EST. 1988
127 JUL-AUG 2010
EUROPE'S PREMIER BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE
LONDON CALLING The Olympics’ Impact page 51 EBACE REPORT Green Shoots at Geneva page 30 THE GLASS AGE IS COMING Cockpit Flat Panel Upgrades page 56 FROM THE COCKPIT Don't Scrape the Underside page 66
Business Aviation Made in UK PREVIEW FARNBOROUGH 2010
EDITORIAL
FROM THE DESK OF…
A Stir of Yesteryears
Fernand Francois
PARKING SPACES ON THE STATIC DISPLAY AT EBACE sold out weeks in advance! Just an eyeball’s guess, but last May at Geneva GVA Airport there had to be more than $1 billion worth of aluminum on display in the most opulent exhibit of business aircraft ever assembled in Europe. It was an impressive sight – like a fleet ready to once again take-off with a recovering economy, flying our entrepreneurs to the far reaches of the globe. Amazingly, with the exception of the add-on winglets, I don’t see any striking difference in the exterior design of these airplanes compared to the models displayed 30 years ago. Yes, they all have advanced avionics, but I’m talking about the anachronistic aircraft design the industry has adopted for over three decades. A clean sheet design today was a clean sheet design yesterday. And even with numerous investigations into new design options, the vast majority of these attempts to innovate have failed to make the grade. Granted, there are exceptions. Remember when Beechcraft and Gates-Piaggio blew us away in 1983, opening the way to a new generation of futuristic airplanes at the 37th annual NBAA Convention in Dallas, Texas. Beech arrived with its Starship and Gates-Piaggio with what is now the Avanti. I also have to mention the revolutionary design of the Lear Fan and the Avtek 400 built entirely in Kevlar. Noteworthy for its carbon fiber composite airframe, canard design, lack of centrally-located vertical tail, and pusher turboprop engine – the development of the Beech Starship began in 1979, when Beechcraft decided to explore designs for a faster successor to its King Air line of turboprops. Only eleven Starships were sold in the three years following certification, while the King Airs remain a Beechcraft bestseller. On a positive note, the Starship project gave Hawker Beechcraft a priceless experience in the manufacture of fiber composite airframes, which has since been utilized for the production of the Premier and Hawker 4000 business jets. The Italian-designed Gates-Piaggio GP-180, now called Avanti, represents a significantly different approach to those of the Starship I and Avtek 400. For starters, the main fuselage forward of the rear pressure bulkhead is aluminum. The aircraft has three lifting aerofoils, with both a nosemounted forward wing and a conventional T-tail. Composites are used only for the nose cone, forward wing, engine nacelles and tail assembly. First manufacturing in Wichita and Genoa, the Avanti’s venture has encountered many ups and downs during its thirty-some years of existence, but it’s now a successful program. Yes, standing there on the static back in 1983 looking at the supposed ‘future of Business Aviation’, if you would have asked me what the business aircraft of 2010 would look like, I would probably have described something that looked more like Flash Gordon’s spaceship than today’s airplanes! And now that the future is here, one can only say: ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’. I have to wonder how many static displays I will have to go to before I can finally salivate at the future of our industry: A dream supersonic spaceship!
4 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
Simply more of what you’re buying your B200GT for!
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1,200 ft less runway
MTOW Allowable, 3,500 ft runway
12,500 lbs
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Maximum Cruise Speed @ FL290
318 knots
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13 knots faster
Cruise RPM
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͞ZĂŝƐďĞĐŬ͛Ɛ W/ W> d/EhD ŽŶ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ĂŝƌĐƌĂŌ ůŝŬĞ ŵLJ <ŝŶŐ ŝƌ ϮϬϬ'd ĞŶĂďůĞƐ ŝƚ ƚŽ ŽƵƚƉĞƌĨŽƌŵ ƚŚĞ ĨĂĐƚŽƌLJ ŵŽĚĞů ŝŶ ƚĂŬĞŽī ĚŝƐƚĂŶĐĞ͕ Đůŝŵď͕ ƐƉĞĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƌĂŶŐĞ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ǁŚĞŶ LJŽƵ ŽƉĞƌĂƚĞ ĨƌŽŵ ƌĞŵŽƚĞ ŵŽƵŶƚĂŝŶŽƵƐ ƌĞŐŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ EŽƌƚŚĞƌŶ ^ĐŽƚůĂŶĚ͊͟ ʹ :ŝŵŵLJ :ĂĐŬ͕ ϮϬϬ'd͕ zͲϵϰ
Think Raisbeck Tel (800) 537-7277 Int’l (206) 723-2000 Scott Keefe at sales@raisbeck.com
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Editor and Publisher Fernand M. Francois, Senior Editor Marc Grangier, Managing Editor Nicholas J. Klenske, Senior Writers Liz Moscrop, Jack Carroll Contributors Brian Humphries, Michel R. Grüninger, Capt. Giancarlo Buono, Markus Kohler, Louis Smyth, Javier Ortega Figueiral, Aofie O’Sullivan, Steve Nichols, LeRoy Cook Business Aviation Consultants Walter Scharff, Guy Visele Director Marketing & Advertising Kathy Ann Francois +32 472 333 636 e-mail advertising@bartintl.com Administration and Circulation Brenda Bogacz Production Manager Tanguy Francois Photographer Michel Coryn Circulation and Editorial Office: BART International, 20 rue de l’Industrie, BE1400 Nivelles, Europe Phone +326 788 3603 Fax +326 788 3623, e-mail info@bartintl.com BART International Business Aviation Real Tool (USPS #016707), ISSN 0776-7596 Governed by international copyright laws. Free subscription obtainable for qualified individuals. Bank account: Fortis 271-0061004-23. Printed in Belgium. Bimestriel. Bureau de depot B-1380 Lasne. Responsible editor Fernand M. Francois, 38 rue de Braine 7110 La Louviere. Periodicals postage paid at Champlain, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. Address changes should be sent to IMS of N.Y., 100 Walnut St. #3, PO Box 1518, Champlain, N.Y. 12919-1518. For details call IMS at 1 (800) 428 3003
OUR ADVERTISERS AND THEIR AGENCIES 15 9 31 19 33 2-3 27 13 25 61 84 11 37 35 23 53 39 17 5 83 51
Air BP Aircell LLC AMSTAT Argos Vip Private Handling Avinode Bombardier (COSSETTE MEDIA) EBACE 2011 FlightSafety International (GRETEMAN GROUP) Future Business Jet Conference GATES AND PARTNERS Solicitors Hawker Beechcraft Corporation Jet Aviation (PUBLICIS WERBEAGENTUR AG) JETEXPO 2010 JetNet LLC Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) Marshall Business Aviation NBAA 2010 Pilatus Aircraft Raisbeck Engineering Universal Avionics Universal Weather and Aviation
SECTIONS
4 EDITORIAL
8 FAST TRACK
22 EURO/BUSINESS NEWS
26 EBAA: CEO CORNER
80 INSIGHT
JULY - AUGUST 2010 Volume XXI - No 3 BART No 127 WWW.BARTINTL.COM
CONTENTS
28
BACK TO BRITAIN Every two years we head back to the UK for the Farnborough Airshow. Managing Editor Nick Klenske previews the show and Marc Grangier takes a look at the Business Aviation sector. Liz Moscrop highlights the country's variety of airports and FBOs, while Universal Weather and Aviation highlight the logistics of flying into London particularly when there's a volcano!
54
GLASS AVIONICS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSES Sooner or later it was bound to happen - BizAv pilots would be attracted by the revolutionary displays of the modern cockpit. Marc Grangier reviews the latest in avionics. When disaster strikes, the key to survival is to have an Emergency Response Plan in place. Aofie O'Sullivan opens The Docket on this subject.
B USINESS A VIATION R EAL T OOL Member 64
SAFETY SENSE LeRoy Cook takes us inside the cockpit with a discussion on crosswinds and limits. And the guys at Great Circle Services' put some sense into safety, this month putting the focus on Rules and Regulations.
70
REPORTS AND PREVIEWS EBACE 2010 is in the books, and what a show! Liz Moscrop provides a general report from the show, while Marc Grangier sits down with award-winner Elie Zelouf and Nick Klenske profiles some of the companies at the show. And looking towards the autumn, BART previews JetExpo Moscow.
FARNBOROUGH FlightSafety Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on-site training center and iconic logo will be on display at Farnborough 2010. (Photo by FSIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Warren Linham) OUR COVER With a service network in Chester, HBC is flying their recently EASA certified Hawker 4000 to Farnborough.
Reading You Five...
For the twenty years that BART International has been writing about Business Aviation and its contribution to European prosperity - about our right to have access to public infrastructures, about abuses of power or monopolies, about safety issues associated with the European operational area and its weather conditions. All this requires feedback from you. Give us your views and experiences. Full awareness of what needs to be done can only be obtained if those who meet the problems daily take a few minutes and write to editor@bartintl.com Nicholas Klenske Managing Editor
THE MYTH OF GLOBAL WARMING I wish to comment on your May-June editorial. It is true that the Global Warming issue has taken on many of the attributes of a religion and, like with a religion, many unscrupulous individuals have jumped on the bandwagon and see it as an opportunity to frighten, bully and tax us. It may even be true, as you claim, that 31,478 scientists (who were they and what were their scientific qualifications?) signed a petition opposing the Kyoto protocol – after all, the Kyoto protocol was a political response to the problem and may or may not have represented the best solution. It is also true that some of the scientific research into global warming has fallen short of full academic strictness. In any scientific discipline, there are some scientists who do not measure up to the highest standards. Indeed, you are right to say that carbon dioxide is a valuable gas for many natural processes and it is possible, in some circumstances (such as an onset of a naturally induced ice age) that a little man-made global warming could actually be a good thing. That being said, you would be very unwise to ignore the vast predominance of scientific evidence that strongly points to the fact that there has been a substantial increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere related to the increase in the burning of fossil fuels in the modern industrial era and that this increase has served to contribute to a global temperature increase. In other words, global warming is no myth and, if it continues on current trends, it is likely to create conditions that will not be beneficial to humankind – particularly those living in the more vulnerable parts of the world.
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Beyond this, however, it would be unwise for you to ignore the fact that fossil fuel supplies are limited. Up until now, the oil companies have been very successful in finding more and more new supplies, but the supplies will eventually (and inevitably) run out. With current technology, aviation is, however, dependent on fossil fuels. Eking out supplies, even by such crude devices as taxing them, may actually be to the benefit of aviation if it prolongs its useful life and extends the time available for technology to come up with new forms of propulsion. At present, aviation consumes a comparatively small proportion of the world’s fossil fuels. Unfortunately, with today’s technology, there is no alternative form of propulsion. Until an alternative form of propulsion is developed, the Aviation Industry would be better served trying to persuade other fossil fuel users that could use alternative energy sources, such as road transport, to switch to these alternative sources rather than promoting scientifically misleading campaigns to deny the scientifically proven facts. Alan Shuckburgh Managing Director Aviakonsult United Kingdom I’ve been meaning to write you a note of congratulations for the May-June editorial on the global warming farce. The 50-degree temperatures in India notwithstanding, the Greenies are having a hard time doping up evidence. Even if present, mankind is likely not the cause, and if it were, which portion of mankind should we eliminate? Capt. LeRoy Cook Flight Instructor Butler, Missouri USA I just read your editorial in the May-June issue of BART titled “The Myth of Global Warming”. I liked it so much that I tore out that page to carry in my day planner as a good description of this whole issue. Thanks again and keep up the great work. .Bill Shira VP Marketing Gulfstream Aerospace Savannah, Georgia USA
www.bartintl.com I have just visited your web-site. Good job, it’s very professional, easy to navigate and your “Top of the Bill” section provides an excellent overview over the dynamic Business Aviation Community. Dipl.-Wi.-Ing. Andreas Strabel Supervisor Aircraft Management Aero-Dienst GmbH & Co. KG Nuernberg, Germany
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MARSHALL EXECUTIVE AVIATION RISES TO CHALLENGE
AGENDA Farnborough Int’l Airshow 19 - 25 JULY 2010 Farnborough, U.K. LABACE 16 - 18 AUGUST 2010 Sao Paulo, Brazil JETEXPO 15 - 17 SEPTEMBER 2010 Moscow, Russia
AVIDYNE DELIVERS 10,000th TRAFFIC SYSTEM
Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated flight deck and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, announced that they have shipped their 10,000th traffic detection system, which was delivered to Cessna Aircraft Company for installation in a new Cessna Corvalis aircraft on the assembly line in Independence, Kan.
Marshall Executive Aviation (‘MEA’), the Cambridge-based corporate jet charter operator, are expanding their fleet by taking over the management of a Bombardier Challenger 300 which will be available for charter in July. The aircraft will join MEA’s own Cessna Citation Bravo and Citation XLS, and will significantly broaden the company’s capability to provide customers with spacious and comfortable aircraft suited to the widest range of business and private travel requirements.
BELL 407 PRODUCTION REACHES HISTORIC MARK
HBC NAMES 1ST MALAYSIAN AUTHORIZED SERVICE Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced that it has appointed Hawker Pacific Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to its worldwide network of authorized service centers to support the growing fleet of Beechcraft King Air turboprops in the region. Hawker Pacific Asia, located in the Subang Airpark at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, is the first such facility to be authorized by HBC in Malaysia. Hawker Pacific opened its Subang Airpark operation in Kuala Lumpur in 2008 and has supplemented its original facilities with additional maintenance space over the past two years. The site is one of 14 locations in Asia and the Middle East operated by Hawker Pacific, a leading aviation sales and support organization that traces its heritage back to its founding in Australia in 1927.
10 - BART: JULY - AUGUST 2010
Bell Helicopter’s 407 reached a historic milestone when Bell delivered the 1,000th production aircraft to longtime customer Shin-Nihon Helicopter Corporation Ltd. at its manufacturing facility here. This year is the 50th anniversary of the foundation of Shin-Nihon Helicopter. Shortly after its foundation, the company began operating the Bell Model 47G2. Today, its helicopter fleet includes seven 206L-3s, one Fuji-Bell 204B-2, three 427s and two 407s. The 1,000th 407, Serial No. 54000, will supplement that 407 fleet. As part of its purchase of the 1,000th 407, it has a fourth 407 on order in a transaction arranged by Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, Bell’s independent representative in Japan for more than 50 years.
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AVIDYNE OFFERS NEW SOFTWARE FOR ENTEGRA RELEASE 9 Avidyne Corporation announced today that they have received FAA approval for the Release 9.1 software upgrade to the Entegra Release 9 Integrated Flight Deck (R9) avionics system. Avidyne has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) approval and was awarded a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), which provides authorization for installation of the upgrade into the existing fleet of R9equipped aircraft.
UNIVERSAL AVIONICS SELECTED FOR DASH 8 PROGRAM Universal Avionics’ EFI-890R Flat Panel Display Systems have been selected by Field Aviation of Canada to fulfill the flight deck component of its Dash 8 (Q-Series) Modernization Program. The program will feature a five-panel EFI-890R display suite including Primary Flight, Navigation and Engine Displays, dual Vision-1® Synthetic Vision, Radio Control Units and WAAS/SBAS-Flight Management Systems. Universal Avionics is expected to have the final software and hardware design package available for installation and certification mid-2010. Integration and installation will be completed by Field Aviation.
EMBRAER SHOWCASES EXECUTIVE JETS AT EXPO AERO BRASIL Embraer was present at the 13th Expo Aero Brasil (EAB) – International Aeronautical Fair (www.ExpoAeroBrasil.com.br). The event ran from June 17-20 at the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA), in the city of São José dos Campos, located 80 kilometers from the city of São Paulo. In line with its commitment to develop and promote aviation in Brazil, Embraer is one of the official sponsors of EAB 2010. Three executive jets designed and manufactured by the Company – the entry level Phenom 100, the light Phenom 300, and the super midsize Legacy 600 – will be shown at the event’s static display area.
LONDON OXFORD BEGINS WORK ON HANGAR 14
ORNGE TAKES FIPS-EQUIPPED AW139 EMS
London Oxford Airport has started work on a brand new 4,440m2 (47,787 sq.ft) three-bay hangar in an investment worth £3 million. The new three-bay facility will offer independent landside access, office space and car parking tailored to clients’ requirements. It will be the largest single facility built at the airport to date and when complete in December, it will have increased the total hangarage at the airport by 78% since 2005 to 240,500 sq ft (78,000m2).
AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Ornge of Ontario, Canada, has taken delivery of the first of ten AW139 medium twin helicopters. The helicopters are being produced at AgustaWestland’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania production facility. The contract includes an option for two additional aircraft. The helicopter is equipped with an advanced full aero-medical interior and is the first EMS-configured AW139 in North America featuring the Full Ice Protection System (FIPS) for flights in known icing conditions with real all weather capability.
12 -BART: JULY - AUGUST 2010
“At Honeywell, safety is our business, so FlightSafety is the natural and best choice for our aviation training.”
“FlightSafety gives me exceptional training that fits my demands as a pilot.”
“Our pilots want to train with FlightSafety, and so do I.”
Dave Cote Chairman and CEO Honeywell
Eric E. Schmidt, PhD Chairman and CEO Google Inc.
Steven R. Loranger Chairman, President and CEO ITT
“ Northrop Grumman selected FlightSafety because of their commitment to safety and the high quality training and service they provide us.”
“General Dynamics pursues excellence with a passion and expects the same from our partners. That’s why we rely on FlightSafety.”
“Enterprise puts customers first. FlightSafety puts us first.” Andrew Taylor Chairman and CEO Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Ronald D. Sugar Chairman and CEO Northrop Grumman
Nicholas Chabraja Chairman and CEO General Dynamics
“United Technologies is committed to providing its customers the highest level of service with the best people and technology. FlightSafety shares this approach, making them an ideal training partner for UTC.”
“At Amway safety is our top priority. That’s why we’ve insisted on FlightSafety’s professional training for more than 30 years.” Rich DeVos Co-founder Amway Corporation
“FlightSafety’s comprehensive training programs and advanced technology systems and simulators help make our pilots and their passengers safer.” Marshall O. Larsen CEO Goodrich
Louis R. Chênevert President and CEO United Technologies
“FlightSafety training helps to prepare Boeing’s corporate pilots to meet any circumstance – from the routine to the most challenging.”
“At McDonald’s, providing our people with quality training is essential to success. That’s why we work with experienced companies like FlightSafety.”
“Owens Corning’s commitment to safety is unconditional. That’s why we train at FlightSafety.” David T. Brown President and CEO Owens Corning
James A. Skinner CEO McDonald’s
“FlightSafety training is the best insurance GEICO could have for its flight department.” Olza M. “Tony” Nicely Chairman, President and CEO GEICO
James Albaugh President and CEO Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Leaders Who Insist on Training With the Leader: FlightSafety Today’s corporate leaders, engaging competitors on a global scale, must be
“DuPont sees in FlightSafety a company that, like us, commits itself to excellence and innovation.”
innovators, motivators and tough decision-makers. They don’t lend their endorsements lightly – and they don’t cut corners on aviation training. Just two reasons why these leaders choose the world leader in aviation training. They rely on FlightSafety International to train their corporate
Ellen J. Kullman Chairman and CEO DuPont
flight departments to the highest standards. They appreciate our focus on customer service. They respond to our commitment to the latest technology. And they never settle for anything less than the total confidence offered by training with the best. FlightSafety is proud to call these and countless other “I’m a risk-taker in everything but flying. That’s why I train with FlightSafety.” Rodney R. Lewis President and CEO Lewis Energy Group
leaders our customers – and partners in our mission to enhance safety.
For information, contact Scott Fera, Vice President Marketing sales@flightsafety.com
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GainJet ACQUIRES VIP BOEING 737-300, GULFSTREAM G450
XOJET INSTALLING AIRCELL HIGH SPEED INTERNET ON ENTIRE FLEET
GainJet Aviation S.A has just added two new aircraft to its fleet, taking the first steps to accomplish one of the missions that have been set by recently appointed CEO Captain James McBride: “We expect to double our fleet size by the end of 2011. And I am confident that we can do that.” Well, the first steps have just been made by these exciting new additions. The first aircraft to be delivered is a VIP Boeing 737-300 Executive Airliner. Completely refurbished in 2009, this versatile aircraft has a luxurious cabin that can accommodate up to 48 passengers with a five and a half hour flight range.
Business Aviation leader XOJET, Inc. announces that its fleet of Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna Citation X jets will feature high speed Internet. In partnership with Aircell, the world’s leading provider of airborne communications, XOJET is currently installing Aircell High Speed Internet on all aircraft in the fleet. With more than 70% of the fleet installed by the end of June and the entire fleet scheduled for completion in July, XOJET will become the first business aviation operator to offer wireless service on every flight in the Continental United States.
HARRODS WELCOMES ST NICHOLAS TO LUTON FBO Despite the typical summer weather Harrods Aviation hosted a wonderful reception for Global Jet Concept as they demonstrated the Legacy 600, newly available for charter in the UK, to assembled charter broker representatives and private clients. The aircraft, with the nickname ‘St Nicholas’ clearly detailed on the fuselage, is so-named after the patron saint of Sailors.
PLANECONNECT FLEET DATA NOW AVAILABLE ON MYGULFSTREAM.COM
DASSAULT FALCON 2000EX SERIES RECEIVES EASA, FAA APPROVAL
PlaneConnect™, the air-to-ground maintenance data link Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. introduced in September 2007, now offers summary fleet information to Gulfstream operators through myGulfstream.com, the secure Gulfstream customer communications website. PlaneConnect automatically relays messages generated by the Crew Alerting System (CAS) and Central Maintenance Computer (CMC) to operation centers on the ground and then via e-mail to operators. With myGulfstream.com, operators can now see summary-level messages across the Gulfstream fleet for a particular model, as well as messages for each of their own PlaneConnectequipped aircraft. The fleet data accessible by operators contains no aircraft or operator identification information.
