluebookPrice Digest.

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LEARJET 85 AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION IN FULL SWING Bombardier Aerospace shared significant progress details on its all new Learjet 85 aircraft highlighting flight test aircraft production and program test milestones.

Work on the two first flight test aircraft and the complete aircraft static test article is well underway, with the production of hundreds of composite components, including the unique 32-foot composite pressure fuselage. The joining of the nose fuselage to the main pressure fuselage, as well as the assembly of the aft fuselage, vertical stabilizer and tailcone fuselage sections, have all begun at the Bombardier sites in Wichita, Kansas and Queretaro, Mexico.

The first shipments of wing spars and skins, manufactured at Bombardier’s site in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have arrived at the Queretaro site, where wing assembly has started. Additionally, major supplier components, such as the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307B engines, are now on site at the final assembly line in Wichita.

GOOD FLYING! PILATUS WISHES YOU AN EXCELLENT AIR SHOW! Come and visit us at the Static Display www.pilatus-aircraft.com

DASSAULT FALCON ADDS SPARES INVENTORY AND CUTS PRICES Dassault Falcon is undertaking a broad initiative to expand inventories across the globe and reduce prices on more than 14,000 parts. These efforts expand the company’s ability to support a growing global fleet of more than 1,900 aircraft while increasing dispatch reliability. In addition, new parts packaging is reducing shipping costs for customers while cutting down on the use of resources.

“The increasing priority customers are placing on the quality and cost of spare parts service is a strong motivation for us to further improve and expand the worldwide spares support network,” said Guillaume Landrivon, Vice President of Worldwide Spares for Dassault Falcon.

“Simultaneously, we are focusing on innovative ways to add value while setting the industry standard for excellent service levels.”

Parts inventory growth is focused in particular on rapidly growing emerging markets.

Dassault Falcon has increased inventory at its Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney and Sao Paolo distribution centers by 30% and two new parts distribution centers in Moscow and in Beijing are planned.

AVTRAK ANNOUNCES NEW REPORTING FEATURE Avtrak, the industry’s highest ranked maintenance tracking system provider, have announced a new reporting feature in their GlobalNetTM Maintenance Tracking System, helping Mexican operators meet DGAC compliance requirements.

Operators who use the company’s maintenance tracking system now have the ability to automatically generate the SB/AD report required by the DGAC every six months to maintain compliance.

“With one simple click of a button, our customers have a report they can send directly to the DGAC,” said Dennis Steinbeck, Vice President of Business Development for Avtrak. “This is just another way Avtrak helps our customers maximize availability while minimizing costs.”

HONEYWELL S SYNTHETIC VISION SYSTEM NOW AVAILABLE FOR PILATUS PC-12 NG Honeywell’s SmartView Synthetic Vision System, an aircraft cockpit display technology, has been chosen by Pilatus for its PC-12 NG aircraft equipped with the Primus Apex integrated flight deck. The SmartView option is available now on new PC-12 NG production aircraft and also will be retrofittable in the future.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, air traffic will more than double in the next 20 years. Higher volumes of air traffic will necessitate increased situational awareness for pilots to safely navigate more crowded skies and airports and do so in a safe and timely manner. Likewise, addressing increased air traffic volumes is central to air traffic modernization programs being implemented in Europe and the U.S. that seek to make travel safer and more predictable.

SmartView will provide PC-12 NG pilots with a realtime view of the location of the aircraft relative to surrounding terrain and a compelling 3-D virtual view outside the cockpit that is unencumbered by visual impediments such as fog, bad weather or darkness. SmartView is also a strategic tool, offering guidance cues, terrain shading and other intuitive prompts to aid pilots in critical decision-making — ultimately improving overall safety for PC-12 NG pilots and passengers.

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ROCKWELL COLLINS ASCEND STREAMLINE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

BOMBARDIER LAUNCH LEARJET 70 AND 75 Bombardier Aerospace launched the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft at the EBACE in Geneva.

The new Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft build on legendary Learjet strengths and successes while leveraging Learjet 85 aircraft technology.

The jets will feature a new modern design interior, a next generation cabin management system, the Vision Flight Deck with a state-of-the-art avionics suite, superior aircraft performance and low operating costs. Entry-into-service is scheduled for the first half of 2013.

Rockwell Collins’ Ascend™ Aircraft Information Manager (AIM) available for Pro Line 4™, Pro Line 21™ and Pro Line Fusion®-equipped aircraft, was recently certified for Bombardier Challenger 300/604/605 and Hawker 750/800XP/850XP/900XP aircraft.

“AIM is a huge time saver for flight operations, especially for uploading critical flight databases that must be updated every few weeks,” said Steve Timm, vice president and general manager, Flight Information Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “This is done swiftly through a robust and secure connection between the aircraft and our Ascend data center.”

AIM uploads flight critical database updates, and downloads maintenance information post-flight using available Wi-Fi or cellular links that automatically transfer information to and from the Ascend Data Center. Flight Management System, Integrated Flight Information System, Terrain Awareness Warning System and Surface Management System databases can be uploaded to the aircraft from anywhere.

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Jet Aviation London Biggin Hill

Count on our local expertise; benefit from our global MRO network Meet the team who can do it all. Established in 2002, we offer scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and refurbishment services, avionics, aircraft cleaning, hangarage and 24/7 AOG support. We provide airframe maintenance to Dassault Falcon 900/2000/7X, the Hawker 125 series, the Citation CJ1, CJ2, 550 & 560 series and the Bombardier Challenger series and are an authorized service center for Dassault’s Falcon 900 to 2000 series. Our London Biggin Hill team takes care of you here while you benefit from our global network everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection.

Jet Aviation London Biggin Hill Tel. +44 1959 579 600 | AOG 24/7 +41 58 158 4848 jbqh@jetaviation.co.uk | www.jetaviation.com/london

Visit our global MRO locations: Abu Dhabi Al Bateen Kuala Lumpur Basel

London Biggin Hill

Boston/Bedford

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Dubai

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Dusseldorf

Singapore

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Hong Kong

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Houston

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Jeddah

Now Serving Houston

CESSNA ANNOUNCES LONG-RANGE CITATION BUSINESS JET Cessna Aircraft Company has introduced its newest and longest-range business jet, the Citation Longitude at EBACE. This launch follows on the heels of Cessna’s announcement, just over six months ago, of the new Citation M2 and Citation Latitude.

Boasting a 4,000-nautical-mile range and a maximum speed of Mach .86, the Citation Longitude will make a non-stop flight from New York to Paris, London to Dubai or Beijing to Moscow. At a price of $25.999 million, Cessna believes that the Citation Longitude is the best value 4,000-nauticalmile super mid-size business jet available.

Scott Ernest, Cessna president and CEO said: “The Citation Longitude sets itself apart with the largest Citation cabin, intercontinental range and a price point unmatched by other business jets with similar performance. This super mid-size jet sets a new standard for cabin efficiency, connectivity and stylish comfort.”

The Citation Longitude will be powered by two Silvercrest engines, with 11,000 pounds of thrust, made by Snecma (Safran group). These engines lead the industry in fuel efficiency, weight and maintainability. The engines will be on an on-condition maintenance plan, which is expected to reduce the operating costs of the aircraft because maintenance intervals will be extended significantly.

StandardAero COMPLETES 1000TH GE ENGINE StandardAero announced that it just delivered its 1000th GE engine; a CF34™-3 engine for Brit Air. The 162,000 sq. ft facility in Winnipeg, Canada supports the CF34 engine as well as the larger CFM56-7B engine used on Boeing’s fleet of 737 Next Generation aircraft.

“This is a significant milestone and one that we are very proud to celebrate,” said Jeff Wood, Senior Vice President, Airlines & Fleets, StandardAero. “One thousand engines is a significant achievement and given the longstanding relationship we’ve had with Brit Air, it’s only fitting that this milestone engine was theirs.

Brit Air was our first CF34 customer outside North America and our long term partnership with them has strengthened our presence in the European market, as well as extended our global MRO footprint.”

“We are pleased to receive StandardAero’s 1000th GE engine,” said Marc Lamidey, CEO, Brit Air. “StandardAero became our CF34 MRO support provider in 2007 and we have been very pleased with their work. Their flexibility and customer focus are what makes them an attractive choice for us and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them.”

In 2009, StandardAero entered the CFM56 market to expand its current product portfolio and solidify its market position as a comprehensive MRO provider in the commercial aircraft market. To date, more than 60 CFM56-7B shop visits have been completed as the volume continues to increase to include international customers.

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FLIGHTWORX LAUNCH iView.Aero Flightworx have launched their market web based flight support platform : www.iview.aero The iView.aero program allows pilots on the move to interact with their 24/7 Flight Operations function in real time to obtain fast information on their flight bookings and progress. They also have the ability to get instant fuel prices from a non-biased fuel shopping program for any location worldwide.

The portal can interact across the spectrum of the flight operation from pre, to inflight right through to post activities and can enhance any private or commercial flight operators program at the touch of a button.

PIPER SELLS MERIDIAN AT CANNES AIR SHOW Building on a robust first half of 2012 in Europe, Piper Aircraft Inc. and Winters Aviation sold the tenth new M-Class singleengine aircraft for delivery into the continent this year.

The latest transaction, involving a M-Class Meridian single-engine turboprop, was completed this past week during the Salon de l’Aviation Générale de Cannes at Cannes-Mandelieu Airport (LFMD). The new Meridian will begin service with a business owner in Spain later this year.

The standard equipped list price for a Piper Meridian is $2,133,650. M-Class aircraft include the turboprop Meridian, pressurized piston-engine Mirage and unpressurized piston Matrix.

“This is the first new Meridian sold into Spain in quite some time and is certainly the first 2012 Meridian sold to a customer in Spain,” said Piper Director of Marketing and Communications Jackie Carlon, who represented Piper at the event. “Winters Aviation, our authorized new aircraft dealer in this part of the world, consummated the sale during the Cannes show.”

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Jet Aviation London Biggin Hill

Enjoy our local hospitality; experience our global FBO network Meet the team who understands the needs of business travelers. Our prime location at Biggin Hill airport, just twenty kilometers (twelve miles) southeast of central London makes us the most convenient gateway for quick access to the city center. Our professional and courteous FBO staff provides passengers, crew and aircraft with outstanding and personalized services. This coming spring we will open our new state-of-the-art Executive Terminal ready for the busy 2012 summer season. Our London Biggin Hill team delivers the best in local service; our global network assists you everywhere else.

Personalized to Perfection.

Jet Aviation London Biggin Hill Tel. +44 1959 579 653 | AOG 24/7 +41 58 158 4848 vip.bqh@jetaviation.co.uk | www.jetaviation.com/london

Visit our global FBO locations: Boston/Bedford

London Biggin Hill

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Now Serving Houston

EMBRAER MARKS 1st INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY OF US-MADE AIRCRAFT Embraer Executive Jets made its first international delivery of a US-made Phenom 100 when Canadian Businessman Tasso Kostelidis took delivery on March 31.

“Canada is a strong and growing market for Embraer,” said Vice President Sales-North America Bob Knebel as he joined Kostelidis at the end of the three-day delivery process. “This is a significant delivery when you consider this is only the third delivery from our Melbourne production line. This speaks well of the experience and maturity of our team.”

Kostelidis, who is an instrument-rated private pilot and who joined his corporate pilot in receiving training from Embraer’s training partner, CAE in Dallas, will use the Phenom 100 to connect his far-flung network of distribution centers in Canada. He currently has four warehouses for his packaging and materials business which is based in Montreal. Two additional warehouses are in development and the Phenom 100 will also be used to check on construction progress.

NETJETS ORDERS UP TO 275 BOMBARDIER CHALLENGERS Bombardier Aerospace has announced a firm order from NetJets for 100 Challenger business jets with options for an additional 175 aircraft.

Bombardier also announced a long-term aftermarket support agreement with NetJets. The transaction for the firm aircraft order is valued at approximately $2.6 billion US based on 2012 list prices. If all the options are exercised, the total value of the order is approximately $7.3 billion US, also based on 2012 list prices. The combined sale and aftermarket agreement are valued at approximately $9.6 billion US if all options are exercised.

“We are very proud that, once again, NetJets has selected Bombardier aircraft to grow and support the expansion of its fleet worldwide,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “Our Challenger 300 Series and Challenger 605 Series jets are worldwide leaders in their respective segments. These aircraft are renowned for their reliability, performance and wide cabin comfort. We are convinced that the Challenger jets will complement NetJets’ existing fleet perfectly. After selecting our Global aircraft last year, this new order is a fantastic endorsement of Bombardier’s large cabin product portfolio.”

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StandardAero COMPLETES STC FOR FALCON AVIONICS UPGRADES

StandardAero has received FAA approval for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for upgrading Mark V EGPWS computers with Honeywell’s Smart Runway™ and SmartLanding™ Runway Safety Package for Falcon 50, F50EX, and Falcon 900, and Falcon 900EX aircraft.

StandardAero completed the STCs via its Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) at the Springfield, Ill. facility and offers installation at any one of its four North American service centers with additional locations in Los Angeles, Augusta, Ga. and Houston, Texas.

Honeywell’s EGPWS, or Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, uses aircraft inputs including position, attitude, airspeed and glideslope, along with an internal terrain / obstacle / runway database to predict a potential conflict between the aircraft’s flight path and terrain or an obstacle.

JET AVIATION ZURICH RECEIVES REPAIR STATION CERTIFICATE FROM THAILAND DCA

GULFSTREAM LAUNCHES MOBILE MAINTENANCE VEHICLE

Jet Aviation Zurich recently received approval from the Thai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to provide maintenance support to Thailand-registered aircraft.

With this authorization, the company is now approved to perform maintenance on Cessna 208/510/525/550/650/750 series and Hawker Beechcraft B200/B300/B350,400/400A/400XP,700/800 as well as 750/800XP/850XP/900XP series aircraft registered in Thailand.

This includes support for Williams International FJ44 series and Pratt &hhhhjjjj Whitney PT6A/JT15D/PW530 series engines mounted on Thailand-registered aircraft. The approval, which is valid for three years, further permits Jet Aviation Zurich to perform off-site maintenance in AOG situations, as well as radio, instrument and accessory repairs per its listed approvals. “We are very pleased to offer these valued services to Thai-registered aircraft owners and operators en-route in Europe,” says Jakob Straub, vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Zurich.

Jet Aviation Zurich consists of 5,000 square meters (53,820 square feet) of hangar space and provides aircraft maintenance support to small and medium-sized business jets and turboprops. The facility is an EASA #CH.145.0202 and FAA #CR5Y789M authorized repair station offering airframe and engine maintenance, completions, cabinetry and furniture refurbishment, electrical systems installations, avionics installations and exterior painting services.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. will soon support Gulfstream operators in northern California and Colorado using a specially outfitted Field and Airborne Support Team (FAST) mobile maintenance vehicle.

From its base at San Jose International Airport, the vehicle will support customers’ Gulfstream aircraft located in and around San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, as well as Gulfstream aircraft in Sacramento, Fresno and as far east as Reno, Nev. From December to early March, the vehicle will be based at Denver’s Centennial Airport to serve operators in Colorado during ski season.

The custom-designed FAST vehicle supports technicians with providing a wide range of services, including aircraft-on-ground (AOG) support, line maintenance, inspections and engine changes. It will be staffed by technicians from Gulfstream’s service center in Long Beach, Calif.

“We have more than 60 operators based in northern and central California, and many operators who travel in and out of Colorado from December to March, so we believe there is a good business case for such a resource,” said Mark Burns, President, Gulfstream Product Support.

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HAWKER BEECHCRAFT SERVICE CENTERS RECEIVE FAA AWARDS Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) announced its factory-owned service centers in the United States have received the coveted Diamond Award from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Maintenance Technician Program. The eight HBS maintenance centers including Little Rock, Ark.; Tampa, Fla.; Atlanta, Ga.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Wichita, Kan.; Houston, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Mesa, Ariz., met the requirements for the FAA’s highest distinction for excellence in aircraft maintenance training.

“This recognition by the FAA is a testament to the continued commitment and investment we have made in available training for our employees,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Global Customer Support. “Our employees take great pride in the quality of their work and are dedicated to the ensuring our customers have a world-class aircraft ownership experience.”

To achieve the prestigious Diamond Award, a facility must have 100 percent of its employees participating in the FAA’s Maintenance Technician Program. Individuals can receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. The awards are based on the number of hours of FAAapproved aviation maintenance training received throughout the year.

JSSI ESTABLISHES SUMMIT SERIES PROGRAM Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) recently launched a series of Aviation Summits specifically created for aircraft Broker/Dealer, Management, Finance, Legal and Consulting Business Aviation professionals. These summits are being conducted around the globe and are focused on informing industry specialists about the benefits of JSSI’s hourly cost maintenance programs to their customers and to their future success.

“We have provided hourly cost maintenance programs to the Business Aviation industry for more than 20 years, but many industry professionals may not fully understand our programs or recognize the significant differences between us and our competitors,” commented Susan Marr, Co-President and General Counsel for JSSI. “So far, attendance at our summits has been outstanding and we look forward to educating the market throughout the year,” added Marr.

20 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

AIRCELL ANNOUNCES FALCON SWIFTBROADBAND CERTIFICATION Aircell, a provider of in-flight connectivity for Business Aviation, have announced that Jet Aviation AG Basel, a member of the company’s global dealer network, has received a new Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the AVIATOR 200 system aboard the Falcon 2000LX. The AVIATOR 200 enables near-global email, light Internet and voice capabilities via Inmarsat’s satellite-based SwiftBroadband service. Passengers and crew can send and receive e-mail with attachments, surf the web, access a corporate VPN and more, using their own WiFi-enabled laptops, tablets, electronic flight bags, and smartphones. They can also place and receive voice calls using integrated cabin handsets. Customers can use the system’s voice and data functions simultaneously. Aircell’s SwiftBroadband solutions are powered by Thrane & Thrane.

A complete AVIATOR 200 equipment package costs approximately $60,000, plus installation.

HAWKER PACIFIC ORDERS SIX BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 350i Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced a new order for six Beechcraft King Air 350i turboprops from Hawker Pacific, a leading sales and product support company throughout the Asia Pacific region.

The sale builds on Hawker Pacific’s long-standing relationship with HBC and will support its growing commercial and special missions operations across Australia and Southeast Asia.

INNOTECH DELIVERS 26TH GLOBAL XRS COMPLETION Innotech Aviation has delivered a Global XRS (S/N 9426) 11-place interior completion to Bombardier Aerospace. This marks Innotech’s 26th interior completion of a Global series aircraft. Innotech is a Bombardier Preferred Completion Facility.

Innotech vice-president and general manager, Rob Brooks, said, “We are very proud of our Montreal team and the relationship we have built with Bombardier Aerospace. We continue to exercise our quality processes to deliver a first class product to Bombardier clients around the world.

These processes also support our capabilities and expertise as an Authorized Service Facility (ASF) when working on major refurbishing and heavy-maintenance contracts.” Brooks added.

EMBRAER RECEIVES PRODUCTION CERTIFICATE FOR MELBOURNE In a ceremony at Embraer Executive Jets’ Melbourne Campus, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presented Embraer its Production Certificate to assemble Phenom 100s in the United States. Previously, Phenom jets assembled in Melbourne have been certified under the FAA type certificate granted to those produced in Brazil.

“This is a significant milestone for Embraer and is the culmination of a series of achievements in the last year,” said Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets. “We opened this facility just over a year ago, delivered the first U.S.-produced Phenom 100 in December and the first U.S.-produced aircraft to go to an international customer in March.”

The presentation caps four years of work by a dedicated team of professionals at Embraer and the FAA at both its FAA Manufacturing Inspection District Office (MIDO) office in Orlando and its Small Aircraft Directorate in Kansas City that inspects and certifies aircraft companies to manufacture products under an FAAapproved type design.

ARINC DIRECT UPDATES APP

GULFSTREAM LAUNCHES MULTIMEDIA CENTER

ARINC Direct announced that it has released a major upgrade to its iPad® flight planning application. Version 2.3 introduces several new features that make it possible for flight planning subscribers to implement a paperless cockpit environment.

Notably, Version 2.3 introduces an Annotation feature that allows pilots to add and edit flight notes directly into the application. Inserted text is indicated in blue and the font size matches the flight plan. Pilots can connect via Bluetooth to share note-taking responsibilities and annotated notes can be emailed for archival purposes. The Notifications icon has been strategically placed so that users can quickly recognize when a new alert has arrived.

Based on feedback from pilots and user-interface specialists, the upgraded application offers a streamlined appearance and the return of filtering options for individual flight legs. Pilots can sync their trips with their electronic calendar via iCloud. For datalink-capable aircraft, the new application allows for direct pre-departure clearance delivery. The upgrade also includes crash, stability, and bug fixes.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has opened a full-service multimedia center at its Product Support headquarters to enhance and increase communication with operators. The center, which includes a broadcast studio, control room and equipment room, allows Gulfstream to produce live streamed webcasts, videos and recorded broadcasts.

“As our fleet grows worldwide, we need to find new, more efficient ways to communicate with our customers,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream Product Support. “By deploying this Web-based production channel, which we will call The Gulfstream Network, we can effectively disseminate information to our customers on safety, service and support, and technical training.”

Content produced in the multimedia center will be distributed mainly on myGulfstream.com, the company’s secure customer website, and will also appear on Gulfstream.com.

GAMA AVIATION AWARDED AIR AMBULANCE CONTRACT Gama Aviation Limited (Gama) part of the global Gama Group, announced that the Scottish Ambulance Service has selected Gama to be its dedicated provider of Air Ambulance services for a further 7 years (2013 - 2020) Gama’s long association with the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Scotland which commenced in 1993 was furthered with the announcement that it will continue to provide an integrated Air Ambulance Service to the people of Scotland into the next decade.

The new service incorporates a number of new features alongside the core aircraft provision of two Beechcraft King Air 200C fixed wing turboprop aircraft based at Aberdeen and Glasgow airports respectively along with two dedicated Eurocopter EC135T2 helicopters based at Glasgow and Inverness. The EC135 Helicopters are to be replaced by two new made-to-order EC145T2 helicopters when the new aircraft are available in 2014 allowing clinicians more room to treat patients in flight whilst also giving improved range. In addition these aircraft will be complemented where required by Eurocopter Super Puma helicopters based in both Shetland and Aberdeen.

BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 21

Industry Marks the Passing of Avionics Pioneer Edward J. King, Jr. PEOPLE Al Bateen Executive Airport Al Bateen Executive Airport, has named Yousif Hassan Al Hammadi as Acting General Manager, effective May 1st, 2012.

Yousif will lead the day to day running of Al Bateen Executive Airport, dedicated to ensuring safe and secure operations at the airport.

Blackhawk Blackhawk has appointed Taleb Zeitouny as chief engineer.

Zeitouny will report to Jon Adams, Blackhawk director of Engineering, and help to guide the company’s technology developments as Blackhawk meets growing demand for its aircraft upgrade programs.

CRS Jet Spares CRS Jet Spares, a leading Business Aviation aftermarket parts supplier, has appointed Jack Caloras Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Mr. Caloras has been with the company for more than 10 years as Vice President of Sales and Operations.

Jack Caloras.

“The CRS Group has a focused commitment to international expansion,” explains CRS Founder and CEO, Armando Leighton, Jr. “This position is integral to our long-term strategy of increased international sales, additional parts depots and CRS 22 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

facilities around the world. Jack’s diverse experience in the global Business Aviation industry makes his transition to this role a vital step in our seeing success with this new program.”

The company has also increased the role of Viviane Castro within the CRS Jets Spares organization.

