Bart International 144

144

144 May - June 2013 Our 25th year

MAX SPEED: MACH 0.85 MAX RANGE: 6,667 KM MAX ALTITUDE: 13,716 M Large-Cabin | Mid-Range

BI-MONTHLY / May - June 2013 / POSTING OFFICE BE 1380 LASNE

PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE IN EUROPE

The Opening of a New Chapter Business Turboprops Swiss Army Knives of Our Industry Business Aviation Engines Reaching for Higher Thrust Special Feature A Blackhawk in Africa Page 70

T HE TOTAL PACKAGE

Delivering superiority in all aspects of a super mid-size aircraft, the Gulfstream G280™ gives you outstanding performance, comfort and advanced technology. Add to that

S W I N ERVI C E NO

its exceptional fuel efficiency, low operating costs, and Gulfstream’s award-winning worldwide product support network and it’s clear that the G280 is everything you want

Page 100

in a new aircraft. And more.

To contact a Gulfstream sales representative in your area, visit GULFSTREAM.com/contacts.

Range shown is based on NBAA IFR theoretical range at Mach 0.80 with four passengers. Actual range will be affected by ATC routing, operating speed, weather, outfitting options and other factors.

GULFSTREAMG280.com

EBACE 2013 Around the Exhibition

page 64

Falcon 900BTransformed

A newly architected flight deck for your Falcon Your Falcon 900B is an incredible aircraft, transform it to fly everywhere with the new Falcon 900B flight deck modernization program from Universal Avionics. Offering advanced capabilities like SBAS LPV/APV and FANS 1/A+, this upgrade program is constructed to ensure your Falcon is approved to fly free in all airspace, and gain compliance with emerging mandates.

• Hi-res LED backlit LCD displays with Electronic Engine Indication and data recording • Dual SBAS LPV/APV FMSs • Electronic charts, graphical weather, video and checklists • Vision-1® Synthetic Vision on both pilot and copilot side • FANS-capable UniLink® UL-800 datalink system • Optional Radio Control Units for consolidated radio control Transform Your Falcon. Inquire with a sales representative today or visit us at EBACE Booth 1439. www.uasc.com sales@uasc.com (800) 321-5253 (520) 295-2300

T H E

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IN GR ED IE NTS: EX PE RI E NC E T H E

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RELIABILIT Y E S S E N C E

OF

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LOWER G R E AT

P E R F E C T

FUEL

COSTS

E N G I N E, V IS I T

GR EENER U S

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E N G I N E

EM ISSIONS

E BACE

BOOT H

1 2 4 7

MAY - JUNE - 2013 Volume XVI - No 2 BART No 144 WWW.BARTINTL.COM

CONTENTS 32

86

IT S THAT TIME AGAIN BART previews the main OEMs at EBACE, Europe s premier Business Aviation exhibition.

OEM PRODUCT SUPPORT Manufacturers that are ramping up product support like never before. Bernard Fitzsimons gives the lowdown.

56

90

WHO TO VISIT AT EBACE And it s not just about manufacturers; you ll find training, interiors, avionics, engines and much more at EBACE.

THE DOCKET Nick Klenske investigates Europe s benefits as a manufacturing destination.

78 HELI-EXPO REPORT The global helicopter market was revving up at Heli-Expo. Rick Adams reports.

82 BUSINESS AIRPORT WORLD EXPO This year saw BAWE back where it belongs at Farnborough. Paul Walsh reports.

94 FROM THE COCKPIT LeRoy Cook outlines the three priorities of a successful flight: safety, comfort and speed.

100 SPECIAL FEATURE In an exclusive report, Marc C. Ross tells of his experiences operating a Blackhawk converted Cessna Caravan in Africa.

Member

OUR ADVERTISERS AND THEIR AGENCIES 9 81 45 85 7 19 13 17 67 75 29 11 12 63 43 104 25

AIR SERVICE BASEL GmbH AMSTAT ARINC Avinode Blackhawk Modifications, Inc. CAE Dassault Falcon (PUCK L AGENCE) Duncan Aviation SECA / Vector Aerospace EBACE 2014 Euro Jet Intercontinental FlightSafety (GRETEMAN GROUP) FlightSafety (GRETEMAN GROUP) Garmin Gore Design Completions, Ltd. Gulfstream Aerospace Honda Aircraft Company

21 22 23 93 47 79 27 37 49 73 15

Jet Aviation FBO Geneva Jet Aviation MRO Geneva Jet Aviation MRO Basel Jet Expo 2013 JetNet LLC Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) Lou Martin & Assoc. Inc. Lufthansa Technik (MEC GmbH) NBAA 2013 Pilatus Aircraft Pratt & Whitney Canada (Sullivan Higdon & Sink) 35 Rockwell Collins 2-3 Snecma, Groupe Safran 39 TAG Farnborough Airport 103 Universal Avionics 33 Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.

Editor and Publisher Fernand M. Francois Senior Editor Marc Grangier Managing Editor Paul Walsh Editor-at-Large Nicholas J. Klenske Senior Writers Liz Moscrop, Jack Carroll Contributors Brian Humphries, Fabio Gamba, Michel R. Grüninger, Capt. Giancarlo Buono, Markus Kohler, Aoife O'Sullivan, Giulia Mauri, LeRoy Cook, Louis Smyth, Derek A. Bloom, Steve Nichols, Eugene Gordon 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 Carolyn Berteau cberteau@bartintl.com Production Manager Tanguy Francois Photographer: Michel Coryn, Pascal Strube 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. Bimestreil. 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

PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE IN EUROPE

SECTIONS 6 EDITORIAL 8 READING YOU FIVE

VERSATILE For a variety of operations multi-purpose helicopters are given royal approval.

9 FAST TRACK

OUR COVER

26 EUROPEAN UPDATE

At EBACE 2013 Pilatus opens a new chapter in their distinguished history.

28 BUSINESS NEWS

From the Editor

Chins Up Europe!

JUDGING FROM THE DETAILED State of the Industry as presented at Eurocontrol Headquarters during last month s EBAA Annual General Meeting, one could be forgiven for seeing the Four Horseman riding into our sector s future. Over-Capacity, Rising ATM Fees, Heavy Operating Costs and Declining Traffic are all galloping on the horizon. Meanwhile, some of these Doubting Thomases will be in Geneva next month, together with thousands of other believers, for the 13th edition of EBACE. Without checking with Pope Francis, there should be more than 12,000 souls involved in this year s annual pilgrimage of the aviation faithful.

As an introduction, let s start by dispelling the panic.

There are many good and undeniable reasons that Business Aviation will continue to grow here on the Continent. For proof, look no further than the many historic contracts being signed at shows around the world. For example, in November 2012 Bombardier concluded its largest business jet deal ever with a $7.8 billion order from the Swiss charter operator VistaJet for up to 142 Global aircraft. The deal eclipsed the Canadian manufacturer s previous record sale of $7.3 billion worth of Challenger planes to NetJets last June. These numbers take on real significance when you consider that 142 aircraft represent more than two years of production not to mention that every airplane added to the fleet creates two or three new jobs for pilots and mechanics.

Further, for the last several years all airlines have been struggling, trying to stay alive, cutting service and using flimsy excuses to terminate destinations. For example, just before leaving Brussels, American Airways had already bottled up their Brussels to Chicago destination. For someone travelling for business from the capital of Europe to Phoenix, Arizona, the only solution proposed by American Airlines was a 17 hour trip

meandering from Brussels to New York to Los Angeles to Phoenix! Needless to say, routes like this create a void that only Business Aviation can fill.

Another reason for having faith in the future of Business Aviation is the growth of companies who are currently operating aircraft. Just as an example, Volkswagen, who happens to be an EBAA Member, has seen their vehicle sales jump 11.8% last year, from 8,365 units in 2011 to 9,344 in 2,012. This represents a sales revenue increase of 20.9% and an after tax profit of + 34.7%. In other words, if the users are healthy, our sector only stands to benefit.

In summary, the Business Aviation sector looks set to continue down its road of growth and prosperity, but by no means does this mean the path is without pitfalls. Starting with a glance at the daily press, it seems all reporters are looking for the Big Story that will make their publication famous. The result is headlines regularly mixing up Business Aviation with the luxury lifestyle.

Another factor slowing down the steady growth of Business Aviation in Europe is the plethora of restrictive regulations being cooked up as fast as the Eurocrats can shuffle papers. Most of it has to do with noise abatement, polluting the atmosphere and airport access. Let a jet emit a little trail on takeoff and the authorities want to shut down the airport!

So I leave you with a simple call to action. There is only one way in which we can all participate and fight the tubular vision of bureaucrats, and that is for everyone in our community to join and support our associations. The NBAA and EBAA are hard-working, dedicated groups and they deserve our support and recognition for their invaluable services.

Can you really be there for your customer if you are not really there Warren Buffet Business Aviation Facts

Following an unfortunate slip-up that occurred within the Fleet Report published in our issue 143, we have received many queries about the European chart on page 38 in which five countries were omitted. In order to provide our readers with correct information, we have immediately prepared an amended table and made the corrections on the digital version of the magazine.

You will find here under some of the many letters received in our editorial department.

WHAT HAPPENED TO FRANCE? Compared to the US, the European fleet is smaller than I thought. And what happened to France in the figures for Europe in BART issue 143?

Kurt Lyall Co-founder RocketRoute Flight Planning Guildford Surrey United Kingdom MISSING IRELAND Congratulations and all the best for the next 25 years, we are proud of you and wish you all success!!! In your Fleet report 2012, we saw that Ireland is missing, is this right or maybe they have no more aircraft registered in the country?

Oliver Lattman CEO VLCC Riedt, Switzerland GONE ASTRAY In your current edition of BART (Feb-Apr 2013), within the 2012 fleet report on page 38, under EUROPE, the following countries are missing: Croatia, France, Ireland, Netherlands and Luxemburg. Your fleet data is a great tool for a quick review about fleet development in Europe. Can you provide the fleet data for these countries by email?

Robert Fredl, Dipl.Ing. Field Support Manager Honeywell Aerospace Germany 8 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

INTELLIGENCE

EUROPE Country Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Isle of Man Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russian Federation San Marino Scotland Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Total

Total 255 2 101 3 26 9 15 67 95 14 49 420 691 4 55 10 7 24 63 235 10 3 5 91 2 32 1 1 5 82 45 38 165 19 162 4 1 25 20 16 179 87 304 43 588 4073

ISLE OF MAN Many thanks for the latest edition of BART International and the interesting feature on fleets. I believe the analysis significantly understates the size of the Manx fleet which, by my rough reckoning, currently stands at more than 400 aircraft. Details can be found from the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry’s web site.

Mark Byrn Director, The ICM Group Isles of Man, British Isles

Executive* 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 9 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 5 1 13 49

Jet 228 2 58 3 19 5 11 41 68 10 31 227 456 4 32 7 0 14 46 156 8 1 5 52 2 29 1 1 5 48 15 18 161 13 127 2 0 20 16 15 128 52 202 35 400 2774

Turb.

26 0 43 0 6 4 4 26 27 4 18 189 226 0 22 3 7 10 16 78 2 2 0 38 0 3 0 0 0 33 30 20 4 5 31 2 1 5 4 1 46 35 97 7 175 1250

OVERLOOK We read with interest the 2012 fleet report in Bart issue FEB-APR 2013. However the Table of EUROPE does no list aircraft from France. I suppose this is an overlook.

Could you please inform us about the total amount of jets and turboprops registered in France.

Michel REJONY Vice President clubairways Paris, France

Thank you for sending your magazine. I am interested of getting a copy of your 2012 Fleet Report particularly for countries in the Middle East (Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Yemen) with all the complete details (by aircraft model, operator, status, owner, etc.) This is for our own inhouse fleet count/analysis.

Rene Sellado Boeing Business Jets Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia LOST IN THE TABLE Just reading the 2012 Fleet Report and it appears that your neighbors (France) got lost in the Table thus Europe appeared with a big decline in aircraft count compared to 2013. Not sure if this was intended, the 420 French aircraft are mentioned on page 40 but apparently never made it into the Table.

Maybe I overlooked something?

Wolfram Pinhammer Sales and Marketing Manager EU, MEA Rockwell Collins Berlin, Germany FROM OUR FRIEND Knowing that the French can be very sensitive about most things, I thought you should know that their country is missing from the Table on page 38.

Love the magazine and the nice people connected with it.

Congratulations on your quarter century.

Sean O’Farrell Editor, World Aircraft Sales Magazine United Kingdom THE MISSING COUNTRIES WERE: Croatia: 9 France: 420 Ireland: 24 The Netherlands: 82 and Luxemburg: 91 Please accept our apologies for this unfortunate omission.

The Editor

AGENDA EBACE 2013 May 21–23 Geneva, Switzerland PARIS AIR SHOW June 17-23 Le Bourget, France LABACE 2013 August 14-16 Sao Paulo, Brazil Jet Expo 2013 September 19-21 Moscow, Russia

BEECHCRAFT APPOINTS TWO NEW AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTERS IN NORTH AMERICA Beechcraft Corporation announced at the annual Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Fla., that it has appointed Cutter Aviation in Phoenix and Flying Colours Corp. in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, as authorized service centers (ASCs) for the company’s King Air, Baron and Bonanza products.Cutter Aviation, founded in 1928, has a long affiliation with Beechcraft brands and currently operates a network of eight locations in seven major cities in the Southwest. Its facility at Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX) is a full-service, fixed-base operation that joins two other Cutter locations that already serve as ASCs: Albuquerque, N.M., (KABQ) for all Beechcraft products and McKinney, Texas, (KTKI) for Beechcraft’s piston line.

EXECUJET EUROPE ADDS FIRST HELICOPTER TO MANAGED FLEET ExecuJet Europe is adding the first helicopter to its managed fleet, the Eurocopter EC155, based at Cambridge Airport.

The EC155 helicopter has capacity for eight VIP passengers and two pilots. With a range of more than 500 miles, the aircraft will primarily be used for transfers to the City and surrounding airports, but has already operated transfers to Paris and Brussels.

John Brutnell, Operations Director of ExecuJet Europe, says: “We are very pleased to be expanding our fleet and the inclusion of a helicopter at our London Cambridge FBO is a welcome addition to our managed aircraft. We are currently in discussions with other clients who wish to base helicopters here, so we hope to welcome more to Cambridge in the future.”

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RUAG AVIATION DELIVERS FIRST VIP COMPLETION PROJECT A Bombardier CRJ200 airliner has been successfully converted into a ten-seat luxury VIP aircraft by RUAG Aviation’s Cabin Interior Program.

RUAG Aviation has strengthened its capabilities by establishing a center of excellence for cabin interior modifications and upgrades at Munich Executive Airport, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Since 2011, the Cabin Interior Program is under the leadership of Robin Freigang, RUAG Aviation’s Director Cabin Interior Program VIP & Executive Jets, and offers state-of-the-art VIP cabin interior design, completions, refurbishments, restyling and modifications, as well as passenger comfort systems, cabin communication systems and multimedia in-flight entertainment (IFE) system upgrades.

GARMIN G600 PANEL RETROFIT NOW AVAILABLE FOR PILATUS PC-12

CESSNA CITATION LATITUDE PRODUCTION ON TRACK

In cooperation with Garmin Ltd., Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd received a Supplemental Type Certificate from the FAA to install the Garmin G600 avionics system in all pre-NG PC12 aircraft produced between 1994 and 2008.

The retrofit enables PC-12 owners to take advantage of modern flat-panel avionics features that reduce pilot workload, improve situational awareness, reduce maintenance costs, and help enhance owners’ investment in their aircraft.

Cessna Aircraft Company, announced that the production for the Citation Latitude aircraft, first announced in October 2011, is on schedule and making progress toward completion of full airframes this year.

The next generation in business travel, the Latitude, with a maximum range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 kilometers), is designed to provide the most open, spacious, light, and refined cabin environment in this category of aircraft. The aircraft will deliver a clean, contemporary environment for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers, will have a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters) and a maximum cruise speed of 440 knots (815 kilometers per hour). It will climb to 43,000 feet (13,106 meters) in just 23 minutes.

“We’ve started building engineering test articles. The first prototype is expected to fly in Q1 2014,” said Terry Shriner, business leader for the Citation Latitude.

“We’ve moved from engineering, analysis and modeling to cutting metal and driving rivets. The team is always energized when we see an airplane begin to take shape for the first time.”

10 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

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

Come to Paris-Le Bourget for Dassault Falcon 7X Training

F

lightSafety’s Paris Learning Center delivers industry-leading factory-authorized training for the Falcon 7X aircraft. Our highly experienced

instructors, outstanding Customer service, new

Level D-qualified simulators and advanced training system and tools will exceed your expectations.

No matter where you live, we can provide Falcon 7X factory-authorized training tailored to meet your exact requirements. Choose Falcon 7X training in Paris-Le Bourget or Dallas/Fort Worth. At either location, you benefit from our high-quality programs and receive the value you deserve.

Expanding our Falcon 7X training program is just one of the many initiatives we’re taking to serve business aircraft operators in Europe and around the globe. We continue to invest in new high-quality training programs, advancedtechnology simulators for current and next-generation aircraft, and in expanding our global network of conveniently located training facilities. Schedule your Falcon 7X training now in Paris or in Dallas – whichever center is most convenient for your operation. À bientôt. See you soon.

“At Falcon, teaming with FlightSafety reflects our passion for technology.”

– John Rosanvallon President and CEO, Dassault Falcon

Contact us at Paris-Le Bourget Learning Center • +33 1 49 92 1919 • paris@flightsafety.com Scott Fera, Senior Vice President, Marketing • 718.565.4774 • sales@flightsafety.com • flightsafety.com

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FLIGHTSAFETY S LEGACY 650 FULL FLIGHT SIMULATOR QUALIFIED TO LEVEL D BY FAA, ANAC AND EASA FlightSafety International announces that its full flight simulator for the Embraer Executive Jets Legacy 650 aircraft has been qualified to Level D by the United States Federal Aviation Administration; Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil in Brazil; and European Aviation Safety Agency.

“Pilots and maintenance technicians who operate and support the Embraer Executive Jets Legacy 650 will benefit from the highest level of fidelity, quality, and reliability this new simulator provides,” said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO. “The Level D qualification of the Legacy 650 simulator by the FAA, ANAC, and EASA demonstrates our ability to design and manufacture advanced technology training devices that qualify to the highest standards.”

V I S I T U S AT E B A C E

•

S TA N D # 4 3 1

DASSAULT AIRCRAFT SERVICES OPENS NEW SATELLITE SERVICE STATION

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FlightSafety European Helicopter Learning Centers • London Farnborough, UK • Stavanger, Norway

Requirements: • ATP or Commercial/ Instrument Helicopter • 2,000* hours or more total helicopter pilot time • Current medical is not a requirement.

• Turbine/Multiengine/ Multicrew highly preferred

For more information or to review current opportunities, please visit our Careers section at flightsafety.com and enter the key word “helicopter.”

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*Depending on helicopter model

Dassault Aircraft Services (DAS) has expanded its footprint of service with a new satellite service station in Van Nuys, California. The satellite service station can provide troubleshooting and line maintenance for all Falcon 50, 900 and 2000 series models as well as the Falcon 7X. “Our new satellite service station in Van Nuys is ideally positioned to serve the high concentration of Falcon operators based there, as well as the significant volume of transient traffic that comes through the area,” said Bob Sundin, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dassault Aircraft Services.

Fifty Years of Passion Generations of Falcons have one thing in common.

Each one advances the state of the art. Becoming more efficient.

More capable. More comfortable.

Always ahead of the curve, with innovations such as Digital Flight Control technology and ultra-efficient, ultra-capable wings—at both ends of the speed envelope.

We’re celebrating 50 years since the first flight of the Mystère 20, but we’re hardly resting on our laurels.

The best is yet to come.

Find out why. Scan the code or visit falconjet.com/50-years

LEA ADDS TO FLEET WITH EMBRAER LEGACY 650 London Executive Aviation (LEA), one of Europe’s largest business jet charter operators, has taken delivery of an Embraer Legacy 650, which will be based in Tallinn, Estonia.

The aircraft, tail number G-RBND, is the ninth Legacy on LEA’s air operator’s certificate (AOC). Configured to carry 13 passengers and with a maximum range of 3,900 nautical miles, the Embraer Legacy 650 is ideally suited to non-stop, long-distance flights.

George Galanopoulos, managing director, LEA says: “Taking delivery of this Legacy 650 adds further weight to our reputation as one of the most experienced operators of this aircraft type in the industry. Since taking on our first Embraer Legacy in early 2006, it has consistently been one of the most popular aircraft among our many clients.

