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From the Editor
LATELY IT SEEMS THE CASH REGISTER is just waiting to run out of receipt paper every time I queue at the super market. If it s not that, it s being stuck behind the person shuffling through a three week stack of coupons and holding up the rest of the line. And at the airport check-in desk there is always the old lady in tennis sneakers inquiring about her connection to Chillicothe - a destination suspended over a month ago. Needless to say I have learned to be patient but it is sure tempting to push that old lady aside. Think about it. If you start waiting 40 minutes a day from the time you are 20 through to the age 50, you will have spent an entire year of your life waiting! So when time is money, you can understand the irrationality of a CEO traveling on a business trip with the airlines. After all, the whole reason for flying a business aircraft is to save time. And in the life of a CEO, saving time creates money, which is what the CEO is supposed to be generating for the stockholders. Put another way, a company, especially during a downturn, cannot afford to lose business because The Man is stuck waiting in line at O Hare or Manchester. In this issue, BART s Senior Editor, Marc Grangier is tackling this very subject on page 80. Find out in his article, The Truth about Business Aviation how it can take nine hours for the airlines to cover a distance of just 620NM. Buoyed by the remarks of London Executive Aviation s CEO Patrick MargetsonRushmore, the article also makes the clear distinction between business and luxury.
When profits are up and the economy is great, no one raises an eyebrow to a business airplane. But when the market tumbles, Business Aviation becomes an easy target for politicians who make it difficult for the Business Aviation associations to present the reality of the sector and defend the interests of its players. Of course it s always great for a business aircraft manufacturer to see a 45 year old hot shot living like a pharaoh emerging from a $500,000 limousine carrying a $1,000 attaché case and looking to order a $800,000,000 jet decked out like a Moorish bordello. The idea in this case is to build up as prestigious a machine as money can buy - and believe me, some real eye-poppers are created - with impressionistic purposes overlaying real business comfort and safety. Their destinations are such business-like places as Nice, Vegas, Liechtenstein and Miami Beach. As anyone familiar with the real Business Aviation knows, luxury aviation is its own creature and, unfortunately, is giving a wrong perception to the public as well as to the legislator. When I was flying in a company airplane, I was never even sure if I was going to receive a cup of coffee, said Brian Humphries, former CEO of Shell Aircraft International, where he was accountable for all Shell aircraft worldwide. We are well away from the bottles of champagne adorning the aircraft interiors of glossy brochures and magazines. It s time for the real Business Aviation to stand up and embrace its role as a time machine and a real tool for the economic development.
The crisis should not be an alibi for not going forward. A man finds himself by facing the challenge. Antoine de St Exupéry
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CONTENTS
B USINESS A VIATION R EAL T OOL Member
32 EBACE FEVER This year’s EBACE is set to give the industry a much needed shot in the arm and as always, BART – the Official EBACE Publication – tells you who to visit and why at Europe’s number one Business Aviation gathering.
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AVIONICS, ENGINES, HELICOPTERS AND TURBOPROPS Avionics manufacturers continue to push the boundaries of innovation, Steve Nichols reports. Jack Carroll explains how engine makers are creating more power with less weight and then looks at the latest rotorcraft developments. Marc Grangier reports on cost-effective turboprops that are defying the recession.
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BUSINESS VERSUS LUXURY In a special report Marc Grangier sets the record straight on why Business Aviation is a real tool and not a luxury. Environmental expert Guy Viselé reports on Hubbard Aviation Technologies’ quest to quiet the engines of GII and GIII aircraft. We preview a Russian revival at Jet Expo and LeRoy Cook reports from the cockpit on how to fly with maximum efficiency.
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THE DETAILS In Maintenance Matters we look at OEM product support and cost-per-hour programs. Giulia Mauri explains Italy’s proposed tax on private aviation. Great Circle Services detail the dangers of fuel exhaustion while Jack Carroll profiles SuperJet International. Finally Brian Barents of Aerion Corporation speaks about the future of Supersonic Business Aviation. DISPLAY More than 60 aircraft will be present on EBACE s 18,000 square-meter static display area.
OUR COVER With a maximum cruise speed of 527 ktas, the Citation TEN is a hot contender for the title of fastest business jet.
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AGENDA EBACE 2012 May 14-16 Geneva, Switzerland FARNBOROUGH INT’L AIRSHOW 2012 July 9-15 Farnborough, UK JETEXPO 2012 September 27-29 Moscow, Russia
CESSNA SIGNS SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH SHANGHAI HAWKER PACIFIC Cessna has signed a preliminary agreement to work towards appointing Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre (SHPBASC) as an authorized service facility. SHPBASC currently provides lounge facilities, handling and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for business aircraft at Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport. Authorized service facility status will allow SHPBASC to support Citation Sovereigns operating in northern Asia. SHPBASC is a joint venture between Shanghai Airport Authority and aircraft service company Hawker Pacific. Scott Ernest, Cessna president and CEO, said: “This agreement is the first step towards SHPBASC being awarded authorized service facility status. We are committed to China and our valued customers here; this facility will further enhance Cessna’s support network across the Asia-Pacific region.”
HAWKER 125 SERIES COMMEMORATES 50 YEARS Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced this year marks the 50th anniversary of its Hawker 125 midsize business jet series. The Hawker 125 – one of the world’s first business jets – completed its maiden flight on Aug. 13, 1962, in the form of the Hawker Siddeley DH125 Jet Dragon and the first delivery took place nearly two years later on Sept. 10, 1964.
JET AVIATION HONG KONG OPENS NEW INTERIOR SHOP
Jet Aviation Hong Kong recently expanded its service offerings to include interior services. Located in Tsuen Wan in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, the new 483.10 sq. m. (5,200 sq. ft.) interior 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. Each work bay provides broad support for upholstery, carpeting, faux finishing and eco-friendly spray-painting. The shop has also been outfitted with a clean room, a buffing area with the brightest lights available and a cyclone dust collection system, along with a rotary screw air compressor. This kind of production environment, coupled with the company’s highly skilled team of interior specialists, is designed to support the highest quality and service standards.
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THIS IS NOT AN AIRCRAFT.
It’s my handshake in Shanghai. It’s my deal in Dallas. It’s a hardworking factory back home counting on me to make it happen. We get it: Your business aircraft is how you stay ahead in a world
of ever-increasing expectations. We are dedicated to supporting your aircraft and to helping your company succeed. Discover how CompleteCare™, our full complement of business aviation services, can help you attain the next level of success. Visit our website at www.standardaero.com/we_get_it. AVIONICS
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© Copyright StandardAero 2012. All Rights Reserved.
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GAMA COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF RONALDSON AIRMOTIVE Gama Group, the global Business Aviation and services company, announced the acquisition of Ronaldson Airmotive Ltd, the Oxford based engine and components overhaul organization. Ronaldson Airmotive further strengthens the range of aerospace engineering capabilities available through the Gama engineering group of businesses. Ronaldson joins both Gama Engineering Ltd and Gama Support Services Ltd in the provision of an extensive range of engineering products and services for fixed and rotary wing aircraft operators. This includes comprehensive design, certification, maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification services already established in dedicated facilities at Fairoaks and Farnborough. Ronaldson Airmotive , founded in 2007 by Rob Ronaldson and the late James Balmer immediately established itself as the premier piston engine and component overhaul UK based facility. Its EASA Part 145 approval covers Lycoming and Teledyne Continental Motors engine overhaul and repairs, fuel, ignition and governing component overhaul and repairs, together with in house specialist NDT services.
CAMO4jets RECEIVES EASA APPROVAL RATINGS CAMO4jets AG has received EASA authorization to perform Airworthiness Reviews (ARC) and CAMO management for all Cessna Citation models, as well as, all Embraer business and commercial aircraft. The authorizations enhance CAMO4jet’s expanding line of CAMO services, which includes Airworthiness Reviews and CAMO management on a significant range of Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, and Gulfstream models. “This new development boosts our comprehensive CAMO offerings,” said Colin Brickman, Continuing Airworthiness Manager at CAMO4jets. “The authorizations help us fill a growing niche and serve the many operators that want to outsource their CAMO to airworthiness specialists like ourselves.” Since its launch in 2010, CAMO4jets has become known for its specifically tailored management service packages. The group already boasts a range of CAMO approvals including EASA (Part M, Subpart G & I), Cayman Islands CAA and Bermuda DCA. “Many operators are finding that outsourcing a CAMO is an intelligent way to delegate responsibility,” said Brickman. “There are many obvious benefits such as stricter cost control, higher aircraft utilization, reduced ground-times and improved dispatch reliability. We have taken legal responsibility for CAMOs on behalf of a range of operators, and because our engineers have experience stretching back over 25 years, we offer consistent and reliable service.”
CESSNA AND AVIC JOIN FORCES IN CHINA Cessna and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) are signing two strategic agreements to jointly develop general and business aviation in the People’s Republic of China. The agreements together pave the way for a range of business jets, utility singleengine turboprops and single-engine piston aircraft to be manufactured and certified in China. The first agreement between AVIC and Cessna/Textron is an overarching agreement between these companies that is intended to lead to the formation of joint ventures that will pursue various activities pertaining to the development of general aviation businesses in China, including the establishment of an aircraft service network in China.
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EMBRAER S LEGACY 650 EXECUTIVE JET CERTIFIED IN INDIA Embraer’s large-sized Legacy 650 executive jet has received type certification (TC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India, paving the way for Legacy 650 customers to register and operate the aircraft in India. “The Legacy 650 at Hyderabad is a significant event since it is the sixth Embraer Executive Jet model to gain Indian certification,” said José Eduardo Costas, Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, Asia Pacific – Embraer Executive Jets. “The 2012 version of the Legacy 650 is making its debut here while on the first leg of its worldwide demonstration tour which began this month. Launched in 2009, the Legacy 650 is the latest executive jet offered by Embraer. All of Embraer’s executive jets in production today – the entry-level Phenom 100, light Phenom 300, super-mid-size Legacy 600, large Legacy 650 and ultra-large Lineage 1000 – are now certified in India.”
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
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G150 FLEET SURPASSES 100,000 FLIGHT HOURS Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s wide-cabin, high-speed G150 experienced two significant milestones recently: the fleet surpassed 100,000 flight hours and the 100th G150 rolled off the initial-phase production line, nearly six and a half years after the aircraft’s original entry-into-service. “With the longest range at the fastest speed, an advanced avionics suite and the most comfortable cabin, the G150 is the best in its mid-sized cabin aircraft category,” said Stan Dixon, vice president, Mid-Cabin Programs, Gulfstream. “It has a dispatch reliability rate of 99.88 percent and an availability rate of 92.59 percent.” When the G150 entered service in 2006, it was the first Gulfstream business jet to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration for Stage 4, the industry’s most stringent noise standards. All Gulfstream current production aircraft are Stage 4 compliant. The G150 is also certified to meet the steep approach landing criteria at London City Airport.
API BLENDED WINGLETS EASA APPROVED FOR FALCON 900 Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) announced that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for its High Mach Blended Winglets on Falcon 900 Series aircraft on March 8, 2012. The initial FAA STC was issued on September 2, 2011. Certification of the Winglets represents the culmination of a two-year development program and exhaustive flight testing, and comes on the heels of a similar certification for Falcon 2000 series aircraft in April 2009. API is now working on a similar Winglet certification for the Falcon 50 family.
WORLD FUEL SERVICES SELECTS ARGUS TRAQPAK FBO ARGUS Market Intelligence has welcomed World Fuel Services Air Elite Network as the latest customer of TRAQPak FBO. TRAQPak FBO is an integrated source of operational, financial, and contact information related to aircraft operations at any airport within the reach of the U.S. Air Traffic Control system. With accurate and timely flight information, maintained in a secure and professional interface, World Fuel’s Air Elite FBOs can be better prepared to meet the needs of air traffic traveling to their airport as well as monitor the activity at nearby airports. “We believe that TRAQPak FBO provides our network with the best balance of functionality, cost and flexibility for our FBO clients. This program is an important facet in our overall offering to our global network of 1,100 FBOs”, stated Marty Hiller, Exec. V.P. Business Aviation, at World Fuel Services.
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LYON-BRON TO MEET AMERICAN STANDARD Lyon-Bron airport kicked off grooving work on its runway, in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards. It is the first French business airport to adhere to the standard. This improvement work means that the runway will be closed at night from Monday to Saturday for six weeks. Grooving the runway at Lyon-Bron is a first for France’s Business Aviation airports since French Civil Aviation standards do not include grooving. It is therefore not mandatory. Having just joined the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and in an effort to break into the UK and US markets, Lyon-Bron is adapting and improving its offer for international operators. The FAA standard is an American Civil Aviation regulation applied by many countries, notably Canada and the United Kingdom. Grooving consists of creating transverse grooves approximately 38mm (approx. 1.5”) apart, 6mm (approx. 0.24”) in width and depth, over the entire length of the runway. It aims to prevent water from stagnating on the runway surface. Water drains away in the grooves, thereby preventing puddles from forming. This technique prevents the risk of aquaplaning.
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DEMAND INCREASES FOR FLIGHTSAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FlightSafety International continues to experience increased demand for its training services in the Middle East and surrounding region. “We have experienced a significant increase in demand for our services in the Middle East and surrounding region,” said Scott Fera, Vice President, Sales and Marketing. The high quality training FlightSafety provides, and the investments we are making in new programs and simulators throughout our network of Learning Centers, are expected to further increase our presence in this important area.” FlightSafety provided well over 2,000 training events to Customers from the Middle East in the past year. This includes pilot, maintenance, flight attendant and dispatch training for operators of a wide variety of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Training has increased significantly since 2007. Cessna aircraft programs were up by 26%; Embraer 92%; Gulfstream 22%; Sikorsky 84%; and maintenance training was up by 30%.
ExecuJet SOUTH AFRICA RECEIVES ARGUS PLATINUM RATING
CESSNA S NEW CITATION M2 MAKES FIRST FLIGHT Cessna’s new Citation M2, announced less than six months ago, made its first prototype flight. The flight lasted a little more than an hour and a half and included tests of the avionics system, autopilot, engine system, aircraft systems and instrument approaches. The prototype took off and landed at Wichita, Kan., MidContinent Airport (ICT) where Cessna’s main manufacturing facility is located. “I am excited to say the aircraft performance, handling characteristics and Garmin G3000 avionics were exceptional, just as we had anticipated,” said Peter Fisher, Cessna’s engineering test pilot who flew the Citation M2. “With this essential program milestone complete, we are looking forward to a successful flight test program and FAA certification so our customers can soon enjoy this great aircraft.”
ARGUS International, Inc has recently awarded ExecuJet South Africa with the ARGUS Platinum Rating for 2012. ExecuJet Africa is the only operator to have received the Platinum Rating as a charter operator on the African continent. ARGUS PROS, a wholly owned subsidiary of ARGUS International, Inc., is the leading audit organization for aircraft operators around the world. It holds authorizations from two world-recognized standards organizations.
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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 Paris-Le Bourget for Dassault Falcon 7X Training
F
lightSafety’s industry-leading factory-authorized Falcon 7X aircraft training is now available in Paris. Our highly experienced instructors, outstanding
Customer service, new Level D-qualified simulators and
advanced training system and tools will exceed your expectations. No matter where you live, we can provide Falcon 7X factory-authorized training tailored to meet your exact requirements. Choose Falcon 7X training in Paris-Le Bourget or Dallas/Fort Worth. At either location, you benefit from our high-quality programs and receive the value you deserve. Expanding our Falcon 7X training program 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, advancedtechnology simulators for current and next-generation aircraft, and in expanding our global network of conveniently located training facilities. Schedule your Falcon 7X training now in Paris or in Dallas – whichever center is most convenient for your operation. À bientôt. See you soon.
“At Falcon, teaming with FlightSafety reflects our passion for technology.” – John Rosanvallon President and CEO, Dassault Falcon
Contact us at Paris-Le Bourget Learning Center • +33 1 49 92 1919 • paris@flightsafety.com Scott Fera, Vice President Marketing • 718.565.4774 • sales@flightsafety.com • flightsafety.com
A Berkshire Hathaway company
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JET EXPO 2012 THE GATEWAY TO SUCCESS IN RUSSIA The only Business Aviation exhibition in Russia and the CIS will take place in Vnukovo3, building on last year’s successful switch to this single venue for both exhibition halls and the static display of aircraft. Jet Expo 2012 will be held on 27—29 September in the Vnukovo-3 Business Aviation Terminal, the single most popular Russian GAT accommodating up to 70% of Moscow traffic and standing tall in Europe with up to 200 flights per day. The new dates have been selected so that Saturday is now available as one of the days, so people with a busy schedule can visit the exhibition on a weekend, avoiding the generally heavy Moscow traffic.
GROSSMANN JET SERVICE ATTAINS SIX SIGMA CERTIFICATION Grossmann Jet Service, the Prague-based executive jet operator, recently concluded Six Sigma certification, following attendance of training courses in London and Prague. The Six Sigma methodology is recognized worldwide and ensures that every project carried out within the certified organization follows a defined sequence of operation, removing any obstacles and ensuring a perfectly tailored service. The structure of Six Sigma provides a highly disciplined method of training that enables organizations to focus on developing and delivering near-perfect products and services. The word ‘Sigma’ is a statistical term measuring how far a given process deviates from perfection. The key ideology behind Six Sigma is that if the number of ‘defects’ in a process can be measured, they can systematically be eliminated to get as close to ‘zero defects’ as possible. An organization that has achieved Six Sigma certification demonstrates a dedication to efficient processes across the board and allocates fewer resources to correction and more towards production.
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BLACKHAWK ADDS SILVERHAWK AVIATION TO PARTNER NETWORK Blackhawk has added Silverhawk Aviation of Lincoln, Neb., to its growing roster of authorized marketing and installation facilities. Blackhawk recently completed an agreement that makes Silverhawk Aviation its newest dealer and service support center. Founded in 1991, Silverhawk Aviation began as a single-aircraft charter service. In its first decade, Silverhawk’s fleet grew to 13 aircraft including business jets. The company developed a certified FAA Repair Station and became a full-service fixed base operator (FBO) at Lincoln Municipal Airport. Today, Silverhawk provides comprehensive maintenance services for commercial and private aircraft and operating systems. The company has earned an ARG/US (Aviation Research Group/United States) Gold Rating for charter service excellence.
FLIGHTSAFETY S FALCON 900 SIMULATOR RECEIVES FAA QUALIFICATION FlightSafety International is pleased to announce that its new Dassault Falcon 900 EASy series aircraft simulator has received Level D qualification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency. The simulator will be used during training for the Falcon 900EX EASy, DX and LX aircraft at FlightSafety’s Learning Center in Dallas, Texas. “The Level D qualification of FlightSafety’s new Falcon 900 EASy series aircraft simulator by the FAA and EASA demonstrates our ability to design and manufacture high quality simulators, visual systems and displays that replicate the flying characteristics of the aircraft they represent and meet or exceed the stringent standards of aviation regulatory agencies around the world,” said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO. FlightSafety has also recently added Level D qualified simulators at the Dallas Learning Center for the Falcon 7X and Eurocopter EC135 aircraft. Simulators for the Pilatus PC-12 NG and Gulfstream G280, Gulfstream G450, and Gulfstream G550 will be installed at the Learning Center later this year and will receive FAA Level D qualification. Qualification by other regulatory agencies around the world will be applied for and obtained according to customer needs.
MORE POSSIBILITIES...
...FOR THE JOURNEY Three cabin spaces and incredible range. Powered by Rolls-Royce engines, you can fly from London to New York or Dubai to Johannesburg in total comfort. The largest living space in its class divided into three separate areas allows you to work or rest. And with the largest baggage compartment in its class, you can carry everything you need to do more. Find out more about the Legacy 650 and our six other exceptional models at EmbraerExecutiveJets.com Latin America +55 12 3927 3399, U.S., Canada and Caribbean +1 954 359 5387, Europe, Middle East and Africa +44 1252 379 270, China +86 10 6598 9988, Asia Pacific +65 6734 4321
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HUBBARD AVIATION S QS3 INSTALLED ON AERODYNAMICS GIII Aerodynamics Inc. (ADI) have announced that they have completed the purchase and installation of the Hubbard Aviation Technologies (HAT) QS3® Hushkit System on their Gulfstream III and placed the aircraft into service. According to Scott Beale, chairman of ADI “The decision to acquire the QS3 Hushkit system was easy as this was the only system available that allowed us to fly the aircraft with all the capabilities and performance that Gulfstream designed into the aircraft and still remain Stage 3 compliant.” After listening to the aircraft departure Scott commented “WOW! The sound was comparable to a GIV departure” further, an experienced Hawker 800XP Captain who witnessed the departure said “that is quieter than my aircraft”. Bernard Weiss, President of HAT said “We are extremely pleased that a company with a solid 50 plus year reputation has decided to purchase the QS3 Hushkit system as a way of meeting the US and European Stage 3 noise requirements thus keeping these solid airplanes competitive for many more years. Further, the collaboration of their sales and installation & support capabilities makes ADI a solid choice in which to expand our capabilities”
EUROCOPTER CELEBRATES ITS 20th ANNIVERSARY In 1992, the Eurocopter Group was created via the merger of the helicopter divisions of Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) in Germany and Aerospatiale in France. At that time, the Group had around 12,000 employees and 11 subsidiaries and participations. Twenty years later, the Group boasts an impressive track record, with 20,000 employees in the Group and 30 subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries, 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet, and more than 11,300 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world.
CAE TO LAUNCH BUSINESS AVIATION TRAINING IN ASIA CAE will begin training pilots and maintenance technicians this year for business aircraft and civil helicopter operators in Asia. Gulfstream G450 and G550 training and Sikorsky S76C++ training will be offered in 2012. Training for the Bombardier(i) Global 5000(i), Global Express(i) and Global Express XRS(i) business aircraft will be available in early 2013. CAE intends to deploy a training program for the Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft soon thereafter; the date will be prescribed by market conditions. CAE training customers in Asia include Beijing White Bear Business Aviation Corporation, GMR Aviation Pvt. Ltd of India, Shanghai Deer Jet and other business aircraft operators.
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BOMBARDIER TO BOOST GLOBAL AIRCRAFT TRAINING Bombardier Aerospace announced that it will expand its customer training to the Asia-Pacific region with the addition of a new Authorized Training Provider (ATP) location for Global 5000, Global Express and Global Express XRS business aircraft. The recently announced CAE training program and Level D FullFlight Simulator (FFS) will significantly boost access to pilot and maintenance training for Global aircraft customers in the region. The new FFS will be ready for training in 2013 and will be operated by CAE, a global simulation and training leader, with whom Bombardier has been successfully collaborating for several years for the benefit of customers. The simulator’s final location will be announced later. “Bombardier continues to ensure that our customers around the world have access to the highest level of training and services as close to their bases of operation as possible,” said Éric Martel, President, Bombardier Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft.
GE Aviation Business & General Aviation
The power to go where you want to go Introducing the GE Passport™ Integrated Propulsion System The GE Passport is the world’s first integrated propulsion system (engine, nacelle and thrust reverser) specifically designed for ultra-long range, large-cabin business jets. Incorporating advanced technologies, the GE Passport offers longer range from reduced fuel consumption, fewer emissions and enhanced cabin comfort created from reduced noise and vibrations.* With the GE Passport, you have the power to fly powerfully, more quietly and efficiently – anywhere you want to go. To learn more, visit geaviation.com/bga.
*Compared to current ultra-long range business jet propulsion systems.
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P.180 AVANTI II INTRODUCED TO CHINA Piaggio Aero and CAEA (Beijing) Aviation Investment Co., Ltd are jointly introducing the Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II aircraft in China presenting the extraordinary Italian multi utility aircraft for the first time as a certified aircraft in China at ABACE 2012. Piaggio Aero and CAEA Aviation are participating together at the 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition as the Chinese Group has been appointed as the Exclusive Sales Agent for Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II aircraft in mainland China. The two companies have also announced that the delivery of the first 2 P180 Avanti II aircraft will take place next July, when the first of the Piaggio Aero aircraft registered in China will land in Beijing following the contract sale signed earlier this year in February.
EMBRAER LINEAGE RECEIVES HOT-AND-HIGH ALTITUDE CERTIFICATION The Embraer Lineage 1000 has added hotand-high altitude to its impressive list of operational capabilities, having been certified for such missions in both Brazil and the US. “Designed to operate into weight-restricted airports like Teterboro, NJ and such challenging airports as London City and Aspen, the ultra-large Lineage 1000 now has another significant achievement in its portfolio,” said Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets. “The Lineage 1000 is now capable of operating at airports above 13,000 feet such as La Paz, Bolivia, one of the highest airports in the world at 13,357 feet. This is an important milestone since we have made an already operationally flexible aircraft even more flexible.” The High-Altitude Takeoff and Landing Operation (HALTO) tests were completed in February when it achieved twin certifications from Brazil’s ANAC and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The new “hot-and-high” capability will be offered as an option and will be initially available for Brazilian and US operators.
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AIROPS 5 SELECTED BY LEADING CORPORATE JET OPERATORS Airops Software have announced that two more leading Farnborough based corporate jet operators ‘Acropolis Aviation’ and ‘Triair’ have selected the AIROPS 5 aviation management system to support all aspects of their growing Commercial, Operations and Management activities. Airops Software provides IT solutions for the executive and commercial aviation industry. Be it providing accurate quotes, matching customers to aircraft, maintaining client databases, creating flight schedules, recording fees and charges, crew scheduling, operations board, etc. the AIROPS 5 aviation management system has been designed and developed to improve efficiency and accuracy and the speed of response to client’s enquiries. AIROPS 5 is the preferred aviation management system for over 40 leading aviation operators and service providers around the world including Gama Aviation, TAG, Dassault Aviation, Titan Airways, Airbus, MoD, British Aerospace, Antonov Design Bureau and Jet Aviation.
FLYING COLOURS COMPLETES FIRST BLACKHAWK MODIFICATION ON KING AIR C90
Flying Colours Corp., a leading global aviation service company specializing in aircraft completions, maintenance and refurbishments, has completed and delivered its first turboprop Blackhawk modification following the signing of a service agreement with Blackhawk Modifications Inc. at the NBAA 2011 conference. The first project, which completed at the end of February, entailed modifications to a privately owned King Air C90 at Flying Colours Corp.’s Peterborough location. The aircraft underwent a series of maintenance, avionics and interior modifications which have improved cost effectiveness and performance from the aircraft. The principal modification to the turboprop involved a full Blackhawk XP 135A engine upgrade which provides increased true air speed, maximizes aircraft range and supports more efficient climb rates. The engine upgrade also reduces maintenance requirements in the future. Operating costs and safety systems were also enhanced following a complete fuel cell replacement, a general propeller overhaul and a full radar upgrade.
OCEAN SKY ANNOUNCES NEW JET CENTER AT LUTON
INDIGO LYON SELECTED AS SALES REPRESENTATIVE FOR AERION SBJ
Ocean Sky has announced a multi-million pound upgrade of its Fixed Base Operation (FBO) at London Luton Airport. The new development will include a passenger lounge, improved parking facilities, a concierge service and a large security area for efficient screening. 'We are forecasting a significant increase in turnover at Luton following the new FBO's opening. With space for up to 30 aircraft, our annual movements will double to more than 9,000 and we expect fuel uplift to exceed 15m liters in the first year of operation,' said Ocean Sky CEO Stephen Grimes.
The expanding international aircraft sales and services company, Indigo Lyon, headed by Peter Smales, has been appointed as an international sales representative for US-based Aerion Corporation’s Supersonic Business Jet (SBJ). UK-based Indigo Lyon will be responsible for actively marketing and promoting the world’s first supersonic business jet and for securing fresh introductory order commitments worldwide (with the exception of the Americas). Indigo Lyon joins ExecuJet Aviation Group, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, as an international sales representative, and Florida-based Aero Toy Store, Aerion’s exclusive representative in the Americas. Designed to carry eight to 12 passengers efficiently at high subsonic as well as supersonic speeds up to Mach 1.6, the SBJ will be powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series engines, offering an intercontinental range of over 4,000 nm and operating costs similar to today’s large business jets. With a 30ft long, 6.2 ft stand-up cabin, full galley and lavatory, its double club cabin comfort will be comparable to that of current midsize jets.
Jet Aviation Geneva
Count on our local expertise; benefit from our global MRO network Meet the team who can do it all. Specialized in Gulfstream, Bombardier Global Express, Hawker series, the Dassault Falcon 50 and 900 and the Boeing Business Jets aircraft, as well as a number of smaller jets, we have been providing base and line maintenance, repair and overhaul and avionics support to mid and large cabin aircraft since 1969. And if your aircraft is grounded you can always count on our 24/7 AOG support on short notice. Our Geneva team takes care of you here while you benefit from our global network everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection.
Jet Aviation Geneva Tel. +41 58 158 1111 | AOG 24/ 7 +41 58 158 4848 jgva@jetaviation.ch | www.jetaviation.com /geneva
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BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 250 ACHIEVES EASA CERTIFICATION Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced its Beechcraft King Air 250, the latest derivative of the best-selling turboprop Beechcraft King Air line, has achieved European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. The Beechcraft King Air 250 received FAA certification in June 2011, followed by type certification from the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) in November. “We’re looking forward to starting deliveries of the King Air 250 in Europe very soon,” said Sean McGeough, president, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Its versatility has made the King Air a popular choice in the European market for decades. In fact, according to EUROCONTROL, the King Air B200 series has been the most flown business aircraft in Europe over the last four years. Now, as a result of HBC’s customer-focused engineering, the King Air 250 is even more attractive to operators in the region – delivering substantial improvements in takeoff performance while increasing speed, range and climb.”
FAA SELECTS ROCKWELL COLLINS HEAD-UP GUIDANCE SYSTEMS
HONEYWELL AND INMARSAT TO OFFER IN-FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected Rockwell Collins’ Head-up Guidance Systems (HGS™) with synthetic and enhanced vision to support its NextGen implementation and applied research efforts. The technology, which is being installed on the Boeing 737 flight simulator in the FAA’s Flight Operations Simulation Laboratory (FOSL) in Oklahoma City, will be used to study how operators can safely achieve benefits such as lower landing minima by using head-up displays with synthetic and enhanced vision during different phases of flight in low visibility conditions. The technology will also support the approvals and development of the guidance material necessary to implement those new operations. “Every day, airlines and corporate fleets using our HGS save time and money by keeping aircraft on an optimal flight path,” said Craig Olson, senior director, Head-up Guidance Systems for Rockwell Collins. “We’ll be working closely with the FAA to demonstrate how the addition of synthetic vision on the HGS can save even more time and money by keeping aircraft safely flying when the weather tries to interfere.” The selection of Rockwell Collins’ HGS for this research is part of a larger FAA effort to evaluate currently available technology to determine how it can be implemented and utilized to improve access to U.S. airports resulting in fewer delays, less diversions and fuel savings.