Ms Castro’s previous role with CRS was as Administrative Assistant. As Director of First Impressions, her new role will now include supporting CRS customers calling in to or visiting the CRS office.

Dallas Airmotive Dallas Airmotive, a BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul Group (ERO) company, has appointed Steve Griego a Regional Engine Manager for the Northwestern United States.

Griego will represent the company’s Pratt & Whitney Canada repair and overhaul services for PT6A, JT15D, PW500, PW306C powered aircraft and related APUs. Meanwhile Kevin Bang has joined Dallas Airmotive as manager of its Phoenix Regional Turbine Center (RTC). Bang will be responsible for day-to-day operations at the RTC which focuses on PT6A, JT15D, M250™ repair services and, with its recent appointment, the HTF7000.

Embraer José Antonio Filippo has been named Chief Financial Officer of Embraer.

An engineer by training, with extensive knowledge and experience in the various disciplines of financial management in large companies, Filippo worked for important Brazilian and multinational groups, with acknowledged success.

“Filippo is a great addition to our team,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President and CEO. “His expertise and experience will be of real value to the process of growth and development of the company.

Many in the Business Aviation industry have mourned the passing of industry legend Edward King, Jr., who died June 3 at the age of 90.

In 1959 King founded King Radio Corporation, a company which went on to develop and produce world-class navigation and communication equipment for all types of general aviation aircraft, from piston-powered airplanes to business jets.

“Ed King was one of the most important figures in the development of modern avionics,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.

Ed King, Jr. is survived by his wife of 32 years, Carolyn G. King, his children and grandchildren.

Gulfstream Gulfstream has named Jeff Kreide vice president of Business Solutions. He will report to Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream.

In this new role, Kreide will be responsible for developing and managing integrated business solutions to support all facets of Gulfstream, including Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Enterprise Resource Planning.

W. Book as Co-President, and the promotion of JSSI veteran, Susan K. Marr, to CoPresident.

The shared leadership roles of Mr. Book and Ms. Marr will be delineated by the company’s core areas of operations. Mr. Book will be responsible for Sales, Marketing and Technical Services Operations, while Ms. Marr will lead the Legal, Human Resources,.Yankee Pacific Aerospace

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), a provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for the Business Aviation industry, has announced the addition of Neil

Yankee Pacific Aerospace (YPA) has appointed Rick Richardson as Vice President, business development; Harvey Ticlo has succeeded Richardson as president of YPA division, Cabin Innovations.

Each appointment was effective in January of this year.

Susan K. Marr.

Rick Richardson.

EUROPEAN UPDATE

BizAv Associations Called Upon to Jointly Devise an EU ETS Global Alternative On the occasion of CBAA 2012, Canada’s leading event for Business Aviation, several prominent national Business Aviation Associations and their international representative body, IBAC, gathered to review their joint positions on the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Fabio Gamba, CEO of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), set out the European perspective, emphasizing that he shared the audience’s frustration over

the scheme’s many flaws.

These shortcomings include the discriminatory treatment of Business Aviation, not only in the distinction made in the Directive between commercial and non-commercial operators and how the de minimis rule is applied, but also in the system’s cost ineffectiveness and its focus on punishing CO2 emitters instead of encouraging their efforts dedicated to improving the industry’s carbon footprint. As for the scheme itself, Gamba stressed that its timing couldn’t be worse and should have at least been coordinated with EU Member States – several of which continue to tax aviation also for environmentally-based reasons.

“There’s no denying that aviation emissions will grow over time despite the sector’s constant technological and operational improvements and its formal long-term commitment to reducing the impact of aviation on the environment. And although Business Aviation emits less than 2% of air transport emissions – and less than .04% of total man made emissions - we confirm our sector’s role in helping to combat global warming,” Gamba said. “Indeed we have already called for and recognised the role of interim global marketbased measures to foster the fulfilment of our three longterm targets, namely 1) carbon-neutral growth by 2020, 2) improvement in fuel efficiency of an average 2%/year until 2020, and 3) an absolute reduction of 50% (based on 2005) of our CO2 emissions. However, we believe the time has

now come to define what these measures should be.”

Don Spruston, Director General of IBAC, also cautioned that resistance to the EU ETS could lead to retaliation which would harm all parties. “We understand the frustration that unilateralism and badly-crafted legislation can generate,” he added, “but we also note, importantly, that the European Commission has agreed to abandon its scheme if and when a global agreement on an aviation climate change program is sealed. This is an opportunity we want to seize.”

He therefore called upon the international Business Aviation community to rally behind the worldwide aviation effort to develop an alternate, global, market-based measure to the EU ETS. Sam Barone, President & CEO of CBAA, noted: “We need to devote our resources to finding an international agreement that has the full support of the industry worldwide. Today various international bodies are already reflecting on how best to achieve it. We commend their efforts, but we must take a more active role in their work.”

EBAA and their colleague Business Aviation associations, working with IBAC, are therefore calling for the development of such a global agreement under the leadership of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Barone concluded that the EU ETS had triggered discussions at a global level which should provide a much needed push to reach a global solution under ICAO. “We certainly don’t support the EU ETS for all the reasons mentioned above. And we will join our colleagues in pushing for a fairer, international, market-based measure that helps accommodate our ambitious environmental goals in the short- to mid-term. Indeed, we warmly welcome the constructive debate generated at our 2012 Convention and are delighted to offer further facilitation from our offices in the home country of ICAO.”

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UNITED EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba (top) and IBAC Director General Don Spruston are calling for a global alternative to EU-ETS.

BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 23

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT REACHES AGREEMENT WITH LENDERS Hawker Beechcraft has announced that it has reached an agreement with a significant number of its senior secured lenders and senior bondholders on the terms of a financial restructuring plan that will strengthen the company for the future and eliminate approximately $2.5 billion in debt and approximately $125 million of annual cash interest expense.

To implement the terms of the prearranged restructuring expeditiously, Hawker Beechcraft and certain of its subsidiaries today filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The terms of the prearranged restructuring agreement will take effect when the company’s reorganization plan is confirmed by the Court and the Chapter 11 case is concluded.

As part of the prearranged restructuring, Hawker Beechcraft obtained a commitment for $400 million in Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) financing, which will enable it to continue paying employees, suppliers, vendors and others in the normal course of business.

Robert S. (Steve) Miller, CEO of Hawker Beechcraft, Inc., said, “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with our largest lenders and bondholders on a solution to stabilize and improve our capital structure.

In the last three years, the company has made aggressive transformational changes in all operational functions, and today’s announcement represents the next step forward. Restructuring our balance sheet and recapitalizing the company in partnership with our debtholders will dramatically improve Hawker Beechcraft’s ability to compete in a rapidly changing environment.”

Hawker Beechcraft continues to operate in the normal course of business and serve its customers around the world. All orders for available products will be fulfilled and the company’s commitment to providing the best products and service in the industry remains unchanged. Further, the company will comply with all Department of Defense 24 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

acquisition and maintenance contracts, as well as agreements with international air forces including, but not limited to, the recently announced sale of T-6C+ trainer aircraft to Mexico. Hawker Beechcraft is also committed to moving forward with its bid to provide the U.S. Air Force with the AT-6 in support of the Light Air Support contract.

Reorganization Plan A prearranged Chapter 11 filing means the company has secured the support of a majority of its lenders and senior bondholders for its proposed financial restructuring prior to the Chapter 11 filing with the Court.

Financial institutions representing more than two-thirds the company’s bank and senior bond debt are parties to the agreement.

Upon confirmation by the Court and consummation of the plan, equity ownership in Hawker Beechcraft will be transferred to holders of the company’s secured debt, bond debt and certain other unsecured creditors.

Business Continuity Hawker Beechcraft will continue its operations without interruption and meet its ongoing commitments to customers during the restructuring process. Specifically, deposits and progress payments will be secure and all customer orders for available products will be fulfilled. The company believes the size of the DIP financing commitment will be sufficient to maintain adequate and stable working capital and liquidity positions. The company expects to meet

its obligations to its suppliers and employees in the ordinary course during the recapitalization process.

Miller continued, “As we have worked to develop this long-term plan to recapitalize the company and strongly position Hawker Beechcraft for the future, our employees have continued to build the best airplanes in the world and provide our owners with the most comprehensive global customer support in the industry. The protections provided by the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and the financing commitment we have obtained put Hawker Beechcraft in a great position to continue to do so throughout the restructuring process.”

Financing The agreement includes a commitment from certain members of the senior lender group to provide $400 million in DIP financing, which the company expects will ensure sufficient liquidity during the reorganization process. Upon approval, this DIP facility will be available to fund Hawker Beechcraft’s operations, pay its suppliers and vendors and for other corporate purposes.

Background on Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code allows a company to continue operating its business and managing its assets in the ordinary course of business. The U.S. Congress enacted Chapter 11 to encourage and enable a company to continue to operate while restructuring its business, thereby preserving jobs and maximizing the recovery for all its stakeholders.

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BOMBARDIER ANNOUNCES Q1 2012 RESULTS Bombardier has released its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

Revenues totaled $3.5 billion, compared to $4.7 billion last fiscal year. Earnings before financing expense, financing income and income taxes (EBIT) amounted to $215 million, compared to $312 million last fiscal year, representing an EBIT margin of 6.1%, compared to 6.7% for the corresponding period last fiscal year.

Net income reached $190 million, compared to $220 million for the corresponding period last fiscal year. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $0.10 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012, compared to diluted EPS of $0.12 for the corresponding period last fiscal year. The overall backlog reached $55.2 billion, compared to $53.9 billion as at December 31, 2011.

Free cash flow usage (cash flows from operating activities less net additions to property, plant and equipment (PP&E) and intangible assets) totalled $712 million, compared to a usage of $409 million for the corresponding period last fiscal year. The cash position stood at $3.2 billion as at March 31, 2012, compared to $3.4 billion as at December 31, 2011.

“As anticipated, we had lower revenues in the first quarter,” said Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc. “At Aerospace, the entry into service of the Vision Flight Deck on the Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft and the resulting transition, as well as lower deliveries of commercial aircraft, had an impact on our revenues.

Nevertheless, we were able to contain costs and maintain our profitability. We had a solid level of new orders in business jets and we’re starting to see momentum in commercial aircraft orders which led to an increased backlog of $23.3 billion.”

During the first quarter of 2012, Bombardier issued $500 million of unsecured notes and entered into a new unsecured EUR500 million ($668 million) revolving credit facility available for Bombardier Transportation for cash drawings. Both transactions were oversubscribed, showing the markets’ confidence in the Corporation’s business plan.

Furthermore, in April 2012, the availability periods of Bombardier Transportation and Bombardier Aerospace’s letter of credit facilities were extended for an additional year to May 2015 and June 2015 respectively. Also in April, the maturity date for the $750 million unsecured revolving credit facility was extended by one year to June 2015.

Bombardier Aerospace At Bombardier Aerospace, revenues totaled $1.5 billion, compared to $2.2 billion for the first quarter last fiscal year, while EBIT reached $91 million, or 6.1% of revenues, compared to $141 million, or 6.4%, for the first quarter last fiscal year. Free cash flow usage of $572 million compared to a usage of $168 million for the corresponding period last year. Bombardier Aerospace delivered 37 aircraft for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012, compared to 61 for the corresponding period last fiscal year and received 68 net orders, compared to 86 for the threemonth period ended April 30, 2011. Its backlog increased to $23.3 billion as at March 31, 2012, compared to $22 billion as at December 31, 2011.

During the first quarter of 2012, the business aircraft division received net orders for 40 aircraft, including a firm order for five Global 6000 jets from AVWest of Australia, for a value of $293 million, based on list price. Following the certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Vision Flight Deck entered into service on schedule in March 2012, on the Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft.

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JET AVIATION REORGANIZES AT BASEL

In an effort to improve its competitiveness, Jet Aviation is reorganizing into two independently managed organizations for completions and maintenance at its Basel location. Neil Boyle has been appointed vice president completions and Johannes Turzer as vice president maintenance at Jet Aviation Basel.

“Each organization will be streamlined for maximum effectiveness, establishing accountability and operational control by line of business, which will help us to further improve our processes and reduce costs,” said Dan Clare, president of the Jet Aviation Group. “This initiative helps keep us competitive now and as we look to our future.”

Neil Boyle, who joined Jet Aviation Basel from Gulfstream Aerospace in July 2011 to lead the company’s production business, was appointed vice president of the newly formed completions organization. Neil holds an FAA Airframe and Power Plant Certificate (A&P), a certificate in aerospace/aviation safety, and a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also Lean Six Sigma-certified.

Johannes Turzer, who joined Jet Aviation in 2000 as vice president and general manager of the company’s MRO and FBO operation in Dusseldorf, took over the Basel maintenance operation in July 2011. With his appointment as vice president of the newly established MRO organization, he is responsible for all maintenance-related activities at the Basel site. Both, Boyle and Turzer report directly to Dan Clare.

The company’s initiative is driven largely by the difficult economic environment, with an ongoing industry-wide slowdown and other unfavorable conditions, including the strong Swiss Franc. In addition, the death of a customer led to the unexpected cancellation of the Boeing 747-8 cabin interior VVIP completions project which was due to arrive in Basel this spring.

“We are currently in negotiations with a number of prospects for new completions business and are optimistic that we will sign a project agreement in the coming months,” Clare added.

Despite the current cost-reduction initiatives and efforts to generate new business, the company intends to reduce the number of permanent jobs in management, production and non-production in completions and maintenance by approximately 250 through the end of 2012. Jet Aviation Basel will enter a consultation phase in accordance with Swiss Labor Law which will conclude on June 13. The company will then communicate the outcome of the consultation phase and the final headcount reduction on June 22, 2012.

Following these initiatives, Jet Aviation anticipates that the new completions and maintenance organizations in Basel will continue to employ approximately 1,000 workers.

$ BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 25

CEO s CORNER

LOST IN TRANSLATION?

By Fabio Gamba IN ITS MAY-JUNE EDITION, BART International released yet another very interesting series of articles entitled: “Sending the Right Message About Business Aviation, Are We Becoming Sumptuous?” Beyond the interest of the articles themselves, the fact is noteworthy as it corresponded with the thrust of the address the Association delivered during the Opening General Session of the 12th EBACE in Geneva: namely, the reasons why Business Aviation is often misperceived and hence why it is unduly taxed; not considered in the crafting of new legislation, and so much more.

The legitimate quest for more and better recognition is, in other words, jeopardized by the image the sector sometimes gives to the outside world, or to the layman. We are undoubtedly today operating in challenging times.

And in times like these, we expect some comfort or perhaps even compassion, from legislators to help ease our woes. Unfortunately the feeling is that this sympathy is largely unfelt, perhaps because the image we reflect can be one of abundance and opulence. On the contrary, we are battling national taxes, EU ETS, a slot recast, and more. And all are biting at what couldn’t appear to be a worse moment.

Is this the fault of European legislators who still don’t understand enough about Business Aviation, despite all the good work by EBAA over the last decade? Is it a shortcoming of national CAAs, who are more interested in their areas of greatest exposure - the airlines? Whatever the cause, whilst we continue to enjoy some successes, too many important pieces of legislation fail properly to take into consideration all the specificities of the Business Aviation sector.

Today, we represent around 1/10 of all IFR movements in Europe. We are a reality and a force to be reckoned

26 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

with. We simply cannot be dismissed.

Any initiative taken without the consideration of Business Aviation is hence fundamentally and inevitably flawed, as it would not be representative of the entire air transport system.

But is it that legislators refuse to hear us? Or could it be that our message isn’t clear or complete? Our level of responsibility has increased with our maturity. To demonstrate who we are as a sector and what we are truly capable of, we must also have better self-awareness. What is our scope and what is our value to the regions and to Europe Plc? Of course, we each have our own views on that question.

An industry comprising 4,500 aircraft, 700,000 movements a year and 100,000 city-pairs does not exist by chance. It corresponds to a need. At the same time, we could do better in quantifying this importance. We had a serious shot at doing so with a PriceWaterhouseCoopers study we commissioned four years ago.

Eurocontrol has also provided vital reports that demonstrate the utility and value of our sector, and of course our efforts with the EC produced the paper “A Sustainable Future for General and Business Aviation”. But we need to know more about who we are today and the value we deliver.

And that is why EBAA has commissioned an important study from Oxford Economics, to help us capture this information and demonstrate our industry’s key role as an engine of growth for the regional economy.

We have also launched several other initiatives better to understand the basic performance of European Business Aviation, but the fragmentation of the sector doesn’t make that task easy. Fragmentation and lack of transparency – take illegal flights as an example – very often prevent legislators and the public from appreciating the true value that our industry provides.

And as we have seen in the past, this has significant political consequences.

Clarifying who we truly are is therefore one of the most important challenges our industry faces right now.

That is why EBAA holds regular meetings with legislators in Brussels and across national capitals. But we need our members to help us provide them with something substantial that they can, and will, use – for our benefit and that of the entire airspace system. We need an active, proactive and powerful Business Aviation community, as well as legislative bodies that clearly understand that things cannot go on the way they have.

That’s why we were so adamant during the OGS to be able to count on people of the caliber of Messrs Baldwin, of the European Commission, Sciacchitano of the ECAC and Marinescu of the European Parliament who, despite their different backgrounds, spoke with one voice in basically acknowledging that Business Aviation remained under-represented in law despite its importance. Music to our ears obviously, but also concerns that behind the frills and the occasional bows and scrapes, that sounded like an admission of impotence. Yet one could sense the genuine will to reach out a hand to a sector which, despite the economic gloom, was still able to organize a formidable event such as the last EBACE, attract an unheard of (almost) number of visitors (12,700 for the record) and exhibitors (491 in three Halls for a total of 25,500m2), thus showing an enviable resilience in the face of a protracted recession, a godsend for any politician.

So, accusing the decision makers of all the industry’s evils simply on the ground they don’t understand us will not help our cause. The reality is more subtle. And it requires that we understand the language the decision-makers speak, a language made of investments, jobs, contribution to the economy, a language, in other words, for which we have developed a lot of words. They just need to be translated if we are to build on our past successes and take political understanding of our sector to an altogether higher level.

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EBACE has just wrapped up and already the European Business Aviation scene is turning its sights towards the UK. It s an even numbered year, which means one thing to aviation enthusiasts: time for the 62nd edition of the Farnborough Airshow. Nick Klenske reports.

S

OLYMPIAN

Aside from the usual displays, there will be plenty of Olympic spirit at Farnborough.

lated for July 9 – 15, Farnborough International Airshow is one of the world’s most iconic aviation events. As always, the first five days of the show are dedicated ‘trade days’, followed by a weekend where the show opens up to the public. For 2012, one can expect more of the same as the last edition, which too lost some of its thunder to the global economic crisis. And with the Euro continuing to keep investors fidgety, nobody really knows what to expect this year.

Yet, there are bright spots within this cloudy backdrop. After all, despite the global recession, the 2010 show saw US$47 billion worth of orders announced, 120,000 trade visitors attend and 1,816 journalists covering the show. 2012 looks to continue this trend, with already over 70 delegations from over 44 countries signed up, in excess of 100,000 sqm of exhibition

28 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

GETTING TO BUSINESS AT FARNBOROUGH

PREVIEW

FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW

space booked and over 150 aircraft set to land in the static display.

However, unlike EBACE and NBAA, Farnborough is a full aviation show – covering all sectors of the industry.

Coming on the heels of a busy BizAv show schedule, the question is always raised: what place does Business Aviation have at Farnborough?

To find out, BART International checked in with some of our sector’s key players…

Back by Popular Demand: the Business Aircraft Park In order to ensure that the unique needs of the Business Aviation sector are sheltered from the commercial and defense sectors, once again show organizers are bringing back the Business Aircraft Park. And not only are they bringing it back, they’re also further developing it in order to increase standing space for clients.

The result will be a greater opportunity for both static displays and demonstration flights, along with various infrastructure changes aimed at making the visitor experience more comfortable.

“The Farnborough International Airshow Business Aircraft Park has established itself as an exceptional place in which to network, achieve sales and facilitate business deals,” says Amanda Stainer, Events and Exhibitions Director, Farnborough International Limited. “This three day ‘show-within-a-show’ has proved such a success that it is consistently generating business sales in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

In particular, the Business Aircraft Park (BAP) is devoted exclusively to business aircraft manufacturers, their

products and services. Located within the main display area for static aircraft, the BAP is easily accessible from the center of the main exhibition and will continue to accommodate requests for demonstration flights to potential and existing customers. The BAP will be open from July 9 – 11.

This effort to cater to the Business Aviation crowd seems to be working, as the show continues to remain popular with the OEMs, despite an increasingly busy Business Aviation specific show schedule.

“Granted, Farnborough is not a Business Aviation show and it never intends to position itself as being so,” said a spokesperson from the British Business and General Aviation Association. “But the fact that it is located at one of the leading Business Aviation airports guarantees that Farnborough will always remain on the Business Aviation radar.”

The matter of its location is a key advantage of Farnborough, as the air-

ports designation as a popular Business Aviation destination means there’s already a ‘BizAv’ culture at the show. “Farnborough provides a convenient and efficient location to meet and deal with these clients, especially those with governmental connections,” continued the BBGA spokesperson. “Business Aviation OEM’s with military operations like HBC and Embraer will capitalize on the exposure Farnborough brings from military top brass around the world.”

The Line-Up So what can the Business Aviation sector expect at Farnborough 2012?

Talking to some of the industry’s main players, one can expect a healthy – albeit trimmed down – presence.

Embraer has Farnborough marked as a stop on its Legacy 650 tour with its new interior, which was launched at a recent NBAA Regional Forum in Van Nuys, California. The touring

HERITAGE

Originating in the RAF Hendon show, the Farnborough Airshow has been at its current location since 1948.

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PREVIEW

FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW OEMs – including Dassault – are focusing on their service support for the games. As many of the area’s airports and roads are bracing for heavy traffic, operators are looking towards London City Airport and its ideal position in the heart of the games.

Dassault will be at Farnborough promoting its ‘London City’ friendly line up of aircraft. All of the company’s aircraft currently in production are authorized to land at LCY, a unique achievement for a business aircraft manufacturer.

The OEM has received approval from the FAA for steep approaches on all Falcon 900 EASy (900EX EASy/DX/LX ) and Falcon 2000 EASy (2000EX EASy/DX/LX) series models. Both model series had already received steep approach certification from the European Aviation

OPTION

Operators are looking towards London City and its ideal position in the heart of the games (top), an occasion for Dassault to promote its London City friendly line up of aircraft.

Legacy 650 is sporting its new, stateof-the-art improvements to passenger comfort and productivity as well as advanced cockpit technology that is now standard on the large-class executive aircraft.

“The 2012 Legacy 650 interior significantly raises the bar for the large executive aircraft class,” said Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets. “We offer a new cabin management system, reduced noise levels and avionics advances that equip the aircraft for the future air traffic control system. It also includes new finishing materials for cabin, galleys and lavatories. With this new interior customers will have a more advanced and comfortable environment in which to relax or to maintain their productivity.”

The aircraft lands in Farnborough as part of its year-long tour, which includes stops at EBACE, LABACE, NBAA and MEBA. The new cabin management system (CMS), Honeywell’s Ovation Select, is the same as that offered on Embraer’s in-development programs, the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500. The all-digital system features high definition monitors and audio. The media unit features iPod and iPhone docking systems, a 3D moving map and blu-ray player. It also includes USB, HDMI, VGA and Composite video ports.

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The interior includes an 8.9-inch touchscreen CMS controller in the galley as well as individual, in-seat touchscreen units that control video, audio, lighting and temperature. A 17.5-inch LCD monitor comes standard, but customers can choose from a number of monitor options including up to a 32inch credenza version, a 24-inch, aftbulkhead configuration or individual seat monitors. The entire system can be complemented by crisp, two-zone surround sound.