“By basing the new Legacy 650 in Tallinn, it is well placed to cater for the increasing demand for private air travel in the Baltic region and complements the operation of our other Legacys, including GSYNA, which has been based in London since last summer.”

EAN NAMED AS PREFERRED GROUND HANDLER

BY AVJET ROUTING

ECLIPSE 550 JET IS POWERED UP ON ITS WAY TO FIRST DELIVERY

Evergreen Apple Nigeria, EAN Ltd, has been selected by Avjet Routing, the Sharjah, United Arab Emirates-based aviation business services company to serve as its preferred ground handler in Nigeria with principal services being provided at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The agreement, which was ratified in February 2013, means that all private and business aviation traffic from Avjet Routing passing through Lagos will be handled exclusively by EAN Ltd. Avjet Routing is extending its reach to Nigeria as a result of the growth potential in the country and was attracted by the professional quality of the service provided by EAN and its full suite of facilities and customer focused strategy. EAN Ltd which opened the first fully fledged FBO and MRO for business jets in Nigeria in July 2011 will benefit by attracting a broader client base.

Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. celebrates a major production milestone the first power up of the new production Eclipse 550 Twin-Engine Jet. The first production Eclipse 550 aircraft successfully powered up its two Pratt & Whitney PW610F engines, and the aircraft systems came on line today at the company’s facility in Albuquerque, N.M. Eclipse Aerospace officially restarted the Eclipse Jet aircraft production line last June and continues to track for delivery of the first new Eclipse 550 series aircraft in the third quarter of this year.

Built upon the same proven airframe as the Eclipse 500 aircraft, the new Eclipse 550 series is enhanced by additional technologies including a dual and redundant integrated flight management system and independent standby displays all powered by advanced microprocessors.

14 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

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JET AVIATION GENEVA RECEIVES FAA APPROVAL FOR THE NEW GULFSTREAM G650 In addition to the EASA Part 145 approval received in December, Jet Aviation Geneva has been granted FAA approval to support the new ultra-long-range, ultra-large-cabin Gulfstream G650.

“We are constantly striving to expand our service capabilities to offer our customers the technical support they require,” says Cyril Martiniere, managing director and accountable manager for Jet Aviation Geneva. “As an authorized service center for Gulfstream aircraft, our team of experts are highly experienced and receive regular OEM training and support with the new technologies.”

Jet Aviation Geneva was founded in 1969 and offers maintenance, refurbishment and FBO services. The company provides complete maintenance, repair and avionics support to private and corporate operators.

UNIVERSAL OPENS REGIONAL TRIP SUPPORT CENTER IN HONG KONG Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. announced that it has expanded its growing global presence in Asia with the official opening of its new 24/7 Hong Kong-based trip support office, Trip Support Services Asia.

“Asia-based companies have realized the true value and flexibility their aircraft can provide, resulting in more trips both within and outside the region,” Charlie Mularski, Vice President, Asia-Pacific Region, Universal®. “To keep up with that growing demand, we’ve assembled a dedicated team of professional trip owners with local and cultural knowledge, providing 24/7 expertise to our Asia-based clients in their own time zone and language.

“With the addition of our Trip Support Services Asia office, it’s even easier to work with us, as we now have regional trip support, ground support and fuel experts on the ground in the Asia-Pacific region. These offices combined with our online tools, allow us to provide a total trip management solution for our Asia-based customers’ trips whether they are traveling regionally or are relying on our global resources on more complex multi-leg international operations outside of their comfort zone,” said Mularski.

DASSAULT FALCON CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY Dassault Falcon celebrated its 50th Anniversary in Paris last month by flying a group of aviation journalists from Paris Le Bourget to BordeauxMerignac airport, on Falcon 7X, 900LX and 2000S aircraft. Mid-flight, the Falcons were “intercepted” by a Rafale C, giving journalists a rare opportunity to appreciate Dassault’s strengths in both business and military aviation.

The event also included the presentation of a restored Dassault Mystère 20 s/n 1, in its flight test livery, together with a banner commemorating the world speed record set on June 10, 1965 by famed test pilot Jacqueline Auriol . Flying the first production aircraft, Auriol covered a distance of 1,000 km (600 miles) at an average speed of 859 km/hr (534 mph), underscoring the Falcon 20’s exceptional flight performance.

The historic plane was restored by a team of enthusiasts, IT Mercure, who had earlier refurbished the last active Mercure airliner, also exhibited at the French Air & Space Museum. The project, first conceived in 2010, consisted primarily of repairing or replacing metal parts that had begun to rust away over time - the wing, airbrakes, engine pylons, cowlings, aircraft interior - much of it by hand.

Presentations at Le Bourget help mark the 50th anniversary of the Mystère 20’s first flight on May 4, 1963. Certificated on June 9, 1965, the aircraft - renamed the Fan Jet Falcon 20 at the request of its first customer, Pan Am - helped usher in a new generation of executive jets designed specifically for business aviation use.

The Falcon 20’s advanced wing and flight control system - adapted from the Mystère IV fighter - combined with its aft-mounted Pratt & Whitney JT-12 engines and spacious cabin, provided an ideal combination of speed, flying efficiency and comfort. Performance that prompted Pan Am to order 40 of the 8-10 seaters, plus 120 on option, just days after the inaugural flight.

The airplane proved ideal for special applications, too, helping establish the Falcon line’s reputation as a premier multiuse aircraft.

Among notable early customers were FedEx founder Fred Smith , who acquired the Falcon 20 for his then-nascent air express service; the U.S. Coast Guard; and Europe-Assistance, which adapted it for air ambulance service.

16 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

Business Aircraft Service & Support ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Aircraft Acquisition & Consignment Airframe Maintenance Avionics Installation Engine & APU Government & Special Programs Paint & Interior Parts, Avionics, Instruments & Accessories Emergency Assistance (AOG)

Duncan Aviation, Inc. is an independent business aircraft support organization, providing complete service and technical support. The Duncan Aviation name is wellknown and respected by manufacturers and service providers around the world. We have a strong reputation for providing premier aircraft services—delivered on time— for a wide variety of business aircraft.

Visit us at EBACE Stand #327. +1 402.475.2611 ■ www.DuncanAviation.aero/worldwide Owned and operated by the Duncan family since our founding in 1956.

FLIGHTSAFETY TO OFFER SIKORSKY S-76B TRAINING IN DALLAS, TX FlightSafety International is pleased to announce that it will offer training for the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter at its Learning Center in Dallas, Texas. The Sikorsky S-76B training program was previously located at FlightSafety’s West Palm Beach Learning Center.

“We look forward to welcoming operators of the Sikorsky S-76B to the Dallas Center,” said Daniel MacLellan, Regional Operations Manager, and Dallas Center Manager. “We are committed to provide operators of the Sikorsky S-76B with the highest quality training and outstanding service FlightSafety is recognized for around the world.”

The Sikorsky S-76B simulator is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment and upgrade at FlightSafety’s Simulation design, manufacture, and support facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is scheduled to enter service in Dallas during the third quarter of 2013.

StandardAero ADDS FLEX NOZZLE REPAIR TO TURBOPROP SERVICES StandardAero announced that it has added flex nozzle repair to its list of service offerings on all ATR-600 turboprop engines. With this added service capability, StandardAero becomes the only maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company, outside of the OEM, able to perform flex nozzle repairs for Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 series.

“By adding turboprop flex nozzle repair to our already comprehensive array of service capabilities, and by performing this service in house, we control the cost, quality and turnaround time, providing customers with the shortest down time, the most competitive pricing and the promise of excellence backed by StandardAero’s reputation for quality,” said Rob Cords, Senior Vice President, Airlines and Fleets, StandardAero.

“Today’s announcement, positions us to support all aspects of the turboprop engines that power the new and growing population of ATR-600 aircraft, including the 42 and 72 models.”

StandardAero performs flex nozzle repair out of its facility in Tilburg, The Netherlands and has exchange set capability as part of supporting the customer operations worldwide.

ROCKWELL COLLINS INSTALLS ASCEND ON CESSNA XLS+ Rockwell Collins announced that its Ascend Aircraft Information Manager (AIM), the secure data transfer system for Pro Line Fusion®, Pro Line 21™, and Pro Line 4™-equipped aircraft is now available for Cessna Citation XLS+ operators. The system was recently certified on an XLS+ owned and operated by Michigan-based Avfuel Corporation. Duncan Aviation performed the installation.

AIM securely uploads flight critical database updates and downloads maintenance information post-flight using available Wi-Fi or cellular links throughout the world that automatically transfer information to and from the Ascend Data Center. Depending on the avionics generation, automatically transferred databases include Flight Management System (FMS) navigation data, electronic charts, terrain and surface management databases, among others.

“AIM brings a level of convenience that is unprecedented in the Business Aviation industry and maximum security from cyber threats due to its robust design,” said Steve Timm, vice president and general manager, Flight Information Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “AIM also assures flight departments that their aircraft databases are always compliant and current.”

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Safety and efficiency, powered by CAE-trained pilots and maintenance crews At CAE, we are committed to offering superior training to your pilots, enhancing the safety of your business aircraft operation.

• Training courses that are customer-tailored with flexible scheduling and availability • World-class pilot and maintenance instructors using innovative CAE simulation technology and integrated training methodologies • Business Aviation Training footprint with 10 easy-to-access training locations worldwide Have a conversation with CAE about your pilot and maintenance training needs.

Visit us at EBACE, May 21-23, Geneva, Booth #372

Business Aviation Training Centre Locations

London New York Phoenix Phoenix Dallas

Amsterdam Shanghai Dubai

Mexico City

São Paulo

cae.com

Melbourne

aviationtraining@cae.com

NEXTANT AEROSPACE APPOINTS JET AVIATION SINGAPORE ASC Nextant Aerospace (“Nextant”), maker of the Nextant 400XT, the world’s only remanufactured business jet, has announced Jet Aviation Singapore as its new authorized service center in Asia.

The contract, which was signed at ABACE, will see Jet Aviation Singapore provide maintenance services for Nextant’s growing fleet of 400XTs in the region. As the company’s exclusive authorized service center in Singapore for Southeast Asia, Jet Aviation Singapore will become a core element of Nextant’s global network of owned and authorized service centers.

Nextant entered the Asian market in August 2012 and is continuing to see strong interest in the region due to the aircraft’s unique combination of performance, comfort and value. The Nextant 400XT offers an impressive 2,003 nautical mile (3,709 km) range, which means customers can fly from Singapore to as far west as Mumbai, India, or as far north as Shanghai, China without needing a refueling stop.

The aircraft sells for roughly half the price of its competitors with significantly lower operating costs. Low maintenance costs are backed by a full factory warranty, a global network of owned and authorized service centers and the world’s largest inventory of rotable parts for BE40 series aircraft which includes the 400XT.

FLIGHTSAFETY EXPANDS GULFSTREAM MAINTENANCE TRAINING IN CHINA FlightSafety International announces the expansion of its Gulfstream aircraft maintenance training programs in China through a cooperative agreement with Lufthansa HNA Technical Training. The training will be offered in Haikou and Xi’an, China. It will also support Maintenance Technicians based in Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, and Taiwan.

“FlightSafety is pleased to expand the training it provides for Maintenance Technicians who support Gulfstream aircraft based in China and the surrounding region,” said Mike Lee, Director Maintenance Training, Business Development.

The courses will be provided by Lufthansa HNA Technical Training’s FlightSafety trained instructors. It will initially include Theoretical and Practical maintenance training for the Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream G450, and Gulfstream G200 aircraft. The training will be approved by regulatory agencies as required.

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CAE-BUILT CHALLENGER 604 AND 605 SIM CERTIFIED IN MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA Emirates-CAE Flight Training announced that its dual configuration full-flight simulator for Bombardier(i) Challenger 604(i) and Challenger 605(i) business jets, the only one of its kind worldwide, has received certification from the Hong Kong Aviation Civil Aviation Department (HK CAD), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (UAE GCAA), the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia (GACA), and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA). The CAE-built simulator is located at Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT) in Dubai.

“The multiple certifications and proximity to Asia allow us to serve our customers close to where they operate,” said Walter Visser, Managing Director of Emirates-CAE Flight Training and CAE business leader Middle East & India. “We expect this platform to be very successful and a great contributor to the training requirements of Challenger 604 and Challenger 605 aircraft operators.”

It was previously announced that CAE has signed a long-term agreement with Qatar Executive, Qatar Airways’ corporate jet subsidiary, who will be the anchor customer and first to train pilots on the Challenger 605 jet.

SATCOM DIRECT RELEASES NEW UNITY MOBILE APP

JSSI® INTRODUCES ALLIANCE PROGRAM

Satcom Direct, provider of satellite voice, fax, datalink and Internet communications solutions, has released a new mobile application, GetORT+, to allow users of the Satcom Direct Unity product kit to interface with their satcom equipment using Apple devices.The GetORT+ mobile app supports and operates on the latest Apple iOS and allows customers to use their iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or iPad Mini to interface with their satcom equipment.

Along with a Unity product kit, the GetORT+ app allows operators and aircraft maintenance personnel with Honeywell Satcom Terminal (MCS 3000, 6000, 4000, 7000, 7200) and AIS-2000 SAT TV to perform Owner Requirements Table (ORT) loading and channel list updates to the AIS-2000 Multi-Region Module. This release of the GetORT+ iPhone/iPad app supports upload of ORT files to the Honeywell MCS-3000, 6000, 4000, 7000, and 7200; supports upload of channel list and RIC file updates to AIS-2000 Multi-Region Modules; and supports upload of both preloaded ORT files and e-mailed files.

“GetORT+ will enable customers to simplify their satcom maintenance. With the GetORT+ app, operators can now configure their Honeywell satcom terminal and AIS-2000 SAT TV using a single app on their iPhone or iPad,” said Ken Bantoft, Vice President of Engineering for Satcom Integration. “It offers a replacement for legacy PC-based applications that are not supported for installation or running on Windows 7 or 8 and makes use of existing cables for current Unity customers.”

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for the business aviation industry, has introduced a multi-tiered Alliance Program to meet the needs of its growing network of customers and business associates. The JSSI Alliance Program is a framework for working with Alliance Members to deliver greater value to customers, while expanding JSSI’s reach and offerings to new and existing customers. JSSI will provide Alliance Program Members special opportunities to increase incremental revenue to their business and add value to their client relationships. Members accepted into the JSSI Alliance Program will build recognition, reach more customers and stay connected while following their JSSI leads. Alliance Members will have access to a tailored web portal that will supply the latest information about JSSI marketing programs, product and service updates and product launches.

Members will also be able to use the Portal to request aircraft specific quotes, track sales and submitted leads and monitor referral status.

Like our Alliance Members, JSSI is always looking to acquire lifelong clients,” commented Kevin Thomas, Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Development. “This new program will create a clear path for their clients to experience smarter financial solutions for their long-term maintenance needs, while securing their aircraft investment for the future.

Jet Aviation Geneva

Enjoy our local hospitality; experience our global FBO network

Jet Aviation Geneva Tel. +41 58 158 1811 | AOG 24/7 +41 58 158 4848 jgva@jetaviation.ch | www.jetaviation.com/geneva

Visit our global FBO locations: Berlin

Medina

Boston/Bedford Palm Beach Dallas

Riyadh

Dubai

Singapore

Dusseldorf

St. Louis

Geneva

Teterboro

Houston

Zurich

Jeddah

Vi sit us bo Ha at ot ll 6 EB h , A CE 51 9

Meet the team who understands the needs of business travelers. As a gateway to Switzerland and France, Geneva is one of the busiest business aviation airports in Europe – also due to the fact that the city is home of international headquarters for several global companies, the United Nations, the Red Cross and other international organizations. Our attentive and caring FBO staff makes it easy for you to travel in and out of the airport with quick and easy arrival and departure. Our Geneva team delivers the best in local service; our global network assists you everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection.

GARMIN S NEW ACTIVE TRAFFIC SYSTEMS OFFER INCREASED POWER, RANGE Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the GTS 825 Traffic Advisory System (TAS) and the GTS 855 Traffic Alert and Collision.Avoidance System (TCAS I), offering improved performance and range. The GTS 825 and 855 each offer 400 watts of transmit power, and 40 and 80 nautical miles of interrogation range, respectively. All Garmin traffic systems combine active and passive surveillance data to pinpoint specific traffic threats, and use Garmin’s patented CLEAR CAS™ technology to correlate ADS-B targets, providing pilots with the most comprehensive traffic picture possible.

“The new line of GTS traffic systems offers the best performance for its class and price point. Now with increased transmit power and range, the GTS series provides even broader situational awareness and allows the pilot to visualize more potential traffic targets that could pose a threat,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing.

WFSN LAUNCHES NEW E-LEARNING PLATFORM World Fuel Services announced that they have launched their new eLearning training platform which provides FBOs, who are members of the Air Elite and World Fuel Network, access to valuable online tools for safety, aviation, and customer service training. The customer service training modules include components designed to educate and reinforce specific network programs to insure consistent reliable service across the entire network. This new, comprehensive, multi-module platform provides FBO personnel convenient, 24/7 access to training resources that cover topics important to cultivating their businesses’ success and ensuring high quality services are provided to their customers.

The Aviation 101 module covers the basics of FBO operations including line service and fuel handing. The Customer Service module focuses specifically on vital customer service skills necessary to serve complex and sometimes demanding business and general aviation clientele.

These skills are reinforced through a number of true to life role-play examples.

In addition to the Aviation 101 and Customer Service modules, this new platform provides FBOs access to training highlighting World Fuel Services’ Around the World with AVCARD program. This module stresses the benefits to both FBOs and customers when they utilize AVCARD, the leading aviation charge card, for FBO purchases world wide. The Air Elite Diamond Difference training is also included on the platform to assist in the fostering of exceptional service levels for new and existing Air Elite Network FBO personnel.

Jet Aviation Geneva

Count on our local expertise; benefit from our global MRO network

Jet Aviation Geneva Tel. +41 58 158 1811 | AOG 24/7 +41 58 158 4848 jgva@jetaviation.ch | www.jetaviation.com/geneva

Visit our global MRO locations: Basel

Kuala Lumpur

Boston/Bedford Moscow Vnukovo Dubai

Riyadh

Geneva

Singapore

Hong Kong

St. Louis

Houston

Teterboro

Jeddah

Vi sit us bo Ha at ot ll 6 EB h , A CE 51 9

Meet the team who can do it all. Specialized in Gulfstream, Bombardier Global Express, Hawker series, the Dassault Falcon 50 and 900 and the Boeing Business Jets aircraft, as well as a number of smaller jets, we have been providing base and line maintenance, repair and overhaul and avionics support to mid and large cabin aircraft since 1969. And if your aircraft is grounded you can always count on our 24/7 AOG support on short notice. Our Geneva team takes care of you here while you benefit from our global network everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection.

EURO JET CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS This Spring marks the milestone five year anniversary of Euro Jet Intercontinental.

In just a few years, Euro Jet has positioned itself as a leader in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in ground support set-up and agent representation. Furthermore it has developed a strong reputation for global trip support outside of its core region and passing on to its customers the highest level of customer service, discounted pricing and the essential local knowledge needed on-the-ground.

At EBACE this year, Euro Jet will kick off a full year of celebrations that will highlight past achievements and future development of the company. Euro Jet remains the largest company of its kind consisting of a team of over 200 staff that make-up its 24/7 Operations Control Center, Handling Agent Network, Vendor Relations Team, and Financial and Administration Department.

Euro Jet has several hundred agents located throughout its core region of 29 countries and then an additional 52 countries on every continent around-the-world. In all locations they not only offer ground support, but provide last minute permits, competitively priced fuel, flight plans, supervised catering, discounted crew hotel rates and transportation costs, and credit.

Euro Jet continues to grow and earlier this year acquired hangar space at Prague’s Vaclav Havel International Airport. The 1,500 square meter facility has the capability to store three Citation aircraft or one heavy jet such as a Gulfstream or Global Express. The hanger also has an area for storage and office space. Furthermore, while situated in the hanger the aircraft can undergo a complete interior detailing.

“While we are very proud to celebrate our first five years, we now look forward to the next five years and beyond. Investment in Eastern Europe and Central Asia will only continue in the years ahead. As these markets continue to open-up, it is inevitable that they will attract more investment,” says Charlie Bodnar, CEO of Euro Jet Intercontinental.

Mr. Bodnar continues, “Euro Jet looks forward to playing a key role in ensuring that any crew or passengers that utilizes Euro Jet’s services has not only highest quality ground support when their flights come into our region but also receive our unprecedented customer service.”