Honeywell and Inmarsat have signed an exclusive agreement to provide global in-flight connectivity services to business, commercial, and government aviation customers around the world. 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. This exclusive agreement is estimated to represent $2.8 billion for Honeywell in sales of hardware, customer service, and maintenance to airlines, government entities and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) over the next two decades. Global Xpress is scheduled for launch in 2013, with global service for commercial, Business Aviation, and government customers available in 2014.
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ECLIPSE ANNOUNCES PAPERLESS COCKPIT Eclipse Aerospace has announced that North American Jet Charter Group (NAJ), the largest operator of the Eclipse Jet in North America, has recently been approved for a paperless cockpit on Part 135 flights. The iPad will now become an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) for all NAJ operated Eclipse Jets. This approval gives pilots the option to use Foreflight or Jeppesen en route and approach charts as well as paperless versions of General Operating Manuals and Minimum Equipment Lists — all stored and referenced through the iPad interface. Already certified for single pilot Part 135 operations, NAJ takes maximum advantage of the advanced technology provided by the Eclipse Twin-Engine Jet.
EASA OKS BLR FASTFIN FOR BELL 212S The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified the FastFin® Tail Rotor Enhancement and Stability System for installation and flight on Bell 212 helicopters. Certification for Bell 204s and 205s is imminent, and EASA certification of BLR’s bestselling Bell 412 FastFin System is in work. European operators of these Bell medium helicopters may now join their North American counterparts in realizing significant performance improvements in hover load, wind azimuth tolerance, hover stability and safety. In 2009, Rotor & Wing magazine recognized FastFin with its Editors’ Choice award for best safety enhancement. “With FastFin installed, most operators will enjoy a 10-15 percent increase in useful load,” said Dave Marone, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for BLR Aerospace. “From the snow-covered Austrian Alps to the hot-high environment of Southern Europe, operators can expect marked improvements in safety and reduced pilot workload.”
Jet Aviation Geneva
Enjoy our local hospitality; experience our global FBO network Meet the team who understands the needs of business travelers. As a gateway to Switzerland and France, Geneva is one of the busiest business aviation airports in Europe – also due to the fact that the city is home of international headquarters for several global companies, the United Nations, the Red Cross and other international organizations. Our attentive and caring FBO staff makes it easy for you to travel in and out of the airport with quick and easy arrival and departure. Our Geneva team delivers the best in local service; our global network assists you everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection.
Jet Aviation Geneva Tel. +41 58 158 1111 | AOG 24/ 7 +41 58 158 4848 jgva@jetaviation.ch | www.jetaviation.com /geneva
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PEOPLE Joe Clark, Founder and CEO of Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) announced the promotion of Gary Dunn to Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
effective January 2 nd . Karen joins from another FBO company at Stansted Airport where she held the position of Operations Controller for five years. Karen had started her career in aviation as cabin crew with Monarch Airlines in 1986.
CEPA, the three-year old Central European Private Aviation organization, has announced a new Advisory Board comprising four leading Business Aviation figures. The new Board comprises Oliver Stone, Managing Director of London-based Colibri Aircraft Ltd, the private aircraft brokerage and asset advisory firm. Legal specialist Alan Cunningham, Asset Finance Partner at DLA Piper, Philippe Liénard founder of the AELIS Group and Jean Michel Bonte, Co-Founder and shareholder of Aelia Assurances.
Gore Design Completions has brought in two industry veterans to lead the company’s engineering and production teams. Mike Slattery joins GDC as Director of Production with 30 years of senior management experience in corporate aviation. Eric Wildhagen joins GDC as the company’s Director of Engineering and Certification. Mr. Wildhagen has 20+ years of senior management experience in corporate and VIP aviation. A team of approximately 100 employees will report to Mr. Wildhagen in this new role.
Esling, who has more than 25 years experience in the aviation industry, comes to Gulfstream from Cessna Aircraft Co., where he served as senior vice president of international sales, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Prior to working at Cessna, Esling was employed by BAe Commercial Aircraft, BAe Corporate Jets and Raytheon Aircraft Inc. Gulfstream has also appointed Matthew Sandidge as senior regional sales manager for International Sales in Russia.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. named veteran international sales executive Trevor Esling as regional senior vice president, International Sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa. He reports to Scott Neal, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing.
Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for the Business Aviation industry, recently appointed industry veteran, Jill Adams, as Vice President for California and the Western United States region.
Karen Hein-Jones CRS Jet Spares, has named Forrest Bullard to the position of West Coast Sales Manager. Bullard’s role is to build relationships, support customers and spread recognition for the company within the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Forrest has 10 years of experience in the Business Aviation industry. He joined the CRS team 2007. CRS Jet Spares has also named has named Sam Roszel Florida Regional Sales Representative for CRS Jet Spares. Sam has over 30 years of experience in the Business Jet market, from small charter operators to OEMs such as Hawker Beechcraft.
ExecuJet Cambridge , has appointed Karen Hein-Jones to the position of FBO Manager, 24 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
FlightSafety International has announced that Bob Reding has joined the company as Senior Advisor to the CEO. “We are pleased and proud that Bob has joined the FlightSafety team,” said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO. “Bob will be involved and contribute to all components of our business. His experience and contacts in the aviation industry will help to secure new opportunities for FlightSafety.” Meanwhile, FlightSafety has announced that John Brasfield has been promoted to Manager of the company’s Cessna Aircraft Maintenance Learning Center in Wichita, Kansas. Nancy Ritter has been promoted to Manager of FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida. She replaces Daniel Greenhill who is leaving the company.
SuperJet International’s Board of Directors has appointed Nazario Cauceglia new Chief Executive Officer of SuperJet International, joint venture between Alenia Aermacchi (51%), a Finmeccanica company, and Sukhoi Holding (49%).
Trevor Esling In his new role at Gulfstream, Esling is responsible for leading the Europe, Middle East and Africa sales team. He will work with current and new customers, including those in Russia, and will be based in central London.
Robert Clare, Director of Sales for U n i v e r s a l A v i o n i c s , announced that R o b e r t Randall has been appointed to OEM Sales Manager for Universal Avionics. Mr. Randall is affiliated with Universal’s U.S. Midwest Office in Wichita, Kansas with much of his work based out of a satellite office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Randall’s overall responsibility will be developing and maintaining existing sales of Universal’s products to U.S. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).
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EUROPEAN UPDATE
2012 SET TO BE CRUCIAL YEAR FOR EBAA GNSS LANDING SYSTEM NOW OPERATIONAL The first fully operational GNSS Landing System (GLS) approach to CAT I decision height was made by an AirBerlin flight to Bremen airport in Germany; this marks the beginning of the operational use of satellite navigation (GNSS) for all phases of flight, including the most critical approach and automatic landing phases. GLS is a precision approach operation using the ICAO-standard GBAS (Ground Based Augmentation System) components. It is the result of over 15 years of collaboration between multiple international partners. It is an alternative to the current precision approach standard, the instrument-based landing system (ILS). GLS allows the same operations as ILS but removes several of its drawbacks, such as critical and sensitive areas on the airport that Business Aviation faces many challenges, and with a host of new EU legislation, the industry expects more to come. So now is the time to be proactive. As emphasized by EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba, European decisionmakers must recognize the circumstances of aviation. Business Aviation in particular is trying to make a healthy recovery after the difficult years following the worldwide economic crisis. It does so, however, in the face of new political hurdles and rising operating costs. These include a worrying proliferation of national taxes, a burdensome EU ETS, a faulty Single European Sky due to the lack of Member States’ political will, a recast of the slots regulation that deprives Business Aviation of historical rights under current form, and other important initiatives in domains such as ground handling, noise, and Community Guidelines on State aids at regional airports. “We fully expect to take up our responsibilities as respected members of the European airspace community,” said Rodolfo Baviera, EBAA Chairman. “But we are also working with legislators and regulators to ensure that the measures put in place help boost the European economy, not weaken it.” Business Aviation is therefore taking important proactive steps. One initiative is the creation of an International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). It is mirrored on the sector’s successful International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), which is a recognized European Standard and has over 500 operators registered globally as being in compliance. Another important initiative includes Business Aviation’s campaign to curtail illegal charter flight activity within Europe. It aims to discourage the operation of aircraft without a valid Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) or which are non-compliant with traffic rights. EBAA has published guidance for operators, brokers, passengers, politicians, authorities and regulators. Additionally, it was a recent guest presenter at the European Commission where it won the commitment of national inspectors and EASA to work together to devise solutions to prevent and repress illegal flights. “Twenty-twelve is a pivotal year for our industry. There are many tough choices to make and challenges to face,” Fabio concluded, “and we – the collective we of industry and government – must do so sensibly and wisely.”
require changes in take-off holding position and aircraft spacing under low visibility operations, restricting thus capacity. Its interface is also designed to be very similar to the ILS one, minimizing therefore the need for additional pilot and air traffic controller training. EUROCONTROL supported the development of GBAS since 1999 through active participation in ICAO standardization activities and developed its own GBAS program in 2001. Since 2009 the EUROCONTROL activities have shifted to support primarily GBAS CAT III projects (fully automatic approach and landing), notably through SESAR and ICAO. “With Europe, the USA, Japan and Russia working on GBAS CAT III prototypes as an upgrade of the current CAT I systems, the full spectrum of precision approach operations using satellite navigation should become available in the future”, says Bo Redeborn, EUROCONTROL Director SESAR and Research. Certified GBAS CAT I equipment is currently available from major avionics suppliers; more than 200 aircraft worldwide are already equipped and an increasing number of airlines are choosing GBAS. GBAS programs are ongoing in more than 15 states worldwide, over 30 stations are installed in Russia and in addition to the one now operational in Germany, further systems in Spain, Australia and the USA are in the operational approval phase. “Research is ongoing in and outside SESAR to reach more flexible approach designs to reduce noise and wake vortex and we are confident that this will be reached in the future”, says Bo Redeborn. “DFS has obtained the first worldwide full operational approval for a GBAS ground system and AirBerlin made the first successful landing following the accreditation, we wish them every success in their GBAS operations and hope that their example will soon followed by many others”, he adds.
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COMMERCIAL OPERATORS NOW INCLUDED IN THE MODIFIED ITALIAN TAX
The Italian government has worked upon an amendment to the controversial Italian Luxury Tax originally adopted in December 2011. The amended version will result in a set of new rules that will quite considerably change the obligations of Italian and foreign operators to Italian tax authorities. It will be presented this afternoon to the Senate and voted on by the end of the week, after having been approved without changes by the Lower House of Parliament. It will eventually supersede the rules established by the decree in December 2011. The new rule introduces a tax on Italian and non-Italian commercial operators. This new tax on 'aero-taxi' will be paid by each passenger for each leg and is equivalent to 100 on legs of less than 1,500km and 200 for legs above 1,500km; the fee will be paid by the operator around modalities not fixed yet but which will be set by the Tax Office within 60 days from now. According to our interpretation, a return flight to Italy consists of two legs and will therefore require a double payment of the above-mentioned figures. Any additional domestic flight inside the Italian territory will count as an additional leg. This is a "new" tax, imposed this time on passengers of air taxis. This move of the Italian authorities is unfortunately in line with the taxes already existing in other countries (UK, Austria, Germany). As regards the tax on non-commercial operations established in December 2011, the amounts initially considered have been reduced by 50% (e.g. for aircraft up to 1,000 kg, 1.5 /kg were foreseen, while in the amended version this has been dropped to 75 ¢). These amounts will continue to be charged to both Italian and non-Italian operators however the significant change compared to the previous rule is that non-Italian noncommercial operators will be charged only if the aircraft stays more than 45 days on Italian territory instead of the previous limit of 48 hours. Non-Italian registered aircraft having spent more than 45 days on Italian territory will be subject to the tax on a pro-rata monthly basis, i.e. 1/12 of the annual rate for each month spent in Italy in excess of the 45 days tax exemption period. Source: EBAA
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EMBRAER DELIVERS 13 BUSINESS JETS IN Q1 2012
ROCKWELL COLLINS ANNOUNCES 25% DIVIDED INCREASE Throughout the first quarter of 2012 (1Q12), Embraer delivered 21 jets to the commercial aviation market and 13 to Business Aviation. This result surpassed the 20 commercial and eight executive jets recorded in the same period of 2011. On March 31, 2012, the firm order backlog totaled USD 14.7 billion. According to Embraer, the development of the midsize Legacy 500 jet is on schedule to go into service in the second half of 2013. The first engine run was successfully performed and ground tests have begun. In 1Q12, the Company delivered the 300th jet of the Phenom family and the 100th executive jet to the Brazilian market, which also was the first Phenom 300 in a MEDEVAC version. During the period, four Phenom 100s, eight Phenom 300s, and one Legacy 600/650 came to a total of 13 jets delivered. The highlight was the sale of three ultralarge Lineage 1000 jets to Minsheng, of China, and the delivery of a large Legacy 650 jet to movie star Jackie Chan, who is the ambassador for Embraer Executive Jets. In the area of customer support, Embraer announced the creation of a dedicated Business Aviation service center in the city of Sorocaba, located 90 kilometers from São Paulo’s State capital. Embraer maintains the projection it disclosed in February, of delivering from 105 to 110 commercial jets, 75 to 85 executive jets, and 15 to 20 large executive jets, in 2012, thus achieving net revenues of USD 5.8 to USD 6.2 billion.
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Rockwell Collins has declared a quarterly dividend increase from 24 cents to 30 cents per share on its common stock, representing a 25% increase. The dividend is payable June 4, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 14, 2012. “The increase in our quarterly dividend rate reflects Rockwell Collins’ ongoing commitment to return value to our shareowners, and demonstrates the confidence we have in our ability to generate strong earnings and operating cash flow,” said Patrick Allen, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Rockwell Collins. Meanwhile Rockwell Collins has reported second quarter fiscal year 2012 net income of $161 million compared to $150 million in the same period last year. Earnings per share for the quarter were $1.09, an increase of $0.13, or 14%, from earnings per share of $0.96 in the second quarter of 2011. Earnings per share growth were twice the rate of net income growth, principally due to the favorable effect of the company’s share repurchase program. The company reported total sales of $1.16 billion for the second quarter of 2012, which were down 5% when compared to $1.22 billion reported for the same period a year ago. Total segment operating earnings were relatively flat at $240 million, but total segment operating margins increased to 20.7% of sales, up from 19.8% of sales in the second quarter of 2011. Current year net income and earnings per share include a net benefit of $15 million, or $0.10 per share, from lower income tax
expense primarily due to a favorable adjustment resulting from the completion of prior period tax audits. Cash provided by operating activities for the first six months of 2012 totaled $45 million, compared to $127 million in the prior year. The $82 million reduction in cash from operations was primarily driven by $62 million of higher employee incentive payments made in the first quarter and $50 million of higher income tax payments, partially offset by cash receipts. “As the balance between our business segments continues to shift toward Commercial Systems, we remain focused on leveraging our operating system to increase the earnings power of our company,” said Rockwell Collins Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Clay Jones. “Despite the expected revenue headwinds this quarter, both business segments achieved greater than 20% operating margins, which resulted in a 90 basis point expansion of total segment operating margins. Shareowner value was further enhanced by using our balance sheet capacity and repurchasing more than 9 million shares of common stock so far this year, reducing the outstanding share count by 5%.” Jones went on to state, “Both business segments are expected to experience growth in the second half of the year, but at a lower level than previously expected. However, our focus on controlling cost in a volatile environment should still allow us to achieve full year earnings per share in the range of $4.40 to $4.60. Based on confidence in our ability to continue generating strong earnings and operating cash flow, we are increasing the quarterly dividend by 25%, effective in the third fiscal quarter.”
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HAWKER BEECHCRAFT EXPECTS CHINA AND INDIA TO CONTINUE DRIVING DEMAND Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced that it continues to see strong long-term growth prospects for Business Aviation across Asia and has identified it as a key growth market for the coming decade. This viewpoint is supported by new research that reveals that demand for business aircraft deliveries in the region has increased dramatically since 2001. According to recent JETNET research, deliveries of business aircraft across Asia increased by 133 percent during the 20062010 timeframe when compared with the period between 20012005. Asia’s share of worldwide business aircraft deliveries increased from 5.4 percent to 8.7 percent between the periods 2001-2005 and 2006-2010. North America, for so long the dominant force in Business Aviation, saw its share decrease from 67 percent to 55 percent during the same period. HBC believes that this shift in delivery share signifies the growing importance and influence of emerging markets’ presence in the worldwide Business Aviation market. HBC saw a 103 percent increase in the number of jets and a 97 percent increase in the number of turboprops it delivered to Asia between 2006-2010 when compared to the period 20012005. JETNET data also shows that HBC accounted for 41 percent of the total number of deliveries in Asia during the past decade. “Over the past few years Asia has really been the driving force behind the global economy, with burgeoning economies such as China and India helping the region post GDP growth scores of 8.3 percent,” McGeough said. “This growth is driving up demand for Business Aviation and is apparent in the increase in the number of deliveries during the second half of the past decade.”Furthermore, McGeough said, the proportion of the business aircraft market that is for sale – which is often used as an indicator of the health of the whole market – is relatively low in the region. That figure currently stands at around 7 percent compared with 12 percent in North America and 16 percent in Europe, suggesting that the market in Asia remains strong. Meanwhile, Hawker Beechcraft has announced the sale of 10 King Air turboprop aircraft to the Chinese aviation company Avion Pacific Limited. The order, which was secured at the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ABACE) in Shanghai, China, is worth approximately $50 million. The King Air 350i and King Air C90GTx aircraft will be used for a variety of missions including VIP travel, pilot training, aerial mapping and weather modification. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2012. “This announcement is a strong endorsement of our King Air aircraft, serving as further evidence of the developing light turbine market in China and of the King Air’s role as the aircraft of choice for market leaders,” said Dan Keady, HBC Vice President, Asia Pacific. “As one of the world’s most popular business aircraft, the King Air will prove itself in China as it has in other global markets as the best and most cost-effective light turbine aircraft solution. King Airs are very capable of supporting the majority of regional business travel needs, and they are often a better suited for transport missions than either light jets or mid-light jets.”
Visit us at EBACE Booth # 428
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CEO s CORNER
A PIVOTAL YEAR By Fabio Gamba
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n my last note I concluded that Business Aviation still had a bright future in Europe, in stark contrast with the current situation. By the same reasoning, I maintain that 2012 is going to be a “make or break” year, or at least a year of transition – and I am not predicting this on the basis of the Maya calendar or any celestial serendipity, but rather on a few indicators that I will expand on. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as the saying goes, but we anticipate 2012 to be a pivotal year for Business Aviation for various reasons. Firstly, with a forecasted 0.6% of GDP growth, European economies are not expected to contract despite scaremongers’ pessimistic predictions, in particular when it comes to the Eurozone. It’s true that there will be important contrasts between the various Member States, notably in the South where Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain should all see a recession oscillate between -3% and -0.5% of their GDP. But with the aggressive austerity measures put in place by their respective governments, their financial markets have, according to pundits, already weathered the worst. All in all however, these countries ‘only’ account for around 19% of the total BizAv movements in Europe. Given that there is an undeniable correlation between GDP and BizAv movements (of 0.80), the rest should logically follow this thin growth. How does it contrast with 2011? Last year’s first semester recorded very robust growth and was totally in line with the ‘recovery’ period of the post2009 financial crisis, but the pace diminished gradually up to the negative results from October on. There is no more recovery; we are joining a new phase of its own, one of stagnation, of financial cuts, of privatization and, indeed, of austerity. As a result, demand alone will probably not suffice to keep the BizAv sector afloat. In order to guarantee its sustainability,
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other elements will have to be factored in. There are basically two: a reshuffle of the supply – more product visibility through e-commerce, a diminution of empty legs, a progressive decrease in the number of illegal flights, together with a reduction in the number of operators through consolidation. On the other hand, a drop, or at least stabilization, of the operating costs. What are the EBAA’s proposals as we face this new situation? Well, these are essentially two-pronged; of an ‘operational’ and ‘aero-political’ nature. With respect to the former, the EBAA will concentrate on the definition and the implementation of a new Code of Conduct that will help Fixed-Based Operators (FBOs) and other ground handling agents follow standards in line with the recast of the EC Ground handling Directive, with the ultimate aim to allow them to considerably lower the number of audits as verification constitutes the crux, together obviously with the Code itself, of this measure. The fight against illegal flights is another area where we will continue to be active. After a successful information campaign inaugurated in 2010, during which we mainly addressed the demand side by stressing the fact there was no insurance coverage during a so-called illegal flight, we have progressively shifted towards a wider approach by focusing on the supply side as well. Today, we estimate that between 6-8% of the 650,000 annual BizAv movements can be considered illegal. The number is striking because of the relative impunity they enjoy today. They directly impact the yields of those who respect the rules and which, in order to survive, must accept to operate sometimes at prices below Direct Operating Costs (DOC). On the aero-political front, this year is rich in events. We’ll see the kick-off of the EU ETS, which has proceeded amidst strong protests from very powerful countries (such as the U.S., China, Japan or Russia to mention but a few); no satisfactory solutions have
been found yet by the Commission, raising doubts about its legitimacy and its applicability. In earnest, BizAv should not worry about this aspect too much. After all, only 9% of BizAv movements are inter-continental, and an international non-compliance with the scheme would probably not change dramatically the odds at stake for European operators. More importantly, the complexity and cost of the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) requirements under Directive 2008/101/EC must be kept in line with the size of the operator and of its emissions. Thanks to Eurocontrol’s ETS Support Facility, we expect to offer significant reductions of costs for those who use the tool. We were successful in raising the potential number of users, by obtaining from the Commission a raise of the threshold for smaller emitters from 10 to 25,000 tones. 2012 will also be the year of the implementation of the Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs), an important pillar of the Single European Sky predicated by the Commission in its quest to catch up with the more efficient U.S. ATM system. But all is not rosy, and many insidious caveats remain to be addressed before FABs can be ticked. Finally, 2012 will also be the year of the recast of the slot Regulation and of the Ground handling Directive. The EBAA initially welcomed the announcement of the former, as it could give rise to grandfather rights for non-scheduled operators but, alas, the Commission instead chose to ignore our legitimate claims. This prompted the Association to commission a counter-study, finalized in January 2012, and to undertake an important lobbying campaign at the European Parliament. A first reading on slots is not expected anyhow before 2013. We might record a very flat growth this year, and maybe even experience a slight recession. But laying down today strong milestones for the future is vital if we want to reap the benefits of the bright prospects still in store for Business Aviation in Europe.
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PREVIEW By Paul Walsh
Spring arrived out of the blue this year, and almost immediately the talk turned to EBACE 2012, taking place May 14-16 in Geneva, Switzerland. Already the signs suggest that this year s show will give the industry a much needed shot in the arm.
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owever, with over 300 exhibitors it’s not always clear where to start - that’s where BART comes in. As the official EBACE publication, we’re offering our annual EBACE preview in the following pages, telling you who to visit and why at Europe’s number one Business Aviation gathering. One thing stands out this year: people are more determined than ever to promote their products, make connections and inform themselves on the biggest industry challenges. Pre-show bookings emphasize that EBACE remains the top European focal point for these activities.
FOCUS
EBACE remains the focal point for the promotion of the Business Aviation industry in Europe. 32 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
EBACE 2012
KICK STARTING THE RECOVERY
Our shared purpose is the success of your trip.
Visit us at EBACE 2012, Exhibit #7080, to discuss your unique requirements and to learn how our solutions can help you achieve success. 14th - 16th May, Geneva, Switzerland Telephone +44 (0) 1279 665 212 • eurosales@univ-wea.com • universalweather.com
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PREVIEW
DISCUSS
From May 14-16, industry leaders will descend on Geneva to make connections and deals.
EBACE 2012
Like always, the exhibition will take place in the sprawling and state-of-theart Geneva PALEXPO, covering more than 100,000 square meters distributed in seven halls. Nearby at Geneva International Airport, more than 60 aircraft, including nearly every major business aircraft design in current production, will be on display in a special 18,000square-meter static display area. “Once again EBACE 2012 is gearing up to be a success,” notes Gabriel Destremaut, EBAA Manager, Convention and Special Projects. “Exhibitors are booking more space than ever and we’re on target to meet last year’s 500+ record.” Of course success can bring new challenges, for instance is EBACE in danger of losing the intimate character that sets it apart from some of the larger aviation shows? Or in other words, could EBACE become the victim of its own success? “You’ve got to put it in perspective,” says Destremaut setting the record straight. “We had over 12 000 attendees in 2011, which is less than half the number attending NBAA’s annual convention so I don’t think this is going to happen. There’s also the proximity to the static display: if you want to see the aircraft you just have to walk outside. Finally Geneva adds a special dimension to the show: it’s a safe city and right in the heart of Europe.”
we all know how fulfilling a Business Aviation career can be, so it’s great that the EBAA is spreading the word. Indeed, EBACE2012 marks the highpoint of a crucial year for the organization. Buoyed by the energy and fresh ideas of CEO, Fabio Gamba, the EBAA is making a renewed push to highlight the significance of Business Aviation to policymakers. It’s also an opportunity for Gamba to tackle the various challenges facing our industry. “We may be facing headwinds, but that means we must push harder against them,” said Gamba at the organization’s recent AGM. “We must demonstrate the significance of our industry. And we must use our expertise and influence to assist politicians and regulators as they weather the global crisis.”
More than just Sales Remember EBACE is more than just an opportunity to sell your product or service, it also offers an important educational dimension. The show is a must if you want to keep pace with the latest regulatory developments, or learn and connect with the industry’s top decision makers. Over the three days of the show there will be a range of information sessions, covering topics such as safety and environment, aircraft transactions and SESAR. Interestingly, there will be a session on Business Aviation as a career during the show. Selected students from a handful of schools will be able to meet professionals from various exhibiting companies. It’s a welcome initiative;
Industry Focal Point EBACE is a great opportunity to discuss the new EBAA initiatives. One example is the EBAA’s creation of an International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). The standard mirrors the sector’s successful International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), which is a recognized European Standard and has over 500 compliant operators registered globally. “The EU’s Ground Handling Regulation recast did not include airports of less than two million passengers, which is primarily the types of airport from which Business Aviation operates. Therefore we have anticipated the needs of our industry and developed up-to-date standards that are also
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aligned with the regulations,” explained Brian Humphries, EBAA President. “We will conduct our own quality and safety assessments of Fixed Base Operators and ground handling against this standard, enhancing both safety and customer experience to the benefit of all.” Another important initiative includes Business Aviation’s campaign to curtail illegal charter flight activity within Europe. It aims to discourage the operation of aircraft without a valid Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) or which are non-compliant with traffic rights. EBAA has published guidance for operators, brokers, passengers, politicians, authorities and regulators. Additionally, it was a recent guest presenter at the European Commission where it won the commitment of national inspectors and EASA to work together to devise solutions to prevent and repress illegal flights. Nobody is saying that Business Aviation will get an easy ride over the next couple of years, that’s why it’s imperative for the industry to join together to discuss and debate the best path forward. At EBACE you’ll have the opportunity to participate in the discussion. But let’s not forget the business side. EBACE 2012 will welcome visitors from five continents and many will be keen to see the new innovations and services that the industry has to offer. So if you haven’t done so already, get out your pencil and mark your calendars for May 14-16 and we’ll see you in Geneva.
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Design by Marc Newson, MN Aerospace Limited for Freestream Aircraft Limited Project Management by Freestream Aircraft Services
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More mobility for the world
17
PREVIEW
EBACE 2012
BOMBARDIER PROMOTES PRODUCT PIPELINE
face, which translates into reduced drag and an increased aerodynamic performance.” In addition, Cossette notes that the composite makeup of the airframe has cost benefits too: “Unlike metal, composite materials are less vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue, meaning operators can save on the need for maintenance.” We might also hear about the latest Learjet brand ambassador, as in early March Bombardier announced that it named top-ranked tennis champion Novak Djokovic as the latest addition to its ambassador line up. He now joins a roll that includes the likes of John Travolta, Frank Gehry, Valery Gergiev and Lang Lang. On the Global side, it’s all about economic and environmental efficiency. “Ensuring overall efficiency – both in terms of economics and the environ-
By Nick Klenske
Bombardier remains tight lipped about its EBACE plans, but one can speculate that the focus will be on its crowded product pipeline. According to Annie Cossette, Senior Advisor and Spokesperson, PR and Communications, Bombardier Business Aircraft, the Canadianbased company will be flying aircraft from its three product families Learjet, Challenger and Global onto the static. But beyond this, really all we can do is speculate Program Updates
REPORTS
We can expect significant news on the status of the Global 7000 and 8000 (top) and the progress on the Learjet 85 (bottom).
Considering that the company currently has three new jets in the works, one can expect considerable news on the status of the Learjet 85 and Global 7000 and Global 8000 programs. On the Learjet 85 side, Cossette says we can expect to see considerable progress in the coming months, which is good news as the 2013 entry into service date is quickly approaching. “The Learjet 85 will be the first business jet to feature a primarily composite airframe,” says Cossette. “The jet’s carbon fiber fuselage and wing structure creates an incredibly smooth sur-
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mental impact – played fundamental roles in the development of the Global 7000 and 8000 concepts,” says Cossette. The results of this focus are remarkable, as, according to Cossette, both jets offer a fuel efficiency that is up to 18 percent lower than the current large category leader. In terms of details, the Global 8000 is set to boast an unparalleled range of connecting Los Angeles to Sydney or Miami to Delhi – non-stop. Its 7000 sibling also comes with impressive range credentials, capable of connecting such city pairs as New York to Mumbai, Beijing to Washington and London to Singapore.
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PREVIEW
GLOBAL
Global Vision flight deck featured on the Global 5000 and Global 6000 (left). Bombardier VP Andy Nureddin shakes on line maintenance agreement with Qatar Executive VP Tilmann Gabriel (right).