With the Olympics arriving in London shortly after the show, many

Safety Agency (EASA). With the most recent approvals, the entire current production Falcon fleet is now certified for steep approaches, which permits aircraft to operate at restricted airports with approach angles of up to six degrees.

“With the ability to make steep approaches into challenging airports, while complying with noise abatement procedures, Falcons continue to be the most flexible and capable of business aircraft,” said John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. “Dassault Falcon is

the only business aircraft manufacturer to have both EASA and FAA steep approach approval for all of its in-production models.”

Of course, with flights to the London area expected to increase by over 3,000 during the Olympics, there will be a significant need for service and support.

Bombardier is set to highlight its Olympic spirit by focusing on its commitment to service during the games.

As part of its commitment to bring its team closer to customers, Bombardier Customer Services will be bolstering its local presence for business aircraft customers traveling through London during the Olympics. Bombardier Customer Services will deploy its additional support between July 23 and August 17 to ensure efficient operation for all business aircraft operators traveling to the area.

To date, Bombardier’s plan includes five Field Service Representatives onsite in the London area and a Mobile Response Team in close proximity to London airports. Qualified technicians will also be on standby at the company’s nearby wholly owned Schiphol Service Center in Amsterdam, as well as at two of its Authorized Services Facilities in the London area - Tag Aviation Farnborough and Ocean Sky Jet Center Luton.

GE Aviation is also set to provide Olympic-sized support, and will be highlighting its service-focused arrangement with Ocean Sky Jet Center at Farnborough.

“GE Aviation wants its customers to be worry-free when it comes to the service and support of their engines during the Olympics,” said Brad Mottier, Vice President and General Manager of GE Aviation’s Business and General Aviation organization.

“Our arrangement with Ocean Sky Jet Center will allow us to best serve our customers so they can enjoy the games.”

Dedicated GE Aviation field service representation will be on-site at Ocean Sky Jet Center through the Olympics.

GE’s mobile repair team will be available for any line maintenance needs.

GE Aviation will also strategically position new and exchange materials in the region for easy access.

On the static Pilatus will be arriving with its PC-12 NG, PC-6 and PC-21.

“We look forward to presenting our

products and our company to customers, prospects and business partners,” says Cornelia Ineichen, Marketing and Events, PC-12. The goal for us at the show, as always, is to promote the Pilatus brand, establish new contacts with interested parties and to further deepen existing and long-lasting customer relations.”

“The scope of utilization of the PC-12 NG and PC-6 is far wider than only Business Aviation,” continues Ineichen. “Therefore, it is very important for us to showcase these aircraft at multi-sector shows like Farnborough, where visitors come from all over the world. For us, our aircraft are multi-sector so it just makes good business sense to be at Farnborough.”

Hawker Beechcraft is set to build off of the momentum it created at EBACE, where it broke through the clouds of its Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing with the sale of 11 new jets.

“HBC is coming off a strong EBACE and, all things considered, we’re very excited about Farnborough,” says Sean McGeough, President, Hawker Beechcraft EMEA. “Although Farnborough is essentially a military show, the organizers have done an excellent job with the Business Park and creating an ideal space for Business Aviation that is separate from the clutter of the rest of the show.”

McGeough says that HBC plans to take advantage of the show to meet with specific customers who come to Farnborough for the atmosphere, along with to hold follow up meetings on conversations started during EBACE. “We see Farnborough as a local show,” says McGeough. “We’re a British company and this year marks the 50 th anniversary of the Hawker name and the 80th anniversary of the Beechcraft brand, so this is an exciting opportunity for us.”

McGeough further notes that the British market is also quite attractive in and of itself – making Farnborough even more interesting for HBC. “With 672 planes, the UK has the second biggest business aircraft fleet in Europe, representing 14.7 percent of the European total,” he notes.

“HBC is the market leader in its competitive segments within the UK, with a market share of 26 percent – or 54

percent for turboprops and 17 percent for jets.”

To ensure this trend continues, HBC will be bringing its King Air 350 iER and B200, along with the Hawker 4000, to the static display.

At press time, however, several OEMs have yet to sign up – both Cessna and Gulfstream were yet to register an official presence at the show. In line with their 2010 strategy, both companies will maintain a small presence on the ground. “In crowded general shows, we see little, if any, new clients or prospects that we don’t see in the sector specific shows like EBACE,” says Heidi Fedak, Senior Manager, Social Media and External Communications, Gulfstream. “This allows us to focus on other, more industry-specific shows.”

Ready or Not It’s going to be a busy summer in London, and it all kicks off with the Farnborough Airshow. But how much of this busy-ness will be business related is yet to be seen. And as always with Farnborough, how much Business Aviation will be happening at this popular airshow won’t be known until the trade portion closes.

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HECTIC

It s going to be a busy summer in London and the fun kicks off at Farnborough.

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UK REGIONAL REPORT

By Jack Carroll

The official name is Bombardier Aerospace Belfast (BAC), which trades as Short Brothers plc; the short version being Shorts as our readers may have surmised. Call it what you will, the company is a key Bombardier subsidiary that has steadily grown its product line, revenues and overall capabilities since its acquisition and subsequent turnaround in 1989. Today Bombardier Aerospace is the largest investor and manufacturing firm in Northern Ireland, employing over 5,200 people.

T HISTORY

From the SD330 (top) to the Short Belfast (center) Short Brothers plc takes credit for some impressive aviation milestones.

hat in addition several hundred outside contractors and what Bombardier Aerospace Belfast calls a “complementary labor force” to support permanent employees as required. Its investment program to date amounts to over $2.8 billion USD and keeps the company a “Center of Excellence” within the Bombardier organization as well as in a wide range of aerospace technologies; most important being its proven composites expertise and creative innovation. One might say it’s been somewhat a “strong, silent type” in the past, but one well-deserving to step into the spotlight on occasion, such as this

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BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE BELFAST

TAKING SHORTS OUT OF THE SHADOWS

story.

A bit of history: Short Brothers plc dates back to 1908 when it was established in Battersea, London and became the world’s first aircraft manufacturer when it was contracted to build six Wright Flyers in 1909. The company built its first facility in Belfast in 1946 at Queen’s Island, located on the shoreline of Belfast Lough. A good choice, as Shorts Brothers had become specialists in seaplanes. Just roll them down the ramp and into the Lough.

Today, Queen’s Island is still the main facility, actually a building complex which includes assembly, engineering, administrative headquarters

and the new composite wing factory covering 650,000 square feet, which is tasked to design and manufacture composite wings for the new C Series aircraft. At peak production by 2017, the factory should employ over 800 skilled workers. The new facility represents the single largest investment ever made in Northern Ireland: $815 million USD. There are three other facilities, all in a 10-mile radius of Belfast City.

Dunmurry and Newtown Abbey, for composite fabrication and assembly, and Hawlmark, Newtownards for sheet metal component fabrication.

According to Colin Elliott, VP Engineering, Business and Product Development, the latter facility has produced up to 30,000 small parts, such as brackets and fasteners, in a given week, without resorting to outside contractors. Says Elliott, “Our production lines have become so efficient and cost-effective, we’ve had no need to off-load any jobs to outside companies.”

Prior to its acquisition by Bombardier, Shorts aircraft design and manufacturing programs included the SD330 and 360; the box-shaped commuter turboprops, the “Skyvan” for hauling freight and a special variation for the U.S. Air Force dubbed the C23B “Sherpa,” which mainly moved aircraft engines between USAF bases.

But Shorts really hit the jackpot

when it was contracted to provide wingsets for the Fokker 70 and 100 airliners. Says Elliott: “There were over a thousand Fokkers placed in service, with American Airlines alone taking 300. At the program’s peak we were producing a complete wingset per week. At the time that was our big ‘cash cow,’ as they say.” He notes that a considerable number of SD series

Complete center fuselage, nacelles and wing components. ❍ Q400 NextGen regional turboprop: Mid fuselage and wing-mounted flight components. ❍ CSeries aircraft, 100-149 seats: Design and manufacture of advanced composite wings, which will include single-piece, front spar, rear spar, upper skin, lower skin and metal ribs.

ity close to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in the U.S. to concentrate on our engine nacelle repair, maintenance and overhaul for Bombardier’s growing fleet of regional jets.”

“In 2011, we extended our maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities (MRO) to Hong Kong, covering the Asia-Pacific region. Primarily we’ll concentrate on the inlet cowl for the

aircraft and about 40 Sherpas are in service worldwide and Shorts still provides spares support, even though production ceased in 1991. Shorts also produced the Brazilian “Tucano” single-engine trainer under license for the RAF. After a profitable run, production ended in 1993.

Customer Service And Support A Prime Growth Area

Trent 700 engine, for which we are the OEM; that in addition to Belfast and Dallas, of course. To accomplish this, we have a strategic service agreement with the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO), allowing us to make MRO services services available at HAECO’s equipment overhaul center in Tseung Kwan O, about 30 miles from Hong Kong International Airport.”

Adds Stephen Addis, General Manager, Nacelle Product Development and Customer Service, Belfast, “We’re now offering local repair solutions at very competitive prices to our growing Asia-Pacific customer base. The Hong Kong expansion is the latest in the development of our MRO business, which now has a strong presence in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.”

Belfast s Role In Bombardier Aircraft Programs Bombardier Aerospace Belfast has significant roles in the detailed design and manufacture of all Bombardier business and commercial aircraft families. The current programs include: ❍ Learjet 70/75: Complete fuselages. ❍ Learjet 85: Composite wing skin panels and spar components. ❍ Challenger 300: Center fuselage. ❍ Challenger 605: Center fuselage, nacelles. ❍ Challenger 850: Fuselage panels, wing components and nacelles. ❍ Global 5000/6000: Forward fuselage, nacelles, horizontal stabilizer, tailcone, wing-to-fuselage fairings, wing slats and other composite components. ❍ Global 7000/8000: Composite horizontal stabilizer and other components.

In the commercial area, current programs include: ❍ CRJ700 NextGen 70-seat regional jet, CRJ900 NextGen 88-seat regional jet,and CRJ1000 100-seat regional jet:

As Belfast Customer Services activities move closer to the half-century mark, it now has a global customer base, serving more that 20 business and commercial aircraft types. The group’s activities as an OEM include after-market support for aircraft operators with Belfast-built engine nacelles and assorted other components. In addition, it can support nacelles and associated components for other manufacturers.

Capabilities of the Customer Services group include engineering, spares supply and component repairs for Bombardier, Airbus and Boeing Aircraft. In addition, it produces technical publications and conducts technical training for engineers and pilots.

For AOG situations in Europe, the company fields a Mobile Response Team composed of EASA-licensed technical and maintenance personnel, who operate under Bombardier Belfast’s maintenance supervision and approval. Service is available on a 24/7 basis for Bombadier’s Global, Challenger and Learjet families.

Asked about future growth opportunities, Elliott emphasized that the company is sharpening its focus on the customer service and aftermarket areas. “In 2009, our initial step in the expansion program was to open a facil-

Bombardier Aerospace Belfast: The Authority In Advanced Composites With more than 40 years in the demanding, bedeviling composites business, Bombardier Aerospace Belfast is the recognized authority in the field; designing, manufacturing and certifying advanced composite components. These cover all classes of aircraft as well as all structure categories, including primary structures.

The advantages of today’s advanced composites structures are fairly well

PRODUCTION

Short Brothers manufactures the complete fuselage and center fuselage for some of Bombardier s leading business aircraft.

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UK REGIONAL REPORT Bombardier Aerospace Belfast: Composites Shorts takes a back seat to no manufacturer when it comes to the design, development and construction of composite aircraft structures. The many benefits of carbon fiber construction over traditional aluminium include faultlessly smooth surfaces for reduced drag and improved performance, an impressive strength-to-weight ratio, greatly reduced maintenance and maximum cabin space, since there are no design-intrusive ribs.

And of course carbon fiber resists corrosion.

Take the Learjet 85, now in production. Its main structures, including the wing, fuselage and empennage are mostly made from composites, with Bombardier Belfast providing wing skin panels and spar components. Composites allow designers a virtually unlimited number of options, such as creating complex curves, when compared to the limitations of metal. The Learjet 85's wing parts are being built using Shorts own patented Resin Transfer Infusion (RTI) technology.

It s an extremely accurate process and a true breakthrough in composite construction, allowing much greater levels of design complexity and performance, says Elliott. As he explains, the process involves using dry fabrics to create the structure.

Resin is injected into the fabric after it has been placed in the autoclave; basically a cooker. The RTI technology results in significant cost and performance over conventional composites manufacturing processes.

ADVANCE known, but we’ll repeat them for the

As Colin Elliot, VP Engineering points out, Bombardier is an industry ahead in composite manufacturing; composite fuselage (top right) and composite wing skin panel (center right).

record. They include light weight, yet stronger than aluminum, leading to reduced fuel burn, and have corrosionfree properties, resulting in greatly reduced maintenance and inspection intervals. Clearly, Shorts has been a true believer in composites from the very start, with the aforementioned Learfan project, well before Bombardier’s acquisition.

In 1970, Shorts developed and produced interior panels for its own commuter aircraft and increased R&D and

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BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE BELFAST

materials evaluation and manufacturing development from that point on.

As might be expected, the company has a dedicated R&D core team which continues to expand and develop the company’s composite materials level of expertise. It can even call on local universities, which have composite R&D programs in place, designed and structured for higher learning in aerospace applications.

Bombardier Aerospace Belfast has an impressive portfolio of more than 30 components and growing. These include nacelles, landing gear doors and flight control surfaces, viz. flaps, ailerons, elevators and rudders, wing skins and spar components; those specifically designed for the Learjet 85, now in production, and the forthcoming Learjet 70 and 75, recently announced at EBACE. In the case of the Learjet 85, the composite wing skins and spar compo-

nents are shipped to Bombardier’s facility in Querataro, Mexico, where the Learjet 85’s composite fuselage was constructed.

Do we sense intermural competition here? “Not at all,” says Elliott,” they are our colleagues and we interact on a regular basis and are always standing by to lend a hand or act as advisors in their manufacturing process.”

Bombardier’s patented Resin Transfer Infusion (RTI) was developed for the CSeries aircraft’s one-piece wing skins and structural spars and the process was adapted for use on the Learjet 85.

We trust that the foregoing sheds some light on the high-level work being done at Bombardier Aerospace Belfast and as we noted earlier, it is indeed well deserved.

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UK REGIONAL REPORT

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CHESTER

CONTINUING THE HAWKER HERITAGE

During a visit to Hawker Beechcraft’s plant in Chester, President for EMEA and Asia Pacific, Sean Mc Geough told BART about the importance of the Hawker legacy.

“The business jets that we make today come from the same durability and the same efficiencies of all those famous aircraft built on this site.

There’s still plenty of Hawker pride at this facility.”

Right now, HBC Chester - in collaboration with Airbus UK - manufacturers the fuselage sections, wings and control surfaces of a number of Hawker Beechcraft models. The aircraft components are partially fitted out with control surfacing before being shipped to HBC’s other manufacturing plants for final assembly fitting out and testing.

And as Hawker Beechcraft focuses more on non-US markets, HBC Chester has become an indispensible sales hub. Indeed, you could say that it has allowed Hawker Beechcraft to solidify its position as a European market leader.

Mc Geough points out that Europe will always be the backbone to the EMEA - “that’s why we’ve got our headquarters here. It allows us to be

By Paul Walsh

T

FOCUS

A leading center for avionics retrofits, HBC Chester is also an indispensible sales focal point.

alk to any of the technicians at Hawker Beechcraft’s Chester facility and they’ll be quick to remind you of the many famous aircraft made at that very location.

There’s the Hawker Hunter, a fighter developed in the 1950’s and still in active service in some countries today.

Or the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 – one of the world’s most famous business jets which first flew in 1962, back when it was known as the DH.125 Jet Dragon.

Hawker Beechcraft’s direct involvement with Chester can be traced back to August 1993 when Raytheon Company acquired British Aerospace Corporate Jets (producers of the midsized British Aerospace BAe 125 line) from British Aerospace, renaming the company Raytheon Corporate Jets.

In mid-September 1994, Beech Aircraft Corporation and Raytheon Corporate Jets were merged to form

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Raytheon Aircraft, which used the Hawker name for some of its products.

Then in 2007 Onex partners and GS Capital Partners bought Raytheon Aircraft and renamed it Hawker Beechcraft – a company clearly proud of its formidable aviation heritage.

uniquely positioned as a company. We have products that will operate very well throughout the EMEA – robust products that can land on dirt, gravel and unimproved strips – getting into airports that competitor aircraft simply can’t access.

Take the King Air 250. Here we went out to the international market place and found new ways to open up more airports. We put winglets on the airplane, improved the propellers, improved the power of the engine. Its short field take off and landing distance have improved dramatically.

And thanks to our comprehensive engineering center at Chester, engineers can work here to certify aircraft like the King Air 250, with the EASA, Middle Eastern and African authorities.”

Mc Geough is also upbeat about the European market. “Economies may be doing poorly, but companies are doing well. If you’re looking at corporate profits in many parts of Europe, there are reasons to be optimistic and the chairmen that I’ve been speaking to still want to go do their business.”

Customer Service at Chester But Chester isn’t just about sales and manufacturing – there’s a whole lot of maintenance and conversion activity going on too. At Hawker Beechcraft Services (HBS) Chester –HBC’s factory-owned service center - you’ll find maintenance and repair, modifications, interior and exterior refurbishment, avionics upgrades, engine overhaul and AOG Support.

The facility boasts one of the largest parts inventories in Europe and access to factory engineering and support.

There’s also a paint facility with two bays providing full paint services and

an in-house paint design center to accommodate any factory or custom paint request for Hawker customers.

Last year HBS Chester was certified to perform services on King Air 200 and 300 series aircraft, including inspections, maintenance, alterations and upgrades. In addition, HBS Chester provides design, engineering, certification and fabrication capabilities, and has experience in complex structural repairs.

“Now, King Air customers throughout Europe can experience the industry-leading service that Hawker operators have enjoyed for years at our Chester facility,” said Christi Tannahill, Hawker Beechcraft senior vice president, GCS. “The King Air models continue to be solid competitors in the European marketplace, and we are pleased to offer our turboprop customers in the region the convenience and confidence that factoryapproved services offer.”

It’s also interesting to note that the facility is authorized as an EASA Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) under Part M Subpart G with Subpart I privileges.

This gives customers access to a comprehensive aircraft maintenance program including forecasting, planning and scheduling maintenance to minimize aircraft downtime, and management of technical records and logbooks. Customers get safe storage, management of all Airworthiness

Directives and other mandatory requirements, service life-limited components tracking and control, import and export of the aircraft and utilization of CAMP systems on behalf of the owner.

Conversions in Chester In conversions, HBS Chester recently delivered its first modified medical evacuation (Medevac) conversion Hawker 900XP midsize jet, which allows the aircraft to quickly switch between business and medical support flights.

Technicians came up with a system that allows the 900XP to undergo a role change from VIP to Medevac in less than an hour. The conversion was successfully completed in just two months receiving full approval from the European Aviation Safety Authority.

“This was a very demanding request and our team in Chester responded successfully with the design and implementation of a highly-integrated system that fully met the customer’s requirements,” said Christi Tannahill. “With our center of technical excellence in Chester, we expect to be delivering many similar conversions in the region over the coming years.”

And really, it’s no wonder that the Chester facility has been chosen for these conversions – the facility has been modifying Hawker 900, 800 and 700 series aircraft for nearly 50 years.

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EXTENSIVE

Maintenance, repair, AOG support, painting or refurbishments are all available at Hawker Beechcraft Chester.

BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 37

UK REGIONAL REPORT

BBGA

BBGA FIGHTS NEW BATTLE OF BRITAIN

By Jack Carroll

Britain s BBGA tends to go quietly about its business, working with other associations toward the same goals: Ensuring that business and general aviation operators are not unduly burdened with complex rules, tax practices and restrictions that subvert the concept that Business Aviation is an important business tool for building companies and contributing to the country s overall economy.

T WATCH

Protecting Business and General Aviation from harmful legislation is the BBGA s goal.

CEO Marc Bailey (top).

London Executive Aviation s Citation Mustang (center).

hat said, how do all the various general aviation organizations work together for a common goal? It seems there might be a bit of competition in some cases. We asked BBGA’s CEO, Marc Bailey, to cast some light on the situation.

Says Bailey, “In practice, because of our location in Europe, we tend to spend more time working with our European partners. But in the UK, we represent the interests of a broad spectrum of activities within our industry. As one would expect, our membership now includes major business aircraft operators, OEMs, MROs–holding multiple approvals– major and secondary airports, training organizations and many support services; legal and financial, for example.”

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In Europe, as Bailey explains, it works like this: Two channels are used, with the EBAA being the central voice in Europe on behalf of operators in all EU countries, working closely with BBGA to ensure that any operational issues are clearly represented in a consistent manner across Europe. The second channel is covered by the European Council of General Aviation Support (ECOGAS), which provides a focal point for all other issues, such as operators’ maintenance and flight training, which are not covered by EBAA. BBGA s Raison d Etre.

So, you may be thinking, where does this BBGA come from and why was it established? Bailey explains, “It’s fair to say that the need for BBGA emerged in response to the fact that in

terms of legislation and government agencies, within the UK specifically and throughout the EU countries, it is focused on the world of the scheduled airlines. It’s easy to see why this is so, in terms of pure numbers; more airlines, more flights, more destinations, more passengers and more revenues.”

In short, more presence and power. So basically the need to form associations like the BBGA was the need to develop self protection movements to fend off or modify legislation that would in any way limit the rights of general aviation aircraft. Our position is that there is room for everyone, but let’s be fair about it.”

General Aviation Competing With the Airlines?

Well then, are the business and general aviation sectors waging a silent battle with the airlines, fundamentally for “air rights?” Bailey jumps right into the debate. “That confrontation still exists today, but in a modern world it simply isn’t necessary. If you started with the proverbial “clean sheet,” one would see there is little, if any, direct competition with the airlines and in practice we serve complementary markets.”

In fact, the various associations’ members pay many millions of Pounds Sterling and Euros to purchase airline tickets, mainly to destinations that are well served–London to Manchester, for example–where flying on a business jet would be not be worth the minimal time saved or perhaps no time saving at all. In this case it would be wasting money to fly on a business aircraft versus an airline. Common sense should rule, after all.

Nonetheless, in the media especially, the usually uninformed focus now is on Business Aviation versus the major airlines and low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair and easyJet. According to Bailey, this is a classic example of the fact that there really is no competition.

“Airlines sell seats to specific destinations; fixed airport pairs, on a published schedule. On the other hand we all know that the whole point of Business Aviation is to save time and provide flexibility—or transportation on demand–wherein the operator flies on his own schedule, without airline restrictions.”

Not to mention the fact that business aircraft can land at many airports not available to scheduled airlines, that may be closer to the operator’s true destination. And on a multi-stop trip, a business aircraft can turn a two-day trip into a one-day trip, as opposed to the limitations scheduled airlines.

They fly when they want to, usually not when you want to.

Persistence Breaks Down Legislative Barriers It’s fair to say that the BBGA and its cohorts have logged a number of victories recently. For example, Bailey points to the work done by BBGA, EBAA and the BHA (British Helicopter Association) on the matter of the Airport Passenger Duty (APD) tax proposed for general aviation operators. “Following an excellent consultancy process with the UK Treasury and HMRC, we were able to agree on a simple and appropriate solution which should be implemented in April 2013, if all goes well,” he asserts.

BBGA Member Support.