Jet Aviation Basel

Count on our local expertise; benefit from our global MRO network

Jet Aviation Basel Tel. +41 58 158 1811 | AOG 24/7 +41 58 158 4848 jbsl@jetaviation.ch | www.jetaviation.com/ basel

Visit our global MRO locations: Basel

Kuala Lumpur

Boston/Bedford Moscow Vnukovo Dubai

Riyadh

Geneva

Singapore

Hong Kong

St. Louis

Houston

Teterboro

Jeddah

Vi sit us bo Ha at ot ll 6 EB h , A CE 51 9

Meet the team who can do it all. Founded in 1967, we are committed to the safety and satisfaction of our clients. We specialize in all current models of the majority of Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Embraer, Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and perform the full range of maintenance activities. This includes D-Checks, major modification and alteration of airframes, and upgrades of cockpit and cabin electronic systems. You can also take advantage of our extensive paint and refurbishment capabilities and our 24/7 AOG services. Our Basel team takes care of you here while you benefit from our global network everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection.

PEOPLE Beechcraft Corporation has announced the appointment of Ted Farid as vice president of sales for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which includes all of North and South Asia and India. In this role, Farid oversees sales activities in a region that is essential to the company's future success with many of the countries in the APAC region featuring some of the world's fastest growing economies and infrastructures.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has appointed longtime company employee James Liang as a regional sales manager for Product Support Sales in Asia.

He is based at the Gulfstream Product Support Asia office in Hong Kong and reports to Jeff Hill, director, International Product Support Sales.

Amparo Calatayud Learning Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. He replaces Ampy Calatayud who has been named Manager, West Palm Beach Learning Center.

FlightSafety International has also promoted George Brady to Director, Product Support and Simulator Operations.

Ted Farid Bell Helicopter has announced that C.M. Hwang will assume the role of managing director of Commercial Sales, Asia Pacific.

In this position, Hwang is responsible for all marketing and sales activities within AsiaPacific as Bell Helicopter continues to expand its presence in the region.

FlightSafety International has announced that Amparo Calatayud has been named Manager of the company’s Learning Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. She replaces Gil Schnabel who has been named Regional Director, Regulatory Affairs.

FlightSafety International has also announced that David Welch has been promoted to Manager of the company’s

24 -BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

Gama Group, has announced the appointment of Jonathan Tregoiing as General Manager of Airops Software Limited, with the task of implementing the development of a new range of software and services for the aviation industry.

Oliver Hewson Gama Group, has also appointed Oliver Hewson as Commercial Manager, Gama Aviation FZE, with the task of further developing its significant growth throughout the MENA region.

Greenwich AeroGroup has announced the hiring of Brian Dannewitz as the President of Professional Aviation Associates.

Dannewitz began his aviation career serving in the Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve in various aircraft maintenance positions and in the course of the last 25 years has held leadership positions with companies such as United Technologies Corp – Pratt & Whitney, Northwest Airlines, Midway Airlines and AAR Defense Systems.

“Brian is a proven leader and veteran in the aviation industry,” said Greenwich AeroGroup Vice President of Component Repair and Overhaul and Parts Distribution Robert Bial. “He brings with him strong business acumen and leadership skills that will assist Professional Aviation Associates in creating extraordinary value for its customers and shareholders.”

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) recently announced the addition of three industry professionals to the JSSI team. Rogerio Muller is the new JSSI Director of Business Development for South America. Mr. Muller comes to JSSI from Global Master where he was Business Sales Manager.

Ian Vickers is the newest JSSI Technical Services Representative, based in the United Kingdom at JSSI’s European Headquarters at Farnborough Airport. Representing JSSI in a number of emerging markets

around the world, Jonathan Deutsch will be working to expand JSSI’s presence throughout Africa and select markets in Asia.

Rogerio Muller Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group has announced the creation of a new all-encompassing Aviation Services unit which brings together the management of Cambridge Airport, Business Aviation and the newlylaunched ‘one call, one team’ JETability business. Aviation Services will be headed by Steve Jones as managing director who sees his remit broadened to include Cambridge Airport.

StandardAero has appointed Rob Higby as Vice President, Sales & Marketing for StandardAero’s Airlines & Fleets (A&F) business. Higby will lead StandardAero’s A&F sales efforts on CFM56, CF34, PW100, PT6, PW600, AE3007 and a range of APU platforms.

These products span commercial aviation, Business Aviation and military customers; all of which in 2012 accounted for nearly $700M in sales.

West Star Aviation announced they have hired Mark Ferguson as Environmental / Health / Safety (EHS) Manager for their East Alton, IL (ALN) and Chesterfield, MO (SUS) locations. Mark brings 19 years of experience with him to West Star Aviation.

EUROPEAN UPDATE

EBAA OUTLINES STRATEGY FOR 2013 EUROCONTROL PROPOSES CENTRALIZED TO COUNTERACT CHALLENGING ECONOMY SERVICES TO REDUCE ATM COSTS AND IMBALANCED LEGISLATION With a faltering economy resulting in Business Aviation flight activity levels in Europe down 4.3% in 2012, the sector kicked off the new year pondering, “Is the worst behind us?” This question was openly addressed during the EBAA Annual General Meeting held in March at the headquarters of Eurocontrol in Brussels.

“There are still a number of battles to win if we are to see business aircraft flight activities return to pre-crisis rates,” said Rodolfo Baviera, EBAA Chairman. “EBAA has established a set of key priorities aimed at removing growth barriers for our sector – be they financial or operational – in order to ensure that we can continue meeting the demand for efficient, secure, point-to-point business travel.”

EBAA will train its focus on the following high-profile topics: the first relates to the campaign against illegal flights. EBAA will be working closely with European officials to develop more robust legislation to prevent and regulate illegal flight activity, and will in the coming 12 months steer a comprehensive impact assessment to illustrate the scope of illegal activities and the current difficulties for Member States to combat them efficiently.

The Association will also renew its support to the infringement procedure the Commission is mulling over against Member States’ inability to build true Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs), and will push for the review of the two lacklustre regulations on the SES performance scheme and ATM charges.

Of equal interest to EBAA will be the access to infrastructure.

The Association will battle to maintain the amendments voted on by the European Parliament in the final version of the slot recast, and will as well push for a fundamental review of the way runway performance is addressed for Business Aviation in Europe.

With respect to environment, the Association will do its utmost so as to achieve a fairer EU ETS, by amongst others making sure distortions of competition brought in by the “stop-the-clock” derogation are confined to the minimum. Whilst collaborating with PricewaterhouseCoopers to identify ways to eliminate the unbearable admin costs endured by smaller emitters’, it will also continue to propose constructive views for the achievement of internationally-accepted Market-Based Measures (MBMs).

Finally, in order to promote best practice, the Association, in collaboration with the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), will aim to finalize the development of an International Standard for Business Aviation Handling. Such a standard would enable the sector to conduct its own quality and safety assessment of FBOs and ground handling, and could help stimulate selfregulation from a top-down perspective, across the board.

“There’s always a ‘reaction period’ before such aeropolitical actions have a measurable impact on the bottom lines of the operators,” concluded Mr Baviera, “but helping decision-makers prioritize is particularly crucial in these tough times if the long-term resilience of the sector is to be preserved.”

States could save up to €200 million each year by implementing a number of ATM support services at pan-European rather than national level. In line with discussions late last year with the European Commission, EUROCONTROL has begun to look at the principle of such a move and will bring forward proposals very soon in support of the EU’s SES. ATM infrastructure projects in Europe already cost in the region of €1 billion each year, and inefficiencies caused by Europe’s fragmented airspace impose extra costs of around €5 billion per year.

With limited traffic growth, new approaches should be found to meet the targets set in the context of the SES Performance Scheme.

“It is simply not efficient to implement all SESAR solutions in each of the 80 European ATC centres. If we avoid implementing duplicate systems in every one of EUROCONTROL’s 39 member states then we can save money and generate additional benefits in terms of greater reliability and redundancy, improved consistency and enhanced interoperability,” said Frank Brenner, Director General of EUROCONTROL. EUROCONTROL’s analysis shows that implementing ‘centralized services’ at pan-European, rather than national or regional level, could result in substantial savings for the States and air navigation service providers (ANSPs). This would bring them closer to achieving their performance targets and would also improve the efficiency of the air traffic network overall.

EUROCONTROL has initially identified nine projects that are natural candidates for centralization. They typically involve handling data and range from a service for trajectory planning in four dimensions, to support for an improved and pan-European approach for effectively sharing airspace data for optimized civil and military usage.

These services would be put out to tender, opening the ATM-market, enabling the ANSPs and other industry contributors to take part and encouraging them to provide services outside their national borders.

Following the successful model already in use for services such as the European Aeronautical Information Database (EAD), EUROCONTROL, as Network Manager is offering to develop the new centralized services, and play a leading role in their delivery.

“Centralized services represent a valuable step forward in improving cost-efficiency, starting to tackle the underlying issue of fragmentation and implementing market mechanisms into some ATM support services,” said Jacques Dopagne, Director Network Management at EUROCONTROL.

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26 - - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

EASA PUBLISHES NEWS RULES FOR PILOTS FLYING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS The European Aviation Safety Agency has published a proposal to the European Commission containing rules on qualifications for flying in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). With this so-called Opinion, the Agency puts forward new and more accessible instrument ratings focused on General Aviation pilots. The proposed changes are expected to increase safety with regard to the accident category of controlled flights into terrain (CFIT) by establishing a better accessible IR. This will enable more European GA pilots to commence this type of training.

The Opinion covers requirements for a competency-based instrument rating (CB IR) and an en-route instrument rating (EIR) for private (PPL(A)) and commercial pilot (CPL(A)) license holders.

The proposed new ratings will amend the training and checking requirements in the European Commission Regulation (PartFCL). More specifically, the proposed CB IR course will contain a significantly reduced theoretical knowledge (TK) syllabus appropriately reflected by a different level of TK examinations, and a reduced amount of instrument flight instruction time when compared with the existing IR courses.

Meanwhile, the EIR will allow holders of airplane licenses to gain familiarity with instrument flight rules procedures and cope with unforeseen deteriorating weather conditions in the en route phase of flight. Crediting provisions have also been included to support holders of a third-country instrument rating or a national instrument rating in obtaining a European instrument rating.

This Opinion also introduces a cloud flying rating for sailplane pilots. The privilege of this rating will allow a sailplane pilot to enter clouds whilst taking into account the airspace structure, the required minima in different airspace categories, and the relevant air traffic control (ATC) procedures.

These final requirements are based on extensive consultation of experts from national authorities, flight crew organizations, training schools, and the general aviation community. The Agency’s proposal was initially open for public consultation in 2011 and over 1500 comments were received. This feedback was taken into account and integrated in this Opinion.

Meanwhile EASA has welcomed progress made by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) at their 9th Meeting on 4-15 February in Montreal.

Agreement was reached within CAEP on a new aeroplane CO2 certification requirement, as well as a new global noise standard that will result in quieter skies and airports.

The new noise standard will be 7dB below ICAO’s current standard and be applicable to new-design aircraft entering into service from 2017. The lower noise standard addresses airport community concerns about aircraft noise by ensuring the latest noise reduction technology is incorporated into new aircraft designs.

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PILATUS ANNOUNCES POSITIVE RESULTS FOR 2012

fully delivered. In general, military business for Pilatus is experiencing very positive growth and is currently the mainstay of the company.

Progress in the PC-24 project The PC-24 project – the new business jet by Pilatus is making good progress. Last year, the Board of Directors gave the definite green light to the biggest, fastest and most complex aircraft that Pilatus has ever built.

On 21st May this year, the aircraft will be presented to those attending the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva.

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CAE AWARDED CONTRACTS VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY C$85 MILLION Pilatus Aircraft Ltd has announced positive annual results for 2012, despite turnover and operating profit decreasing as expected compared with the previous year. Thanks to three major orders received totaling over 2.2 billion Swiss francs, Pilatus is well-prepared for the future. In the past year alone, the number of employees at the headquarters in Stans grew by 10 per cent to 1433.

First, let’s look at the past year. In 2012, Pilatus achieved a gross turnover of 593 million and an operating profit (EBIT) of 38 million Swiss francs. At 68 million Swiss francs, investment in research and development was higher than ever.

A special mention must go to the order intake, which increased to total 2.7 billion Swiss francs. This includes three major orders from India (75 PC-7 MkII), Saudi Arabia (55 PC-21) and Qatar (24 PC-21).

The level of orders in 2012 was greater than that of the previous four years combined, making it the largest in Pilatus‘s history.

Current orders will secure enough work for Pilatus over the next four years.

In addition to these major orders, the military training aircraft sector also saw two projects, for the UAE and Botswana, success 28 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

CAE has announced that it has sold five fullflight simulators (FFSs) as well as a series of training devices, long-term service agreements and update services to airlines and original equipment manufacturers in Asia, Australasia, North America and Europe. The contracts are worth a total of approximately C$85 million at list prices and bring the total number of FFS sales that CAE announced in fiscal year 2013 to 35.

“Our simulator sales in fiscal 2013 continue to reflect our global reach. We have sold 60% of our simulators this year to customers in Asia and Australasia, 23% in North America and 17% in Europe,” said Jeff Roberts, CAE’s Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services. “We are very pleased that our longstanding customers continue to select CAE as their FFS partner of choice and that new airlines and OEMs are turning to CAE for the first time.”

Meanwhile in February, CAE reported financial results for the third quarter ended December 31, 2012. Net income attributable to equity holders was $37.8 million ($0.15 per share) this quarter, compared to $45.6 million ($0.18 per share) last year. All financial information is in Canadian dollars.

Excluding $8.8 million (after-tax) of restructuring, integration and acquisition costs this quarter, net income attributable to equity holders was $46.6 million ($0.18 per share).

Revenue for the quarter was $522.1 million, 15% higher than $453.1 million last year.

“Our results for the quarter were as we anticipated, given the integration and restructuring efforts underway in our Civil and Military segments,” said Marc Parent, CAE’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “In Civil Products, simulator wins in the quarter put us on track for annual sales in the mid-30s. The integration of recently acquired Oxford is progressing as planned, and we continue to expect significant synergies in Civil Training as this effort is concluded. In Military, order levels continued to reflect the delays currently inherent to the defence market, but we had a good win rate and we remain confident given our high level of bid activity.”

He added: “Revenue for our combined Civil segments increased 41% in the third quarter to $287.2 million compared to $203.7 million last year. Third quarter operating income was $47.1 million (16.4% of revenue) compared to $42.0 million (20.6% of revenue) last year. This quarter’s results include the acquisition of Oxford Aviation Academy (Oxford), which is still in the process of being integrated with CAE’s existing operations.

We received six full-flight simulator (FFS) orders in the third quarter, including orders from COMAC of China for the first two FFSs for its new C919 passenger aircraft, and two FFSs for the Federal Air Transportation Agency in Russia. During the quarter, we also obtained training services contracts expected to generate $149.3 million in future revenue.

We received $219.0 million in combined civil segment orders this quarter representing a book-to-sales ratio of 0.76x. The ratio for the trailing 12 months was 1.0x.”

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BOMBARDIER TO EXTEND WARRANTY ON 605 Bombardier Aerospace has announced that it will be extending the warranty of its Challenger 605 aircraft.

Specifically, the basic warranty of its Challenger 605 business aircraft will be enhanced from the current three years or 3,000 hours to five years or 5,000 hours*.

“Customer satisfaction is our top priority,” said Michel Ouellette, Vice President and General Manager, Challenger, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “We listened to our customers’ feedback and by improving our Challenger 605 aircraft warranty, we are confident that we will further enhance our customers’ experiences.”

The new warranty will be standard on all Challenger 605 aircraft delivered after April 1, 2013. The basic warranty includes: systems and components coverage, which has been increased to five years or 5,000 hours, avionics remains unchanged at five years with no flight hour limitations; APU coverage is now at five years or 5,000 hours. In addition, primary structure will remain at 10 years or 10,000 hours, while engine remains unchanged at five years or 2,500 hours directly from the original equipment manufacturer and completion work warranty unchanged at two years, however the flight hour restriction has been completely removed Meanwhile Bombardier has confirmed that CDB Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CDB Leasing”), a subsidiary of China Development Bank (“CDB”), is the ultimate beneficial owner of the entity previously unidentified as the customer who placed an order for five Global 6000 jets on December 21, 2012. The firm order is valued at approximately $293 million US based on the 2012 list price for typically equipped aircraft.

“We are honoured that CDB has put its trust in our products,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “Our Global aircraft are renowned in China and worldwide for their unparalleled performance, comfort and range. We are delighted that once again, Bombardier products are selected for key business expansion by business leaders in China”.

CDB Leasing is known to be the sole leasing arm of CDB, as well as the first leasing company in China with the largest asset value. Aviation leasing is CDB Leasing’s core and most mature business sector with international reach. CDB was established by the Chinese government to support the country’s economic development. The institution provides medium to long-term financing facilities that assist in the development of a robust economy and a healthy, prosperous community. It aligns its business focus with national economic strategy and allocates resources to break though bottlenecks in China’s economic and social development.

“We are very positive about the general aviation market, especially in China,” said Mr. Wang Chong, Chairman, CDB Leasing. “The relationship between CDB Leasing and Bombardier on Global 6000 jets is also the beginning of our new endeavour in the business aviation industry. The advantage of CDB Leasing in the financial area and its worldwide platform will further highlight Bombardier’s business aircraft portfolio in the Chinese market.”

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CEO S CORNER

OF ALLEGEDLY UNRELATED AEROPOLITICAL ASPECTS IN EUROPE

Fabio Gamba, Chief Executive Officer of the European Business Aviation Association.

I WAS GIVEN THE PRIVILEGE to be one of the keynote speakers in an event on Business Aviation in Malta earlier this month, and as such I had been given carte blanche to raise the topics that I believed warranted some further reflection. I figured out that the most topical issues of the moment were both the EU ETS, and the slot recast.

I strongly believe that you can't really understand the rationale of any EU legislative initiative except through this particular prism. The "Better Airports Package" and/or the EU ETS are absolutely in line with the zeitgeist.

And they are not the only ones.

Another obvious piece of legislation that falls into this category is the national air passenger tax. Nowhere other than in Europe do you have similar, tailor-made, taxes on aviation. No less than 9 countries have imposed such taxes, and most of them have done so relatively recently (i.e. in the last 3 years). The mother of them all is obviously the infamous British Air Passenger Duty, or APD. Initiated in 1984, it has given rise to a lot of copycats.

From France to Germany, from Austria to the Netherlands, from Ireland to Sweden… some States decided to withdraw their tax after it became apparent the tax was unjustifiable, or even worse it was counterproductive (Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, etc.).

Some decided not to learn from past lessons and no matter what still impose theirs, albeit on slightly different grounds (Italy is the best example). All in all, these taxes cost the sector, or I should rather say the business passenger, around € 18m per year (€ 5bn in total), yet in many cases they cost the country so much more in lost revenue and taxes, with Italy being the perfect example.

And what is the EU ETS, if not basically another tax? The Commission rejects that notion, and in all fairness it is an acceptable defense plea when you think of network carriers. The scheme

30 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

is a market-based measure that forces airlines to offset their growth by paying for it, and at a very low price of around € 5 per tonne at that. OK, fair enough.

This is the application of the "polluter pays" principle. But the Commission is getting dangerously close to the notion of a tax with the introduction of a 15% auctioning cost, whilst instead of going into projects to protect the environment, the moneys are collected at national level, are not hypothecated and will just go into the general tax pot to support government spending.

And we've frankly crossed the bridge with Business Aviation. Firstly, we must pay not for 15%, but for 95% of our historic emissions, courtesy of this RTK that we have so vehemently combated. On top of that, we were forced to swallow the largely incomprehensible distinction between commercial operations (that can avail themselves of the de minimis), and non-commercial ones (that can't). And to add insult to injury, there is such an intricacy of convoluted obligations under the MRV (Monitoring - Reporting - Verification) that the cost for smaller emitters is guess what - estimated at 50% of the total EU ETS compliance cost! In other words, BusAv operators spend just as much in MRV as in CO2 permits.

Now, things appeared to have improved slightly with the Commission's late "Stop the Clock" announcement. I say "appeared" as all the international flights, i.e. those to and from Europe, was suddenly exempted from the scheme. In the case of Business Aviation, that still represents around 12% of its total movements. Alas, when you think about it, this is not good news really. Why? There are mainly two reasons. Firstly, most of the small emitters we have been talking to told us they didn't want to be bothered and start all over their MRV complex calculations for the few international flights they are operating.