Global Vision Although at press time Bombardier was yet to release any concrete news, we expect big news on the entry into service of the first Global Vision aircraft before the end of the First Quarter – so that will likely be a hot topic in Geneva. Bombardier had expected to certify the Global models in late 2011, with first customer deliveries in early 2012. However, during its fourth quarter earnings call, held in March, the company formally announced the hold, said the delay is not due to the aircraft itself, but rather is related to interior completions. The Global Vision flight deck will be featured on Global 5000 and Global 6000 jets. “The Global Vision flight deck is designed to deliver a completely new cockpit experience,” says Cossette. “By combining the best in technological advancements with superior designer aesthetics, it provides pilots flying Bombardier Global aircraft an unprecedented level of control and comfort.” Further, the Global Vision flight deck introduces the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite and features quite a list of state-of-the-art technology: four high-resolution 15inch diagonal active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCD) arranged in a T-shape working in concert with the Head-up Guidance System (HGS), personalized formats of display information, an electronic checklist, maps with graphical flight planning, an integrated cursor control panel, a Synthetic-Enhanced Vision System,
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EBACE 2012
paperless operation enabled by Dual Electronics Charts, a Future Air Navigation System (FANS), Controller-Pilot Datalink Communication (CPDLC), a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) and a MultiScan Weather Detection system. “Bombardier Aerospace and Rockwell Collins will be the first to certify synthetic vision on a head-up display (HUD) as part of the Pro Line Fusion avionics system on the Global Vision flight deck,” notes Cossette. Customer Service Last but definitely not least, Bombardier will also promote its everexpanding aftermarket service network for its business aircraft customers. Recently, the company announced the addition of a new Line Maintenance Facility in Qatar. Based at Doha International Airport, Qatar Executive, Qatar’s Airways’ Corporate Jet Division, will service Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Challenger 605 jets, along with the entire lineup of Global business jets. “Qatar Airways has built a successful business flying and maintaining Bombardier business jets under the Qatar Executive banner and they know our aircraft intimately,” says Éric Martel, President, Bombardier Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft. “Maintenance and repair services are central to a positive ownership experience, and we are extremely pleased to extend our relationship with Qatar Executive to
support the growing base of Bombardier customers in the Middle East.” This move is in line with the company’s commitment to adding a global service network to provide better service to its rapidly expanding global customer base. Including the Qatar center, Bombardier now has 57 Authorized Service Facilities and LMFs catering to Bombardier’s business aircraft customers. These centers are located across 28 countries and are supported by the company’s nine company-owned service centers based in North America and Europe. EBACE regulars will be custom to hearing about new service center openings, as Bombardier has been busy with expansion announcements. In fact, just over the past two years alone the company has granted a remarkable 11 new ASF and LMF designations, including the opening of its first wholly owned service center outside the North American market, at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Bombardier is further set to inaugurate a wholly owned business aircraft dedicated facility in Singapore in 2013. “Bombardier is committed to putting its customers first by offering the highest level of support as close as possible to their operational bases,” concludes Cossette. With its comprehensive product line, groundbreaking technology and growing service network – this isn’t hard to believe. Bombardier is located at booth # 7001
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©2012 Rockwell Collins. All rights reserved.
Pro Line Fusion® features an intuitive touch-screen interface and a compact head-up
Pro Line Fusion
display that lets pilots of light to midsize aircraft fly head-up and eyes-forward while
Eyes-forward intuitive touch-screen interface
simplifying their flight experience. And because it’s Ascend™-enabled, pilots have access to a global information network that helps them get to their destinations more efficiently. Only from one company. Learn more at rockwellcollins.com/prolinefusion.
Compact head-up display Globally networked mission-critical information
For a personal demonstration of Pro Line Fusion, visit us during EBACE, Hall 6, Exhibit 436.
19
PREVIEW Cessna demonstrated equal measures of courage and confidence when it first announced an updated replacement for the Citation X, the Citation Ten, and followed up rather fearlessly with the introduction of the Citation M2 and Latitude, last September and October, respectively. Jack Carroll reports.
T
he Citation Ten has been moving along on schedule since its introduction at NBAA in October, 2010 and in fact made its first flight in January. Since the Citation X is still being sold, it is technically on the list of models. When it enters service after certification, the count will be nine Citations, as the Ten replaces the Roman numeral version. For now, the Citation X is still the fastest business jet, at Mach 0.92, just tickling the sound barrier’s edge. The Ten may be a hair faster, but whether it will retain “the fastest” title depends upon the performance of the Gulfstream G650. As far as anyone can tell, the jousting jets are evenly matched in the speed department and it’s still a bit too early to quote odds. Performance improvements over the X include a slight speed increase to approximately 527 ktas and a 3,240 nm range. Runway length and ceiling remain at 5,140 ft. and 51,000 ft. respectively. Among other refinements, the 8-11 passenger Citation Ten will feature the new Garmin 5000 avionics suite, a 15inch cabin stretch, a new cabin design/configuration, Cessna’s new proprietary Clarity ™ cabin digital entertainment system and performance-boosting elliptical winglets. The Citation Ten is on track for FAA certification in mid-2013, followed by first deliveries in the second half of 2013.
SPEED
Awaiting the "TEN", at Mach 0.92, the Citation X is still the fastest business jet.
Positioning The Citation M2 And Latitude. In addition to the new entries, the Citation lineup covers just about every niche in the business aircraft spectrum. It includes the entry-level Citation Mustang—which recently passed the 400-delivery mark—and on
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EBACE 2012
CESSNA CITATION FAMILY GROWS TO TEN
up to the CJ 2+, 3, and 4; the XLS+, Sovereign and Citation X . If there is a missing niche, no doubt Cessna will invent one. Now about the two all-new models: The new Citation M2 is positioned between the Mustang and the Citation CJ Series. In fact, the M2 features the latest Garmin 3000 avionics, similar to those of the CJs. So which type of customer is most likely to own an M2? As Scott Ernest, Cessna’s President & CEO, explained in an earlier BART interview, “Our operators’ feedback
clearly indicated a market for a Citation with the speed, size and range of our new M2. We expect to attract customers who are new to the Citation family or, for example, Mustang owners looking for the next logical step up in our line, or CJ1+ owners who want a new, more advanced Citation.” Priced affordably for all it offers at $4.195 million USD, the M2 can comfortably carry two crew and six passengers at a maximum cruise speed of 400 KTAS and a range of 1,300 nm. A key ability of the M2 is to operate in and out of airports and runways as short as 3,250 feet. No slouch in the time-to-climb area, it will reach 41,000 feet in just 24 minutes. Powered by two of the latest versions of the Williams FJ44 engine, the FJ44-1AP21, each with nearly 2,000 pounds of thrust, the M2 will also have excellent “hot and high” performance. The new engines also allow more time between expensive overhauls, increasing from 3,500 to 4,000 hours;
the 500 additional hours amount to roughly a year’s worth of flying typical business aircraft missions, thus reducing the owner’s operating costs significantly. As a bonus, a number of options on other Citation models are standard on the M2, for example Weather Radar and a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS). And even wee winglets. What, you didn’t notice? Less than six months after introduction, the M2 prototype made its first flight on March 9th, so it’s safe to say the aircraft is on schedule to FAA certification in the first half of 2013, followed closely by initial deliveries in the second half, if all goes according to plan. As it surely should if the M2’s early first flight and Cessna’s past performance record are any indicators. Oh, yes, as to the first flight, as test pilots are wont to do, Peter Fisher, Cessna’s Engineering Test Pilot, said upon landing after the one and a half hour flight, “The aircraft’s overall per-
formance, handling characteristics and Garmin 3000 avionics were exceptional, just as we anticipated.” Excellent! (Our readers would expect nothing less.) Positioned between the Citation XLS+ and Citation Sovereign, the Citation Latitude features Cessna’s widest cabin ever at 6’5”, a flat floor and a 6’ cabin height. Its range was recently increased from 2,000 to 2,300 nm, precisely that of Embraer’s forthcoming Legacy 450. But of course, that could merely be a coincidence. Range aside, what should make the Latitude particularly attractive to customers is the spacious cabin, which measures 16 feet from the cockpit to the rear lavatory, has a flat floor and with its 6-foot height is considered a stand-up cabin; at least for passengers who are not taller than 6 feet. In any event, it’s a quite roomy cabin - as you will see at EBACE in mock-up form that should prove to be a crowd pleaser. As will be a price of just $14.9 million (USD). As to projected performance the Latitude can spring off a runway as short as 3,900 feet and climb direct to 43,000 feet in just 23 minutes and continue to destinations as distant as 2,000 nm. Up front in the cockpit, the Latitude is equipped with the Garmin 5000 avionics suite that features three 14inch LCD displays and four touchscreen control panels. The aircraft’s options include satellite weather and an ICAO Type 1A flight data recorder. The first flight of the Citation Latitude is scheduled for mid-year 2014, with entry into service expected in 2015. Cessna is located at booth #7081
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MAGNET
The Citation M2 (top left) will draw new customers to the Citation family says Scott Ernest, Cessna's President and CEO (top right). The M2 features a fully integrated Garmin G3000 avionics suite.
BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 41
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PREVIEW
EBACE 2012
DASSAULT STAYS AT THE CUTTING EDGE shipping, automotive and industrial engineering. At Dassault, CATIA allows designers simulate all levels of the manufacturing process, defining every aircraft c omponent , right down to cables and the fasteners. They analyze each part to see how it interacts with its surrounding parts - any prob lem s that aris e ar e q uick ly remedied.
By Paul Walsh
I DESIGN
Dassault s engineers are world leaders in the use of CATIA (top). Falcon 2000S featuring new inboard slats and winglets (center).
n a spacious Parisian office-space, 400 engineers and designers quietly put the finishing touches to Dassault’s latest business aircraft. Engineers test the avionics, while others analyze the landing gear –they’re working as if their project is almost completed. And in many ways it is: the parts are assembled, the cockpit is completed and the aircraft has been filled with fuel. However Dassault’s “so-called” super mid-sized (SMS) jet won’t fly this year and manufacturing won’t begin either. The aircraft exists, but only in the world of CATIA 3D design software an innovation with origins in Dassault Aviation, which has revolutionized the design process in industries such as
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The work bears fruit during the manufacturing phase, when technicians fit the aircraft’s pieces together as if it was a “giant 50,000 piece puzzle.” Dassault estimates that CATIA cuts assembly times in half and eliminates assembly problems altogether. And the software constantly evolves: at Dassault it gives engineers access to 3D representations of mechanical components and aircraft systems. The French manufacturer is clearly is proud of its role in CATIA’s development - speaking at length about how it’s helping them to build faster and more fuel-efficient aircraft. But, when it comes to the type of aircraft they are now building, Dassault maintains a veil of silence, announcing only that certification is due for 2016, with an official launch next year.
For almost everything else, we will have to wait and see. Indeed, it’s very unlikely that Dassault are working on a super mid-sized jet - we’re much more likely to see a larger aircraft emerge. The Falcon 2000S As engineers work on turning the ‘SMS’ concept into a reality, Dassault’s innovativeness continues in other areas. Last year the company launched the Falcon 2000S complete with inboard slats, high-Mach blended winglets and a new generation PW308C engine. The aircraft has just finished its first year of flight testing, accumulating nearly 300 flight hours in more than 100 flights. It’s due to be certified by the end of this year. “The Falcon 2000S flies so smoothly that many pilots will want to operate it manually,” said Jean-Louis Dumas, Dassault Flight test pilot, “We’ve found that the aircraft handles well in all aspects of the flight envelop while offering very large safety margins.” At M.80, the Falcon 2000S has a range of 3,350 nm (standard aircraft, 6 pax, NBAA IFR reserves, 85% Boeing Annual Winds). It will climb directly to 41,000 feet in 19 minutes, reach a midcruise altitude of 45,000 feet and offer a certified ceiling of 47,000 feet. The aircraft will also be able to land at 95% of its MTOW, or about 39,300 lbs, which enables it to tanker more fuel. Its approach speed is only 108 knots and this, combined with an advanced autobraking system, allows it to land at airports with steep approaches and shorter runways such as London City Airport. “We optimized the platform with a long list of standard options, cutting edge technology and industry leading features with the Falcon 2000S,” said John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. “Our proudest accomplishment, though, was designing an aircraft that burns 10% less fuel than aircraft 20% smaller while offering a very competitive price.”
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PREVIEW
LINKS
Dassault's technical ingenuity is enhancing its reputation in emerging markets. The company offers a FDM developed with CAE Flightscape, RUAG validating the data (top right).
Flight Data Monitoring Dassault’s ingenuity also trickles down to flight operations, indeed the company now offers a Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) service designed specifically for Falcon operators. Here’s how it works. After a flight, an operator downloads data such as acceleration, velocity, G-forces, and path from a Quick Access Recorder (QAR) and uploads it to a dedicated website. The results are online within minutes allowing the operator to identify unstable approaches and deviations from standard operating procedure. Dassault’s preferred partners in the project, CAE Flightscape and RUAG, validate the data and identify significant events that operators use to tailor training programs and optimize flight operations. In other maintenance news, Dassault Falcon’s owned service center (DFS) at Paris Le Bourget continues to see growing demand for maintenance ser-
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EBACE 2012
vices on both newer and legacy aircraft. The center boasts six dedicated Falcon hangars and has an average of 20 falcons in the workshops at any one time. Strong links with the Dassault’s production facilities have been crucial to the center’s success. Indeed, in the past 12 months, DFS has carried out a 7X wing replacement and a 7X forward fuselage replacement - jobs that could signal the scrap heap for other aircraft models. Not at Dassault, however. On both jobs, DFS technicians worked closely with Dassault’s production teams to get the job done on time for the customer. According to DFS General Manager, Jean Kayanakis, Dassault’s technicians used CATIA software to predict how the forward fuselage replacement would impact the aircraft’s overall structure, shaving an estimated three weeks off the turnaround time.
Global Reach Developments like these are enhancing Dasssault’s reputation not only in Europe but across the globe. Take India, where 20 Falcons are currently operating from airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. China is another growth market. “We sold our first new Falcon to China in 2006 and the market has now grown to become our largest for new aircraft orders, and the most promising,” said Rosanvallon recently. “Dassault Falcon continues to add to its sales and customer service teams and making significant capital investments in the country.” Dassault opened a new marketing office in Beijing in 2010 with a similar office opening recently in Shanghai. However in spite of all this global activity, Dassault isn’t in danger of neglecting its European roots. Dassault’s Head of Communications, Vadim Feldzer told BART that there are many signs of life, with renewed activity in Germany and Russia. Right now European owners are reluctant to trade up to a new jet, but as the market recovers, buying activity should increase. And in spite of lingering uncertainty, the French manufacturer is driving technological innovation at dizzying pace. European economies may be stagnating, but in Business Aviation a company like Dassault can´t afford to stand still. Dassault is located at booth # 7090
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Visit us at the
EBACE
Booth #1953
22
PREVIEW
EBACE 2012
EMBRAER AIMS FOR DOMINANCE Tulio Pellegrini is fully conscious of this gap, especially because this category now constitutes approximately 28% of worldwide business aircraft sales, but says that for the time being, Embraer has no short or medium time plans to fill it. Of course Embraer’s existing models are keeping their hands full. This year the manufacturer has already signed an
By Marc Grangier
AMBITION
Embraer will be a major Business Aviation player by 2015, says COO Marco Tulio Pellegrini (top). The mid-light Legacy 450 is on its way to certification (center).
W
ith a family of seven business jets, Embraer intends to be a major player in the Business Aviation market by 2015”. This is what Marco Tulio Pellegrini, Senior Vice-President Operations and COO Embraer Executive Jets, recently told BART. But with five business aircraft already flying and two more in production, couldn’t Embraer already claim to be a major player? Well it appears that the people at Embraer are modest Tulio Pellegrini points out that Embraer’s business aircraft portfolio still lacks the long range jet that would fit between the Legacy 650 and the Lineage 1000.
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agreement to sell three ultra-large Lineage 1000 to China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing Co. Overall it expects to deliver 75 to 85 light jets and 15 to 20 large jets, in 2012. Since 2002, the company has delivered a total of 500 business jets – 230 Phenom 100, 70 Phenom 300, 190 Legacy 600 and 650 and 10 Lineage 1000. Europe, Middle East and Africa According to Colin Steven, Embraer’s Vice-President Marketing & Sales for Europe, Middle East, the Brazilian manufacturer has significantly boosted its sales presence in EMEA, growing from four representatives in 2009 to seven in 2012. Future expansion expected in the near future, particularly in Southern
Europe, Scandinavia, Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Embraer also recently became a founding member of the new African Business Aircraft Association (ABAA), designed to encourage the growth of the aviation infrastructure within the region and influence the air regulators. Steven notes that Chinese investments in Africa have exceeded $85 billion since 2005, with all the new capital being spent on energy, transport and metals. Sooner or later these companies will need executive transportation, and Embraer want to be sure that they are in position to fill the void. Production Facilities On the production side, Embraer’s innovativeness continues unabated. Last December, it inaugurated its new customer center and Phenom 100 and 300 final assembly lines at Melbourne International Airport/Florida. In midmarch, it also announced the construction of an adjacent new facility which will employ at least 200 highly skilled engineers devoted to R&D for product and technology development across Embraer’s business lines, with an initial focus on executive jet interiors. Embraer will also construct two new industrial units at Evora/Portugal. These 15,000 square-meter new facilities will produce metallic and composite structures (mainly wings and horizontal stabilizers) for the Legacy 450 and 500. Legacy 450 and 500 The Legacy 450 and 500 are both well on their way to certification at the latest by 2014. Both aircraft boast a stand-up cabin (6ft – 1.82 m), and a flat floor, they have the best cabin volumes in their class, the largest windows and the best pressurization (6,000ft max.). They are also the only jets in their segments to offer a wet galley and also provide the biggest baggage capacity (110 ft3 – 3.11 m3 in the main compartment and 40 ft3 – 1.13 m3 in the internal compartment, which is heated and pressurized.
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PREVIEW
ADVANCED
The first prototype of the Legacy 500 was rolled out last December (top). The aircraft will be equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion Avionics (center).
The Legacy 500 competes with other super mid-size aircraft such as the Bombardier Challenger 300 or the Hawker Beechcraft 4000, with a range of 5,000 NM (LRC, 4 passengers, 2 pilots and NBAA IFR reserves). Its high cruise speed reaches M 0.82, with a take-off distance (MTOW, sea level, ISA) of 4,600 ft. Direct operating costs are estimated at 2,755 US$ per hour, lower than the two above-mentioned SMS aircraft according to Serpa. Regarding the mid-light Legacy 450, which will compete with the Citation XLS+, the Lear 45XR or the Cessna Latitude, or even the Gulfstream 150 in the mid-size category, it will have a range of 2,300 NM, a high speed cruise of M 0.82, a take-off distance of 4,000 ft and direct operating costs of 2,423 US$.
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EBACE 2012
One of the key advantages of these two new aircraft is their fly-by-wire flight control system, as they will be the only business aircraft below US$ 50M to offer FBW (Legacy 450 and 500 are both priced under US$ 20M). The Legacy 450 and 500 FBW will have only two modes of operation - normal and direct – and the integration between fly-by-wire and autopilot will provide improved comfort when flying under turbulent conditions. The closed loop control delivers more effective reaction than conventional autopilot systems, reducing aircraft oscillations in turbulence and enhancing passengers’ experience. During the development of the FBW system, a delay was caused by problems in the complex integration of the remote control units, but this was successfully solved. Performance is also enhanced by weight savings, not only with the flight controls system itself, but also with airplane structure, which can benefit from lower loads in specific areas due to built-in envelope protections and automatic compensations. Embraer has also elected to replace conventional yokes or sticks with sidesticks, which allows a more spacious and cleaner cockpit. Auto throttles are used instead of auto thrust – when engaged, throttles will move with thrust variations, and the rudder is controlled through conventional pedals. For Serpa, the FBW flight controls, together with the Rockwell-Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics, Synthetic Vision System
(SVS), Vertical Navigation (VNAV), Auto- Throttle, paperless cockpit capability and an optional Enhanced Vision System (EVS) and Head-up Guidance Systems (HGS), give these jets a unique flight deck. The Legacy 450 and 500 have a 98% systems commonality. The 500 is approximately 1.2 m longer than the 450 thanks to the adjunction of a fuselage section, and therefore differences relate to cables/tubes length as well as fuel system customizations. Both aircraft will be powered by Honeywell HTF 7500 E engines, with a max takeoff thrust of 6,540 lb, and will adopt the same engine hardware. There will be a common type rating for the two aircraft as both share cockpit layout and position of displays and controls; avionics functionality, architecture and philosophy, operational procedures, aircraft feel, handling and pilot techniques. The Legacy 500’s flight test program, the S/N 001 started taxi tests on March 13th. On March 9th, the wing to fuselage junction and power-on started on S/N 002, while fuselage junction started on S/N 003. Flight by wire development is on track for first flight during the third quarter of 2013. The 500 and 450 have already got the industry talking and prove that Embraer’s goal of being a major Business Aviation player by 2015, is well in sight. Embraer is located at booth # 7041.
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24
PREVIEW
EBACE 2012
By Paul Walsh
As we wait patiently for the impending recovery, Gulfstream s story is a bright spot on Business Aviation s horizon. Two new Gulfstream models, the G280 and G650, are spreading excitement through the industry and the Savannah based OEM is working night and day to get the planes to buyers by mid-2012.
I
ndeed the OEM is making progress on all fronts. Just look at the G280’s flight test program where three test aircraft have flown over 1,835 hours during more than 685 flights; they’ve completed the 100 percent rejected take-off test and finished all function and reliability activities.
GULFSTREAM EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS planes in the hands of our customers. The G650 is meeting our performance expectations.” Importantly the flight tests confirm that the G650 will give customers the range they need to complete demanding international business trips – think Dubai to New York or London to Buenos Aires - without the hassle of fuel stops. Put more precisely, Gulfstream’s flight-test data shows that the G650 can achieve 7,000 nm (12,964 km) at Mach 0.85 and 5,000 nm (9,260 km) at Mach 0.90. “Range and speed have become especially important in every market segment,” says Scott Neal, VP Sales and Marketing. “People are flying farther for business, and Gulfstream aircraft are well positioned to meet their needs.”
SCHEDULE
Gulfstream is working day and night to get the G650 (center) and G280 (opposite) to buyers by mid 2012.
And in test scenario’s the G280 is exceeding expectations: extensive flight testing showed that the aircraft flies 3,600 nm (6,667 km) with four passengers at Mach 0.80 with NBAA IFR reserves. This is farther than originally promised – and in addition to more range, the aircraft’s balanced field length has been reduced from 4,960 feet (1,512 m) to 4,750 feet (1,448 m). Not bad you might say, but then Gulfstream has always been something of a standard setter in the industry.
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Entry into Service Beckons Then there’s the G650; so far certification tests have confirmed its stall speeds and minimum control airspeeds. As well certification testing of its hydraulics, the fly-by-wire flight controls and its fuel system is completed. “We’re steadily moving through the test points required for FAA and EASA type certification,” said Pres Henne, Senior Vice President, Programs, Engineering and Test. “The closer we get to certification, the more excited we get to put these
Satisfying a Global Need Gulfstream was one of the first OEMs to recognize that Business Aviation’s center of gravity would gradually move to emerging market economies. The foresight has certainly paid off in Asian markets such as India, which is now home to 20 Gulfstreams. “We have been providing long-range transportation to India’s largest companies for decades,” says Roger Sperry, Regional Senior Vice
“The convenience factor alone of Gulfstream Beijing will help our Chinese customers lower their maintenance costs and increase aircraft availability,” notes Burns. Gulfstream Beijing, will consist of an 82,000-square-foot hangar and 22,000 square feet of offices and back shops. “When we induct the first aircraft for maintenance, customers will be delighted to find the same extraordinary level of service they have become accustomed to receiving from Gulfstream factory service centers outside of China,” says Burns. “In the long run, we see this expansion of our service capability as essential to maintaining our No. 1 position in the President. “Indeed we have facilitated that growth by enabling executives to move rapidly and easily from continent to continent.” He adds: “Our market in the Asia Pacific has been our fastest growing of recent years, today accounting for 27 percent of our aircraft-order backlog. We’ve been moving more product support resources into the region to support today’s operators and position ourselves for growth.” Customer Service Speaking of market leadership, it’s hard to overlook Gulfstream’s success in supporting the products it delivers. The manufacturer consistently gets top marks in BizAv customer support surveys. Right now, if an operator runs into a problem they can call Gulfstream’s tech-ops center directly and if necessary a Gulfstream technician can simulate the problem in a flight simulator as if he was in the cockpit with the pilot. Gulfstream also offers its PlaneParts cost-per-hour maintenance program for G150, G350, G450, G500 and G550 models and recently extended the program to the G650 and G280. The PlaneParts concept is simple. If an aircraft part is removed due to failure, life limit or wear, Gulfstream will replace it in exchange for monthly payments based on the aircraft’s model and age. The program also includes optional coverage for several aircraft systems installed during finalphase manufacturing, including water and waste, entertainment and in-flight information as well as others.
“Since we launched PlaneParts in October 2010, 100 Gulfstream customers have signed up,” said Mark Burns, President, Gulfstream Product Support. “This program provides them with the peace of mind that comes with predictable maintenance costs. We want to offer this high level of service to G650 and G280 operators.” The Network Continues to Grow Also - to keep pace with growing global demand Gulfstream is constantly expanding its service network. In February this year, it announced that it would be opening a business jet service center at Beijing Capital International Airport, in conjunction with Deer Jet and Grand China Aviation Technik making Gulfstream the first OEM to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services for its customers in China.
Chinese market in terms of market share and reputation.” Aside from East Asian growth, Gulfstream remains fully committed to Europe’s market potential. “We’re executing a strategy to sell and support aircraft around the world and Europe is a big part of that,” says Neal. “European companies that have interests extending beyond the continent will be more insulated from the general slowdown, so we’ll continue to invest; indeed right now we’re expanding our factory service center in Luton, England. Overall our strategy is simple: our market is worldwide; we need a worldwide presence and we’re investing accordingly.” Gulfstream is located at booth #7061
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NETWORK
Gulfstream is the first OEM to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services for its customers in China (center).
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EBACE 2012
ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
economists and third-party industry analysts agree the timing of that recovery remains uncertain.” Boisture noted that the company is taking advantage of this pause to “verify the value proposition of the aircraft in light of additional new technology that may be applicable to this already dominating platform”. He says that this evaluation could potentially result in a benefit to current order holders, as well as future buyers. Repositioning for the Future In general, the downturn hit Hawker Beechcraft particularly hard, with the company already having suspended its Hawker 400XP program due to slow sales a year earlier, and laying off nearly 800 workers in 2011. It is also interesting to note that, as of early February, the company replaced Boisture as CEO with Robert
By Nick Klenske
2011 came to a less-thanperfect close for Hawker Beechcraft. After much hype about its new Hawker 200 light business jet program (known originally as the Beechcraft Premier II), the company announced in December that the single-pilot aircraft was officially put on hiatus until further notice.
C PERSISTENCE
The nomination of Robert S. Miller as HBC CEO (bottom) is a good indication for the continuance of the company. Hawker 900XP and King Air 250 pictured.
iting the ongoing economy as the deciding factor, company Chairman Bill Boisture stated the program was at a “natural pause point”, noting that developmental testing was nearly complete and certification testing was, at the time, just starting. “This means we are well positioned to continue from this point when the time is right,” he said – without giving any indication of when that time may be. “As you are well aware, our industry is facing one of the most challenging markets in its history,” he stated in a letter addressed to employees. “The light jet segment has been particularly hard hit, and most manufacturers have made difficult decisions and are hopeful for a timely recovery. Unfortunately,
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S. ‘Steve’ Miller. However, Boisture remains as chairman. In a sense, this is good news coming from HBC. It was generally believed that Boisture was brought on board to put the company in an attractive position for being sold. But the appointment of Miller seems to indicate otherwise and that instead the company is positioning itself to wait out the recession and build for the long run. Besides, any financial advisor would be quick to point out that today’s market is anything but ideal for selling. “Bill is going to stay here and work with me as we approach the challenges in today’s depressed market,”
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says Miller. “I’ll be charged with looking at some of the financial challenges we are currently facing, and Bill will continue to focus on designing, building and selling great aircraft.” It’s interesting to note that in the early 1970s Miller played a pivotal roll in the turnaround of Chrysler and, from that experience, authored the book The Turnaround Kid: What I Learned Rescuing America’s Most Troubled Companies. Perhaps we’ll see a similar title coming from his experience at Hawker Beechcraft. In fact, we’re already seeing some indications of a turnaround. Boisture was quick to point out that, although the light jet market is struggling, other market segments are starting to show stability. “As a result of these indicators, we are increasing our turboprop and jet aircraft production rates to meet the market demand for 2012,” says Boisture. “Business Aviation still has an essential role to play in today’s economy, and we’re positioning our lineup to fill this role.”
DISPLAY
HBC will exhibit its flagship, the Hawker 4000 (left) and the light jet Premier 1A (right).
Great Aircraft, Great Show It is exactly this attitude of positioning itself for the future that Hawker Beechcraft will be bringing into Geneva. “EBACE is and has always been both a good and very important show on the Hawker Beechcraft schedule,” says Sean McGeough, HBC President, EMEA. “It is by far the best of the regional shows and, at least in my opinion, due to the sheer number of economic buyers in attendance, is the best show period.”
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EBACE 2012
“Although Hawker Beechcraft is looking at such developing markets as Brazil, China and India, Europe remains an important market for us,” he continues. “But the reality of the situation is that the global marketplace is tough and Europe is even tougher.” McGeough explains that last year Europe was the only stagnant, or nogrowth, market. “In 2011, Europe actually contracted, where other markets – including the North America market – saw at least some growth,” he says. “As a result, Hawker Beechcraft is expanding its focus from Europe to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.” “At Hawker Beechcraft, our strategy is market based,” says McGeough. Pointing to the Hawker 200 as an example, he notes that the industry is very much still in a downturn. “The upturn the industry envisioned isn’t happening as quickly as we thought.” “That being said, there are still positive signs, and we’ve positioned ourselves to emerge at the forefront once that long-awaited upswing begins.” McGeough says the company will be bringing its entire line up to the EBACE static, including: Hawker 4000: The company’s flagship boasts a composite fuselage and an impressive standard in terms of quality, performance and value within the super-midsize business jet class. It has a range of 3,280 nautical miles, a maximum Mach 0.84 cruise speed, and is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada FADEC-controlled engines and a Honeywell Primus EPIC avionics system.
Hawker 900XP: With its foundation in the best-selling Hawker 800 midsize lineage, the Hawker 900XP adds new Honeywell engines, winglets and a larger cabin – meaning increased performance, range, efficiency and comfort. Beechcraft Premier IA: Leading the light jet segment, the Premier IA combines speed, cabin size and efficiency with an updated interior, avionics and five year warranty. Beechcraft King Air 350i: Equipped with the Rockwell Collins Venue cabin management system and state-of-theart Beechcraft FlexCabin capability, the King Air 350i brings unprecedented cabin comfort, business capability, in-flight productivity and entertainment to the turboprop market. Beechcraft King Air 250: This next generation turboprop features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers that provide improved runway performance, range, speed and climb. It also comes with a ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the antiicing system is activated – meaning the King Air 250 is a high-performance, all-weather aircraft. Beechcraft King Air C90GTx: Equipped with such key enhancements as composite winglets and a cabin that is 50 percent larger than some very light jets, this aircraft seats up to seven and includes an in-flight accessible, heated and pressurized baggage storage area. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation is located at booth # 7060
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EBACE 2012
HONDAJET s HIGH HOPES
TEST
HondaJet's two conforming aircraft F1 and F2 will be joined by two additional flight test aircraft, the F3 and F4 later this year.
flight came on the one-year anniversary of flight-testing of the company’s first HondaJet. The third bird, known as “F2,” joined the flight test program on November 18, 2011. Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft´s CEO said, “The first flight of a flight test aircraft is an important milestone for an aircraft certification program, and the fact that we achieved F2’s first flight shortly after receiving its engines illustrates our team’s preparation and readiness.” F2 flew from the company’s world headquarters at Greensboro’s Piedmont Triad International Airport. The crew completed a variety of checks, including: takeoff and climb; landing gear operation; flap operations; aircraft handling; air data system checks with instrumentation; and an Instrument Landing System approach using the flight director. The pilots and telemetry teams said that
Honda Aircraft Company is pressing ahead with its certification program. Liz Moscrop delivers the word on the third bird.