Asked what support BBGA gives to its members, Bailey replies that, “Our support activities range from our annual conference targeting key industry themes and events such as our biannual House of Lords gathering to meet with MPs and lobbyists. At the working level, we have a number of councils that meet on a regular basis, where we look to advance progress in each sector of our membership. (E.g.

OEMs and MROs) In addition when a special need arises, we hold specific seminars. A good example of this is our “Olympics 2012 Planning” last year, which brought together all the various agencies and some 80 members of these to discuss details associated with operational planning for this major event.”

BBGA Combats Business Aviation Misconceptions; Illegal Charters First, addressing misconceptions in the popular press, from the Times to tabloids, Bailey says, “One always gets the impression that most business jets are only used by high net worth individuals for their personal pleasure. But that’s far removed from reality. A thorough study by Price Waterhouse Coopers revealed that, not surprisingly, nearly all of the flying undertak-

en in business aircraft is done in order to support the generation of additional business and revenues for their firms, as well as maintaining existing business and other company activities. On the few occasions when these aircraft are used for personal and private use, those operations should be declared as such for tax purposes.” However, it the real world, one would think it’s entirely possible that there could be some instances of chicanery and deceit when it comes to giving Inland Revenue its just due.

Aha, but here’s the rub, as they say.

What about those operators who choose to use their aircraft not in a private capacity, as intended, but for commercial activity. Says Bailey, with some annoyance, “This is plain and simply ‘Illegal Chartering,’ which is totally opposed by BBGA and its members. This is quite a significant problem for our industry and we believe this activity could be as large as seven percent of European air traffic, with aircraft operating privately and operators receiving compensation for their services. Potential passengers need to realize that if they fly an illegal charter trip they are not insured and if anything should happen, they and their families would not be covered. And it could be that they could also figure in any legal action by third parties.

And then on the matter of VAT: Says Bailey, with frustration, “The way VAT has been treated in the UK since January 2011 has greatly damaged our industry. For instance, prior to that

some 60 aircraft were due to be imported into the UK. Following the change by HMRC, the number of aircraft imported has been reduced significantly. This is clearly a battle BBGA is fighting and we were pleased to see a ruling from the Advocate General of the European Commission make recommendations which could support our position.

Expanded Training Programs: Key to the Industry s Future Bailey notes that on the question of training, the development of ‘pathways’ in three key disciplines are vital.

“These are Flight Operations, Maintenance and Ground Operations.

The pathways, in the educational sense, would include vocational training, apprenticeships and gaining professional qualifications, which may include graduate and post-graduate certification. We are also very close to establishing a pilot’s apprenticeship program which will benefit the entire aviation spectrum; not just Business Aviation. However, this initiative was driven by the pilot training community within the Business Aviation sector of our industry. The big issue we face is attracting young people into the industry and to do that we need to create clear career pathways to offer them.

Once we have those pathways, it is up to associations like ours to sell the ‘magic of aviation’ to the next generation.”

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PROMOTE

Can associations sell the magic of aviation to the next generation?

A fleet of Piper trainers is on hand at Oxford Aviation Training.

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UK REGIONAL REPORT

ACCESS TO LONDON OLYMPICS

GAME ON PLAN

The Olympics are looming, but British BizAv airports are in good shape for the summer ahead.

All that training is coming to fruition this summer as London opens its skies to thousands of extra visitors. Liz Moscrop reports from the field.

J

ust like the athletes themselves, Britain’s preparations for London 2012 began well in advance. The year is a significant one for the UK’s Business Aviation community.

Demand is expected to reach record levels this summer with the Olympic Games, Paralympics, Farnborough International Airshow and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee all taking place.

July 27, the day of the Olympic opening ceremony, is shaping up to be the busiest on record for the sector, according to Paul Nickson of the London Olympics organizing committee. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is setting up a dedicated hub in the UK capital’s Canary Wharf building (near the main Olympic site) specifically to manage aviation operations during the event.

All research indicates that the greatest peak periods of traffic will be 25th, 26th & 27th July (Opening Ceremony), followed by 12th August (Closing Ceremony) & 13th August 2012.

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“The main government objectives are for high standards of safety and security,” Nickson says. “We want to offer a positive visitor experience and limit disruption to business as much as possible. Aircraft parking and runway constraints are likely to be the biggest problems.”

Over the period from 14th July through to 15th August 2012 inclusive, most airports within the South East of the United Kingdom will become slot co-ordinated - some 40 aerodromes.

Slots may be reserved via the individual airports concerned.

The London 2012 Olympics will provide quite a challenge for the British National Air Traffic Services (NATS).

The organization says, “Before, during and after the games, we can expect 700 additional commercial flights within London airspace, 3,000 additional Business Aviation flights, many extra helicopter movements per day, and the arrival and departure of 150 heads of state.”

Phew, that’s a marathon in itself, which requires meticulous planning.

NATS continues, “We are committed to a successful Olympics for our customers and for the UK. For us, this means ensuring flights pass through the UK air traffic system safely and as efficiently as possible.”

In order to cope, there are special airspace, procedures in place, plus operational radar positions, and Ministry of Defence security airspace measures. These have all been well communicated to the entire aviation community.

Risks of delay and disruption during the Games could come from security incidents, runway over capacity or bad weather (e.g. thunder storms). NATS adds, “We continue to work closely with the wider industry and with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and government to find the right mechanisms and responses to these issues.”

London and the Southeast will be subject to Temporary Controlled Airspace [CAS(T)] that will allow increased traffic flows without impacting the security restrictions. In addition to creating capacity at major airfields, the CAS(T) accommodated the extra aircraft flying into secondary airfields.

More than 40 of these airfields in the South East of England require extra capacity for Olympic flights – mainly of a Business Aviation type. Private air-

craft taking passengers to the Olympics will only be allowed into UK airspace if they have got an airspace slot-allocation reference and added it to their flight plan. Two fully armed RAF Typhoon fighters may well intercept aircraft without clearance.

If their destination is in the CAS(T) zone, they must also depart from an airport that has approved security arrangements. Although flight plans are filed as normal, slot allocation has to be obtained in advance through the destination airport, and numbers are limited.

Airport Coordination (ACL) will manage slots, however slot applications should be made through the intended destination airport. Southeastern UK airports have been given a slot allocation based on anticipated demand: London Oxford (Kidlington), for example, has been allocated six per hour from 14 July to 15 August.

The CAA estimates there will be about 150 private flights carrying heads of state, the CAA estimates, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised that because the Games is not a state occasion, their flight movements will receive no privileges. All GA arrivals at Heathrow

have been banned. Aircraft parking space at some popular business aviation destination airfields may also be saturated.

London’s Business Aviation airports will be maxed out. Biggin Hill reports it will be extremely busy, with peak periods for operations slated to be 2529 July and 10-14 August. Aircraft inbound to Biggin Hill using the instrument approach procedure to runway 21 may transit the prohibited zone provided that they are in contact with NATS Terminal Control or Thames Radar and meet all requirements to enter the Restricted Zone.

The airport has been allocated 21 slots per hour during the Olympic and Paralympic period. The field reports that a notable feature is multiple bookings from Australia. The airport’s three FBO’s: Biggin Hill Executive Handling, Jet Aviation, and Rizonjet say that they will work together.

Hangarage is available up to BBJ size, plus there will be ground transportation, helicopter charter, local hotel arrangements, and aircraft cleaning and catering.

According to TAG Farnborough Airport’s CEO, Brandon O’Reilly, the airport is well prepared and has

CAPACITY

Mostly quiet, London s Business Aviation airports will be at full capacity during the event.

London City Airport.

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UK REGIONAL REPORT

ACCESS TO LONDON OLYMPICS

already received a high number of advanced bookings. He says, “Thanks to our proximity to London and sole focus on Business Aviation needs, we are an ideal facility for customers traveling to these events.”

Over the past 10 years, TAG Farnborough Airport has invested more than £100 million in state-of-theart facilities and infrastructure. The airport now features an award-winning main terminal, control tower, on-site radar and two wave shaped hangars that offer 240,000 sq ft of hangarage space.

A year ago, Stansted Airport set up “Team Stansted,” an initiative to get all airport staff involved in the preparations for the huge influx of competing teams, spectators, media, VIPS, sponsors and Heads of State,

STATUS

Recently bought

by Oxford owners, London s Heliport will be free from slot constraints during the games (top).

Oxford expects a three-fold increase in Business Aviation traffic.

anticipated to travel through its doors during Olympics and Paralympics.

The airport says it also expects to handle tons of unusual baggage, which will be transported through the airport during Games time, including sports kit of all shapes and sizes and tons of equipment for the world’s media. Julia Gregory, Olympics coordinator, says, “The 2012 Games will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase Stansted, especially as we are the near-

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est major international airport to the Olympic village.”

London Luton will be available only as a drop-off destination because of parking and hangar capacity problems. This is largely due to the fact that the airlines are anticipating brining an additional 500,000 visitors to Britain, so main airports will be flat out.

London Oxford, meanwhile, wants its allocation of six slots an hour doubled to 12. Given that it normally handles

an average of 20 business aircraft movements a day, this gives a sense of the extra anticipated volume of traffic.

According to business development manager James Dillon-Godfray, airports like Oxford, Cambridge and Cranford will reap rich pickings after the applications for Farnborough, Luton and Biggin Hill slots are exhausted. Luton may be a good choice for the larger head-of-state aircraft thanks to its long runway, however, it has no spare parking space.

Cambridge is one of the few regional airports in the UK with clearance to operate 24/7.

Oxford expects to see a three-fold increase in Business Aviation traffic during the peak period of the Games (i.e 30 business jets a day) and management will resource and equip as required. Dillon-Godfray says, “The advantage we have is that being situated outside the London 2012 ‘Restricted Zone’, there will be no flight plan constraints here. The airport is also outside the London Terminal Maneuvering Area (LTMA) which will be even busier than usual during the Olympics.” The airport has the option of extending the opening hours to midnight during the peak Olympic period, if required. The airport also offers full-time, on-site Police/Special Branch support for assistance with VVIP, Head-of-State, close protection and all other security necessities.

The London Heliport, which Oxford’s owners bought in late February, will not be slot constrained during the Games. It is also exempted from the no-fly zone during the Olympics, meaning a large number of dignitaries and other VIPs will be able to use it as an easy access route.

However, any helicopter departure for TLH that connects from an arriving business jet will need to get a slot booked in advance at their Business Aviation airport.

Just outside the capital, London Lydd Airport says it “hopes to extend a very warm welcome to general aviation during the Olympics period.” The airport has set out special procedures to ensure compliance with national Olympics arrangements, as well as enhance the efficiency its own operation. For example its operational hours throughout the Olympic Period will be 06:00 - 22:00 local for corporate and commercial traffic (an extension fee will apply to movements before 0830 local and after 1900 local).

In order to allocate slots Lydd Airport has been given access to the computerized slot allocation system, which is linked to both NATS and Eurocontrol, allowing all parties to monitor the slots applied for and slots approved to ensure that the system is not being abused. If this is found out to be the case, penalties may be imposed onto the operator. All slots will be matched with the ATC Flight Plan on the day of operation and all ATC plans will need to contain a unique confirmation number that is generated with each approved slot.

The registration or flight number on the ATC flight plan MUST match that used for the approved slot or the flight plan will be rejected.

If an aircraft’s requested times are not available, the airport will offer the closest time. neighboring London Southend Airport will introduce a booking fee per IFR slot. Any amend-

ments required to slots post booking may be subject to administration fees.

Full payment of all charges will be required by 1st June 2012. The airport will handle all flights of aircraft under 2.5T. To discourage speculative slot reservation and block booking, he airport also advises that there are potentially heavy sanctions for failure to cancel unused slots or for lack of punctuality under the UK Sanction Scheme.

The British GA community has been planning how to work through the Olympics for years. The Games dominated the agenda at the British Business and General Aviation Association’s (BBGA) annual conference earlier this year, with the group’s patron, Prince Michael of Kent, reminding members that this is an opportunity for the industry to shine.

While the high-security event poses plenty of challenges, it should provide a welcome boost to a largely servicebased industry that generates almost $3.2 billion for the UK economy each year.

Lee Campbell from Airport Coordination, the airline-controlled company that manages slot allocation for the main airports points out that between July 21 and August 15 no IFR arrivals or departures into or out of London’s terminal maneuvering areas (TMAs) will be permitted without a booked slot. The zone covers 40 air-

24/7

Cambridge Airport is one of the few regional airports in the UK with clearance to operate 24/7.

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UK REGIONAL REPORT SPORTING SPIRIT

Two of the UK s most prestigious airshows have worked together to reschedule their previously published show dates for 2012 in order to operate harmoniously alongside the Olympic Games in London.

The airshows in question, the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) have a history of supporting one another and working together. In 2008, FIA organizers Farnborough International Ltd (FIL) extended the hand of friendship to RIAT customers when its show was unavoidably called off due to extreme weather conditions, by opening the doors of Farnborough s public airshow to members of Friends of RIAT who had been disappointed by the cancellation of the event which is held yearly at RAF Fairford.

This time, it is RIAT who are helping to accommodate Farnborough ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. FIL had originally planned to hold its biennial airshow in the week of 16-22 July 2012, however as the Olympic Games will take place between 27 July and 12 August in London, organizers were aware that this could potentially cause difficulty for exhibitors and visitors in sourcing accommodation and other vital services for the show.

Traditionally RIAT is held on the weekend prior to FIA in order to enable military chiefs and senior aerospace figures to attend both. A joint decision was therefore made between FIL and RIAT, to move forward the dates of both shows by one week, thus keeping with tradition and ensuring that Farnborough s exhibitors and visitors can benefit from fully available resources. Farnborough International Airshow 2012 will now take place 915 July 2012, preceded by the Royal International Air Tattoo on 7-8 July 2012.

BUSY

Airports will be busier during the Olympics closing ceremonies say Universal Weather and Aviation.

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ACCESS TO LONDON OLYMPICS ports and will affect large areas of controlled airspace over southeast England.

NATS’ Brendan Kelly explains the diversion recommendations for the Olympic period. “We want to avoid the situation where Business Aviation flights going to Farnborough, for example, come close to the Heathrow TMA,” he says.

Catering could prove to be problematic. However, with sufficient notice, UK-based in-flight caterers can source just about any food request needed for flights. Local in-flight caterers are boosting capacity and deploying assorted ‘forward operating bases’ to handle anticipated spikes in demand.

According to flight planners Universal Weather and Aviation, the busiest time will likely be following closing ceremonies, when aircraft will be trying to exit the country en masse over a 24-36 hour period.

Many in-flight caterers will operate 24/7 over this period with additional stocks of cabin supplies and catering ingredients on reserve. Temporary catering staging outlets are being put in place close to London area aircraft repositioning airports to improve delivery times, enhance short notice capabilities and provide higher levels of service.

Universal suggests, “Consider having catering delivered prior to repositioning to pick up passengers when parked at alternate airports. For example, having catering delivered to a location such as Northampton, where you may have parked the aircraft, will save time and money on the ground when picking up passengers at Luton or Stansted.”

With so much advance training, it seems like British Business Aviation airports are in good shape for the summer to come.

For further details on arrivals and departures see: www.olympics.airspacesafety.com and CAA Olympics 2012 Homepage.

Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) is responsible for slot allocation. Visit their Olympics slot information page on http://www.acl-uk.org/.

The AIS Olympics Airspace website is a one stop information shop for General Aviation and Business Aviation. Full details on Olympic period lower airspace radar, SSR codes, temporary controlled airspace, ATS routes, holds, STARS, and airport Slot Coordination procedures, can be found on the AIS website link http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com.

✈

TRIP PLANNING

LONDON OLYMPICS

PLANNING FOR THE BIG GAMES

F

or operators still considering a trip to this summer’s London Olympics, the good news is that it’s still not too late to plan a trip. The options, however, are becoming more limited every day.

Parking going fast Both parking and slots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at London-area airports during the Olympics, and while slots are still available at some airports, parking is much harder to come by, said Jason Hayward, General Manager, Universal Aviation UK – Stansted.

SCARCE

Trip options are getting limited for the London Olympics, so hurry up and make your booking.

“While we’ve seen many operators planning a trip arrange their plans as far back as last summer, there are still new trips being booked daily,” said Hayward. “It’s definitely not too late, but parking is becoming scarce. Even though the London-area airports have been fully prepared for the massive influx of traffic, there is only so much concrete available on certain runways.

Some ground handlers are keeping some stands free (with four-hour parking limits) to allow operators to drop passengers and reposition to outlying airports when parking is unavailable.

For us, we’re lucky in that Stansted has more parking than most of the other airports but even our space is limited.”

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Another consideration regarding parking is non-refundable fees charged by some airports and ground handlers.

“Some airports in the London area are charging non-refundable, or 50 percent non-refundable, deposits for aircraft parking and ground handling during the Olympics period,” said Hayward. “You should be able to make revisions and not get charged, but it’s best to check with your FBO on its cancellation and/or revision policy. In most cases, you’ll be able to change schedule without penalty, but your deposit will likely become nonrefundable if reservations are cancelled.”

Slots Don t try to hedge your bet All London airports as well as regional airports as far as 95 miles away will have to use the Airport Coordinated Limited (ACL) runway slot system.

Flight plans and runway slots will be linked and monitored and if the airway slot does not match the runway slot, then the airway slot may be automatically cancelled.

“Your slot will not be issued until your aircraft parking has been confirmed,” said Hayward. “We’ve also run into instances where operators tried to ‘hedge’ their bets so to speak by requesting and booking handling

with several airports with the same schedules. This is considered an abuse of the airport slot system and is not allowed. This is being closely monitored by ACL, the slot coordination team, who upon spotting multiple bookings are canceling all slots held at all airports. You may make aircraft-parking requests at as many airports as you like, but only one airport slot approval is permitted at one time. It’s best practice for operators to commit to a location and avoid schedule revisions. For any changes to the schedule, we recommend you consult your ground handler or 3rdparty provider for availability of runway and airway slots prior to making changes. No deviations are available for runway slots. Everyone must adhere to the slots that have been approved for their flights in order to avoid lengthy delays. Slots for RONs (remain overnights) will only be confirmed if parking is available.”

Charter considerations Operators planning to attend the Games via Charter (non-scheduled commercial) have additional requirements, said Hayward.

“Charter operators must apply to U.K. Department of Transport (DFT) for a landing permit with lead time of five working days preferred (and minimum of 48 working hours’ notice),” he said. “Once permits are approved, schedule changes can usually be accommodated. If the requested schedule change exceeds 24 hours of the approved arrival or departure time, a permit revision is required and can usually be accomplished the same day during business hours. Passenger changes (additions or deletions) require resubmission of a charter landing permit request due to cabotage restrictions. Charter (non-scheduled commercial) operators traveling to London must provide evidence to the U.K. DFT that they have confirmed airport slots and aircraft parking for the Olympics along with all the other required documentation for the landing permit.”

Auxiliary services Services such as hotels, security, ground transportation, and catering will be in high demand during the Olympics, so it is vital that operators review their itinerary thoroughly before booking these services, which may be nonrefundable during the Games.

“Operators really need to look at what specific events they will be attending and then formulate their plan from there,” said Hayward. “Choose the best location and appropriate ground handler for your operation. Keep in mind that Olympic venues are in different locations within the London area and throughout the U.K. That’s critical in not only airport selection, but also selection of suppliers for additional services.”

One often overlooked but critical detail in planning is the strategy behind inflight catering, said Neil Pope, Operations Director, Air CulinaireLondon.

“With all the steps that go into preplanning an operation for the 2012 Olympic Games, such as slot reservations, parking, and booking hotels, it’s easy to overlook the importance of preplanning in-flight catering,” said Pope.

“For example, for flights parked at outlying stations picking up passengers in London, it may be more efficient to have catering delivered to the crew before leaving to get the passengers. That way it will be available when the passengers are picked up. Or have the catering delivered directly to the passengers’ departure airport.”

Because of the heavy demand for services, particularly during the closing ceremonies, Pope advised operators to give their caterer at least 24-hours’ notice.

“The key is providing a high level of detail on the specific requirements needed, such as any allergy restrictions, the type of on-board reheating devices on the aircraft, unique packaging needs, or specialty items that could be difficult to source,” said Pope. “The busiest time will likely be following closing ceremonies, when aircraft will be trying to exit the country en masse over a 24-36 hour period.”

SERVICES ✈ Airports, ground Article provided by Universal Weather transport and and Aviation. For more information catering not to and urgent operational updates, opera- mention hotels tors can visit www.univ-wea.com/oper- and security will ationalupdates/ or contact Universal’s all be in high Global Regulatory Services team at demand during 713-378-2734. the games.

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REPORT

FLAT PANEL UPGRADES

ADDING FUNCTIONALITY AND REDUCING PILOT WORKLOAD Bill S ton e, G arm in’s Av i oni c s’ Product Manager, had a similar view of the market as Brian, but added: “At the moment it can make more sense to upgrade your existing aircraft rather than buy a new one, and often the increase in value is greater than the cost of the upgrade.”

Robert Clare, Universal Avionics’ D ir ec tor of S ale s, sai d: “ For Universal as a whole, we are seeing an increase in WAAS installations for performance-based navigation and precision approaches. ADS-B has also been a big factor too, but we are also seeing an increase in the n um be r of f ul l g la s s- c ock p it upgrades.”

So what are the main contenders in the battle for that cockpit upgrade?

By Steve Nichols

G

PIONEER

Avidyne Entegra brings affordable WAAS compatible displays to the flight-deck (top).

Rockwell Collin s Pro Line fusion includes synthetic and enhanced vision (below).

lass cockpits, long proven on commercial aircraft, are bringing added functionality and reduced pilot workload to business aircraft as well.

But Brian Wilson, Director of Avionics at Banyan Air Service, in Ft. Lauderdale, USA, says that a cockpit upgrade needs to be carefully considered.

“You need to look at the age of the aircraft and how long you are likely to keep it,” Brian said. “And can you get financing and are there any tax incentives?

“Also find out how many of the systems are flying on your particular aircraft,” he said.

Brian said that you are looking at spending $450,000 – $650,000 for a highend four-screen system on a larger airframe. “And that can rise to $750,000 – $800,000 if you include options like synthetic vision,” he said.

He added that the recession has both helped and hindered the upgrade market. For example, if your Gulfstream GIV cost $18 million in 2006, but is now worth only $10m, that is not a big incentive to spend even more money on the

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aircraft, if you could get the financing in the first place.

“But if you have just bought the aircraft for $10m, and can get financing, it might make sense to perform an upgrade,” Brian said.

Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Pro Line 21 is Rockwell Collins’ integrated flight deck system, which is scalable for fitting from twin-engine turboprop aircraft through to longrange business jets.

Using AMLCD displays, Rockwell Collins is able to bring integrated flight information systems, electronic charting and real-time data link weather graphics to the cockpit.

The system also brings advanced features like synthetic vision and an Integrated Flight Information System, which includes geographical boundaries/ water features, electronic charting and real-time data link weather graphics.

A typical system consists of Rockwell Collins’ Integrated Avionics Processing System (IAPS), Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS), Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) and Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS, consisting of electronic charts, enhanced maps, and graphical weather).

Buyers can also specify Flight Control System (FCS), Flight Management System (FMS), Maintenance Diagnostics System (MDS), communication system (VHF, HF, Satcom) and full navigation systems (GPS, VOR, MKR, ILS, LPV, RNP 0.3 (non-AR), DME and ADF).

Other sensors include Air Data and AHRS, plus surveillance sensors (TCAS, weather radar and an interface to Terrain Avoidance Warning System (TAWS).

Pro Line 21 also features the company’s Head-up Guidance System (HGS). This provides data which is similar to the Primary Flight Display on the head-down instrument panel.