That the measure is for them inapplicable. This then worsens the already dis-

torted competition between European and non-European operators, as nonEuropean operators (such as the U.S., or Northern African, or Middle Eastern, operators) are now totally exempted from the EU ETS when flying to/from Europe. So from a purely operational point of view, the measure doesn't help us at all, whilst it provides a significant boost to our competitors…

Secondly it comes at a convenient time to help the Commission out of the predicament it found itself in late last year, when the so-called coalition of unwilling composed of a dozen of States threatened to wreak havoc on Community carriers and not to apply the EU scheme at all. Obviously that was a step too far for the Commission which anticipated the failure of the system and invented this last-minute candy to help negotiations proceed at ICAO level, without losing face. As I am speaking, the European Parliament is conditioning its approval to a clear reference in the text of the derogation about a return to the status quo ante in case of failure at the ICAO General Assembly in October to come up with tangible results. And fail it will, no need for a crystal ball to predict this.

Actually, what would have made some sense in all this is that the Commission, to help create a peaceful and serene climate (as it pretended it wanted to do by the way!) should have extended its derogation to the ensemble of the scheme, not just to international flights.

Member States would have probably accepted, as they have shown no real appetite to set up complex structures to monitor more than 3,000 operators. But the Commission fell short of this.

So the question is: what will happen?

Well, it's a mess, that is made even more messy now that the Commission is trying to impose a backloading to help raise the price of the permit which, at 5 , is not deemed to be satisfactory by the EU ETS initiators. Let's face it, the ETS system has lost all its credibility, and there's no way the

Commission will be able to revert to the previous situation after October this year when only little progress, if at all, will result from ICAO's work.

Rather, I anticipate that the Commission will seize any opportunity to pretend there was enough progress so as to warrant an extension of the exemption. But the European Parliament will not let go. So in a nutshell, I really can't predict what's going to happen with probably the worst piece of legislation any of us have seen in our lifetime.

But I'd like to conclude on the EU ETS with a more, perhaps, constructive note. IBAC, which stands for the International Business Aviation Council and is to Business Aviation what IATA is to Network Carriers, convened a meeting in late January with its constituents, the national or regional BusAv Associations. The goal was to delineate the contours of what an international acceptable Market-Based Measure, or MBM, could look like.

The good news is that we were able to draft an insightful position paper and are now widely distributing it to our partners and to ICAO Member States.

The not-so-good news is that after the creation of an ICAO High Level Group at the end of 2012 and the feeling there was finally some will from Member States to address the issue constructively, the sense is that this is painfully slow, so much so that some Member States' genuine goodwill to achieve anything meaningful is questionable. Yet individual schemes are multiplying across the globe. Australia, Japan, the EU obviously, and now even China, are all establishing schemes of their own for intra-flights. That's all good, but eventually that is laying the foundation for a nightmare scenario, whereby air transport would have to deal with a multiplicity of non-harmonised schemes. We're hopeful that good sense will prevail eventually and that our work with IBAC will contribute to a common, simple and fair, MBM and that it will sooner or later replace individual initiatives. Otherwise I'm afraid we can only see chaos and fragmentation ahead..

Obviously the slot allocation issue is a different animal. Its proposed recast stems from the incapacity in Europe to build new runways, or airports, and the gradually more severe constraints around the use of the existing infra-

structure. From a historical perspective, in the still current Reg. 95/93, there was nothing for non-scheduled operations. And we were not complaining about it, or let's say we were not as impacted in the past as we could be in the future. So there was a sort of Pax Romana, a treaty of non-aggression, between the Commission and BusAv operators as fully coordinated airports were just a handful, of no direct interest to BusAv operators, and too distant and/or too costly to operate to. But things are changing, and actually relatively quickly.

The recent events of London Luton and its shift from partially coordinated to fully coordinated airport illustrated very clearly to us that access to socalled secondary airports is at stake here. And we have done everything we could to challenge the more than questionable rationale of the Commission for a change of the Regulation which, as you might have guessed, is to squeeze out even more so non-scheduled operators from access to infrastructure.

Firstly, we have commissioned a study to show that the philosophical approach of the Commission to justify a recast was not only wrong, but it was dangerous. Banning regional feeders from secondary airports is simply nonsensical. Secondly, we have made concrete proposals to reword part of the initiative so that non-scheduled operators and their importance would be incorporated in any final text. And we have achieved this. The European Parliament took onboard no less than 5 important amendments we had suggested.

So what's next? It's difficult to say at this stage. As the slot recast was part of a broader package dubbed "Better Airports Package", its fate is awaiting decision on the initially dismissed Groundhandling initiative.

So the timeline has considerably protracted and before a new regulation is in place you should count at least another year, perhaps two. But the points I want to make are more general: Firstly, air transport policy should be a-political. It should be based on concrete impact assessments and pragmatic solutions should be sought. Not dogmatic ones. In this case, the Commission confounded the need to solve a real issue, i.e. the capacity wall, and the greedy temptation of taking a populist measure, i.e. prioritize passenger throughput Secondly, and even more generally, the number of amendments on the slot allocation text, and the dismissal of the groundhandling one, is testimony of the growing difficulties the Commission is facing in reforming the sector. The time of the pioneering work around the creation of a single air transport market is over. The last three big works in construction are the gradual replacement of the more than 3,000 bilateral air transport agreements signed by EU Member States into sets of comprehensive agreements with like-minded countries, the gradual shift of national safety to a pan-European safety policy, and the reform of the Air Traffic Management and its defragmentation. And that's it really!

In sum, we hav e a wond erful Business Aviation sector in Europe with modern, capable, clean and efficient aeroplanes, ready to act as an enabler for business as it strives to fight its way out of recession. Yet, as with other sectors in Europe such as energy generation, this magnificent potential engine for growth is being hobbled by misguided political leadership. So let's roll up our sleeves and join forces in fighting to allow b u s in es s aviation d eliver on its potential, that so many of those in Au thority in Bru s s els an d in National Capitals seem unable to see.

✈ BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013 - 31

PREVIEW

By Paul Walsh

I

t’s hard to believe that it’s already thirteen years since former EBAA CEO and current BART Publisher Fernand Francois and then NBAA President Jack Olcott put their heads together and decided that Europe needed a dedicated BizAv show on a scale similar to NBAA in the US. And yes, there were plenty of doubters at the time, but boy have those skeptics been proven wrong.

Indeed, nowadays, EBACE, which runs May 21-23 this year, seems like it has been around forever, playing an indispensible role in putting Europe on the map as one of the world’s top centers for Business Aviation. Last year, in the midst of economic uncertainty, EBACE drew in 12,638 attendees from over 99 countries. On top of this, 491 exhibitors were on hand, occupying 2,280 booth spaces, not to mention 60 aircraft on the static display, with a 10-percent increase in ramp space – making it the largestever EBACE static display.

We’ll have to wait and see whether the 2013 edition can beat last year’s success, but there are already signs that we’ve got another record breaker on our hands.

First off, we can expect some significant announcements, with perhaps the biggest coming from Pilatus, which is set to unveil its PC-24 twin jet, making its long-awaited foray into the world of business jets.

And if that isn’t enough reason to come to Geneva, don’t forget the other OEMs such as Dasssault, who will use the event to celebrate their 50th anniversary and may reveal some details about their SMS, which will be launched at NBAA in October. Expect the other manufacturers to have some surprises up their sleeves too, for instance Honda Jet may fly in with one of their models and we may catch another glimpse of Gulfstream’s G650.

SUSPENSE

Details on the Pilatus Jet PC-24 will be given on the very first day of EBACE 2013.

Education Away from the buzz of aircraft launches, EBACE2013 will hold three separate educational events starting out with a conference on international aircraft transactions for companies that want to buy or lease a business aircraft.

32 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

EBACE 2013

IT S THAT TIME AGAIN

Then there’s the EBACE Safety Workshop, developed primarily for professionals in the Business Aviation community in Europe, in an effort to provide critical information and training that is directly related to human performance. It’s worth noting that the EBACE Safety Workshop is neither aircraft nor manufacturer specific and will include information applicable to any aircraft flown.

And finally, the third annual EBACE Cabin Crew Symposium will address issues pertinent to passenger safety, on-board catering support and topnotch passenger service, and will offer a review of a real-life emergency that resulted in the successful evacuation of nearly 300 passengers.

Networking and Lobbying Like previous years, EBACE 2013 is also offering an important lobbying and networking dimension this year, allowing the industry’s best and brightest to brainstorm and address the challenges facing our industry.

“There are still a number of battles to win if we are to see business aircraft flight activities return to pre-crisis rates,” said Rodolfo Baviera, EBAA Chairman. “EBAA has established a set of key priorities aimed at removing growth barriers for our sector – be they financial or operational – in order to ensure that we can continue meeting the demand for efficient, secure, point-to-point business travel.”

One of the biggest challenges is illegal flights. But one positive development is that the EBAA is now working closely with European officials to develop more robust legislation to prevent and regulate illegal flight activity, and plans to steer a comprehensive impact assessment to illustrate the scope of illegal activities and the current difficulties for Member States to combat them efficiently.

Access to infrastructure is of course another big issue with the EBAA now battling to maintain the amendments voted on by the European Parliament in the final version of the slot recast, as well as pushing for a fundamental review of the way runway performance is addressed for Business Aviation in Europe.

Finally, in order to promote best practice, the EBAA is collaborating with the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), and aiming to finalize the development of an International Standard for Business Aviation Handling. The standard

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PREVIEW

BOLSTER

Rodolfo Baviera, Chairman (left) and Fabio Gamba, CEO (right) of the EBAA are leading the fight for Business Aviation recognition in Europe.

34 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

EBACE 2013 should give our sector the means to conduct its own quality and safety assessment of FBOs and ground handling, thus stimulating self-regulation from a top-down perspective, across the board.

“There’s always a ‘reaction period’ before such aeropolitical actions have a measurable impact on the bottom lines of the operators,” concluded Mr Baviera, “but helping decision-makers prioritize is particularly crucial in these tough times if the long-term resilience of the sector is to be preserved.”

Perhaps above all, the main point to be acknowledged and celebrated at EBACE 2013 is the role that Business Aviation plays in stimulating Europe’s economy.

Indeed as a report from Oxford Economics points out: “Each additional passenger flown on a Business Aviation flight generates the same GDP as nine business passengers on a scheduled flight. And contrary to popular belief, business aircraft are not solely reserved for wealthy individuals for private use. Instead, as one major aircraft operator estimated, 80% of these aircraft are used by corporations, including a quarter of the firms in the Eurostoxx-50 (the Eurozone’s 50 leading companies), and 20% of those in the DAX (the German equivalent).”

“This importance should be recognized in policy formulation,” says Fabio Gamba, EBAA CEO, “with legislators developing regulations and mechanisms that bolster Business Aviation activity in order to further stimulate the growth of our region, rather than ignore it as it was evidenced with the European Commission’s proposed recast on slot allocation, or penalize it as the Italian government has done by introducing a double tax on owners and passengers, resulting in dismal traffic figures in the country.”

In short, the fight for recognition continues, and the best way to show your support is to join the rest of the industry in Geneva this May.

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PREVIEW Bombardier is promising to showcase several, if not all of, its business jets at Geneva this year. Liz Moscrop looks at what s on offer.

A

START UP

Set to enter service in 2013, the Bombardier Learjet 75 (left).

Entry in service for Learjet 85 (right) is scheduled for 2014.

t the time of writing (mid March) Bombardier is set to bring ‘all – or as many of our product line as possible’ to Geneva in May. Indeed, Regional Vice President, Sales, Bombardier Business Aircraft Trevor Lambarth is set to arrive at EBACE a happy man.

He said: “There is a great deal of interest in our airplanes. I look forward to seeing how far we’ve come since last year.”

The Canadian airframer introduced two ‘new’ light jet types at the 2012 show. The 2,000nm range Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 look like enhanced versions of the smaller Bombardier 40XR and 45XR types. However, they fly further than their siblings and offer upgrades in the cabin, cockpit engines, and airframe. Set to enter service early this year 2013, both jets will feature the new Vision Flight Deck, which incorporates the Garmin G5000 digital avionics suite complete with synthetic vision.

The cabin offers a slick black and white interior inherited from the Learjet 85, including new seats and an advanced cabin management system with individual pop up touch screen monitors, plus full audio and video control. There is also LED lighting throughout, a large baggage area and a spacious galley.

36 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

EBACE 2013

BOMBARDIER REMAINS BULLISH FOR GROWTH

Increased engine power comes courtesy of a souped up Honeywell engine, the TFE 731-40BR, and both jets will offer an improved takeoff field length of less than 4,500ft, almost 200ft shorter than that of the 40XR. A new canted winglet design will improve aerodynamics, and the OEM says the Learjets will offer up to a nine per cent improvement in field performance, and a four per cent improvement in fuel efficiency.

The six passenger Learjet 70 can connect city pairs such as Chicago-Sao Paulo and Toluca-Minneapolis, while the 75 can fly four people from Los Angeles to Toronto or Mumbai to Bangkok. It will be able to handle a range close to 1,950 nautical miles carrying eight passengers.

At last year’s show Bombardier’s president of business aircraft Steve Ridolfi said that the OEM had garnered more than 50 firm orders and letters of intent for the two new types so far. The airframer is also offering a 600h inspection maintenance program with each new order. Who knows – we may even see an actual 75 at the show? Here’s hoping…

With certification and entry into service scheduled for next year, it is highly likely that Bombardier will also something to say about the Learjet 85.

The aircraft will be the first of its jets

to feature an all-composite structure, and will be the first all-composite structure business jet designed for type certification under FAR Part 25.

The OEM believes that the new structure allows designers to minimize drag, while improving performance and extending service life.

Other competitive advantages of composites include reduced structural part count and less vulnerability to corrosion or fatigue damage than metal.

The clean-sheet aircraft targets a highspeed cruise of Mach 0.82 and a transcontinental range of up to 3,000 nautical miles. The airplane will also feature the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics system, Pratt & Whitney 307B engines producing 6,100 pounds of thrust each, and a cabin management system designed

by Lufthansa Technik.

The largest Learjet ever produced, the 85 will have a stand-up cabin, and be able to carry eight passengers.

Priced at $20.76 million, it will compete with the Cessna Citation Sovereign.

The OEM will doubtless also show off its current flagship, the Global 6000 jet, on the static display. Formerly known as the Global Express XRS, the ultra long-range bizjet comes with a stand up cabin, which features an aft stateroom and optional stand-up show-

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PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

er. At the front end, the aircraft is equipped with the Global 6000 Vision cockpit based on Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion flight deck. Pro Line Fusion/Vision is the first avionics suite with a synthetic vision system (SVS) on a head-up display (HUD).

The HUD uses LCD projection, and replicates the detailed graphics needed for SVS rendering.

The Canadian OEM also has two new members of the family in development, the four zone cabin Global 7000, which has a 20 percent larger cabin than the 6000. It is scheduled for entry into service in 2016. Bombardier is The Challenger family is also a winner in Europe. The 850, for example, has the same sized cabin as a Global 6000, and is a less costly alternative to a Global for customers not requiring the range of the larger aircraft.

According to Lambarth, both the CL300 and the CL605 are popular with charter operators in the region.

He was bullish about financing aircraft and said that financial institutions have been “supportive” of the buying process and that “We have not lost a sale due to financing in the last year in Europe,” he added.

Lambarth added that he is excited about coming to EBACE. He conclud-

FAMILY

The Global 6000 (top), Global 7000 (center) and Global 8000 (bottom) are shaking up the market in the long range cabin segment.

also producing the Global 8000, which will feature a three-zone cabin, and is due to enter service in 2017.

The Global 7000 combines a large cabin with a 7,300 nm range and will be able to fly from Dubai to New York non-stop with 10 passengers on board.

Like the 5000 and 6000, both the 7000 and 8000 will be equipped with the Global Vision flight deck, based on the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics suite, and all will be essentially identical.

The manufacturer says that its new Global 8000 is slated to fly further than any other business jet, taking in city pairs such as Sydney-Los Angeles, Hong Kong-New York and MumbaiNew York non-stop carrying eight passengers and is due to enter into service in 2017. Like its smaller sister, the 8000 will feature the most up-to-date version of Bombardier’s recently certified Global Vision flight deck.

38 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

In the fifteen years since the Global came into service much has changed.

Connectivity being the key ‘must have’ today. Lambarth said, “Customers want to stay connected for their journeys, and WiFi is essential.”

ed, “There is a strong level of interest in all our widebodies here in Europe, and I look forward to connecting with our customers and meeting them at the show.”

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PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

CESSNA GEARS UP FOR EBACE

By LeRoy Cook

Never content to rest on its laurels, Cessna Aircraft has a plethora of new product developments and upgrades of existing models, many of which are certain to be featured in its EBACE exhibit. As the big show looms, we took the opportunity to summarize recent news from the Citation business jet company and report on the progress of coming aircraft. There is a lot to talk about.

UPGRADE

The Citation M2 is a welcome trade-up from the Cessna Citation Mustang.

Citation M2 The Citation M2, a reincarnation of the Citation CJ1 that is designed to provide a trade-up option for the Euro-popular Citation Mustang, is progressing toward certification and deliveries will begin in 2013. The M2 uses a Garmin G3000 cockpit suite instead of the Mustang’s G1000 panel, and FADECcontrolled 1,965 pounds-thrust Williams International FJ44-1AP-21 engines deliver more power than the Mustang’s PW600 turbofans.

The Citation M2 offers a maximum cruise speed of 400 knots true airspeed (741 kilometers per hour) and a range of 1,300 nautical miles (2,408 kilometers), operating from runways as short as 3,250 feet (991 meters) and it will be able to climb to 41,000 feet (12,497 meters) in 24 minutes. In both cabin comfort and performance, the M2 represents a welcome upgrade from the Mustang.

In addition to the M2, it’s no secret that Cessna has done market research on yet-another light jet to fit between the Mustang and XLS. Although no pre-EBACE hints were forthcoming, the inputs solicited from visitors to Cessna’s display at last year’s NBAA convention may be bearing fruit.

At the other end of the model spectrum, the Citation X (still stated as “Ten”, but no longer spelled as such) will, upon certification, retain its title as

40 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

the fastest civil jet, with Mach .935 capability. Now fitted with winglets, the upgraded Citation X has been given a G5000 panel and current cabin upgrades. Deliveries are expected in late 2014.

The Citation Sovereign has received similar upgrades, using Pratt & Whitney PW306D engines, and it now sports new winglets, both of which helped nudge its range to over 3,000 n.mi. The enhanced Sov has Garmin G5000 avionics and auto-throttles, and its cabin was given 37-percent more cooling and a wider aisle. With a head start on the enhanced Citation X, the upgraded Sovereign should begin deliveries in 2013.

Forthcoming Citation Models, In A Larger Size When it was first announced in late 2011, the mid-size Citation Latitude broke new ground for the Citation jet family. A larger-diameter fuselage will deliver a six-foot, flat-floor stand-up cabin height and extra width, giving the passengers a spacious in-flight working environment, enhanced by the Cessna Clarity(tm) fiberoptic data communication/entertainment cabin management system that is being used in all new and upgraded Citations.

Scarcely six months later, at EBACE 2012, Cessna announced the Citation Longitude program, an even-more-

ambitious long-range super-midsize jet.

Sharing the same fuselage cross-section introduced for the Latitude, the Longitude is targeted for a different mission; 4,000 nautical miles of range at Mach .82, easily enabling trips such as London to Dubai.

To get an update on the status of these game-changing airplanes, we spoke briefly with the Cessna program managers charged with bringing them to market, first with Ernie Krubsack, Latitude Program Manager. As of early 2013, he told us the Latitude was on track for its expected first flight in the first quarter of 2014. Tooling has been built and is being loaded with the first sub-assemblies to support test articles.

To be designated the model 680A, the Latitude will share the Citation Sovereign’s wing; balanced field length is expected to be 4,030 feet.

The Latitude’s range number, once targeted at 2,000 n.mi., is now expected to be 2,500 n.mi. The 17-foot-long cabin will seat seven or eight, depending on the side-facing couch configuration (single or double), with a belted lavatory seat bringing accommodations to as many as nine. Certified to 45,000 feet, with a 440-knot cruise speed, the Latitude will be able to reach FL430 in 28 minutes.

The powerplant choice for the Latitude is the new Sovereign’s Pratt & Whitney PW306D, capable of 5,700

pounds/thrust. At present time, its first deliveries are to begin in the last quarter of 2015. A substantial number of orders are already in hand for the airplane. Pricing is $14.9 million in 2011 dollars.

pounds/thrust. The maintenance plan will be on-condition to reduce operating cost. The Longitude’s longer cabin will feature two club-seating areas, but with a high-capacity galley and large lavatory, consistent with the

extended-trips mission. Schmitz was most proud of the walk-in aft baggage area that can be accessed in-flight, in addition to having external loading capability. Long journeys are expected to require more luggage and gear, which the area is designed to accommodate.

As with the Latitude, sales interest in the Longitude has reportedly been “very strong”; announced price in May 2012 is $25.999 million U.S., a very competitive number for the performance and cabin.