Dassault has been granted approval by both the EASA and the FAA for an autobrake feature on the Falcon 2000EX series (2000EX, 2000EX EASy, 2000DX and 2000LX). Specially designed for short runways, the feature adds greater safety margins by reducing landing distances by as much as 150 feet on normal approaches and 300 feet on steep approaches, which were recently approved by the EASA. It will also help to meet the demanding runway requirements of London City Airport (LCY) where flight tests have already been performed.
14 - BART: JULY - AUGUST 2010
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CORPORATE JETS TO HELP GROW CHINESE ECONOMY Corporate jets have a long-demonstrated advantage in helping large companies become more profitable and grow their businesses and, as their use becomes more widespread in an increasingly business-jet friendly greater China, they will make a more and more important contribution to growing the country’s economy. Airbus corporate jets, derived from the world’s most modern airliner family, are well placed to be a key part of this growth, offering more comfort, space and productivity than traditional business jets. They already have a strong presence in China, with some 20 sales to date, and are also widespread in AsiaPacific.
LUFTHANSA TECHNIK COMPLETES 10TH A318 ELITE After a completion time of just four months and one week Hamburg based Lufthansa Technik’s VIP & Executive Jet Solutions division has delivered the tenth Airbus A318 Elite since the start of the completion program in 2006. The Swiss business jet operator Comlux The Aviation Group received the aircraft at the beginning of June. Another A318 Elite is currently running through a VIP completion at Lufthansa Technik’s US subsidiary BizJet International in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This aircraft will be handed over in midyear 2010. According to the current state of orders a further eight A318 Elites will be completed by Lufthansa Technik by the end of 2013.
EUROCOPTER HANDS OVER EC145 STYLENCE TO GERMAN COMPANY The VIP-configured EC145 Stylence helicopter which is presented in the ILA HeliCenter Static Display was handed over to ‘Spedition & Helicopterservice Linke GmbH’, a Northern Germany-based logistic company, on June 10th, 2010. The customer will use its new EC145 Stylence mainly for corporate transport missions as well as for helicopter trainings.
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THREE AW139 HELICOPTERS TO SAUDI ARAMCO AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Saudi Aramco has taken delivery of three more AW139 medium twin helicopters during an official ceremony held at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate plant in Italy. These aircraft will be used to support oil and gas operations in Saudi Arabia. The AW139 has achieved great success in many countries in the Middle East for a wide range of applications. It is now also in service with many of the global helicopter operators thanks to its outstanding features in terms of performance in the most demanding conditions, operational effectiveness, mission capability, safety and ease of maintenance.
GULFSTREAM DELIVERS G450 TO MINSHENG FINANCIAL LEASING Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. recently delivered the first of several aircraft to Minsheng Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., one of the first leasing companies approved by the China Banking Regulatory Commission. The large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450 will be used for corporate transport. Future Gulfstream aircraft will support the company’s aviation-leasing operation. Gulfstream is aggressively moving product support resources into the region, doubling parts inventories in Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore, and locating product support management and technicians closer to customers. These include a Product Support regional program director, an international distribution manager for parts and materials and a field service representative (FSR).
SUMMIT AVIATION BREAKS GROUND ON NEW HANGAR, PAINT FACILITY Summit Aviation celebrated their 50th anniversary by breaking ground on a new 78,000 square-foot expansion on its 550-acre site. The new project includes a 37,400 square-foot hangar that can accommodate eight Boeing CH-47 Chinook model aircraft or three Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft. The expansion is expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2011 and will include, in addition to the hangar, a 9,200 square-foot paint facility; two cold storage units and an additional 11,400 square-feet of support and office space. This growth will increase Summit’s service and maintenance capacity and support for government and military aviation, general aviation and corporate segments.
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NEARBY, SMALL-AIRSTRIP ABILITY
SWISS ENGINEERED PRECISION
RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS AND AgustaWestland JOIN FOR ASSEMBLY PLANT Russian Helicopters (subsidiary of JSC UIC Oboronprom, part of Russian Technologies State Corporation) and AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) are pleased to announce that the set up of a joint civil AW139 medium twin helicopter final assembly plant started with a ground-breaking ceremony. A time capsule was laid in the base of the foundation at the industrial area in Tomilino, near Moscow, during the official ceremony that was attended by representatives and dignitaries from the partners. The final assembly line is being built on a 40,000 m2 site. The projected capacity is in excess of 20 helicopters per year, with production expected to progressively increase, from 5 units in 2011 to a steady state regime in 2015. The total headcount at maximum capacity will be over 100 people. The plant, aimed at meeting the requirements of the civil markets in Russia and CIS countries primarily and - through the AgustaWestland network - for the rest of the world, will be run by HeliVert, a Russian Helicopters and AgustaWestland “equal” joint venture.
BOMBARDIER ACQUIRES ExelTech AEROSPACE Bombardier announced the acceptance of its offer to purchase the Saint-Laurent facilities of ExelTech Aerospace Inc. following the latter’s bankruptcy. The acquisition will increase Bombardier’s Global Completion Centre (GCC) capabilities for its Global 5000 and Global Express XRS business jets. The worldclass GCC is a fully integrated completion facility with the capability to define, engineer, fabricate, certify and deliver customized interior installations. Bombardier’s GCC is known for its superior quality and workmanship, as well as for its customer-centric focus. Bombardier’s Global business jets are recognized throughout the industry as the ultimate in design and performance. “The acquisition of the ExelTech facility positions us to better serve our customers with the highest quality completions for our flagship Global business aircraft,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. Bombardier forecasts that the 115,000 sq.-ft. (10,684 sq.-m.) facility will be operational by the fall of 2010.
TURKISH MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT ORDERS TWO EC145 HELICOPTERS
GULFSTREAM INSTALLS INFRARED VISION SYSTEM ON GIV Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has successfully installed the Kollsman General Aviation Vision System (GAViS) on a Gulfstream GIV aircraft. The device is now available for GV, GIV and GIII aircraft. The infrared camera system provides pilots with improved situational awareness at night and in low-visibility conditions. Mounted within the upper nose radome, it supplies enhanced imagery of airports, air traffic, terrain, taxiways, wildlife and runway conditions. This enables pilots to see objects that might otherwise be obscured by darkness, rain, light fog or other factors. Images can be displayed on a CD-820 flight management system control and display unit or another approved aircraft device, such as an electronic flight bag. The system can also interface with many existing video-capable head-down displays.
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The Turkish State Airport Administration (DHMI), a subsidiary of the Turkish Ministry of Transport and the Eurocopter Group confirmed a contract for two EC145 helicopters, at the ILA trade fair in Berlin Germany. The aircrafts are the first of their kind to be delivered to the Turkish government and they are equipped for the deployment of airport security missions and corporate transportation needs. The delivery of the helicopters is scheduled already for the fourth quarter of 2010.
AIRCELL ACHIEVES COVETED AS9100 QUALITY CERTIFICATION
GULFSTREAM RECEIVES LARGE-CABIN FANS 1/A DATA LINK APPROVAL
Aircell announces that the company’s Business Aviation group has received AS9100 certification. The prestigious achievement means the company’s Quality Management System complies with the highest standards in international aerospace. For Aircell, the detailed AS9100 certification process encompassed every aspect of the company’s Quality Management System, including product realization, product design, development, and support; manufacturing, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.
BOMBARDIER ISSUED CofA FOR GERMAN GLOBAL 5000 Bombardier Aerospace announced that Transport Canada has issued the Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) for the first Global 5000 jet to be operated by the German Federal Ministry of Defense (FMOD). In December 2007, the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB) selected the Global 5000 jet as a key component of their plan for the modernization of the FMOD’s Special Mission Wing. Four Global 5000 jets, to be completed at Bombardier’s Global Completion Centre in Montreal, will be operated by the German FMOD’s Special Mission Wing for VIP transport and Medical Evacuation (MedEvac) flights.
JET AVIATION HONG KONG EXTENDS FAA TYPE RATINGS SCOPE Jet Aviation Hong Kong expanded its FAA type ratings scope to accommodate Boeing 737-700/800 and Gulfstream G200 aircraft for maintenance services. The G200 approval comes in line with Jet Aviation taking on the operational management of the same type of aircraft in the region. The FAA type ratings for Boeing 737-700/800 and G200 aircraft follow a number of approvals Jet Aviation Hong Kong received in recent months. These include the JMM approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China and Macau Aviation Administration to work on China- and Macau-registered aircraft in mainland China. “The addition of this approval further strengthens our network capabilities in the EMEA & Asia network,” adds Christof Spaeth, senior vice president, MRO & FBO services for EMEA & Asia
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT SERVICES SCHEDULING WAAS/LPVU UPGRADES Hawker Beechcraft Services (HBS) announced it is taking orders and scheduling Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) upgrades on Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21-equipped King Air 200/300 aircraft. This installation closely follows the introduction of the King Air C90GTi upgrade announced in March.
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Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s Flight Operations department has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to use the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) 1/A data link on its G450 aircraft. Gulfstream is the first large-cabin purpose-built business-jet manufacturer to receive such approval.
HONEYWELL SELECTED TO UPGRADE CITATION X COCKPITS Honeywell announced it has been selected to provide its Primus Elite™ cockpit displays for Cessna’s Citation X aircraft beginning in 2011. Primus Elite converts the existing Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays to more reliable and capable Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs). The five panel LCD displays incorporate internal computing power allowing operators to access functionality only available in newer aircraft. Honeywell’s Primus Elite will also be available as an optional service bulletin upgrade through the Cessna Citation Service Center network for in-service Citation Xs. There are approximately 300 Citation X aircraft in service around the world that are eligible for the Primus Elite upgrade. “New features will include XM graphical weather in the United States and Southern Canada, Jeppesen electronic charts and maps with aircraft position displayed worldwide and video displays through a cursor-driven, on-screen interface,” said Chad Cundiff, vice president, Crew Interface Products, Honeywell Aerospace. “Improved moving map capability will show geopolitical boundaries as well as airspace and airways. Primus Elite is available as a forward-fit application for newer model aircraft and is a significant update to Primus 1000/2000/XP, SPZ-8400/8500 and some SPZ-8000 avionics systems. Honeywell’s future plans for Primus Elite include Honeywell’s SmartView™ synthetic vision system. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.
PEOPLE Aircell Aircell has promoted John Wade to Executive Vice President and General Manager, Business Aviation Services.
John Wade CAE CAE has nomintated Keyvan Fard as Executive Vice President, Business Development and OEM Alliances. The company further named Walter Visser Vice President, CAE Global Academy, and Kris Van Den Bergh as Chief Learning Officer.
ExecuJet ExecuJet promoted Yu Yubin to General Manager, ExecuJet China.
Hawker Beechcraft Vince Restivo has been appointed Vice President, Aircraft Completions and Interior Design.
also named Maria Sastre as Chief Operating Officer for its global operations.
Yu Yubin
Vince Restivo
Vickie Elgin
Gulfstream Gulfstream has named Mark Thibault regional director, Product Support Programs, based in Hong Kong. The company further named industry vetran William Gay Director, Completion Sales, and Rebecca Johnson Regional Vice President of Gulfstream’s International Sales Division.
Piaggio Piaggio named Mark Stevenson as Sales Director for the Central United States and Central Canadian regions.
Maria Sastre StandardAero StandardAero has named Marc Wittingen Director of International Sales for the company’s Airlines & Fleets business sector. Mark Stevenson
Keyvan Fard
Mark Thibault
Signature Flight Support Vickie Elgin has been named Sales Manager for Signature Flight Support. The company
Universal Avionics Robert Clare, current Director of OEM Marketing, will assume the responsibility of the company’s North American retrofit sales and marketing team under the new title of Director of North American Marketing. BART: JULY AUGUST - 2010 - 21
EUROPEAN UPDATE
EBAA LAUNCHES WEB SURVEY ON FLIGHT TIME LIMITATIONS
CESSNA’S PELTON SEES EUROPE AS ‘GROWTH AREA’ Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company spoke of the business jet industry returning to life in Europe. Speaking at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, Pelton said: “Levels of interest in our aircraft are definitely beginning to pick up and, while the recovery may be slow, there are reasons for optimism. “Europe is arguably the most diverse region in the world for Business Aviation. There are established major markets like Germany and the UK, and I’m also optimistic about emerging markets. Before the economic downturn, for example, Eastern Europe was a very strong region for us and we are beginning to see signs – including Citation sales – of that business coming back.” “Europe will undoubtedly remain a growth area for Cessna, driven by the significant advantages that stem from Business Aviation. We expect the European Union to remain our single largest market outside the US for some time.”
The EBAA has launched a web-based survey on Flight Time Limitations (FTL) whose input will be used to help develop a tailored Business Aviation regulation for EU pilots. Launched in conjunction with the leading global specialist on the management of fatigue in aviation, Mark R. Rosekind, PHD of Alertness Solutions, this survey targets EU-based fixed-wing business aircraft pilots. To attest the validity of the survey, a maximum number of responses from business aircraft pilots are needed. To date, Business Aviation commercial operations have been covered by the same regulation applied to the airlines, with some national variations. As from June 2012, a new aviation safety regulation will enter into force and will be applicable everywhere in Europe. National deviations will no longer be permitted. As the new regulation is drafted, it is important for the sector to convince regulators that Business Aviation operations are simply not comparable to airline operations and, as such, should not to be covered by the same regulations in the future. European business aircraft operators need tailored rules designed to cover their specific needs, ensuring safe operations while providing the flexibility needed to conduct their businesses. “This study will collect crucial data from business aircraft pilots, which will be used as the basis for customized EU Flight Time Limitations rules,” says Brian Humphries, president and CEO, European Business Aviation Association. “The collected data will support and help the community define deviations between safety and operational needs and the existing FTL regulation. In particular, it will be used to provide strong scientific evidence to ensure the safety of Business Aviation operations from a medical standpoint, as well as identifying potential operational risks.” While the Business Aviation community’s involvement has been outstanding, and EBAA has already collected a very large number of questionnaires completed by pilots from all across Europe, to ensure the study is as widely based as possible, the Association requires more feedback.
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“At Cessna we offer a perfect suite of Citation jets for all Business Aviation needs in Europe. In the current economic situation, European customers are balancing the desire for the time-saving advantages of Business Aviation with a pragmatic assessment of cost. The Citation Mustang, Citation XLS+, CJ2+ and CJ3, in particular, do well here. And we’re very optimistic about the Citation CJ4 entering the market and offering current Citation owners and operators an opportunity to upgrade.” The CJ4, on show in Europe for the first time at EBACE, is approved for single-pilot operations and shares a common pilot type rating with the other CJ aircraft, so a pilot rated to fly any one of the CJs is rated to fly them all. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for the CJ4 is slated for the end of this year.
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FLEXIBILITY NEEDED TO ADJUST TO NEW ECONOMIC CONDITIONS The EUROCONTROL Performance Review Commission (PRC) has issued its Performance Review Report for the year 2009, which was marked by an unprecedented traffic downturn. It presents an assessment of the performance of European Air Navigation Services (ANS) under the Key Performance Areas of Safety, Punctuality & Predictability, Capacity & Delays, Flight Efficiency, Environmental impact, and Cost-Effectiveness. The report highlights that: ❍ While there is a continuous increase in the reporting of incidents in many States, the number of reporting States remains relatively low and has not increased in the last five years. ❍ Not all the States have taken the necessary measures to achieve a fully non-punitive reporting system and “just culture” should be implemented where this is not already the case. ❍ States and ANSPs should use automatic detection and reporting tools so as to further improve the transparency of ANS safety. ❍ Increases in en-route delays over the period 2003-2008 nearly cancelled out the benefits of improvements in cost-effectiveness, hence the need for a balanced approach to performance.
❍ Issues leading to high delays in the top 30 delay generating sectors have to be resolved urgently. Given the severe economic downturn, there is a need to effectively implement the planned cost containment measures so that they materialize into genuine cost-savings for airspace users and contribute to improving the total economic cost of ANS. ❍ The design and use of airspace for both civil and military needs has to be further improved and a more effective use of airspace released to civil operations has to be made. ❍ Airport stakeholders should constructively engage in the PRCled process of development of indicators and targets addressing operational performance at and around airports and in the building of a comprehensive and reliable database that can adequately support it. “The economic downturn has affected the aviation community throughout 2009 with unprecedented severity, requiring greater flexibility on air navigation service providers and EUROCONTROL to adjust to new unfavourable economic conditions. In this context, the pressure to genuinely improve cost-effectiveness is high on the agenda of airspace users’ expectations”, says John Arscott, Chairman of the PRC.
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BOMBARDIER SEES SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT IN Q1
DECLINE IN GA SHIPMENTS SLOWS IN FIRST QUARTER
The piston airplane segment was down 7.3 percent in the first quarter, with 166 units delivered as compared to 179 airplanes in the first three months of 2009. The turboprop segment delivered 60 units, down from 89 units during the same period in 2009 for a 32.6 percent decrease. Business jet shipments fell 14.1 percent in the first quarter with 164 airplanes delivered, as compared to 191 business jets in the first quarter of 2009. 2009
2010
CHANGE
179
166
-7.3%
Turboprops 89
60
-32.6%
Jets
191
164
-14.1%
Total
459
390
-15.0%
Pistons Pierre Beaudoin Bombardier released its financial results for the first quarter 2010. Revenues reached $4.2 billion, compared to $4.5 billion last fiscal year, while earnings before financing income, financing expense and income taxes (EBIT) totaled $224 million, compared to $235 million last fiscal year. The EBIT margin stood at 5.3% for the first quarters ended April 30, 2010 and 2009. “Again this quarter, both the commercial and business groups performed well given the current economic context,” said Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc. “Key indicators in the business jet market are showing signs of stabilization and our level of business aircraft cancellations has substantially decreased.” “While economic conditions are improving, the recent credit concerns affecting some countries in Europe are creating uncertainty. We continue to monitor the situation and to manage our activities with rigor and discipline,” concluded. Beaudoin. Although the aerospace industry continues to experience challenging conditions, the business aircraft market is seeing stabilization in key indicators such as increased fleet activity and a decrease in the number of preowned aircraft. The last General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) shipment report shows Bombardier Aerospace continued to be the market leader in both revenues and units delivered during the first three months of calendar year 2010.
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Total Billings $4.33B $4.64B +7.1%
$ Pete Bunce The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported that in the first quarter of 2010, worldwide general aviation airplane deliveries totaled 390 units, a 15 percent drop from the same period last year. However, this is an improvement over the dramatic decline experienced in first quarter 2009 deliveries as compared to first quarter 2008. Total industry billings grew 7.1 percent in the first three months of the year, to $4.64 billion due to international deliveries of large cabin, long-range airplanes where customers rely less on thirdparty financing than the rest of the industry. First quarter billings in 2010 are still 12.6 percent below this same period in 2008. “These numbers were released on the heels of EBACE, where many of our manufacturers noted that the market seems to be stabilizing,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “Reported flight activity from the FAA and EUROCONTROL is on an upward trend and the used aircraft inventory is slowly decreasing. However, these first quarter figures reveal that our industry is far from a recovery.”
EMBRAER RELEASES Q1 2010 RESULTS
According to Embraer’s first quarter results, the company delivered 19 executive jets, among which 16 Phenom 100s – including the delivery of the 100th Phenom 100 - one Phenom 300, and two Legacy 600s. The reduction in deliveries can be explained by some seasonal effects, a ramp-up in the production of the Phenom 300, and Legacy 650 deliveries that will start only in the second half of 2010. Despite the consistent but slow recovery of the market, the sales environment continues to be weak. More than 850 aircraft with less than 10 years of operation are available for sale in the secondary market and more than half of those are less than five years old. In the coming months, the secondary market is expected to continue its recovery, which will have a positive impact on new aircraft sales.
$
4th annual Future of Business Jets 10–11 November 2010 London, UK Now in its fourth year, The Future of Business Jets will build on the success of previous year’s conferences by once again bringing together senior industry figures to network and debate key issues. As well as focusing on regulatory, legal, financial, insurance, and technical issues, The Future of Business Jets will provide a forum for topical issues. Conference chaired by: Sean Gates, Senior Partner, Gates & Partners Speakers Include: Bobby D. Butler, Jr., Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, Universal Weather & Aviation, Inc // Trevor Esling, Cessna Aircraft UK // Shaun R. Flanagan, Thrane & Thrane // Brian Humphries, CBE, President & CEO, EBAA // Guy Lachlan, BBGA Peter Leiman, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Blink // Sean McGeough, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa,Hawker Beechcraft // Aoife O’Sullivan, Partner, Gates & Partners // Bo Redeborn, Director Cooperative Network Design, Eurocontrol // Fred Reid, President, Flexjet // Willy Sigl, Air Operations Officer, Rulemaking Directorate, EASA // Ed Smith, General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) // Andrew Woolfson, Director, International Finance, Cessna Finance Further infor mation visit www.quaynote.com email alison@quaynote.com telephone 44 (0) 20 8348 3704
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EBACE 2010 THE MARKET TURNS…… AT LAST ?
By Brian Humphries
While we had been optimistic about this year’s EBACE because of the strong forward bookings, we were very pleased when the show ended with the halls and static displays sold out, 11,174 attendees (less than 100 below the second biggest show in 2007) and a general air of optimism that our sector’s economic outlook may at last be on the upswing. Indeed, by any standards, we enjoyed a very successful 10th Anniversary Show. t was just what we all needed after such a difficult period for the aviation industry. The level of exhibitor and attendee participation was a welcome boost and a timely reminder that, despite the recent setbacks, Business Aviation remains a vital industry, supporting jobs, mobility and economic opportunity. The education sessions were also a great success, covering a variety of international and local aviation issues.