T
SYNTHESIS
The HondaJet's concept combines high speed performance with high fuel efficiency says Honda's CEO Michimasa Fujino (center).
he Honda Aircraft Company stand is always an exciting place to visit at the European Convention and Exhibition (EBACE). Each year the model on the booth boasts new upgrades and there is a slew of interesting additions to the certification program. This year should be no different. Back in December 2011, Honda announced that it plans to begin flying two additional flight test aircraft, F3 and F4 this year, and to add structural test aircraft to its certification program. The aircraft subsidiary of US-based Honda Motor Company will likely also show off the design of its new Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Greensborough, North Carolina, which will encompass more than 80,000 square feet. In October the OEM announced that the design phase was due to be finalized in the first quarter of 2012, with construction scheduled to begin in quarter two. As we go to press there have been no updates, but Geneva will likely bear witness to the new plans. Occupancy is set
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to begin in the first half of 2013. This timing supports the HondaJet’s scheduled certification and entry into service in mid-2013. Expect updates, too, from its European sales and service center network offerings, and possibly news on a base for its European flight training operations. Flight-testing Back in December the OEM announced the first flight of the third FAA-conforming aircraft in the program, and announced milestones for the remaining test fleet. The third
the aircraft performed “quite well.” Honda has subsequently expanded F2’s performance envelope as the aircraft has begun its test mission work in earnest. Fujino added, “F2’s first flight was the result of extensive planning, hard work and execution by many teams and individuals across our organization and our supply chain partner network. The aircraft’s performance is as expected and flying in the aircraft is exhilarating.” The first conforming HondaJet, F1, which flew for the first time on December 20, 2010, had already
achieved key benchmarks that meet or exceed the aircraft’s designed performance goals. In March 2011, Honda said that the aircraft had achieved a maximum speed of 425 KTAS (489 mph) at 30,000 feet, sur-
Dan Lynch, President of the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance said, “Honda’s decision to expand its Greensboro facility validates the strength and vitality of our aviation cluster, and its plan to invest
European Presence
passing its performance commitment of 420 KTAS. The jet has subsequently achieved a climb rate of 4,000 feet per minute, beating its target of 3,990 FPM, and a maximum operating altitude of 43,000 feet. However, while the flight test aircraft are highly visible and vital to the manufacturer’s certification program, the structural test aircraft are just as essential to the project. Fujino explained, “In 2011, we made major progress on FAA structural component tests and entire aircraft structural tests with the second conforming aircraft, ST1, and we successfully completed all limit load tests for the aircraft structure.”
an additional $80 million and create 419 more high-paying jobs demonstrates Honda’s commitment to our community and to the entire State of North Carolina.” Fujino said, “After a rigorous evaluation of various site alternatives, we concluded that we could best serve our customers and complement HondaJet dealer service facilities by placing our MRO facility in North Carolina, where we are delighted to begin writing this next chapter of our growth.” Honda Aircraft will expand its already substantial presence at the Greensboro Piedmont Triad Airport (PTI) with the new facility, which will be an extension of its world headquarters campus. The OEM has leased 54 additional acres at PTI Airport, and the new facility will make use of 20 of these acres. With current and future expansion plans, Honda is leasing more than 130 acres at PTI. Today its R&D, manufacturing and headquarter buildings occupy more than 500,000 square feet of space on approximately 80 acres. “We have 180 aerospace companies in the state employing more than 9,500 workers, but Honda Aircraft Company is the crown jewel,” concluded Lynch.
The company has also teamed with FlightSafety International (FSI) to provide flight training in Europe. FSI is developing a Level-D full-motion flight simulator for the OEM. The first simulator will be installed in Honda’s headquarters, and a European location will be announced shortly. The regional facilities will be strategically located in close proximity to customers in the regions surrounding the U.K., Germany, and Spain. In the U.K, Honda is partnering with TAG Aviation at Farnborough Airport. Central European customers will go to Rheinland Air Service in Germany, while in Southern Europe; Honda has teamed with Aviastec in Madrid. This year showgoers looking at the latest developments would do well to heed what Fujino said back in 2008, “When I designed the HondaJet, I did not compromise performance and comfort. I did not compromise cost and quality. The concept for HondaJet was to offer both high PROGRESS speed performance and high fuel effi- Honda Aircraft ciency with superior comfort.” has made major progress on the Honda Aircraft Company is located HondaJet's at booth # 7021 structural ✈ component tests.
MRO Facility At last year’s National Business Aviation Association show, Honda, along with senior officials from the State of North Carolina and the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance, announced that it had selected Greensboro as the location for its new HondaJet MRO facility. The manufacturer will invest an additional $20 million to build the new venture, bringing its total capital investment for construction of its North Carolina facilities to more than $120 million.
At EBACE four years ago Honda announced that it would establish a European network of three HondaJetexclusive sales and service centers.
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EBACE 2012
BEST IN CLASS BUSINESS AVIATION TRAINING
TodayÂ’s Business Aviation training providers offer more realistic situations than ever before. Liz Moscrop reports on why business is booming. LEADER
FlightSafety International's Farnborough center provides a full range of pilot development courses as well as JAA training.
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hat would you do if you were flying a twin-engine business jet into Farnborough Airport and one of the engines went out on final approach? Fortunately pilots today get to practice such scenarios from the comfort and safety of advanced simulators. This gives them a much better chance of getting plane and passengers safely down to the ground.
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One of the big names in the Business Aviation training industry is FlightSafety International, which offers training for pilots of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, maintenance technicians, flight attendants and dispatchers. The company provides training for most OEMs, including: Bell, Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer, Eurocopter, Fairchild, Gulfstream, Hawker Beechcraft, Piaggio, Pilatus, and Sikorsky. FSI has centers worldwide, but European customers will most likely head to Farnborough or Paris. Farnborough provides a full range of pilot development courses as well
as JAA training. Simulators on site include: Beechjet 400A, Cessna Citation Excel, II, Bravo, Mustang, Sovereign #2, CJ2, Bombardier Dash 8-400 Series #2, Gulfstream G550/450, Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 750, 800XP #2, King Air 200 Series and the Sikorsky S-92. Over in Le Bourget the FlightSafety / Falcon Training Center offers training on the Cessna Citation II, Citation V, Embraer EMB120, ERJ135/145 #1, ERJ135/145 #2, ERJ170/190 #1, the Dassault Falcon 10/100, Falcon 20, Falcon 2000, Falcon 2000EX EASy, Falcon 50, Falcon 900 and Falcon 900EX EASy variants.
In March FSI announced that it had seen increased demand from Middle East customers , which might hint at an EBACE announcement that the company will set up shop somewhere in the region. Scott Fera, VP, Sales and Marketing said, “We have experienced a significant increase in demand for our services in the Middle East and surrounding region.” He added, “The
grams and services that meet the specific needs of our customers.” FlightSafety has also invested in 14 new Level D- simulators that will be installed at FlightSafety Learning Centers this year and next. New aircraft coming online include: the AgustaWestland AW139, Bombardier Challenger 605, Global 5000 and Global 6000, Embraer Legacy 450 and
investments we are making in new programs and simulators throughout our network of learning centers, are expected to increase our presence in this important area.” FSI says it provided more than 2,000 training events to customers from the Middle East in the past year. These include pilot, maintenance, flight attendant and dispatch training for operators of a wide variety of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Moreover, the company says that training has increased significantly since 2007. Cessna aircraft programs were up by 26%; Embraer 92%; Gulfstream 22%; Sikorsky 84%; and maintenance training was up by 30%. Customers from the region train today in Asia, Europe and throughout North and South America. Demand increased the most from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, and Turkey. Fera said, “As with all regions of the world, we continuously measure the current and expected future demand for our training services and add new programs and locations as appropriate to ensure that we offer access to conveniently located, high quality training pro-
650, Falcon 900LX, Gulfstream G280 and G650, HondaJet, Pilatus PC-12 and Sikorsky S-76D. Earlier this year the training provider announced that it had expanded its service for helicopter operators. Over the last five years the company has built a dedicated helicopter learning center in Lafayette, Louisiana, equipped with Level D qualified simulators for Sikorsky S-76C+/C++ and S92 helicopters, and Level 7 qualified flight training devices (FTDs) for the Bell 206B/206L and Bell 407. FlightSafety also added Level D Sims for the Eurocopter EC135 in Dallas, Texas; the Sikorsky S-76C+/C++ in West Palm Beach, Florida; the Sikorsky S-92 to its Farnborough facility, and a Level 7 qualified flight-training device for the Eurocopter AS350 in Tucson, Arizona. The company has also installed its VITAL X visual system on all of its helicopter simulators and FTDs. Visual database enhancements include a model of New York City, imagery specific to medevac operators, and scenes for offshore operations, such as heliports in the Gulf of Mexico and highly detailed oil platforms.
Training today is focused very much around practical scenarios and case studies of real life events. Jeff Roberts CAE’s Group President, Civil Simulation Products, training, and services said, “We practice specific situations that have actually occurred. For many of our clients we create and develop line oriented real time situational awareness and tailor training around that.” This means lots of time spent outside the simulator and in the classroom, where students pick an incident apart. Roberts continued, “We put a situation in front of a class and get them to look at the decision making at critical parts of the event. We reconstruct the story and ask, ‘what would you do?’” This frequently throws up many different ways that students could have tackled the situation, and helps them to think of ways of handling a crisis successfully should such a situation occur. Training providers will also present situations actually in the simulator, so students can ‘fly’ their way out of danger. With a network of training centers that spans across four continents – North America, South America, Europe, and Asia – CAE trains more than 75,000 crewmembers every year in every segment of aviation. The company also builds and develops Level-D full-flight simulators. Although there is no restriction on where students can train, the most likely venues for Europeans are Amsterdam, Burgess Hill (in the UK) and Emirates-CAE joint venture in Dubai, although the company’s Brussels center offers training on the Dornier 328. Located near Schiphol Airport, CAE’s Amsterdam training centre offers a full package of services and has simulators for Boeing B737NG, Bombardier Challenger 300 and 604 and Fokker F100 F-50 F-70 types. CAE’s Burgess Hill training center is south of London in West Sussex. The facility houses 13 civil and business full flight simulators (FFS), with capacity to grow to 16. Burgess Hill offers training on Airbus, Bombardier, Dassault, and Embraer variants. CAE describes it as an “anchor” location in the Airbus-CAE cooperation, and the center offers Airbus A320 and A340 training. It has recently added Bombardier Lear 40, Lear 45, and Lear 45XR training, and also offers Global
SPECIALTY
Flight simulators at the Flight Safety Falcon Training Center in Le Bourget cope with the full range of Dassault Falcons.
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EBACE 2012
5000, and 6000 programs. Dassault Falcon pilots can train on the Falcon 900 EX EASy, Falcon 2000 EX EASy, and Falcon 7X aircraft platforms. The UK venture is also the European base for Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 training as part of the Embraer CAE Training Services joint venture. Burgess Hill recently added the Cessna Citation II to its offerings, and offers Citation XLS training. Over in Dubai, UAE, Emirates-CAE Flight Training is the result of CAE and Emirates joining forces to offer training to operators in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The center offers training on Airbus ACJ (A320), Bell 212 Bell 412, Boeing BBJ (Boeing 737NG), B777-200, Bombardier Global 5000, and
CURRENT
CAE simulators come with visual airport databases that change constantly to keep up with changing airport environments.
shortly Challenger 604 and 605 types. It also offers Dassault Falcon 7X, 900EX EASy, Falcon 2000EX EASy, Gulfstream G IV, G V, G450 ,G500, G550, and Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 750XPi, Hawker 800, Hawker 800XP, Hawker 800XPi, Hawker 850, Hawker 850XP, Hawker 850XPi, Hawker 900XPi variants. Mubadala Aerospace and Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) also announced last year that they would establish an advanced helicopter synthetic training
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facility in Abu Dhabi. Mubadala subsidiary Horizon Flight Academy (Horizon), has signed a contract for a CAE 3000 Series FFS for the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. H.E. Nader Ahmed Mohammed Al Hammadi, ADA’s chairman said, “ADA is the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East and we are delighted to be partnering with Mubadala Aerospace to develop additional training capabilities for the region.”
Both FSI and CAE ensure their trainees work through the toughest scenarios, particularly at the most critical phases of flight. CAE’s Roberts said, “The most common idiosyncrasies occur during the arrival or departure sequences. We also train pilots to deal with abnormal normal processes, hot and high or cold weather, or a systems malfunction. We look at incidents that occur round the world and use these.” Naturally flight attendant training is high on the agenda for private aviation firms. The big two offer several such courses. Cabin crews have to be well versed in safety, as well as different cultures. However, what to eat on board is also important. To this end the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition is running a conference session on catering at its annual show. Specialist private aviation catering firm Alison Price on Air is fielding chef Daniel Hulme, its inflight director to talk about the importance of what food to serve and how it is presented during flight. People on a business trip want to eat healthily, and Hulme will offer suggestions on how to go about that. So training on all aspects of a corporate flight is a serious issue. In the unlikely event of a bumpy landing at Farnborough, rest assured the crew will have been through it several times before.
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30
PREVIEW EBACE always brings forth plenty of interiors announcements. A swathe of the worlds top design and completions houses will also be on site promoting what they offer. Liz Moscrop looks at what makes for a comfortable ride.
EBACE 2012
AIRCRAFT INTERIORS TO SHINE AT EBACE
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he world’s top bizjet designers understand what is required on board a business jet. For most owners the cabin is simply an extension of their lifestyles elsewhere – their offices, or their homes. This means in today’s environment there has to be a place to work. Inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) is a necessity. Preventative Measures
SPECIALISTS
Lufthansa Technik specializes in customized interior solutions (top). Completion facility at Jet Aviation Basel accommodates Boeing and Airbus.
Michael Bork, aircraft interior architect in Germany’s Lufthansa Technik (LHT) said, “A state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment and cabin management system is a “must have” on board VIP and VVIP aircraft. Thus, our innovation center in Hamburg is investing a lot of time and money to develop and offer customized solutions, like our “nice HD” system. Additionally, IDAIR, our joint venture with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, merges the depth of knowledge and expertise of two industry leaders to develop and provide new solutions to VIP customers worldwide.”
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Switzerland’s RUAG Business Aviation understands the need for state of the art IFEC systems on board aircraft. The company’s core competencies are maintenance services, however, RUAG also offers cabin refurbishment, up to and including complete redesign of the aircraft interior, as well as system upgrades on inflight-entertainment systems. It also offers satcom installations as well as avionics systems, and VIP aircraft painting. This allows the company to provide a full service-portfolio at one single downtime. Last summer the firm also set up a central AOG support center for its four sites at Geneva, Lugano, Bern and Munich.
To prevent problems at a later stage, working intensively with designers and completions houses from the outset is an essential part of the aircraft interiors creation process. Basel’s Jet Aviation takes a consultative approach to its work. Elisabeth Harvey manager interior design explained, “After initial discussions we draw up plans, which we turn into renderings and even a full size mock up if required.” Jet Aviation Basel announced earlier this year that it had selected Rockwell Collins’ venue high definition cabin management system (CMS) as a retrofit option on a narrow-body Boeing Business Jet (BBJ2). Dave Austin, Collins’ Vice President and General Manager, cabin systems said, “Venue has quickly become the most selected HD cabin system in all market segments, with more than 120 installations ranging from turboprops to large VIP jets, and Jet Aviation’s selection of it further supports its popularity.” Neil Boyle, VP Completions Center at Jet Aviation Basel added, “An important part of Jet Aviations’ completions strategy is to be the front runner in high quality cabin technology and outfitting. Part of this strategy is to provide our customers with a CMS that supports the wide variety of advanced audio and media applications and systems.” Fellow Swiss management, charter and outfitting firm Comlux has a VIP cabin completion center in
EXPERTS
RUAG offers cabin refurbishment and system upgrades on in-flightentertainment systems (left). Gore Design Completions have extensive experience in head-of-state and wide-body business aircraft worldwide (right). Indianapolis USA. Head designer of Comlux Creatives Tim Callies recently worked on an Airbus ACJ319 that the company operates under management contract for an undisclosed customer in Russia. The ultra spacious ACJ319 cabin is certified for 19 passengers. The main room offers a VIP lounge with L-shaped divan, two club seats and a large dining table for six guests. At the front of the cabin, a fully private compartment offers a large bedroom with two beds completed by a dedicated bathroom with shower. The cabin features also a first class seating area at the back for the guests of the principal. Callies said, “A shower is important. Most people have a shower they don’t use, but like one on board just in case. Often people request a dining area, or an office that can also be a comfortable area where everyone can sit together.” LHT’s Bork elaborated on what people want most. “Showers of course, plus: living rooms, master and guest bedrooms, nice bathrooms, lounges, dining and conference areas, etc. The possibilities are only limited by the size of the aircraft and the budget. Customers ask for whatever configuration you can imagine” He explained that he viewed LHT”s interior architects’ job as being “to balance all wishes, tasks und functions into a perfect layout and design, so our customers get their perfect aircraft.” San Antonio, Texas-based Gore Design Completions also believes that interiors are far from average - each being uniquely designed. Jeff Potter, Director of Business Development
said, “We customize the aircraft to the owner’s specific request.” He explained that most people look for comfort on board. Gore does all its interiors work in house and has a selfsupporting manufacturing shop on site with capabilities for cabinetry and sheet metal, parts fabrication as well as a complete machine and upholstery shop. Refurbishment For customers who do not want to wait three years for a new aircraft, refurbishment is proving an increasingly popular option. Companies such as Canada’s Flying Colours have cornered the market in highend revamps. Sean Gillespie, Director Completion Sales and Management said, “We are experiencing an increased demand for midsize business jet refurbishments.” The Ontario-based company has experienced a steady growth in orders since the beginning of the first quarter with particular demand focused on the Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Falcon 900 and Hawker 800 models. Gillespie added, “We have seen a big increase in mid-size refurbishments from both corporate and private owners who are looking to re-enter the aviation market. Other clients are completing refurbishments that have been planned but put on hold over the recession. We are currently working on a total of ten mid-size jet projects and our backlog is starting to build with another four complete projects in the pipeline.”
Completions houses sometimes get so busy that they outsource to third parties, such as Yankee Pacific subsidiary Cabin Innovations. The firm offers engineering and production personnel, and has supplied over 200 interiors for Bombardier Challenger and Global aircraft, as well as extensive custom cabinetry and mechanical systems support for Airbus A318/319/320/340 and Boeing 727/737/747/767/777 VIP completions. In addition the company has provided staff for specialized projects for small and mid-size cabin aircraft such as Piaggios, Cessnas, Hawkers and Falcon Jets. EBACE will doubtless yield more exciting interior announcements. Keep your eyes peeled for news from the IFEC sector especially.
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LEADER
Yankee Pacific subsidiary Cabin Innovations (above) has supplied over 200 interiors for Bombardier Challenger and Global aircraft.
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31
AVIONICS
PREVIEW EBACE 2012
AVIONICS PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF INNOVATION
FAR-OUT
Esterline CMC Electronics will be promoting its SmartDeck integrated avionics suite (top) at EBACE this year. ARINC Direct will be promoting its new iPad app.
The EBACE event in Geneva, which is being held on May 1416 2012 this year, is usually a great showcase for avionic products and upgrades for the business aircraft community. The world s leading companies are all exhibiting this year. But what will they be demonstrating or displaying? Steve Nichols takes a closer look.
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P
erhaps better known for its aircraft maintenance and flight services products, ARINC launched a new iPad cockpit app for pilots at NBAA in Las Vegas last year. The free app, which features on the Apple iTunes web store, gives pilots access to their flight plans, weather, NOTAMS and charts on their ARINC account. Updates while airborne can be uploaded via Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband 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. Meanwhile, Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) says it will promote its new SmartDeck integrated avionics suite and PilotView electronic flight bags (EFB), SureSight enhanced vision system (EVS) sensors, and intermediate-gain satcom antenna. SmartDeck was selected recently by Evektor of the Czech Republic for the multipurpose EV-55 Outback aircraft. The advanced design and scalability of the SmartDeck cockpit will support
the additional features required for the special mission versions of the EV-55. The FAA-certified SmartDeck system offers an intuitive user interface that increases the ease and accuracy of flight management, and significantly streamlines flight operations. Its advanced architecture supports scalability to various types of aircraft. It also provides the growth capability to meet continuously evolving air traffic management requirements and support maintainability - all of key importance to owners and operators. CMC recently launched a powerful second-generation processor for all its certified Class 2 PilotView EFB products. The new Intel Dual Core i7 processor seamlessly enables a wide range of advanced software applications. The state-of-the-art processor delivers high-end graphics capabilities for all of CMC’s EFB products – for both new products as well as the retrofit of fielded units with full form and fit interchangeability. Certified for Class 2 and Class 3 usage, more than 25 STCs are available for the PilotView EFB on aircraft ranging from the Gulfstream GlV/GV, the Bombardier Challenger and Global Express/XRS, to the Boeing 737. CMC also recently delivered its 500th SureSight EVS sensor. The SureSight CMA-2600 sensor is in operation on multiple aircraft platforms, including the Bombardier Global Express and Global 5000, the Dassault Falcon 900, 2000 and 7X, and the Boeing Business Jet. The third-generation SureSight CMA-2700 sensor, which received Type Certification in November 2011, offers the highest resolution available for an EVS sensor and four times the resolution of currently certified systems. This sensor was selected for the Bombardier Global aircraft with the Global Vision Cockpit and the Bombardier Challenger 605. Flight Display Systems (FDS) of Georgia, USA, manufactures in-flight entertainment products and cabin management systems, including moving maps, high-definition LCD monitors (5” to 52”), monitor mounts, iPod docks, Blu-ray/DVD players, and flight view cameras.
suite for Part 25, larger business jets and commercial aircraft. Cessna was the first aircraft manufacturer to announce selection of the G5000, choosing it for the Citation Ten business jet. The G5000 is designed specifically for crew-flown turbine aircraft and combines a dual multi-sensor flight management system (FMS), touchscreen vehicle management units, and multi-pane cockpit displays. The G5000 widescreen displays with touchscreen controls give pilots more useful information at their fingertips than ever with worldwide weather, synthetic vision, aircraft synoptics and electronic flight charts all being available. The G5000 cockpit features WXGA high resolution, wide aspect ratio (12-
ADVANCED
The Garmin G5000 comes with a dual multisensor flight management system (top). Honeywell's Falcon 900EX Easy Primus Epic cockpit feature large liquid crystal flat panel displays (center).
It recently received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as a Part 145 maintenance organization. This approval supplements an existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification and allows Flight Display Systems to provide form 8130-3 Dual Release (EASA/FAA) on all service work performed on products listed in the FAA Repair Station’s Approved Capability List. On display will also be FDS’s moving map displays, Select cabin management systems, and range of mounting arms, including those for the iPad. Garmin says it will once again feature its G5000 integrated avionics inch or 14-inch diagonal) primary flight displays (PFD) and multi-function displays (MFD). These can also accommodate video inputs from infrared enhanced vision system (EVS) sensors or video cameras. Garmin also offers a new G1000 glass cockpit retrofit for Hawker Beechcraft King Air 300/350s. The glass cockpit system includes two, 26.4cm (10.4in) primary flight displays and a 38.1cm multifunction display. It will also display its G600 all-glass Flight Display System, which is ideal for retrofit. And its new GTN 750 - a fully integrated GPS/NAV/COMM solution with touchscreen controls and a large display giving you access to high-resolution terrain mapping,
INTUITIVE
Rockwell Collin's Proline Fusion features touchscreen primary and multi-function displays.
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32
AVIONICS
PIONEERING
Universal Avionics will demonstrate the UNS-1Fw FMS, along with a range of other avionics equipment.
graphical flight planning, geo-referenced charting, traffic display, satellite weather and more. H o n e y w e l l will be showing its range of upgrades, including retrofits, modifications and upgrades to engines, avionics and communication systems. It will have a Dassault Falcon 900EX on the static park and indoors expect to see its Primus Epic integrated avionics solution, as featured in the recently FAA-certified Embraer Legacy 650. Featuring large liquid crystal flat panel displays, its liquid crystal displays are scalable, allowing charts, maps, and electronic engine instrumentation images to be resized for easier viewing with both 2D and 3D graphic models. Its Primus Elite flight deck features liquid crystal displays and is available as a retrofit or forward-fit application. It also expects to show its improved DU-885 display as fitted as part of the PlaneDeck enhancement for Gulfstream GIV and GV aircraft upgrades. The DU-885 flight deck upgrade provides growth capabilities for future communication, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) functions, including WAAS-LPV, RNP, FANS1/A, and ADS-B (ln).
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PREVIEW EBACE 2012 It will also be featuring its safety products, including SmartLanding and SmartRunway. SmartLanding helps reduce the risk of runway excursions by alerting crew members during the landing process if they are going too fast, if they are too high or if they are outside their landing procedures. Rockwell Collins will be showcasing its Pro Line Fusion integrated flightdeck at EBACE. Featured will be the touchscreen primary and multifunction displays, plus visitors can see the synthetic vision systems demonstrated on a head-up display. It is now much easier to put flight plans onto the Pro Line Fusion system as well. Pro Line 21 will also feature highly as well. It is a family of flexible avionics system solutions designed for a wide range of aircraft and missions, both as forward and retro fit. Rockwell Collins Venue high-definition cabin management system will also be a key feature at the show. It now features touch screens and can be controlled via an iPad app, downloadable from Apple. Passengers are able to download and install the app, connect to the cabin’s Wi-Fi system and instantly take control of Venue as they board. Venue delivers entertainment technology, incorporating new digital, high-definition audiovisual capability, 16:9 displays, new media centre devices and software-programmable switch panels. Rockwell Collins will also be promoting its flight planning services. With a new Berlin office, it says it is providing even more support and commitment to its European customers. Finally Universal Avionics will announce the FAA TSO approval of its new airborne data link communication system, the UniLink UL-800 and UL-801 Communication Management Units (CMU). UniLink UL-800/801 offers full ACARS and Communications Management Unit (CMU) Functionality. The unit is LINK 2000+ provisioned for the upcoming equipage mandate issued by EUROCONTROL. UL-800/801 represents
Universal’s third-generation data link communications system. With emerging datalink mandates and the approval of Iridium for its use, customers are actively searching for solutions to meet their needs. Universal Avionics UniLink system is a full-featured system meeting the needs of exceedingly complex Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment. The first customer installation of UniLink, in a Falcon 50 aircraft, is expected to receive FAA STC approval. This installation will be the first installation of UniLink UL-80X with operational approval for Future Air Navigation System (FANS). The UniLink UL-800 and UL-801 is Future Air Navigation System (FANS) enabled to support aircraft flying on the North Atlantic Tracks as well as European airspace, where mandates for FANS compliance are upcoming. (Aircraft equipped for FANS are exempted from the LINK 2000+ mandate). It is compatible with ACARS VDL Mode 2, which is a high-speed and high-capacity digital communications network providing up to 20 times the message capacity of today’s commonly used Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). Use of VDL Mode 2 tends to be more cost effective than ACARS as service providers encourage its users to transition to the new network. Its increased speed and capacity supports Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), in which pre-defined sets of text-based instructions and messages replace routine voice communications thereby alleviating ATC radio congestion. The UniLink units are therefor a major step forward for Universal Avionics in terms of future-proofing its products. Universal will also be showing its wide range of avionic equipment, including high-definition cockpit displays, TAWS, Vision-1 Synthetic Vision system, plus communications equipment.
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G1000 retrofits for the KinG Air now hAve europeAn ApprovAl
Fly a G1000 all-glass flight deck in a King Air 200 and soon in a 300/350. Available through a top-level network of installation centres, this upgrade suite combines “dual-everything” avionics with integrated FMS through our Garmin digital autopilot. Optional SVT™ synthetic vision adds 3D situational awareness and other notable highlights include satellite-guided WAAS/EGNOS LPV approach capability, highly-detailed moving maps, electronic charts, SafeTaxi® diagrams, Garmin ESP™ stability augmentation, class B TAWS terrain alerting, RVSM compliance*, proven digital AHRS and onboard radar. Plus, optional Iridium-based worldwide weather service† with available voice, text messaging and global data link capability.
Ebace Hall 5 1775 garmin.com/intheair
FOLLOW GARMIN UK
* RVSM applies to King Air 200 and 300/350 models only. † Uses optional GSR 56 Iridium network transceiver (subscription required).
Integrated glass CoCkpIt • eFIs solutIons • gps/naV/CoM • MFd • audIo panels • traFFIC • Mode-s • ads-B • portaBle gps • lIght sport aVIonICs
33
PREVIEW
EBACE 2012
ENGINE OEMs STILL WORKING THEIR MAGIC
By Jack Carroll
T
GREEN
Engine OEMs are producing more power with less emissions, Rolls-Royce's BR710 (left), Snecma's Silvercrest (right).
he engine OEMs must have more wizards on staff than in Harry Potter books the way they continue to solve the myriad problems posed by their demanding customers, who want more, more, more and in the same breath less, less and still less. Customers want more power from lighter, smaller engines, yet at the same time reduced operating costs through increased fuel efficiency, while helping save the planet by spewing out fewer emissions of all types. Well the engine makers are doing just that for business aircraft OEMs and their needy customers every day; and along the way crafting some certified miracles. While we can’t get into all the techniques they’re using–we’d run out of space–we can provide a summary/update on the engine makers, though there are few “breaking news” to be found at this point as all engines have notoriously lengthy ges-
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tation periods. But that’s all part of an industry-wide “safety first” tradition. So, what are the engineers and their alchemy up to these days? Which engines are powering which aircraft? Snecma Silvercrest We’ll begin with Snecma’s “Silvercrest” engine, nicely-named but surprisingly silent of late. It has been estimated by “industry sources,” that over $100 million–a reasonable amount, considering Snecma was starting from scratch - has been invested in the program to date, which includes creating a core engine demonstrator, which by all accounts from Snecma was successful in every aspect during over 80 hours of the toughest testing, including maximum takeoff speed and temperature redline. All core components were inspected after testing and after a stringent analysis of all test data, Snecma’s conclusions were that the Silvercrest’s performance exceeded the company’s initial goals by significant margins.