Cessna Service Centers Expand With the acquisition of Jet Aviation’s MRO facilities in Zurich and Dusseldorf, Cessna continues to enhance its European Citation Service Center presence. The Swiss and German service centers began operation on January 1. Hard on the heels of the construction of a Valencia, Spain Citation Service Center last year, Cessna has also

The Even-More-Ambitious Longitude Kevin Schmitz, Senior Program Manager guiding the Longitude’s development, reported that work is progressing through the wind tunnel evaluations. This testing is being used to validate the aerodynamic configuration and associated performance numbers. First flight is not expected until mid-2016, with initial deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2017. The Longitude’s designation will be the Model 880.

Cessna is holding to the airplane’s design targets of a 4,000-mile range at Mach .82, with a maximum speed of Mach .86, using Snecma’s Silvercrest high-efficiency engine with 11,000 bought Kinch Aviation Services on Robin Hood airport at Doncaster, U.K. to give it its first U.K. service center. With the existing Paris and Prague service centers, Cessna now has service options in nearly every region of the Eurozone.

As the Citation family grows, it’s obvious that Cessna intends to maintain its dominance in the business jet field. Now, with two larger-fuselage designs, Citations can fill every need.

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FRESH

The Citation Latitude (top) and Longitude (center): a new departure for the Citation Jet family. Cessna recently acquired Jet Aviation s MRO facilities in Dusseldorf (bottom).

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PREVIEW

By Paul Walsh

W

hen people think of Business Aviation, some mistakenly think of the luxury and leisure enjoyed by the top “one percent” of society. Then there are others who think Business Aviation means highpowered jets flying to all corners of the earth at close to the speed of sound.

This version is, of course, closer to the truth.

However, there is another side to the industry, one that gets much less attention. I’m talking of the armies of maintenance personnel, technicians and support staff who make Business Aviation happen on a daily basis.

Think of the spares managers on call 24/7, or the mobile teams ready to fix your aircraft in the shortest time possible.

In many ways these are unsung heroes and without them Business Aviation would grind to a standstill.

Certainly their jobs are more interesting and demanding then you’d think - OEMs, at least, are starting to take note. Indeed, many will tell you that there’s no point in trying to sell an aircraft unless you’ve got the right people in place to support it. On a REVIVING recent visit to Dassualt’s Customer The Falcon Service units in Paris, this emphasis 2000LXS allows was clearer than ever. access to more airports (top). EBACE FOCUS 2013 is a big year for Dassault, with Dassault Aviation Falcon the company celebrating 50 years of Spares at Paris making some of the world’s most eleLe Bourget gantly designed business aircraft, and (center). a lot more besides. There’s also the 42 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

EBACE 2013

DASSAULT STEPS UP CUSTOMER SUPPORT

small matter of the “SMS” business jet, which will be unveiled at NBAA this year.

But at EBACE 2013, if you go round to Booth 7090 you’re sure to hear plenty of information about Dassault’s recent activity. First of all there’s the Falcon 2000LXS, launched last year, and offering improvements on the Falcon 2000LX which it will replace in 2014. One of the main points is that the Falcon 2000LXS allows operators to access significantly more airports, thanks to its new full-length inboard slats Then there’s the 2000S; when certified it will have substantially improved performance specs than initially projected. An 18 month test program that lasted 350 flight hours over 150 flights

demonstrated better than expected low speed performance, in particular.

Landing distance at typical landing weight has been reduced to 2,315 feet (705 m), from 2,600 feet (792 m); approach speed, to 107 knots; and balanced field length, to 4,325 feet (1,318 m).

And the upgrades continue on Dassault’s certified portfolio of aircraft. For instance 7X customers can enjoy an in-flight phone and connectivity option offered in cooperation with OnAir, and available as a line-replaceable unit on new Falcon 7X aircraft.

Meanwhile in the Falcon 900 family, the Easy II flight deck option is becoming an increasingly popular upgrade. Since its certification in June of 2011, more than 40 Falcon 900EX and LX series aircraft have been retrofitted with EASy II and ten new Falcon 900LX aircraft have been delivered with the new flight deck. Fully onethird of the Falcon 900 EASy fleet is now equipped with EASy II, 75% of them in the US. Customer Service Focus But in spite of the big news surrounding these aircraft, one of Dassault’s big focuses at EBACE 2013 is on singing the praises of their customer support team, and with that in mind, Dassault recently brought BART on a tour….

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PREVIEW

Our first stop was Dassault Aviation Falcon Spares (DAFS), Paris, Le Bourget, an organization that operates at a 98% service level that can arrange an AOG part and ship it in less than 60 minutes. It all seems like good going to me - although Charles Wemaere, Dassault Falcon’s Spares Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa sees room for improvement.

“Getting beyond 98% is always the challenging part. In 2013 we want to hit 98.3%. So we’re reducing the number of dead-on- arrival-parts, which were 1.2% of parts deliveries in 2009, and are now down to 0.88%. Nowadays if a part is dead-on-arrival more than once, we scrap it.”

At DAFS you’ll also find a concerted effort to reduce the environmental impact of their activities. So forget about traditional wooden shipping crates, Dassault is now working with light but highly robust cardboard packaging.

The cardboard boxes offer up to fivefold weight reductions – translating into significant savings in shipping fees – without impairing packaging durability. The boxes also feature a removable side panel for easier accessibility and are 100% recyclable.

SERVICE

DAFS can arrange an AOG part and ship it in less than one hour.

The Global Picture Once we finish touring Dassault’s spares facility at Le Bourget we travel into the center of Paris, and meet with Jacques Chauvet, Dassault’s Senior VP for Worldwide Customer Service to get the bigger picture. “Operators need sophisticated, round-the-clock customer service support, so they’re

44 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

EBACE 2013 turning the manufacturers to provide it,” he says. “Since our customer service arm has such strong links with our colleagues on the manufacturing side, we can provide that extra reassurance.”

“Of course there are still challenges and I’ll admit, life was a little easier when 80% of the Falcon fleet was concentrated in the US or Europe. Now with aircraft spread all over the world, our teams need to be just as widely distributed.”

To put this in context we should note that in 2002, Dassault had $294 million worth of spares concentrated in Teterboro and Paris. Today they have over $740 million worth of spares spread across 13 different locations worldwide. As Chauvet says, “nowhere is considered remote anymore.”

Russia, for instance, is an important market. “We’ve had satellite team based in Vuckovo-3, Moscow for some time now. But with 50 Falcons currently operating in Russia there’s a need for a more permanent base so we’ve partnered with Avia group to build a $4 million facility at Sheremetyevo Airport Moscow, to serve Falcon 7X and Falcon 900 EASy Series aircraft.”

Chauvet also mentions China, where one of the company’s partners, API has quadrupled its warehousing capacity to cater for Falcon spares.

Again, this type of support is coming at the right time: last year Dassault tripled the number of Falcons based in China.

In spite of this expansion, it’s clear that operators still face tough economic times, which is probably why Dassault has conducted a series of price reviews. “Since the beginning of the year, we’ve cut the prices of over 14,000 rotables and high demand exchange parts. Indeed, we’ll now ship accompanying hardware for high demand rotables free of charge.”

Technology to the Rescue After a full briefing from Mr. Chauvet, we move to Dassault’s Technical headquarters at St. Cloud, Paris and learn an important lesson: improving customer service doesn’t just mean more spares and more personnel – technology helps too.

So, for those of you who think that aircraft support is all about turning wrenches and fiddling with wires; think again. At Dassault you’ll find some pretty sophisticated innovations that make life easier for operations departments and maintenance managers around the world.

The best example is the airborne health monitoring service known as FalconBroadcast, which sends out an email alert to an operator’s maintenance team, whenever an unscheduled maintenance event occurs in flight. The maintenance team can log onto the Falcon portal to access the detailed failure and maintenance reports. Usually they’ll be able to identify the root cause of the failure and get to work ordering the parts and tooling - all while the aircraft is still in the air.

"But there are other benefits too," Emmanuel Winer, Dassault's Program Manager for New Technologies, tells BART. "The system provides operators with an extraordinary amount of data, which over time is allowing us to make predictions about when particular issues are likely to arise. Soon we'll be able to help operators take preemptive measures, and deal with events before they really become problems."

So at EBACE 2013, we're going to hear a lot about Dassault's current programs and its 50th anniversary and who knows we might even get some glimpses of the new SMS program.

But don't forget the technicians!

Indeed, one of the Dassault's core messages this year is that without customer support, everything else they do would be impossible.

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PREVIEW

By Rick Adams

South American aircraft manufacturer Embraer continues to expand its production and support footprint in other continents and progresses on its new fly-by-wire Legacy 500 and 450.

EBACE 2013

EMBRAER EXPANDS GLOBALLY

W

hen talking to Ernest Edwards, President of Embraer Executive Jets, he optimistically told BART that customers were now back in the market and exploring options for aircraft replacement.

“Corporate profits and high-net-worth individuals are at record levels, which gives us confidence that the market has turned around,” he says. “In addition, economic uncertainties are beginning to abate, paving the way for more activity.”

POSITIVE

Legacy 500 (top).

Ernest Edwards, President Embraer Executive Jets is confident about the market.

Edwards notes that the various global financial crises around the world have been tough on all manufacturers, but the effect has been somewhat offset by growing activity in Asia Pacific, China, Latin America and the Middle East. “We also seeing increasing opportunities in Africa and Embraer is therefore increasing its presence there,” he says. “Even the North American market is improving.”

Over the next decade Edwards expects to see a demand for up to 9,300 business jets, valued at an estimated US$246 billion across all manufacturers. Embraer’s target is to capture a 20-25% market share of these expected deliveries.

46 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

Chief Financial Officer Jose Filippo recently reported that 2012 deliveries of executive aircraft matched the 99 deliveries of the previous year. Of these, 77 were categorized as “light jets” (29 Phenom 100 and 48 Phenom 300), and 22 as large jets (19 Legacy 650, 2 Lineage 1000 and one ERJ shuttle). This would account for approximately 15% of the roughly 700 current annual sales across all business aircraft manufacturers. “As is typical with the seasonality of this business, 53 of these jets were delivered in the last quarter of 2012,” said Filippo. “We are within guidance, but it’s important to have a better mix with the higher number of large jets.”

Embraer’s 2013 forecast calls for an increase in large jet deliveries, up to 25-30, and overall bizjet deliveries up to 105-120 aircraft.

“It’s still a very tough market out there,” Filippo told financial analysts.

“We are gaining market share, but there is a pricing pressure there for sure, at least on the segments from the Legacy 650 downwards - it’s a very tough market.”

“While there are still too many preowned aircraft on the market, prices are slowly rising, narrowing the gap between pre-owned and next-generation business jets,” said Edwards. “We have seen a shake-out in the industry, and that will increase stability.”

New Aircraft & New Facilities Embraer expects its market share to increase once the new midsize Legacy 500 and super light Legacy 450 models come on line – additions that will position Embraer as the only manufacturer with a full range of aircraft solutions.

“The Legacy 500 will be entering into service sometime in the first half of next year,” stated Embraer S.A. President and CEO Frederico Curado.

“As things are looking good, we are kind of resuming the sales efforts on that particular model, as well as the 450, which will come up one year later.”

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PREVIEW ROTOR

Embraer is exploring a joint venture with Agusta Westland to produce helicopters in Brazil.

OPERATION

The Legacy 450 (left) seats up to nine passengers.

Jackie Chan's Legacy 650 flies from Shanghai to Hollywood with just one refueling stop.

Embraer recently added a third, more mature prototype to the Legacy 500 flight test program, which will be used to test avionics, noise, electrical systems and the interior. The first two Legacy 500 prototypes had logged more than 120 hours through March.

When they debut, the Legacy 500 and 450 will be the smallest business jets to incorporate fly-by-wire flight controls. Although the FBW program is about a year behind the original schedule, this may work to Embraer’s advantage as the market appears to be just beginning to gain momentum.

Icing on the cake came when the Legacy 500 won its second consecutive annual Innovation Award from Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (FINEP), an organization of the Brazilian Ministry of Science of Technology.

To support the expected sales increase the company has been invest-

ing in new facilities and equipment around the world. Phenom 100 and 300 assembly is being performed in Melbourne (Florida), where the company has also broken ground on a third Embraer Engineering and Technology Center USA (the first outside Brazil). The US$26 million, 67,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in mid-2014 and accommodate up to 200 employees. The Embraer Executive Jets global customer center is also in Melbourne. Legacy 500 and 450 airframe structures and components are being manufactured in

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EBACE 2013

GOING VERTICAL? Embraer may soon be adding a rotary-wing component to its portfolio and are currently exploring a joint venture with Finmeccanica s AgustaWestland to produce helicopters in Brazil for the Latin American market. Analysis indicates strong potential not only for the offshore transport requirements of the oil and gas sector, but executive transport and military as well. This is an important step for Embraer as we continue expanding our business, says President/CEO Curado.

Portugal at two new facilities opened last year in the Evora area – Metálicas and Compósitos – expected to reach full capacity this spring.

In Harbin, China, where Embraer entered a joint venture arrangement 11 years ago with China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) to build ERC 135, 140 and 145 regional aircraft models for the Chinese market, production is transitioning to the Legacy 600 and 650 models (which are based on the ERJ 135 airframe). The first deliveries are expected toward the end of 2013. The 3,900-nm range

Legacy 650 can fly from the UK to New York, Dublin to Dubai, or, in the case of Embraer “ambassador” Hong Kong-born actor Jackie Chan, from Shanghai to Hollywood with just one refueling stop. The Legacy 650 has been certified for High Altitude Landing and Takeoff Operation (HALTO).

“These global investments demonstrate our commitment to being a lead player in the industry and our confidence in the future of Business Aviation,” Edwards said.

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PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

GULFSTREAM REDEFINES BUSINESS TRAVEL

By LeRoy Cook

A

STANDARDS

Gulfstream: a standard setter for business travel.

Savannah Service Center (top) G280 (center and bottom).

business aircraft must often fill a need that’s unmet by any other means of transport. The requirements of corporate travel simply aren’t satisfied by booking passage through the hub-and-spoke, hurry-up and wait, often-illogical routing of public transport. When the company has a problem requiring the presence of key individuals in a location far from airline connections, only the flexibility of a business airplane gets the job done.

For over 60 years, Gulfstream Aerospace has met the expectations of corporate travelers by matching airline performance, while permitting onboard conduct of business in a secure, restful environment. It has consistently set the standards by which business travel is defined. EBACE is one of the most important showcases for Gulfstream’s products, and it’s expected to be a highly visible participant at the 2013 show.

It’s been a great year for Gulfstream Aerospace. Two significant new products have entered service, the G280 super-midsize jet and the G650 ultralong-range transport. Both were well received and round out one of the most complete business aircraft lines in the industry.

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It’s worth noting that Gulfstream is entirely dedicated to Business Aviation; it does not make airliners or small aircraft, nor does it build military hardware, although its special-mission aircraft are used worldwide in governmental functions. This singleness of purpose has generated a customer loyalty that’s almost unique in the industry. In the minds of many owners, only a Gulfstream will do.

Product Range Gulfstream Aerospace offers the G150 mid-size, G280 SMS, G450 largecabin, G550 long-range and G650 wide-cabin models. The first two aircraft are produced in Tel Aviv, and the larger three are built in the U.S. at Savannah, Georgia. Gulfstream acquired Israel Aircraft Industries’ Galaxy Aerospace division in 2001, giving it entry into mid-size business jets.

The Gulfstream G150 was developed from IAI’s Astra SPX, initially rebranded the G100. Certificated in 2005, its cabin carries six to eight with stand-up headroom, with a choice of three interior configurations. Power is provided

by Honeywell TFE731-40AR engines, enabling a range of 3,000 n.mi.

The recently-certificated Gulfstream G280 was first designated the G250, in common with the improved G150, until cultural sensitivity advocated a change from a less-than-desirable number combination as viewed in some regions. The first G280 was rolled out in October, 2009; EASA certification was obtained on 7 February, 2013.

While the G280’s generous fuselage shares the heritage of the Galaxy/G200 predecessor, it is a considerably-improved airplane. The wing area was enlarged by more than a third, the horizontal tail was relocated to the top of the fin, and the cabin was stretched eight inches by removing an aft-fuselage fuel tank. The aircraft uses Honeywell HTF725-250G engines of 7,624 pounds/thrust, whose FADECenhanced performance gives a range of 3,600 n.mi. The cabin seats up to 10 and features a large lavatory and galley. Max cruise speed is Mach .85; with a takeoff weight of 39,600 pounds and 15,248 pounds of thrust, the G280 is a powerful performer.

The G280’s flight control system was extensively redesigned over the G200’s; a fly-by-wire rudder is incorporated and the ailerons are assisted by roll spoilers. The new wing uses no leading-edge devices and is de-iced with bleed-air instead of boots. The pressurization was boosted from 8.9 to 9.2 psi. The G280 has the latest PlaneView 280 avionics suite, based on Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion system with three 15-inch LCD displays.

The G450 large-cabin Gulfstream began as the GIV, became the G400, and in 2004 was extensively upgraded as the G450. Its Rolls-Royce Tay 6118C engines give it a cruise speed of up to Mach .88, ranging out to 4,350 n. mi. The G450’s expansive cabin can accommodate 12 to 16 passengers and is the reason the aircraft is widely used for international operations.

First certificated as the GV in 2003, the long-range Gulfstream G550 can be configured for as many as 18 passengers and can carry eight passengers and four crew on trips up to 6,750 miles in length. The G550 has a max cruise of Mach .885 and is certificated to 51,000 feet, powered by Rolls-Royce BR710 engines.

Flagship G650 Gulfstream’s wide-cabin ultra-longrange flagship, its G650, currently boasts the fastest max operating speed of civil production aircraft at Mach .925. Its enlarged fuselage differentiates it from earlier Gulfstreams, but it can fly 7,000 n.mi. at Mach .85, or 6,000 n.mi. at Mach .90. Following the Avalon 2013 show, the G650 display aircraft flew non-stop from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi, a distance of 6,329 n.mi., in 13 hours, 5 minutes, posting an average speed of Mach .87.

The G650 shares the G550’s maximum operating altitude of 51,000 feet, but with greater pressurization to allow a 4,850 cabin altitude at that extreme height. At 41,000 feet, the cabin is effectively at 3,300 feet. The improved pressurization promises less fatigue on 12hour extended-range flights. Over a 6,000 n.mi. mission, the G650 arrives a full 40 minutes earlier than the G550. At the maximum takeoff weight of 99,600 pounds, its balanced-field length is 5,858 feet. The G650 is powered by Rolls-Royce BR725 engines of 16,100 pounds/thrust and features an advanced PlaneView II cockpit with four 14-inch displays.

The G650 broke new ground when it was announced in 2008, with a cabin 14-inches wider and 3 inches taller than earlier Gulfstreams and with windows over 15-percent larger. Its wing is not only nearly a meter longer in span than the G550’s, it has six degrees more sweep angle. The market readily accepted the G650, with over 200 orders in hand before final certification on September 7, 2012, despite the US $65-million equipped price tag.

After five years of development, is the G650 to be the ultimate Gulfstream? Hardly, from all indications. The company has already trademarked several additional G-prefixed number combinations, in anticipation of an expanding family of Gulfstreams.

Shortening the G650 fuselage tube to bring the wider cabin into a mid-range market is one topic of speculation, and Gulfstream has announced successful research into a “Quiet Spike” extendable nose that promises to soften sonic booms. As always, we recommend that you stay tuned for further developments.

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LEADER

The G650 boasting the fastest max operating speed of any certified civil production aircraft.

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PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

BEECHCRAFT BOUNCES BACK

The new, leaner Beechcraft Corp is also seeing increasing interest from just about every global market: South America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, China, and Australia, where Beechcraft already owns a better than 50% market share. The only region Vick characterized as “challenging” is Europe, where he said “the turboprop market is slowly beginning to thaw.”

By Rick Adams

HOMECOMING

Beechcraft returns to its non-jet roots; Sean Vick, Executive VP Sales and Marketing (top left), company headquarters, Wichita Kansas (top right), King Air production (center).

A

long with the Hawker name to return to its non-jet roots, Beechcraft has shed debt and bankruptcy oversight. As a consequence, its customer base is responding with enthusiasm.

Beechcraft Corporation is basking in booking and delivery rates for new aircraft which they have not seen in close to five years. After emerging from bankruptcy reorganization on February 15, 2013, the former Hawker Beechcraft is benefitting both from pent-up demand for piston and turboprop aircraft and the renewed confidence of a better balance sheet.

52 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

Shawn Vick, Executive VP Sales & Marketing for Wichita, Kansas-based Beechcraft told BART, “We are on a trajectory to approach pre-economic downturn levels of activity in the first quarter.” He added “Surprisingly so, given what one reads in the daily press, the U.S. market is very active.”