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Particularly encouraging were the presentations by the Teal Group and Eurocontrol, both of whom forecast a prolonged, if initially erratic, recovery in the European market, with a return to 2007 activity levels by 2013. This seems to be born out by the latest traffic figures for May, showing a 6.7 percent rise in traffic. The flat April figures were, of course, misleading because of the Ash Cloud crisis, which caused a 35 percent drop in Business Aviation traffic during the worst part of the crisis. Incidentally, because of our sector’s ability to fly flexible routings, this was a much smaller drop than suffered by the airlines. Although the Ash Cloud reduced traffic on a number of days in May, the impact was much less - thanks to the new airspace management methods. So with things looking up, the work we are doing with the European Commission to retain fair access for Business Aviation in the face of growing pressure at the regional airports from low cost carriers becomes all the more important. We were therefore encouraged by a recent meeting with senior officials willing to build on the recent resolution from the European Parliament that “Business Aviation complements….commercial airlines and provides specific social and economic benefits, such as increasing the mobility of citizens, the productivity of business and regional cohesions……and is of growing economic benefit”. To this end, as part of the ongoing review of the slot regulation, the European Commission will shortly appoint a consultant to study all the issues that need revision. While Business Aviation-related issues will be only part of a large and very contentious number of other points that need resolution, we shall be fully involved both in the web-based consultation, which will take place during the summer, and in the hearing that will follow in October. The consultant’s report should be delivered to the
Commission in January 2011, leading to the European Commission proposing a revised draft Regulation on Slots by June 2011. The adoption of this draft will take place by the co-decision process involving both the European Parliament and the Council of Member States, and this could take up to two years before it is published in the EU official journal. More parochially, the Commission recognizes and supports the EBAA position on slots as wanting to maintain the ‘status quo’ of the current situation in terms of capacity at airports. That is, retaining slots for Business Aviation where we have become well established, but where continued access is threatened by increasing congestion through the activities of the low costs carriers. While this is very encouraging, we should be under no illusions – we will surely face a struggle to have that position politically accepted at the European Parliament and by some national ministries. The airline argument that 200 passengers cannot be held waiting for the few ‘rich’ passengers will be difficult to counter at the political level. However, the Commission considers that there are definitely things that can be done better to include Business Aviation in the new Regulation, including a more flexible definition of the sector, supported by a better explanation of our true role in Europe in linking destinations not served at all by the scheduled airlines. Finally, we also had a generally constructive meeting with the officials of DG Climate Action at the European Commission to discuss the draft Regulation on auctioning and other ETS issues. Still, there are much wider divisions here in our respective positions, and much work remains to be done. I will keep you posted in this column as things develop (we hope!) over the summer.
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,)(*, MAY 17, 18, 19
^^^ LIHJL HLYV
PREVIEW
FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND AT FARNBOROUGH
Nick Klenske
Every two years aviation enthusiast and players across all sectors have reason to get excited – it’s Farnborough time! s always, the 2010 edition – the 61st – takes place for one week in July. Again, the typical format of having the first five days designated as ‘trade days’, with the exhibition being opened to the general public for the weekend, will be followed. Looking back, 2008 saw a recordbreaking amount of business being transacted – with $88.7 billion worth of orders announced. Add to this 165 aircraft on the static and over 153,000 visitors – and the bar is set high for 2010. Granted, the economy has changed drastically since the last show, but early numbers indicate 2010 is set to be yet another success.
A
SOLD OUT
Farnborough Int'l CEO Shaun Ormrod sees positive indications for business in 2010. Show organizers spent considerable time amping-up the exhibition's offerings.
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In fact, the show has been sold out of exhibition space well before the July 19th start date – a positive indication that business will be good in 2010. This is good news to show organizers, who spent considerable time and resources to amp-up the show’s business offerings. The result will be improved networking opportunities, a themed conference program for trade visitors, a “Meet the Buyer” event and the return of the Breitling-sponsored Business Aircraft Park.
“We have seen considerable interest in this year’s show with exhibitors attending from 38 countries so far,” says Shaun Ormrod, Chief Executive of Farnborough International Ltd (FIL). “We have sold 166 chalets, 22 International Pavilions, eight Regional UK Pavilions and all of our new ‘firsttime exhibitor’ packages.” According to Amanda Stainer, Events and Exhibitions Direct, FIL, “We’ve worked hard to create a show that will facilitate the best opportunities for business. We have listened to our customers from the business, commercial and defense sectors and have developed a number of initiatives that improve the show’s offerings.” BizAv in a Crowded Show
Now What Was that About a Business Aircraft Park? In order to ensure that the unique needs of the Business Aviation sector are sheltered from the commercial and defense sectors, once again show organizers are bringing back the Business Aircraft Park. And not only are they bringing it back, they’re also further developing it in order to increase standing space for clients. The result will be a greater opportunity for both static displays and demonstration flights, along with various infrastructure changes aimed at making the visitor experience more comfortable. Also of interest to the Business Aviation sector is the new ‘theme days’ scheduled for this year’s five trade days. These days will incorporate a series of conferences and seminars, tours, VIP visits and “meet your buyer’
workshops. Show organizers believe these days will offer more targeted networking opportunities and a greater chance to engage with the various industry players. Each day will be focused on a specific topic with industry figures and government officials scheduled to speak. “Over the past six years we have worked very closely with our clients from the Business Aviation community and are keenly aware of their particular requirements, which are very different from those of their counterparts in the other sectors,” says Stainer. “At Farnborough, we understand that each of our valued exhibitors has their own set of objectives and reasons for taking part and the feedback we receive from them forms the basis of our pro-active approach towards developing and moving forward show-onshow. Our goal, as ever, is to continue to improve our offering.”
Although the continuing role of such multi-sector shows as Paris and Farnborough are much debated in the Business Aviation circle, with OEMs opting to scale down their presence or not arrive at all, many insiders are confident that “the show will go on”. Speaking with Guy Lachlan, President of the British Business and General Aviation Association, he reiterated his confidence in the Farnborough show. “Granted, this is not a Business Aviation show and it will never be a Business Aviation Show,” he says. “But the fact that it is located at one of the leading Business Aviation airports guarantees that Farnborough will always remain on the Business Aviation radar.” “On the one hand, with more and more Business Aviation specific shows coming onto the scene, such shows as Farnborough struggle to identify themselves with our sector. However, Farnborough is unique in that it goes out of its way to cater to Business Aviation – with the Business Aviation Park and special events aimed at the industry.” Addressing the advantage of the Farnborough location, Lachlan goes on: “Farnborough provides a convenient and efficient location to meet and deal with these clients, especially those with governmental connections. Business Aviation OEM’s with military operations like HBC and Embraer will capitalize on the exposure Farnborough brings from military top brass around the world.”
OPULENCE
TAG's ambition is to make Farnborough a leading, luxury travel destination. Room at the Aviator (top). Reception at TAG Aviation FBO (center).
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PREVIEW
FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW
In the Neighborhood
EFFICIENT
The Matrix integrated active cockpit displays at Flight Safety ensures familiarity with cockpit equipment.
Anyone who has been to Farnborough, either for the airshow or when flying in or out of the London area, knows well that the airfield is a haven for Business Aviation. From training to charter companies to FBOs and an aviation themed hotel – Farnborough Airshow is an opportunity to show off the Business Aviation neighborhood. For those lucky enough to get a room at this on-location, aviationthemed hotel are in for a treat. Owned by TAG Aviation, who also runs the Farnborough Airport, the hotel is a 21st century, aeronautically-inspired hotel that’s been described as an ‘architectural marvel.’ Aviator was created to enhance the TAG Farnborough Airport facility, so naturally crew and passengers from the airport represent an important part of its business. Its business mix is, however, exceptionally diverse and reflects TAG’s ambition for Farnborough and the TAG facilities as becoming a leading, global luxury travel destination and service. This Farnborough Airshow will mark the second anniversary of the opening of the Aviator. During the 2008 airshow, it swiftly achieved full occupancy owing to its convenient location, a mere two minutes walk to the show site. But this July the hotel is seizing the opportunity to set out its stall with a wide range of innovative corporate hospitality packages. “A chalet without a chalet,” says General Manager Michael Helling, describing the concept. “We really want to maximize the week as it is a terrific opportunity for us to showcase our unique hotel to industry executives. If they want a discreet, comfortable place, a stone’s throw from the show site to impress that important client - Aviator is the place.” “Not all companies or individuals want to go to the expense of a chalet or a stand for the whole seven-day show. Aviator’s packages have been designed to offer all the exclusivity of a hospitality chalet – but the client doesn’t have to incur the expense and commitment by having someone to run it for them,” said Helling. FlightSafety International’s on-site training center and the iconic logo on
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its site may be the biggest impact the company has at this year’s airshow. “FlightSafety International has no specific plans for the show,” says Anthony van de Geest, Assistant Centre Manager at FlightSafety Farnborough Airport. “But we will have a presence, as Bruce Whitman, President and CEO, and Eric Hinson, Executive Vice President, will be in attendance”. And FlightSafety International will have some news coming from the show, with the focus on its Sikorsky S92A Search and Rescue Autopilot flight crew proficiency training program that it recently introduced at its Farnborough location. FlightSafety Farnborough has designed a course specifically to introduce S-92A Type Rated flight crews to the Autopilot Search and Rescue Flight Director system. The comprehensive classroom syllabus covers Limitations, Performance, Quickstart procedures, Autopilot Modes, FMS Search Patterns and systems malfunctions utilizing FlightSafety’s Matrix integrated, active cockpit displays. Theoretical instruction is reinforced by practical training in the S-92A Graphical Flight Simulator, to ensure
familiarity with the location and operation of cockpit equipment as well as normal and abnormal procedures. The time spent in this effective device ensures that maximum value can be derived from the Simulator syllabus hours. Training continues with nine hours flown in the S-92A Level ‘D’ full flight simulator and follows a logical progression to cover normal and abnormal situations based upon real-time scenarios. On completion of the basic syllabus, an additional day can be included for Line Oriented Simulator Training (LOST) exercises built around a practical Search and Rescue flight, commencing with normal daily flight preparation, a scramble, search, recovery and return to base. Although designed primarily for Flight Deck personnel, Cabin Crew could bring an essential element of realism to the flight training phase through normal crew cooperation, inflight briefings and the integration of CRM in the simulator. They will certainly benefit from an appreciation of cockpit systems and through experiencing – possibly for the first time – the response time available following a
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PREVIEW
FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW
single engine failure. The welcome attendance by these critical members of the Search & Rescue team can be arranged at no additional cost. That being said, overall the company does not see the Farnborough Air Show as being extremely beneficial for the Business Aviation crowd. “For us, EBACE is the show that we get the most value from as it is distinctly aimed at corporate and private customers,” notes van de Geest. “The Farnborough Air Show does provide opportunities to show customers our facilities, but we do not have nearly the number of visitors as we get to our stand at EBACE.” “It will be interesting to see to what extent the OEM are represented at the FAS,” adds van de Geest. And the Answer…
STATIC
While major OEMs prefer to concentrate on more industry specific shows, Bombardier and Dassault have adopted a more balanced approach. 32 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
Overall, the OEM presence will be strong – although several of the companies will be focusing more on their defense or commercial offerings and presenting their Business Aviation collections second to these. The reason is simple: Farnborough – like Paris – is viewed as a defense and commercial show and not a Business Aviation show. And being just several months after EBACE, many of the OEMs just don’t see the value in giving Business Aviation a heavy push this year. In other words, what we hear time and time again is that too often Business Aviation gets lost in the crowd. And we’re an industry that likes to take center stage – hence the preference for EBACE, NBAA and MEBA. This is exactly why Gulfstream will not be present at Farnborough. Just as it bypassed Paris last year, so too will it be absent from the Farnborough airfield. According to Heidi Fedak, Manager, Corporate Communications, this decision is to allow the company to focus on other, more industry-specific shows. “In crowded general shows, we see little, if any, new clients or prospects that we don’t see in the sector specific shows like EBACE.” Regardless, Gulfstream doesn’t want to be completely invisible, so the company will maintain a small presence at the show. Cessna on the other hand, who was a no-show at Paris last year and always questionable with Farnborough, will
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PREVIEW
FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW
be making an appearance at the 2010 edition. But, as with the other OEMs set to be on hand, don’t expect much news coming out of the show. In fact, at the time of press, Cessna was still finalizing their plans for the show. Embraer is set to land, although they clearly state that their focus is on their defense and regional jet offerings. Another crossover company, Bombardier, however is taking a more balanced approach to the show and, in addition to its commercial slate, will be bringing in a Lear 60XR, Challenger 850 and Global 5000. Dassault too will give its Falcon family a nod by landing its 2000LX and 7X on the static display. Rounding out the OEMs, Piaggio will have a small presence at the show, and after making some noise at the 2008 work by breaking the globe into regions and having the EMEA region based out of Chester. “We have a good service network in Chester,” notes Sean McGeough, President EMEA. “The goal is to create a high-end customer experience – and it’s all about how you treat the customer after delivery, especially after the economic recovery.” On top of this, the company also has $40 million worth of spares located in Heathrow, helping bolster its response time to customer issues and making
CELEBRITY
Excited about the Show, HBC will highlight the EASA certification of its Hawker 4000. Helicopters will also be present at Farnborough: AW139 (center), Bell 429 (left), EC225 (right).
edition of the show, expect to see Action Aviation bringing back its SJ30 aircraft. Hawker Beechcraft is flying in its 3 5 0 i a n d 4 0 0 0 . N e e d l e s s to s a y , Hawker Beechcraft is excited about the show as they consider themselves somewhat of a local
34 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
company with their Chester-based site. Expect HBC to be highlighting the EASA certification of the 4000, which just happened at last EBACE. On top of this, customer service will be heavily promoted, as the company recently restructured its customer support net-
Farnborough an important show for the company. For the helicopter sector, AgustaWestland will be displaying a fleet, including the AW159, A119A, AW101, AW139 and the Grand New. Bell will be bringing its 429, while Eurocopter will also be present.
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PREVIEW
FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW
Fast Facts: Farnborough is storied in history, but did you know: The site has been tied to aviation since 1908 – starting with the balloon industry Many of the First World War’s aircraft were designed and tested here It is the site of the UK’s first powered, sustained flight (1908) John Derry broke the sound barrier here in 1948 – also the year of the first Farnborough Airshow The world’s first airliner debuted here in 1949 The Concorde made its UK debut in 1970 And how about these airshow facts: It takes four months to build up for the show’s 3,600 tonnes of temporary structures – making it’s the world’s ‘largest temporary exhibit’
MULTI
Seeing the scope of their aircraft extending beyond Business Aviation, Pilatus will showcase the PC6 and PC12NG at Farnborough.
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Pilatus plans to display its PC-21, PC12 NG and PC-6 on the show’s static display. Talking with Daniel Kuntz, Director, Sales and Marketing for the PC-12: “We look forward to presenting our products and our company to customers, prospects and business partners. The goal for us at the show is, as always, to promote the Pilatus brand, establish new contacts with interested parties and to further deepen existing and long-lasting customer relations.” “The scope of utilization of the PC-12 NG and PC-6 is far wider than only Business Aviation,” continues Kuntz. “Therefore, it is very important for us to showcase these aircraft at multi-sector shows like Farnborough, where visitors come from all over the world. For us, our aircraft are multi-sector so it just makes good business sense to be at Farnborough.” Ready or Not So the best we can hope for is good weather – and the UK in the summer is almost as unpredictable as the Icelandic volcano! Typically raining or on the verge of being unbearably hot, the real question will be whether or not sales for the Business Aviation sector will match the weather: pouring in or just plain hot? The answer may be a deciding factor on the future of the Business Aviation portion of such summer shows as Farnborough and Paris.
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REGIONAL REPORT
UNITED KINGDOM
THE FABRIC OF AN
INTERCONNECTED WORLD By Marc Grangier
The UK’s £20 billion per year aerospace industry is, in the words of Ian Godden, Chief Executive of the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), “a high-value manufacturing and engineering success story.” The UK industry currently enjoys a 17 percent share of the global market. Concerning business and general aviation, this sector generates, according to the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA), more than $5.3 billion for the UK economy. or HRH Prince Michael Kent, Patron to BBGA, “the UK Business Aviation industry is an integral part of the economy and it should now be viewed as part of the fabric of an interconnected world”. An interconnection that has indeed contributed to changing the structure of the UK industry: Short Brothers is now owned by Bombardier Canada, Hawker Siddeley business jets are now marketed by Raytheon Beechcraft, Westland is part of the Finmeccanica group, Hawker Pacific is a subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik, H+S Aviation is a subsidiary of BBA
F INTEGRATED
The UK Business Aviation industry is an essential element in an interconnected world.
38 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
Aviation plc, and Rolls-Royce corporate and business jet engines are built in Germany and the US. Nevertheless, the UK Business Aviation industry continues to play a major part in joint-ventures and subcontracted programs in a number of fields such as large business jets, helicopters, engines, maintenance, flight training and avionics. BAE Systems BAE Systems delivers a full range of products and services. In the Business Aviation field, its Avro subsidiary is active in the production of the Avro Business Jet. Last April, the company announced that the Presidential Flight of Abu Dhabi had inducted into its fleet a second Avro Business Jet - a late model Avro RJ100 that joins the operator’s existing VIP RJ70. The bigger RJ100 has been converted into VIP configuration by Inflite Engineering Limited at London-Stansted Airport. The exceptional cabin dimensions of the RJ100, coupled with its front and rear galleys and toilets, lends itself naturally to a split cabin configuration, which has become very popular with ABJ operators. Over the past twelve months, the pace of recent market success for the Avro Business jet has continued with three further aircraft placed into the market in various corporate/VIP con-
figurations. These recent commitments mean there are now around 25 Avro Business Jets either in service or under conversion for this market. This latest ABJ delivery into Abu Dhabi demonstrates the aircraft’s popularity within the GCC countries, where its performance and “off road” capability allows the aircraft to operate into and out of some of the region’s most challenging airstrips. In addition to Abu Dhabi, the ABJ is also in service in Bahrain (two RJ85s and one RJ100) and in Dubai (two RJ85s). Also at the end of April, it was announced that Aviation Capital Solutions had acquired five BAe 146s from BAE Systems. The aircraft were due for delivery through June and initially will be based in Europe. Maintenance for the aircraft and engines will be carried out by a related company, Avman Engineering, at Manston Airport in Kent, which is offering fixed price engine support. Avman is an EASA approved maintenance, repair and overhaul organization with BAe 146 and Avro RJ line and base maintenance approvals and a Honeywell ALF 502/LF507 engine shop. At last EBACE, BAE Systems and UK design consultancy Design Q unveiled new executive aircraft interior concepts. The new concepts, called Explorer One and Explorer Four, are designed to be fitted into the BAE Systems ABJ and feature the ‘Air Deck’ viewing platform. On the ground, a huge side door powers open to reveal a concealed platform that extends out from the aircraft. The ABJ Explorer Four is designed for customers who are looking for a unique travel experience. It can accommodate four couples or singles in their own private VIP cabins. The aircraft can transport passengers between exotic and remote locations while providing comfortable and stylish accommodation overnight. Stewart Cordner, Vice President Avro Business Jets for BAE Systems said: “Together with Design Q we have blended the aircraft’s unique performance, fantastic interior space and the large rear opening door to create customer-focused design solutions for owners and operators who are looking for the ultimate luxury travel experience.”
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REGIONAL REPORT
UNITED KINGDOM
Hawker Beechcraft In August 1993, Raytheon Company acquired from British Aerospace Raytheon Corporate Jets, producers of the mid-sized Hawker business jets. Though the marketing was transferred to Wichita, Kansas, the fuselage sections, wings and control surfaces of some of these models continue to be manufactured and assembled in Chester in a combination of Hawker Beechcraft’s own facilities and those owned by Airbus UK, which inherited much of BAE Systems’ civil aircraft manufacturing capacity. These sections are partially fitted out and installed with control surfacing and major systems before being shipped to Hawker Beechcraft’s main manufacturing site in Wichita for final assembly, fitting out and testing. This means that UK technicians and engineers continue to participate in the production of the successors of one of the first and most famous business jets, the Hawker Siddeley 125.
ELEMENTS
Hawker 4000 on the assembly line in Chester (top). Initially Short Brothers, Bombardier Aerospace Belfast produces 10 percent of Northern Ireland exports (center). AgustaWestland recently opened a flight training center in South West England (bottom).
Shorts Short Brothers was one of the oldest aircraft companies in the world, starting with the world’s first aircraft construction contract in 1909 to build Wright Flyers. The company was renowned for its World War I bomber and torpedo carriers and flying boats in the twenties and thirties. It was acquired by Bombardier of Canada in 1989. Over the last century, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, initially as Short Brothers, has pioneered many aviation advances. These include the first allmetal aircraft, the Silver Streak; the famous flying boats that opened up the long distance routes to the Far East and Southern Africa; the SC1 vertical take-off and landing research aircraft; and the SD3 commuter aircraft, which helped stimulate the development of the regional aircraft market. It has also had major input in Bombardier’s CRJ Series family and the Learjet 45 aircraft. According to Michael Ryan, VicePresident and General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast: “Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast produces around 10 percent of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing exports and has an annual spend of almost £140m among some 800 suppliers in the UK and Ireland”.