Mandates were a 15 percent fuel burn reduction, as compared to similar engines in its 9,500 to 12,000 lbs thrust category, a 50 percent NOx reduction over the ICAO CAEP/6 standard as well as much smaller noise print up to 20 EPN decibels less than Stage 4 requirements. That was a great start and the Silvercrest engineers could well have slapped themselves on their collective backs if no one else was around to do it. The Silvercrest was designed to develop 9,500 to 12,000 lbs of thrust, to power super-midsize to large cabin business jets as well as 40-60 seat regional airliners. It’s major selling points are: a simplified architecture, reduced parts count to cut maintenance costs and lower specific fuel consumption, as well as a combination of reduced noise and emissions. We hope to see a news release sooner or later. Might the Silvercrest be chosen for a long-rumored business aircraft project, we hope? Will there be an announcement at EBACE?
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce concentrates on the commercial airline industry for its main source of revenue, but it allocates quite a bit of effort and energy to the Business Aviation sector as well. And being Rolls-Royce, the company focuses on the upper end of the market; the heavy iron aircraft, if you will. In fact, the latest member of the BR700 series, the BR725, producing 16,100 lbf, was selected to power Gulfstream Aerospace’s flagship, the G650. Certified by the FAA in 2009, the BR725 propelled the G650 to Mach 0.995, thus challenging the current speed superiority of the Citation X. First deliveries of the G650 are scheduled by year end and with about a 200 order backlog, we’re looking at some 400 BR725 for Rolls-Royce to produce. Rest assured, they have a very good start on that number. Back to the BR 700 series, the BR710, with a 14,000-23,000 lbf, serves on the Gulfstream G500 and G550 as well as the Bombardier Global Express. According to a Rolls-Royce spokesman, all the latest Rolls-Royce models have emissions and noise levels that are well below current regulations and have the capability to meet future, more stringent requirements.
The most recent member of the popular Tay 611 series is the 611-8C with 13,850 lbf. It powers the latest G350 and G450 business jets. It features a wide chord fan with a wellproven chore and a new digital electronic engine control system. Electronic control of the Tay611-8C allows it to be integrated into the new systems architecture of the G350 and G450, as well as reducing fuel consumption, compared with earlier versions of the engine. In 2011, the Tay 611-8C engine received CAEP6 certification.
An earlier version, the Tay 611-8 was chosen for the Gulfstream IV, which was, with some 450 Tay-powered units sold, the most successful large cabin aircraft in the world at the time. Small wonder why Rolls-Royce is so loyal to the Gulfstream family, and vice versa. Moving down the line, the AE 3007, in the 8,000 lbf class, provides the impetus behind over 900 Embraer regional jets and its large-cabin Legacy 600 business jet, as well as the Citation X. The Tay family accounts for nearly 2,000 engines in service, which have accumulated over 30 million flight hours.
Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney Canada has more than 48,000 engines in service worldwide, which is quite a credential. The ongoing news at P&WC continues to be the development of the PurePower (tm) PW800 and PW1000G advanced turbofan engines; the latter mainly for airliners. The PW800 is in the 9,000 to 16,000 lbs thrust category and best estimate for its entry into service is 2014. The PW300 turbofan series, in the 4,500 to 7,000 lbs thrust class, consists of nine models, with nearly 3,000 examples produced, accounting for some 7,000,000 flight hours. PW300s power Bombardier’s Learjet 60 and forthcoming Learjet 85, the Citation Sovereign, Falcon 2000 DX, 7X and Gulfstream G200. As an aside, the PW308 will power Burt Rutan’s “White Knight” launch aircraft for rocket-propelled Space Tourist Buses. The company doesn’t expect to sell too many for that purpose. But it’s nice to know they’re there.
POWER
Rolls-Royce's BR710 powers the Gulfstream V, Gulfstream 550 and the Bombardier Global Express (top). Pratt and Whitney's PW300 series comprises nine models, with nearly 3,000 examples produced (center).
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34
PREVIEW
EFFICIENT
GE Honda's HF120 is only 368 lbs while producing a take-off thrust of 2,095 lbs.
In the mid-jet class, Pratt & Whitney has the answer with the PW500 turbofan in the 2,700 to 4,500 thrust range. It features seven models in the range, with 2,500+ produced. You’ll find members of the Citation family in the group, such as the Citation XLS+, as well as Embraer’s Phenom 300. On the entrylevel stage, the PW600 fills the bill, with a 900-3,000 lbs thrust range, and is currently on the Eclipse 500, Phenom 100 and Citation Mustang. We should mention that the JT15D was P&WC’s first turbofan engine. In the 2,200 to 3,100 lbs thrust class, it entered the market in the 70s and powered Cessna’s earlier Citation models, as well as Hawker Beechcraft’s 400XP. For the numbersminded, more than 6,600 of these were produced and have racked up some 41 million hours of flight time. At last count, of course. Of course we’re not forgetting the venerable PT6A “old reliable” with 85 models accounting for over 325 million hours, over the years. The PT6A has a power range of 500 to 1,700 shp and you’ll find it on just about any turboprop aircraft operating, from the Twin Otter to the Pilatus PC-12. To support the many engines in the field, Pratt & Whitney Canada fields one of the largest support systems in the business, with 30 company-owned Service Centers, more than 100 Field Support Representatives, and a central 24/7 “Customer First Center” so an operator never feels alone.
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EBACE 2012
GE Aviation GE Aviation recently certified a new engine! It is the only such announcement in this section, but it is most welcome. Actually, EASA certified the H80 first in December, 2011 followed by FAA certification in March, 2012. The Czech-built GE Aviation H80 turboprop will initially power the “Thrush” 510G agricultural aircraft and Aircraft Industry’s L410 commuter aircraft, but should find its way to other aircraft as well. GE’s pride and joy is the “Passport,” featuring a weight of only 3,700 lbs and a thrust of 18,200 lbs. It is the choice of Bombardier Business Jets for its forthcoming ultra-long range Global 7000 and 8000 models. The Passport features an integrated propulsion system, including nacelle and thrust reversers. GE claims the new engine will have specific fuel costs eight percent lower than other engines in the 10,000 to 20,000 lbs class, a double-digit margin to CAEP/6 regulations on all emissions–NOx, smoke, hydrocarbons and CO2. The Passport will produce up to 16,500 lbs of thrust for the Global 7000 and 8000; the latter with a range of 7,900 nm. In the CFM family, a 50/50 collaboration with GE over thirty years, the CFM 56-5B, in the 22,000-23,000 lbs class, is the choice of Exeutive/VIP configured Airbus ACJ 318 and ACJ 319 operators, while the CFM56-7B is the exclusive powerplant for the Boeing BBJ.
Moving down to more standard-sized business aircraft, the CFE738 with 5,918 lbs of thrust powers the Falcon 2000 and features dual, redundant digital engine controls. The CFE Company was formed by GE and the Garrett Division of Allied Signal; now Honeywell. And how does such an arrangement work? GE is responsible for the engine core and control system, while Honeywell handles the front fan, low-pressure turbine and accessory gearbox. Last, but not least, GE’s CF34 family includes the CF34-3, with up to 9,220 lbs of thrust and powering Bombardier’s Challengers, including the 601, 604, 605 and 850. The CF34-8 at 14,510 lbs thrust operates on the Challenger 870/890 as well as Bombardier’s CRJ series of regional airliners. And the CF34-10 at up to 20,360 lbs thrust is Embraer’s choice for its ERJ 190/100 and 195/100 regional jets as well as the Lineage 1000 large-cabin business aircraft, based on the ERJ 190. Another GE Aviation partnership is that with Honda Aircraft, called GE Honda Aero Engines. Working in tandem, GE and Honda successfully integrated their technologies to produce the HF120 turbofan, which will initially power the HondaJet. The HF 120 features an uncooled, single-stage HPT, the latest Blisk technologies, and a low emissions combustor. For a light engine at only 368 lbs, it produces a takeoff thrust of 2,095 lbs. According to a GE spokesman, highflow, wide-chord fan blades, thigh temperature materials and advanced features are providing real performance advantages including reduced fuel burn and high thrust to weight ratio, while the sophisticated combustor and fuel nozzles combine to reduce all emissions. The HF120 will meet noise levels much quieter than Stage 4 requirements. The testing target is more than 15,000 hours, meaning the engine will be well seasoned and mature when it enters service on the HondaJet in 2013. Honeywell Honeywell reached a milestone of over one million flight hours on its HTF 7000 family, its latest generation turbofan, which now numbers 600
units in service. The HTF 7000’s power output ranges from 6,500 to 7,500 lbs of thrust, for a thrust-toweight ratio of 5.5:1. The HTF 7000 was originally certified in 2002 and began its long-term service in 2004 on the Bombardier Challenger 300. The HTF 7200-50G will power the soon-tobe-certified Gulfstream G280 and the HTF 7500E variant was specified by Embraer for its Legacy 450 and 500 models, now in development. On the latest models of the HTF 7000 series, Honeywell will rely on its latest combustor system, featuring what it calls the “HTF SABER” technology suite. The system is expected to reduce Nox emissions by 25 percent, while the noise levels of the engines on the Challenger series will be the lowest in their class. Honeywell’s stalwart TFE731 series has seen many upgrades and improvements since the original geared turbofan engine was certified back in 1972. The current model is the TFE731-50R, for which 70 improvements were made. Making the TFE731-50R, as Honeywell puts it, “70 Ways Better.”
The betterment includes improved core and LP spool technologies, a new Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) and a new complete nacelle and thrust reverser system. According to Honeywell data, the changes have resulted in greater versatility, improved temperature margins, a better lapse rate than the TFE731-5BR and, depending on altitude, up to eight percent specific fuel consumption.
The ubiquitous TFE731-5 powers a wide range of business aircraft including the Hawker 750, Falcon 900EX/LX, Learjet 40/45 and Gulfstream G150. The TFE 731-50, the latest variant, is certified on the Hawker 800XPR upgrade as an STC and also powers the Hawker 900XP. The company offers numerous upgrades for earlier models in the TFE731 series as well as engine conversions, e.g. TFE731-5AR to -5BR for the Falcon 20 and 900.
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LASTING
The Honeywell HTF7000 began long term service on the Challenger 300 in 2004.
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PREVIEW
WAY-OUT
The experimental X3 high-speed hybrid is equipped with two turboshaft engines that power a fiveblade main rotor system (top). The economical A119 Koala can carry seven passengers at 139kt.
EBACE 2012
HELICOPTER OEMs HOVER PATIENTLY BEFORE EBACE The Big Four helicopter exhibitors are lining up for EBACE and Jack Carroll takes a look at their latest innovations.
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E
urocopter has made a big splash already this year, having logged 191 orders at Heli-Expo. To date, the company has corralled 53 percent of the civil and paramilitary markets,
as well as 15 percent of the military market. At last count the company had delivered 11,300 helicopters in 149 countries and supports nearly 3,000 customers worldwide. Naturally, the company wants to keep on increasing its market share, which it intends to do by developing new helicopters, such as the EC175, in the final stages of development and expecting certification this year, and continue refining and updating existing models in its unmatched, very full line of 14 rotorcraft, including variations, ranging from light singles to medium twins, such as the versatile Dauphins, to transport VIPs or “roughnecks—” the oil & gas guys,— and on up to the seemingly unstoppable, allweather, toughest missions, Super Puma heavyweight. Oh yes, and let us not forget Eurocopter’s experimental X3 highspeed hybrid, which is back to test flights and, being a bit more conventional than Sikorsky’s retired X2 speed record holder, could be a future candidate for production. We may learn more at EBACE The latest Eurocopter update was introduced at HAI in February and in the blink of an eye–or eyes— the EC130 T2 light twin accumulated 105 orders from seven operators covering a with range of missions–as do all Europter aircraft—including oil and gas, aerial tourism, EMS and general utility. The 1+7 passenger aircraft is equipped with Eurocopter’s familiar Fenestron(tm) shrouded tail rotor. The EC130 T2 is powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 2B2 turbine, rated at 816 shp, giving it a 137 kts speed and a range of 335 nm. The upgrade results in a higher maximum gross weight, a 10 percent speed increase and much greater fuel efficiency than its predecessor. Additional orders written up at HeliExpo covered just about every model niche, including the enhanced single engine AS350 B3e of the popular Ecureuil family, to the next-generation EC175 in the seven metric ton category–boasting a 30 percent performance increase, to the 11-ton EC225, a favorite in the Oil & Gas Industries. Confirming the strength of the Oil & Gas Industry, the leasing company, Milestone Aviation Group, bullishly
placed an order for 15 EC225s, while the cash register kept ringing with the sale of 35 EC175s to three operators. As Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s President & CEO, proudly–and with good reasons–proclaimed, “The overall success of Eurocopter at Heli-Expo 2012 demonstrates the global market’s continuing recovery. And our high order volume serves to demonstrate the value of Eurocopter’s successful strategy of continually investing, improving and innovating.” Sounds like they’re getting geared up for the next 20 years. As Bertling adds, “With the same focus and determination to continue our industry leadership.” From the looks of things right now, that would be difficult to doubt. AgustaWestland: Advancing The Art Of Rotary Flight Besides outstanding performance, there is one word that comes to mind when one thinks of AgustaWestland helicopters: Beautiful, or Bella, as they say in Cascina Costa di Samarate, Italy. They are indeed smooth operators. The line starts with the AW 119 Ke, “Koala.” It’s an economical, reliable light single able to carry 1+7 passengers in a large cabin at up to 139 kts and 515nm. The “e” stands for enhanced, as you might expect. With its P&W 1,002 shp turbine, it can lift nearly 1,600 lbs and has a 15,000 ft ceiling. The A119 Ke is a favorite of police aviation units, such as New York City’s, a major U.S. breakthrough in that market, as well as EMS operators. Some 200 are hard at work worldwide. The original A109 dating back to the early 70s has evolved steadily over the years to the AW109 “Power,” the AW109 “Grand” and more recently the AW109 “Grand New” Often likened to
“Flying Ferraris,” deservedly so, the sleek 109s typically carry 1+7 passengers and are adaptable to a wide range of missions; even a custom-built, high altitude mountain rescue version for a Swiss operator. The AW109 Power is the choice for high altitude and high temperature operations. It has a maximum cruise of 155 kts, a 19,600 ft ceiling and a 512 nm range. The Power is single-pilot IFR certified to perform Category A take-offs from elevated helipads without any payload reduction. It can be equipped with either Turbomeca or P&W engines with FADEC systems. Sikorsky Global Helicopters While Sikorsky’s main interest–its “bread and butter” is in the military helicopter market, that is not to say it pays less attention to its civil products. On the contrary, the company is well recognized for maintaining the highest design, construction and safety standards across the board; with all areas benefitting from the company’s military research and development. Its commercial helicopter line at the top end of Sikorsky’s Global Helicopters organization is limited to the S-76C and S-76C++ at the present, while the S-76D program continues to gain momentum toward certification, especially since the FAA certification of its Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S turbines late last year. Pratt & Whitney Canada–also a subsidiary of United Technologies–has completed more than 10,000 hours of flight testing the engines as well as in test cells. Bell Helicopter Breaks The Mold After trimming long-in-the-tooth models or slow sellers over the past several years, Bell has become lean
and mean again. The company marked a major turning point in 2010 with the introduction into service of the Bell 429 light twin “GlobalRanger;” an instant success. It was, after all, Bell’s first clean sheet design in decades, so you might say it was a case of “pent-up demand.” The medium class 429 is certified for single or dual pilot IFR operation and WAAS precision approaches. The roomy 1+7 passenger aircraft is equipped with Bell’s BasiX-Pro integrated avionics system with dual digital 3 axis autopilot. From inside a streamlined, low-drag cabin-top enclosure, Two Pratt &Whitney Canada PW207D1 turbines rated at 1,100 shp each move the 429 along to a 155 kts maximum speed, a range of up to 400 nm and a certified ceiling of 20,000 feet. An enhancement approved by Transport Canada allows a weight increase of 500 lbs to 7,500 lbs maximum, which allows a greater range and increased loiter time. Operators will be pleased to know that a simple retrofit kit is available through Bell. At Heli-Expo 2012, Bell revealed its next-generation “super-medium” twinengine entry, the Model 525 “Relentless.” The wide-cabin, 2+16-passenger aircraft was obviously designed with oil & gas, EMS and SAR roles in mind. The engine of choice is the GE CT7-2F1 turbine (2X) with FACEC, the latest version of the CT7 family. Projected speed is 140 kts, with a maximum range of 400 nm. Maximum gross weight is 18,000 lbs with a useful load of 4,000, placing the Relentless at the high end of the medium category. More news, such as estimated times to first flight and certification of the Relentless 525, will possibly be issued at EBACE.
✈
SUCCESS
The S-76C benefits from the Sikorsky's military research and development. First clean sheet design in decades, the Bell 429 light twin was an instant success.
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EBACE 2012
BUSINESS TURBOPROPS DEFY THE DOWNTURN
When turboprops are flown at the correct altitude and airspeed, they are extremely efficient and burn nearly half as much fuel as most light jets, which in turn lowers their hourly rate. No wonder they are growing in popularity. Marc Grangier reports.
T ROBUST
Durable and cost-efficient, turboprops have fared well during the recession. Pilatus PC-12 (top), Cessna Caravan (bottom).
urboprop’s superb short-field take-off and landing capabilities mean they can have access to small regional airports with short runways. This is why turboprop sales have not dipped like those of the light jets. It may also explain why manufacturers like Piper, DAHER-SOCATA or Piaggio Aero, who wanted to put new light jets on the market, decided to suspend or slow down their development, preferring to push the sale of their existing turboprops, while of course continuing to improve them.
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In terms of fleets, the Beech King Air family - from the King Air 90 to the King Air 350iC - dominate the market, with a total of 5,893 aircraft (on January 1st 2012). The largest share belongs to the King Air 200 and B200 with 1,738 aircraft. Then comes the rugged Cessna Caravan 208 and 208B with 2,005 aircraft. The Pilatus PC-12 and 12NG total 1,208 aircraft, while 811 Piper Malibu Jetprop and Meridian have been delivered. The TBM family – 700A, B, C1 and C2 and 850 - totals 654 aircraft. And 216 Piaggio Avanti P180 and Avanti II are currently in operation. These figures concern the models presently produced and marketed. A number of other models are still flying, even if they are no longer produced, such as the Cessna Conquests, the Piper Cheyennes, the Fairchild Swearingen Merlins, the Mitsubishi MU-2s, the Beech Starship or the Rockwell/Gulfstream Turbo Commanders. Concerning these latter models, 763 aircraft are still flying, and many observers regret that the production of this stable high-winged twin, pressurized turboprop aircraft - one of favorite’s Bob Hoover toys - was prematurely stopped. Single or Twin-Turboprops? The question of single versus twin is a touchy subject and while Hawker Beechcraft will give you arguments in favor of twins, as it is the only manufacturer of business twin-turboprop aircraft today, other manufacturers
like Pilatus or DAHER-SOCATA will demonstrate that singles are as safe as twins, and more economical to operate. But when it comes to commercial flights in Europe, the twins have the upper hand. Under existing EASA regulations, operators are not allowed to fly commercial single-engine flights in IFR conditions (SE-IMC/night flights), as it is already the case, and has been for a number of years, in countries like USA and Canada. But the situation could change soon. Assuming budget and resources are available, EASA’s development of new regulations for SEIMC/night flying is scheduled to start this year, which means that a formal EASA recommendation to the European Commission could emerge in 2016! In terms of sales, the new commercial SE-IMC/night flight regulations could greatly contribute to TBM-850 and PC12NG sales. Air charter companies looking for alternatives to their light jets for short European trips, might just opt for a single engine turboprop. The Main Contenders Cessna Up to now, Cessna has delivered 120 Caravan 208s and 208Bs in Europe, plus 1,885 in the rest of the world. And sales continue for this rugged aircraft, which has established its own niche. No wonder the manufacturer continues to improve them. Recently, EASA
certified Honeywell’s TPE331-12JR turboprop engine for the aircraft, enabling European operators to take advantage of the engine’s improved power, lower cost, enhanced fuel efficiency, and low noise levels. The TPE331-12JR has improved maintenance intervals of up to 3,500 hours between hot section inspection and 7,000 hours between overhaul, further reducing cost of operation. At cruise, the TPE331-12JR burns as much as four gallons an hour less fuel for similar speeds than the original production turboprop. The Caravan is certified in 100 countries and the fleet has amassed more than 13 million flight hours. “In the past twelve months, we’ve seen a very strong interest in the Caravan,” said Pana Poulios, Cessna’s European Sales Director. As well - in cooperation with Yingling Aviation, Cessna is offering the OASIS executive cabin retrofit installed under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). This interior provides seating configurations for up to 10 people with two forward facing seats behind the crew, a four-place club seating area with executive side tables, and an aft divan with seating for two. More than 100 Caravan and Grand Caravan fitted with the OASIS interior have been delivered to date. Blackhawk, which is specialized in performance improvement systems for single- and twin-engine turboprop aircraft, recently delivered Africa’s first XP42A Cessna 208B Caravan upgrade system to FliteCare, a company based in Pretoria and providing business, leisure and general air charter services throughout South Africa. The XP42A system includes a factory-new Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine with 850 continuous shaft horsepower (SHP), with a 1,000-hour, no-calendar-limit Pratt & Whitney warranty, exchanged for the Caravan’s existing engine. The package also features a new, wide-chord, 100-inch diameter Hartzell four-blade propeller; a new carbonfiber composite cowling and high efficiency inlet duct produced by Blackhawk Composites and a new 40percent larger oil cooler. Thanks to the upgrade, FliteCare’s Caravan has increased engine power by 25 percent. The system also doubles the Caravan’s standard rate of climb with less fuel consumption, increases take-off weight by four percent, improves take-
REGULATION
Under existing EASA regulation, single turboprops like this TBM 850 are not allowed to fly commercial IFR flights in Europe.
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EBACE 2012 than a single–engine turboprop on typical 300–600 nautical–mile trips”. Thanks to its Flexcabin system, the cabin can be easily reconfigured for business or cargo transportation. Equipped with a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 integrated avionics, the King Air 350i can often operate from runways shorter than 3,000 feet and at maximum weight, its twin–engine climb rate ascends to 2,730 feet per minute. Concerning the King Air 250, Tannahill mentioned that it now features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers, delivering improved runway performance, range, speed and enhanced climb. The King Air 250 has a new ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the anti-icing system is
WINNER
Certified in 100 countries, the Cessna Caravan fleet has amassed more than 13 million flight hours.
STYLE
The TBM 850 cabin features supple leather and fine wood in true European styling.
off performance and safety margins and increases cruise speed by 15 percent. For Blackhawk CEO Jim Allmon, “The upgrade is being very well received, and I think the entire African continent is a burgeoning market for Blackhawk”. DAHER-SOCATA Nicolas Chabbert, Senior VicePresident of DAHER-SOCATA Airplane Division, was happy with his company’s results in 2011: “Deliveries of the TBM 850 remained steady. A total of 38 TBM 850s were provided to customers in America, Asia-Pacific and Europe, equaling last year’s number”. Since the introduction of the new model in 2006, 260 units have been sold. Last year was the fourth best year for the TBM aircraft family since 1990, whose 600th aircraft rolled out of the factory last October. The combined fleet’s flight time has now reached more than 910,000 hours. “We attained our delivery goals in 2011 despite the very difficult economic environment worldwide, resulting in the TBM 850 gaining market share,” explained Chabbert to BART International. Most of the TBM 850s purchased in 2011 were acquired by U.S. customers (84%). Latin America was in second position with 10%, followed by Asia-Pacific. Concerning Europe, it represented 5% of the sales, down from 13% in 2010.
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Included in DAHER-SOCATA’s 2011 activity were the company’s initial deliveries of new TBM 850s in Singapore, and the first multi-mission TBMMMA version provided to Argentina. Chabbert believes that the TBM 850 Model 2012 should help boost sales. Among other benefits it includes an exclusive maintenance program that lowers scheduled maintenance costs for five years or 1,000 hours. Hawker Beechcraft For Christi Tannahill, Hawker Beechcraft Senior Vice President, Global Customer Support: “The next–generation King Air 350i is the greenest aircraft of its segment. It can take more passengers farther on less fuel, its cost per seat–mile being less
activated, resulting in a high-performance, all-weather aircraft. Improvements have also been made to the King Air C90GTx. They include an increase in gross weight and the addition of composite winglets, which improve climb performance and further increase fuel efficiency. Featuring a cabin 50 percent larger than some very light jets, the C90GTx seats up to seven passengers. It includes an inflight accessible, heated and pressurized baggage storage area, along with a private aft lavatory as standard. Last February, Hawker Beechcraft and its local distributor, Hawker Pacific, announced the delivery of a fleet of five King Air turboprops to the Royal Flying Doctor Service
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EBACE 2012 (RFDS) Eastern Division in Australia. The two King Air 350C (cargo door variant) and three King Air B200C aircraft join a fleet of air ambulance aircraft operated on contract for New South Wales Department of Health – Air Ambulance. The delivery of the King Air 350C aircraft marks the first of this type into service for the RFDS. “The King Air turboprops are well suited for medical evacuation missions as they feature large pressurized, environmentally controlled cabins with high cruise speeds and the payload/range required to expeditiously transport critical-care patients,” said Jay Gibson, Vice President, Special Missions and Corporate Government Relations. “Additionally, the King Airs are capable of operating from short, unimproved runways, providing additional flexibility during critical situations in the remote areas of Australia.” The RFDS utilizes the King Air B200C extensively throughout Australia for aero medical primary response and inter-hospital transfers. The King Air 350C is the first in the region that is fully dedicated to the air ambulance mission. Earlier this year, Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support announced the setup of its Quick Response Team to provide immediate response to AOG situations to owners and operators at a number of business, political, sporting and lifestyle events across the globe. “We’ve positioned more than 1,000 customer support professionals worldwide, empowered with the tools
FUTURE
Piaggio Aero Avanti (top) and Pilatus PC 12 (bottom). While working on new projects, the European turboprop manufacturers remain discreet about their future plans. 78 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
and authority to get the job done,” said Tannahill. Among large international events, Hawker Beechcraft Quick Response Team will be present at the Summer Olympics, July 27-Aug. 12 in London. Piaggio Aero According to Piaggio Aero general manager Eligio Trombetta, the company is currently working on several new product upgrade programs for its P.180 Avanti II, including new and quieter propellers (those who have had the opportunity to watch an Avanti on final approach will appreciate), an improved environmental control system (ECS), a digital cabin management system (CMS) and antiskid brakes. Some of those improvements, which will be standard on production aircraft by the middle of this year, will also be made available as retrofits to owners of existing aircraft. A totals of 216 Avantis has been delivered to date, and of those, more than half are in the Americas. Floridabased fractional operator Avantair remains the largest commercial fleet operator of the type with 56 aircraft in service, each averaging more than 100 flight hours per month. During last year’s NBAA, Piaggio confirmed that it was working on a new aircraft, the P1XX, but the company’s co-chairman Jose DiMase, recently stated that: “It was not the time now to reveal program details, though the company continues to explore whatever opportunity that makes sense”. Piaggio Aero has two major shareholders, Mubadala and
India’s Tata Group, and DiMase admits that the final strategy rests with them. Pilatus The Swiss aircraft manufacturer, which had delivered its 1000th PC-12 in June 2010, delivered its 1100th aircraft in November 2011. Though the rate of production has been slightly lowered due to the economic crisis in the United States – where nearly 80% of its aircraft are sold - Thomas Bosshard, CEO of Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd, is very optimistic about the future, as “Since its introduction to the market in 1994, the PC-12 program has greatly exceeded all expectations originally set for it by Pilatus, and we anticipate continued popularity of the PC-12 NG for many years to come.” In order to lower production costs and partially compensate the high rate of the Swiss franc, Pilatus has looked for new production schemes. Fuselage and wing cell assembly work has long been carried out for Pilatus by OGMA, in Portugal. A second partner was found last year: PZL Swidnik S.A. in Swidnik, Poland (200 km south-east of Warsaw). Although Pilatus has no intention of abandoning OGMA, the choice of a second production facility outside Switzerland will encourage healthy competition between the two suppliers, whilst providing better strategic safeguarding of PC-12 production operations. The PC-12 NG performs many roles, including executive transport, commuter, medical evacuation (medevac), police and border surveillance, cargo transport, military liaison, and regional airliner. The PC-12 fleet has amassed 3.3 million flight hours of operating experience, including thousands of hours in some of the world’s harshest environments. For the 10th consecutive year, PC-12 operators have ranked Pilatus customer support as the best in the industry. Pilatus also hopes to create a new market with its special mission PC-12 Spectre, designed for medical evacuation missions and to support government, military and law enforcement roles. For Leonard Luke, Vice President of Government Sales for Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd, “The basic PC-12 Spectre features a standard retractable sensor platform, and a 9-passenger utility interior with a sensor operator’s console. Most Spectre aircraft are highly modi-
fied to tailor to the customer’s specific mission requirements. Customization can include communications and surveillance equipment, external pods, medevac interiors and a paratrooper jump door.” Though no information has leaked up to now, one must not forget that last year Oscar J. Schwenk, Pilatus Chairman and CEO, officially declared that its company was developing a new aircraft for the civilian market: the PC24. And he indicated that more details would be revealed about this project in 2012, when the concept will be presented to the public. Will it be at EBACE or NBAA? We’ll have to wait and see. Piper Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott told BART that his company has enhanced both pilot and passenger comfort for its signature series of 2012 model year M-Class turboprop Meridian. The Meridian seats six persons with club seating. It is powered by the P&WC PT6A-42A 500 shp turboprop and has a 260 KTAS / 482 km/h max cruise speed and a range of 1,000 NM / 1,860 km. The standard equipped list price is US$2,071,500, equipped with the Garmin G1000 avionics suite. New design changes have enhanced pilot comfort and cockpit access through incorporation of newly designed seating. The cockpit provides more elbow and hip room and additional seating comfort. The newly designed side panels have larger map
pockets capable of handling pilot iPads, which are quickly becoming essential flight tools. Tepid Growth This year’s fleet report (see BART International February-April 2012) showed that the turboprop market is growing steadily. In 2011, the fleet grew by 507 units (3.93%), up from growth of 3% last year. However, according to Forecast International, which recently issued an analysis of the world turboprop market, while the global economy is recovering from the recent financial crisis, growth in the United States and Europe, the two primary markets for turboprop aircraft, remains tepid. Demand from other areas of the globe, including emerging economies such as China, India, and Brazil, is not expected to grow quickly enough to replace lost orders from customers in Northern America and Europe. In all, the production of 3,768 business turboprops is expected between 2011 and 2020 – on January 1 st 2012, the total fleet amounted to 13,381 units. However, the latest statistics issued by JETNET for the pre-owned turboprop market indicate that the percentage of fleet for sale numbers are down compared to last year - well below the 10% mark - which means that we are clearly moving into a seller’s market, and turboprop sales now show increases greater than 50% in average asking prices. A positive sign for the future.