Vick cited a “consistently moderate improvement” in the American economy, higher corporate earnings, and cash that’s been parked on the sidelines as some of the conditions enabling corporations and owner-operators to finally start buying aircraft again. Might this be a sign of the Business Aviation market recovery that many in the industry have been cautiously predicting each of the past 4-5 years?

New Owners, New Board, and Debt Slashed Beechcraft’s timing may be fortuitous in getting its fiscal house in order as the market finally rebounds.

By contrast, predecessor Hawker Beechcraft’s timing could not have been worse. In a 2007 leveraged buyout from Raytheon by Goldman Sachs and Onex Partners, HBC took on $2.5 billion in debt just prior to the ‘Great Recession’ in the US, during which the business aircraft market shrunk by about half. Faced with the market’s “worst turndown in history,” Vick explained, the debt load was “simply too much” to sustain through the new reality.

HBC trimmed its workforce from 12,000 to fewer than 6,000 employees, brought in as CEO Robert S. “Steve” Miller, dubbed the ‘Turnaround Kid’ for his role with Chrysler and Gulfstream, restructured the debt, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization last May. The new Beechcraft carries only $600 million in debt, or one-quarter of

the previous burden, and is privately owned: about 80% by a consortium of hedge funds, about 20% by bondholders, unsecured creditors and the U.S. federal government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.

Touch-screens & SVS for King Airs The go-forward product line for Beechcraft includes the Baron and Bonanza piston-driven entry-level aircraft, the twin-engine King Air turbo-

ed by the end of 2013 and entry into service in early 2014, according to Rockwell Collins.

Synthetic vision is also being offered as a separate upgrade on all Pro Line 21-equipped King Air 200/300 series

Bill Boisture, who had segued into a role as chairman of the operating subsidiary during restructuring, has returned as Beechcraft’s top executive. Miller is now a senior advisor to the all-new Board of Directors, which is led by Robert “Bob” Johnson (former President & CEO of Honeywell Aerospace) and includes such diverse leaders as Gen. Donald G. Cook, retired four-star US Air Force commander of the Air Education and Training Command, and Gideon Argov, former CEO of high-tech manufacturing products supplier Entegris.

prop series, the military T-6 trainer and AT-6 light attack models.

Beechcraft has an installed base of 6,000-plus King Air 90/100, 200/250 and 300/350 models worldwide. Vick deemed them “second to none” in terms of reliability, payload capacity, and the ability to land on short and unpaved fields.

They are especially excited about the new easy-to-manage primary flight display (PFD) – Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion – their first touch-screen PFD in the Business Aviation market.

Fusion features a large-format, landscape-orientation, interactive display.

A synthetic vision system (SVS) is standard with Fusion, as well as a graphical flight management system (FMS) that enables eyes-forward flying and will enhance the pilot’s situational awareness.

Vick said the interactive touchscreen is “intuitive” and should appeal to a new generation of younger pilots who have grown up with smart phones and tablet computers. “This is a familiar environment for the people coming up, and will make acceptance and transition easier.” He also noted the new technology should aid sales in techsavvy markets outside the western hemisphere.

Fusion will be available as an aftermarket option for in-service King Air Pro Line 21-equipped aircraft.

Fusion flight testing began in October 2012, certification is expect-

aircraft. Graphical 3-D simulated terrain is superimposed on the PFD, providing a ‘clear day’ type image in the cockpit, regardless of weather conditions. The SVS entered service in March.

Certificates for Sale Despite dropping the Hawker part of the name, Beechcraft will retain aftermarket support and upgrades of the entire out-of-production Hawker 125 mid-size business jet series: Hawker 400, 700, 750, 800, 850 and 900. These represent “a very large installed base, and are a very good business,” Vick said.

For sale are the type certificates, designs, tooling, equipment and associated rights for two models in production suspension: the Hawker 4000 super mid-size jet, fully certified in 2010, and the Premier (Hawker 200) light jet. Vick indicated that interested buyers, of which there is a handful, need to be “well capitalized and able to take care of the installed base.”

Clean-sheet SETP to come?

When might we see a new aircraft design in the Beechcraft portfolio?

The company won’t commit to building a clean-sheet single-engine turboprop. But they have begun asking the customer base, via independent, thirdparty research. “We’re focused on listening to the marketplace,” Vick stated. “Our installed base is remarkably loyal and very pragmatic. Many are not only owners, they are the pilots too. Some of them have 30 years of ownership, and their input is important and valuable.”

Vick said Beechcraft is conducting “a very robust investigation around a new single-engine turboprop,” including input on payload and price points.

They will be discussing “product strategy alternatives” at major airshows in 2013 to arrive at an “informed decision sometime around the end of 2013 or early 2014,” but are not yet ready to put a stake in the ground on when – or even if - they’ll announce a new SETP. The Beechcraft EVP did indicate the company’s strategic plan includes “significant R&D budgetary dollars.”

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SPACE

The King Air 350i has a baggage compartment of 71.3 cubic feet, which is heated, pressurized and fully accessible in flight.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013 - 53

PREVIEW Liz Moscrop looks forward to the next installment of the light jet s story

O

bviously it would be crazy to stick my neck out and say HondaJet will bring an actual aircraft to EBACE. It’s early March at the time of writing and the Greenboro, N.C. manufacturer says it’s ‘too early to say much’ about its plans for Europe’s Business Aviation extravaganza.

However, the HondaJet will be one of the most eagerly anticipated visitors to Geneva – either in mock-up or actual form. The $4.5 million light jet evolved from a research project that started in 1986 as an all-composite fuselage; featuring an over the wing mounted engine, and a forward-swept wing. As the MH02 it first flew in 1993.

SMOOTH

The Honda Jet s wing mounted engine means a quieter cabin with fewer vibrations.

Honda Jet CEO Michimasa Fujino (bottom).

Fast-forward a decade and the first version of today’s prototype was flying.

Now set for certification this year, the latest published stats indicate that the five passenger light jet will have a range of 1,180 nautical miles, and a ceiling height of 43,000 feet.

According to the OEM, the aircraft will also be 15 to 20 percent more fuel and speed efficient than its competitors.

How can that be? Well, its carbon fiber snub-nosed fuselage is fused to thin natural laminar flow metal wings, and then there are those over wing engines. The company says that this produces more speed, and benefits travelers in the back, since the quieter cabin produces fewer vibrations than others in its class.

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EBACE 2013

HONDA JETS INTO EBACE

Indeed, the industry has looked favorably on the newcomer. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) presented designer and company CEO Michimasa Fujino with its prestigious Aircraft Design Award last year. The trophy honors a design engineer or team for the conception, or development of an original concept. The recognition came for “pioneering the unique optimum Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration that reduces wave drag and increases the wing’s drag divergence Mach number, thus increasing the aircraft’s performance and fuel efficiency.” By eliminating the engine support structure from the fuselage, it is also possible to maximize cabin and luggage space without increasing the size of the aircraft.

An AIAA spokesman said, “This unique OTWEM significantly increases cruise efficiency and, at the same time, maximizes cabin space without increasing the size of the aircraft.”

During the aircraft’s development, Fujino published several technical papers on theoretical design methods and experimental results to prove his unique concept. He also contributed to AIAA by presenting several lectures at universities and industry conferences.

He said, “The award is the highest honor, and I am honored by this recognition. I am so glad that HondaJet’s unique technology is acknowledged as a significant technological advancement for aircraft

design.” Past recipients of the trophy include Joseph Sutter for the Boeing 747, Harry Hillaker for the F-16, Burt Rutan for the Voyager, and Leland Nicolai for AGM-129/ACM. At last year’s NBAA show, Honda stated that its next milestones are US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval and delivery of its first model.

It has always said that it is concurrently pursuing European Aviation Safety Agency certification alongside the FAA ticket.

The Japanese manufacturer has already ramped up its production schedule. According to Fujino, the first customer aircraft was in production last October. He said, “An assembly line is in place, major aircraft components including the fuselage and wing have been produced, and we have started assembly of the first customer aircraft.” There are now more

than 600 staff at the huge 83-acre 500,000 sq. ft. campus, which should eventually be capable of building 70 to 100 aircraft each year. There is already a two-year waiting list for the jet.

Key suppliers include GE Honda Aero Engines, which produces the 2,050 lb HF120 engines; Garmin for the G3000 cockpit; and Emteq, which has developed the “SkyPro” HD inflight entertainment and cabin-management system, featuring Audio/Video on Demand, an interactive 3-D moving map, plus an exterior camera and wireless cabin control of lighting. There are also monochromatic window shades at each seat, which passengers can control with their own personal electronic devices.

For the interior Honda has so far showed one configuration, which is a side-facing seat opposite the entry door, then club-four seating and an aft-cabin enclosed toilet. There is of course scope to change this, including switching the single seat for a small galley or credenza, or moving the rear pair of the club four to an all-forward facing layout. The OEM is initially offering five different color schemes, which it is producing virtually for customers to see.

There is already a network of dealers in place to sell HondaJets. In addition, Honda will open a $20 million maintenance, repair and overhaul center this year on its North Carolina campus. The company also plans to put its complete HondaJet parts catalog on the Internet.

Meanwhile FlightSafety International is developing a Level-D full-motion flight simulator for HondaJet. The first simulator will be

installed at the company's headquarters, and a European location will be announced in the future. Fujino said, "Europe is one of the world's fastest growing markets for light jets and we have a great number of customers who have contacted us over the past two years about owning a HondaJet." Sales agents in Europe are TAG Aviation in the UK for customers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

Rheinland Air Service in Germany serves Central Europe for customers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Lastly, Madrid’s Aviastec will accommodate the needs of customers from Spain, Portugal, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

There have been a few snags en route to certification. The engines initially failed ice-ingestion tests, forcing a costly redesign, both in financial and time terms. This set the program back at least a year. The HF120 eventually passed the ice slab test in August 2011. However, Fujino was unfazed. He said, “Our commitment to deliver the best possible product that will bring new value to the aviation remains. We have taken the necessary time and effort with the HondaJet program to do it right and give our customers the finest product with the best ownership experience.”

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EASE

The Honda Jet cockpit is fitted out with Garmin G3000 avionics and gives pilots more space and visibility and fewer intrusions.

Honda Jet model F2 (center) in Honda hangar.

FlightSafety s full-motion LEVEL-D SIM (bottom).

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PREVIEW

By Paul Walsh

W

ith Business Aviation leading the way to a globalized and multicultural world economy, executives know that cultural sensitivity and flexibility are crucial when breaking into new and unknown markets.

At EBACE this year we’ll see plenty of evidence that globalization is affecting flight training too. Here, however, life is simpler mainly because there’s only one culture that matters in the cockpit, and that’s a safety culture.

FlightSafety International’s (Booth 431) training center in Farnborough is a perfect example of this. Taking in pilots from across the globe, with a range of different cultural outlooks and educational backgrounds, the center boasts a multinational instructor base, with trainers coming from countries such as Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and South Africa.

EBACE 2013

FLIGHT TRAINING FOR A GLOBALIZED WORLD

Closer to home in Teterboro, expansion is going on too. Indeed, FlightSafety’s Teterboro center is to be renovated and expanded with work scheduled to begin this spring and to be completed early in 2014.

In a new wing there will be facilities for flight crew emergency training, including a pool and other specialized equipment. On top of that, the center will have eight full flight simulator bays, MATRIX equipped classrooms, debriefing areas, facilities for Graphical Flight-Deck Simulators, as well as customer service and office areas.

WORLDWIDE

Flight Training is going global: Pilatus PC-12NG s simulator at FlightSafety s Dallas/ Fort Worth Learning Center, FlightSafety s partnership with NAC in South Africa (center left), FlightSafety s training center at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (center right).

However, when a pilot steps into the cockpit, his background and nationality aren’t important anymore, and he can expect to be trained to a uniform standard, which he either measures up to or doesn’t.

At the same time, FlightSafety International is an excellent example of the growing internationalization of the industry. Just recently, the company recognized National Airways Corporation, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a FlightSafety Maintenance Training Center.

Through NAC, FlightSafety will now offer training for Pratt & Whitney Canada engines in South Africa and the surrounding region.

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As part of the agreement, FlightSafety is providing NAC with courseware and MATRIX training equipment that includes a Graphical FlightDeck simulator, Desktop simulator for classroom instruction, training engines, and specialty tools.

NAC instructors will be trained and qualified by FlightSafety, and will also receive approval from aviation regulatory agencies as required. Through this agreement NAC will begin with an initial offering of “Line and Base” courses for maintenance training on the PT6A, and PW100 series of Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, on behalf of FlightSafety.

CAE s Mission Based Focus If global expansion is one trend in flight training, an increasing emphasis on mission based flight training is another.

At CAE (Booth 372), Walter Visser, Vice President and Managing Director, Emirates/CAE Flight Training, notes, “It’s all about speaking to our customers and seeing what they want.

Operators and airlines want us to influence the behavior of their pilots, and we can do that by focusing on unusual and surprising missions.”

Visser adds that CAE’s recurrent program involves around 20 real-case scenarios, chosen to challenge and stimulate pilots.

“We push our pilots to imagine themselves facing situations that actually happened. The instructor sets up the scenario and asks the pilots what they would do. When you see this in the classroom, it’s very dynamic and open-ended. Pilots will be debating whether you should do this or do that and so on. Many of them will say, “go to the checklist,”

ly offer at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy flight school programs, in cooperation with Aviation Performance Solutions (APS).

The UPRT program is all about honing the manual flying skills of pilots, teaching them to recognize, avoid and effectively recover from stalls, airplane upsets and a range of other unusual attitude situations.

ness aircraft training programs,” said Paul BJ Ransbury, President of APS. “Pilots of all skill levels can be taught how to recognize, assess, avoid and, if necessary, recover from escalating flight conditions that could lead to loss of control in-flight.

As part of CAE’s Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL) program, APS has begun training CAE Oxford Aviation Academy cadets and instructors.

Ground school and in-flight training using Extra 300L aircraft take place at APS’ school at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (the former Williams Air Force Base) in the United States. Simulator instruction is in CAE’s ERJ-145 full-flight simulator (FFS) located at an Arizona State University campus, also at PhoenixMesa Gateway Airport.

Beginning in 2013, upset training will be provided in Mesa to more than 200 cadets and instructors annually. CAE and APS plan to offer the UPRT program to cadets and instructors at other CAE Oxford Aviation Academy ab initio flight schools

which is always a good place to start.”

Visser gives an example of an aircraft that was 37,000 feet over a US city, when the windshield cracked.

“The natural instinct is to put the aircraft on the ground before the windshield disappears. But the pilots didn’t realize that the aircraft had a two ply windshield, so it still had some integrity. The pilots actually had a little time, they didn’t have to call traffic and get everybody out of the way.”

“A little detail like that can make all the difference. The decision to land means dropping altitude fast, and you could have people in the back with sensitive heart conditions. The point for is when we discuss something like this in the classroom it really sticks in the pilot’s minds. ” Also, cases like this are online all year round, so if pilots want to refresh they can. They get a different set of cases when they come for their next recurrent, “we keep them constantly challenged and don’t like to go over old material.”

At EBACE this year, CAE will also be speaking about the Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) training which they current-

“The program CAE is delivering to cadets and flight instructors is a proven approach to reducing the potential threat of loss of control inflight,” said Jeff Roberts, CAE’s Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services.

“Graduates will not only understand the theoretical concepts of stalls and loss of control, they will develop confidence through the practical experience of recovering their aircraft safely.”

“APS all-attitude, all-envelope upset training exposes pilots to ‘edge of the envelope’ situations which are not part of typical commercial or busi-

worldwide, including Europe this year and other Academy locations based on market conditions.

By the way, if you think that initiatives like these are coming from regulators such as EASA and the FAA, you’re wrong; rather companies like CAE and FlightSafety International are leading the way, and as is often the case, it’s the regulators who are playing catch up. If you’d like to learn more, visiting CAE and FlightSafety International at EBACE is always a good place to start.

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SUCCESS

CAE and Emirates have just celebrated 10 years of successful operations in Dubai (left).

CAE now offering Upset Recovery and Prevention Training at CAE Oxford Academy (right).

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PREVIEW As ever EBACE plays host to some of the most exciting design and interiors houses around. Liz Moscrop rounds up a few of the best.

T

EBACE 2013

INTERIORS MAKE THE GRADE

he thing that makes a business jet really special is the interior.

After all a VIP cabin has to fulfill several functions. Not only must it enable its passengers to work easily, it also has to be supremely comfortable for people with high-octane business lives, who are constantly on the move.

It takes time and dedication to become a major player in the rarified world of private jet completions.

However some of the familiar names appear at EBACE time and time again. The reason? They are master craftsmen and women and their facilthe Airbus A350 aircraft, both of which will contain a significantly higher percentage of composites than current airliners. Jet Aviation also has a center in St. Louis, which took delivery of its first Boeing Business Jet in February, with a second scheduled for this spring. Both aircraft will have maintenance and minor interior upgrades performed.

LONGSTANDING

Open since 1977, Jet Aviation Basel employs an on-site team of over 800 professionals.

Meanwhile Lufthansa Technik is now undertaking its second VIP Boeing completion in Hamburg.

ities have long waiting lists. In order to achieve such a sophisticated level of customization and quality, much of the delicate work is done by hand.

State of the art cabin management systems and aircraft sound and noise levels are also critical. Passengers today will want to deliver and work on presentations on the move. When it’s time to relax they’ll also be looking to watch “Skyfall” in HD on a large flat screen with surround sound. There is also constant demand for on board galleys with – as one industry source put it: “room to prepare a huge variety of international cuisine. That could be anything ranging from falafel, chorizo, or hummus platters, to cooked burgers and breakfasts. All in quick time in a small space.”

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Jet Aviation Today’s top houses can fill those requirements. Indeed, staff from one of the world’s best completions centers will not be traveling far for the show. Jet Aviation Basel has earned a reputation for excellence. Open since 1977, the facility offers highly customized, high-quality interiors that attract clients from all over the world.

With an on site team of over 800 professionals, the center has become one of the world’s largest organizations in the VIP and business aircraft completions field since 1977.

The Basel team can outfit airliners in VIP configurations, as well having the capability to equip more than 120 Falcon aircraft types. It also offers completions for the Boeing 787 and

Lufthansa Technik Another giant in the completions arena is Lufthansa Technik (LHT).

The firm’s VIP & Executive Jet Solutions Division is now undertaking its second VIP Boeing 747-8 completion in Hamburg. Fingers crossed they can give details at the show. The press release in December promised “a unique cabin interior and a state-of-the art in-flight entertainment & cabin management system.”

LHT Hamburg is now working on three widebody and one narrowbody aircraft completion. Its US-subsidiary BizJet International focuses on narrowbody aircraft, and plans to open a fourth line in the first half of 2013.

Thanks to its partnership with Airbus in the ACJ318 completion program, BizJet says there are “just a few free slots are left until mid 2014.”

Walter Heerdt, SVP Marketing & Sales explained: “ The current projects give us a sound capacity utilization

until end of 2014, and we have some promising talks with potential customers to utilize our capacities also beyond this date.”

CONTRACT

Comlux (top) recently won a maintenance and cabin upgrade contract for two BBJs.

Gore Design Completions San Antonio, Texas-based Gore Design Completions (GDC), meanwhile, recently delivered an Airbus 320-200 for a returning head of state

customer. With a private stateroom and lavatory, the A320-200 also housed an executive office, conference room, and staff seating area. Owner and president Kathy Gore-Walters was the chief designer on the project. GDC’s first project for the same customer was a Boeing 767 completed in 2008.

Gore-Walters said: “It is the ultimate compliment when a customer returns to GDC with another aircraft interior modification.” The FAA recently awarded the company Organization Designation Authorization. This means it can issue FAA certification approvals at its facility.

Lou Martin Associates Neighboring San Antonio firm Lou Martin Associates may not kit out the whole aircraft cabin, but what it does, it does well. Renowned in the industry for producing mechanical and manual window shade systems, the firm has been in business for 33 years. The company is an EBACE regular and well worth paying a visit to see how window lighting affects a passenger’s journey.

Flying Colours Corp Canada’s Flying Colours Corp, is also becoming a force to be reckoned with.

The company recently delivered the latest of its Challenger 300 aircraft pro-

jects to German air charter operator, FairJets. Maintenance work on the aircraft began in September 2012 and included a full 96-month heavy maintenance inspection. In addition the aircraft was given a full make over including new exterior paint and interior refurbishment. The aircraft has already re-entered the FairJets’ fleet and is one of the many aircraft available for charter flights via the German operator. The project was the second aircraft that Flying Colours worked on for FairJets.