Pro Line 21 has an impressive customer list including Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (ARJ21), Bell-Agusta (BA609), Bombardier (Learjet 60XR, Challenger 300 and 605), Cessna Citation (CJ1+, CJ2+, CJ3, CJ4, Encore+, XLS+), Gulfstream (G150), Hawker Beechcraft (C90Gti/B200GT/350, Premier IA/II, 450XP, 800XP/850XP/750/900XP), Piaggio (Avanti II) and Xian Aircraft Company (MA-600).

Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion Pro Line Fusion is Rockwell Collins’ latest integrated flight deck for the bizjet market and is a development of its original Pro Line 21 system.

Announced in 2007, Pro Line Fusion was designed from the outset to be highly intuitive and flexible, and includes the latest situational awareness tools such as synthetic and

enhanced vision, Rockwell Collins’ MultiScan™ weather radar, plus headup and head-down displays.

The main LCD displays can be ordered in 15-inch configurations, with point-and-click access to flight planning, aircraft performance monitoring and hazard avoidance.

Announced by Rockwell Collins last year, its latest configuration of Pro Line Fusion now includes the industry’s first touch-screen primary flight displays that promote a head-up, eyes forward method of flying.

Pro Line Fusion’s information management capabilities include a comprehensive aircraft maintenance system, aircraft database management capabilities, wireless connectivity, and access to aircraft manuals and documents on the main displays.

Rockwell Collins’ Head-Up Guidance System (HGS), coupled with EVS (Enhanced Vision System) and SVS (Synthetic Vision System) greatly improves situational awareness in low-visibility conditions, while the integrated FMS user interface organises its data by phase of flight, using interactive maps with “point-and-click” entry directly onto the electronic display.

Recently, Pro Line Fusion entered into service on Bombardier Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft.

Development of other Pro Line Fusion-equipped business jets and regional airliners, including the Bombardier Global 7000 and Global 8000; Learjet 85; Embraer Legacy 450 and 500; and Gulfstream G280, as well as the Bombardier C Series and Mitsubishi MRJ regional jets, is ongoing.

Rockwell Collins also recently announced a Pro Line 21 to Pro Line Fusion upgrade program that will first be available for King Airs by the end of 2013.

Honeywell Primus Elite The Honeywell Primus Elite flight deck is available for retrofit and forward-fit platforms and enables Jeppesen electronic charts and maps, video display capability and optional XM® graphical weather through a cursor control interface.

It is ideal for operators looking to move to a glass cockpit solution and is a significant update to Primus 1000/2000/XP, SPZ-8400/8500 and some SPZ-8000 avionics systems.

In terms of retrofit, Primus Elite converts the existing Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays to more reliable and capable LCDs. The LCD displays also incorporate internal computing power to allow operators to incorporate technology previously only available to newer aircraft.

Functionality includes XM graphical weather, Jeppesen electronic charts and maps, and video displays through a cursor-driven, on-screen interface.

Primus Elite System upgrades are now available for installation on the Bombardier Global Express (Primus 2000XP/retrofit), Dassault F-900EX/C (Primus 2000/retrofit) and Cessna Citation X (Primus 2000/forward-fit and retrofit).

Additional Primus Elite certifications are in-work including: Gulfstream GV (SPZ-8500/retrofit); Embraer Legacy 600 (Primus 1000/retrofit); Gulfstream GIV & GIVsp (SPZ-8000 and SPZ8400/retrofit).

UPGRADE

Honeywell s Primus Elite flight deck is a popular upgrading option.

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REPORT

FLAT PANEL UPGRADES

Honeywell s Primus Epic Primus Epic is Honeywell’s serviceproven, integrated flight deck for business and regional aircraft, first unveiled at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in 1996.

It is the only Business Aviation flight deck available today certified with Honeywell’s award-winning SmartView™ synthetic vision system.

Primus Epic is based on an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture with Modular Avionics Units (MAUs), which means operators

CUSTOMARY

Honeywell s Primus Epic (top) remains prevalent among Embrear, Gulfstream, Cessna and Falcon operators.

Garmin s G1000 avionics suite is making its mark on the biz-jet market (below).

can take advantage of future system updates like future Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) products via easy upgrades to the software and system.

Up to six 8”x10” or four 10”x13” LCDs can be specified allowing various window displays to be sized for easier viewing along with aircraft system synoptic windows.

Primus Epic is currently available for Embraer 170/175/190/195 regional jets, the Gulfstream G350/450/500/550/650, Cessna Citation Sovereign, Dassault Falcon 900EX/900DX/200 Garmin G600/G1000 Garmin has been wooing the world with its G5000 integrated avionics suite for Part 25, larger business jets and commercial aircraft.

The company’s G3000, unveiled at the NBAA Convention in 2009, was also the first touchscreen glass inte-

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grated avionics system designed for light turbine aircraft.

At the moment both systems are only available for forward fit, but as Bill Stone, Garmin’s Avionics Product Manager explained there will be retrofit opportunities available in the future and Garmin intends to pursue them.

So in terms of current retrofit products the Garmin G600 and G1000 are the ones to look out for.

The Garmin G600 is a retrofit integrated cockpit solution for smaller GA aircraft or larger Class 3 aircraft (piston or turbine aircraft between 6,000 lbs. and 12,500 lbs. MTOW).

The G600 brings “glass cockpit” capabilities featuring dual-screens with both a primary flight display (PFD) and a multi-function (MFD) display in a single 10-inch wide bezel.

A scaled version of Garmin’s SVT (Synthetic Vision Technology) comes pre-installed on the G600 as standard.

This uses sophisticated graphics modeling to create a 3-D topographic land-

scape from the G600’s terrain alerting database, providing a “virtual reality” perspective view of ground and water features, obstacles and optional traffic – all shown in relative proximity to your aircraft.

In addition to the graphical terrain and obstacle alerting information provided by SVT, you can also augment the G600 with optional Class-B TAWS (Terrain Awareness and Warning System) and radar altimeter (ARINC 429 interface support allows readouts on the PFD) for an extra margin of safety in the air.

The G600 uses Garmin’s GRS 77 Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS).

It can also be combined with a variety of optional sensors and data links.

For example, digital on-board weather radar functionality for the US can be added with Garmin’s GWX 68 or other ARINC 708 radar systems.

Garmin’s G1000 all-glass avionics suite is also making its mark on the general aviation and biz jet market.

In its standard form the G1000 comprises two LCD displays, one acting as the primary flight display (PFD) and the other as a multi-function display.

These are available in a choice of 10or 12 inch flat-panel LCDs, with 15inch available as an option.

An integrated communications panel fits between the two displays. On larger aircraft this can be enhanced with a third display unit, acting as a co-pilot PFD, an alphanumeric keyboard and an integrated flight director/autopilot.

The primary flight display shows the basic flight instruments, such as airspeed indicator, altimeter, heading indicator, and course deviation indica-

Eclipse 500 model, bringing it up to the same cockpit specification as the 550.

So having made your choice, how long does a typical installation take?

“Historically, an upgrade on a larger business aircraft could take six, eight or even 10 weeks. Operators were not keen on having an aircraft down that long.” said Banyan’s Brian Wilson.

“Now, manufacturers like Rockwell Collins and Honeywell have listened to dealers and have made it much easier.

The use of interface boxes that allow you to plug in the new equipment to existing wiring harnesses and equipment has made it a lot faster. tor, while a small inset map can be enabled in the corner.

The multi-function display can show a moving map on the right side, and engine instrumentation on the left, plus you get Garmin’s GRS77 Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS).

The G1000 integrates with built-in terrain and navigation databases, including products from Jeppesen, including ChartView and JeppView.

Color coding is used for graphical terrain alerts, along with an optional Class-B Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS).

The G1000 is certified for use as a forward fit application on new general aviation aircraft, including Beechcraft, Cessna, Diamond, Cirrus Design, Mooney, Piper and Tiger.

It is also available in retrofit applications on the Beechcraft King Air C90, 300, 350, B200 and Cessna Citation 525 . It debuted on a jet platform in 2007 as the avionics system for the Cessna Citation Mustang Very Light Jet. Universal Avionics Universal Avionics Systems Corporation offers a range of cockpit equipment to convert a whole host of business aircraft to glass panel specification.

Its EFI-890R 8.9-inch displays are designed for retrofit applications, such as the Challenger 600/601, mirroring much of the functionality of the new Challenger 605 equipment in a 12lb package.

The EFI-890R supports an array of information and display capabilities

including a VGA video input for Universal’s TAWS (Terrain Awareness and Warning System), Vision-1 Synthetic Vision (SVS), and Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS).

The product line also includes the UNS-1Lw and UNS-1Fw FMS, which consists of a 4- or 5-inch FPCDU and a remotely-mounted two-MCU-sized Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) navigation computer. The UNS1Ew FMS is packaged as an all-in-box with integrated 5” CDU. All Universal Avionics FMSs feature an integral GPS/WAAS receiver to enable SBAS operations including GPS (RNAV) LPV approaches.

Its Vision-1 Synthetic Vision System (SVS) with “Egocentric” and “Exocentric” 3-D view was the first to received STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) and TSO approval from the FAA for Part 25 in 2005. The Egocentric view provides a 3-D pilot’s view with respect to surrounding terrain.

The system maintains the standard foreground symbology with traditional flight director cues and replaces the blue/brown background with imagery depicting the terrain view in real time for the direction the aircraft is heading, complete with pitch and roll.

Avidyne There is also Avidyne Entegra, which brings an affordable, WAAScompatible integrated display capability to the business and general aviation flight deck.

The Vantage Premier, offered through Eclipse Aerospace as the Avio IFMS, is an upgrade for the earlier

“I see some installations now taking as little as 10 working days. Price and downtime are an issue for clients so any way they can be brought down makes a big difference,” Brian said.

There is an added incentive to be considered if your cockpit display still has CRTs (cathode ray tubes).

Banyan’s Brian Wilson said: “I know for a fact that the big manufacturers have been given their last orders for CRTs. They are likely to become increasingly hard to get hold of as manufacturers stop making them within the next year or so.

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REPUTABLE

Among the wide range of glass panel upgrade solutions offered

by Universal Avionics Systems, the EFI-890R displays are designed for retrofit, such as the Challenger 600/601 aircraft (top). Avidyne Entegra (center).

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ROUND UP

SATELLITE CONNECTIVITY

COMPETITION HOTS UP IN BIZJET CONNECTIVITY

Broadband satcomms service.The app lets pilots update flight plans using their iPad’s touchscreen, which can then be emailed back using “sign and send” technology.

The latest version of the software allows pilots to update certain documents during a flight and automatically send PDF versions to the operations center or other locations upon landing.

One piece of news was that Thrane and Thrane is to introduce the new Inmarsat Multi-Voice service across its entire AVIATOR L-band SwiftBroadband range.

As part of the service upgrade, AVIATOR systems will support several simultaneous voice calls. With MultiVoice, each handset can benefit from having its own number, making it straightforward to dial into a specific handset from the ground to the aircraft.

SwiftBroadband Multi-Voice is enabled with a firmware upgrade, so no new internal hardware is required.

It will be available on all new system installations from Q3 2012, and existing AVIATOR users can take advantage of an upgrade.

By Steve Nichols

While there were satellite connectivity providers at this year s EBACE, breaking news was a little thin on the ground.

While connectivity is a much talked about add-on for business aircraft at the moment, most announcements were of an evolutionary rather than revolutionary nature.

APP

Thanks to a popular iPad app, ARINC Direct gives pilots access to their flight plans, weather, NOTAMS and charts.

F

irst off ARINC Direct was promoting its connectivity options for business aircraft. Its passenger communications solutions cover Inmarsat Classic Aero, Mini-M, Swift64 and SwiftBroadband voice and data, plus high-speed Ku-band service via Yonder and Iridium voice and data.

It offers a fully-managed service solution with no minimum contracts, competitive rates, simplified billing, and 24x7x365 tech support.

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Its iPad cockpit app for pilots, which features on the Apple iTunes web store, also gives pilots access to their flight plans, weather, NOTAMS and charts on their ARINC account.

Updates while airborne can be uploaded via Inmarsat’s Swift-

Thrane also debuted its flagship AVIATOR 700D, which provides both Inmarsat Classic and SwiftBroadband services in one complete package. The system supports a wide range of communications applications in both the cockpit and cabin including in-flight

Wi-Fi and voice calling and is also fully FANS 1/A and CPDLC compliant.

Aircell also announced that Jet Aviation AG Basel, a member of the company’s global dealer network, has received a new Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for Thrane’s AVIATOR 200 system aboard the Falcon 2000LX. The AVIATOR 200 enables nearglobal email, light internet and voice capabilities via Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband service. Passengers and crew can send and receive e-mail with attachments, surf the web, or access a corporate VPN using their own Wi-Fienabled laptops, tablets, electronic flight bags, and smartphones.

Jet Aviation is making the new STC available to other service facilities for a nominal fee, enabling more affordable follow-on installations for other Falcon 2000 operators seeking connectivity services for their aircraft.

Satcom Direct announced that it is opening new offices at TAG Farnborough Airport in the UK. The facility will include an advanced avionics testing lab, training facility and support services for pilots, flight operations and maintenance staff that use the company’s suite of satellite voice, fax, data link and Internet communications services. The company expects to open the office June 21.

“With the continuing demand for airborne connectivity, Satcom Direct knows it is critical to answer our customers’ communications needs and support requirements with Europeanbased operations,” said Jim Jensen, founder and owner of Satcom Direct.

“We are pleased to partner with TAG Aviation as they expand their facilities.”

Satcom Direct is an Inmarsat distribution partner, Iridium service partner and ViaSat Yonder’s preferred reseller.

It recently launched a number of Apple-compatible mobile “apps” to help pilots, flight crew, and passengers get connected and receive realtime data.

These include AeroV, an in-flight softphone using VoIP, and SkyTicket, which allows individual passengers to connect and pay for the data they use in-flight.

Satcom1 were also exhibiting at EBACE. The company provides air-

time services for all satellite systems, including Inmarsat, Iridium, Ku-Band and Thuraya. Its on-board services include voice, GSM, fax, e-mail and internet depending on your specific satcom terminal.

Aircell offers the Business Aviation community the largest selection of network services, including Iridium Satellite, Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and Gogo Biz. Gogo Biz enables passengers and flight crews to enjoy high-speed internet access above 10,000 feet in the continental U.S. and portions of Alaska, using their own Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, tablets, EFBs, smartphones and other mobile devices.

But of more interest to European operators was the news released just after EBACE that Gogo is to partner with satellite equipment provider AeroSat to bring a Ku-satellite solution to commercial aircraft.

A Ku-satellite solution will allow Gogo to offer connectivity services that extend beyond the United States, including transoceanic routes. This will serve the needs of some of its airlines partners in the near-term until Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-satellite service becomes available.

Whether these services will be offered to larger business operators as well remains to be seen.

Inmarsat SwiftBroadband has seen a number of enhancements recently and more are in the pipeline, although there was no breaking news at EBACE. Last autumn the company made up to four channels of SwiftBroadband per aircraft available. And in 2013 Inmarsat will also introduce new “waveforms” that will offer faster streaming speeds and also better functionality from on-board helicopters.

The new longer duration waveforms will be less likely to be affected by the rotors.

Soon to come are multi-voice capabilities using VoIP – news of which was broken by Thrane and Thrane, which is offering the service as a firmware upgrade on its AVIATOR terminals.

EMS Aviation was acquired by Honeywell last year and was exhibiting under the Honeywell brand. The company is one of the main providers for Inmarsat, Iridium, Ku-band and airto-ground connectivity systems.

Its Aspire product line offers both Iridium and Inmarsat communication systems for small- to mid-sized aircraft, such as the Cessna Sovereign, Citation X, Citation XLS/XLS+, Hawker 4000, Hawker 800/850/900 Series, Bombardier Challenger 300, Gulfstream GII and GIII, and Dassault Falcon 2000.

O n A i r said at EBACE that it is keen to attract new business aircraft customers. This sector now accounts for about 10 per cent of OnAir’s 45 aviation customers, although not all have deployed the connectivity service yet.

It showcased Mobile OnAir, which allows business aircraft passengers to use mobile phones and smartphones (e.g. BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, HTC) for voice calls, e-mail and text messaging during a flight.

Its Internet OnAir service also allows passengers to work on their laptop or tablet computers using a wired or WiFi internet connection.

Both of these services are delivered via Inmarsat’s L-band SwiftBroadband service.

OnAir has also partnered with a number of Business Aviation partners, including Jet Aviation, with 20 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America.

T r u e N o r t h was promoting its Simphone (pronounced Symphony) OpenCabin system provides Wi-Fi, high-speed data integration, fax, HD Voice, corded and cordless handsets with credit card readers.

It works with Iridium, Inmarsat, and high-speed Ku Satcom on aircraft types ranging from the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) to Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer and Gulfstream aircraft types.

It says the network already offers comprehensive coverage and the gaps (notably in the far east) will be filled in the near future.

Overall then, we can expect the bizjet connectivity wars to hot up over the next two years as Inmarsat launches its Ka-band Global Xpress service. In the meantime we can expect Ku-band operators to do all they can to land contracts before the competition hots up. It should be an interesting time.

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BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 53

REPORT

ECLIPSE AEROSPACE

ECLIPSE AEROSPACE REVIVES A DREAM

By Jack Carroll

Mason Holland, CEO and Chairman of the company he created in 2009, Eclipse Aerospace, is a successful entrepreneur by vocation and a commercial-rated pilot by avocation. He is also CoFounder and Chairman of Benefitfocus.com, the country s largest provider of online benefits enrollment software in the country, serving some 700+ insurance companies and over 20 million consumers.

REVIVAL With all he had, he always Eclipse wanted to fly a jet. The original Chairman and Eclipse and all it promised CEO Mason seemed to fill the bill.

Holland (left) Mike Press, Executive VP, (center) and Ken Ross, Service Division President (right) have revived a dream with the new Eclipse program.

I

n fact, he admits he loved that little plane. But, as has been told many times the original company, Eclipse Aviation, stumbling along on increasingly shaky financial legs, finally broke down to bankruptcy during the economic credit crisis of late 2008. He, with all other depositors would be left high and dry.

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But Holland was not about to give up and take a financial beating in the bargain. So he started planning to do something about the situation. He recently took a break from his hurried, often hassled working day and updated Senior Writer, Jack Carroll, on the remarkable progress of Eclipse Aerospace (the new emerging Eclipse company) and the surprising resurrection of the Eclipse program, flying high now on the wings of the company’s new production Eclipse 550.

BART: As you well know, the Eclipse Aviation story has been told countless and times and there are countless versions. I’d like you to give our readers a brief summary from your own perspective.

Holland: Well, the Eclipse Jet itself was dreamed up by Vern Raburn, Burt Rutan and Sam Williams in the late 90s, their idea being to create a twin engine jet aircraft that would be far more economical than anything on the market. At less than 6,000 pounds, it was deemed the first Very Light Jet, or VLJ. I think the Eclipse 550 we’re about to produce is the VLJ for the future; able to fly up to 41,000 feet, travel at 375 knots, and still burn less than 60 gallons of fuel an hour with an

incredible avionics package suited for single pilot operations.

Now as to Eclipse Aviation itself, I think the company did a phenomenal job with a clean-sheet design for an amazing aircraft. Not only did they design it, they engineered it, had it FAA certified and built a manufacturing process from scratch to build some 260 of these aircraft in just 16 months. It’s absolutely incredible what that group did and I have total respect for their work. Unfortunately though with its own financial problems building, the economic credit crisis in early 2008 came at the worst possible time for the company. They were simply not able to get the job done financially.

The company had to be reorganized and its ownership changed as a result.

I, along with my partner Mike Press, put together a small group and with a little bit of good luck we were able to purchase the assets of Eclipse Aviation for under $50 million and then created Eclipse Aerospace Incorporated or EAI. When we bought the company in 2009, we were sitting here with an FAA certified jet, all the tooling a small core group of experienced engineers on staff ready to advance the aircraft, and there were around 260 Eclipses flying around the country. We also had a small service organization ready to provide ongoing support for a pretty nice-sized aircraft fleet of 260.

BART:What was your first order of business then; your plan of action?

Holland: We set out with three corporate goals: First and foremost to get service and support back up to speed, as over the course of 18 months or so it had dwindled down to practically nothing and our supply chain was basically broken. Well, we’ve done that.

We’ve re-sourced 100 percent of the parts and supplies for this aircraft, recertified every single part and each is available to keep this aircraft operating for the long term. The supply chain has been fully restored and I have to say we’re all very proud of the high level of service and support we’ve established for the Eclipse.

Our second goal was to upgrade and complete the existing fleet of 260 so the aircraft had all the necessary equipment needed to operate it at its full capability. For example, when the

original Eclipses were delivered, they didn’t even have GPS and couldn’t fly into known icing conditions. We managed to finish the engineering and set things right with the result that we now have more than 60 percent of the fleet flying as fully-equipped, state-ofthe-art aircraft. We hope to have the other 40 percent completed sometime next year.

Our third goal was to return the Eclipse to production as our new Eclipse 550 and expect to start deliveries in 2013. We’re nearly there, as we received our FAA Production Certificate for the Eclipse 550 in April.

With the majority of the aircraft already flight certified as it’s based on the original Eclipse 500, we have very little production risk.

BART:How many to you expect to produce initially?

Holland: We will produce aircraft in 2013, which will be a ramp-up year for us. As we move into the 2014 to 2015 time frame and beyond, we have a baseline model of producing a minimum of 50 aircraft a year. But we can throttle that up, depending on demand, up to 120 per year. But

BART:The way the company is moving, you can’t be blamed for being so optimistic. It seems like everything is going right. What about that?

Holland: A big reason for our optimism is the fact that when you get right down to it people just love this aircraft. We’re doing demo flights all over the place and I assure you, no one–after flying it for the first

BART:What is the company doing at this point?

Holland: We’re in the process of completing the production details for autothrottles, which means that the Eclipse 550 will be the first general aviation aircraft below the Challenger series to be equipped with auto-throttime–gets out of this plane wearing a poker face. Besides being a pleasure to fly, it is economical beyond belief.

As I mentioned earlier, it burns only 59 gallons an hour at cruise; that’s both sides total. And when you consider the ever-escalating cost of fuel in the world, I think the fuel economy is going to be a very big factor for people. And it still cruises at 360 plus knots–375 max–and can still fly up in the 37,000 to 41,000 foot area all day long, which make for very comfortable flying. What also surprises first-time flyers is that the aircraft is extremely quiet and in fact has the lowest decibel rating of any aircraft in its class, inside and outside.

tles. Our existing flight management system will become a dual, totally redundant system. And we’ll be adding things like Enhanced and Synthetic Vision systems, ADS-B Out and a number of passenger comfort items, such as an iPad-based entertainment system and a satellite phone capability.

for now, 50 aircraft is a good, steady state to be in and we’ll be profitable at that number. Incidentally, the reason for the 120-unit cap is that we won’t have to expand facilities or add tooling to produce at that level, but of course we can create more facilities as the future demand might warrant.

BART:Let’s get back to the outright affection you’re saying that people have for this aircraft; aside from your own experience, how do you know?

Holland: Look, we know our existing owners are basically infatuated with the airplane and fly it as often as they can. Here’s a significant indicator: In the secondary market, only about eight percent of our fleet are up for sale. That is extremely low. You’d think that number would be closer to 15 percent on average, compared to other manufacturers. To me, that

PRODUCTION

The Eclipse 550 s major components will be manufactured in Poland and then shipped for final assembly to Eclipse s factory in New Mexico (center right).

First Eclipse fuselage assembly (left).

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REPORT

shows that the owners love these planes and simply don’t want to let them go.

THRILLED

A pleasure to fly and economical beyond belief says Holland.