✈
UPWARD
Powered by a P&W PT6A-42A the Piper Meridian
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EBACE 2012
AROUND THE EXHIBITION recognized, accepted and/or approved by most of the major corporate aircraft manufacturers. This acceptance, combined with Avtrak’s compliance focus and competitive pricing, provides customers with a workable solution for managing a mixed fleet of any size. Avtrak provides customers with a single, easy-to-use, real time compliance management and tracking service backed by qualified compliance specialists (A&P/IA). The ability to track and manage a mixed fleet with a single, analyst supported system has been a key Avtrak feature from the start.
Air BP Aviation Services (Booth# 1953) Air BP, the specialized aviation division of BP, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of both aviation fuels (both Jet Kerosene & Aviation Gasoline) and lubricants (for both turbine and pistonengined aircraft). It currently supplies over 26 million tones (around 8 billion gallons) of aviation fuels and lubricants to its customers across the globe per annum. Air BP’s international spread is impressive with services at over 600 airports in some 50 countries, with local offices in almost half of these countries. Av8jet (Static Display) Av8jet is an Aircraft Sales & Management company offering Turnkey Jet & Rotary Management, 24/7 Flight Planning, Technical, Financial & Crew Management. It has a global network of sales partners APPROVED offering acquisitions & consulting serEBACE 2012 will vices. feature a multitude of Avtrak, LLC (Booth# 2234) exhibitors from Avtrak brings quality and value to corthe Business porate aircraft maintenance tracking, Aviation industry. planning and management. Fast, easy Don't forget to to use and supported by qualified visit our A&P/IA Compliance Specialists, partners. Avtrak’s web based systems are used, 80 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
Baldwin Aviation Safety & Compliance (Booth# 2300) Baldwin Aviation was founded in 2004 on the premise that smaller flight departments need and deserve the same level of quality resources, services and safety management as their multinational counterparts. By developing flexible proprietary software, Baldwin Safety and Compliance is able to deliver a quality safety management program tailored to each flight department while overcoming budget and employee constraints. Their safety management program and proprietary Safety Barometer® are tools that can be used in any size flight department to monitor its safety culture. Blackhawk Modifications Inc. (Booth# 483) Blackhawk Modifications is a recognized leader in providing engine performance solutions to the global turboprop fleet. With the largest installed fleet of STC twin-engine turboprop upgrades, Blackhawk is the world’s largest non-OEM buyer of new Pratt & Whitney (P&W) turboprop engines. One of its newly certified engine upgrade packages will boost the power and capabilities of hard-working Cessna Caravan aircraft, expanding mission profiles and dramatically improving productivity for thousands of operators around the world.
BLR Aerospace (Booth# 1931) BLR Aerospace, a NASA Technology Transfer Licensee, is focused on developing the highest performance aerodynamic solutions in the industry, and BLR’s superior designs are backed by unsurpassed manufacturing quality. BLR, now in its 20th year, holds patented technologies for improving flight performance of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, and has certified over 60 Supplemental Type Certificates. CRS Jet Spares (Booth# 428) From its very inception in 1982, the goal of the Corporate Rotable & Supply team has been to provide business jet customers with a cost effective, high-quality alternative to OEM spares and rotable parts. Today CRS has grown to be the preferred supplier to Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 corporate flight departments worldwide. They have achieved their goal by offering a unique balance of technical expertise, quality products and a total dedication to customer satisfaction, all while maintaining costs that are significantly below their competitors. EADS SECA (Booth# 1332) Over the past 60 years, the development of EADS SECA has mirrored that of modern aviation and taken full advantage of the tremendous technological aviation innovations. Progressively, EADS SECA has reached an impressive level of knowhow in the engine maintenance activities for regional and business aircraft. Approved as an authorized overhaul facility by the major aircraft engine manufacturers, EADS SECA performs all type of works : scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, light repairs, major overhauls, hot section inspections (HSI) and foreign object damage (FOD) repair. ExecuJet Aviation Group (Booth# 136) The ExecuJet Aviation Group offers a diverse range of services including pre-owned and new aircraft sales, air-
craft management for private and commercial registered aircraft, aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance, aircraft completions management and fixed base operations. ExecuJet manages 150 business jets worldwide under the most stringent safety standards. Its commercial fleet is operated under the regulatory umbrella of seven regional civil aviation issued air operating certificates (AOCs). Gore Design Completions (Booth #661) Gore Design Completions, founded by Jerry Gore and Gore-Walters, got its start in the completions business eleven years ago with a head of state B767-300ER. The company is a leading supplier of custom aircraft interiors with extensive experience in head-of-state and VVIP aircraft, including the latest generation in wide bodies. An approved completion and maintenance facility for single aisle and wide body aircraft, the San Antonio, Texas based operation performs interior design, engineering, avionics and project management service for customers worldwide. Jet Aviation (Booth# 7040) Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and has grown to become one of the leading Business Aviation services companies in the world. Close to 5,600 employees cater to client’s needs from 25 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America. Jet Aviation has become the largest employer at Basel’s EuroAirport and with its work force of close to 1,700 professionals; the company represents the largest operation in terms of personnel within the Jet Aviation group. The facility includes eight large hangars with a total of 353,425 sq.ft. (31,808 sq.m.). Jet Support Services, Inc. - JSSI® (Booth# 939) Founded in 1989, Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI®) is the world’s largest independent provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for aircraft engines and airframes.
JSSI® provides its clients with comprehensive, flexible and affordable financial tools for managing the often unpredictable costs of operating and maintaining nearly all types of turbinepowered aircraft, including jets, turboprops and helicopters. JSSI ® serves clients around the world by managing maintenance services through its international network of Technical Advisors. Lufthansa Technik (Booth# 443) Lufthansa Technik is one of the leading independent providers of maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification services for civil aircraft. With tailored maintenance programs and state-of-the-art repair methods, Lufthansa Technik ensures the unbroken reliability and availability of its customers’ fleets. Lufthansa Technik is an internationally licensed maintenance, production and development organization. RUAG Aviation (Booth# 1396) The RUAG Group is an international aerospace and defence technology company with production sites in Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Hungary and the United States. It currently generates more than half of its net sales — 53% — outside the Swiss domestic market. Innovative products and services of outstanding quality form the basis of RUAG’s worldwide success. RUAG thus invests around 8% of its revenues in research and development. It collaborates closely with international technology partners including Airbus, ASML, Astrium, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, the European Space Agency (ESA), Hilti, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall. StandardAero (Booth# 671) StandardAero is one of the world’s largest independent providers of services including engine and airframe repair and overhaul, engine component repair, engineering services, interior completions and paint applications. StandardAero serves a diverse array of customers in business and general aviation, airline, military, energy and VIP completions markets. StandardAero provides a global service network of 12 primary facilities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Singapore
and Australia, along with an additional 14 regionally located service and support locations. Universal Avionics Corporation (Booth# 639) Universal Avionics manufactures and markets an extensive line of advanced avionics. Product lines include the EFI-890R Flat Panel Display; a line of LCD Integrated Cockpit Displays; Vision-1® Synthetic Vision Systems; Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems; Cockpit Voice and Digital Flight Recorders; Radio Control Units; and the Application Server Unit which integrates charts, electronic documents and checklists with displays systems. Universal Weather and Aviation (Booth# 7080) Since 1959, Universal has seen clients face incredible challenges, and delivered the solutions they need to prevail. To do this, they leverage what makes them unique: providing the complete global resources their customers need, all coordinated and executed by their team members around the world. With a broad array of services and capabilities, Universal helps clients overcome the unexpected. The company offers knowledge, experience, and resources that come from more than 50 years in business, in which they’ve facilitated more than 2.5 million global trip legs. Vector Aerospace (Booth# 1332) From facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa, Vector’s employees serve a global customer base consisting of private and commercial operators, government agencies and defense departments. Their service portfolio includes support for various types of turbine engines, dynamic components, structures and avionics. Vector Aerospace holds approvals from some of the world’s leading OEMs including: AgustaWestland, Boeing, Sikorsky, Rolls-Royce, Eurocopter, Pratt & Whitney Canada, General Electric, Turbomeca, Sagem Avionics, Rockwell Collins and many other manufacturers and suppliers.
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BUSINESS VERSUS LUXURY AVIATION
IT'S A BUSINESS TOOL
By Marc Grangier
The title of our magazine BART: Business Aviation Real Tool - says it all. As far as we are concerned Business Aviation is nothing more and nothing less than a real tool conducting successful business.
DISTORT
Billionaire lavishness sends the wrong message about Business Aviation.
H
owever, for many, Business Aviation is the epitome of the billionaire lifestyle. For example, Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch, owns a Boeing 767-33A that, although from the outside looks ordinary, has an interior outfitted with chestnut wood and decorated in gold. It even has its own air missile avoidance system.
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The Sultan of Brunei bought his Boeing 747-430 for at least $100 million, and then spent $120 million fitting it out with a range of luxury items, including solid gold washbasins. American billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban flies his own Boeing 767-277, which features custom-made seats to accommodate the team’s tallest players. Last February, Boeing delivered the first Intercontinental VIP 747-8 to an undisclosed Middle Eastern head of state. The airplane will enter service in 2014 after its VIP interior is installed. Offering a total of 5,179 square feet (481.1 square meters) of cabin space nearly twice the size of a standard tennis court - it will have a range of about 8,840 nautical miles (16,372 km). To date, Boeing has received orders for nine 747-8 VIP aircraft.
In terms of luxury flying, one of the most extravagant examples is the Airbus A380 ordered by Prince AlWaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia to serve as his ‘flying palace’. It is presently being retrofitted under a $485 million contract (aircraft price included). The 747-8 usually seats 600, but on Al-Waleed bin Talal’s aircraft plenty of room had to be cleared for a range of perks. There’s an on-board garage so that the prince can be driven right to the threshold of the airplane’s elevator. After arrival, he can retire to his master suite - one of five, each with king-size beds and computer generated prayer mats always facing Mecca while up to 20 extra-guests have to make do with sleepers that are the equivalent of first class. The real extravagance begins elsewhere on the plane’s three floors: there’s a concert hall that seats ten and has a baby grand piano/ a boardroom with a holographic projector, and a full-size sauna. The most entertaining perk is a ‘well-being room’ that has a projector capable of beaming up an enormous image of what the plane is flying over - thus creating a ‘magic carpet’ effect. Why Companies Use Business Aviation Needless to say, examples like these give Business Aviation a bad name. However, just a few minutes of research will show that overall, busi-
With a business aircraft, on the other hand, life gets much easier. You chose the time and date of departure, and if the return flight has to be postponed, just ask the crew to prepare a new flight plan. A business aircraft lets you visit several customers in one day, taking off just after a meeting has ended and quickly arriving at your next destination. Bringing along employees is another advantage as they’ll help you prepare the next meeting or discuss proprietary matters en route. In fact, a NBAA survey revealed that 72% of passengers aboard business airplanes are non-executive employees.
ness aircraft are invaluable, time-saving tools. “In an increasingly competitive and global marketplace, Business Aviation is truly a tool that directly contributes to growth,” a Swiss CEO told BART. In other words, business people simply cannot afford to ignore the benefits that Business Aviation brings, a point made clear with a quick comparison to the commercial airlines. Very often, a business person will make a last minute decision to visit a potential customer or negotiate a contract – so booking a seat on the next airline flight isn’t a viable option. Remember, three percent of all commercial airline flights are cancelled, and nearly one quarter are delayed, meaning the odds of getting on the next flight aren’t stacked in the business person’s favor.
Let’s say your final destination is not served by an international airport but only by a small airfield with an unpaved or grass runway. With a light jet or turboprop you’ll have a distinct advantage. And of course it’s perfectly possible to hold a meeting on an aircraft, such as when there is no conference facilities available or because a stop is too short to allow a transfer to the nearest city. Businesspeople often say that one of the great things about flying in their own aircraft is that it allows them to easily transport specialized or bulky equipment. This is because most business aircraft have a walk-in baggage area accessible during flight - making things a lot easier if you put your documents in your suitcase before boarding the plane on a transcontinental flight.
Once, when I was working for an executive charter company, I had to organize a flight from Italy to London for a top European banker. During the flight he learned that he would need his lawyer at the next meeting. Unfortunately, the lawyer happened to be on holiday in Marbella. Thanks to Business Aviation, this really wasn’t a problem, at least for the banker, who simply asked the crew to reroute the aircraft to Spain. When Time Matters For trips that do not originate and end at large hub airports, Business Aviation is almost always the most efficient option as the time savings can be significant. For example, you won’t be able to get from Geneva to Biarritz by airline in less than 10 hours 50 min (with an aircraft transfer in Paris), whereas flying direct by business jet you’ll do the trip in one hour and 15 minutes. And did you know that a NaplesLuxemburg flight - only 628 NM takes a minimum of nine hours by airline, with two stops en route! The return flight Luxemburg-Naples is even longer, taking no less than 21h 45 min, with a departure at 9:05, a night stopover in Amsterdam and an arrival in Naples the next day at 9:05. Even in a single engine turboprop, that same trip takes less than two hours and 15 min. Time differences that favor business jets can even be greater in continents like Africa, where it is often very difficult to make fast radial flights. A flight from Yaoundé, Cameroon to Nouakchott, Mauritania – 1,800 NM takes between 21 h 30 min and 44 h and 25 min on an airline, depending on the time of departure. You can make the same trip in a business aircraft in approximately 4 h 30 min, even allowing for a same day return after a one to two hour meeting at the destination when flying Business Aviation. You’ll find a similar situation in CIS countries, where Moscow still acts as an important hub for connecting former Soviet republics. An airline flight from Bukhara, Uzbekistan to Almaty, Kazakhstan - 575 NM - cannot be completed in less than 19h 45 min with a transfer in Moscow Domodedovo, while the same flight in a business jet will take less than an hour and a half.
DEFINITION
No need for a royal barge. Any aircraft flown for purpose of business is a business aircraft.
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REPORT
Spreading the Word
VALUE
For conducting business - forget the champagne. A good internet connection is all you need.
The efficiency gains business aircraft bring are self-evident. However, the extravagant, luxury interiors and eye watering price tags grab all the media headlines. This isn’t helped by the fact that some operators explicitly market their service as an extension of the luxury lifestyle, while failing to emphasize the economic and time-saving benefits that they also offer.
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BUSINESS VERSUS LUXURY AVIATION
Now that the public mood has turned against business and banking excesses, these operators are plainly shooting themselves in the foot. “We risk squandering the chance of a sustained recovery, if we don’t portray ourselves intelligently, says Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, Chief Executive of London Executive Aviation (LEA). “There is still a temptation for many operators to emphasize ‘the champagne lifestyle’ in their
marketing, which is a self-defeating folly given the general public mood.” “The zeitgeist is still very critical of excessive City bonuses, so it is vital we distance ourselves from so-called ‘corporate greed,” adds MargetsonRushmore. “We should instead promote the true value of Business Aviation, which is all about saving precious time - an essential ingredient for the economic recovery that will benefit us all.” Margetson-Rushmore notes that the positive message about Business Aviation should be brought to the fore during this summer’s London Olympics, when the industry will take an important share of the strain on London’s travel infrastructure and allow many to fly to London without delay. Euro 2012 gives operators another chance to promote messages of timesaving and value. “Fans travelling abroad face significant challenges because of where the matches are to be played,” he says. “Fans may need to shuttle between Donetsk and Kiev in Ukraine, which could be a challenge as the cities are more than 400 miles apart.” With limited options for scheduled air and ground transportation, this situation is almost a case study for why Business Aviation is so invaluable. “Rather than losing days or weeks out of the office, fans chartering aircraft with their friends could fly out to see all the live action and be home again within hours,” continues MargestsonRushmore. “Splitting air charter costs between six or eight passengers could make the expense per person very attractive, especially when you factor in savings on hotels and ground transportation.” When you look at it this way, the financial attractiveness of Business Aviation is crystal clear. BART International is a staunch supporter of this message. Indeed it’s the message we’ve been promoting for the past 24 years. So let’s just repeat it one more time: Business Aviation is a significant economic contributor and an real business tool.
✈
After ten years in the air, it’s time to pop the cork. When Avinode took off in 2002 it forever changed the aviation industry. For the first time, everything you needed to buy and sell air charter was available online. Today we are the world’s largest online marketplace for air charter, spanning five continents, and bringing together 80% of the global charter market. We think that’s cause for celebration and hope you do too! Join us on May 15th at 17:00 in booth #749 at EBACE to celebrate Avinode’s first decade. Welcome.
Join us for a celebratory
mingle in booth 749. www.avinode.com
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FLIGHT DEMO
SIERRA UPGRADED CITATION G501SP
ADDING VALUE TO GOOD AIRFRAMES
By LeRoy Cook
S
RETROFIT
The G501SP upgrade brings Garmin s Synthetic Vision Technology to early Citation models.
ierra Industries has been developing improvements for older Cessna Citations for nearly 30 years, adding value to good airframes that could benefit with a little tweaking—if you can call more wingspan, increasing fuel capacity and swapping out the old Pratt & Whitney JT15D engines for new Williams FJ44s “a little tweaking.” Now, Sierra can add a “glass cockpit, with the arrival of its G501SP retrofit, which replaces the Citation 501’s
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instrumentation with flat LCD PFD and MFD displays from Garmin, an installation that looks as modern as any new light jet. The G501SP upgrade compliments Sierra’s wing and engine upgrades, but can be done to any early Citation. At press time, four conversions had been completed. After touring the extensive complex at Sierra’s Uvalde, Texas base, we were privileged to ride along on a flight to New Orleans Lakefront airport, a 530 nautical-mile hop that showed the utility of the integrated panel.
The original Sperry SPZ autopilot is retained, but it’s now integrated with the Garmin gear. Options can include the Cobham Magic engine display units installed in the demo airplane and an L3 Trilogy electronic standby instrument. Some owners may opt to keep their old mechanical standbys or engine instruments, but that hasn’t been the case thus far. The integrated G501SP suite includes dual GDU 1040 PFDs, capable of displaying SVT (synthetic vision terrain) information, TAWS-B, TAS 820 or TAS 850 and ADS-B. With the GDL 69A receiver, XM weather and radio can be integrated. Another GDU 1040 serves as an MFD (a 12inch MFD is optional), all supported by dual GDC 74B air data computers and GRS 77 AHARS units. The avionics include twin GIA 63W radio modules, GMA 1347 audio panels, and GTX 33 ES TIS/ADS-B-capable transponders (GTX 33D transponders are optional), along with the GWX 68 weather radar and various interface gear. For those who want to move beyond the G1000-style human interface, a GCU 477 remote keypad controller is a normally-installed option, as is Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology. The remote boxes are located in the avionics compartment behind the radome.
Getting Underway Steve Guzek, was to be our demonstration pilot on the flight into KNEW, New Orleans Lakefront airport. Starting the Sierra Stallion’s FJ44-2A engine retrofit is largely a push-button automated exercise. The Magic EIDS100 electronic engine instruments are turned on before start to monitor the speeds and temperatures; the first engine surged to only 850 degrees, well under limit, and the generatorassisted second lightoff went to only 800.
With the LCD panels glowing, we called Houston Center for the clearance to KNEW, direct to Cotulla VOR, then Tibby VOR to join the OLEDD One arrival, all of which Guzek entered quickly with the full keyboard on the pedestal controller; the entry’s scratch pad is on the MFD screen. The optional 12-inch center screen was slightly larger than the 10.4-inch PFDs. Once we found our way around the intuitive Garmin system, which makes sense even for the uninitiated, the displays gave us every desired bit of information, including weather, traffic, ADS-B, terrain, HITS (highway in the sky) and SVT (synthetic vision technology). Takeoff bug speeds were entered; V1[subscript 1] was 100, Vr was 102 and V2[subscript 2] was 104. The Stallion exhibited decidedly nonCitation-501 capability. From Uvalde’s 5,255-foot runway, it blasted through the V-numbers and vaulted over the 4,000-foot cloud tops, showing 4,000 fpm initially and sustaining 3,500 fpm at 200 knots. We were still indicating 2,600 fpm passing through 18,000 feet. We were initially limited to FL270 but then continued to FL410. The climb rate was 800 fpm out of FL360 and was 500 fpm nearing FL410,
where we still had 2,000 feet of certification limit left. The Stallion is a good strong climber. Once settled in with 100% power selected, the IAS was 200 knots; at -62 C. OAT, we were truing 417 knots, with a total fuel flow of 1000 pph. The wind vector in the corner of the PFD showed 65 knots from our rear quarter. A particularly enthusiastic thunderstorm topping 45,000 feet required one small deviation; otherwise, we headed direct to TBD, which we were to cross at 11,000 for the OLEDD arrival into KNEW. The interface with the venerable Sperry autopilot seemed flawless and the vertical speed planning derived from the G501SP’s computers announced our need to descend to make the crossing exactly on time. An idle-power descent at 215 KIAS and .676 Mach had us descending at 3600 fpm, well under the Mach .705 limit. Vectors from New Orleans Approach augmented the arrival routing and we only had a couple of deviations around the wet buildups. When we leveled at 2,000 MSL for the expected visual, KNEW was nowhere to be seen, with a blanketing stratus layer right over the vital real estate. We preferred to see the G501SP panel on an ILS anyway. A short vector over Lake
Pontchartrain was needed to line us up for the localizer to 18R; about 75% N1[subscript 1] pushed us along at 220 knots for maneuvering. The SVT took the strain out of the obscuration, showing us exactly where we were, visual or not, while we meandered over the featureless estuary. The flowing HITS alignment boxes directed us toward the unseen runway, clearly visible on the PFD with the flight path symbol nestled up the threshold. A quartering tailwind showed up as a misaligned flight director cue, but what really mattered was the path to the pavement. Vref was the Citation 501’s usual 95 knots, which Guzek turned into a fine example of touchdown skill, placing us onto the wet runway with hardly a ripple. With 1,200 pounds remaining out of the 3,000 at startup, the trip had been accomplished easily, in spite of its challenges. At the G501SP Advanced Flight Deck’s standard price of under $300,000 US, the Citation 501 gains all the capability of newer light jets and with the FJ-44-2A engines it can deliver performance far beyond its original specs. We were impressed.
✈
PLAIN
The intuitive G501SP system makes sense even for the uninitiated, says BART s test pilot LeRoy Cook.
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PROFILE
HUBBARD AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES
By Guy Viselé
Call me old fashioned, but I think there s a great deal of value left in some of the older aircraft on the market today. Unfortunately, changing regulatory conditions means it s getting more and more difficult to fly them.
THE SCIENCE OF QUIET
T
SHHHHH!
The QS3 Noise Suppression System keeps GIIs and GIIIs flying despite growing noise restrictions.
ake the early Gulfstream II and III: a little more than 250 Gulfstream IIs were produced from 1967 to 1979, and about 180 are still in service. This aircraft was followed by the Gulfstream III, which offered a larger wing bringing increased speed and range: just over 200 of these were produced. Currently, 80% of the GII/III fleet is based in the U.S., followed by Mexico (7%). Europe accounts for just one GIIB and two GIIIs. Owners and operators of GIIs and GIIIs love their reliability, comfort and performance - but they also have to contend with stricter noise regulations in Europe, the U.S. and other parts of the world. Yet one man was determined to keep his GII flying in spite of the growing noise restrictions. His name is Stanley S. Hubbard, Chairman and CEO of Hubbard Aviation Technologies.
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Hubbard, a successful U.S. broadcasting entrepreneur, has owned several Gulfstreams in his lifetime. To get around growing noise restrictions, he decided to outfit his GIISP with a noise suppression system from Stage III Technologies. He was so impressed with the product he bought the intellectual property rights to it in 2008 and built a company, Hubbard Aviation Technologies, to manufacture and market it. Named QS3®, it goes beyond the capabilities of a typical “hush-kit”. Indeed, it deserves its own name: Hubbard Aviation Technologies calls it a “Noise Suppression System”. The QS3 Noise Suppression System consists of four elements: ❍ An alternating-lobe exhaust nozzle that attaches to the back of the RollsRoyce Spey 511-8 engines ❍ A fuselage-mounted, acousticallylined and fixed titanium-core ejector
❍ A cascade-style thrust reverser (TR) ❍ A noise signature more in line with modern aircraft versus the “harsh cracking” often experienced with the Spey engines The QS3 system mixes the hot exhaust with ambient air to lower the temperature and velocity - without thrust loss. The alternating lobes set up separate axial vortex patterns that interact with each other to enhance mixing. By breaking up the jet core into 10 smaller cores, the nozzle shifts the low-frequency jet noise to a higher frequency that can be more easily absorbed. What makes this patented nozzle unique is its ability to reduce noise without degrading the engine’s overall performance. Gulfstream II and IIIs outfitted with the QS3 noise suppression system meet Stage 3 (U.S. equivalent to ICAO Chapter 3) requirements without any operational restrictions meaning the aircraft can take off at Max Gross Weight with normal flap settings and no reduction in EPR. The result: ❍ A much quieter sound profile at two of the measuring points ❍ A slight Stage 3 excess of 1.7 dB on the sideline limit (but still within the maximum excess allowed of 2 dB at one point) ❍ A cumulative reduction of the noise level of 6.2 dB compared to the Stage 3 requirements. At fly-over, the STC validated QS3 GII noise level is 82.6 decibels - well below the 93.0 decibels of an original GII or the Stage III maximum of 89 decibels. And approach limits are 96.5
dB, which is 1.5 dB less than Stage 3 requirements and 5.5 dB below the original GII levels. Bernard Weiss, President and COO Hubbard Aviation, likes to stress that there are now two hush-kits approved by the FAA to meet Stage 3 standards, but only one (his company’s QS3 Noise Suppression System) that is certified by EASA to meet Chapter 3 standards and most importantly allows the airplane to meet the new standards with out any changes to performance or capabilities. Hubbard’s system costs around $1 million, quite an investment for aircraft that you can pick up second hand for around $750,000 (GII) and between $1 and 3 million (GIII). Both of these airplanes have impressive performance numbers comparable to many of the newer more expensive jets. Thus, the investment makes sense for those owners and operators who fly an average number of hours per year. Indeed, the higher variable costs on a GII or GIII (compared to a newer airplane) are offset by much lower capital amortization costs per year. Technically, both aircraft are good for many years to come, and continue to be supported by the manufacturer. Regulatory Hurdles Let’s look at some of the regulatory hurdles that the QS3 system is trying to overcome. Noise is regulated first by ‘certified noise standards’, which are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and adopted world-wide for aircraft type certification issues. All new aircraft types certified after January 1, 2006 have to comply with what is called Chapter 4. The aircraft certified prior to that date must comply with Chapter 3 limitations. The much older Chapter 2 aircraft are forbidden in Europe and are progressively becoming non-compliant with national regulations in many parts of the world. Formally, this applies only to subsonic jet aircraft of more than 75,000 lbs (34,000 kgs). Apart from certification issues, operators also have to face local, regional and national noise operating restriction regulations. As many airports were taking noise reduction measures on an individual and uncoordinated way, in 2002 the European Commission issued Directive 2002/30 on operational noise restrictions at
local airports. The aim was to harmonize all individual restrictions, but previously implemented measures were grandfathered in, even if not consistent with the Directive. More so, the Directive was not applied in the same manner by all member states when translated to their national regulations. Needless to say, a revision was necessary and has recently been worked out by the European Commission. The revision of the Directive 2002/30 is part of the EU Commission Airport Package, which also includes slots and handling, and will now become a Regulation. Compared to a Directive, which needs to be translated into national legislation by all 27 EU Member States, a Regulation immediately takes effect and is applicable to all EU Member States. The EU Commission proposal was finalized by the end of November 2011 and is now working its way through the normal EU regulatory process and being submitted to both the European Parliament and the European Council. Final approval and implementation can be expected in about one year’s time. The new regulation is to establish rules to facilitate the introduction of operating restrictions in a consistent manner on an airport-by-airport basis so as to help improve the noise climate in accordance with the ICAO principle of the “balanced approach.” The “balanced approach” is defined as the coherent policy that considers the whole range of available measures to address the noise problem, namely not just aircraft noise at source, but equally land-use planning and management, noise abatement operational procedures and operating restrictions. It also gives the Commission a more active role in the application of the regulation (aiming at harmonizing rules to avoid distortion of competition between airports). The proposed Regulation updates the definition of ‘marginally compliant’ aircraft, which are Chapter 3 compliant by a cumulative margin of ‘less than 10 EPNdB’ (almost equivalent to Chapter 4). Individual airports may consider operational restrictions up to these levels for the marginally compliant aircraft, but need to carry out environmental, health and economic assessment to justify these additional measures.
As far as Business Aviation is concerned, in theory it will not have too much impact as it affects turbine aircraft with an MTOW of 75,000 lbs (34 tons) or more, or with a seating capacity of 19 passengers or more. Airports concerned are those registering more than 50,000 civil airplane movements per year (no longer just IFR or commercial). However, operators are always prudent to check the local noise rules at their planned destination, as some may have taken more restrictive measures prior to the implementation of the European Directive and future Regulation. Up to now, the U.S. has been much more tolerant to the much older Stage 2 (the U.S. equivalent to Chapter 2), which is prohibited in Europe. In the States, business aircraft of less than 75,000 lbs were specifically exempted from stricter noise regulations enacted in 1990 to limit the financial burden on private/corporate aircraft owners and operators. The recently passed FAA reauthorization bill includes a provision that will result in the phase-out of Stage 2 business jets of less than 7,000 lbs. But aircraft upgraded or modified to comply with Stage 3 noise levels will still be allowed to fly in the U.S. Hubbard Aviation Technologies QS3 Noise Suppression System provides a valuable solution for complying with noise restrictions on both sides of the pond – creating even more added value for the GII and GIII aircraft. To explain the complicated European noise issues, Hubbard is organizing a demonstration tour at various European BizAv airports prior to presenting its modified Gulfstream III aircraft at EBACE 2012. The tour begins in London Luton on Thursday May 10th, then flies to Paris Le Bourget on the same day. And on Friday May 11th the aircraft will fly to Geneva Airport. Hubbard Aviation Technologies’ target market consists of U.S. owners who occasionally fly to European destinations. The main selling point: Hubbard’s noise suppression system is a practical solution for GII and GIII’s operators needing to comply with the latest noise regulations on both sides of the Atlantic, with the added bonus of giving these classic business jets an extension to their operating life.