Flying Colours achieved Bombardier Authorized Service Facility status in October 2012 for the full range of maintenance services for Bombardier Challenger 300, 604, 605 and 850 models at both its Peterborough, ON, Canada and JetCorp Technical Services, St Louis, Missouri, USA locations.

Comlux Another big hitter going from strength to strength is Comlux. Late last year Boeing awarded its US based completion center the maintenance and cabin upgrade contract for two BBJs. The maintenance program includes VIP interior removal and refitment with structural modifications, interior refurbishment and also a complete IFE/CMS upgrade.

David Edinger, CEO said: “We are extremely proud to be selected by The Boeing Company. It was a tough competition and we have managed to demonstrate that our full in-house capabilities - engineering, certification, design, maintenance and production shops- make the difference.”

The OEMs, too, for the most part have their own in-house completions shops. With so much on offer at the show, anyone wishing to embark on a new refurb or green project will be spoiled for choice in Geneva this spring.

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STYLE

Gore Design s 787 design concept (center left), Flying Colours, a recognized expert in Bombardier Challenger completions (center right).

Lou Martin Associates expertise is in mechanical and manual window shades (below).

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PREVIEW

By Steve Nichols

The very latest in avionics will once again feature at EBACE in Geneva, the premier annual meeting place for the European Business Aviation community. Last year more than 12,000 attendees from 99 countries around the world walked the halls and this year will probably be similar. So in terms of avionics, what do some of exhibitors have in store?

EBACE 2013

AVIONICS OEMS DRIVE INNOVATION AT EBACE

Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) (Booth 1943) says it will promote its SmartDeck® integrated avionics suite and PilotView® electronic flight bags CMC’s third-generation SureSight® CMA-2700 Sensor for Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) operations was certified by Transport Canada, the FAA and EASA as an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) for head-up display on Bombardier Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft equipped with the Bombardier Vision Flight Deck.

Finally, the company’s multi-channel CMA-2200SB (SwiftBroadband) Intermediate Gain Antenna has obtained FAA certification. CMC successfully completed the Boeing B737 ecoDemonstrator program featuring this antenna.

HI-TECH

Esterline CMC Electronics (top) will promoting its Smartdeck avionics suite at EBACE, while Garmin will be promoting its G1000 (left) retrofit among other options.

(EFB), IntegriFlight™ CMA-5024 highintegrity aviation WAAS GPS receiver, SureSight® enhanced vision system (EVS) sensors, and intermediate-gain satcom antenna.

The SmartDeck avionics suite was selected recently by Cobalt Aircraft Industries as standard on the new Co50 single-engine executive aircraft.

The first Co50 prototype is entering the initial phases of its development flight test program.

From the SmartDeck’s pilot-oriented integration of navigation, communication, surveillance, electronic charts and moving map functions, to its Synthetic Vision, the CMC avionics suite delivers a high level of function-

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ality and situational awareness that make flying easier and safer. Its advanced architecture supports scalability to various types of aircraft.

CMC’s latest generation PilotView® Electronic Flight Bags feature display enhancements, such as dual touch capability and a powerful processor that seamlessly enables a wide range of advanced software applications.

Certified for Class 2 and Class 3 usage, PilotView® is the electronic flight bag preferred by OEMs. More than 30 STCs are available for the PilotView EFB on aircraft ranging from the Gulfstream GlV/GV, the Bombardier Challenger and Global Express/XRS, to the Boeing 737.

Garmin This year Garmin (Booth 959) will be displaying the G5000, G1000 retrofit, G600 and GTN series. The G1000 retrofit is now available for the King Air series (C90, 200, 300, 350), and for the CitationJet and the TBM 700. In addition, Garmin has a G950 retrofit that is now available for the Citation 501 and the Piper Meridian. Soon, the G950 upgrade will also be certified for the Twin Commander and Beech 1900D. The company will also have the G3000 on display. This is the touchscreen controlled integrated flight deck for Part 23 turbine aircraft.

In addition, it will be showcasing Garmin’s datalink services. Many Garmin displays and integrated flight

decks can now display worldwide weather that informs pilots of METARs, TAFs and winds aloft around the globe, with an optional GSR 56 transceiver. Radar and satellite imagery are also available through this service for the United States, Southern Canada, Western Europe and Australia.

Honeywell Visitors to Honeywell’s booth (Booth 487) will hear about the company’s latest cockpit solutions including EASy II, Primus Epic and Foxtrot upgrades.

Available today as both forward-fit and retro-fit on selected Embraer, Gulfstream, Dassault, Cessna, Hawker and AgustaWestland aircraft, the Primus Epic cockpit features scalable liquid crystal flat panel displays.

Primus Epic improves safety and situational awareness for pilots with functionality that includes Graphical Flight Planning (GFP), INAV for simultaneous display of traffic, terrain, airspace, airways, airports and navigation aids, and SmartView synthetic vision, which uses location data from Honeywell’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Database (EGPWS) to display a graphical representation of surrounding terrain on Epic’s Primary Flight Display (PFD).

Honeywell will also showcase its EASA-certified Ovation Select cabin management system, which provides passengers with seamless in-flight connectivity and content streaming via satellite, as well as full High-Definition video and audio for home cinema-standard in-flight entertainment. The Ovation Select system, which has FAA Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) for Bombardier Global Express, Dassault Falcon 900, Boeing Business Jet, Gulfstream G550 and Embraer 650 aircraft, is built on an all-digital architecture and Ethernet backbone to reduce installation time and enable a system-wide self-diagnostic health monitoring and troubleshooting capability.

Visitors to Honeywell’s booth will also learn about the company’s regional services, support and partnership network, including Honeywell’s Maintenance Service Program (MSP), Avionics Protection Plan (HAPP), Auxiliary Power Unit Maintenance Plan (AMP) and Global Data Center (GDC).

Rockwell Collins Rockwell Collins (Booth 423) will be showcasing its full suite of avionics systems for business aircraft, including Pro Line Fusion, which entered into service within the last year, and Pro Line 21, which is available as an upgrade to its Pro Line 4 avionics and as a major overhaul to other flight decks. Both systems display future airspace capabilities such as Link 2000+ and ADS-B. The company will also be demonstrating its Head-up Guidance System (HGS) both for larger business jets and its newest solution aimed at turboprops and light jets.

Rockwell Collins unveiled its HGS Flight iPad app last Autumn, which is a creative way for someone to familiarize themselves with HGS by flying approaches using guidance cues and synthetic vision in low-visibility conditions.

The company will also feature its solutions for the cabin, including its Venue HD cabin management and entertainment system and its new Skybox system, which brings the full Apple experience to passengers.

Also for the cabin, Rockwell Collins will be demonstrating its Airshow 3D Moving Map system, which is now accessible on mobile devices as an interactive solution to keep passengers informed of their surroundings and progress during their journey.

Finally, Rockwell Collins will have a team from its Ascend Flight Information Solutions to discuss flight service and support with visitors.

Universal Avionics As well as promoting its complete range of avionics, Universal (Booth 1439) will also be promoting its SatelliteBased Augmentation System-Flight Management Systems (SBAS-FMS).

ADVANCED

Honeywell s Primus Epic (top) improves safety and situational awareness for pilots.

Rockwell Collin s Pro-Line Fusion entered into service last year.

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PREVIEW

Certified on more than 50 aircraft types, it is compatible with the regional SBAS systems in Europe (EGNOS), North America (WAAS), Japan (MSAS) and India (GAGAN). With Software Control Number (SCN) 1000.X/1100.X, the SBAS-FMS ensures operators complete compliance with the objectives contained in the Precision–Area Navigation (P–RNAV) regulatory documents.

Fully equipped to take advantage of EGNOS satellite systems and meet the requirements for P–RNAV, Universal’s SBAS-FMS provides operators with high navigational accuracy and capabilities.

PLATFORM

Universal Avionics (left) boasts an impressive range of avionics devices.

Satellite Connectivity is fast becoming a pre-requisite in the cockpit.

Connectivity Satellite connectivity provider Inmarsat (Booth 921) will be on hand to discuss its latest offerings.

Inmarsat is forging ahead with its Global Xpress Ka-band service, due to enter full aviation service in 2015.

Meanwhile its SwiftBroadband offering, especially in the lighter SB200 guise, is ideal for bizjets. Faster data speeds and better helicopter compatibility are coming later this year with the new SwiftBroadband High Data Rate (HDR) bearers, being introduced with an upgrade. Expect to hear more around NBAA time.

ViaSat continues to push for a bigger share of the bizav market, based on their growing Ku-band coverage and Viasat Yonder. Viasat says that this delivers “cable-like performance”, plus seamless connections around the globe, in-flight and on the ground.

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EBACE 2013

Geneva-based OnAir (Booth 1663) won’t have far to travel either to tell you about its internet and telephony services for executive jets. As an Inmarsat SwiftBroadband provider it has traditionally been linked with the commercial market, but is active on larger business platforms as well.

Aircell (Booth 543) will be promoting both its SwiftBroadband and Iridium products. Aircell also offers the Gogo air-to-ground (ATG) service over the mainland US. Aircell is a factory option at every major business aircraft manufacturer and installed on the world’s largest fractional ownership fleets.

ARINC (Booth 1200) may unveil a new name for its Direct Connect product, which has now moved to the pre-production certification phase. A fully operational demo will be available at EBACE, with full production units ready in early summer. Direct Connect promises to offer a costeffective away to bring connectivity to bizjets.

Cobham SATCOM (Booth 2107), which acquired Thrane and Thrane, last year will have its full range of Aviator satellite terminals, including the lightweight Aviator 200 for Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband 200 service.

Eclipse (Booth 1365) is likely to announce new customers for its Aero+ router. It will also be announcing the integration of Aero+ with new aeronautical server platforms, allowing customers to either upgrade existing solutions to Aero+ or having new

installations with the hardware of their choice. Aero+ is platform agnostic and works with L-band, Ku and Ka. IDAIR (Booth 1085) will also be showcasing its tailored products and systems for VIP customers. Its latest technologies include high definition, digital rights management, wireless/wired Ethernet, passenger device integration, etc. Along with worldwide support and engineering and certification assistance.

Satcom 1 (Booth 750) recently unveiled its new “app” for smartphone satellite connectivity use on an aircraft. Called Aviophone, the app is available for the iPhone, iPad and Android mobile platforms.

The app acts as an interface between your smartphone and the aircraft’s satcomm installation – Satcom 1 is a distributor for Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, Iridium, Thuraya and other Ku-band suppliers.

Satcom Direct (Booth 455) recently launched its FlightDeck 360 mobile application, which enables customers to view real-time flight data and access datalink communications via an Apple iPad. FlightDeck 360 is a mobile flight data management system that can work with Satcom Direct’ FlightDeck Freedom on-board system, or be used separately.

It will also be showing its new SDR router, which can handle multiple satellite connections to different platforms.

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More and more business jets and turboprops are being Garminized as we speak.

Yes, we’re building a growing portfolio of business aircraft that can be upgraded with full G1000®/G950® glass flight deck systems – featuring our ultra-smooth GFC 700 series digital autopilot (G1000 only) and optional SVT™ 3-D synthetic vision. Moreover, we’re committed to adding even more turbine airframes to our list. Certified installations available today include the King Air series, Cessna CitationJet, Citation 501, TBM 700 and Piper Meridian. Available soon: Twin Commander and Beech 1900D. To learn more, visit our website: Garmin.com

©2013 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

Flight Deck Upgrade

PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

BUSINESS AVIATION ENGINES REACHING FOR A HIGHER THRUST

By Marc Grangier

M

DEMAND

With operators wanting to go faster and farther and with fewer stops, Engine manufacturers like GE (top) are stepping up and meeting the need.

any mid-size business jet operators are demanding to go faster, further and with fewer stops without having to switch to extra long-range aircraft. To meet this demand, engine manufacturers have either responded by boosting the thrust of their propulsion systems or are in the process of doing so – all with the aim of powering the future super mid-size class jets with a maximum range of at least 4.500 NM. While a thrust of 10,000 pounds for these engines for a long time seemed a distant objective, it has now been reached – and even exceeded. In fact, several manufacturers now offer thrusts from 10,000 to 12,000 pounds.

Of course the thrust race isn’t limited to the mid-size sector but is also happening with the extra long-range jets whose demand hasn’t slowed even with the economic crisis. Today manufacturers are working on thrusts with a range of 16,000 to 17,000 pounds.

For more than two decades, RollsRoyce has been the leader in the large business jet engine market. Thanks to the company’s Tay, BR700 and AE 3007 series of powerplants, it has the largest market share, powering Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer and Gulfstream business jets. At last count, there were more than 2,400

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Rolls-Royce-powered corporate aircraft on the market. Last year the company celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Tay 611-8 engine’s entry into service on the Gulfstream GIV (more than 450 Tay 611-8-powered Gulfstream IVs were delivered), an engine that now also powers the G350 and G450 aircraft. Today’s fleet of more than 1,900 delivered Tay engines has accumulated over 30-million flight hours.

But times have changed and Rolls Royce is no longer the only member of the club. In recent years such newcomers as GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell and Safran/Snecma have penetrated the market, attracted by the high demand for super-mid size and long-range business jets. To compete with Rolls-Royce, these engine manufacturers have focused on increasing the power of their existing models.

Honeywell, for example, plans to boost its HTF7000 power by 20 percent, from the current 7,500 to 9,000 pounds.

Robert Wilson, President of Honeywell Business and General Aviation Unit, told BART that “within 36 to 40 months, this engine or a next generation TFE731 could be scaled up to produce 12,000 pounds.”

In a higher segment, GE Aviation, which has been selected to power the future Global 7000 and Global 8000, has developed the Passport, which will reach 16,500 pounds of thrust.

Concerning Pratt & Whitney Canada, its PW800 engine from the PurePower family, in the 9,000 to 16,000 pounds thrust class, was first selected to power the Cessna Columbus.

Unfortunately that program was cancelled and now the engine lies idle, patiently waiting to power the next generation of large, long-range business aircraft. Although no announcement has been made, rumor has it the PW800 is a lead contender to power future versions of the Bombardier Challenger or Embraer Legacy. For the time being, its 1000G version, in the 10,000 to 20,000-pound thrust class, powers regional jets like the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) and the Bombardier CSeries.

Last to arrive on the scene was Safran/Snecma with its Silvercrest, which sets its aim on the 9,000-12,000 pounds market, although the French manufacturer indicates it could offer a higher thrust if demand was there.

Initially offered to power a super-midsize jet, this engine sat without a definite application for years until last year when Cessna announced it had chosen it to power its upcoming Citation Longitude business jet.

Needless to say, Safran/Snecma is hoping that orders from another super-mid-size jet manufacturer will soon follow suit.

GE Aviation Publicly, GE Aviation says it is investing more than US$ 1 billion annually in R&D. Its latest development, the Passport engine, aims to set a new standard for performance of such ultra-long range business aircraft as the Bombardier Global 7000 and Global 8000s, which will have a maximum range of 7,300 and 7,900 NM respectively. Developed as an Integrated Propulsion System (IPS), this new engine is designed to power the extra long-range business jets.

Assembly of the first full engine to test began at the end of last year.

Since launching the engine in 2010, GE Aviation has conducted validation tests on the fan blisk design, including two fan blade-out tests, ingestion tests and a fan aero rig test to demonstrate fan efficiency. Testing was completed on two eCore demonstrators, which accumulated 150 hours.

Another eCore demonstrator is scheduled to run this year. The

2012, the Gulfstream G650 entered into service, powered by Rolls-Royce BR725 engines.

The BR725 is the latest and most advanced member of the BR700 series, developed using technology from the Trent wide-body engine family and insights from over 13 million hours of BR700 operation. Compared with predecessor engines, the BR725

hensive aircraft engine maintenance management program available for new and in-service Rolls-Royce BR725, BR710, Tay and AE 3007 engines.

CorporateCare enhances asset value, mitigates maintenance cost risk and protects against unforeseen costs and unscheduled events anywhere in the world. The program operates on a fixed-cost-per-flying-hour basis. Its key

Passport engine will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust and will incorporate advanced technologies and materials to provide eight percent lower specific fuel consumption than other engines in its class, margin to CAEP/6 emissions and Stage four noise regulations.

First flight of the Passport on a flying testbed is targeted for 2014, with engine certification due in 2015.

Certification of the Global 7000 and 8000 are expected in 2016 and 2017.

The Passport’s integrated propulsion system from Nexcelle, a joint venture between GE and Safran, will feature a slim-line nacelle with outward opening cowl to reduce weight and drag while allowing for easy maintenance access and high dispatch availability.

is more powerful, has better engine specific fuel consumption (SFC) and shows a significant improvement in NOx emissions. According to Russell Buxton, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Small and Medium Engines: “The 16,900lb-thrust BR725 development program has been extremely successful and one of the fastest in the history of Rolls-Royce, delivering all key milestones on schedule.”

Rolls-Royce is staying the course and 2013 looks to be another innovative year as we approach the entry into service of Cessna Aircraft Company’s new Citation X aircraft, powered by RollsRoyce AE 3007C2 engines. The 7,000lbf-class, two-shaft engine combines the latest technology with the reliability and performance of the AE 3007 engine family. Compared with the AE 3007C1, the AE 3007C2 delivers a four percent increase in take-off thrust, six to 10% improvement in climb and cruise thrust and an additional 1.4% improvement in SFC. For Rolls-Royce, Business Aviation users are united in one belief – the aircraft is a productivity investment and the metric of value is time.

Furthermore, as ‘fleets of one’ aircraft are the norm in Business Aviation, having a vast support team is not feasible. Therefore, the company offers engine support through its CorporateCare® program, a compre-

features include Engine Health Monitoring (EHM), which tracks onwing performance using onboard sensors, loaned engines to replace an operator’s engine during off-wing maintenance (and thereby minimizing downtime), an optional service for the replacement of life-limited parts, and a global network of authorized maintenance centers.

Rolls-Royce Though the company has more competitors than before, Rolls-Royce remains an undisputable market leader. At Group level, in 2012 its order book increased by four percent, underlying revenue by eight percent and profit by 24%. Last year, the company invested £908 million (US$ 1.4 billion) on research and development, two-thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, with emissions reduction being a primary focus. In December

Snecma (Safran) Snecma (Safran) has started ground development tests of its new Silvercrest business jet engine. The first complete Silvercrest engine (First Engine To Test) has been instrumented with a number of sensors, recording over 900 different parameters and monitoring the engine’s mechanical and thermodynamic performance. The tests are being performed on a test cell at Snecma’s Villaroche plant near Paris. Three other development engines are under construction and a total of eight engines will be used for testing and certification.

“The start of tests on the first complete engine culminates several years of intensive work by the program team,” said Laurence Finet, Silvercrest General Manager at Snecma. “Since the start of development in 2010, nearly 1,000 engineers and technicians have worked on engine design, manufacture and assembly.”

POWER

The GE Passport offers 16,500 pounds of thrust, while the Rolls Royce Br 725 on the Gulfstream G650 produces 16,900 pounds.

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PREVIEW PROPULSION

The PW308C (top) powers the Dassault Falcon 2000S, while the GE-Honda Aero HF120 was specifically designed to power the HondaJet.

EBACE 2013

The Silvercrest engine develops 9,500 to 12,000 pounds of thrust and is designed for the premium business aircraft market. It will decrease fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by about 15% and will cut NOx (oxides of nitrogen) emissions in half in relation to current CAEP/6 standards, while reducing noise by 20 dB versus Stage 4 requirements. First flight of the engine is planned by late summer this year, while certification should occur in 2015.

As previously mentioned, last year Cessna announced it had chosen the PW306D engine, the latest addition to the PW300 family, had been selected to power the new Cessna mid-sized business jet, the Citation Latitude. Its first flight is planned for early 2014 with FAA certification and entry into service expected in 2015. As mentioned earlier, P&WC continues the development of the PW810 for regional jets, but the company is also validating the technology for future longrange business jets that will require thrusts from 10,000 to 16,000 - 17,000 pounds – possibly a secretive nextgeneration P-42 Gulfstream G450-550 replacement project?

Silvercrest to power its new Citation Longitude, the largest in the Citation family with a range of 4,000 nautical miles and maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.86. This version of the engine will develop 11,000 lb of thrust and is slated to enter service in 2017.

PREDICTION

(Right page) George Tsopeis Principal of Zenith Jet anticipates 10 years of promising growth for the Business Aviation engine industry.

Pratt & Whitney Canada/P&WC Since 1982, Pratt & Whitney Canada has invested over US$10.6 billion in R&D. In the Business Aviation market, its PW300 family is in the forefront.