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AgustaWestland AgustaWestland, the Anglo-Italian helicopter company, operates through a number of joint ventures and collaborative programs with major European and American manufacturers. Recently, it opened a new Operational Flying Training Center (OFTC) at Newquay Cornwall Airport in South West England. This OFTC offers a complete range of training services to
its customers, from basic helicopter pilot training to advanced operational helicopter flying training. The OFTC will utilize twin engine AW109 Power and AW139 helicopters to provide training, along with advanced and conversion to type training for customer aircraft. AgustaWestland has recently delivered three new helicopters to customers in Japan, highlighting its continued growth in this market. The
vice this year, offers superior performance in the 9,000 lb class, with a six to 12 percent higher altitude take-off and climb thrust than its predecessor. It gives the Legacy 650 excellent performance out of very restrictive airports, allowing it to fly up to an extended 3,900 NM range with competitive operating costs. Over the last decade, Rolls-Royce business jet engines have powered six new business jets into service, including four in 2005 alone: the Gulfstream G550 (2003); G500 (2004); G450 (2005); G350 (2005); Bombardier Global 5000 (2005); and Bombardier Global Express XRS (2005). Today, Rolls-Royce powers eight in-producthree new helicopters include the first AW119 Ke to be delivered in Japan and examples of the AW109 Power and AW139. The first AW119Ke eightplace single engine helicopter was ordered in April 2009 by a private customer and is now in service as a VIP transport helicopter based in Kitakyushu in southern Japan. Alpen Co. Ltd of Japan has also taken delivery of an AW109 Power, which will be used for VIP/corporate transport purposes and operated from Nagoya. This latest delivery brings the number of AW109 Power sold into the Japanese market to 35. Rolls-Royce We were wondering whether we should mention the Rolls-Royce Corporate & Regional Engine business division in this article on British industry, as this division is headquartered at Rolls- Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG in Dahlewitz, Germany, and it has another important manufacturing plant in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. But as the Rolls-Royce Group has its roots in the UK, we believe its place is definitely here. According to Dr. Michael Haidinger, President, Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG and COO Corporate & Regional Engines, Rolls-Royce plc., Rolls-Royce maintains its leading position in the corporate aircraft engine market with a 36 percent value market share. The company has been a key player in the business jet market since the late 1950s. During the 1990s, the industry’s deliveries tripled and RollsRoyce secured its position as one of the world‘s leading engine manufacturers in the sector. To further
strengthen its position, Rolls-Royce developed the BR725 engine and the latest A series engine in the AE 3007 engine family – the AE 3007A2. In 2009, both engines powered successful first flights, with the AE 3007A2 powering the first flight of the Embraer Legacy 650 on September 23rd and the BR725 powering the first flight of the Gulfstream G650 on November 25th. The BR725 received type certification from the FAA in December 2009. The certification covers a thrust rating of 16,100lbf (71.6 kN) and follows certification from the EASA in June 2009. The G650 is planned for Entry into Service (EIS) in 2012 and will be capable of non-stop legs of 7,000 NM at Mach 0.85 – equivalent to Dubai-New York or LondonBuenos Aires. The AE 3007A2 engine received its type and production certification from the FAA on April 15, 2010. This achievement is a significant milestone, marking completion of a three-year development program. The engine, which is scheduled to enter into ser-
tion and two in-development business jets – the Bombardier Global Express and Global 5000, the Cessna Citation X, the Embraer Legacy 600, 650 and the Gulfstream G350, G450, G500, G550, G650. H+S Aviation Ltd. Portsmouth-based H+S Aviation (a subsidiary of BBA Aviation plc) has activities centered on aftermarket services and systems, repairing and overhauling of gas turbine and turbofan engines and their component parts. The company is split into seven autonomous business units focused on a specific product range. There is also a separate component repair facility and training school. It has over 350 employees within its two sites in Portsmouth. Approximately 500 engines were processed last year. H+S Aviation has wide ranging approvals and airworthiness authority authorizations, including UK CAA, EASA, US FAA, UK MOD and numerous other national airworthiness approvals.
POWER
Rolls-Royce engines have powered six new business jets over the last decade (top). Part of BBA Aviation, H+S Aviation’s activities are centered on aftermarket services and systems, repairing and overhauling of gas turbine and turbofan engines (center).
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REGIONAL REPORT
UNITED KINGDOM
Since its founding in 1946, H+S Aviation has serviced many commercial and Business Aviation engines, including the Gipsy Major, RollsRoyce Dart, General Electric T700, Rolls-Royce 250 and Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15. H+S Aviation joined BBA Aviation plc in 1998. Today, the company provides OEM-authorized repair, overhaul and restoration services on Rolls-Royce, General Electric and Pratt & Whitney Canada turbine engines, and on Pratt & Whitney Canada and Honeywell APUs. Marshall Aerospace With over 1700 employees, Marshall Aerospace designs, manufactures and tests aerospace components while providing specialized project management for complex aerospace structures, assemblies and systems. Based in Cambridge, the company works closely with all the major aircraft OEMs. In early January 2010, Marshall Aerospace announced the acquisition of Slingsby Advanced Composites Ltd. The latter specializes in the design and manufacture of high-technology composite structures. It has operations at Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire and at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire. This acquisition enhances Marshall Aerospace’s position as one of the UK’s leading design, manufacturing and engineering companies in the aerospace industry. Commenting on the acquisition, Martin Broadhurst, Chief Executive of Marshall Aerospace, said: “Slingsby’s capabilities in composites will strongly complement those of Marshall Aerospace. The combined forces of both companies will establish a benchmark in the aerostructures engineering industry.” LEGENDARY Hawker Pacific Aerospace
Based at Cambridge Airport, Marshall Aerospace designs, manufactures and tests aerospace components. The company works with all major OEMs.
Hawker Pacific Aerospace’s history began in 1912 with Harry Hawker asking Thomas Sopwith for flying lessons. Within a few years, Hawker became one of the best pilots of his time. He was Sopwith’s top test pilot. After World War I, the government cancelled all orders with Sopwith, leaving him in financial ruins. Hawker and a group of people took over all of Sopwith’s patent rights, forming Hawker Engineering. In 1921, Harry
42 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
Hawker died from injuries sustained from an airplane crash. After Hawker’s death, Thomas Sopwith became Chairman of Hawker Engineering. Within a short time, Hawker Engineering had taken over many other companies related to aviation. In 1933, Hawker Engineering became Hawker Aircraft Ltd., and shortly after that, Hawker Siddeley Company. Although the Hawker Siddeley name remains, the aviation section was absorbed by British Aerospace Corp. in 1977. Hawker Pacific was formed in 1980. In 1991, Hawker Siddeley was absorbed by BTR Aerospace Group. In 1994, Hawker Pacific Inc. merged with Dunlop Aviation Inc and in 1996, Hawker Pacific was sold by BTR and became a stand-alone company. In 1998, Hawker Pacific completed its initial public offering of common stock and used the proceeds to acquire the landing gear, flap track and flap carriage operation from British Airways. Since 2002, Hawker Pacific Aerospace has been a 100% owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik, forming part of Lufthansa Technik’s Landing Gear Division. Today, Hawker Pacific Aerospace provides aircraft landing gear maintenance service and has nearly 500 employees in London and Los Angeles. Current aircraft supported by Hawker Pacific
Aerospace include the BAe 146, the Bombardier Shorts 30/360, the Raytheon 125 and concerning helicopters, the Eurocopter Puma, Super Puma, AStar, Twin Star, Dauphin, Gazelle Alouette and Lama, the Bell 47, 204, 205, 206, 212, 214, 412, the Sikorsky S61 and S76. FlightSafety International At Farnborough, FlightSafety International delivers training for business and corporate aviation professionals, including pilots of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, maintenance technicians, flight attendants and dispatchers. At the beginning of the year, FlightSafety International announced it had received JAA Level D qualification from the Civil Aviation Authority in the United Kingdom for three new simulators. The Hawker 750, Citation Sovereign and Gulfstream G550 aircraft simulators are located at the company’s London/Farnborough Training Center. The simulators were all qualified within an eight-week period. “The JAA Level D qualification of these new simulators demonstrates the high quality and fidelity of FlightSafety’s training equipment and our commitment to serve and support our Customers in Europe and the surrounding region,” said Bruce
Whitman, President & CEO, FlightSafety International. The London Farnborough Center offers training programs for pilots, maintenance technicians and other aviation professionals using simulators built for business aircraft manufactured by Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Gulfstream and Sikorsky. They include the Cessna Citation Bravo, CJ2, Excel, Mustang and Sovereign, the Hawker 400XP, 750, 800XP, 850XP and King Air 200, the Gulfstream G500 and the Sikorsky S-92. CAE CAE provides simulation and modeling technologies and integrated training solutions. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.6 billion, the company employs more than 6,500 people at more than 90 sites and training locations in 20 countries. In the UK, CAE’s Burgess Hill training center caters to the needs of both business and civil aviation training. Located south of London in West Sussex in the south-
CENTERS
east of England, the center recently expanded and currently houses 13 civil and business full flight simulators, with capacity to grow to 16 full flight simulators. Burgess Hill showcases CAE’s commitment and dedication to its OEM partners - Airbus, Bombardier, Dassault, and Embraer. CAE Burgess
Hill recently added Bombardier Lear 40, Lear 45, and Lear 45XR training, and offers Global Express, Global 5000, and Global XRS programs. Its instructors also currently train customers on the Dassault Falcon 900 EX EASy, Falcon 2000 EX EASy, and Falcon 7X aircraft platforms. The UK facility is the European base for
Embraer Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 training as part of the Embraer CAE Training Services joint venture. Furthermore, CAE Burgess Hill recently added the Cessna Citation II platform and offers Citation XLS training.
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Training specialists contenders, CAE and FlightSafety International, have chosen to base their European training centers in the UK.
BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010 - 43
FLIGHT OPERATIONS
THE OTHER CLOUD
As operators travel to the United Kingdom to attend the Farnborough Airshow 2010 this July, it is likely that they do so with thoughts of volcanic ash clouds in the back of their minds. In normal show years, operators’ primary operational concerns when traveling to the show likely included securing their slots on time and finding hotels. As the entire world learned this spring, however, 2010 has been anything but a normal year.
ypically, operating to the UK does not present the challenges operators can encounter in other regions in the world,” said Greg Linton, Master Trip Owner, Universal. “That all changed this April. Because of the ash cloud from the volcanic eruptions in Iceland, flight operations into and out of the UK came to a grinding halt in an instant.” With nearly all flights into and out of the UK grounded, operators were left with few options, leaving many stranded for days. Universal Long Range Forecaster Dave Houle said that it is unusual for a volcanic ash cloud to have that magnitude of negative impact on aviation.
“T
BLOCKADE
Northern Europe does not offer many opportunities to fly around any type of impediment.
44 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
VOLCANIC ASH CLOUDS
Unlike the vast stretches of the Pacific, which offer numerous opportunities to fly around any type of impediment, the tightly congested airways of Northern Europe offer no such alternatives. “The situation that occurred with the Icelandic eruptions posed a unique problem due to the type of volcano and its location,” Houle continued. “The volcanoes in Iceland are all part of a large glacier field covered with ice or water through a good portion of the year. What happens with this type of volcano is that when it erupts, and the hot magma forces its way to the surface, the magma encounters the glacial ice and water. As the magma pushes its way through the ice and water cap, the explosive action provides steam along with tiny particles of silica and pyroclastic dust that are launched well into the atmosphere,
Unwelcome Breeze “Fortunately, we rarely see volcanic activity impact aircraft operations to this degree because, in most situations, operators can navigate around any potential hazards such as an ash cloud,” Houle said. “Volcanic erup-
tions can be occurring in any part of the world, at any given time. The volcanoes in the South Pacific are quite active, but because of the vast size of the Pacific Ocean and the low concentration of heavily populated areas in the region, it generally does not cause much of a disruption to aviation.”
depending on the strength of the eruption and structure of winds over the volcano site. Volcanoes in warmer climates such as those in the tropics can often produce more lava with less steam due to a lesser chance of interaction with water during the eruption process. To
SOLUTIONS
Universal’s trip support teams were able to develop creative routings to avoid the ash cloud.
BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010 - 45
FLIGHT OPERATIONS
make matters worse, there were a couple of periods during the enduring eruption where the mid and upper level winds kept ash transport directed toward the heavily traveled eastern North Atlantic tracks and northwestern Europe. These combined features of a moderate to strong eruption, along with the southeasterly winds aloft, posed the big problem to aviation interests in Western Europe.”
TRAPPED
With the airspace closed, there was not much that could be done for aircraft already in the UK.
Mounting Frustration/Confusion The endurance of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the slowly evolving upper level winds kept ash projected into Northwestern Europe for several days at a time. With no way of knowing how long the volcano would persist, frustration quickly set in for operators and flight support service providers alike. “Meteorology has come a long way, but the duration of a volcanic eruption is impossible to predict,” said Houle. “Although a huge inconvenience and very frustrating for everyone involved, there was no choice but to ground flights. The risk of flying through an ash cloud is too great and could be disastrous.”
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VOLCANIC ASH CLOUDS
The ash cloud from the Icelandic volcanic eruptions occasionally reached 20,000 – 35,000 feet in altitude, allowing the ash to penetrate higher levels of the atmosphere with stronger frictionless winds. This led to another problem of eastwardexpanding atmospheric ash contamination. If an operator attempted to fly through the ash cloud, the biggest concern was that of particulate silicabased ash interacting with moving parts of the aircraft engine, possibly rendering seizure to the engines. Also, there was the possibility of clogging the pitot tube of the aircraft lending to inaccurate cockpit readings of airspeed. To a lesser degree, the suspended ash interacting with a high speed aircraft can produce significant abrasion to the windshield, fuselage and wing surfaces of the aircraft. “During the ash cloud event, the airlines flew several test flights, and every time a flight would come back ok, operators would call and try to arrange flights,” said Linton. “In my opinion, the test flights in many ways just created more confusion, as people saw those and thought it was now safe.”
“A test flight is really only accurate for that particular time,” said Houle. “The wind structure of the atmosphere gradually changes over periods of time making what was once a safe routing, one that leads right into the plume of ash at a later time.” Accurate Information Perry Gaffney, Manager, European Operations Centre, Universal Aviation UK, said his team worked diligently to inform clients about the most current information while flight planners continued to file flight plans in the event the UK flight restrictions were lifted. “There was so much misinformation and conflicting information being passed around, the most important thing we did for clients was keep up with all the moving parts and provide the most current and accurate facts of the situation,” said Gaffney. “We quickly learned that if UK airspace was closed until 1900 and we filed a flight plan to leave prior to that time it just went into suspension. So what we had to do was file each plan at a time later than the suspension, bumping it backwards with delay messages. Clients then had to assess the possibility of a later departure or cancel that day’s operation.”
Creative Solutions While Universal’s trip support teams were able to develop creative routings to avoid the ash cloud for those aircraft not currently in grounded areas, what they were able to do for aircraft already within the UK was limited. “We were able to use creative routings and alternative tech stops to work around the ash cloud for operators trying to get to Europe or back to the United States from Europe,” said Linton. “But for aircraft already in the UK there was not much we could do with the airspace closed. One thing we could do was help our clients stranded in the UK with their hotel arrangements. Our hotel department played a critical role in using its contact to help our clients find hotel rooms when they became hard to come by.” that we will have major closures over large swaths of Europe on a much greater scale than what we’ve experienced so far.”
With no way to operate aircraft out of the UK, Linton said that some desperate operators departed the country by train or car to France, Spain and Italy to charter flights back to their home base. “Charter flights from Southern Europe became booked very quickly,” said Linton. “Some people even traveled out of the UK by ship.” “Another client got out of the London area by flying VFR to Newcastle and picking up their IFR transatlantic clearance to Teterboro (New Jersey) in airspace that had become open,” added Gaffney. Future Eruptions/Restrictions Since the initial closures due to the ash cloud, there have been several more eruptions, causing additional
flight restrictions, on a smaller scale, to airports in Northern Europe and the UK. At the time of this writing, eruptions and accompanying ash clouds have subsided. But that’s not to say that they could not start again at any moment. “There is a precedent for extended volcanic activity with this particular chain in Iceland,” Houle warned. “In 1821, this volcano erupted and continued to erupt for an entire year. There’s no way of knowing if that will happen again. It would be wise to expect that we have not seen the last of the eruptions and ash clouds. The concerning thing is that the eruptions thus far have not been from the ‘large’ volcano in the chain and there have been some rumblings that it could become active. If that happens, it is a virtual certainty
Preparation The key to preparing for the unknown is to stay abreast of the most current information and know beforehand that plans may change with or without warning, said Linton. “When operators are planning trips to and from the UK, they need to consider the possibility that they could become grounded should the volcano erupt again,” said Linton. “I recommend they always stay in close contact with their trip support provider for the most current information and to build contingencies into their itineraries. Have they checked to see whether their hotel stays can be extended? If the volcano becomes active, can the passengers be dropped and the aircraft positioned further south? Are charter flights available? All of these things should be taken into consideration.”
✈ PREPARE
Article provided by Universal Weather and Aviation. For more information and urgent operational updates, operators can visit http://www.univwea.com/operationalupdates/ or contact Universal’s Global Regulatory Services team at 713-378-2734.
Operators planning trips to and from the UK need to consider the possibility they could be grounded.
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REGIONAL REPORT
UK AIRPORTS
LONDON CALLING The new British Government’s veto on runway development in London has cast a cloud over UK GA, according to some. Others see it - coupled with the 2012 Olympics - as the dawn of a new opportunity. Liz Moscrop reports. CAPACITY
LEA managing director George Galanopoulos (center) is concerned about the lack of runway capacity. “Luton (top) and Stansted remain essential around London,” he says.
here was grim news last month for those hoping to capitalize on expansion at major London airports as the new UK coalition government swept aside all runway development in the capital. Stansted Airport withdrew its planning application for a second runway and British airports operator BAA has halted work on plans for a third runway at Heathrow. This means the capital will only have nine runways serving all fixed wing aviation movements.
T
SMAK
London City Airport’s corporate aviation business was badly hit during the recession 48 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
This could prove tricky for Europe’s most popular Business Aviation destination. That said, apart from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, which account for half of all corporate aviation movements, there are around seven more points of entry and several fixed-base operations (FBOs) in and around the capital. London Luton is the busiest Business Aviation airport. The on-site Signature Flight Support FBO handles some 13,000 movements a year. Edwin Brenickmeyer is a consultant with Oriens Advisors, which focuses on the Business Aviation industry. He said: “The UK is unique in that all its airports are privatized, so they have to be commercially successful.” He added that many airports gave heavily discounted rates to low cost carriers, which has left them struggling to pay back investment costs. Therefore, corporate aviation operators are not the most popular tenants since the yield from private flights can be low in comparison to a scheduled carrier. Managing director of London Executive Aviation (LEA) George Galanopoulos is concerned about how the lack of runway capacity could affect his business. He said: “Although we already extensively use secondary airports, Stansted and Luton remain essential for Business Aviation around London. A ban on further runway development will mean that these airports will become busier with scheduled airline traffic and reduce access for executive aircraft.” LEA operates from seven airport bases around London: Stapleford, Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Luton, Stansted, London City and Oxford.
London City Airport’s corporate aviation business was badly hit during the recession last year. The airport has a roughly 85:15 split between its commercial scheduled services and Business Aviation services. It saw its Business Aviation movements drop from 14,000 in 2008 to 8,500 in 2010. Managing director Richard Gooding said: “We value both sides of our business. We may get some overspill as Heathrow pushes out Business Aviation, but it is not in the national interest. It may be in the short term interest for airports like Biggin Hill or Farnborough, but not in the long term as the UK will have a lack of infrastructure.” Robert Walters, business development manager for London Biggin Hill disagreed. He said: “Business Aviation will be pushed out of LCY as it will be too expensive and operators won’t get slots. They will have less choice as LCY, Luton and Stansted will turn them away. The upside for pure Business Aviation facilities means that business will come to Biggin or Farnborough out of necessity.” He added that Biggin owner Regional Airports (RAL) is investing heavily in infrastructure to meet demand and has the green light to build a new 6,000ft hangar. Biggin is 15 miles from central London with good links by helicopter and ten minutes by rail from London Bridge Station. The airfield has an annual capacity for 125,000 movements, of which it used 11,000 last year, down from 15,000 in 2008. Biggin has also attracted several companies to invest in the site,
and offers three FBOs. RAL ’s own, Jet Aviation and a new state-of-theart facility built by Doha-headquartered Rizon Jet. Walters said: “Rizon brings a new tranche of business here. There is nothing else like it in the UK.” According to Walters, Jet Aviation is also expanding its capabilities at Biggin and plans to service the Falcon 7X. The airport is also building a 76bedroom hotel on site, scheduled to open in January or February 2012 – just in time for the Olympics. Olympics “To say we are excited about the prospects of the 2012 Olympics is an understatement,” said LEA’s Galanopoulos. He added: “Most business jet traffic will be inbound to London from mainland Europe. With so many airports around the city, capacity should not be a problem. We would expect Southend, Biggin Hill, Stapleford (for smaller aircraft) and Stansted to be leading the way.” He added that London City would be “as close to the action as it’s possible to be.” Stansted and Luton report that they are already receiving requests for inbound Olympic flights. Both are waiting for confirmation to see if they are approved Olympic airfields. “Stansted is ideally situated - someone flying in does not want to sit in a traffic jam for four hours,” said Will Holroyd, CEO of Harrods Aviation, which has an FBO at the airport. The worst problem for all travelers to the Olympics is likely to be access to the stadium itself. Roads will be log jammed and the quickest way to
get there will be via the rail network. There is no helipad on site – indeed the only commercially available helipad in London is at Battersea, in West London, which is several miles away. He may be a man of the people, but it is unlikely that the likes of Barack Obama would travel to the games on the Docklands Light Railway along with millions of other spectators. Holroyd said: “We hope to see helicopter transportation incorporated into the Olympic plans.” This could be hampered by the fact that London’s only heliport has to stay within an annual movement limit of 12,000 – a defined number of movement “slots” each week, the specific number being determined by a combination of historical movement trends and the number of slots still remaining before the year end limit is reached. Although there is no helicopter access to Stratford, Walters hinted that this might change. He said: “It is important for the Olympics to have as much hard standing as possible. We have our own aprons and are exploring helicopter access to London for clients. There will possibly be a couple of landing sites near to the Olympics. We need to find another solution for business travelers to enter the site eas- VENTURE ily and quickly.” Harrods is undertaking an Investment extensive Harrods is investing heavily in its refurbishment Stansted VIP terminal, which will be program building ready long before the Olympic a new VIP Games. The company is undertaking lounge in an extensive refurbishment pro- Standsted that gram, building a new VIP lounge will cater for 100 that will cater to 100 passengers. passengers. BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010 - 49
REGIONAL REPORT
HUB
Owned by TAG Aviation, Farnborough Airport (EGLF) is entierly devoted to Business Aviation.