BART:As industry seers seemed to be saying over and over as the first of the VLJs were about to enter on the marketplace, they would “darken the skies.”

Which would have included the socalled “Air Taxis.” But those schemes never came to pass nor was there any darkening of the skies. Do you think the air taxi concept will come back; might it have a chance with the right aircraft?

Holland: I can’t say that the air taxi is famous or infamous. I don’t think an air taxis system was ever put in place long enough to prove itself out. It’s still worth exploring though.

Especially when we consider that about 70 percent of private jet trips made in the United States are 750 nautical miles or less and on average the aircraft carry three passengers or less.

Our Eclipse 550 fills that 3 or less passengers, sub-750 nautical mile flight profile perfectly. In fact, the Eclipse has an NBAA IFR range of 1,125 nautical miles with 4 occupants.

An owner with a larger aircraft with more range wouldn’t have to stand around thinking about all the empty seats per trip that are costing him a fortune. Similar flight profiles are also found in Europe, where they make a

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ECLIPSE AEROSPACE

lot of relatively short flights and currently fuel is even more expensive. I see the Eclipse, with a single pilot in front and two or three executives sitting in back on plush leather seats, as sort of a flying limousine, rather than an air taxi service. You might say we’re just extending the range of a limousine, but ours just happens to fly.

BART:Besides the United States, where else is the Eclipse certified?

Holland: We’re certified in quite a few other areas and would expand our market footprint initially into those places. Off the top of my head, these include virtually all of the European countries as well as India, Australia, Brazil, Pakistan, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Latin America and the Caribbean, to name a few. We’re always in the process of building relationships in those regions and don’t be surprised if you see Eclipse distributors and service centers popping up in many of these countries in the very near future.

BART:Besides having a quality product, what kind of financial stability did the Eclipse Aviation purchase bring to the table, or was there any?

Holland: We look at it this way. We bought a company that had invested around $1.4 billion to bring this jet to market, including immense R&D costs, designing advanced manufactur-

ing processes, such as friction stir welding for stronger and lighter airframe structures, and product development all the way through flight testing and the FAA certification process. You see, we invested less than $50 million to own all of the results of these efforts. What that means is we don’t have to build into the selling cost of the Eclipse 550 any developmental expenses that preceded the establishment of Eclipse Aerospace. That is a huge competitive advantage and we’ve been very fortunate in that regard.

BART:Why was Sikorsky brought in as a partner at this point?

Holland: Basically we partnered with them to give us support in the production area and they are leading the way in getting our manufacturing processes into place and to assist us in improving the production process utilized by the prior company. In fact, we just signed a contract with PZLMielec, a Sikorsky Aircraft Company, to produce major components for the Eclipse 550 in Poland, including fuselage, empennage and wings, then ship them to our factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico for final assembly. I should mention that PZL-Mielec also produces major components, including the cabin, for the S70i “Blackhawk” helicopter, so with PZLMielec aboard, we’re working with a world-class manufacturer.

B A R T : In addition to offering upgrades for existing Eclipse 500 owners, EAI also markets a version known as the “Total Eclipse” for new customers. Please enlighten our readers a bit a bit about this program.

Holland: The “Total Eclipse” is what a completed aircraft should have been as it was originally designed. Aircraft owners new to Eclipse want a fully completed aircraft including warranty and industry-leading support. Our “Total Eclipse” is a totally refurbished pre-owned, factory certified aircraft that sold directly to our customers.

For a $2.15 million price we provide a Total Eclipse that includes new avionics, interior, paint, new engine programs and a ‘Tip-To-Tail’ factory warranty; it’s a like-new aircraft. In addition, we also have upgrade packages for existing Eclipse 500 owners who can get the same functionality as the Total Eclipse, but they are buying upgrades a la carte, so to speak, and that program doesn’t include such items as a new interior, new paint, or an EAI factory warranty. With those two interim programs, before the new 550s start rolling out, I’d estimate that over 70 percent of the fleet is now updated, which includes new “Total Eclipse” owners, of course.

BART:Mason, there seem to be nothing stopping your team at this point.

Just what is EAI’s secret strategy?

Holland: You know, if you were to look at the histories of great companies, their success is always based on quality products. Well, that’s our case today.

We appreciate what our predecessors did and are pleased to be custodians of this fine product, which we’ll be able to market so economically. What we’re doing is furthering their earlier efforts to bring this plane to the marketplace, especially since a new owner of the Eclipse 550 will be getting a complete aircraft in all respects.

This airplane has so many applications and so much potential around the world, we’re really getting more excited every day. But we have to temper that with the realities of the marketplace. The Business Aviation market has taken much longer than expected to make a comeback. But due to our smaller size, economies of production and stable financial base, we can take our time and be very methodical–and hopefully accurate— in our marketing efforts for the Eclipse 550.

BART:You gave us the price point for the refurbished “Total Eclipse” at a very reasonable $2.15 million USD. What about the forthcoming 550?

Holland: The price for the new production Eclipse 550 Jet is $2.695 million in 2011 dollars. This makes the Eclipse 550 the only twin-engine jet in the world selling at under $3 million.

And I think will be the last ever at that price point. Actually, we’re a good $500,000 below our closest competitor, so anyway you look at it the 550 is a bargain. And I should mention that there are a few incentives for early depositors.

BART:Thank you for updating our readers on the Eclipse 550 program.

In this writer’s opinion, EAI has been proceeding carefully, with equal measures of creativity, competence and confidence in its product. Without resorting to incredulous claims or impossible pricing. As the saying goes, “There’s no such thing as a sure thing.” Which is generally true, but in Mason Holland and EAI’s case, I’d bet on there being an exception. Let’s have a toast: “Cheers to the Eclipse 550!”

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UPGRADES

New avionics, interior, paint and engine programs are the Total Eclipse offerings on the 500.

BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 57

REPORT

EBACE 2012

BUSINESS AVIATION IN A PIVOTAL YEAR

The 12th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE 2012), which took place last May in Geneva, concluded as one of the strongest EBACE shows yet. Even amidst a very challenging European economy, 12,638 attendees participated from over 99 countries. Additionally, 491 exhibitors were on hand, occupying a record-breaking 2,280 booth spaces. Furthermore, EBACE 2012 featured 60 aircraft on the static display, with a 10-percent increase in ramp space making it the largest-ever EBACE static display.

SUCCESS

With 12,638 attendees, EBACE12 concluded as one of the strongest editions yet. Hawker 800XPR on static at Geneva (bottom).

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By Marc Grangier

M

ost manufacturers present at EBACE were relatively optimistic about the future, and as Claudio Camelier, Vice President of Market and Product Strategy at Embraer, told BART: “2012 is a pivotal year to recover market growth.”

This is a feeling shared by Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, which in spite of its financial difficulties, was comforted by the fact that during the show it secured orders for 11 aircraft – including three of its flagship Hawker 4000 super-midsize jets.

Gulfstream’s President Larry Flynn also noted that business was coming back strong: “We are aggressively adding people, parts and buildings all over the world to make sure we fulfill our commitment to customers.”

And although Charles Edelstenne, Dassault CEO, was less exuberant and admitted that he was still ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the future, Cessna’s CEO Scott Ernest declared he was undeniably “off to the race’s” and getting ready for the taking off of the market.

Cessna and Silvercrest a Perfect Match After attending many shows with no news, the work has finally paid off for Snecma Safran’s Silvercrest turbofan, which was selected to power the new Cessna Longitude. In fact, at the show the company announced it had already started assembly of the first complete engine. This first Silvercrest will start ground tests this summer, followed by flight tests in the first half of 2013.

“The new Silvercrest engine features highly innovative technologies drawn from Snecma’s advanced research programs,” noted Laurence Finet, General Manager, Silvercrest Program. “The Silvercrest engine family covers a thrust range from 9,500 to 12,000 pounds. Its ambitious objectives include a 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, NOx emissions 50 percent under the current CAEP/6 standard and a 50 percent reduction in the noise footprint.”

This decision is in line with Cessna’s commitment to investment. “If you don’t invest, you are dead”, Cessna’s Ernest told BART. So believe us, Cessna is not about to die.

After unveiling its Citation M2 and Latitude bizjets last October, it stole the show at EBACE with the introduction of a new long-range Citation Longitude.

Boasting a 4,000-nautical-mile range and a maximum speed of Mach .86, the Longitude will be sold $25.999 million, a price Ernest says is unmatched by other business jets with similar performance. As the longest-range Citation, the Longitude will feature Garmin G5000 avionics with touchscreen controls and all of the capabilities required to comply with emerging operating requirements for intercontinental aircraft.

With space for a crew of two and up to eight passengers plus one optional additional crew seat, the Longitude will have a stand-up, six-foot (1.8 meter) high, 31-foot (9.4 meters) flat floor passenger cabin. Entry into service is expected in 2017.

But why stop there? After the Latitude and the Longitude, maybe Cessna’s next unveiling will be an ‘Amplitude’ aimed at coping with industry forecasts that show large-cabin jets will dominate the market over the next ten years? Or is the Longitude already marked as the successor to the short-lived Columbus program…?

The Legacy of the Learjet Continues Stealing some of Cessna’s spotlight, Bombardier made a splash of its own, announcing two new light jets: the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75, both of which will leverage Learjet 85 technology. The Learjet 70, priced at US$ 11.1M, will achieve a range greater than 2,000 NM at a cruise speed of Mach 0.75, with two crew members and six passengers. With the same performances as the 70, the Learjet 75, priced at US$ 13.5M, will have a range of nearly 1,950 NM with eight passengers.

Entry-into-service is scheduled for the first half of 2013 and the company says they already have firm orders, letter of intent and other commitments for more than 50 aircraft.

Bombardier also gave details on its Learjet 85 program. Work on the two first flight test aircraft and the complete aircraft static test article is well underway. The joining of the nose fuselage to the main pressure fuselage, as well as the assembly of the aft fuselage, vertical stabilizer and tail cone fuselage sections, have all begun

at the Bombardier sites in Wichita, Kansas and Querétaro, Mexico.

The first shipments of wing spars and skins, manufactured at Bombardier’s site in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have arrived at the Querétaro site, where wing assembly has started.

Additionally, major components, such as the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307B engines, are now on site at the final assembly line in Wichita.

First deliveries should start in 2013.

As to Avionics, Bombardier announced that its Vision Flight Deck entered service on schedule on a Global 5000 jet. The aircraft was delivered to Formula 1 champion Niki Lauda. “The Vision Flight Deck is the realization of many years of efforts with Rockwell Collins and an industry first, featuring the implementation and certification of Synthetic Vision imagery on a head-up display (HUD),” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft.

Bombardier and Rockwell Collins are the first to certify synthetic vision imagery on a HUD as part of the Pro Line Fusion avionics system on the Vision Flight Deck.

UNVEILINGS

Cessna CEO, Scott Ernest launching the Citation Longitude (top).

Bombardier Business Aircraft President, Steve Ridolfi giving thumbs up to Bombardier s new Learjet 70 and 75 (below).

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REPORT

EBACE 2012 tion of the aircraft relative to surrounding terrain and a compelling 3-D virtual view outside the cockpit that is unencumbered by visual impediments such as fog, bad weather or darkness.

The SmartView option is available now on new PC-12 NG production aircraft and also will be retrofittable in the future.

Flexing for the Future EBACE wasn’t just about new products and sales; it was also about demonstrating the future of the industry with sneak peeks into the pipeline.

Speaking of Niki Lauda, Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) announced that Lauda has also enrolled his Global 5000 onto the JSSI Platinum Engine and APU Hourly Cost Maintenance Programs.

“JSSI provides me with a predictable maintenance budget and makes sure we get back in the air as quickly as possible whenever there is an engine or APU maintenance issue,” he said.

Down but not Out Cessna and Bombardier weren’t the only company boasting on its way out of Geneva. Perhaps more than any other OEM, Hawker Beechcraft should be the one doing the most boasting.

Just two weeks prior to EBACE, the company filed for US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, meaning HBC will continue to operate in the ordinary course of business during its reorganization process.

ORDERS

Hawker Beechcraft secured orders for 11 aircraft at the show; including six King Air 350 s (top).

Pilatus s PC-12 NGs (center) are now available with Honeywell SmartView synthetic Vision System.

And Continue to Operate it did!

During the show the company demonstrated that it was here for the long-haul by securing orders for 11 aircraft – including three of its flagship Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jets, a Hawker 400XPR, six King Air 350i turboprops and a King Air 250.

The total sales amount to more than $120 million – a number that should keep investors happy.

Likewise, while acknowledging the economic reality, Pilatus remains upbeat. Oscar J. Schwenk, Pilatus chairman and CEO, noted he expects the company’s 2012 results to be lower than in the past, but nonetheless remains upbeat.

60 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

“We shall tighten our belts, and step forward confidently, with our eyes firmly on the future,” he said.

“Development work continues apace on the PC-24 and I am sure that this project will see us lift off again to write yet another milestone in Pilatus’ robust history.”

However, Pilatus representatives told BART that no news concerning the new PC-24 would be given before next year, though persistent rumors now indicate that it will be a twin-engine aircraft. In 2011 Pilatus delivered 44 PC-12 NGs, a figure that, according Schwenk, still represents a good sales effort – especially given the very difficult market situation.

During the show BART had the opportunity to fly right seat on a PC-12 NG demo flight to experience Honeywell’s SmartView Synthetic Vision System which has been chosen

by Pilatus for its PC-12 NG aircraft equipped with the Primus Apex integrated flight deck.

As BART experienced, SmartView gives pilots a real-time view of the loca-

Gulfstream’s super mid-sized Gulfstream G280 flew in on the eve of the show. The aircraft, which is currently undergoing flight test and certification in preparation for entry-intoservice later this year, set two unconfirmed city-pair records on its way to Switzerland: one from Dallas to Washington, D.C., and another from Washington, D.C., to Geneva.

The G280 arrived in Geneva the same day as its big brother – the ultralarge-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650, which made its first trip over the Atlantic. The aircraft flew 3,780 NM (7,000 km) squawk-free and nonstop in just six hours and 55 minutes.

On the European OEM side, Dassault was tight-lipped about its SMS program, saying only that “development was continuing.” During the company’s press briefing, CEO Edelstenne did indicate that the company’s newest aircraft, the twin-engine Falcon 2000S, had completed its first year of flight testing. The test aircraft has now accumulated 300 flight hours

in more than 100 flights, demonstrating performance figures substantially higher than targeted, including up to 10 percent for landing distances.

The Falcon 2000S will now undergo trials to allow it to be certified for steep approaches into such airports as London City. Certification is anticipated by the end of the fourth quarter of 2012.

Concerning the Brazilian manufacturer, Embraer’s family of executive jets recently marked new milestones, culminating with the delivery of the 300th Phenom less than four years after the first Phenom 100 delivery.

As far as the Legacy 500 is concerned, ground vibration tests were followed by mechanical design in mid-2011. Fabrication of the 40-inch vertical span by 80-inch chord device was to be completed by the end of May. A series of ground checks will be followed by one-hour supersonic tests flights in June and/or July, pending aircraft availability. The new test article will be more representative of the Aerion wing, needed to evaluate supersonic boundary layer transition properties as they relate to manufacturing standards for surface quality and assembly tolerances – both crucial for future production of the SBJ. successfully completed on Prototype 1, and the aircraft is moving toward its first flight in the third quarter of this year. Prototype 2 is expected to roll out in May, followed by the Honeywell HTF-7500E engine run and start of ground tests. Prototype 3’s fuselage has been completed and work is progressing toward final assembly. The aircraft is scheduled to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Meanwhile, Daher-Socata came to Geneva with the latest evolution of its TBM-850, the Elite. In a forward-facing arrangement configured for four passengers, the TBM 850 Elite’s two rear seats are removed to create an obstacle-free access to the luggage area.

Two new avionics options are also offered: a long-range KHF 1050 HF radio and Garmin’s full-featured GSR 56 Iridium satellite transceiver.

And let’s not forget the HondaJet, which is advancing toward certification on schedule. The company announced the first flight of its fourth conforming flight test aircraft and reviewed progress in structural testing

and system testing. The company also indicated that manufacturing began for the first full motion, Level D HondaJet flight simulator at FlightSafety International’s production facility near Tulsa, Oklahoma. This first simulator will be based at Honda Aircraft headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina in the first half of 2013.

Orders for more than 100 aircraft have already been signed.

Of course within all the static of these product updates was the perennial whisper of the dawn of the supersonic age. Brian B. Barents, Vice Chairman at Aerion, gave BART some clarity to these rumors, saying that the company was preparing for upcoming NASA F-15B supersonic flight tests.

The last round of tests, held during the summer of 2010, reached Mach 2.0 and used an instrumented flat plate to map the high-speed flow field under the F-15B and validate computer modeling.

After analyzing the resulting data, aerodynamic design work for the new test article began in late 2010,

Power, Service, Technology and Training Of course the key to powering our industry forward is more efficient engines, better service, ground breaking technology and state-of-the-art training solutions – which is exactly why the engine manufacturers, MROs, avionic companies and training providers came to EBACE with lots to talk about.

GE Aviation announced it has finalized the architectural design of its Passport engine for the Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000. Assembly of the first full engine should start by yearend, with the first engine scheduled to begin testing in 2013.

For Brad Mottier, vice-president and general manager of GE Aviation’s Business and General Aviation organization, “The Passport engine will provide eight percent lower specific fuel consumption than engines in its class, margin to emissions and noise regulations.”

SURPRISE

The Gulfstream G650 was the special guest at the show (top).

Embraer celebrated the delivery of its 300th Phenom (below).

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REPORT

TALKS

Nicolas Chabbert, Daher Socata SVP and Chairman of EGAMA (left) speaking with Fabrice Dumas, SECA President and CEO about the launch of a new Global Engine Management Service program with Vector Aerospace.

The Passport engine for the Global 7000 and 8000 jets will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust.

Pratt &Whitney Canada announced its PW210 engine has been selected by Eurocopter to power its next-generation X4 helicopter. The PW210-powered X4 is expected to enter into service by 2017. By the time the X4 enters service in 2017, the PW210 family will have accumulated well over half a million flying hours across the three platforms. The X4 marks the third application for the PW210 family of engines, joining the PW210S certified in 2011 and the PW210A, which is slated for certification in 2013.

On the service side, Jet Aviation announced it received a new EASA STC for the Aircell AVIATOR 200 system aboard the Falcon 2000LX. This system enables near-global email, light Internet and voice capabilities via Inmarsat’s satellite-based SwiftBroadband service. Jet Aviation also indicated that in order to minimize downtime during AOGs, it has signed agreements with Embraer and Bombardier to boost spare parts availability at its Moscow’s Vnukovo facility.

The company further announced that its Hong Kong facility has expanded its service offerings to include interior services. Located in Kowloon, the new 483.10 sq. m. (5,200 sq. ft.) shop is fully outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment throughout four equally divided work bays, adding comprehensive interior refurbishment capabilities to the company’s maintenance facility.

Jet Aviation Hong Kong is the company’s closest base to mainland China where maintenance, refurbishment and overhaul services can be performed.

Focusing on the local scene, RUAG unveiled its new Geneva FBO, billed as the most private FBO at Geneva airport. One of the longest established FBOs in Switzerland (historically since 1958), RUAG’s full service facility currently handles more than 6,000 movements per year.

During the FBO’s inauguration ceremony, RUAG and ExecuJet announced the signing of a partnership agreement, giving ExecuJet a presence in Geneva and RUAG access to

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EBACE 2012

ExecuJet’s well-established FBO network.

SECA and Vector Aerospace Engine Services – Atlantic launched their GEMS (Global Engine Management Service) program. For Fabrice Dumas, SECA president and CEO, this new program offers a wide range of engine services, from basic off-wing maintenance and specific programs to complete fleet.

A combined comprehensive service portfolio from SECA and Vector Aerospace includes turboprop engines such as P&WC PT6 series, P&WC PW100 series and Rolls-Royce T56/501D; along with turbofan engines: P&WC PW300 series, P&WC JT15D, Honeywell TFE731 and ALF 502/ LF507.

Universal Aviation has expanded its service network, officially opening a fourth office in Italy at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport (LIPZ). Universal Aviation Italy also has offices at Rome Ciampino Airport (LIRA), Milano Malpensa Airport (LIMC) and Milan Linate (LIML).

Turning towards technology, Honeywell and Inmarsat announced they signed an exclusive agreement to provide global in-flight connectivity services. Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will develop, produce, and distribute the onboard hardware that will enable users to connect to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network. By combining Honeywell’s satellite communication capabilities with Inmarsat’s Global Xpress connectivity, passengers will have fast, reliable inflight connectivity for their iPads, smartphones, tablet devices, and laptops while crossing both oceans and poles.

Global Xpress is scheduled for launch in 2013, with service available in 2014.

Rockwell Collins announced that Dassault recently completed the first installation of a new cabin management and high definition (HD) entertainment system designed by Rockwell Collins for the Falcon 7X and Falcon 900. The system, which Dassault will market as FalconCabin HD+, brings industry-leading capabilities to these aircraft cabins, including audio video on demand (AVOD) and an interactive 3D moving map solution.

Rockwell Collins also announced the latest enhancements to its Ascend flight information solutions offering.

These features include new capabilities for Ascend Flight Manager’s iPad application, as well as higher levels of integration between the Ascend Flight Operations System (FOS) scheduling and dispatch software and Ascend Flight Manager web portal.

Signaling an increased interest among European operators for airborne data link systems that will accommodate upcoming mandates, the first installation and EASA STC approval for Universal Avionics’ new UniLink UL-800/801 Communications Management system is now underway. The aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger CL-601 based in Switzerland, operates worldwide with frequent flights to the US across the North Atlantic Tracks where the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) is being implemented.

Operators approved for FANS benefit from an exception clause in the Implemented Rule under EUROCONTROL’s Link2000+ Program that allows aircraft with an initial individual airworthiness certificate issued

before January 1, 2014 and approved for FANS to be exempted from the provisions of that mandate.

In terms of training, FlightSafety International announced that their new full flight simulator for the Bombardier Challenger 605 aircraft is in place at the company’s London Farnborough Learning Center.

“The Challenger 605 simulator arrived at FlightSafety’s London Farnborough Learning Center in April, 2012. Installation of the simulator is complete and preparation for EASA and FAA qualification is proceeding according to schedule,” said Eric Hinson, Executive Vice President. “We look forward to welcoming Challenger 605 operators from Europe and around the world to the Farnborough Center for Challenger 605 training this summer.”

FlightSafety International also announced that the design and manufacture of the first full flight simulator for the HondaJet is underway. Training using the first HondaJet full flight simulator will be available at Honda Aircraft Company’s facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. Other locations to be added according to Customer requirements.

“The design and manufacture of the new HondaJet full flight simulator is underway,” said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO, FlightSafety International. “We appreciate and value our close working relationship with Honda and together look forward to providing training in conjunction with aircraft deliveries.”

Meanwhile CAE will begin training Gulfstream G450 and 550 pilots and maintenance technicians at its Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Center (SEFTC) this summer.

Shanghai is CAE’s first Business Aviation training location in Asia and the eighth in its global network. CAE recently opened a new training centre in Toluca, Mexico and will launch its ninth and 10th Business Aviation training locations later this year in São Paulo, Brazil and Melbourne, Australia.

CAE previously announced it will offer training in Asia for the Bombardier Global 5000, Global Express and Global Express XRS in early 2013 at a location to be determined, and training for the Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft at a date to be prescribed by market conditions.

✈

Don Spruston Receives 2012 Business Aviation Award From NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen

During an awards luncheon on May 14 at EBACE, David McMillan, Director General of Eurocontrol, and Don Spruston, Director General of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), were announced as the recipients of the 2012 European Business Aviation Awards.