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44
PREVIEW
JET EXPO MOSCOW 2012
A RUSSIAN REVIVAL
By Paul Walsh
Jet Expo got the formula just right last year by placing the static display and exhibition beside each other at Vnukovo 3 airport and attracting visitors in their thousands.
B
ut show organizers won’t be resting on their laurels in 2012. “There’s always room for improvement and experimentation,” Jet Expo organizer Alexander Evdokimov told BART. “Competition for buyer’s attention is extremely high nowadays, and our market is extremely dynamic, so you’ll never stay on top by repeating the same old tricks.”
POTENTIAL
Jet Expo demonstrates the vast potential for Russia s Business Aviation market says show organizer Alexander Evdokimov. Sukhoi Business Jet (right). 90 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
Evdokimov says that he is committed to bringing new dimensions to Jet Expo. “By innovating you can bring in more exhibitors and more revenue, which can be invested into promoting and improving the show. So in the end, everybody wins.” Jet Expo may boast some new “special features” this year, but its core philosophy remains the same. Since its launch the show has been a dedicated platform allowing exhibitors to speak directly with potential buyers. “Our admittance procedures rule out window shoppers,” says Evdokimov, “and it makes it much easier for people to do business.” And when it comes to Business Aviation end-users, Jet Expo does everything in its power to boost the numbers. Of course the location helps: Vnuckovo 3 boasts over 200 flights a day and over 70% of Russia’s Business Aviation traffic. “It’s a real hot-spot for our end users,” says Evdokimov. “And it’s very easy for principals to walk across to our exposition and see what’s happening in the industry. Last year that’s exactly what they did, and this year, thanks to our additional offerings this year, we expect even more to come.” He adds, “There’s a simple sales formula: only one lead out of ten will turn into an offer and only one offer out of
several will turn into a sale. We’re not planning on bringing in millions of people, but the more high-caliber visitors we have — the better. Even if the visitor is not ready to purchase right away, he may prove to be the valuable future contact.” Russian Business Aviation Market Business Aviation operators in Russia certainly need to do all they can to keep the sales revenue coming in. After years of rapid growth the industry has stagnated somewhat: a number of recent set-backs haven’t helped either. For instance, last September Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency suspended the licenses of some smaller Russian operators in response to a fatal Yak-42 accident. “The government has brought in new restrictions and has banned certain older aircraft,” says Evdokimov. “But Russian Business Aviation has a modern, technically advanced fleet so the effect on our industry is minimal. Also Russia has just joined the WTO; so in some areas regulations are loosening up - certain customs rules and Siberian fly-by fares may be waived in 2014.” Certainly, plenty of companies are keen to exploit Russia’s market potential. Executive transport company, Avolus, is planning to extend its Jet Card Europe to Russia & CIS this year.
Avolus’s Jet Card Europe offers 25 hours or more of flight time for a single, up-front payment and unlocks access to over 1,000 airports in Europe and unlimited use of Avolus’ extended fleet worldwide. The Jet Card is available in three cabin sizes - Light, Medium and Large - with no hidden fuel or airport surcharges. Meanwhile Business Aviation operator VistaJet is making Russian headway. “We are seeing unprecedented demand in Russia and other fastgrowth developing markets in which we operate,” said Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr, who also emphasized the importance of Business Aviation for Russian industry. “If you are the owner of a mining company with assets in Siberia and Central Africa, you cannot afford to spend up to three days flying commercially between Novosibirsk and Luanda.” One company that is committed to raising standards in the Russian Business Aviation industry is Avia Solutions Group, which recently won the Russian Ministry of Transport’s ‘Golden Chariot’ public award for its outstanding performance Russia’s transport sector. “We have extended our capabilities in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the CIS region,” said Group Chairman G.Ziemelis. “We can proudly say that we play an important role in Russia’s aviation sector.” Finally JFI are capitalizing on Russian opportunities; the aircraft management and charter services provider recently entered an agreement with Moscowbased Best-Jets LLC to form JFI Russia. “I expect JFI Russia to make an integral contribution to our growth this year,” said JFI’s CEO, Bill Cripe. “We’re getting to the point where we are moving our airplanes to where our business is.” JFI moved a GV, several GIVs and a Challenger 601 to Moscow last year where it has sales, handling and dispatch, and new business lead support. The message for this year’s Jet Expo is that in spite of the challenges, the potential for growth in Russia’s Business Aviation market is enormous. In other words, you can count on Jet Expo 2012 to be a hive of Business Aviation activity next September.
✈
QUALITY
You won t find window shoppers at Jet Expo - just principals and executives getting down to business.
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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
FROM THE COCKPIT
FLYING EFFICIENTLY
IN PURSUIT OF PERFECTION By LeRoy Cook
Everyone wants to conduct their flight in a routine manner, all the while involving the least amount of fuel, time, discomfort, inconvenience or risk; and these are quite often conflicting choices. Efficient use of an aircraft always involves achieving the desired goal without squandering money, but inherent in that pursuit is coming to an agreement on the most important intent of the mission. Penny-wise and pound-foolish is the result of chasing small increments of efficiency.
E
ven so, in an age of thousand-dollar fill-ups for even relatively short flights, efficiency is mostly measured by either minimizing the time in the air or the fuel used for the trip. These are not mutually compatible, in that going faster generally requires more fuel, assuming no change in the
flight conditions. If you pull the power back, fuel flow will drop, but at some point you’ll feel like you’re crawling and your view of the reduced fuel burn is clouded by the need for speed. Your boss didn’t buy a 350-knot airplane to fly at 250 knots, even if slowing down does save gas. The secret, then, is to find the right balance, not throwing money away in pursuit of high-speed cruise, yet completing the trip in a reasonable amount of time. By the same token, you’ll want to avoid rough air for the passengers, even if choppy winds are favorable for your direction of flight, and you would prefer to manage fuel stops to avoid inconvenient ground delays. Thus, there is theoretical efficiency, achieved at the expense of all other objectives, and practical efficiency, which is a compromise of choices. Go High And Stay High, If You Can For maximum efficiency, turbine engines do their best work by converting cold air into super-hot air, so you’ve already learned to fly as high as practical and stay there for as long as you can. But, you’ve also learned that
ATC’s wishes don’t always match your desires, and that the winds at altitude aren’t always favorable and temperatures aloft aren’t always ISA. In addition, erosion of power output at high altitude yields diminishing returns in the speed department, as true airspeed drops off when power fades. Technology gives us an edge, so put it to work in flight. Use the cockpit readouts available in the GPS or flight management system to confirm the wind vector, and use the fuel flow totalizer in your flight plan menu to watch the landing fuel numbers shrink or grow. The objective is to find as high an altitude as you can that offers favorable winds and a smooth ride; I’ve always felt that wallowing along in chop takes the edge off cruise speed, so smooth air is to be sought for more than just comfort. Naturally, lower is frequently best going westbound (but not always) and you’ll generally be riding high on strong tailwinds while flying east. The other common rule of efficiency is to use max-cruise power when fighting a headwind, to minimize the time spent with the wind in your
PLANNING
Investing time in pre-flight planning pays dividends once you re in the air.
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FROM THE COCKPIT
face, and to pull back to maximumrange power when riding a tailwind, letting nature buy the gas. Fly A Plan
REWORK
Stay flexible and ready to alter the plan if the weather isn t as advertized.
You should also invest time in preflight planning, studying the wind flow at the 500 and 300 mb levels for pressure pattern routings. In the northern hemisphere, a westbound flight path that curves north of the lows and south of the highs can make up knots by switching off the headwind or even finding a tailwind. Note where the jet stream winds are supposed to be running today and use the wind vector readout to confirm the forecast in flight. Take advantage of the computerized flight planning tools we have available today, which can whip up a best-efficiency routing for you in mere seconds. That said, stay flexible and be ready to alter the plan if ATC won’t cooperate or the weather isn’t as advertised. Naturally, flying direct to the destination, or at least to an arrival gate for the approach, is always desirable. Miles flown in the wrong direction are wasted miles that have to be made up later in the trip. If you can get direct, always
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take it, clipping off a few airway miles here and there. Seeking the shortest route even applies to requesting a departure runway that minimizes any twisting and turning to get on course. This assumes the on-course departure won’t come at the expense of climb restrictions. I will not, however, use a contrary runway at an uncontrolled field, just to save a few miles. Without a control tower to referee conflicts, there’s a safety issue I can’t accept, so I’ll go with the unbridled flow instead of swimming upstream. Remember, broadcasting intentions means nothing if you’re not heard. When departing, there’s a case to be made for taxiing out on one engine, starting the second engine as the holdshort line is approached. I think that’s best reserved for two-crew cockpits, because the interrupted checklists and added workload are a bit risky for a single-pilot operation. Getting to altitude quickly pays off, but if you are fighting a headwind it’s more efficient to increase climb speed to reduce the percentage lost to the wind. Conversely, use maximum climb in a tailwind because you’re still moving downrange smartly, even with the
slow airspeed of the climb. At the end of the headwinds-plagued trip, you’ll want to make an early request for a gradual descent to enlist the aid of gravity to gain free speed and perhaps find lighter winds at lower altitude. And in a tailwind situation, you’ll want to hang on to the altitude as long as possible, seeking an idle-power profile descent to the arrival pattern, perhaps increasing the descent rate to 3,000 fpm or more. The bags-in-back loading option also picks up a few knots, by unloading the horizontal tail to lessen drag, versus adding weight in the nose compartment. As long as loading limits are respected, moving the C.G. aft improves efficiency. Fuel Management Stretching range to avoid a fuel stop is always a wise choice for efficiency, as long as it can be done safely. Pulling power back to take it on home might cost you a few more minutes in the air, but if you have to make a stop you’ll waste at least an hour, and probably more, by descending, gassing up and climbing back to altitude. Why not spend that time aloft, sitting comfort-
ably in the aircraft? Never sacrifice alternate fuel reserves to skip a stop, of course. If a fuel stop is required, you can minimize the in-flight and ground delays by using the most convenient, reliable location that doesn’t take you too far off a direct course. Again, practical efficiency often outvotes theory; if it’s the middle of the night, or noise curfews are a possibility, or you are relying on old fuel-availability information, it’s best to go with a bigger field that’s a known quantity. But smaller, off-the-beaten-path airports often avoid ATC delays and get you on your way quicker. Don’t waste miles, but consider the time factor. Maintain the equipment, for maximum efficiency. If a gear door is sagging or a there’s a pressurization leak, or your engines aren’t making book fuel flow, having the shop take a look at the problem might pay off. Fixing faulty rigging can also result in a decrease in fuel burn. Automation Saves Use the autopilot to gain efficiency. It can hold a precise heading and altitude, it never overshoots a turn and it’ll roll out exactly on the centerline, leaving you to concentrate on power settings and advance planning. While you still need to be able to hand-fly in a pinch, it’s desirable, more often than not, to employ the autopilot’s superior touch, given today’s level of sophistication. The autopilot will save fuel, do a smoother job for the passengers and keep ATC happier. As with any piece of equipment, however, make it a point to know exactly how the autopilot works and always keep yourself in the loop, rather than just ride along beside the silicon-based crewmember. Yes, you can hand fly an approach, but not as well or with as much time to run the checklist while you talk with ATC and confirm the minimums. Let a good autopilot do the grunt work but never give up your management role. Efficiency is a goal, not a criterion. Flying efficiently should just make sense, saving dollars out the tailpipe when you can, using the airplane’s max cruise speed as it was intended; when it’s needed. That’s practical efficiency.
✈
TECHNOLOGY
Using the autopilot saves fuel, gives passengers a smoother flight and keeps the ATC happy.
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MAINTENANCE MATTERS
OEM PRODUCT SUPPORT
SERVICE WITH A SMILE
By Bernard Fitzsimons
Business jets are essentially time machines, so minimizing dispatch delays and responding rapidly to AOGs are crucial.
K
eeping customers happy is not pure altruism on the part of business jet manufacturers. According to Bombardier more than 60 per cent of the new business jets ordered are replacement aircraft for current owners. Since owners typically trade up to bigger models their loyalty is extremely valuable, and they tend to react badly to being told they will have to take a commercial flight because their own aircraft has an unresolved technical issue or is waiting for a part. At the same time, business jet ownership is becoming geographically more diverse: as much as 70 per cent of Gulfstream’s recent orders have come from outside North America. So the OEMs are extending their networks of service centers into new regions while refining the range of services they offer. The support actually constitutes a major business in itself: Gulfstream’s product support network employs more than 3,300 people, and the aftermarket accounted for nearly a quarter of Cessna’s $2.99 billion revenues in 2011.
VALUE
Gulfstream s new warehouse at London Luton, brings the inventory value from $25 million to $40 million. 96 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
New Hangars In their traditional markets of North America and Europe, the OEMs are continuing to reinforce their support offerings. Gulfstream is responding to a revival in sales and increase in flying hours by more than doubling the size of its service center at Westfield, Massachusetts, and adding 100 more staff, increasing the size of the workforce by nearly 80 per cent. At Dallas Love Field the company has reopened the 5,700 sq m Hangar F to service the G200 and G280 midcabin aircraft, increasing space at the site by nearly 18 per cent and creating another four large-cabin slots in other hangars. And at its Lincoln, Nebraska, component repair, modification and overhaul facility Gulfstream has added a brake shop to the wheel and tire shop that started operation in March 2010.
In Europe the company moved last year to a bigger hangar at London Luton, where more than 170 staff support the continent’s highest volume of transient Gulfstream traffic. The 7,000 sq m hangar can accommodate up to 12 aircraft and includes a large booth for painting wings and ailerons. EASA Continued Airworthiness Management Organization authorization enables the facility to handle maintenance planning, airworthiness management and airworthiness reviews for customers. Hawker Beechcraft is building a new northeast U.S. regional service center at New Castle airport in Wilmington, Delaware. With 3,700 sq m of hangar space plus back shops and offices it will offer airframe, engine, avionics and mobile service support for the company’s entire product line. Guest offices will be available for customers to use while their aircraft are being serviced. In Europe the company has added MNG Jet at Istanbul Ataturk to its network of limited line service centers. MNG Jet also cooperates with Hawker Beechcraft services in Chester, UK, to provide AOG services. Bombardier’s wholly owned service center at Amsterdam Schiphol, the newest of its nine OEM service centers worldwide, saw its monthly visit rate increase by 33 per cent in 2011 and is boosting staffing levels by 30 per cent in response. Opened in May 2010, the facility has extended its capabilities to include Challenger 850 aircraft in addition to the Learjet 40/40 XR, 45/45 XR and 60/60 XR, Challenger 300, 604 and 605, Global 5000 and Global Express. Cessna’s new Citation Service Center in Valencia, Spain, is due to open later this year, with 5,800 sq m of hangar
space. Providing both scheduled maintenance and round-the-clock services, it will complement Cessna’s Paris Le Bourget service centre, which itself started 24-hour operations in April 2011, with hydraulic and battery shops, parts support and avionics modifications. Dassault Falcon added a 28th Authorized Service Center to its network last year when JetAlliance in Vienna became a Line Service Center for the Falcon 2000 classic. Five of its ASCs – at Little Rock, Arkansas; Wilmington, Delaware; Reno, Nevada; Sorocaba, Brazil; and Paris le Bourget – as well as six Satellite Service Stations are company owned. The latest satellite station opened in January at West Palm Beach, Florida, to enhance provision for operators n Central and South America as well as the eastern US. It is authorized to perform A checks up to 4A+ level and houses an AOG Go Team. The other satellite service stations, which have technicians, AOG support tooling and a targeted inventory of spares are at St Louis, London Luton, Rome, Moscow and Nice. Embraer’s wholly owned service center at Paris Le Bourget has opened a branch at London Oxford Airport to provide routine inspection, servicing, troubleshooting, LRU replacement and remote aircraft on ground (AOG) support. Regional Reorientation In the wake of recession and a precipitous decline in aircraft sales in their traditional markets, the OEMs have been turning much of their attention to Brazil, Russia, China and India
— the so-called BRIC countries – and other emerging economies where sales have continued to grow. Embraer, itself one of the symbols of Brazil’s economic progress, already has more than 100 executive jets operating in the country and is planning a new service centre for them at Sorocaba, 90 km from São Paulo. The 20,000 sq m facility will have a hangar five times the size of the current centre at Embraer’s São José dos Campos headquarters, where world-wide customer support is coordinated. Dedicated technicians for remote services in emergency situations are now based at São Paulo Cogonhas, along with a mobile maintenance unit to respond to AOGs. The company is also boosting its ASC network in Asia. Metrojet in Hong Kong has provided line and base maintenance of the Legacy 600/650 and Lineage 1000 for customers in China and Mongolia since late 2011. In India, a stock of parts is planned, to be housed at an Air Works facility in Bangalore to support the six EASCs in the country; they include Indamer, which has added support for the Lineage 1000 to its existing Legacy and Phenom 100 services. Hawker Pacific in Singapore, where a full inventory of spares was established in 2010, will support Embraer’s whole executive jet portfolio. And JapCon is set to provide maintenance to future Embraer operators in Japan. In Russia, Jet Aviation Moscow Vnukovo, which has been providing line support at the airport since 2009, has added a stock of spares for the Legacy 600 and 650 and will provide 24/7 AOG support.
COVERED
Cessna s Mobile Service Units cover the main Business Aviation centers in the US, Canada and Europe (left). Hawker Beechcraft s Mobile Technical Support offers AOG maintenance, parts changes and avionics inspection (right).
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EXPANDING
Gulfstream recently added a new brake shop to its facility at Lincoln Nebraska.
Gulfstream has teamed with Hainan Airlines subsidiaries Deer Jet, which has a fleet of 26 Gulfstreams, and Grand China Aviation Technik to operate a service center at Beijing Capital. Gulfstream Beijing’s 7,600 sq m hangar will service Deer Jet and other Gulfstream aircraft and some nonGulfstream models. The company already has two authorized warranty repair centers in the region, Metrojet in Hong Kong and Jet Aviation in Singapore, with on-site stocks of parts and materials. Jamco in Japan is a warranty line service centre. Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center at Shanghai Hongqiao has become a Line Service Center for the Dassault Falcon 900, 2000 and 7X, providing line maintenance and A/A+ inspections. As the fleet matures, it is expected to become a Major Service Center capable of C checks. Air Works India in Mumbai supports Gulfstream aircraft in the country, using parts supplied by the major supply bases in Madrid, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore. As a Bombardier Authorized Service Facility, Air Works has added maintenance for the Learjet 60/60 XR to its AOG support for the Challenger 300, 604 and 605 and Global series. The facility has also been appointed an ASC for the Hawker Beechcraft Premier and
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OEM PRODUCT SUPPORT
Dassault Falcon 900: to further bolster support Dassault, which has about 20 aircraft operating in the country and deliveries scheduled for several more, has opened spares distribution centers in Chennai and Mumbai and added a field support team in Mumbai. The Middle East is an established market for business jets and recent years have seen steady expansion of the support services available in the region. Dassault has ASCs in Dubai and Jeddah, a spares distribution center in Dubai and a technical office in Jeddah to support a regional fleet that already numbers 60 aircraft and is expected to grow by 15 per cent over the next two years. Qatar Executive at Doha has become a Line Maintenance Facility for Bombardier’s Challenger 300, 604 and 605 and the Global series. The corporate jet division of Qatar Airways operates its own Bombardier fleet of three Challenger 605s, two Global 5000s and a Global Express XRS and has a 6,200 sq m hangar at Doha. Services include deep cleaning, exterior washing and bright work polishing. The addition of Doha brought the OEM’s network of authorized service and line maintenance facilities to 57 in 28 countries. They are due to be joined next year by a full scale company-owned and operated service center in Singapore. The second Bombardierowned facility outside North America, Singapore will provide light and heavy maintenance to all Learjet, Challenger and Global models. In 2010 ExecuJet in Dubai became an ASC for the current line of Hawker Beechcraft jets. ExecuJet facilities in Lanseria, South Africa, Lagos and Sydney have also become ASCs for HBC, while Cape Town and Melbourne became Line Service Centers. Mobile Support Gulfstream introduced the first airborne aircraft maintenance and support program 10 years ago, and last year it added a second dedicated Gulfstream 100 while enlarging the Airborne Product Support team that responds to warranty customer AOGs in North America and the Caribbean to nine pilots and eight technicians. The technicians’ capability extends to
engine changes and major structural repairs. For AOGs outside the G100’s range Gulfstream flies parts or personnel to an airline hub to connect with a commercial flight. Gulfstream is also introducing Field and Airborne Support Teams, initially in Europe and subsequently in other regions. The North American FAST will have access to the APS aircraft as well as the mobile support vehicles strategically located across the United States. Bombardier launched its Parts Express service in the United States in 2007 using shares equivalent to a Learjet 45 in the OEM’s Flexjet fractional ownership fleet to dispatch parts and mobile repair parties to AOG jets under warranty. The service was extended to Europe in 2009, and last year Bombardier added a dedicated Challenger 601 in Dubai to make Parts Express available from North Africa to central Asia and India as well as the Middle East. Cessna introduced the first Mobile Service Unit at its San Antonio service center in 2007. Since then the US fleet has grown to more than a dozen and the provision has been extended to Canada and Europe: the first MSU in Europe was based at Lyon Bron in 2010. Capable of hoisting the Citation X’s AE3007 engine, each unit is equipped with a ground power unit, an air compressor, jacks for all Citation models, a rear-mounted lift and a hydraulic mule. Cessna says planned and unplanned services by MSUs generally are more convenient and less expensive than flying to fixed maintenance locations. They handled more than 2,300 events in the field last year. Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support has based Mobile Technical Support teams and ground support vehicles in California and the northeastern US. Services include on-site troubleshooting, minor scheduled maintenance, limited scope time items, parts changes, avionics research for Part 91 operators and engine removal and reinstallation on the entire family of HBC aircraft. They are staffed by specially formed Global Experience Teams, and a GET support aircraft is available for AOG missions. The OEMs have also taken to deploying on-site support teams at
photography: paul cordwell - cordwell.aero
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E AC B t E 234 a 2 us d # t i n s Vi S t a 49
MAINTENANCE MATTERS events that attract large concentrations of business jets, from the World Economic Forum to the Super Bowl. Hawker Beechcraft’s Quick Response Team has already attended four events this year and will be at the Indianapolis 500 in May and the Summer Olympics in London. The Olympics are also on the schedule for Cessna’s MSUs, along with the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500 in May; they have already attended another four major sporting events, including the Super Bowl and the Masters golf tournament. Dassault deployed a technical team at Zurich in January to coincide with the World Economic Forum, with similar support planned for sporting events such as the Summer Olympics in London and the Daytona 500 in Florida. The teams provide troubleshooting assistance and coordinate with local ASCs and the nearest parts warehouse to minimize delays in return to service in the event of an AOG: at Zurich, parts from Dassault’s Paris Le Bourget worldwide distribution center could be available within three hours. Bombardier’s Olympic plans include five field service representatives onsite in the London area between 23 July and 17 August, a mobile response team in close proximity to London airports, plus back-up from Bombardier’s own Schiphol Service Center and the Authorized Service Facilities at TAG Aviation Farnborough and Ocean Sky Jet Centre, Luton.
SUPPLY
Dassault added spares worth nearly $40 million in 2011 boosting its global inventory to $700 million.
Spares Supply Dassault added spares worth nearly $40 million in 2011, boosting its global inventory to $700 million, and partnered with UPS to open a new regional distribution center with $9 million in spares in Singapore. The spares are held at 13 distribution centers in 11 countries and include 130,00 unique part numbers. Dassault says it shipped 98 per cent of spares on the day required by the customer and shipped 92 per cent of more than 250,000 spares on the same day. Hawker Beechcraft teamed with Schenker Logistics to open new international parts distribution facilities in London, Dubai and Singapore in 2010.
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With inventories valued at more than $40 million of the most commonly ordered parts, the new centers offer expedited dispatch of critical parts, real-time tracking and round-the-clock availability. Since they opened, the company says, its overall dispatch reliability has improved, with Schenker’s aeroparts logistics service shipping them to customers and service providers in their regions in under 20 hours. Along with other centers in Dallas, Johannesburg and Beijing, they make $375 million in spares available worldwide. Gulfstream has opened two new European warehouses in the last two years. A new parts depot at Madrid Barajas in Spain holds nearly $65 million in Gulfstream parts, with room for large items such as landing gear and windshields and climate-controlled space for perishables, including batteries. A new warehouse at London Luton has enabled inventory there to increase from $25 million to $40 million. Both can ship parts anywhere in Europe or the Middle East within 24 hours. Worldwide, Gulfstream has $1.2 billion worth of parts and materials, including another $9 million at Jet Aviation in Basel. Bombardier has been working hard to improve its parts support, primarily by investing in parts to improve availability. Other initiatives include what the company says is an industry-leading parts satisfaction guarantee and
more stringent criteria to reduce the incidence of no fault found (NFF) parts. There have also been price reductions on thousands of consumable parts, the result of negotiating lower prices with suppliers and achieving better economies of scale. Bombardier’s Parts Logistics operations are centered on two super warehouses in Chicago and Frankfurt, plus regional parts depots in Dubai, São Paulo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Beijing and Tokyo Narita. The parts satisfaction guarantee waives shipping, labor and restocking charges for unused AOG parts, recommended parts that fail to fix a fault or parts that are defective on arrival. The NFF effort involves tracking suspect and rogue units at the serial number level, and a dedicated component reliability team to follow up with troubleshooting and corrective action. Cessna is increasing the number of parts at the European distribution facility it shares with Bell Helicopter in Amsterdam from 3,500 to more than 10,000. All this activity adds up to remarkable growth in the OEMs provision of business jet support and entails major investment on a global scale. As Gulfstream Aerospace president Larry Flynn observed during last October’s NBAA show in Las Vegas, “We are acutely aware that superior service and support sells airplanes.”
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MAINTENANCE MATTERS
COST PER HOUR PROGRAMS
PAYING BY THE HOUR
Photo Jet aviation
By Steve Ells
Plunging into the world of aircraft ownership can be a disorientating experience. That s why many hire experts for advice on all aspects of the purchasing process.
A
maintenance expert might come in handy too, and the best of these will advise you to put the airplane on a guaranteed maintenance program (GMP). Why? Because owning an aircraft can entail a host of nasty maintenance surprises. Indeed a major, unplanned powerplant repair will dig deep into your pocket and could lay waste to a profitable year. As Dave Labrozzi, President GE Capital puts it, “The biggest wildcard in owning an aircraft is maintenance expense.” Guaranteed Maintenance Programs eliminate this uncertainty, and there are plenty of interesting options available either by OEMs or by independent third party providers such as Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) or Powerplan. Here are the basics. Owners sign up upon the purchase of a new engine or aircraft. After an evaluation and interview the companies present plan proposals that can include overhauls, inspections, normal maintenance tasks such as line maintenance, maintenance for the Removal and Replacement (R and R) of time-limited components, and accessories. But the proposals might also make provision for catastrophic loss, rental engine support, labor costs for troubleshooting, line maintenance, engine R and R and engine shipping costs. You can sign up either at the time of purchase, or further down the line, by paying a catch up charge or opting for a Pro-Rata enrollment that is offered by JSSI and Powerplan. In return for a monthly fee you get a boring and repetitious maintenance experience—the best kind really— with no surprises and no “unplanned for” costs. BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 101
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MAINTENANCE MATTERS
COST PER HOUR PROGRAMS
Jet Services Support Incorporated (JSSI) Starting back in 1989, JSSI is really the grandfather in the GMP world. And over the last two decades it has continued to expand its services and fine tune its menu of management options. Selected clients have the opportunity to choose from a do-all, comprehensive Tip-To-Tail program. This program covers not only scheduled, unscheduled and catastrophic failure modes of powerplant maintenance, but also includes the same professionally-managed attention-to-detail care on airframes and APUs. JSSI’s GMP program covering airframe maintenance is a relatively new addition to their menu of services. At the present it’s only available on selected airframes; but plans are afoot to expand the airframe list. Other clients can choose from GMP that start at the top-of-the-line Platinum program or from a number of others including Premium, Select, Unscheduled and Term. This menu is tailored to provide exactly the right program for each client. There are also stand-alone programs that cover APU maintenance costs.
FLEXIBLE
JSSI programs are fully adaptable. They offer coverage on major scheduled events, unscheduled events, life limited components and future airworthiness directives. 102 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
Self Reserve Operators that don’t have their own maintenance staff, work space, and tooling, or can’t or aren’t interested in adding maintenance to the company profile are a perfect fit for companies like JSSI. The JSSI engine coverage packages are much more than an hourly cost maintenance program for smoothing out monthly maintenance costs. JSSI programs are fully adaptable to better serve the needs of each client. A typical JSSI Premium powerplant coverage package includes major scheduled events, unscheduled events, life-limited components, 24/7 technical support, future mandatory and recommended service bulletins and future airworthiness directives. They also have a JSSI Technical Advisor on site during engine shop visits, troubleshooting labor allowance and rental engine details. Optional add-on services include coverage for freight and shipping, R and R expenses and plus coverage that is an
added value for clients wishing for additional off-site/AOG support. Clients that don’t need the life-limited component coverage choose the Select program. Clients that choose to selfreserve, like the local on-demand charter operator mentioned earlier, may choose to join the JSSI Unscheduled Engine program. This program provides 100 percent coverage of unscheduled maintenance, including catastrophic engine failure, rental engine costs, FOD gap coverage, troubleshooting engine R and R and freight. JSSI programs are more than an insurance policy to cover costs. In the event of an unscheduled maintenance event, members of the JSSI Technical Support Team will step in as needed. Company Directors of Maintenance (DOM) are freed up to continue their daily responsibilities as they are relieved of the logistical headaches that always take place during an off site maintenance event. JSSI arranges to get personnel, parts, and equipment to the site. If needed a rental engine is found and shipped. When the damaged engine arrives at the repair facility, a member of the JSSI technical staff will be on site to witness the tear down. In addition, JSSI lessens the total expense due to the buying power they have for aircraft parts and maintenance services. JSSI then adds another layer of confidence by utilizing a trust to hold maintenance reserves separately from its corporate funds. Powerplan And then there’s Powerplan. Like JSSI, Powerplan saves the operator / owner from the burden of paying the peaks of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance by providing a guaranteed hourly rate which turns variable maintenance costs into fixed costs.