UK AIRPORTS
Holroyd said: “There is lots of private charter capacity. People are taking advantage of our facility. Not many FBOs are equipped to cater for such large numbers.” Qatar Holdings bought Harrods in May this year, so Holroyd is anticipating further development to attract Middle Eas tern high fliers to London. Universal Aviation is also developing its base at Stansted. UK Operations Manager Jason Hayward said: “We are best placed to offer long term planning (for the Olympics) since we can talk to our handling operator in China and look at what happened there. We are talking with our Beijing office to see how it dealt with the mix and size of aircraft. They would have had similar traffic.”
ACCESS
With only one heliport limited in movement, London has to incorporate helicopter transportation into the Olympic plans. 50 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
The Games will impact airfields further North, too. Paul Rodwell of Peel Airports Group, which owns and manages Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said that Business Aviation is growing at the airfield. The Sheffield region is in negotiation with a number of major Olympic teams about their pre-Olympic and Olympic bases. The city has excellent rail connections and travelers can get to London Kings Cross in just over 90 minutes. Rodwell said: “Combined with the Don Valley Athletics Stadium, the Ponds Forge aquatics center and excellent equestrian facilities - makes for a compelling case (to use us).” Rizon will open its brand new FBO in Biggin in late summer, after opening its new hangar in July. Its Doha base will offer a full range of services: aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance, aircraft management and FBO services, as well as aircraft sales and acquisition. In the UK Rizon is offering aircraft maintenance and FBO services, while aircraft charter and aircraft management is covered with its affiliate Oryx Jet, which possesses a UK air operator’s certificate (AOC). CEO Patrick Enz said: “We believe that having two world class VIP terminals will provide an outstanding service to our international cus-
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Athens
Milan
Dublin
Paris
London
Rome
Madrid
Shannon
And locations beyond Europe
REGIONAL REPORT
UK AIRPORTS
EMERGENT tomers from Europe and the Middle
Rizon will open its brand new FBO in Biggin Hill in late summer, after opening its new hanger in July.
East. The FBO in London will be offering open seating areas, but also enclosed lounge areas offering more privacy. Further, we will offer separate prayer ro oms for male and females. The VIP terminal will accentuate the best of Arabic and contemporary European style, sporting fine lines and a light, airy space throughout.” Although state of the art rooms are comfortable, Gooding pointed out the ideal situation is that they are left empty. He said: “We like ours to look so pristine they look as though they have never been used.” He added that the vast majority of customers like to go straight to the ramp. Crew like to have WiFi and somewhere to sleep and the most common request in LCY is for a mobile phone charger. Aviation traffic in the first quarter and says it is handling 20 business aircraft movements a day. There are several operators on site. Farnborough is well outside London boundaries, but is entirely devoted to private aviation and helping people access the capital. Owner TAG is investing £40 million ($61 million) in a new three-bay hangar, which will be ready in time for the Olympics. Manager of the onsite hotel The Aviator, Michael Hellig, said that 2010 has been positive with first quarter demand “beyond expectation.” The hotel is also busy with the air show this summer. According to Hellig, many people are making last minute decisions to attend air shows and several companies are British Industry
LONDON
Even if some way from London, airports like Cambridge Airport run by Marshall Aviation (center) and London Oxford Airport are practical entry ports
Although many fields are some way from London, they offer such strong rail and road links to the city that they are a viable entry port and provide a compelling case to use them. Oxford Airport, for example, rebranded itself as London Oxford Airport last year, highlighting the fact that it is only an hour away from the center of the capital. As well as a state-of-the-art VIP terminal and large hangar space, Oxford has attracted several charter and maintenance companies. Oxford saw a 25 percent year-on-year rise in Business
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choosing to host clients at the Aviator rather than hire a chalet. He said: “We offer a fantastic alternative to chalets. People can achieve the same hospitality without spending quarter of a million pounds.” The hotel is looking to expand onsite and possibly replicate its formula at other airports in Europe. Marshall Aviation runs Cambridge Airport. Chief executive John Watkin believes he has a contender for London traffic. He said: We have full IFR capacity 24/7. We have resurfaced the runway, improved parking and will enhance the runway again in 2013.” There is also an MRO and a fully catered VIP meeting room available . Marshall has pumped half a million pounds into the airport, which counts equine transport as a significant customer, thanks to a tiein with nearby Newmarket Racecourse. Watkin said: “We moved about 250 horses last year yearlings from Dublin. Every weekend a 737 goes to Europe for a race meeting.” Both Cambridge and Stansted process a great deal of equine ferry flights. Holroyd said: “We are continuing to see widebody arrivals at Stansted – 747s and 777s, handling horse cargo flights. They come in the summer season.”
London Ashford Lydd Airport in Kent will be looking for more business as London fills up. Only 53 miles south of London, the airport has a friendly and efficient FBO on site. Elstree, Northolt and Stapleford are all either within the city or easy driving distance to London. Winning Over Hearts and Minds Farnborough is in the middle of a public inquiry as it is looking to increase its permitted annual movements to 50,000 – up from today’s limit of 28,000. TAG has been working hard to win over the hearts and minds of the local community, a battle familiar to many airfield operators. Holroyd agreed that education is important. He said: “It is down to the industry to educate. Local authorities often lack understanding of the economic value of Business Aviation. Our business employs 200 people in two locations.” Biggin Hill is also laboring to bolster its image with locals and is running advertisements in local newspapers pointing out the amount of jobs it provides. Owner RAL is to open a 120m x 40m hangar next to its terminal next year and has planning permission for further hangar development. The airport has about 60,000
movements annually, of which about 15,000 are Business Aviation, 2,500 helicopter shuttles, and the rest light aircraft. It has no slot restrictions and, like Oxford, is licensed to carry animals. RAL is also building a 76room hotel onsite, which will be open in 2012. LEA’s Galanopoulos said: “London Southend Airport is another interesting case. The airport is investing millions in new terminal and rail facilities, very much with the Olympics in mind, which goes to show that the value of major sporting events to a local economy is beyond question.” Southend in Essex is now open 24/7 and is adding 300m to its runway, as well as a new tower, passenger terminal, and hotel. There will also be a new railway station nearby with direct access to London’s Liverpool Street and the Olympics center in Stratford. Galanopoulos continued: “Not only are jobs created as part of any required construction work, but long-term employment, directly and indirectly, is created too. New transport infrastructure remains, which is of practical and commercial value to the community long after the event in question has moved on.”
✈
AVIONICS
GLASS COCKPIT Honeywell
THE GLASS AGE IS COMING!
Honeywell’s Primus Elite installation not only increases the safety, efficiency and reliability of the aircraft, but also its resale value. According to Rob Wilson, the increase in aircraft value exceeds the cost of the upgrade, as documented in the Aircraft Blue Book. Honeywell’s Primus Elite is a LCD retrofit cockpit display system designed for legacy Primus 1000/2000/2000XP, SPZ-8400/8500 and selected SPZ-8000 series CRT based avionics systems. Primus Elite’s design allows the upgrade to be performed during regularly scheduled maintenance - the approximate down-
Cockpit flat panel upgrades arrive on the market By Marc Grangier t is something that obviously would occur sooner or later. Pilots flying aging business jets with older cathode ray tube (CRT) flight decks would soon require more robust information and would definitely be attracted by the revolutionary display advancements of the modern liquid-crystal glass displays (LCDs), including synthetic vision, electronic charts and maps and graphical weather information. According to Rob Wilson, President, Honeywell Business and General Aviation, LCDs, which are now standard in all current production cockpits, not only reduce overall pilot workload, but also offer an intuitive display of essential flight data due to the graphic processing power they provide. Additionally, LCDs provide significant increases in memory storage that will allow for the incorporation of future technologies. The cockpit flat panel upgrades trend initially started in the US, explains John Peterson, Director Aftermarket Marketing, Rockwell-Collins, who admits that European customers are less motivated for the time being, even if they now tend to be more and more interested. On the whole, activity has been progressing slowly but steadily and Peterson mentioned that up to now, his company has carried out more than 250 retrofits, on a total of 15 aircraft types from the King Air C90 to the Falcon 50.
I
ELITE
Honeywell’s Primus Elite is available for leading business aircraft, including the Global Express.
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Retrofits not only contribute to improve the resale value of the aircraft, but they also offer enhanced capabilities, including airport maps, approach charts and en route electronic moving maps with geopolitical boundaries, airports and navigation aids showing aircraft position while linking to the FMS flight plan. Furthermore, LCDs provide a significant improvement over CRTs, especially in full daylight with improved contrast and lower reflection for clearer text and graphics. This is why a number of avionics manufacturers are now offering cockpit retrofit programs, which also provide a major increase in system reliability over CRT displays while maintaining current display formats so pilot training is minimized. Below, we mention the main competitors on the market – a market that has a huge potential if one considers the number of existing CRT-equipped aircraft still flying.
time for the installation of Primus Elite is 14 working days - as opposed to months of downtime typically required for a full cockpit replacement. Primus Elite delivers graphics, coupled with safety enhancements, to provide pilots a sophisticated and user-friendly cockpit display system. Its installation requires no aircraft structural modifications, limited wiring changes, and no additional pilot training – resulting in significant maintenance and operating cost savings. Honeywell’s Primus Elite is available for the Bombardier Global Express and Global 5000. Retrofits will be available for the Gulfstream GV, GIV, and GIVSP, Cessna Citation X, Embraer Legacy 600, and Falcon 900 EX/C. Honeywell is also participating in the Dassault Easy Cockpit upgrade. EASy II avionics include SmartView Synthetic Vision, RNP-AR, ADS-B, WAAS-LPV capability and automatic descent mode. Certification was
expected mid-2010. For Rob Wilson: “The EASy II features and system improvements will be released on all three Falcon platforms, starting with the F900 series in the second quarter of 2010. In 2011, FANS-1/A will be added to the F900 and the fully featured EASy II package (including FANS-1/A) will be certified on the F7X and the F2000 series. EASy II will be available on new production aircraft and, for the operating fleet, through retrofit.”
SPECIALIST
Offering cockpit upgrades to its US customers, Standard Aero is now looking for a European operator to go through EASA certification.
Rockwell-Collins For John Peterson, the Pro Line 21 Integrated Display System (IDS) offers an LCD display upgrade program to existing flight decks without the full expense normally associated At EBACE, Ruag Aerospace announced it was developing a fully integrated flight deck avionics retrofit for legacy Piaggio P180 Avanti. Based on the Pro Line 21, this glass cockpit upgrade could be certified before the end of the year. It will cost approximately US$ 550,000.
with major retrofits. The system integrates next-generation LCDs and superior graphics technology with existing Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance Systems, Terrain Awareness Warning System, communication and flight management systems. Presently, Rockwell-Collins offers three types of upgrades: The Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line 21 IDS is an LCD display upgrade program that offers a powerful display roadmap to legacy flight decks without the expense normally associated with a comprehensive retrofit application because it integrates next-generation displays and graphics with existing sensors, radios, flight management systems and autopilots. The Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 major retrofit is a complete replacement for the aircrafts’ current avionics – including the panel, connectors and wiring. The system features 10by 8-inch LCDs, adaptive flight displays, Rockwell Collins Flight
Management System (FMS), AHS3000 Attitude Heading Reference System, TCAS-4000 Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System; solid state weather radar, Pro Line 21 radio sensors, engine indication and IFIS (Integrated Flight Information System). The Pro Line 4 to Pro Line 21 upgrade. The open architecture of Rockwell Collins’ systems allows Pro Line 21 displays to interface with the existing Pro Line 4 avionics package, utilizing existing sensors, radios and autopilots. The upgrade provides Pro Line 21 functionality, including high resolution LCDs, graphical weather and electronic charting with standard instrument departures. For John Peterson, these cockpit upgrades do not create orphan aircraft and are an excellent investment that gives enhanced graphics capability to the pilots. More than 3000 Pro Line 21-equipped aircraft are now flying.
StandardAero Scott Taylor, Senior Vice President, Business Aviation, StandardAero, told BART that although the company has started to offer cockpit upgrades to its US customers, its intention is to penetrate the European market in a second phase. For Taylor, upgrading, for example a Falcon 50 cockpit with Pro Line 21 Integrated Display System, adds safety awareness, graphical weather and charter maps, which improve reliability. Downtime for a Falcon 50 cockpit retrofit is estimated at two weeks. Amending STC for engine indication was to be given just after EBACE. Concerning upgrading a Falcon 900 C/EX flight deck with Honeywell Primus Elite, Taylor stresses it provides the same features and safety benefits as the most sophisticated cockpits in operation today – including graphical weather, Jeppesen electronic charts and maps and video display capability. According to Taylor, a typical upgrade cost for a Falcon 900 C or EX falls in the range of $580K $600K. Downtime is estimated at 10 working days. A FAA STC was pending for July 2010 by StandardAero. In the meantime, the company, with the
POTENT
Installed here on a Falcon 50EX, the Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line 21 IDS features 10 by 8” LCDs.
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AVIONICS
GLASS COCKPIT
help of Honeywell, has been looking for a European operator to go through EASA certification and Taylor was optimistic to find one before summer. Garmin Recently, Garmin announced its G1000 Retrofit program for the Cessna CitationJet, thanks to an STC program that will allow installation of Garmin’s G1000 integrated flight deck on the Cessna CitationJet (Model 525, serial numbers 0001-0359). “We pursued this STC to share the benefits of the G1000 with CitationJet owners and operators,” said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s vice-president of marketing. “For existing CitationJet owners, our avionics suite will give them Universal Avionics
UPGRADE
Universal Avionics’ large format EFI-890R displays are specially designed for complete upgrade modifications (top). The lightweight G1000 installation results in judicious weight saving (center).
the advantage of flying with a fully integrated, FMS with dual WAAS LPV, RVSM compliant flight deck that has state of the art features like the GFC 700 autopilot, Garmin’s synthetic vision technology, weather datalink, and Garmin’s SafeTaxi.” “We are very excited to offer the Garmin G1000 to our early model CitationJet customers,” said Mark Paolucci, Cessna’s senior vice president, Customer Service. “It is a great way to update these airplanes so they can operate at a whole new level.” The G1000 installation on the CitationJet has a large 12-inch multifunction display (MFD) and two 10.4inch primary flight displays (PFD). It also includes Garmin’s GFC 700 threeaxis, fully digital, dual channel, fail
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passive automatic flight control system (AFCS). The GFC 700 includes features you would expect in this class of aircraft, such as coupled wide area augmentation system (WAAS) approaches, vertical navigation and flight level change (FLC). Thanks to the G1000’s lightweight and modular design, the G1000 installation results in a weight savings of approximately 100 pounds. Daher-Socata also plans to offer the Garmin 1000 retrofit for its TBM 700 single turboprop. The retrofit will involve the installation of a 15-inch multifunction display and two 10.4-inch primary flight displays. Complete installation, which will cost approximately US$ 390.000, should be available in the second half of the year.
At EBACE, Joachim L. Naimeer, President and CEO of Universal Avionics, told BART that its dealer, Capital Aviation Inc. of Bethany, Oklahoma, has been awarded a FAA STC for the upgrade modification of the Bombardier Challenger 600. The aircraft, which underwent an end-toend interior and exterior refurbishment, received Universal Avionics WAAS-capable Flight Management Systems (FMS), EFI-890R Flat Panel Displays and Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS). The STC was issued for the four-panel EFI890R flat panel display suite in Challenger 600-1A11, 600-2A12, and 600-2B16 model aircraft. The CL-600 upgrade installation included dual Universal Avionics UNS-1Lw WAAS/SBAS-FMSs with 4” Flat Panel Control Display Units, TAWS Class A system and a four-panel suite of EFI-890R cockpit displays. The STC includes approval for 3D coupled WAAS GPS (RNAV) approach procedures. The large format EFI-890R displays, configured as two Primary Flight Displays (PFDs) and two Navigation Displays (ND), is specially designed for retrofit applications such as Capital Aviation’s program, which is an upgrade program designed especially for the Challenger 600/601 that brings many of the features of the Challenger 605.
Elliott Aviation
Duncan Aviation
Last December, Elliott Aviation received an FAA STC for the installation of dual Universal Avionics’ UNS1Espw Flight Management System in Citation 650 III/VI/VIIs. The installation includes the latest GPS Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) with LP/LPV (lateral precision with vertical guidance) for oceanic, en-route, departure and arrival procedures, non-precision approaches, LNAV/VNAV approaches and LPV approaches. WAAS approaches can be flown down to minimums of 200-feet and half-mile for FAA published LPV approaches. “The UNS-1Espw Flight Management System greatly reduces pilot workload and makes approaches safer,” said Mark Wilken, director of avionics sales for Elliott Aviation.
Through its “Glass Box Project”, Duncan Aviation has contributed to reduce the downtime required to install the latest AMLCD (Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display) technology. Last year, the company certified Honeywell’s latest Advanced File Graphics Server (AFGS) upgrade for the Hawker 800 and the Hawker 1000. The AFGS is a computing platform bringing advanced graphics generation capabilities, such as electronic charts and uplinked weather, together with mass data storage to allow for the operation of flight display applications. Duncan Aviation equipped a Hawker 1000 with Honeywell’s Primus Epic CDS/R solution, a three-display major panel retrofit. To date, Duncan Aviation has installed the Epic system in the Hawker 800A, Hawker 1000, Gulfstream GIII and Falcon 900B. The company is also carrying out Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 to 21 upgrades for the Falcon 50EX and it has certified Pro Line systems in the Falcon 50, Hawker 800A, 800XP and Astra 1125. The company is also working on a Pro Line 4 to 21 upgrade package on a Falcon 2000.
Jet Aviation Jet Aviation facilities worldwide specialize in installation solutions custom designed for any flight deck or aircraft cabin. Nearly all Jet Aviation locations are authorized to test and repair delicate instrumentation, avionics and electronic devices produced by major avionics and entertainment equipment manufacturers – including complete “glass cockpit” systems. Jet Aviation Zurich recently installed the first precision navigating system (P-RNAV) into a Cessna 650 Citation III. Following significant engineering and interior pre-work by Jet Aviation Zurich’s technical teams, the 22-year old Cessna 650 underwent a comprehensive avionics upgrade. The project included the installation of all new state-of-the-art avionics equipment and the refurbishment of the entire cabin while maintaining the highest noise reduction standards. Jet Aviation Zurich added four more systems as part of the avionics upgrade: a new highperformance weather radar with a new multi-function radar display, a cockpit voice recorder, an enhanced ground proximity warning system and a runway awareness and advisory system that increases safety on ground as well as for the final approach. All equipment was installed and certified according to EASA standards.
Innovative Solutions & Support/IS&S IS&S’s Vantage Cockpit/I open architect flat panel display system has been gaining interest with business jet owners. “We are optimistic about the growth opportunities for our extremely versatile new Vantage system,” said Roman Ptakowski, president of Innovative Solutions & Support, Inc. “Vantage is a fully integrated cockpit, which allows operators to upgrade their aircraft to a glass cockpit while leaving existing third party avionics installed in the aircraft, thus minimizing the cost and down time of the upgrade.” Last Fall, IS&S announced that its Flat Panel Display System will be offered as part of an upgrade program for operators of older Cessna Citations. IS&S also announced their selection by Dassault to provide a Flat Panel Display System that will be offered as part of an upgrade program for Falcon 2000
and 2000EXs. Both Cessna’s and Dassault Falcon’s cockpit upgrades are based on IS&S’s Vantage Cockpit/IP (Cockpit Information Portal or CIP), Ptakowski said. Dassault Falcon is developing an STC for Falcon 2000 and 2000EX operators that have the original flight deck displays. The STC will allow operators to upgrade to a set of four flat panel LCD displays. IS&S’s four 10.4-inch flat panel display systems will save an estimated 45 pounds and is designed to be retrofitted with a minimum of downtime.
✈
EXPERT
Jet Aviation Zurich recently installed the first P-RNAV into a Cessna 650 Citation III.
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THE DOCKET
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING IN BUSINESS AVIATION
By Aoife O’Sullivan
CRUCIAL
The plight of BP in the aftermath of the recent oil spill highlights how a proper emergency response is crucial for business continuity.
A recent EBAA survey indicates that “just under one-third of business aircraft operators in Europe do not possess an emergency plan; many do not have an incident alert process in place; less than half have departmental response procedures; most have not provided emergency response training and just under half have never tested or exercised their response plans”. he concept of emergency response planning is not exclusive to a major or total loss of an aircraft. Such a plan should also assist your business in managing incidents, such as a hanger/ramp accident, bomb threats, fire, natural disaster etc. Indeed, the plight of BP in the aftermath of the recent oil spill in the Gulf
T
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WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY?
of Mexico is highlighting only too readily how an appropriate response to an emergency is absolutely crucial for business continuity and protection of reputation. The cost of the oil spill is currently estimated at $1.25 billion – the actual cost to BP in terms of business and reputation is immeasurable. Natural disasters also have the ability to affect operators much the same
as an internal incident or accident. As demonstrated by the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland, the European skies were effectively closed for a period of six days, with intermittent closures thereafter until the eruption settled towards the end of May. The impact on the airlines affected was a massive loss of revenue estimated to cost in the region of $130,000,000 per day in the aviation industry globally. The role of the media should not be underestimated in the effect it can have on your business in the after-
math of an accident. The very nature of a private jet operator’s business means they are ferrying famous, valuable and important people whose involvement in an accident is eminently, and immediately, newsworthy. We live in a global media environment, with 24/7 access to media and Internet. The press will have camera crews at an incident scene within minutes and passengers/eyewitnesses use mobile phones, the combined result of which is that photos/videos and comments are sent across the world in sec-
onds. Unless your management and staff are aware and have been trained in handling the media who are adept at investigative journalism, you are exposing your business to immeasurable damage. Not having a system of emergency response in place to respond to an incident is bordering on commercial suicide. In the event an accident or incident occurs, your business must be able to respond quickly, competently and professionally. Without this, your business runs the real risk of being consumed by the aftermath of an accident. Management time, reputation and rumours in the press - not to mention loss of business can all conspire to run a business into the ground. The Regulatory Requirements The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has set a deadline of November this year for all operators to establish a safety-management system (SMS) over their operations. ICAO defines SMS as “a systemic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies and procedures”. An emergency response plan (ERP) manual will form a key part of this requirement.