McMillan and Spruston both were honored for their outstanding service to the Business Aviation industry.

In presenting the first award, EBAA Chairman Rodolfo Baviera stated that McMillan has been a true friend to Business Aviation for a number of years.

Since McMillan became its Director General in January 2008, Eurocontrol has produced a number of studies pointing to the industry s value. As just one example, a 2009 report highlighted the fact that with Business Aviation, many cities have a lifeline for commerce that they would not otherwise have.

The second award recipient, Don Spruston, is an esteemed Business Aviation leader who has been responsible for shaping many of the advances in today s Business

Aviation industry from best practices in safety to international flight operations as the director general of the International Business Aviation Council from 1999 to the present.

Under Spruston s leadership, IBAC has effectively advocated for the interests and concerns of Business Aviation before the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the global standard-setting body for civil aviation around the world.

For example, one key milestone in the history of IBAC was the development of new safety standards for Annex 6, Part 2 of the Chicago Convention governed by ICAO. That annex addresses the modernization of operational rules and safety for general aviation worldwide, and its development owes much to Spruston s leadership.

In his presentation to Spruston during the awards luncheon, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said, Simply put, the global Business Aviation community would not be the same without people like Don Spruston. He has been a tremendous advocate and leader in promoting the industry s agenda and furthering its cause.

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PREVIEW

JET EXPO

JETEXPO ON A ROLL IN RUSSIA

After silencing the critics with a no-nonsense Business Aviation event last year, Jet Expo is looking to replicate its success in 2012, with an event that runs September 27-29 at Vnukovo 3.

And already the OEMs have put their support firmly behind this year s show.

LEADING

Gazprom Dassault Falcon 900EX (top).

Gulfstream President Larry Flynn (right) emphasizes the suitability of the G150 (left) for the Russian market.

64 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

OEMs Boost Their Russian Presence Take Dassault, which has maintained a Russian presence since the early 1990s and today boasts a sales office in Moscow, as well as a Satellite Service Station to support operators in the area.

“Dassault Falcon has a positive outlook for the Business Aviation indus-

try in Russia. As companies continue to invest and expand, particularly outside of Russia, they will continue to demand the most efficient methods of travel,” says Gilles Gautier, senior Vice President, Falcon Sales for the Eastern Hemisphere. “Russia is a very large country with tremendous energy resources and a rapidly expanding economy. We’re finding that Russian entrepreneurs and business owners are quick to adapt to Business Aviation because of the great advantages it offers in access and time management,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream recognizes the need to grow its Russian presence - so it will be out in force at Jet Expo 2012. “The number of Gulfstream aircraft in Russia has grown considerably over the past several years,” said Larry Flynn, President. “Since 2007, the Gulfstream fleet in the country more than quadrupled and all of our aircraft, from the G150 to G550, are well-represented.”

Indeed Flynn argues that Gulfstream aircraft are ideally suited to the diverse needs of the Russian market. “The G150, for example, can fly 5,500 km at Mach 0.75, meaning you can fly into London City from Moscow in the morning, conduct business in the city and be home for dinner that night. The aircraft’s nonstop range and flexibility make it an absolute best-in-class.”

Another OEM keen to expand market share in Russia is Embraer. And

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PREVIEW

JET EXPO Sales Promise and Potential But it’s not only in the area of customer support that Russia is starting to show promise. In sales there are also bright spots on the horizon. Recently at EBACE, Cessna announced that Russian-based, Gosudarstvennaya Transportnaya Lizingovaya Kompaniya (GTLK) had made an order for 15 Grand Caravans.

Pana Poulios, Cessna’s European sales director for propeller aircraft, said: “We’re delighted to have GTLK as a customer. Grand Caravans are ideal for Russia – reliable, fast, versa-

Colin Steven, Vice President, Marketing and Sales maintains that the Brazilian manufacturer has plenty to offer to the Russian buyer. “Our Legacy 650 is the most valuable large aircraft for the Russian market, with its long-range capability, the comfort of its three distinct cabin zones, and the large baggage compartment. Our market share continues to grow in Russia, and that’s good testimony of the acceptance of the Legacy 600.”

Then there’s Bombardier - which last year came to Jet Expo with a Learjet 60XR, a Challenger 850 and a Global 5000 and predicted that the Russian fleet will grow to 1,765 aircraft by 2030.

Finally, recently reorganized Hawker Beechcraft has growing Russian ambitions. “Russia is a particularly attractive market for us as it offers great potential for the private aviation sector,” said Sean McGeough, HBC president, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“Not only are there a growing number of ultra-high net worth individuals in the region, but given the country’s SUCCESS large land mass, the economic benefits Embraer s of flying privately is greater than many market share other countries.” continues to grow in Russia. Growing Customer Legacy 650 is Support Capabilities As individuals are flying more, combecoming a big hit on the panies need to do more to support Russian market, those aircraft.

So it’s reassuring that just last while Cessna recently received month, Jet Aviation Moscow Vnukovo an order for 15 signed an agreement with Bombardier Grand Caravans to develop an inventory of critical from a Russian spare parts at Jet Aviation’s line mainbuyer. tenance and AOG facility in Moscow.

66 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

Under the agreement, Bombardier will ship replacement parts upon request, with Jet Aviation arranging customs clearance and transportation.

“This agreement underscores our commitment to providing our customers the best possible service,” says Ian Ludlow, general director at Jet Aviation Moscow Vnukovo. “Ensuring immediate access to the most commonly used parts can significantly reduce aircraft downtime, particularly during AOG situations.”

Meanwhile Embraer have also signed an agreement with Jet Aviation to reinforce the level of service offered to Russian Legacy 600/650 customers at Moscow Vnukovo. Thanks to the agreement Jet Aviation mechanics are now ready to provide support to Legacy 600/650 customers in Russia.

A spares depot, with more than 400 part numbers, worth $US1.6 million, will be fully stocked by mid June.

tile and very economical, with low maintenance requirements. This order is a very important step forward for the Grand Caravan in Russia.”

“We are seeing a large, and growing, demand for Caravans across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). We have delivered three Grand Caravans to the region and are in the process of delivering three to Siberia, plus one to Kazakhstan. Inquiries are picking up on a daily basis throughout the CIS. Some operators are looking to expand while other operators need to replace an aging fleet. Economically, the situation in the CIS is improving all the time.”

So don’t be in doubt - Russia has a lot to offer on the global Business Aviation stage. And if you’re still looking for proof – Jet Expo Moscow is the best place to start.

✈

2012

27-29 SEPTEMBER

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION EXHIBITION

+7 495 748 88 87 www.jetexpo.ru

Jet Expo 2012 welcomes you at Vnukovo-3 airport

MAINTENANCE MATTERS

TRAINING

BEST IN CLASS MAINTENANCE TRAINING Despite recent setbacks in the population of business jets, the associated need for trained maintainers, continues to grow.

Most airframe and engine OEMs have forged partnerships with one of the major training specialists to offer type-specific training on their aircraft.

Bernard Fitzsimons reports.

BALANCE

FlightSafety's maintenance training strikes the right balance between classroom instruction and hands-on training.

F

lightSafety International is the training provider for several business jet manufacturers. In Wichita the company runs both the Cessna MX Advantage and Hawker Beechcraft MXPro programs, while its Savannah learning center offers maintenance training in conjunction with Gulfstream under the Total Technical Training (TTT) program.

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The purpose-built Hawker Beechcraft maintenance learning center in Wichita offers a comprehensive range of courses on all current models. Located at the northeast end of the runway that serves the OEM’s manufacturing facility, it includes a hangar to provide access to aircraft for training purposes and combines advanced technology classrooms with hands-on aircraft component training areas. MXPro, developed by FlightSafety and Hawker Beechcraft initially for the Hawker 4000 and 900XP, uses real aircraft, mock-ups and part-task trainers for hands-on learning along with traditional classroom instruction. Five- and 10-day practical training courses are structured to meet differing regulatory requirements.

The maintenance initial course typically lasts 10 days. There are five-day

courses covering maintenance updates, operational maintenance procedures and avionics, with an eight day course for the Rockwell Collins ProLine 21 flight deck on the Hawker 750, 800XP, 850XP and 900XP. Practical training is given in one-week non-regulatory or two-week regulatory courses. Hawker Beechcraft technician training is also offered at FlightSafety’s center in Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

The Cessna MX Advantage program uses a similar combination of classroom instruction with hands-on practice using aircraft, mock-ups and part task trainers. Problem-solving scenarios are based on issues drawn from real-world field experience and training devices built with genuine Cessna components means the same tools are used in the training hangar and in operators’ shops.

FlightSafety has built a new 6,000-sq m maintenance training center, including a hangar big enough to accommodate four aircraft, to deliver the training. The course involves two weeks of classroom training followed by two weeks of supervised hands-on training. Other MX Advantage courses

program is designed to complement the theoretical training provided by CAE and FlightSafety.

Trainees work on a green aircraft, whose lack of interior fittings makes for easier access to interior components, either at Dassault’s final assembly line in Bordeaux or the company flight test center at Istres.

Each session has both a mechanic and an avionics specialist as instructors and trainees use real production aircraft and work cards to make the working conditions realistic. The final two days of the ten-day program are spent on aircraft run-up and engine testing.

This year CAE started training maintenance technicians at Sherwood, Arkansas, near Dassault Falcon’s include a 10 day Cessna 550/560 avionics course, and there are other courses covering such aspects as engine run and taxi, troubleshooting and avionics.

Gulfstream courses vary in length according to the size and complexity of the aircraft. There are five-day course covering cabin communications for the GIV, G300, G400 and GV or cabin management system for the G350, G450, G500 and G550. The tenday avionics and electrical course for the current models and the eight day Planeview avionics courses are not EASA-certified.

Falcon Maintenance Training Since January 2011 FlightSafety has offered Dassault Falcon 7X maintenance training at its DFW center. The 20-day theory maintenance initial course is available both at DFW and at Le Bourget. Intended for technicians with limited experience on the Falcon 7X aircraft, it covers component location, function, normal system operation, routine servicing, minor troubleshooting and the repair of aircraft systems.

CAE is the main maintenance training provider for the various Falcon models, and since the beginning of 2010 it has trained more than 200 technicians to maintain the 7X, 900EX EASy and 2000EX EASy in Bordeaux.

The four or five week course uses CAE Simfinity simulation-based classrooms, 360-degree virtual tours of the cockpit, aircraft cabin and service bays, a Simfinity integrated procedures trainer and visits to the Dassault

factory to visualize aircraft during early production stages and near final certification.

Scheduled to coordinate with the CAE training schedule, Dassault Aviation itself offers a two-week followon EASA-approved practical training course leading to a type-rating maintenance certification.

The certified practical training program was introduced in 2007 to support service entry of the Falcon 7X and has been extended since to include the 900 and 2000. Certified under EASA Part 66, the technical training

extensive facilities in Little Rock.

Courses for the Falcon 7X, 900EX EASy and 2000EX EASy include model-specific Falcon initial and avionics initial type training developed to EASA standards as well as maintenance recurrent and avionics line maintenance courses.

The new training center in Arkansas also has training programs for selected Honeywell products, including avionics, APU and the TFE731 engine, and offers courses for the Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 800XP, 800XPi and 850.

COLLABORATE

Embraer CAE Training Services provides technical training for the Phenom 100 and 300.

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS

HANDS-ON CAE promises that its maintenance training is practical and relevant to the day to day needs of operators.

In addition to the Arkansas center, CAE is opening new facilities for technical training that reflect the international spread of Business Aviation to new regions. This fall it plans to start training maintenance technicians for the Gulfstream G450 and G550 using standard CAE courseware in Mandarin as well as English at the Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Center (SEFTC), located in Shanghai Pudong Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone.

Training for Asian operators is planned to expand steadily, adding the Bombardier Global series early next year and the Dassault Falcon 7X soon after, though precisely when will be dictated by market conditions.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has already granted CAE approved training organization approval for Dassault Falcon maintenance training under the country’s CCAR-147 regulation. CAE says the approval, which covers all in-production Dassault Falcon aircraft, is part of the CAAC’s policy to accelerate the development of civil aviation maintenance mechanics.

Other new CAE training centers are in Toluca, Mexico, Sao Paulo and Melbourne. Learjet 40/45 training has already started at Toluca and training

.

70 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

TRAINING

for the Phenom 100 and 300 is due to be available at Sao Paulo later this year.

Phenom Maintenance Embraer CAE Training Services (ECTS), a joint venture with the Brazilian manufacturer, provides technical training for the Phenom 100 and 300. The offering includes initial, update/refresher, avionics line maintenance, avionics maintenance, familiarisation and engine run proficiency training.

The training, at either Burgess Hill in the UK or Dallas in the US, follows a multi-phase learning approach. The initial maintenance course, which is intended to provide the technical knowledge needed to maintain the aircraft both safely and cost-effectively, includes a detailed description of aircraft systems’ operations, component locations and maintenance and troubleshooting. The update/refresher course, a system update for those who have completed maintenance initial training in type, focuses on real maintenance issues affecting the fleet and includes a review of aircraft and systems information from the OEM, field service advisories, service bulletins and airworthiness directives applicable to the aircraft.

Avionics maintenance training equips technicians with a practical working knowledge of Phenom avionics and addresses basic principles of operation. It also reviews aircraft subsystem operation, functional testing, fault analysis and current avionics changes. ECTS says technicians who have completed the course are able to perform routine functional checks, system troubleshooting and fault analysis to the line replaceable unit (LRU) level. Familiarisation training addresses basic principles of operation and gives trainees an overview of all aircraft systems and their operation.

Engine run proficiency training is covered in both initial and update/refresher courses. The initial course is designed for experienced aircraft maintenance technicians — initial training in type is a prerequisite — and trains them to operate the Phenom for maintenance purposes. It includes in-depth classroom instruction on aircraft safety and airport operations as well as specific aircraft operating procedures. Normal and emergency procedures are discussed in detail and then demonstrated in the full-flight simulator.

The engine run proficiency update/refresher course, for technicians who already have initial training,

includes a classroom review of aircraft systems and airport operations as well as a full-flight simulator session during which the technician must demonstrate the ability to operate the aircraft safely in an active airport environment.

OEM training from Bombardier The only business jet OEM to conduct its own pilot and maintenance training, Bombardier offers technical courses covering its diverse range of business jets. They are intended for licensed maintainers or those with at least one year’s maintenance experience.

For the Learjet 40/40XR/45/45XR, a two-week initial type course is designed to give experienced technicians enough information to carry out the maintenance, repair and overhaul needed to certify continued airworthiness of the aircraft. The practical training includes hand-on applications with real aircraft parts. Optional engine training involves two hours in the full flight simulator, while taxi training includes a one-hour briefing and two hours of practical training in the simulator.

A five-day avionics course covering the communication, navigation and automatic flight control systems equips the technician with adequate information to take part in troubleshooting at line maintenance level. An interactive five-day refresher/update course covering updates, improvements, modifications and applicable service bulletins provides a forum for discussion of customers’ real-life discrepancies. There is also a three-day familiarisation course.

There are similar lists of courses for the Learjet 60 and 60XR and initial type, refresher/update and engine run and test courses for the Learjet 31A. All Learjet courses, plus those for the Challenger 300, are held at Bombardier’s Dallas/Fort Worth training center. For the bigger Challenger models, some courses are longer.

Initial training on the 300 takes 13 days, including 13 hours on a Level 5 flight training device. There are also five-day avionics and refresher and three-day familiarisation courses.

Montreal is the location for courses on the OEM’s other models. Initial training on the Challenger 600/601-1A3A/R and the 604/605 takes 15 days, and there are several other courses.

There is an advanced engine run course lasting two days and five- and

nine-day avionics course, an eight-day electrical interface course, courses on the differences between the 600/601 or the 604 and the 60s lasting seven and five days respectively, and a seven-day course in system differences between the 604 and Challenger 850.

The initial type courses for the 850 and 870/890 jets last four weeks and the avionics courses three. Global series initial training also lasts 20 days, while the avionics course takes 10. A five-day electrical troubleshooting course covers use of the electrical management system control and display unit.

Engine Maintenance Since the beginning of last year FlightSafety has conducted technical training on Pratt & Whitney Canada engines. Initial locations included the Montreal, Dallas/Fort Worth, Wichita Cessna Maintenance, Wichita Hawker Beechcraft Maintenance, Toronto, West Palm Beach, and ParisLeBourget learning centers.

The Honeywell-CAE Training Alliance provides training in Honeywell engines, avionics, auxiliary power units and mechanical systems at the Honeywell Aerospace Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, CAE training cen-

ters and other locations. In Europe they include CFE738 and TFE731 at Dassault Falcon Services in Le Bourget. Line maintenance for Primus Epic and Gulfstream Planeview avionics is taught at Emirates-CAE Flight Training in Dubai, the CAE/China Southern Zhuhai Flight Training Center in China and the CAE Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur. The last two locations also offer courses on the TFE731 engine and the 36-150 APU. GE has a five-day CF34-3A1/3B business jet line maintenance course, while Rolls-Royce courses for the BR710 and BR715 cover familiarisation, line maintenance and borescope inspection. The two-day familiarisation courses, intended for management, planning engineers and peripheral engine support personnel, cover the operation and configuration of engine, LRUs and systems. The eight day line maintenance courses are for qualified engineers with experience in aircraft maintenance. They cover servicing and non-routine maintenance; LRU removal and installation; inspection, checking, troubleshooting and system tests; and use of the on-board maintenance system.

✈

ENGINES

FlightSafety conducts technical training including CFE738 and TFE731 at Dassault Falcon Service in le Bourget.

BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 71

FROM THE COCKPIT

GO AROUND

THE GO-AROUND DECISION

By LeRoy Cook

As I flared the aircraft into landing attitude, I was anticipating my usual smooth touchdown, followed by a wellearned beverage in the crew lounge. Instead, I noted the lengthy float and a disheartening number flashing past on the distance-to-go boards. It was obvious there wasn t going to be enough runway to get this beast stopped! It was time to go around, and not a moment too soon.

A

METHOD

Landing is the expected outcome from every approach.

s I rotated to the initial pitch angle, the engines were providing the welcome push we needed to get out of “the hole” and back to a safe height. What had happened? My landing anticipation had over-ruled the need for a final wind check, and perhaps my Vref-plus was a bit overdone.

Upon reflection, it turned out that thunderstorms in the area had caused a rather strong wind shift, so my approach was directly downwind, opposite to the winds shown in earlier METAR reports. Extra speed and a following wind ate up my runway margin; had I not gone around, the touchdown would have been taking place over halfway down the airstrip.

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Larger, heavier aircraft, particularly those without propellers, require much more stopping room than smaller ones, and their kinetic energy resulting from added groundspeed is harder to dissipate than with a light general aviation airplane. For this reason, a go-around maneuver must be initiated in the correct sequence, and the decision to go must be made in a timely manner. Many over-run accidents have occurred because the pilot couldn’t make up his mind soon enough, ruminating over the matter until there was no alternative but to try to get stopped on the insufficient runway.

The go around maneuver, also known as a balked landing, aborting, waving off or rejecting, begins at an unspecified point, therefore it is subject to modification as needed to meet the conditions. It may simply be a missed approach, starting at the bottom of an IAP, initiated at the minimum descent altitude. Or, it can commence at the last stage of final approach, due to an obstruction seen on the runway. Or, as in the above case, going around may be necessary just prior to landing, when altitude is almost non-existent and airspeed has already dwindled.

It’s entirely possible that a late-begun go-around can turn into a touch-and-go, so care must be taken to maintain runway alignment and minimize sink rate, until the aircraft can gather itself for the transition into a positive climb. Flaps retraction may be done relatively quickly if airspeed was still at Vref or above when power was applied, but only to the point of reducing drag. A maximum-lift flaps setting should be preserved until the initial climb segment has passed and obstructions are cleared.

Another frequently-seen flaw in technique during an unplanned go-around is excessive speed build-up. Respect limits for landing gear retraction and flaps-extended, as well as speed restrictions for the airspace. These excursions are often the result of inattention to pitch attitude while handling other matters.

Going Around Too many pilots confuse going around with a touch-and-go maneuver.

A touch-and-go is a planned maneuver, a landing followed by an immediate takeoff. A go-around, on the other hand, is typically unplanned and usually doesn’t involve a touchdown. Unlike a touch-and-go, when going around, flaps should be left in their landing position until power has been pushed up, to avoid loss of lift. Spoilers, of course, should be stowed immediately. As acceleration begins, flaps are reset to takeoff or climb. Establishing and maintaining the correct pitch attitude for the go-around, throughout configuration changes, is vital to success. The flight director’s guidance, if a go-around mode is selectable, can be a great help.

The Stop/Go Decision Just as the first action to be taken during a rejected takeoff is to apply full braking, the first response in a goaround should be to move the power levers to takeoff setting, or at the very least, climb power. Upon achieving the recommended balked landing transition speed, select climb flaps and fly an after-takeoff climb profile.

Retracting flaps before power is added will likely increase the sink rate, something we really don’t want to take place. The go-around sequence is power up, then flaps up, then gear up after a positive rate of climb is observed.

The decision to go, rather than land, needs to be made as early as possible in the landing, when speed and height still provide a buffer of safety.

Delaying the go-around, until the aircraft’s energy state needed for flight becomes critical, increases the risk of a touchdown that may not be wanted.

Do not place the aircraft in an extreme attitude in an attempt to prevent touching down, however. Maintain control and attempt to fly a normal takeoff profile, even if the tires momentarily brush the pavement.

Reasons To Go Around Why would one initiate a go-around?

Losing sight of the runway environment due to visibility restrictions obviously calls for abandoning the attempt at landing, and sighting a hazard on the runway or in the approach path certainly demands a go-around. Most commonly, a go-around is needed when the approach is unstabilized; airspeed is too fast or is deteriorating rapidly, or the sink rate is excessive, perhaps because wind shear has entered the picture.

Adding an extra 10 knots to the normal reference speed increases the landing roll by a huge margin. It’s no mark of skillful airmanship to be able to turn a fast, long landing into a smokingbrakes turnoff at the departure end of the runway. Good piloting means determining that the approach is not falling within normal parameters and should be re-done.

Air traffic control may require you to perform a go-around, even after landing clearance has been received, most typically because of an anticipated loss of required separation. Preceding traffic might not have cleared the runway as quickly as expected, or dissimilar speeds were a greater factor than the controller foresaw. Even the best of airspace managers have to move an

airplane out of the string once in a while. Remember, radar separation of three miles in trail is an “at least” requirement; your actual mileage will have to be greater, to give a cushion for contingencies. If ordered to goaround for a clearly visible reason, move to comply instantly and acknowledge as you do so.

If you institute your own go-around, make sure to tell ATC what you’re doing. An off-site control facility assumes you are conducting a landing, particularly in VMC, and your return to the vacated airspace must be accommodated. Therefore, an immediate check-in is needed. Hopefully, you have retained the last-used frequency after switching to the local communication link, so you can return to it at a touch. Remember, you are now rogue traffic, popping up into the stream of other aircraft. State your intentions, whether it’s to return for another attempt, fly the missed approach and hold, or go elsewhere.

If in uncontrolled airspace, make an advisory call and conform to the circuit if returning for another landing attempt in visual conditions. I often see hurried traffic patterns after a wave-off, when a too-eager pilot climbs only a few hundred feet and tries to get back into the queue like he’s laying down suppression fire. Safety first is the rule, with minimizing noise impact a close second. Pulling up to 1,500 feet above field level to avoid low-and-slow traffic is wisest.