Powerplan is available for both, engines and APU´s on virtually all models of jets, turboprops and helicopters. The program offers several options to support the individual management of the aircraft and to meet the specific needs of each owner or operator. And Powerplan offers a buy-in enrolment and the pro-rated cost share variant. The latter enables an enrolment with no up-front payment and provides immediate protection. The Advantages of Cost per Hour Programs? An operator may counter when offered JSSI or Powerplan coverage by saying that they already have a pay-bythe-hour plan from the engine manufacturer. All engine manufacturers do offer these plans—-JSSI and Powerplan programs offer an additional layer of coverage plus the benefit of an experienced tech staff member acting as the owner’s advocate when dealing with warranty or maintenance issues. Again, the owner is relieved of struggles and free to concentrate his or her energies on what they do best. So there are plenty of benefits to GMP. The first, and the one the company financial officers (CFO) love is a stable maintenance budget. Multiply the contracted hourly rate by the number of hours flown a year and next year’s maintenance budget is done. There’s also a tax advantage for GMP users. Maintenance expenses are tax deductible. While very sharp and experienced operators that opt to self reserve for maintenance may spend less on maintenance than GMP users, money set aside in self reserve accounts can add to the company’s tax liability. It’s well known that GMP programs add to aircraft value. Mark Verdesco, Director of Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales for
Dassault Falcon Jet said, “When Falcon takes an airplane in on trade without a GMP, it immediately enrolls the airplane and deducts the enrollment costs from the trade-in value.” Airplanes that are enrolled in GMP programs are worth more and are easier to sell. JSSI pay per hour programs are transferrable to new ownership. And if the airplane is sold, the client can either transfer the fund reserve to a new airplane, a different owned airplane or leave the program’s value with the aircraft being sold. In addition to all those advantages, lenders like GMP protection. In fact, according to a paper by David J. Wyndham of Conklin and deDecker, financial institutions and lenders may require that engines be on a GMP as a condition of a loan for asset protection. Turbine powerplants are very reliable. This reliability comes at a cost, though and one unscheduled shut down due to damage from one rock or a flock of birds is the wrong time to wish for the coverage a GMP provides. GMPs make good business sense, and JSSI and Powerplan are ready to tailor a program that fits every operator’s needs.
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VALUE
Aircraft enrolled in guaranteed maintenance programs are worth more and easier to sell.
51
THE DOCKET If you are planning to fly to Italy this summer, you should consider an increase in costs for landing your private jet on Italian soil.
TAXATION ON INTERNATIONAL AVIATION
HOW TO IGNORE THE CHICAGO CONVENTION
By Giulia Mauri, Partner, Verhaegen Walravens
A
VIOLATION
The Italian luxury tax imposed on aircraft could be in breach of European laws.
s of March 5th, owners of aircraft used for non-commercial operations in Italy are required to pay an additional landing tax. The new taxation, known as Salva Italia, has been introduced by governmental decree and subsequently converted into law. The Salva Italia decree contains several measures aimed at reducing the Italian deficit and balancing the budget. One of the measures adopted by the Monti Government has been to tax socalled ‘luxury goods’, including high caliber cars, yachts and private aircraft. Unfortunately this includes a tax on Italian registered aircraft and in some cases on foreign aircraft. At the time of writing this article, several amendments to the law are being discussed. The latest available version of the law provides a taxation for commercial and non-commercial operations. For non-commercial operations, the tax is due on Italian registered aircraft or on foreign aircraft making a
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stop-over in Italy of more than 45 consecutive days. The amount due is calculated based on the take-off weight of the aircraft and varies from a minimum of €0.75 per kilogram for aircraft having a take-off weight up to 1,000 kilograms to a maximum of €7.55 per kilogram for aircraft having a take-off weight of more than 10,000 kilograms. Commercial flights have also been taxed (this taxation is new as it was not included in the original version of the law). This new tax on “aero-taxis” will be paid by each passenger for each leg and it amounts to €100 on legs of less than 1,500km and €200 per leg for legs above 1,500km.
The new tax has been criticized by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the Italian Business Aviation Association (IBAA) and the European Helicopter Association (helicopters are taxed twice as much as airplanes). The EBAA, in coordination with its national and international partners, is acting on several different fronts. EBAA has been busy making contacts with Italian authorities in order to explain the industry’s position. More so, the tax services of the European Commission have also been involved as the Italian luxury tax could be in breach of European law. It is regrettable that the Italian government does not seem to recall what happened with the so-called Soru taxation. Indeed, Salva Italia must give regular travelers to Italy a feeling of déjà-vu mixed with an impression of incoherence. Not so long ago, the Italian Constitutional Court, backed by a decision of the European Court of Justice, decided that a tax very similar to the one introduced by the Monti Government was unconstitu-
tional and in breach of several principles of European law - including the free provision of services and the right of establishment. Following the decision of the Italian Constitutional Court, the luxury tax introduced by the then governor of Sardinia, Mr Soru, on yachts and private jets, was abolished. It is interesting to note that the case against the law of the Sardinia Region introducing the so-called “Soru Tax” was brought by … the Italian State. The State not only argued that the tax infringed on established principles of European law - and was backed by the European Court of Justice on this point - but also that the tax did not conform to the State’s general principles of taxation. It would be interesting to know what changed in the general principles of European law as well as the Italian rules on taxation that prohibited the 2006 luxury tax but allows for the adoption of a substantially identical tax just six years later. The Situation in Europe The increase of taxation on international aviation is a phenomenon that is rapidly growing in Europe. Increased taxation is often justified by environmental reasons, even though, as we will see here below, revenues generated by such taxation may also be used for ‘solidarity’ purposes. Several Member States impose taxation on air passengers. The method of taxation adopted by most European countries is a charge levied per-passenger departing from, or arriving to, an airport located in the territory of the relevant country. This is how the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD) works. The duty was introduced in 1994 and, at that time, its amount was so low that no objections were raised by airlines. On December 6, 2006, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced it was the government’s intention to double the amount of APD. The duty has since been increased several times. The duty applies to all passengers, with some exceptions, and it is calculated on the basis of the distance between London and the capital city of the destination country. The revenues generated by this duty, which at times was purportedly increased for environmental reasons, will not be reinvested in environmental projects. If it was expected that the tax would be criticized by airlines, less
expected was the criticism received by environmentalists who argued that the tax actually encourages air passengers to believe they are doing their bit for the environment, making them less likely to contribute to carbon offsetting schemes. Following the example of the UK, Ireland introduced its own APD, whose amount is calculated in the same manner as the UK APD. Following the crisis of the Euro-zone, there have been several talks in Ireland to abolish the APD in order to promote tourism. Unfortunately, a deal could not be found between the Irish Government, who proposed to scrap the tax against an obligation of airlines to increase flights to and from Ireland, and the airlines, who indicated that they could not commit to such an increase. The Irish APD therefore stands. Another interesting example of passenger duty is the so-called Alitalia tax. In 2008, the Italian Government increased an existing Boarding Tax from 1 per passenger to 3 per passenger. The additional amounts levied from the increase of the Boarding Tax have been used to cover the costs of unemployment benefits for former Alitalia’s employees. In other words, a perfect example of a solidarity tax. Notwithstanding some pressure from the International Air Transport Association and the European Low Fare Airlines Association, the tax was maintained. The scope of these taxes varies from the noble aim of protecting the environment to the financing of unemployment benefits of former employees of a bankrupt national carrier. Whatever the reasons for these taxes, their pro-
liferation is certainly not among the aims those who believed in the future of aviation and in the great contribution that a sound aviation industry can bring to the global economy. The Chicago Convention: enfant mal-aimé It would be useful if the ICAO took an official position on this type of taxation. Indeed, the Chicago Convention of 1944, the backbone of the international aviation community, states: “No fees, dues or other charges shall be imposed by any contracting State in respect solely of the right of transit over or entry into or exit from its territory of any aircraft of a contracting State or persons or property thereon”. (Article 15) The declared purpose of the Convention is to foster the development of international aviation in a safe and orderly manner and to establish international air transport services operated soundly and economically and on the basis of equality of opportunity. If we read the prohibition of Article 15 in light of the purpose of the Convention, it becomes apparent that the aim of this instrument is to avoid a proliferation of taxes on international aviation - proliferation that would create inequality among operators and impair the sound development of air services. Suffice it to say, the Convention has been ratified by 191 States. I believe it is legitimate to wonder what the future of aviation would be if each one of these ratifying states would add taxation on flights departing or landing in its territory. However, even if the purpose of the Convention seems clear, its interpretation has given rise to irreconcilable court decisions.
MIX-UP
Italian PM Mario Monti and his government fail to differentiate aviation and luxury.
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52
THE DOCKET
TAXATION ON INTERNATIONAL AVIATION
In the 1990s, the municipality of Zaventem, the town where Brussels’ airport is located, introduced a levy to be paid by all passengers departing from or arriving at Brussels Airport. Several airlines brought action against this measure and the Belgian courts, at all levels – including the Council of State and the Belgian Supreme Court - upheld the airlines’ position, holding the tax in breach of Article 15 of the Chicago Convention. Specifically, the courts ruled that the tax was charged on passengers ‘solely’ for the right of entry into, or exit from, interpretation of international treaties. tent for the interpretation of the Even though the reasoning followed Convention. Belgian territory. ICAO should therefore step in and On the basis of this case law, a by the High Court may be criticized on recent proposal to reintroduce an air several grounds, it shows how differ- bring some clarity to the issue. This passenger duty in Belgium has been ent courts may get to opposing conclu- might help national legislators when sions even when confronted with the considering the adoption of new taxadropped by the Government. In the Netherlands, the so-called position adopted by other courts. tion on aviation activities, as well as Dutch Ticket Tax, introduced to Indeed, the High Court, examining judges when confronted with interprereduce air traffic and pollution, was Belgian case law, dismissed it, stating: tative issues. An increased role by ICAO in clarifysubsequently abolished. However, “I confess to not following all of its reaeven if the end result is the same as soning. While according it all due ing the meaning of the prohibition of that in Belgium, the reasons are differ- respect, I regret that it does not lead me Article 15 could also be coupled with a campaign to increase awareness of the ent. Even though Dutch courts held to alter my conclusion”. Are We Heading Towards 191 effects that taxation on aviation has that the Dutch Ticket Tax was not in not only on operators, but also on airbreach of the Chicago Convention, the Different Local Taxes? The fact that different judges have ports. In particular for Business tax was subsequently abolished. Indeed, as indicated at the time by Jos reached opposing and irreconcilable Aviation, often mistakenly considered Nijhuis, president of Schiphol Airport, positions on the interpretation of the as ‘luxury’ aviation by legislators, it is the introduction of the tax had the prohibition of Article 15 indicates that important to be able to indicate the immediate consequence of a decrease there is still some work to be done to exact consequences an increased taxain air traffic from Schiphol to neigh- promote a coherent interpretation of tion has on the aviation industry as a whole, i.e. not only on aircraft operathis international treaty. boring countries. A key role could be played by the tors, but also on airports. Low cost airlines started operating The example of the Netherlands is Civil Aviation from Belgium or Germany and tour International operators started selling travel pack- Organization, the international body particularly interesting as the Dutch ages that included departing airports created by the Chicago Convention. Ticket Tax was abolished not because located in surrounding countries. ICAO could issue clear guidance on of a purported damage to the airlines, Following the deterioration of the eco- what type of taxation is prohibited but because of the heavy loss of traffic nomic conditions of Schiphol airport, under the Chicago Convention. experienced by Schiphol airport. I would also venture to say that this Indeed, current ICAO guidelines on the tax was finally abolished in 2009. The introduction of the Dutch Ticket taxation and charges have proved to type of taxation on international aviation should be systematically chalTax was challenged in court. Dutch be silent on this issue. The European Court of Justice, in its lenged. As clearly shown by the judgjudges upheld the validity of the tax and structured their final decision on very controversial decision on the ment of the English High Court, the the basis of the reasoning followed by validity of the directives extending the existence of taxes similar to the ones the English High Court in the case con- EU Emission Trading Scheme to the challenged has been construed as aviation industry, has recently indicat- additional evidence that nothing can cerning the UK Air Passenger Duty. However, the UK’s High Court deci- ed that the European Union is not be reproached to such taxation MEDIATION sion has been heavily criticized by bound by the Chicago Convention. Inaction has been interpreted as acquiICAO could step scholars as being UK-centric and as This decision alone then implies that escence. ✈ in to highlight the misapplying general principles of European institutions are not compenegative effects of Italy s Giulia Mauri welcomes readers' comments on these topics. proposed She advises national and international clients on all aspects of aviation and transport law, luxury tax on including asset finance and leasing, safety regulations, carrier's liability and litigation matters. Business She can be reached at info@bartintl.com Aviation. 106 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012
53
SAFETY SENSE
RULES AND REGULATIONS
FUEL EXHAUSTION By Michael R. Grüninger and Capt. Carl C. Norgren of Great Circle Services AG (GCS)
E
ERROR
A wrong fuel indicator on an ATR-72 ended up with fatal results.
veryone knows that lift is generated by speed and speed is generated by a propulsion system fed by fuel. Without fuel, a motor-powered aeroplane becomes a glider. Research by EASA indicates that a total of 30 accidents and 35 incidents between 1970 and February 2011 were attributed to fuel exhaustion, causing a total of 322 fatalities. According to ICAO fuel exhaustion is defined as ”no usable fuel remains on the aircraft.” The risk of fuel exhaustion has been present in aviation ever since the beginning of powered-flight. The consequences of fuel exhaustion have grown as aircraft have become larger and faster. At the same time the means of controlling the risk of fuel exhaustion have improved significantly. Today multiple tools are available to the flight crew to safely manage the fuel supply carried on board. It is up to the crew to make use of these tools in order to ensure flight safety. Several causal factors of fuel exhaustion have been identified. Technical factors, as far as they have been identified, have already been taken care of or will be. EASA’s NPA 2011-13 proposes additional certification require-
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ments towards an enhanced Fuel Quantity Indicator System including additional indicating and alerting features. Organizational and human factors are much less easily addressed. Two recent key accidents highlight the continued need for crew alertness, awareness, and discipline in following defined standards. Tuninter Flight 1153 The ATR-72 ditched on August 6, 2005, into the Mediterranean Sea after a double flame-out. Post-craft investigation showed that a wrong fuel indicator had been installed leading the gauge to over read. The displayed fuel figure was higher than actual fuel quantity. This fault could have been detected on ground before departure by the crew had they adhered to operating procedures. The captain had already flown the aircraft on the day before the ditching, August 5th. He had logged a faulty fuel quantity indication. Overnight mechanics replaced the fuel quantity indicator. But they installed the wrong replacement instrument, one for ATR42 instead of one for ATR-72. The newly installed instrument showed a considerably higher amount of fuel than the fuel actually on board. But the difference of the amount indicated remained undetected.
As required by operational procedures, the captain had noted 790 kg of fuel on board upon landing on the company’s Aircraft Technical Log (ATL). The following day, August 6th, when he resumed his duties on the same ATR72, TS-LBB, he read 3100 kg on the fuel gauge. The captain trusted in the assurances given by the Flight Dispatcher, although his pre-flight documentation was not complete. In fact, the fuel slip was missing. At that stage he could have developed some doubts about the actual quantity of fuel on board. But he continued to prepare for the flight and ordered an additional 700 kg of fuel to reach the required 3800 kg for the flight from Tunis to Bari. The quantity was set in the fuel panel. The refuelling slip of this uplift contained a quantity of 465 kg. No questions were raised by the flight or the ground crew. During the flight from Tunis to Bari, the crew did not complete the operational flight plan (OFP), against company operational procedures. The compilation of the OFP is not an unnecessary bureaucratic act. It is an instrument to validate essential calculations and flight characteristics. Had the crew crosschecked the fuel used with the fuel planned, a difference of 400 kg in fuel consumption as per fuel gauges would not have gone unnoticed: The difference was 37% on a flight of 101 minutes. The Fuel Used indicator displayed a figure compatible with the consumption planned, but incompatible with the fuel quantity indicated. The difference would have been noted, had the fuel consumption first been recorded and then been analysed properly by the flight crew. On August 29, 2010, the captain of Perimeter Aviation flight 107 turned his Dash 8 back to Winnipeg from where it had just departed. The crew realised while conducting the 10,000 ft climb check that they did not have enough fuel on board to safely complete the flight. In this case, the outcome was fortunate. The crew had followed the checklist procedure and detected the difference between the expected and the actual fuel quantity. Procedural non-compliance on the ground had caused the crew to depart without having uplifted the fuel necessary for the flight intended. The crew had radioed the required fuel figure to
54
SAFETY SENSE
the FBO’s customer service representative. The representative was distracted and didn’t pass the fuel order to the line service foreman. Company procedures required the pilots to supervise refuelling procedures. Instead both pilots walked away from the aircraft. They had seen the fuel truck under the wing. They did not know that the fuel truck operator did not know how much fuel was needed. As the foreman couldn’t start the refuelling process, and since other aircraft needed refuelling, and after the foreman had tried unsuccessfully to contact the pilots, he left the Dash 8 to refuel the other aeroplanes. The crew came back and boarded the aircraft. The fuel truck had left. The flight crew believed the fuel upload had taken place. But they did not check the fuel quantity and remained unaware of what had happened while they had left the aeroplane standing unsupervised on the tarmac. Simply adhering to company procedures would have avoided this embarrassing and costly mistake.
CRASH
Tuninter Flight 1153 ditched into the Mediterranean Sea after a double flameout.
One of 10 Basic Risk Factors According to the Flight Safety Foundation fuel exhaustion is one of the ten basic risk factors which need to be managed by air transport organizations. Fuel exhaustion risks can be mitigated by establishing appropriate operational procedures and by training crews to adhere to them. Flight Operations managers can minimize the risk by providing both an ATL and an OFP which allow the crew to detect disagreements between the planned and the actual fuel figures easily.
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RULES AND REGULATIONS
The Flight Crew As the Last Line of Defence Gliders are fun to fly, but only, if they are designed as gliders. Motor-powered aeroplanes losing all thrust are much less fun to fly. EASA has collected a number of accidents and incidents in which fuel exhaustion played a role. The number is much higher than what we might have expected. Flight crews can take several basic precautions to manage the fuel supply and to minimize the risk of fuel exhaustion. Safe fuel management starts with the flight preparation. Check weather and plan flight accordingly. Additional headwinds and expected weather deterioration at the destination need to be taken account of. Calculate minimum fuel correctly. How reliable are the parameters of your flight planning system? How accurate are the weather data underlying the fuel calculation? Calculate estimated uplift based on the fuel quantity on board after the previous flight and compare to the actual uplift after refuelling. Never ignore missing fuel receipts. If the original cannot be found, request a copy from the fuel supplier. Be extremely careful with the unit of measurement. The same figure in liters, kilograms or Gallons makes a huge difference. Record all required data on the ATL and the OFP. Once airborne perform regular time and fuel checks according to the flight plan. Confirm the quantity indicated by the gauges and pay attention to any irregularities. Make prudent use of the FMS to forecast fuel remaining at arrival. Take fuel imbalances serious-
ly. They can be a symptom of a fuel leak. Only balance the fuel after you have understood the reason behind the imbalance. Maintain situational awareness regarding en-route alternates and the weather situation enroute and at destination and alternates. Last but not least, know when to declare a fuel emergency, and don’t hesitate to declare a fuel emergency when you encounter one. Managing fuel levels and reacting to changes requires good airmanship and decision-making skills. In most fuel exhaustion accidents disrespect of procedures, poor CRM and poor decision-making are at the heart of the failure to prevent and to react appropriately and to maintain flight safety. Follow the procedures, even when they seem to be bureaucratic in nature. Completing forms is a means, not a goal. The goal is to cross-check the fuel figures in order to detect discrepancies between the actual and the required fuel level in all phases of flight.
✈
Michael R. Grüninger is Managing Director and Capt. 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 and process engineering. GCS can be reached at www.gcs-safety.com and +41-41 460 46 60. The column Safety Sense appears regularly in BART International.
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55
PROFILE By Jack Carroll
I
SWIFT
The SBJ program was launched four months after the entry into service of the Sukhoi SuperJet in April 2011.
t took some time before the Sukhoi and its SuperJet 100 regional airliner finally landed a launch customer. Surprise! It was Aeroflot, The Russian Flag Carrier, and Sky Alliance member, which now has six aircraft in operation. According to Nazario Cauceglia, CEO of SuperJet International, the aircraft are performing to expectations and generating positive feedback from customers. Says Cauceglia, “The feedback we are getting is excellent and we find the passengers most impressed with the large, quiet cabin and overall comfort.” Aeroflot is now set up with 12 business class seats with a 38-inch pitch and 75 seats in economy with a 32-inch pitch. The economy section configuration is 3+2 seating, while business class is 2+2. This year SuperJet International, in charge of sales in the western markets, is expecting its major task and first delivery to the Mexican airline Interjet. The first SSJ100 destined for Interjet will be completed, customized and delivered at the hangar in Tessera
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SuperJet INTERNATIONAL
SUKHOI S SUPERJET 100 GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS
(Venice, Italy). The contract with Interjet (15 aircraft plus 5 options) confirms the real belief in the future market for 100 seats aircraft. Interjet is currently the 2nd airline in the Mexican domestic market and a highly recognized airline in the Latin American region. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 entered service in April 2011, yet the Sukhoi Business Jet (SBJ) Program entered into our business just four months later. Why the big rush? one might ask. Says Cauceglia, “We were actually pushed into this market as we continued to get more inquiries–especially from operators of purpose-built large-cabin jets— than one would expect at such an early stage.” Anyway you look at it, SuperJet International, a joint venture between Alenia Aermacchi –a Finmeccanica Company–and Sukhoi Holding, would have some tough selling ahead of it against stalwarts Airbus, Boeing and a more recent arrival, Embraer’s Lineage 1000.
Well then, how does one present the advantages of a new business jet? What features do they stress? As Cauceglia emphasizes, “First and foremost we focus on the cabin size. No one in the SBJ’s category or price range can match our cabin. We are not up there with the Airbus ACJ or Boeing BBJ of course, but we’re much more affordable, in the $50 million area. And that’s for a completed aircraft.” I’ve heard the saying, “Sell the cabin and you’ll sell the plane.” Well I’m sure it’s not all that simple. But don’t tell Cauceglia that. He continues: “Our advantages are precisely what passengers and prospects we’ve talked with say they want most in a business aircraft. Again, we can’t place too much importance on cabin size. The cabin volume is nearly 4,200 cubic feet, the foor area alone is 714 square feet, our width is over ten feet and the height is 6 feet, 11 inches; enough for just about any basketball player. In a word, it’s immense.”
He stops for breath. “It is much larger than any conventional, purpose-built jet on the market but what surprises a lot of people is the fact that our cabin is wider and higher than that of the Lineage 1000, which is based on the Embraer 190 airliner. That’s an undisputed fact, not just sales talk.” The cabin diagram from the sales brochure, comparing several business jets, is a clear convincer for skeptical readers. This is one big airplane for sure, which is one reason why the company is also exploring a cargo version. Under that large cabin, in addition to extra fuel tanks, is an amazing amount of baggage space. A 20-suitcase diva on the ilk of Lady Gaga would absolutely love it. “That is one hidden advantage,” says Cauceglia, “plus the cabin is amazingly quiet, even on takeoff; credit due to our ‘green’ engines that even with their power (16,100 lbs. each on takeoff) have a much smaller noise print than similar aircraft. And with the new engines, Aeroflot is reporting about 8 percent less fuel burn than other engines in their category.” He adds: “Of course, we’re talking about a VVIP business jet here, so in that role with 8-12 passengers, the comfort level is obvious. In a government role we’ll carry around 20-30 passengers and even for corporate missions with about 40 passengers they’ll all have plenty of space and comfort, including a meeting lounge at the rear, in an aircraft intended for 100 passengers.” Comlux Commits To The Sukhoi Business Jet. At NBAA last October, Comlux The Aviation Group, announced a purchase agreement for two Sukhoi Business Jets, plus two options. Was it good fortune, super salesmanship or a Link Connection? Or was Comlux simply looking to fill a niche in its array of 19 aircraft in service, with ten on the way, including the first two SBJs? No matter; SuperJet International, the sales and marketing agent, nailed down the order, which is what really counts. The total sale with options is estimated to be worth some $200 million (USD) and the first to SBJs are scheduled for delivery in 2014. The VIP interiors will be designed and completed at Comlux America in Indianapolis, Indiana, which is also the first approved SBJ Completion Center.
While the two SBJs will be completed to Comlux’s specifications and livery, Cauceglia points out that, “Ultra-rich customers to have tend to already have relationships with a wide range of completion centers worldwide. We can deliver those “green,” without interiors and of course these people are free to take them wherever they wish. However, we have been
be in total agreement with Mr. Cauceglia’s words: “Comlux has earned its reputation in the worldwide Business Aviation market by offering a one-stop-shop solution for the widest range of wide-cabin VIP aircraft. With this launch order we are pleased to be able to offer our clients a new choice of VIP aircraft to complement our existing fleet.
working in concert with the designers at Comlux on a standard, yet adaptable interior which will be included in the price of the aircraft, as I mentioned. And I can ensure our customers that this interior will be constructed to the highest standards, with top quality materials and furnishings.” According to Cauceglia, he first standard interior configuration is close to completion at Comlux America. Says Cauceglia, “This new partnership with SuperJet International and Comlux is a great achievement by both parties. I’m pleased to say that the SBJ order officially launches he Sukhoi Business Jet program, which we’re certain will soon become a strong competitor in the wide cabin VIP market segment. The partnership was natural. We have a niche product that fits perfectly into their wide range of aircraft and Comlux has plenty of experience marketing VIP-configured airliners and working with the highest ranking individuals.” So there you have it. But rest assured that the completion is already preparing its defenses against this new Russian interloper. Richard Gaona, President of Comlux The Aviation Group, who has a long history marketing Airbus ACJs, adds a few well-chosen words that happen to
We’re convinced that the SBJ, equipped with the latest fly-by-wire technology and integrated modular avionics, with deliver the efficiency and reliability demanded by our VIP clients.” As to the existing fleet, as far as we can see, when the new SBJ enters service with Comlux, it will be positioned between its ACJ 318 and Global Express. And what is the next steps for the SBJ? Says Cauceglia, “We know that VIP travelers flying to the UK prefer to land at London City Airport rather than flying into Heathrow Airport with all its problems and delays, so we are currently working on steep approach permission for the SBJ.” According to Cauceglia, the areas of greatest sales potential are the U.S.— well into the future—the Middle East, Asia, Russia and South America. “Europe is not so great for us at the present time and China has huge potential in the future as Business Aviation restrictions are relaxed there. But at some point we intend to be very active there.” And now that SuperJet International is somewhat “on a roll” all it needs are a few more customers in the Comlux league. For sure, they’re off to a great start.
✈
LAUNCH
With the acquisition of two airplanes, Comlux Aviation Group is the launch customer for the Sukhoi Business Jet .
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56
INSIGHT
AERION SSBJ
AERION SEES SUPERSONIC POTENTIAL Growing environmental concerns have muted hopes for the success of supersonic business jets. However, one man sees potential where others see problems that s Brian Barents, Aerion Corporation s Vice Chairman. He spoke to BART about the future of supersonic Business Aviation.
REALISTIC
Aerion has always been sensitive to environmental issues and it s not going to change says Brian Barents
BART: There’s demand right now for large, ultra-long range business jets and the next logical step seems to be into the supersonic realm. What are your thoughts on the market for supersonic business jets? Barents: Well I’m convinced that there is a future for supersonic Business Aviation. At Aerion we’ve maintained the order book that we had before the downturn. The interest is still there and we’re talking to many people who embrace the need for supersonic travel. BART: It’s clear that noise restrictions and environmental regulations will become stricter both in Europe and the United States in the future. Will this significantly impact the future for your product? Barents: Not necessarily, at Aerion we’ve always been very sensitive to environmental and noise issues. Right now we’re in compliance with the noise emission standards and environmental regulations both in the U.S. and Europe. And as they change, we’ll be able to adapt our design and operational parameters accordingly: they’re certainly not going to be a show-stopper for our plans. As you know, right now, supersonic flight over the U.S. is prohibited. But Aerion’s SSBJ gets around this restriction, so to speak, by flying efficiently at high sub sonic without sacrificing range. Indeed, our entire business case is based on the idea that the aircraft can fly at high sub sonic over the U.S. and then unrestrictedly over water. This is important
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because, frankly, the restriction is unlikely to be eased in the current environment. We have a realistic business case that works within today’s rules and regulations and uses technologies that are currently available. It’s what sets the Aerion SSBJ apart from other proposed supersonic business jet models. BART: Your latest development is Aerion’s subsidiary, Aerion Technologies, which offers consultancy to OEMs on laminar flow technologies. Can you tell me a little about this? Barents: Aerion Technologies is a vehicle that offers consulting to OEMs in the sub-sonic arena. Aerion’s Natural Laminar Flow technology is highly scalable for both supersonic and subsonic aircraft but also for transonic aircraft in the Mach 0.8 to 0.9 regime. The application of our low sweep wing technology can greatly improve high-speed transonic aircraft in terms of both speed and range efficiency. So OEMs are interested. This past year we’ve had some very successful engagements with several very prominent manufacturers. They’re looking at improving existing aircraft and proposed aircraft, and in both cases we can help them. Right now, Aerion Technologies targets sub-sonic applications, but it could eventually become a way for us to establish a joint-venture with an OEM to develop Aerion’s Super Sonic Business Jet. There are plenty of options on the table; another would be
for an OEM to take on the Aerion SSBJ themselves. In all of this we’re mindful that airplane development is a long cycle proposition and these OEMs are looking ahead to five, six, seven or eight years out. We’re optimistic that our discussions will bear fruit especially now that the worldwide economy is slowly recovering from the aftermath of 2008 and 2009. BART: There is a lot of talk now about Chinese and East Asian markets. Have you received much interest in the Aerion SSBJ from potential Chinese buyers? Barents: In our initial market analysis, we didn’t really try to measure the market size for China because the market really didn’t exist. And it still doesn’t today for all practical purposes. Intuitively, I would say, yes, as the market grows in China it will increase our likelihood of selling to Chinese highnet-worth individuals. Having said that, as China expands as a trading partner, more people will need to travel both to and from China, whether they’re Chinese nationals or foreign nationals. This in turn will boost demand for supersonic aircraft travel. However, we aren’t engaged in discussions with potential Chinese partners. Of course we know that Chinese companies are looking to gain a foothold in the U.S. aerospace market by investing in smaller firms. All I can say is that, we’re watching the industry and we’re watching what’s going on. BART: Finally, will Aerion have a big presence at EBACE 2012? Barents: We will be on display as we have been in the past. We can’t afford to miss it really, especially when you think of the interest we’ve generated on previous visits. We have a strong customer base in Europe and we’ll continue to make inroads on the continent. There you have it: the future is bright for Supersonic Business Aviation. BART certainly supports the Aerion’s project and we’ll be keeping you updated as it progresses steadily towards realization.
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