MEDIA
Without an emergency response system, your business runs the risk of being consumed by the aftermath of an accident.
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THE DOCKET
SUGGESTION
SMS requirements for operators of noncommercial aircraft over 12,500lbs is recommended by ICAO.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING IN BUSINESS AVIATION
Annex 6 of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) specify that an SMS requirement be incorporated into national safety regulations for operators of noncommercial aircraft over 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight or turbojet powered aircraft. The com-
fied aerodromes are all responsible for establishing an SMS. States are responsible, under the SSP, for the acceptance and oversight of service providersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SMS. The International Standard for Business Aircraft Operation (IS-BAO), developed by the International
pliance date for ICAO Member states to begin implementation of these standards is November 2010. Annex 6 Part 1 of the ICAO Standards, applicable to commercial operators, requires member states to indicate their plans for compliance beginning on January 1, 2009. ICAOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 189 member states are currently developing regulations and guidance to meet the ICAO SMS SARPs. ICAO has introduced two key concepts. First, the concept of a State Safety Programme (SSP), which is an integrated set of regulations and activities aimed at improving safety in member states. Second, the concept of SMS, which is a systematic approach to managing safety and including such necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies and procedures. States are required to establish a State Safety Programme (SSP) and, service providers, such as approved training organizations that are exposed to safety risks during the provision of their services, aircraft operators, approved maintenance organizations, organizations responsible for design and/or manufacture of aircraft, air traffic services providers and certi-
Business Aviation Council and its member associations (such as NBAA and EBAA), is a code of best practices designed to help flight departments worldwide achieve high levels of safety and professionalism. At the core of the IS-BAO is a scalable SMS tool for business aircraft operators, from single aircraft/single-pilot operations to large multi-aircraft flight departments. IS-BAO comprises a set of standards and recommended practices that operators follow to achieve program registration. Among those standards are: 1. An operator shall have a plan detailing the procedures to be followed in the event of an accident, incident or other emergency. Compliance with the plan is mandatory in the case of accidents involving substantial damage to aircraft or injury to passengers, crew members or persons on the ground. In the case of other accidents, incidents or emergencies, compliance will be at the discretion of the operator, subject to any requirements imposed by law by the State of Registry or the law of the State in which the accident or incident occurred. 2. The emergency response plan must address in-flight incidents involving
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injuries to, or serious medical problems suffered by, passengers or crew members. 3. The emergency response plan must also address accidents and incidents not involving aircraft flight operations, such as those occurring during aircraft maintenance activities. 4. The emergency response plan shall include, as applicable: a. depending on the nature and location of the accident, procedures for the flight crew to notify the appropriate authority in the State where the accident occurred and to seek medical assistance, as required; b. procedures for the flight department personnel to notify company officials of the accident, incident or other event; c. procedures for the company to notify State agencies of the accident, as may be required by law; d. procedures for notification of next of kin; e. on-site procedures to be taken by the flight and cabin crew to assist passengers, prepare visual distress signals (if in a remote area), and preserve the integrity of the accident site; f. procedures for dealing with questions from, and providing assistance to, the families of passengers and crew members; g. procedures for dealing with questions from the media; h. procedures for participating or cooperating with State agencies and police authorities who may be investigating the accident; quarantine of documents and records, and i. considerations for dealing with the effects of the accident on company operations and on employees (i.e. trauma counselling services and other crisis intervention support for persons involved or affected by the event). 5. Personnel who have a role in the emergency response plan should be trained in their role and the plan should be exercised periodically in order to test its integrity. 6. Lastly, the importance of having a statement of policy in this regard is fundamentally important. Without a policy statement from the top of the organisation, employees are not going to give it the priority the company needs to get it right.
Gates and Partners is recognised independently as one of the worlds preeminent aviation and commercial law firms. We can assist you in all areas of aviation and commercial law including: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Aircraft acquisitions and disposals Aviation insurance and reinsurance Aircraft finance Regulatory issues and registration of aircraft Operational and management issues Offshore Structuring Aviation Litigation
As a niche firm, we offer the advantage of a more direct, personalised service but with the depth of expertise that you would expect a substantial international law firm. We have lawyers admitted to practice in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States, Russia, Greece, the Cayman Islands, the Eastern Caribbean and various jurisdictions in Australia. Our head office is based in London, UK with an office in Singapore and representatives in key locations worldwide.
For more information please contact Aoife O’Sullivan, Partner. In London: Gates and Partners 20 St. Mary At Hill London EC3R 8EE United Kingdom T: +44(0)20 7220 5950 F: +44(0)20 7220 5951 E: info@gatesandpartners.com In Singapore: Gates and Partners 9 Temasek Boulevard 42-03 Suntec Tower 2 Singapore 038989 T: +65 688 44600 F: +65 688 44655 E: info@gatesandpartners.com
THE DOCKET Legal Advice on ERP Expert legal advice is crucial to the success of your business in preparing the response to handling incidents and accidents. The kind of advice you should expect from your legal team is set out below. Other examples will depend on the jurisdiction(s) you are exposed to. For example, an aircraft built in Brazil, registered in France and carrying US citizens has an accident in South Africa – different legal systems will apply different rules and procedures to the same incident.
RESPONSE Pre Incident Advice
Expert legal advice is crucial Disaster planning and training for preparing to ensure that those taking part in the handle incidents response to an incident are advised and accidents. about the preservation of appropriate 62 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING IN BUSINESS AVIATION records for future evidential or other legal purposes Legal risk assessment – how strong is your corporate structure to withstand legal attack in the event of an incident claim? Have you ring-fenced liability and protected the remaining business for continuity purposes? Contractual aspects of risk management Contractual reviews – where does the liability fall versus where should it fall and do you have indemnity protection where necessary in your contracts (such as ground handling, catering, security, airport usage, maintenance and overhaul). What laws govern your contracts and are you aware of implied laws in the relevant jurisdiction? Do you know what strict liability is and how it affects you, your management and your company? What are your duties to third parties, including financiers and Lessor in the event of an incident? Review the validity and appropriateness of ticket and air way bill conditions and general conditions of carriage on an international basis Audit - consists of a strategic assessment of a carrier’s emergency
response plan, review of legal risk compliance and adequacy of legal contractual structures, as well as training and rehearsal of nominated personnel and advice on contingency procedures and manuals.
Advice During Incidents Your lawyers will need to be familiar with multi-lingual crisis communications, survivor management, family assistance, and the many other challenging aspects of the aftermath of a disaster, including: -Co-ordination of multiple agencies and authorities -Claims handling co-ordination and management – locally, internationally and on a multi jurisdictional basis -Protecting reputation and brand value -Establishing guidelines for the company’s representatives at the accident site, especially those involved in the investigation, for the interaction with State Authorities and other interested parties. Ensuring the EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM is aware of the key issues of concern. -The provision of assistance or policy to the company’s Insurance Department regarding issues of the company’s liability to passengers and third parties and handling claims/ requests arising from the incident. -Making sure that the EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM is aware of overseas local requirements regarding the release of passenger or crew lists to the local authorities. -Making sure that the company representative at the incident site has appropriate legal advice. If applicable, ensuring that the crew receive appropriate legal advice. -Press handling, including the provision of advice to the Public Relations Manager on all public statements. -Evidence preservation, gathering and protection – documents and statements – what are your legal obligations in all relevant jurisdictions? The provision of advice to the Emergency Response Team on the status of any other operator/third parties involved and the company’s legal relationship with the same. Post Incident Advice Post-accident, your lawyers should direct the legal management of claims settlement, as well as offer ongoing crisis support services, including: -Subrogation and recovery action investigation -Advice on access to alternative dispute resolution
Insurance Coverage Operators are faced with many choices related to insurance coverage. However, when selecting the insurance package best suited to the company’s needs, the level, type and amount of coverage suitable or necessary for the company’s operations should be considered carefully. International and local regulation (such as EASA) does provide recommended levels of cover for different aircraft types and weight. These recommendations do not necessarily reflect the appropriate level of cover for your aircraft, or indeed your operation (for example, a business aircraft carrying high net worth individuals which is involved in a mid-air collision with a commercial carrier can attract claims in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars). In the European context, companies and their management teams are now more than ever exposed to statutory and common law liability in the context of corporate manslaughter, criminalization of air disasters, director’s responsibility and duty of care, regulatory compliance and corporate structures. Contractual arrangements with third parties such as financiers, maintenance organisations and suppliers may transfer risk and liability or offer indemnity without appropriate insurance cover in place. For example, do you have Directors and Officers insurance in place and does it extend to coverage for legal defence costs (which can run to millions) in the event of an incident? It is extremely important that the insurance coverage in place is effective, sufficient and relevant. Legal Liability – the dichotomy between reporting and prosecution Aside from the regulatory requirements and industry peer pressure as regards SMS, businesses need to have systems of reporting and response in place to defend themselves against both civil and criminal liability. Recent examples of prosecutions ,include the action against representatives of Dassault in Greece following the turbulence incident in 1999 involving the Falcon aircraft which killed the Greek Minister in charge of
European Affairs, the prosecution of a Continental engineer in France in relation to the Concorde accident in 2000 and the simultaneous prosecutions in Greece and Cyprus of various directors and officers of Helios following a pressurisation incident involving the 737 that led to the aircraft crashing near Athens in 20057. There is an increasing trend to criminalize aircraft accidents within the EU and, more worryingly, a proposed EU Regulation on Air Accident Investigation that would, if implemented, give regulatory force to this trend. A balance needs to be drawn between the promotion of aviation safety and the prosecution of those with a connection to an accident particularly where the information used in support of the prosecution comes either from confidential reporting or the air accident investigation and information gathered by investigators in the course of the official investigation. The whole point of SMS and reporting is to encourage operators to put practices in place to avoid accidents – learning from mistakes and spotting and correcting errors as they arise. The use of these reports in subsequent prosecutions of those who have made them clearly inhibits the future of voluntary reporting in the industry. Indeed, serious aviation accidents are investigated in accordance with Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention 1944 which specifically prohibits the use of the report for fault finding and which also emphasizes that the sole purpose of the report is the avoidance of future accidents and the promotion of air safety. Notwithstanding these very clear provisions, accident reports are routinely used in civil law countries as the basis for prosecution of individuals in criminal cases. Despite the fact that the investigations are undertaken by quasi-public authorities with no criminal investigative experience, the conclusions in accident reports can be very persuasive so far as the criminal courts of many civil law countries are concerned. By using the accident reports in this way, the very basis of producing the report in the interests of preventing future accidents is compromised. Important lobbying work in this area must continue for the protection of safety for everyone.
Conclusion Operators cannot avoid regulatory obligations and must take the requirement to have SMS in place this year very seriously. Pressure on adherence to safety systems is coming not only from the regulators, but also from the aviation authorities and the finance lenders – for example, the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation was the first National Aviation Authority to make IS-BAO certification an obligatory requirement for all Bermuda registered business aircraft operators by 1st November 2008. Bermuda Certificates of Airworthiness may be withheld if operators cannot demonstrate compliance with IS- BAO. Lenders are equally taking the decision to refuse approval of operators who do not have the basic systems in place for the management and protection of the assets they are being asked to finance. State authorities are now considering IS-BAO SMS certification as an appropriate form of compliance with ICAO standards and recommendations and State regulatory provisions. However, IBAC cannot approve an operator’s SMS implementation until such time as it has been audited by an IBAC-accredited individual or agency. The operator needs to allow for this within its plans for SMS design and implementation. If compliance with IS-BAO is not elected, then the State Authorities are likely to audit the operator. Either way, this will seem a significant task to the unprepared operator. Now is the time to do it. It takes time and effort to implement a valid working system and an ERP manual is an integral part of this system. Certainly consider buying your manual toolkit from EBAA; it has been developed by specialists and is available at cost to help you develop your plan in line with best practice and tailored to your needs (see www.ebaa.org ). But above all ensure you actually implement the system of training and reporting that is required to make it effective. Don’t just buy the manual toolkit and put it on a shelf. Implement it and test your systems on a regular basis. While you may never have to use it, the time and cost to your business of doing this is minuscule compared to the time and cost you will spend responding to an incident without professional systems already in place.
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FROM THE COCKPIT
CROSSWINDS AND LIMITS
DON’T SCRAPE THE UNDERSIDE
Photo Paulo Santos
By LeRoy Cook
In the video ‘Viewed Around the World’, a Lufthansa Airbus A320 suffered a wing scrape while trying to land in gusty winds at Hamburg on March 1st, 2008. Fortunately, the wave-off was successful and no human casualties ensued, but the second-guessing started immediately. About the only thing the subsequent investigations proved was something we already knew: you shouldn’t try to land any airplane in crosswinds gusting to 50 knots. owever, what’s a crew supposed to do – stay up forever? Notwithstanding dispatch rules based on forecast models, alternates are generally chosen based on visibility and ceiling requirements – more so than on the vagaries of surface winds. Diverting raises all sorts of logistical nightmares, so there’s considerable pressure to get the airplane on the ground and deliver
H LESSON
Don’t try to land any airplane in crosswinds gusting at 50 knots!
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the accompanying cargo to its destination as planned. The wild and risky ride down final and during the transition from air to pavement is only memorable if something goes wrong. Pilots aren’t often given hard-and-fast rules to evaluate their wind operating decisions, nor do the conditions play by the rules. Winds can flick from within-limits to exceeding in a second or two, then, just as capriciously, die off to recover strength. Just as all the roots of politics are local, an airport’s surrounding influence of hills, buildings and tree lines can make for interesting times when battling a wind in the touchdown zone. And so, it’s impossible to precisely foresee just how much crosswind will exist at the arrival end of the runway at a given instant. Windshear monitors surrounding the aerodrome can help, but only if the information is delivered in almost real time. Thus, the issue ultimately winds up back in the lap of the pilot-in-command. He or she must know the airplane, evaluate the conditions and be ready to act before metal gets bent. The unlucky Lufthansa crew hap-
pened to catch an increase in the gust level at the worst possible moment. Although the reported winds had been 28 knots with gusts to 37, shortly before the incident they heightened to 33 knots, gusting to 49. There, but for the grace of God, go any of us. What to Do Knowledge, of course, is the basis of power, and to make a judgment we need to know what the aircraft can and can’t do – as well as what our personal abilities can accomplish. As professional pilots, we’ve battled a few winds in our time, and we probably think we can kick in some rudder at the right instant to put the wheels on the runway astride the center-stripe. However, there are crosswinds that can’t be handled, no matter how good we are, because the airplane’s ability to counter the blast is being exceeded. We have limits, the airplane has limits, and the airport has limits in that runways are only so spacious and, unlike aircraft carriers, can’t be turned into the wind. What are our limitations? Success generally has none. If the jet stays right side up and turns off the run-
way unscathed, nothing is likely to be said. One must always conduct oneself, however, with regard to “how will this look at the board of inquiry’s hearing?” If an untoward event occurs, pilot competence and judgment are always called into question. Crosswind component limits may be stipulated by the company operations manual, which can be a doubleedged sword. On the one hand, quoting the book can give the crew a means of dealing with a dictatorial passenger, who is asking for a choice between the impossible and your resignation. But, if the pilot in command comes a cropper while landing in a crosswind a few knots stronger than the book’s limitation – even if it was an unforeseen gust – the printed page provides ammunition to charge the pilot. You should respect all Ops Manual requirements, just to instill its authority to management. Unfortunately, the wind isn’t visible to the VIP passengers, unlike bad weather that can be seen outside the windows, making it a bit harder to justify a diversion.
WISDOM
To make a judgment, we need to know what the aircraft can and can’t do – as well as what our personal abilities can accomplish.
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FROM THE COCKPIT
CROSSWINDS AND LIMITS
In the absence of hard and fast limitations in the company book, and in addition to it, the aircraft’s flight manual may have guidance to offer. The manufacturers are cognizant of the variableness in crosswind landing success arising from pilot skill versus the wind’s gusty nature. Rather than establish a single number that creates a limit, the plane maker will publish the “maximum demonstrated crosswind component” that was flown during certification testing. This is widely understood not to be a limitation per se, but information issued for the pilot’s guidance. Unlike operating above the maximum certificated altitude or in air
EXPERIMENT
If you wish to land in winds exceeding the numbers, consider yourself a test pilot. 66 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
temperatures hotter than that stipulated by the aircraft’s limitations, landing with a higher crosswind component than the published “maximum demonstrated” number carries no legal penalty. That said, the stated crosswind component should not be regarded lightly. In most cases, it represents a fair assessment of where control begins to be doubtful. It is seldom, as many pilots assume, merely the worst wind that the test pilots could find to work with, leaving plenty of room for experimentation. The manufacturer wants to present the aircraft’s capability well, so you should expect that the crosswind demonstration was properly logged. If you wish to land in winds exceeding the number, consider yourself a test pilot and be prepared to justify your findings. As happened in the subject Airbus’ incident, reported winds can be within limits or guidelines at the beginning of the landing approach and then change for the worse during the minutes leading to the runway. A request for a “wind check” at mid-final might not guarantee a safe arrival, if the wind sensor referenced is some distance away. My preference is to have general agreement among all the runway or perimeter sensors, so I have some assurance that no rogue gusts are moving across the field. Of course, most PFD’s have a computed wind vector in the corner of the display, but even that high-tech solution requires some slight delay for number crunching.
Time to Abandon? When is it better to abandon the approach than risk the touchdown? Given that control is compromised as airspeed is lost, any transient loss of control on final, even if recovered, should be taken as a sign that things aren’t going to get better in the touchdown zone. Fighting to hold the glidepath and stay aligned with the runway is certainly a subjective definition – “not too bad” one old salt might say, while “wouldn’t want to do that again” could be the next pilot’s interpretation, even if the conditions were the same. But if you can’t keep the aircraft under at least a semblance of control on final, push up the power and seek shelter elsewhere. Don’t press on thinking you’ll salvage it if you can’t maintain a proper rollout on the runway. Turning a landing in a gusting crosswind into a touch and go is a risky proposition, especially if runway length is marginal and thrust reversers are in the process of being deployed. Even if you don’t have an underwing engine to risk scraping, many airplanes have very little flap clearance at landing setting, so putting the wing down to counter drift has to be done with care. Should you make a partial-flaps landing in extreme wind conditions? Not without trying it first with the normal full flaps setting. If you go around due to a lack of control on final, you can make the second attempt with approach flaps selected, adding only the increase in Vref resulting from the partial flaps, perhaps computed by the FMS, if so equipped. Presumably, you’ve already tacked on half the gust spread for control enhancement. Make no attempt to fine-tune the touchdown just to keep your reputation for smooth landings intact. This is not a time for suability. Kick out the crab angle, lower the upwind wing if appropriate and maintain alignment with continual rudder pressure while letting the main-gear settle onto the pavement. Get the nose-gear down almost immediately, so it can provide an anchor against side-drafts. Otherwise, with the nose tire floating above the surface, the main-gear is free to swivel the airplane’s longitudinal axis out of alignment. Also, you’ll likely be prevented from using the speed brakes and thrust reverse.
Take advantage of any lift-dump capability – spoilers, ground flap extension and just plain forward yoke movement – and steer aggressively. Any water standing on the runway only adds to excitement, and its presence should further influence the decision to divert with strong crosswinds. Expect a lengthened rollout. Since you’ll have less headwind to slow the aircraft, you probably carried a bit of Vref-plus speed and the wheel friction doesn’t seem to be as effective. Anti-skid braking should prevent the downwind tires from sacrificing themselves when you bend in aileron and lift weight from that gear, but at the price of extra stopping space. What About the Takeoff? Most of our focus is on the crosswind landing, but don’t ignore the implications of a snorting breeze as you pound toward V1. Any temptation to reject the takeoff should be further biased in favor of flight if the crosswind is strong. Vr is to be observed, to preserve fly-away obstruction clearance, even though there’s a tendency to hold the airplane on the ground to make sure it’s ready to fly. Like padding Vref, those extra knots skew the performance predictions badly. If you choose to refer to the wind components chart, found in almost every operating handbook, take time to get familiar with its use. The angular difference between wind direction and runway heading is the key to determining your chances of success.
In general, if the wind is aligned within 30 degrees of the runway, consider that half of the wind speed is crosswind component. If it’s blowing at an angle of 60 degrees to the centerline, you may as well consider it all crosswind. As with any critical performance graphic, always go to the nextmost-pessimistic line, rather than interpolate, to give yourself a safety margin. Do not ignore the variableness in wind directions as strong gales tend to snap back and forth 30 degrees, most perniciously. LH044 In the case of Lufthansa flight LH044, it was cleared for an approach to runway 23, with the wind blowing from 290 degrees. When the gust came, the crosswind component was far beyond the A320’s demonstrated figure of 33 knots, gusting to 38. After the wingtip scrape and waveoff, an approach to runway 33 reduced the crosswind component by a third, rendering the situation manageable. Airports were once laid out with a multiplicity of spare runways to accommodate non-prevailing winds, but the price of land and pavement has forced us to operate in unsuitable wind conditions, seemingly more times than not. Safety of the flight must remain our primary concern, and that may mean a decision to divert. Don’t scrape the underside to prove your prowess.
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LH044
In a video viewed around the world, an Airbus A320 suffered a wing scrape while trying to land in gusty wind.
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SAFETY SENSE
By Michael R. Grüninger, Markus Kohler and Capt. Giancarlo Buono of Great Circle Services AG (GCS) n July 10, 2007, a Cessna 310R, operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing’s (NASCAR) corporate aviation division crashed while performing an emergency diversion to Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) after an in-flight fire. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that one probable cause of this accident was the actions and decisions made by the corporate aviation division’s management and maintenance personnel, which resulted in the release of the aircraft to fly with a known and unresolved discrepancy that likely resulted in the in-flight fire. The NTSB investigation did a splendid job in looking beyond the all too common “pilot error” or “technical malfunction” question. The investigation peeled back the organizational layers to reveal the underlying reasons that enabled, in the words of a National Board Member, “this tragic and unnecessary crash”. The NTSB stated numerous references to FAA guidance material (advisory circulars) containing information that, if considered and applied, might have prevented the accident. The investigation, however, dug deeper and asked why some of this information had not been applied. In short, although most legal requirements had been fulfilled for a Part 91 operator, NASCAR’s standards were nowhere near “industry best practices”. In addition to stating that “a for-
O
INCONGRUITY
NTSB investigators found pilotrecorded maintenance discrepancies.