Common wisdom is to conduct the go-around to one side of the runway, so that the pilot flying has a clear view of any traffic on the runway below. Do not make an extreme deviation to do

this; climbing out on the runway heading until assigned otherwise is the expected procedure. Once completing the balked landing checklist, your immediate task is to remain clear of obstructions, both laterally and vertically. Remain spatially oriented, pay attention to the terrain warnings and verify that ATC’s vectors are in a safe direction.

The time and fuel invested in another landing attempt should not be wasted by doing the same exact thing— expecting, somehow, to achieve different results. If a go-around was needed, change whatever was its cause, so that the outcome will be different. That may require switching to another runway, an earlier flap extension, and most probably a wider visual approach. Learn from the previous experience and don’t repeat the mistakes. Call for the “before landing” checklist and adhere to it with diligence; this is a perfect time to overlook something important while rushing to finish the now-extended flight.

The important point is to make a decision, early rather than late. The expected outcome from every approach is to land. But always be ready to accept the alternative, going around if the aircraft is not in a good position to touch down on target and stop within the confines of the runway.

Sitting there passively while pavement is burning up, runway lights streaking past you, is not piloting; at that point, you’ve become a passenger, hoping the airplane will stop. Go around instead of forcing the airplane to land late, and don’t ignore the signs of danger.

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DECISION

In poor visibility or during an unstable approach, a go around may be the only option.

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FROM THE COCKPIT

SPEED

WHEN THERE S A NEED FOR SPEED

By LeRoy Cook

T

here is an on-going contention among pilots in general, and instructor pilots in particular, about the correct technique to be used for managing an airplane’s indicated airspeed. The old pitch-versus-power debate is one of those no-win contests that I prefer to observe from the sidelines, so dogmatic are the adherents on both sides.

Perhaps what we need to do is to step back and take an entirely different view of the circumstance under discussion. Energy management is what we’re really talking about; an airspeed indication is simply the result of our success or failure in handling this vital task. by using the same number each and every time, not always to our benefit.

Sophisticated airplanes can be flown in wide variances of weight, temperature and turbulence. We need to address such permutations with specific target speeds, and yet it’s simpler to just use an average speed that works most of the time. When we fly different airplanes in the course of a day, the problem is compounded. Instead of digging out the manual, presuming we can even find it, we just use something comfortable.

FORCE

Decreasing speed and declining altitude are signs of the lessening of the amount of energy stored in the airplane.

Decreasing speed and/or declining altitude are signs of a lessening of the amount of energy stored in the airplane. Steady airspeed and altitude reflect a stable energy level, and an increase in either indication evinces an accumulation of energy.

When it comes to managing the level of energy held by an airplane, the trend of the speed indication, frequently shown as a predictive arc or band on an EFIS PDF tape when speed is changing, is as important as any given figure.

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Our flying procedures tend to specify a target speed number for each situation. We might be moving through the speed band, but if we’re on track to engage the supposedly correct reference speed, we assume that all is right. In reality, there’s seldom one speed to be used all the time. Vref for the landing approach changes markedly with aircraft weight, and climb speeds vary with the day’s requirement.

We’re always looking for ways to simplify our life as much as possible,

Which Number To Use? Getting back to the old conundrum of whether it’s best to yank the throttles or push on the stick, we have to remember that it takes BOTH pitch and power to manage energy.

Ultimately, we need some source of thrust to get the speed we need, be it gravity or engine power, and if we have excess thrust available we can use it to generate additional speed or convert it into altitude. Conversely, all the thrust in the world won’t do what we want if we don’t position the wing’s angle of attack, through pitch management, where it’s needed.

If you’re climbing out with the throttles set for climb power, and you notice that you’re slightly under your desired climb speed, will you push the

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FROM THE COCKPIT

ATTITUDE

A pitch adjustment is generally quicker to get a slight speed change.

throttles harder? No, in most cases you’re already using as much power as the engines are capable of delivering, so you lower the nose a bit. During a cruise letdown, if the rate of descent number isn’t as big as you’d like, are you going to just shove the nose down? No, this time you’re probably right up against a speed number that you don’t want to exceed, so you’ll pull off a little power or trigger spoilers to enhance the descent.

The point is, energy management uses both pitch and power variations to place the aircraft at its optimum balance. It’s generally quicker to get a slight speed change by using a pitch adjustment, and it’s important to make long-term altitude modifications by using more or less power. That doesn’t mean I can’t bring my altitude up or down 100 feet by pushing or pulling on the yoke, nor will I hesitate to shove up the throttles if I’m low and slow. It takes both to do the job, and the job being done determines how much of each.

The ILS approach is frequently quoted as a reverse-command argument, in that speed is managed by the power setting and small pitch adjustments are used to bring the glideslope pointer up or down. But we do this only after making the initial energy-management settings of the throttle and pitch bar. Each day’s wind component, weight and ATC demands are different, requiring some finesse to the baseline setup.

So, the ILS isn’t being flown any differently than any other maneuver, but it does require pilot inputs to stay on a

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SPEED

precise track and energy management is what it’s all about. Excess power is removed to place the airplane in a stable descent along a three-degree slope, at a speed roughly 1.3 times the stall speed for the configuration. If extra drag is expected from extending landing flaps or lowering the landing gear, power reduction may be minimal. Once we’re on the slope, we’ll adjust as needed.

Zoom, Zoom The hoary old chandelle maneuver, encompassing a 180-degree turn in a zoom climb, teaches energy management perfectly. Climb power is established at the outset, usually at the beginning of the pull-up, and is not changed thereafter, because it’s already doing its job of making extra energy available for the maneuver.

The nose is raised to a pitch target that will convert the airspeed at entry (excess energy) into altitude, by slowing indicated speed while the aircraft makes the 180-degree turn. Ideally, the 180-degree point is reached just as the speed bleeds off to a 1.1-times-stall figure, the wings are leveled and the nose is lowered gently to accelerate into level flight, using climb power to rebuild the aircraft’s energy state.

Even though we’re pulling back on the yoke to enhance the climb during a chandelle, it’s the engine thrust that made the stored energy in the first place. The pitch changes are made to control airspeed, first by reducing the speed during the turn and then by regaining it in the recovery.

If we accidentally nudge the airplane into a stall, in an overly-enthusiastic effort to gain altitude, we’ll likely add some power while lowering the pitch attitude to reduce the wing’s angle of attack. This added power reduces the amount of altitude lost in our recovery, and we vow to try that chandelle again, but with a little less pitch-up.

Jet stall recovery usually calls for shoving the power levers forward and holding the nose attitude level while the aircraft accelerates out of the stall.

Power makes speed, right? Yes, but...it also effectively lowers the angle of attack as it incrementally pushes the wing against the air in faster and faster level flight. Jet airplanes aren’t usually taken into aggressive full stalls at high deck angles, but if we were to get there, you can bet that I would get the nose down below the horizon while the engines are spooling up. Pitch and power are both elements of energy management.

Trim changes frequently mask the solution to a control problem. As airspeed builds in a descent, the nose will rise to seek an original trim speed, even though the pilot really wants to increase speed in the letdown. Adding or taking away power can alter the relationship between the thrust line and the airflow, altering the trim. Flaps extension or retraction frequently has a pitch coupling effect, requiring trim adjustment.

Nothing really changes the basic rules of energy management, but the pitch targets and forces will be altered.

The key is to trim in anticipation of these effects. If you know power reduction is going to make the airplane noseheavy, add trim as the throttles come back.

And so, the pitch-power argument isn’t really an argument at all, merely two ways of looking at the same problem. Use the input that works best for the situation, or both at the same time.

If you find yourself in need of both speed and altitude, add power in larger amounts, push and trim to the appropriate attitude, and fly out of trouble. It takes both power and pitch to fly an airplane or, more correctly, to manage the airplane’s energy.

✈

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SAFETY SENSE

RULES AND REGULATIONS

DIFFERING EXPECTATIONS

By Michael R. Grüninger and Carl C. Norgren of Great Circle Services AG (GCS) IMC NON-PRECISION APPROACH AFTER A LONG FLYING DAY

CLOSE-CALL

A TBM 850 landed without landing clearance at Birmingham UK, flying over an airplane on hold.

On 12 January 2011, during an NDBDME Approach for runway 15 at Birmingham in IMC with weather close to minima the pilot of a TBM 850, N-850TV, landed without landing clearance and flew over a DHC-8-402 (Q400) which the tower had cleared to enter the runway and instructed to wait. This time nobody was injured.

But it was a close call. (AAIB Bulletin: 10/2011) How did this happen? At 8 NM from the threshold ATC cleared the TBM850 to “descend with the procedure”. The pilot acknowledged. At 7 NM ATC instructed the pilot to contact the tower on 118.3 MHz. The pilot acknowledged the frequency change and switched frequencies on COM 1.

He called the tower, but did not receive any response. He waited and attempted to call the tower a second time 30 seconds later. But again there was no response. He concluded that his radio had failed and continued the non-precision approach in IMC focusing on lateral tracking and on his vertical profile.

He had missed the final descent point at 6.7 NM and had started descent late at 4.7 NM from the

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threshold. Since he was 700 ft high at this point he reduced power and selected a vertical speed of 1,400 fpm.

Airspeed remained high during the descent and even increased to 177 Kts. The tower controller cleared the Q400 to line up on runway 15 ahead of the approaching TBM 850. The tower controller repeatedly tried to contact the TBM 850 during the final approach. He informed the Approach Radar and Director controllers who in turn also tried to reach the TBM 850 and transmitted blind go-around instructions. Unable to reach the TBM 850, and without knowing its intentions, the tower controller had no better options than to leave the Q400 on the runway extension.

The pilot of the TBM 850 was in IMC and broke cloud around 1.3 NM from the threshold at a height above threshold of 600 ft. He was visual with the runway at this point and proceeded to configure the aircraft for landing. The TBM 850 did not see the Q400 and flew over it before touching down within the touch-down zone 270 m from the displaced threshold. The pilot, most probably, would have seen the Q400 waiting on the runway, had the approach been stabilized. On vacating the runway he contacted Ground on COM 1 without difficulty.

It later turned out that the reason for the loss of communication was that the pilot had inadvertently not selected the assigned frequency on COM 1.

Instead of 118.300 MHz the pilot of the

TBM 850 had tuned COM 1 to 118.03 MHz, as the AAIB report states.

There were no injuries or fatalities in this incident and from the pilot’s perspective he had acted correctly and safely. The occurrence had the potential for a very serious accident. Loss of communication in high density traffic environments can quickly lead to a loss of separation and the risk of collision on the ground or in mid-air.

The TBM 850 is a single-engine turbine powered aircraft certified for single pilot operation. The pilot had departed on a private flight from Voghera, Italy, at 08:43 hrs. En route he had stopped at Angers, France, and Antwerp, Belgium. The approach in Birmingham took place at 1535 hrs on the third leg of the day. In Birmingham the ILS for runway 15 was out of service due to planned maintenance and the NDB-DME approach for runway 15 was in use.

This was published by NOTAM. Prior to the flight the pilot had not reviewed the NOTAMs for his intended route.

The approach was flown in IMC at high speed with a single crew member. Due to the loss of communication the TBM pilot was never cleared to land. Should he have executed a missed approach?

Once the pilot believed he had lost communications during the approach, he continued in line with ICAO Doc 4444 Procedures. Faced with a nonprecision approach in IMC he followed the basic airmanship priorities: Aviate – Navigate – Communicate. He focused his attention on flying the aircraft and on finding the runway. And this he achieved successfully.

However he endangered both himself and others. The tower realized the loss of communication too late to stop the Q400 entering the active runway and had no time to prepare for a NoRadio (NORDO) aircraft landing.

Evaluating Alternatives The alternative course of action would have been for the TBM850 pilot to execute a missed approach. Given the late initiation of a decent, the lack of configuration, the high descent rate and the high airspeed, the approach was not stabilized and this alone should have led to a go-around.

Coupled with a loss of communication

the pilot was saturated and had no spare capacity to manage the safety of the flight effectively by evaluating alternative courses of actions and choosing the option with least risk.

Executing a missed approach would have given the pilot of the TBM 850 time: time to troubleshoot his COM 1 failure and time for ATC to understand the situation and prepare for a NORDO arrival.

After the go-around, the pilot would have had time to select his transponder to 7600, to troubleshoot his COM 1 failure including reviewing the frequency selected, attempting to establish contact on the previous frequency and performing the same on COM 2.

He could also have attempted to establish contact emergency frequency 121.50.

Failure with Potentially Serious Consequences IFR traffic relies on communication with air traffic controllers to achieve safe separation from other aircraft.

When the communication breaks down, safe separation is no longer assured. Hence both airborne and ground-based radio stations have an operational spare unit to cover isolated equipment failures. Despite this redundancy, loss of communication is not an infrequent occurrence. Although most loss of communication occurrences can be resolved quickly, instances of prolonged loss of communication (PLOC) still pose a hazard to flight safety. A recent Eurocontrol study of PLOC occurrences concluded that there are numerous reasons for PLOC. Human factors are the most common contributor to PLOC: roughly a fifth of PLOC occurrences are due to controller error, and almost half of them are due to crew error. Technical failures or abnormali-

ties accounted for less than a third of all PLOC occurrences.

Dealing with Loss of Communications Suffering a loss of communication in IMC on an instrument flight plan is a very unpleasant event, at best - even more so when the aircraft is on approach or on a high flight workload, as there will be very little time to trouble shoot. Gaining time by abandoning the approach and following the published missed approach procedure is worth considering. In the case of Birmingham, a dedicated missed approach procedure for aircraft with lost communication was available.

Communication failure might occur in any of the various flight phases. In any of them the way out depends on the quality of preparation. Except when an escape into VMC is possible, all remedial procedures rely on accurate flight planning data, including communication failure missed approach procedures where available.

Flight crews can help ensure safe and reliable radio communications by: ❍ Considering and correcting own handling errors before assuming a technical failure ❍ Following standard operating procedures when operating the radios ❍ Always maintaining a listening watch on the emergency frequency 121.5 MHz on COM 2 ❍ Periodically checking their radios during long times of radio silence ❍ Reviewing and following radio communication failure procedures at the destination aerodrome ❍ Considering the consequences of one’s own decisions on other stakeholders of the total aviation system

✈

Michael R. Grüninger is Managing Director and Carl C. Norgren is Head of Business Development of Great Circle Services (GCS) Safety Solutions. GCS assists in the whole range of planning and management issues, offering customized solutions to strengthen the position of a business in the aviation market. Its services include training and auditing (IS-BAO, IOSA), consultancy, manual development

DANGER

When ATC communication breaks down, safe separation between aircraft is no longer assured.

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PROFILE

GE AVIATION

POWERING THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS AVIATION

By Paul Walsh IN 2007, BRAD MOTTIER, GE’s VP for Business and General Aviation, received a challenging brief: set up GE’s Business and General Aviation division and establish GE as an industry leader in business aircraft engines.

Of course Mottier had plenty of heritage and expertise to rely on. Since the launch of the first airplane engine ‘booster’ in 1917, GE has led the field in engine and engine related technology – notching up some impressive milestones along the way. In 1942 GE’s engineers successfully ran their I-A engine – the first jet engine to operate in the US – and during the 1950’s and 60’s GE produced the J93, the first engine to operate at Mach 3.

Nonetheless, GE’s Business and General Aviation offerings have always been on the slim side. The experts will remind you that the company made the CF700 for the Falcon 20 - not to mention the CF34-3 for the Challenger 601, 604, 605 and 850. However, Mottier notes that at the time these engines were developed, GE was working without a dedicated Business Aviation focus: “We always thought our commercial technology would work on a business aircraft, but we

AMBITION

Brad Mottier, GE s VP for Business and General Aviation, is turning GE into an industry leader for business aircraft engines.

GE s Whittle Type turboprop engine (center), H80 (bottom).

80 - BART: JULY - AUG - 2012

lacked a clear strategy and focus for the segment.”

Indeed, it wasn't until 2004 that GE's Business Aviation ambitions really started to take shape. Via a joint venture with Honda Motors, GE brought its expertise on board for the GE Honda Aero's HF120 engine. That engine - boasting high-flow, wide chord fan blades and high temperature materials - was so highly specified that GE quickly saw an opportunity to use what they were learning to build a true, Business Aviation-dedicated engineering sector.

An important point on GE’s path to BizAv prominence was their 2008 acquisition of Czech- based Walter Engines, with a view to turning Walter’s much-loved M601 engine into a leaner, more efficient and more powerful machine.

And with the advent of the H80, that’s exactly what GE did.

"We initially focused on upgrading the engine's core with 3-D aerodynamics and advanced materials, which resulted in over 25% increase in thermodynamic power with better fuel economy, and longer life," says Mottier. "And while we introduced advanced GE technologies and materials, we were very careful to retain the architecture of the M601 engine, which results in no hot-section inspections and lower maintenance and overhaul costs."

And by just adding the H80 to the Thrush 510G (a 510-gallon crop duster), the engine's popularity is growin g. "Once it is on the Thrush 510G people will see how easy it is to

improve fuel efficiency. The Passport’s integrated propulsion system from Nexcelle, a joint venture with Safran, will provide aerodynamic advantages and feature an outward opening clamshell and upper and lower cowl doors for easy maintenance access and high dispatch availability.

Big Ambitions It goes without saying that GE’s Business Aviation ambitions go far beyond the arena of agricultural aircraft. Their most noteworthy achievement to date has been the development of the Passport, a Business Aviation powerhouse already chosen for Bombardier’s Global 7,000 and 8,000 models.

Since launching the engine in 2010, GE has conducted validation tests on

ber of hours of cycles that commercial aviation does. “More so, depending on the mission, you may not be able to recover the investment in fuel burn,” he says. “So it’s vital you use the right technology while maintaining a focus on cost.”

With the Passport, GE may have gotten the balance right, and Mottier notes the engine has no operability limits and offers the best cabin environment on the market.

He also adds that its fuel burn is eight percent better than the best engine in its class today: “People will have to make a change, they cannot achieve the type of efficiencies that we achieve with this engine – and certainly you won’t be able to achieve them through aerodynamic tweaks alone.”

Already GE is into the detailed design phase of the engine.

the fan blisk design and other components with positive results. Testing was completed on two eCore demonstrators, which accumulated 150 hours.

And although the Passport boasts some impressive technology, Mottier always wanted to make sure GE di dn’t over-spec the engi ne.

“There’s no point in producing a killer machine that no one can afford,” he notes. “Coming from a commercial background brings risks as the technical requirements are so different for Business and General Aviation.”

For example, Mottier noted that Business Aviation doesn’t fly the num-

Component fabrication will begin soon, leading to the start of assembly of the first full engine by year end. The first engine is scheduled to begin testing in 2013.

“With the engine architecture in place, the team is now focused on moving the Passport engine from CAD drawings to development assembly,” says Mottier.

On the Global 7000 and Global 8000 the Passport will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust and incorporate an innovative front composite fan case that will reduce weight and lower cabin noise and vibration. Further, technologies taken from GE’s eCore suite reduce its emissions and

Welcome to the Family

operate," says Mottier. "Its auto-start means that with just a touch of a button, the engine will spool-up to a stable idle, while being automatically controlled within ITT temperature, core speed, and torque limits. In other words, you don't have to monitor cockpit gauges, for anomalies and react accordingly - it all happens automatically - which is a big improvement."

Finally, Mottier is keen to point out that the Passport isn’t just one engine, it’s a family of engines. “To flourish in this segment, you need to be thinking about derivatives from the very start.

It’s not like the commercial world, where one big aircraft model is enough to support the development of one engine. We always have a family plan in mind so that our engines can fit on different sized airframes.

Without that you won’t be successful in Business Aviation.”

✈

POWERHOUSE

GE s Passport will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust and incorporate a unique 52 fan case, reducing cabin noise and vibration. It will power the Global 7000 and 8000 (above).

BART: JULY - AUG - 2012 - 81

INSIGHT

WITH MICHIMASA FUJINO PRESIDENT AND CEO HONDA AIRCRAFT COMPANY

HONDAJET FLIES WITH DISTINCTION The HondaJet has come a long way since Michimasa Fujino produced the aircraft s initial design sketches in 1997.

With the third test aircraft already flying, excitement is building for the aircraft s entry into service in the second half of 2013. At EBACE, BART sat down with Mr. Fujino to get the latest updates.

BART: The HondaJet’s most distinctive feature is its wing-mounted engine. What does this do for the aircraft’s efficiency?

Fujino: There are three advantages – with an engine like this we can maximize the cabin volume so that it is 20% larger than other business jets in this class.

Then there’s noise reduction. With a fuselage-mounted engine, noise transmits directly though the fuselage as if it were a speaker. By mounting the engine on the wing we reduce cabin noise significantly. I’ve flown in it a few times and I’ve been really impressed by how quiet the engine is from inside the aircraft.

The third advantage is that we can reduce drag and increase speed.

That’s the reason why HondaJet’s fuel efficiency is 15 to 20 percent better than other business jets in its class.

BUOYANT

With the HondaJet s entry into service due for 2013, Michimasa Fujino now sees the light at the end of a long tunnel.

BART: Can you elaborate a bit more on your increased cabin size? How does this influence passenger comfort?

Fujino: For one thing you can be sure that your feet won’t cross the feet of the person sitting in front of you.

And we’ve always been keen to ensure that we produce a distinctive product, that doesn’t only go for how the aircraft looks from the outside - on the inside the aircraft is very distinctive too.

Many business jets are fitted out in the style of an old American classic living room –needless to say this approach makes for an unsophisticated

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Greensborough facility in North Carolina. Can you tell me a little about these?

Fujino: Frankly speaking when people come to our new facility at Greensborough they realize for the first time how sophisticated it is. We have a large R and D center equipped with structural testing facilities as well as a design studio.

ergonomic design. However it’s important to focus not only on aesthetics but also on functionality and feeling. And when you sit inside the HondaJet you’ll be sure that you’re not in a living room – you’re in a finely tuned industrial machine.

BART: So how important has Honda’s automotive heritage in the design and development of the HondaJet? Fujino: As I indicated, Ergonomics is very important in automobile design and so is the man/machine interface.

When we designed the HondaJet I spent a lot of time studying human factors. For instance, I wanted to make sure that the avionics system would be as simple as possible – I didn’t want people to have to remember complex operational features. And when it came to the cabin it wasn’t just the size that was important but also the interface - we used many techniques to ensure that the perception of the space was right in the cabin.

It’s an approach that really appeals to the owner/operator market. With automobiles, the driver is also the passenger: the driver needs to feel comfortable when driving and we know that they can be very finicky about the feeling and the handling of the car. I wanted to bring the same philosophy to aviation and I have paid a great deal of attention not only the functionality of the aircraft but also to the feeling of flying the aircraft.

BART: Recently you have made significant investments at your

BART: Given that this is your first airplane, will it be difficult for you to put the right support facilities in place?

Fujino: It goes without saying that one of the most important aspects of making an airplane is the after support services. There is no point in producing a product if you can’t support it and I’ve never underestimated the need to prepare for this. We are investing now in our HondaJet service center, it’s a $20 million investment at Greensborough, North Carolina.

The MRO facility will provide services for HondaJet owners that complement the services they receive at facilities across its HondaJet dealer network in North America and Europe. At the facility we will offer heavy maintenance services, as well as extensive repair or overhaul work.

BART: Right now you’re set for certification in the second half of 2013.

You’ve followed a long road to get to this stage, can you just tell me how you feel about how far you have come?

Fujino: Finally I am starting to see some light in a long tunnel.

Sometimes, you know, I didn’t see the light and that was very challenging.

But now we are approaching the final leg of journey.

And you have to remember too that the project isn’t only about creating the HondaJet, it was about establishing the infrastructure and establishing a team. And that was a huge achievement for me too.

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