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RULES AND REGULATIONS
LEARNING FROM NASCAR’S LEARNING
mal SMS [Safety Management System] program [...] likely would have prevented the accident airplane’s release to flight”, the NTSB refers to the IS-BAO program. In this Safety Sense, we’ll focus on the safety issue of establishment of safety management systems in Business Aviation and discuss how a program like IS-BAO enables corporate aviation operators to demonstrate achievement of these high standards. Some Facts and Findings The accident occurred while the pilots performed an emergency diversion to SFB. Both pilots and three people on the ground were killed. Four
people on the ground received serious injuries. The airplane and two homes were destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. NTSB investigators recovered six original (white) pages with pilot-recorded maintenance discrepancies. The entries date from March 14, 2007 to July 9, 2007. The last entry, made on the day prior to the accident date, addressed the weather radar system. The pilots had encountered a malfunction of that system and noticed a “smell of electrical components burning” and pulled the CB. The smell went away. After landing, the pilot who experienced the weather
radar system anomaly placed the binder with the white copy of the discrepancy report on the throttle quadrant and provided the yellow copy and a verbal briefing to the Director of Maintenance (DOM) and the maintenance technician who had primary responsibility for the accident airplane. The NTSB investigation found that the DOM, the chief pilot and the aviation director discussed the weather radar discrepancy write-up and that none of these individuals took actions to ensure the discrepancy was addressed before agreeing that the airplane could be flown. No one examined the aircraft to investigate the discrepancy. The aircraft was not removed from service, nor was any action taken to prevent the weather radar system from being reactivated. Even so, the crew had access to the information that there was an issue with the weather radar, through the discrepancy report on the aircraft, and by verbal information to one of the pilots. Apparently (although this could not be positively determined due to fire damage) the crew had reset the CB by habit as part of the “Before Starting Engines” checklist. Figure 1 Source: NTSB Aircraft Accident Report
From Flying Club to Aviation Department Although not required for FAR Part 91 operators, NASCAR’s corporate flight department did have Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), but they were not consistently updated or adhered to by company personnel. Furthermore, they were not readily accessible to company personnel and were not often referenced. SOPs were mostly used as a “training tool”.
The NTSB went on to state that the SOP lacked crucial specifics. They did not contain any specific information about the methods, procedures or tools to be used for scheduling or tracking airplane maintenance, and evidence indicates that maintenance information was not accessible to NASCAR aviation division personnel. The NTSB found out that NASCAR did not have a communication procedure for providing flight operations personnel (pilots and schedulers) with airplane airworthiness information. The communication on safety critical information between the director of maintenance and the director of operations was mostly based on informal exchanges instead of formalized procedures. Poor discipline in following SOPs, inadequate procedures and unclear allocation of authority and competences led to a false sense of confidence by personnel. NASCAR’s corporate flight department was operating seven corporate jets in addition to the C310 and made some efforts by going beyond the basic legal requirements (e.g. by defining SOPs), but the organization’s standards were nowhere near “industry best practices”. In the Board Member Statement attached to the NTSB Summary Report, the question is asked: “Do you want a
professionally run aviation department or do you want an expensive flying club?” What does it take to transform an organization that resembles more of the former to the latter? NASCAR’s corporate aviation division has learned its lessons and changed its approach to safety of operation. It voluntarily established an SMS program as required by ICAO Annex 6 Part 2 for corporate aviation operations (but not yet mandated by
the FARs). As the NTSB report states, such a formal SMS program “would have helped ensure that NASCAR aviation division personnel adhered in practice to their established processes and procedures and likely would have prevented the accident airplane’s release for flight without corrective maintenance or ensured the placarding and deactivation of the circuit breaker”. NASCAR’s SMS implementation involved an extensive review of and changes to their procedures, manuals, safety systems and culture. The changes were assessed and verified by determining compliance with IS-BAO. After implementation, the NASCAR aviation department successfully completed an extensive registration audit by IS-BAO SMS auditors. IS-BAO was developed by IBAC. It provides business and corporate aviation operators with a set of international standards to facilitate, standardize and promote the introduction of professional methods in ensuring safety and operational efficiency. IS-BAO is recognized by several Civil Aviation Authorities as an acceptable means to show compliance with the new safety management standard introduced by ICAO. Implementing a SMS and SOPs transforms corporate aviation organizations from an expensive flying club into a professionally run flight department. Successful completion of an ISBAO registration audit demonstrates to the competent authority, upper level management and the corporate customers that the flight department is indeed professionally run to the highest safety standards. Michael R. Grüninger is the Managing Director of Great Circle Services (GCS) Aviation Safety Advisors. 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 and other standards), consultancy, manual development and process engineering. He can be reached at michael.grueninger@gcs-safety.com or +41-79 442 44 89. His column, Safety Sense appears regularly in BART International.
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REPORT They came, they saw, they conquered. This year’s EBACE halls were far from the sparsely populated aisles of 2009 as the industry flocked to Geneva to start to do business again. Liz Moscrop reports
EBACE 2010
GREEN SHOOTS AT LAST
fter last year’s muted show, it was a welcome relief to walk around the booths at EBACE and see people deep in conversation, striking deals and making things happen. Despite the worst weather to hit Geneva for years, the packed static and busy exhibition halls welcomed some 11,106 to EBACE, up two hundred on 2009’s 10,917-attendance figures.
A
vice-president executive and private aviation Middle East, said that Airbus expects to deliver 16 corporate jets in 2010, two more than last year. These will include two A340-500s. He said that the upturn has come from China and the Middle East. There were two A319 Airbus Corporate Jets on static display, including one belonging to Acropolis Aviation, a British VIP charter company. The aircraft was completed at the Airbus Corporate Jet Centre in Toulouse and featured an interior created by French designer Alberto Pinto. Show debuts are always exciting and this year’s first-timers were Cessna’s Citation CJ4, the first newly certified Eclipse 500, the Phenom 300 and the first European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified Hawker 4000. A
SUCCESS
A filled static display and busy exhibition halls were the signs of a successful EBACE 10.
Although the mood was optimistic, the forecasters were cautious. Both Honeywell and Embraer predicted slow growth from 2011 through 2019, with Europe expected to account for just over a quarter of new demand. However, Bombardier was more bullish, saying that the European Business Aviation fleet would grow to 4,500 aircraft by 2018, an increase of 2,800 jets in just eight years. Airbus dominated headlines on day one with the announcement that it would deliver the first A350 Prestige in 2014. The manufacturer said that it had been a tough year for orders, but that emerging markets are paving the way to recovery. Francois Chazelle,
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The engine manufacturers had good news, too. Hawker Beechcraft has selected Honeywell’s TFE731-50R engine for the new Hawker 800XPR, an after-market retrofit of the Hawker 800XP, while Rolls-Royce received FAA type certification for its AE 3007A2 turbofan. Embraer has selected the new AE 3007A2 to power its Legacy 650. working model of the HondaJet also put in an appearance. Cessna’s CJ4 has now received US type certification and the first one is due for delivery this summer. The OEM says it has orders for 150 CJ4s to date. The US$9 million aircraft introduced another fresh face in the form of the Rockwell Collins Venue cabin management system, which includes BluRay DVD with high-definition monitors, moving maps and XM radio. Valencia-Spain based air taxi operator JetReady brought its Eclipse Aerospace Eclipse 500 very light jet along. The freshly-EASA certified aircraft is in the running to receive European and Spanish approval for commercial operations later this year. Embraer’s Phenom 300 also made its show debut. The light jet earned its European ticket the same week as EBACE. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation’s flagship Hawker 4000 super-midsize jet had just earned its EASA ticket. Sean McGeough, HBC’s president, for EMEA said: “The market for the Hawker 4000 in Europe, Africa and the Middle East is an expansive and important one. EASA certification bolsters the Hawker 4000’s already enthusiastic reception in the region.” Piaggio Aero has received backing from shareholders Tata and Mubadala to develop a jet. The P1XX jet is in progress and is well beyond the initial concept stage. There is no launch date set yet. Show Deals Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT) and CAE won a three-year contract with ExecuJet to provide flight training services on more than 30 aircraft types - including Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Gulfstream, and Hawker. The training will take place in ECFT in Dubai, UAE, and CAE’s centers in Burgess Hill, UK, New York and Dallas.
DEBUT
The first EASA certified Hawker 4000, the Citation CJ4, the newly certified Eclipse 500 and the Phenom 300 were EBACE first-timers.
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REPORT
CONTRACT
Peter Edwards, Jet Aviation's president (center) announced a further five-year agreement with Airbus to provide completion services for the ACJ family.
Competitor FlightSafety International was awarded FAA level D certification for the first Citation CJ4 training simulator at its Wichita Citation training facility. The company is also to provide initial flight crew training for customers of Hawker Beechcraft’s new Select Pre-Owned Program. It seems that flamboyant VistaJet founder and chairman Thomas Flohr didn’t get the memo about the recession. Two years after he marched into Geneva with a $1.2bn order announcement for Bombardier aircraft – acquiring the OEM’s Skyjet division en route - he was back at EBACE announcing a deal with the airframer’s private aviation arm Flexjet. Flohr described the Flexjet deal as “similar to the codesharing deals made between commercial airlines.” This gives VistaJet a foothold in the North American market. “With this agreement we offer a truly global service,” said Flohr. Jordan’s Arab Wings signed an order for an Embraer Legacy 650 on behalf of an undisclosed Jordanian owner. Arab Wings will manage and operate the aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2010. Luís Carlos Affonso, Embraer executive vice-president, executive jets said: “The Legacy 650 will establish a new concept for business travel, offering an extended range of 3,900nm (7,200km) with the same superior comfort of the Legacy 600, which is a very successful aircraft in the region.” Arab Wings will also add a Phenom 100 to its fleet later this year. Embraer announced that it had signed up the UK’s Inflite Engineering Services as an authorized service center for its flagship Lineage 1000 ultra long-range jet. Inflite is building a new 50,000-sq-ft hangar at its Stansted base capable of performing three Lineage 1000 heavy maintenance checks simultaneously. A local Embraer service center will be useful for one British start-up. FlairJet is blazing the trail in Europe for the Brazilian OEM’s smallest business jets. In July, the Oxford Airportbased charter company will add the region’s first Phenom 300 to its fleet of three Phenom 100 jets – the latest of which arrived in May. Bombardier also enjoyed several orders. Fly Comlux placed an order
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EBACE 2010
for a Global Express XRS featuring the new Global Vision flight deck. Stephen Laven, CEO said: “Among all our jets, the Global Express XRS aircraft is the leader in terms of customer satisfaction, so expanding our Global aircraft fleet is a natural choice.” At the smaller end of the scale Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy ordered two Cessna Citation Mustang jets. The new aircraft will be based at Istanbul Ataturk airport and used as trainers. Lufthansa Private Jet Marks Five Years of Service Lufthansa Private Jet (LPJ) celebrated its fifth birthday in style at EBACE with plenty of cake and champagne for all who cared to join the German airline’s private jet service provider at its booth. Launched in March 2005, the service has proved to be a remarkable success for the carrier. Lufthansa was the first international airline to offer customers the option of a private aircraft flying at schedules tailored to their needs. Customers are able to fly privately to more than 1,000 airports in Europe and the Russian Federation. Widebodies Drive Completions Services Forward Jet Aviation Basel signed a further five-year agreement with Airbus to provide completion services for the Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) family. The new agreement sets the foundation for the future and will result in “increased employment and jobs,” said Peter Edwards, Jet Aviation’s president. To date Jet Aviation has completed 10
projects for Airbus. Jet Aviation and Universal Aviation also expect to launch a new line maintenance operation at Paris Le Bourget supporting various aircraft types. Widebody specialist Gore Design Completions delivered a finished A340-500 to an African head-of-state this January and has three more A340s signed, one of which has already arrived at Gore’s facility in San Antonio, Texas. Comlux Aviation announced that it had spent $3.4 million to buy and overhaul the Indianapolis Jet Center. The operation will focus on Bombardier business jet maintenance and refurbishment; as well as refurbishing larger executive aircraft. Associated Air Center (AAC), meanwhile, announced that its maintenance and repair division has added more services to support Boeing Business Jet customers, including mandatory fuel tank and lower cabin altitude modifications. One of the quirkiest offerings at the show was BAE Systems Regional Aircraft and British design consultancy Design Q’s concept for the world’s first camper jets. The Avro Business Jet Explorer One and Explorer Four are the first of five interiors that BAE has commissioned Design Q to develop for the ABJ. The focal point is a unique viewing platform that powers out from the aircraft when they are on the ground. The huge cargo side door swings open hydraulically, magically revealing a concealed platform that extends out from the fuselage to become a balcony. This ‘Air Deck’ transforms the rear of the aircraft into
what BAE describes as “the ultimate living space, providing an elevated outdoor viewing deck combined with a luxurious indoor space.” EBACE also witnessed the first public outing for Cello Aviation’s ABJ. Cello’s CEO Nim Baines designed the 46 first class seat interior. He said: “This aircraft has an interior configuration unique within Europe and is targeted towards the high-end group movements market.’’ Lufthansa Technik (LHT) offered a practical VIP cabin quick-change kit for Airbus and Boeing narrowbody types. The kit allows customers to switch between a VIP and a commercial aircraft cabin configuration overnight using the existing seat tracks. LHT also announced new offerings for its nice cabin system. One such was “nicemate”, a new small, lightweight, powerful multi-tasking unit, which can host multiple applications simultaneously. Greenpoint Technologies brought a full-size mock-up of its “Aerolift,” a ground-to-main deck elevator for the VIP 747-8, to the show. Greenpoint also provides the “Aeroloft,” which may be installed at the same time as the Aerolift prior to an aircraft’s arrival at a completion center. The Aeroloft consists of sleeping berths and lounge modules located above the main deck in the aft section of the aircraft. Sloan Benson, Greenpoint’s Executive Vice President said: “This program has turned out to be a very popular option among the 747-8 VIP customers.”
Mercedes Drives New Eurocopter Interior Eurocopter brought a model of the design it has created along with German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz for its EC145 twinengine helicopter. The high-end interior attracted a great deal of attention even at a packed show. Olivier Lambert, Eurocopter’s senior vice president for sales and customer relations said: “The EC145 ‘MercedesBenz Style’ is our third major creative initiative of this type in seven years, ensuring that Eurocopter will continue as the helicopter manufacturer of choice for corporate and VIP customers.” The cabin is inspired by the automaker’s new R-Class range and new production EC145 “MercedesBenz Style” helicopters will be available from the fourth quarter of 2011. Rival AgustaWestland announced that it had appointed Le Castelletbased Sky Maintenance Services (SMS) as an authorized service center for its A109 series, the Power, Grand and GrandNew helicopters. SMS is adding a new hangar that will provide maintenance and repair services, as well as holding a spare parts inventory. Eurocopter was not the only company to take up with a car manufacturer. Jet Aviation Basel and Porsche Design Studio in Austria’s Zell am See are partnering on interior designs. Charles Celli, senior vice president completions and general manager of
Jet Aviation Basel said: “With this collaboration, the experience and highest quality standards of Jet Aviation are combined with leading edge designs from the renowned Porsche Design Studio.” Rockwell Collins Avionics Certified for CJ4 Rockwell Collins announced that its avionics systems, including its Pro Line 21 flight deck, MultiScan Hazard Detection System and Venue Cabin Management System (CMS), had been certified for the Cessna Citation CJ4 under a type certificate achieved by launch customer Cessna. Meanwhile, Honeywell received EASA certification for its satellite communications system on the Dassault Falcon 7X. Its MCS-7120 satellite communications system is an integrated system for both cabin and cockpit communications, which provides fast, reliable, global connectivity via the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband or classic satellite network. Arinc Direct has also made inroads into Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Over the past year, the company has added 100 aircraft to its customer base in Europe and the Middle East and hired four additional staff in Delhi and Singapore. So was EBACE 2010 a success? The deals and numbers speak for themselves. Despite four days of downpours, the show was no washout for those in attendance.
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EXPLORER
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft and British design consultancy Design Q unveiled the first camper jet concept, the Avro Business Jet Explorer.
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AWARD
A BUSINESS AVIATION VETERAN
ELIE ZELOUF HONORED AT EBACE Elie Zelouf, Jet Aviation Basel, has been honored for his dedication and commitment to Business Aviation. At this year’s EBACE convention in Geneva, Zelouf received the 2010 European Business Aviation Award in recognition for his outstanding contributions during his 43 years of dedicated service to Jet Aviation, and to the growth of Business Aviation in Europe. Known throughout the world in Business Aviation circles, Elie Zelouf became part of Jet Aviation when founder Carl W. Hirschmann acquired Globe Air in Basel in 1967, where Zelouf held the position of deputy technical director. In 1976, he was appointed general manager of Jet Aviation Basel. In 2001, Zelouf was asked to help establish the newly acquired London Biggin Hill operation. After that he returned to Jet Aviation Basel in 2004 where he was in charge of key customers. He retired in 2009, but has continued to serve Jet Aviation in an advisory role. For Peter G. Edwards, President of the Jet Aviation Group, “Elie Zelouf has made relentless efforts in developing Jet Aviation Basel into one of the most reputable maintenance and completions centers in the world”. For years, many industry observers were hoping to see Elie Zelouf become a recipient of the European Business Aviation Award, which honor individuals from the Business Aviation community in Europe. In 2010, this finally happened and the award was presented to him by Rodolfo Baviera, chairman of the European Business Aviation Association, during the EBACE 10th Annual Awards Reception & Banquet in Geneva, held May 4th 2010. BART Senior Editor Marc Grangier had a chance to sit down with Mr. Zelouf at the show. 74 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
BART: Could you tell us about your first contact with Business Aviation? ZELOUF: With Globe Air, I had a lot of problems keeping the company moving. We were dealing with charter planes and I had never seen a business jet. Once when I saw one I thought it was a military plane! It was a Learjet and also my first experience with Business Aviation. When I joined Jet Aviation, we had four Learjets in maintenance (from Executive Jet Aviation) and that was the whole Business Aviation fleet in Europe, but Carl Hirschmann was more attracted by large aircraft. I tried to convince him that this was not our business, but he didn’t want to listen to me. Fortunately, if I can say so, the charter companies that were our customers went bankrupt and this forced Mr. Hirschmann to realize that business jets were important. BART: With more than 5000 employees worldwide, Jet Aviation is now a leader in the Business Aviation sector. Could you describe the situation of the company 40 years ago? ZELOUF: After a lot of efforts, I managed to create a Business Jet division at Jet Aviation, with a team of 4-5 people. Finally, Hirschman admitted that it was the way to go. In 1976, he appointed me director
of Jet Aviation Basel. I could then be more independent. But this doesn’t mean that times were easy. I had many sleepless nights, wondering how the company could carry on when expected orders didn’t materialize. On the other hand, when work was at hand, there was often no time to take a break. When I was complaining, Carl Hirschmann used to tell me “Elie, go home earlier tonight, have a nice bottle of wine with your wife and tomorrow, you’ll solve all the problems.” Step by step, the company grew and the customers arrived more and more regularly. BART: How did Jet Aviation start its Completion and Retrofit activities in which the company has now acquired a reputation of excellence? ZELOUF: The first big retrofit operation concerned a Convair 880, which in 1977 marked the beginning of the VIP conversions of airliners. Hirschmann bought that plane in Miami and we had it retrofitted with a VIP interior, including a bedroom and a shower. Hirschmann’s idea was to exhibit it at the Paris Air Show three months later. There was a big panic in the hangar, but we
I told Hirshmann that the hangar would cost 5 to 5.5 millions CHF. “If you need it, build it.” He said.
made it. The Convair 880 was sold and was followed by a Boeing 707 and later by four Boeing 727s. Quickly, Jet Aviation became known as a leading completion center, and after that completed many other aircraft, including DC10s and Boeing 747s. It was hard because we had to learn and do the job at the same time, all in an unreasonably short period of time. In 1969, we also decided to get involved with the Dassault Falcons. I went to see Marcel Dassault, then organized the training and provided the equipment. The first aircraft, which belonged to the government of Oman – serial number 3 – came for a 150-hour inspection. Works lasted for five weeks, and the aircraft was delivered on time. This probably helped us to later become one of Dassault’s main official completion centers.
who wanted to bring us a Boeing 747 for retrofit. Unfortunately, we had no hangar big enough. So I called Carl Hirschmann and told him that I needed a hangar. His reply was: How much will it cost? I had made calculations and I told him that 5 to 5.5 millions Swiss francs would do. He said: “If you need it, build it.” That took only seconds. It was in February and in March the works started and the hangar was operational on September 1st. The customer changed his mind, but nevertheless the hangar was useful as Jet Aviation could refurbish an Ilyushin aircraft for Boris Yeltsin, and many more other aircraft after that. I have taken many risks during my career but these were calculated risks. This brings success.
ZELOUF: Business Aviation maintenance has now become a big industry, unfortunately less personal. There are advantages, but also disadvantages. Decisions cannot be made as quickly as before. Imagine that in 1994, I found a customer
In presenting the award, Baviera described Zelouf to the audience as “a man of action, who knows firsthand what clients expect. He always believed in the future of Business Aviation, even in difficult times.” In his speech, Baviera further acknowledged Zelouf’s commitment to aviation, which has spanned over four decades, stating, “This award honors Elie Zelouf’s relentless drive, unwavering support and dedication to the Business Aviation community.”
Have a nice bottle of wine with your wife and tomorrow you will solve all the problems!
I have taken many risks during my career but these were calculated risks. This brings success.
BART: Do you see a lot of difference in the conduct of business nowadays?
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PROFILE
INDUSTRY DIVERSITY
VIGNETTES FROM GENEVA Attending a major trade shows like EBACE or NBAA, one thing becomes immediately clear: Business Aviation is a very diverse industry indeed. Although the OEMs tend to steal the headlines, there are thousands of companies supporting the industry in one way or another. BART Managing Editor Nick Klenske profiles three of them.
TRADITION
The Eurofly story opens 40 years ago with the Baviera family
Bizjets/Eurofly The Bizjet Group, with its main facilities in Geneva, specializes in selling preowned Falcon executive jets. Under its umbrella is Turin/Milan-based Eurofly, which operates a fleet of executive jets for charter, including, Falcon 50s, Falcon 2000s and a 900EX. Further, the company is a Dassault-approved Falcon Service Station. In February the company was proud to welcome their new Falcon 7X, which flew an impressive 80 hours in the first month, and in May a Falcon 2000LX will be replacing one of the company’s Falcon 2000s. September will bring in a second 7X. Alessandro Baviera, Vice President, Eurofly Service S.p.A., sums up the difference as: “Bizjet focuses on aircraft sales and acquisitions, Eurofly manages aircraft.” It should also be noted that Bizjet, who recently celebrated 25 years in Geneva, is now also focusing on an increasing demand for supervision on all aspects of aircraft management. The Eurofly story opens 40 years ago with the Baviera family. “Our tradition has allowed us to develop into a solid Business Aviation company that offers the highest quality of safety and service standards,” says Baviera. “Over the years Eurofly has taken over other businesses in the sector and, together with our combined professionalism and experience, have achieved more than 120,000 flight hours.” The Bizjets/Eurofly merger occurred in 1993. Today, Eurofly has 15 aircraft, including Falcons, a Beechjet and a Piaggio, along with handling the maintenance of Falcons and the Piaggio aircraft – a
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key component to the company’s continued success. Needless to say, 2009 was a difficult year for Eurofly, but, as Baviera says, “the company remained strong because not only do we do charter, but also maintenance – and 90 percent of our maintenance work is sheltered from the market. Along with this business model, being a Business Aviation company in Italy also provides some unique advantages. “Italy is a conservative country, which serves as a strength in a time of crisis,” says Baviera. “We don’t see cancellations because Italians are very prudent. When they say they’re going to make an investment they can really do it.” In the current market the company’s main focus in on entry and mid-range jets, “but we see a growing demand for all segments,” notes Baviera. “Right now our focus is on this sector and in the European market, but as I said, as the economy recovers we’ll be looking for new opportunities, including in the Asian region.” For shorter flights, Bizjet operates a fleet of helicopters, which offers customers flight time reduction and the ability to get to short-haul locations not reachable by plane.
Powerplan Offering a customized, European, flexible and independent pay-by-hour program that provides budget stability for upcoming aircraft maintenance events, Powerplan has latched on to an idea that has proven popular. “Powerplan shelters the operator or owner from the burden of paying the peaks of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance by covering these costs on a customized basis,” says Thomas Frank, Head of Global Sales. “Further, Powerplan can be tailored to the individual situation and needs of each customer, meaning our clients can choose from a list of options and tailor themselves the complete, worry-free maintenance.” It was the company’s first time at EBACE, where Frank said they were busy making contacts with operators from all over Europe. “With our European focus, we are expecting a surge following the show.” A surge during a recession? Wishful thinking you might say, but no so in the case of Powerplan. “Whether they fly or not, aircraft always require maintenance,” notes Frank. “Customers have a need for pay-per-hour, particularly high-net worth individuals with
operations from managing companies.” The company mainly focuses on operators and flight departments from all over Europe, although they are expanding into North Africa and the Middle East. “To do this, we need to increase our brand, and there’s no better way than the face-to-face contact you get at such shows as EBACE, JetExpo Moscow and MEBA.” Speaking to the strength of the company, Frank says: “During the past eight years we have acquired commensurate know-how by distributing another pay-by-hour program. Our team knows exactly the clients’ needs, the market and our competitors. Having that in mind, we combined our experience, knowledge and, above all, our customers’ inputs and overworked Powerplan. We now offer a unique program.” The program competes through a comprehensive list of covered items – in addition, various extra items can be added to meet the customer’s individual needs. “Our claim states pretty well what sets us apart from our competitors: Flexible, customized, independent and European are the cornerstones of our
program. You can start the program at any time, and upon aircraft sale, transfer it easily to a replacement aircraft. As we have offices in Luxembourg and Austria, we are familiar with European regulations and business. Our team consists of experienced technicians and research analysts, customer care specialists and a dynamic sales force.” CRS Jet Spares Although they hail from sunny Fort Lauderdale Florida, the talk of CRS Jet Spares at EBACE was all about Europe. As nine-time participants, they’re familiar with the ropes but still appreciate the energy of the show. “The thing about EBACE is it has a high-energy level that allows you to hold quality meetings and discussions with customers,” says Jack Caloras, Vice President of Sales and Operations. But CRS doesn’t just talk Europe, they “walk the walk” too. At the show they announced the recent placement of a parts inventory in Europe. According to Caloras, “We’ve been hearing very positive feedback on this, which is expected because the move was made to maintain and grow with the local need over here.”
“When we go to shows like EBACE, we have the chance to ask customers what they need,” continues Caloras. “The OEMS would regularly come looking for help. This decision is in part a result of those conversations.” The result is that CRS can distribute necessary parts within the Business Aviation community, making it easier to get the parts when and where they are needed. The inventory is strategically placed at a logistic center in the UK. This additional site will have Gulfstream, Lear, Challenger, Falcon and Hawker inventory to better support the needs of the European Business Aviation community. The company will extend its 24 hour, seven days a week AOG support to its international customers as well. Will this regional focus continue? “We are looking at adding additional regional inventories,” comments Caloras. “But this is a process. For example, we are familiar with the Brazilian market, so we will go to LABACE to start those conversations. And of course we continue to keep an eye on the Middle East, Asia and Africa.”
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FACTS
Whether they fly or not, aircraft always require maintenance (Powerplan left). To meet growing local needs, CRS has consigned a parts inventory in Europe, strategically placed in the UK (right).
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PREVIEW
JET EXPO MOSCOW strengthening the cooperation between the Russian market and the international Business Aviation community by facilitating knowledge sharing, creating a favorable business climate, attracting foreign investment and promoting the many innovations and developments occurring within the Russian market. Jet Expo is supported by the Russian United Business Aviation Association (RUBAA), who is an official business partner. RUBAA was founded with the goal of tackling the most urgent issues facing the Russian Business Aviation sector. In furtherance of this goal, this year RUBAA will become more heavily involved in the organization of Jet Expo – in similar fashion as EBAA and EBACE and NBAA and its Annual Convention and Exhibition. The show will also include a static display at Vnukovo-3. At press time, 17 jets were confirmed for showing. In 2009, the exhibition welcomed over 100 companies and in excess of 5000 visitors. As the market emerges from the economic crisis, Jet Expo looks to expand on its past success.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS JET EXPO MOSCOW SEPTEMBER 15 – 17 By Nick Klenske he 5th annual edition of Jet Expo Moscow – the premiere Russian Business Aviation Exhibition – is set to take place September 15 – 17 at the city’s Expo Crocus. As usual, the show expects to expand on its rapidly growing reputation as being the place for fleet operators, OEMs, charter brokers, designers, interior specialists, airports, fuel service centers, catering and all other BizAv related companies to converge on this important emerging market. Jet Expo 2010 offers all exhibitors and attendees a unique opportunity to network across the exciting Russian Business Aviation sector. But the show also serves the larger purpose of
T POSITIVE
General Director Jet Expo International, Alexander Evdokimov, is looking at options for taking the show to the next level.
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Stepping Up to the Challenge Speaking with show organizer Alexander Evdokimov at the BART booth at EBACE, he noted that despite the challenging economic conditions – and particularly the Russian market – he remained optimistic as the number of exhibitors continued to swell. In fact they are so confident in the future of the show, they are already looking at options for taking the show to the next
level. One possibility is eventually moving the event to Vnukovo-3 and using a hangar at the airport. To many, and BART included, this would be a welcomed move, giving the show an EBACE-like convenience of having the exhibition and static within walking distance of each other (as opposed to a hour plus Moscow traffic jam apart). “Needless to say, companies are still operating on survival mode – which means cutting expenditures,” says Evdokimov. “In the current crisis, we don’t really know what this means for our industry – and the Russian market. That’s why we have high expectations for Jet Expo. It will allow our industry to get together and get to the information and the reality of the situation and be better able to plan for the future.” Speaking of the Russian market, some see Jet Expo is the premier international event for the Russia and CIS region. “Jet Expo is an international show, but in reality it has always represented more of a cobweb of interests particular to the central Russian market, which is what attracts the international industry here,” continues Evdokimov. “It’s no secret that Russian Business Aviation is centralized on Moscow, which is why the show has a specific geographical preference for Russian services.” “Russia is a big country, but anyone who attends Jet Expo gets a comprehensive picture of this spacious but geographically narrow market. The Russian market is unique, you just can’t get away from it.” So what does the future behold for Business Aviation in Russia? We’ll just have to wait until September to see. “The number of OEMs at this year’s show will give us a better picture both of the Russian market and of the future direction of the industry.” The Roster – So Far! If the roster has anything to say, the industry is confident in the Russian market! Already companies have been announcing their intent to participate in the autumn show – a good sign for show organizers! Emirates-CAE Flight Training officially announced their participation, demonstrating the global reach of the Russian industry and a potential increase in demand for Business Aviation pilots.
FlightSafety International, who has attended every Jet Expo event so far, looks forward to gaining again face time with their regional customers. As Anthony van de Geest, assistant manager at FlightSafety Farnborough Center was quick to point out, “one of the best ways to market to this part of the word is to come to these events, be visible and meet the industry face-toface.” On the OEM side, Hawker Beechcraft recently confirmed their plans to land in Moscow, carefully eyeing the economic recovery in this rapidly evolving market. As always, Gulfstream will have a strong presence, and Dassault reports to be bringing the 2000LX and 7X to the static. Cessna will be present through Jetalliance, their authorized sales representative in the region. According to Michael Holy of Jetalliance, recently Russia has enjoyed a 14 percent increase in flights, giving the company all the more reason to be excited about their new “Jetalliance East” joint venture with Russia’s Aeroflot. With the hopes of soon completing a 49 percent acquisition of the Russian Airline’s Business Aviation subsidiary Aeroflot Plus, Jetalliance will become the first Western-based company to operate within the heart of the Russian market. Another perennial, Bombardier, is also set to once again make a stop in Moscow. According to Christophe Degoumois, Chief Sales Officer Bombardier Business Aircraft in the Russian Federation and CIS countries: “Jet Expo is the only show in Russia that is exclusive to business aircraft. When we talk about what we hope to achieve in a show like Jet Expo, the ultimate goal is sales. However, ours is an industry of relationships and events like Jet Expo give us the opportunity to show existing and potential customers
our aircraft, spend additional time with them to strengthen and renew relationships as well as develop new relationships.” Embraer has confirmed their participation with a Legacy 600 and probably a Lineage at the static display, but at the time of writing, the Brazilian manufacturer has not yet secured booth space in the exhibit hall. For Daher-Socata, once again the focus will be on the TBM 850 – a favorite at the show. The company used Jet Expo 2009 to introduce the very fast turboprop to the Russian market. Pilatus will also put on show its PC-12 NG at the static. Whether for its large cabin, single pilot operations or for its low operating cost, the Swiss single turboprop has found popularity in a number of roles, making it particularly suitable for the Russian market. And of course the FBOs, helicopters and related service companies will occupy the floor at Crocus Expo, including: VistaJet, AgustaWestland, TAG Farnborough, JetEx Flight Support and Capital Jets. For VistaJet, Russia remains an essential market. “The Russian market remains of very strategic importance to us,” says Thomas Flohr, chairman and founder of VistaJet. “We find that the Russian client appreciates our unique combination of luxury and value – which is exactly what our business model is built around.” According to Vadim Giner, President of the Capital Group of companies, “Jet Expo has become the most representative and professional forum for the Russian Business Aviation industry in general, and our company in particular.” Capital Jets has actively participated in the exhibition for the last three years. “We are sure that for many companies, Jet Expo 2010 will be a key to success and will give us an impulse for further business development.” Another regular, Jet Aviation, plans to have a booth on the floor. Speaking with CEO Peter Edwards, he noted that Russia remains a key market for the ABJ. “Although Russia was hit harder than the Middle East, which is another key market player, this level of large body aircraft did not see a very significant hit,” said Edwards. “More so, all signs are showing that the Russian market is back.”
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RUBAA
Leonid Koshelev, President Russian United Business Aviation Association, has promised the full support of the Association.
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INSIGHT
MASON HOLLAND
ECLIPSE RELOADED His dream was simply to fly a jet someday. But when it seemed to be dashed following the bankruptcy of Eclipse Aviation, he fought back to make his dream come true. But never in his wildest imagination did he dream he'd end up bidding for - and winning - Eclipse and forming a new company: Eclipse Aerospace. Best of all, against all odds, it looks like he's winning. And not only for himself, but for over 200 Eclipse owners who were formally - as Holland puts it - 'orphaned'. Interview by Jack Carroll BART: Our readers know bits and pieces of Eclipse’s rise to the Collier Trophy and then falling suddenly and dramatically to the depths of failure. I’d like to hear the story from an insider’s perspective. HOLLAND: In July of 2008, I became a deposit holder waiting to get my EA500 Jet. I had paid in about one million dollars in a deposit for an Eclipse plane promised for an October 2008 delivery. Shortly after that, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — there was obviously something very wrong — and the end result was I never got the plane. The only option for me was to go after the company and seek whatever legal recourse I could, so I spearheaded a litigation effort on behalf of other Eclipse owners and depositors who were left high and dry. Through that litigation effort, I started looking closely at the very essence of the company and its background. I realized the company had a phenomenal product, a real ‘game changer’ in the industry. In fact, it was the first (and is still the only) Very Light Jet ever produced with two jet engines. 80 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
I quickly saw that compared to any jet out there, the operating economics of the EA500 are outstanding – it is substantially less expensive that any jet with comparable performance. I confirmed that it is a great product by going on the road with a fellow customer at the time, Mike Press. We flew around the country, visiting 27 cities in 15 days, meeting with Eclipse owners and pilots. After sitting down face-to-face with more than 300 people, we could not find one person who didn’t love the aircraft, as well as the overall experience of owning an Eclipse. BART: What did you do next? HOLLAND: With our research, we found out that there were some people who didn’t like the company at all. A closer look found that it was terribly mismanaged financially and continually broke promises. Armed with the information that the EA500 was a fantastic product that really needed to survive, and that most of owners, depositors and pilots really loved the plane, we decided to embark on an effort to raise some capital, buy the company and bring it back to life.
BART: What did you find out about the company and what prompted you to put in a formal bid despite the fact that larger companies were bidding? HOLLAND: We established the new company Eclipse Aerospace, Inc., and acquired the assets of the old company on September 4, 2009. Since then we have restored service and the parts distribution system. We’re completing upgrades to the planes, making modifications to bring them up-to-date and make them fully functional as they were originally designed. The upgrades include a Garmin 400 GPS system and coupled autopilot, as well as flight into known icing capabilities. We’ve also added XM color radar, electronic moving maps and Jeppesen e-charts in the plane. In short, we are very proud that we’ve successfully completed the
planes for our fellow Eclipse aircraft owners. We’ve also delivered the first Eclipse Jet in EASA configuration on our watch, and we’re really excited about that effort. BART: You recently introduced what you’ve dubbed the “Total Eclipse” program. Please elaborate a bit about its features and advantages. HOLLAND: Our latest is a program we’ve brought to market that we’ve branded as our “Total Eclipse” aircraft. This is a totally refurbished aircraft that has all the bells and whistles on it.
People can fly anywhere in the world and know their Total Eclipse is fully covered by a factory warranty. With this program, we’ve brought back tier one customer service that our customers expect. New customers with Eclipse are not interested in purchasing partially complete planes and have them take months for upgrades. Our Total Eclipse program allows customers to buy a jet today and fly it today – no waiting, pure utility right away. BART: Did you ever think you’d be running an aircraft manufacturer? HOLLAND: I never thought about building an aircraft in my life. In fact, about eleven years ago I never even thought about flying an aircraft.
Initially, I had a Cessna 182 and then one of the early Cirrus SR-22 aircraft. I was one of the first owners of a Cirrus. I grew up flying with that aircraft, logging a couple of thousand hours and really enjoying it. But then what I really wanted to do was fly a jet, I wanted to fly over the weather and faster! That became my dream and my passion. I can tell you, I was pretty ticked off that I might not realize that dream of flying a twin-engine jet. And the possibility of losing such a large deposit just because I believed in someone and what they told me only to learn it sim-
I really don’t think they have quite as much to offer as the Eclipse 500 Jet. Our competition is in two areas: First, the single engine jets that might be coming to the market from, say, 2012 to 2014. Those will all be at a price point that’s pretty similar to our twin-engine Eclipse. So I’m thinking a lot of people will be a lot more comfortable with a second-engine, especially with Eclipse having nearly center-line thrust, making it a very safe plane to fly as a single pilot. And second, we can get well above the weather, which these other planes are going to have quite a chal-
ply turned out to be untrue. So no, I never in my life thought I’d be running an aviation company.
lenge to do as they’ll be certified at lower altitudes than the Eclipse. At 27,000 feet for example, which is the certification limit for the most planned single-engine jets, you’re going to be right in the middle of the weather and you’re going to be burning more fuel with that single engine that the two of ours combined. It’s purely physics. When a jet engine is operated at lower altitudes it does not burn fuel as efficiently.
BART: Let’s talk about competition, where does Eclipse position itself? HOLLAND: Any of the single engine Personal Jets that come to market will be healthy competition for us. It simply validates the market of small jets for economical, owner-flown, point-to-point travel. The twin-engine VLJ is not only economical and practical for an owneroperator to fly, it also fills a great void in the lower-cost, short distance (less than 1,00NM) jet charter market. For virtually the same operating cost, the twin-engine jet will get you above the weather and to your destination faster than any of the not yet certified Personal Jets. And, of course, you can buy and fly and Eclipse today! In addition, I think the single-engine jets coming along – such as Cirrus‘ Vision Jet, the Piper Jet and Diamond’s D-Jet – are really not going to be the type of plane you’d want to use for a charter/management organization or an air taxi operation, if that concept every gets off the ground.
BART: So now that you have momentum, what’s the next step? HOLLAND: We are moving forward towards reintroducing full production of the Eclipse and bringing it back into the marketplace. That’s the last step in the recovery process and our ultimate goal with this aircraft. BART: All the best to you and your team. It seems you’re on the right track and we’re all glad that you’ve finally realized your dream and flying the pants off your Eclipse 500!
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BART ENCOUNTER / JIMMY JACK A candid conversation with a passionate businessman
awker Beechcraft decided to kick off EBACE 10 by celebrating their accomplishment in terms of sales in Europe and Africa. It was an occasion for HBC Chairman Bill Boisture and President for Europe, Africa and Middle East Sean McGeough to congratulate six customers during a ceremony on the Geneva apron. Jimmy Jack, a Scottish self-made businessman who had just taken delivery of a factory-new Beechcraft King Air B200GT in January, was among them. Strolling along the exhibition after the ceremony in company of his pilot friend Andy Thomson, Jimmy stopped by the BART booth where we had the opportunity to exchange a few words with him about his new acquisition. The aviation enthusiast -who qualified in 1970 - told us about his passion for flying and his first Beechcraft flying experiences, taking delivery and flying a Beechcraft Sierra on behalf of a friend in 1973. As a successful entrepreneur, Jimmy Jack quickly realized the advantages he could gain by utilizing an aircraft to keep an eye on his transport business that is split into several locations around the North Sea. After acquiring a Beechcraft Bonanza A36 in 1977, he decided he needed something more appropriate for his activities, which involved regularly flying over water towards Norway and Sweden. A de-iced twin was an essential characteristic for the new acquisition and the airplane selected for the mission was a Beech Baron B55. “I still keep it in the stable and I continue to fly it for short
H
82 - BART: JULY - AUGUST - 2010
trips.” Said Jimmy: “They make good airplanes at Beechcraft. The quality of the construction, the controls and the reliability make them honest airplanes. In my opinion they are Number 1 in the world,” he added. After carrying out a very successful business in transport, in 2000 Jimmy Jack embarked with his wife on a new venture: The Carron Rod & Case Company, which produces custom-made salmon rods, Carron Jetstream Trout and Spey fly lines and leather sporting accessories. “Our award winning fishing rods now have a world wide reputation,” he proudly said. In October 2009 he decided to buy his dream aircraft. “After looking around at turbine aircraft and having a demonstration of all the King Air models, I opted for the B200GT.” The brand new aircraft registered M-JACK is the first B200GT certified/equipped with the Raisbeck EPIC PLATINUM package, which includes every Raisbeck product available for this model.
When asked about the reason why he added the Raisbeck package to an aircraft that he already considered being the best in its category, Jimmy replied without hesitation, “First of all for my business, without the 17 cubic feet Crown Wing Lockers, I could not carry my fishing rods, passengers and their baggage on board!” After thinking for a minute, he added, “The addition of performance systems to a good product enables it to outperform the standard King Air in such areas as takeoff distance, climb, speed and range. This is very important when you operate your aircraft from remote mountainous regions of Northern Scotland.” Enthusiastic about his new acquisition, Jimmy was also exited by the whole experience of buying a new airplane saying, “The people at Hawker Beechcraft Wichita and especially in the UK have been extremely helpful and I met many wonderful people. And it’s always great to deal with Raisbeck.” He concluded, “I was also really impressed by the tremendous standard of training on the King Air and the Proline 21 offered by Flight Safety in Wichita.” We had some regret seeing Jimmy Jack and his pilot-friend leaving our booth at EBACE. It is so rare to find a down to earth, self-made businessmen for a candid conversation about their aircraft and the way they use it for business – and enjoy it!
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Photo: Chris Batty
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