According to Mike Perodeau, vice-president, marketing, P&WC, last year the company reached several important milestones: “A total of 3,500 engines have been installed with more than 11 million flight hours. In addition to the million-hour milestone for the PW308C

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aboard the Falcon 2000 family, our PW307A reached 500,000 hours powering Dassault’s Falcon F7X.” Similar to the technology proven in the PW307A, the enhanced PW308C about to power the new Dassault Falcon 2000S will provide lower NOx (nitrous oxide) emissions and smoke levels. It features a high-efficiency, reduced volume TALON II combustor (Technology for advanced low NOx) and new air blast fuel nozzles.

P&WC is also developing the PW306D to power the new Cessna Citation Sovereign. The engine, at a maximum take-off thrust of 5,814 pounds (ISA+17ºC), provides an increase in thrust and an overall SFC improvement over the PW306C. A year ago, Cessna announced that its

GE Honda Aero Engines Though this engine cannot be included with the large jet engines, it is worth mentioning here as it is the result of the cooperation of two of the world’s most respected names in propulsion, who came together to design and manufacture engines for the next generation of very light jets.

The HF120, the first product from GE Honda Aero Engines, was specifically designed to power the HondaJet. The program was launched in 2006.

Rated at 2,095 pounds of thrust, the engine succeeds Honda’s original HF118 prototype engine, which has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of testing on the ground and in-flight.

FAA certification testing on its HF120 engine was carried out at the end of last year and engine type certification from the FAA is expected by mid2013.

A total of 13 HF120 engines have accumulated more than 5,500 hours and more than 7,000 cycles during development and certification testing.

Soon after obtaining certification of the HF120, production will transition to Honda Aero Inc.’s engine production facility in Burlington, North Carolina.

The HF 120 will be mounted over the wing, a breakthrough in aeronautics engineered and proven by Honda after more than 20 years of extensive research and development. Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino told BART that this innovative technology not only breaks the conventional mold set by the aerospace industry, but also provides category-leading advancements, such as a more spacious cabin, noise reduction, and increased fuel efficiency.

Assembly of the first customer aircraft has started and type certification is planned during the second half of 2013.

Production is expected to reach 80 to 100 units per year by 2015.

Engine Market Forecast In its latest business jet market forecast, Montreal-based Business Aviation services firm Zenith Jet anticipates that for the 10 years to come, there will be a promising growth in the industry. Aircraft manufacturers should deliver an estimated 2,752 midsize jets ($52.1 billion) and 3,413 large-cabin jets ($165 billion). Bombardier and Gulfstream are expected to dominate in both deliveries and billings.

The Zenith Jet report also speculates on several new, yetunannounced business jet models, including a stretched version of the Bombardier Challenger 300 that will replace the Challenger 605; Dassault Falcon 5X (large-cabin), 6X (super large) and 9X (ultra-long-range); Gulfstream G350, G450 and G550 replacements; and a new Cessna Citation XLS+.

Considering that the majority of these 6,165 midsize and large-cabin aircraft will be twinjets (if we except the Dassault Falcon 900LX and its likely successors), this means that in only these two categories, a total of 12,330 engines will be needed during the next 10 years, or 1,233 engines per year.

Supposing that the main five engine manufacturers will equally share the production, each of them will then produce 246 engines per year – or roughly one per working day. Not a bad prospect for the industry, especially if we add the planned deliveries of 2,933 light jets worth $17.9 billion during the period, which will also have to be powered!

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PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

BUSINESS HELICOPTERS MAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE A BREEZE

By Marc Grangier

F

or Capt. Mike Burns, CEO Atlas Helicopters, “Business travel in a helicopter makes customer service a breeze”. At the end of a business jet trip, businessmen are increasingly opting to use a helicopter to get to meetings, visit offices, attend events and avoid traffic jams. So it’s no surprise that helicopters have slowly but surely invaded Business Aviation shows, and EBACE this year is no exception.

PROGRESS

Eurocopter revealed its first enhanced AS350 B3e helicopter (top) in 2011 and Sikorsky recently marked the first sale of its S-92 (center) to a private Chinese operator.

According to the latest Honeywell future purchase survey, light singleengine helicopters continue to be the most popular product class for fiveyear fleet replacement and expansion at forty-five percent of total make/model mentions. When it comes to fleet expansion the most popular light-single models are AS350B series, Bell 407 and Robinson R66.

Intermediate/Medium twin-engine helicopters are the second most popular product class mentioned for purchase during the next five years.

Approximately 31 percent of total survey mentions are for medium twins, with the AW139, Bell 412 EC145 and Sikorsky S76 series helicopters being the most frequently mentioned models. The third most frequently mentioned product class was light twins at 21 percent. The EC135, Bell 429 and A109 series helicopters were most frequently mentioned for five-

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year purchase in this class. Light twins appear to be most popular in Europe, where light twin models accounted for 38 percent of total mentions.

Eurocopter Eurocopter was indeed very happy with its 2012 results, which marked a return to pre-crisis levels. A strong growth in services and the 475 rotorcraft delivered last year generated a new turnover high of 6.3 billion Euros – 15 percent more than in 2011.

Milestones in 2012 included deliveries of the first enhanced AS350 B3e version and the initial latest-generation EC130 T2 helicopter, along with the 500th EC145 delivery.

Eurocopter’s consolidated order intake in 2012 totaled 469 net bookings, representing a value of 5.4 billion Euros. Sales were paced by the Ecureuil/Fennec/EC130 family, with

249 bookings, and the EC135/EC145 families, with 144 bookings. This year, Eurocopter is emphasizing advanced vertical-lift solutions, and launching product applications for its X3 hybrid aircraft. It also advances the X4’s development as the first member in its next-generation family concept.

Earlier this year, Eurocopter conducted the first flight of its no. 1 series-production EC175 medium-size helicopter for VIP and executive transport. First deliveries are to begin in September 2013. The EC175 has validated its power performance, including hover out of ground effect (HOGE) at maximum 7.5-metric-ton take-off weight at 4,500 ft. at ISA+20°C conditions. The helicopter’s avionics include the Helionix alerting and selfmonitoring system, the newest avionics family being certified, which meets the latest international avionics standards and makes the EC175 the second aircraft to apply them – after the Airbus A380.

Sikorsky Sikorsky recently signed two contracts for the introduction of one S-92 and one S-76D into China, marking its first S-92 sale to a private Chinese operator and the first ever S-76D helicopter sale into China. Currently, there are 31 S-76 and four S-92 helicopters of various configurations flying in this country. On China’s inter-

Garmin G1000HTM integrated glass flight deck. For Danny Maldonado, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing at Bell Helicopter, the 407GX attracts more and more medical evacuation companies, Indeed, last December, the manufacturer announced an agreement with Air Methods for the supply of 20 407GX aircraft. Concerning its 429 model,

Corporation, moving from one foreign owner to another. Chongqing is the fourth largest metropolitan area in China. CQHIC is focused on helping Enstrom expand its reach into China and the rest of the world. The number of helicopters in Asia represents only a small percent of the number of helicopters in the United States, while Asia has a significantly larger popula-

AgustaWestland AgustaWestland announced in early February that the fourth prototype of its new generation 4.5-ton class light intermediate AW169 helicopter successfully completed its maiden flight.

Certification is programmed in 2014.

The AW169 is part of AgustaWestland family of new generation helicopters that includes the AW139 and AW189 models. Launched in July 2010, the AW169 has logged orders for more than 70 units so far. AgustaWestland also recently announced the launch of the AW119Kx, the latest evolution of the AW119 single engine helicopter, which features the Garmin G1000H glass integrated flight deck system.

Over 200 AW119 helicopters have been ordered to date.

Bell indicated last January that its maximum gross weight had been increased from 3175 kg (7,000 lbs.) to 3402 kg (7,500 lbs).

The Bell 429 light twin helicopter is certified for single or dual pilot IFR, Cat. A/JAROPS Performance Class 1 at maximum gross weight. Bell Helicopter is also working on the Bell 525 Relentless, which will be, according to the manufacturer, “a super medium product class”. Powered by two GE CT7-2F1s, this latest version of the CT7 family will be equipped with the Garmin G5000H avionics. Able to carry up to 16 passengers in its VIP/corporate transport configuration, its first flight is planned in 2014.

Bell Helicopter The Texan manufacturer continues the production of its 407GX. Built on the success of the Bell 407, this is the only helicopter equipped with the

Enstrom Helicopters At the very end of 2012, Chongqing Helicopter Investment Co., Ltd (CQHIC), located in Chongqing, China, acquired Enstrom Helicopter

tion and is expected to be a major market for helicopters over the next two decades. Founded in 1959, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation manufactures a complete line of helicopters. The larger turbine-powered 480B is available as a three-place advanced trainer and patrol aircraft, a 2+2 four-seat training helicopter, or as a three- to five-place executive transport.

With all of this success it’s not surprising that Visiongain, an independent business information provider, determined that the value of the global civil helicopter market in 2013 would reach US$3.69 billion. And in spite of the economic uncertainty in some parts of the world, demand still exists in certain regions, and strong new markets are emerging. So the words of Igor Sikorsky: “The helicopter is the most universal vehicle created by man,” are more valid than ever.

mediate market segment (7,000 to 15,000 lbs gross weight), the S-76 occupies more than 40 percent (the highest) of the segment. The S-92 helicopter continues to gain in popularity among offshore oil companies.

For Ed Beyer, Vice President, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, “We are truly feeling the warmth of the fastgrowing helicopter market here.” The

S-76D was granted type certification by the FAA last October. Concerning the S-92, this helicopter has reached two major milestones this year, the first in February when the fleet reached the 500,000-flight hour milestone, and the second this month when Sikorsky delivered the 200th unit.

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DEVELOPMENTS

Bell’s 407GX (top right) is attracting more and more medical evacuation companies.

AgustaWestland’s AW169 (top left) successfully completed its maiden flight last February and Enstrom Helicopter (center) was recently acquired by Chongqing Helicopter Investment Co.

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PREVIEW

By Marc Grangier

I

n 1964, when Beech introduced its King Air 90, this aircraft quickly established itself as an industry standard. During the following decades, several other manufacturers penetrated the business turboprop market, with varying degrees of success. Some have sadly disappeared, like Rockwell, Handley Page/ Jetstream, Fairchild, Swearingen or Mitsubishi, while others have appeared or increased their footprint, like Cessna, Pilatus, Piper, Piaggio Aero or DAHER-Socata.

At the beginning of this year, the world’s turboprop fleet totaled 13,762 aircraft (against 18,874 jets), and in Europe alone, there were 1,250 turboprops (against 2,823 jets). When rugged aircraft are needed, specialists know that turboprop aircraft are the Swiss knives of the industry. Yes, they are slower than jets, but they burn less fuel and have lower operating costs.

And for businesses flying missions between 600-1,000 miles between general aviation airports with short runways, they’re ideal. No wonder they’re so popular outside of North America and Europe, where turboprop fleets far exceed those of jets. Look at Africa where you have 743 turboprops for 434 jets, South America where you have 1,718 turboprops for 1,240 jets, and Australia and Oceania - 449 turboprops for 211 jets.

When the first Very Light Jets (VLJs) were announced, some observers predicted the end of the light turboprops, but this has not been the case, and a number of customers who initially bought jets came back to turboprops, finding them more adequate for missions requiring not only a larger cabin volume, but also short runway operations.

VERSATILE

Turboprops get the job done for a vast range of missions.

SINGLE OR TWINS PROS OR CONS Then of course there is the ongoing controversy concerning single-engine or twin-engine turboprops. When they first appeared, single-turboprop aircraft were deemed less safe than twinturboprops and many passengers were reluctant to board a plane with only one engine. But now things have changed with engine manufacturers

70 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

EBACE 2013

BUSINESS TURBOPROPS SWISS ARMY KNIVES OF OUR INDUSTRY

vastly improving their safety records, making people far more comfortable about flying on a single-engine aircraft.

Since 1985, when the first singleengine turboprop went into service, all single-engine turboprop aircraft combined have compiled over ten million flight hours with zero fatalities due to engine failure (NTSB Report). And their lower maintenance costs, are nearly half the costs of twin-engine aircraft, which has also contributed to spur their attractiveness. This doesn’t mean that twin-turboprops have not kept ardent partisans, not convinced that these models are “twice the expense and twice the worry” as a single-turboprop pilot told us. A number of operators and passengers still believe that multiple engines are better, and not many companies would think of putting their CEO on a singleengine airplane.

Manufacturers like Beechcraft or Piaggio Aereo install two engines to have more power, and make sure that for example in case of an engine failure during take-off, the other engine provides enough power to keep the aircraft continuing its climb. This is

why the Beech King Air 350i has two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60A of 1,050 shp each, and the Piaggio Avanti II is powered by two PT6A-66 of 850 shp, providing FAR 25 initial engine-out gradients of respectively 304 ft/nm and 287 ft/nm, sufficient to maintain a good minimum control airspeed/Vmc on one engine.

THE MARKET Though several outsiders are trying to penetrate the turboprop market, five main manufacturers dominate at present: Beechcraft, Cessna, Piper, Piaggio Aero and DAHER-Socata.

Each has its particular niche. A Pilatus PC-12 has not much to do with a Piaggio Avanti II or a Cessna Caravan, as their cabin volume and performances make them as different as say a Range Rover and a Ferrari. In a similar way, the number of engines still divides the industry, even if recently a backflip has been noted: a twin-engine manufacturer like Beechcraft is now looking towards single-engine models, while Pilatus, that has been a singleengine advocate for many years, is about to unveil a twin-engine jet model.

BEECHCRAFT Undoubtedly, Beechcraft continues to dominate the turboprop market.

Since 1932, it has built over 54,000 aircraft, and more than 36,000 are still flying today. In terms of production, it offers three models: the King Air 350i, the King Air 250 and the King Air C90 GTx. The King Air 350i, equipped with the Rockwell Collins Venue cabin management system has, according to Beechcraft, the lowest operating cost per seat mile in its class.

Concerning the King Air 250, it features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers. And the King Air C90GTx, which has also composite winglets, features a cabin 50 percent larger than some very light jets. Beechcraft is very much export oriented, aiming at promising markets such as Australia and India. Recently, Ted Farid, vice president, Beechcraft Asia-Pacific Sales, told BART that its company’s products represent a 53 percent share of the Australian business turboprop market, and deliveries of King Airs to the country have increased by more than half over the past decade. This growth in demand has propelled the total business turboprop fleet size in Australia to 285 aircraft, accounting for approximately 43 percent of the total number across Asia Pacific, and Beechcraft expects this figure to continue growing.

Beechcraft is also aiming at the Indian market. According to JETNET data, 82 percent of the new turboprop business aircraft delivered into India from 20022011 were King Airs.

For many years, Beechcraft maintained that two engines were better than one. Nevertheless, pushed by increased customer demand and the drastic improvements in engine reliability, the manufacturer announced at last year’s NBAA convention that it was thinking to launch the development of a new 8- to 11-seat singleengine turboprop that would use the composite fuselage of its Premier I light twinjet. Shawn Vick, Beechcraft Vice President Customers, told BART that this new plane would seat one pilot and 8 to 11 passengers in a cabin 5.5 feet wide, 5.4 feet high and 20.4 feet long. Its NBAA IFR range with four passengers would be 1,750 NM and its high-speed cruise 300 kts at FL250. It would have a max payload of 2,800 pounds and a full-fuel payload of 1,650 pounds. Under a normal devel-

opment plan, this aircraft could reach the market by 2016 if, hopefully, the major lenders, who took ownership of the company after it has emerged from bankruptcy, support strategies that will provide its long-term return.

Other turboprop designs are also in the pipeline, but will most probably be twin-engine aircraft.

CESSNA Cessna foresees rising demand for its Caravan aircraft in India this year as customers respond to anticipated government reforms. Speaking at the recent Aero India show in Bangalore, Bill Harris, Cessna vice president, Sales for Asia and Asia Pacific, said: “India is expected to be amongst the world’s fastest growing economies in 2013 and stands to benefit hugely from a national expansion of Business Aviation, both for domestic and international travel. Cessna is optimistic that legislative and regulatory reforms this year will remove several barriers to India’s aircraft market development”.

With the launch of the high-power Grand Caravan EX this year, Cessna believes it is well placed to offer tough aircraft that keep going under the harshest conditions. Earlier this year, Cessna has announced that its Grand Caravan EX has earned FAA type certification. Powered by the new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine, this new model boasts a 38 percent improvement in the rate of climb of the Grand Caravan, a figure that exceeds the original 20 percent improvement projection.

Also to be noted, at the end of last year, Cessna has entered into a joint venture contract with China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Company Ltd., to conduct final assembly of Caravans in China for the Chinese market. The contract also includes the possibility of designing and assembling new utility turboprop aircraft in China.

Cessna is also looking at a new single-turboprop model that would compete with the Piper Meridian, the Kestrel or the EPIC E1000. Last year

CHAMPS

Beechcraft King Air C90GTX (top).

Cessna Caravan EX (center).

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PREVIEW at Oshkosh Show, it unveiled a cabin mock-up of such aircraft to gather market feedback. Designed to bridge the space between the Corvalis and the Citation Mustang, this new composite aircraft with retractable gear and side-stick controls would seat up to seven passengers, have a cruising speed of 260 kts and sell between US$ 2.1 and 2.5 M. No go has yet been given for this program, though the company indicated “it wants to be positioned with new products when the economy recovery comes”. Officially, Cessna is still figuring out the real market for this type of aircraft, even if it admits that an engineering research vehicle has been flying for some time.

FIGURES

DAHER SOCATA delivered 38 TBM 850s in 2012 (top).

Somewhere around the world, a Pilatus PC-12 takes off or land every 84 seconds (center).

DAHER-SOCATA Last February, DAHER-SOCATA unveiled the 2013 version of its TBM 850 Elite aircraft whose cockpit now integrates a L-3 Avionics’ Trilogy ESI2000 Electronic Standby Instrument (ESI) replacing the previous electromechanical instrument version. The company is also offering a Highly Extended Exclusive Maintenance Program, which lowers scheduled maintenance costs for five years or 1,000 hours. Last year, DAHER-SOCATA delivered 38 TBM 850s, representing the fourth best year for the company’s TBM aircraft family since 1990.

The 2012 deliveries bring to 622 units the total number of aircraft received by customers, of which 298 are TBM 850. According to GAMA figures, the 38 TBM 850 sold last year represented an 18 percent share of its market segment. Most of TBM 850s purchased in 2012 were acquired by U.S. customers (66 percent). Canada ranked second, with 13 percent, followed by Brazil and Germany’s eight percent. One sale was achieved in the U.K. last year, where the market is showing signs of recovery.

Two years ago, DAHER-Socata evaluated the Grob 180 SPn twinjet to complete its TBM range, but it finally decided not to buy this program, preferring to start with a clean-sheet new aircraft program, or seek development partners for its NTX twin-turboprop project. But the French manufacturer has not yet made any announcements, waiting to see the evolution of the economic crisis.

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PILATUS Pilatus has always been in favor of single-engine aircraft (if one except the PC-8 Twin Porter aborted attempt) and its PC-12 and 12NG have been very successful. There are now almost 1300 PC-12s in service and somewhere around the world, a PC-12 takes off or lands every 84 seconds. In total, 62 PC12 NGs were delivered in 2012, one aircraft less than the previous year.

Although the PC-12 NG aircraft has maintained its market share with sales even growing marginally in some regions, the general aviation market has however yet to recover overall following the economic crisis.

For Pilatus, the expected economic upturn has so far had little impact in North America in particular, the most important market for the PC-12 NG (the U.S. Air Force recently placed an order for over 18 PC-12 Spectres, which will be delivered over the next two years). According to Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.: “Our hopes are now focused on Asia where we were delighted to sell as many as four PC-12s in 2012 – particularly since we had not sold a single aircraft in this

market during the three previous years. We were also very encouraged to see the aircraft going to customers in three countries in which we have never yet sold a PC-12 – the Philippines, Malaysia and China. This initial success will spur us on to pursue our development efforts in the future”.

In terms of new aircraft, the Swiss manufacturer is now crossing the border from single to twin-engine and it officially announced a few months ago that it had launched the development of a new twinjet, the PC-24. For Schwenk: “The PC-24 will be our biggest, fastest, most complex aircraft yet. It will be a twin-engine business jet with the type of flying credentials which only Pilatus knows how to deliver.” According to the latest rumors heard at the Swiss manufacturers’ home base, two Williams FJ44 engines will power this new aircraft, which will seat up to eight passengers, feature a cargo door, and have “Pilatus typical” short take-off and landing capabilities on unprepared runways. But all details will be officially given on May 21st, on the very first day of the EBACE Show.

PLEASE VISIT US AT EBACE 2013 HALL 7, BOOTH 7031

Even Leonardo da Vinci would have been excited about our technology.

Pilatus PC-12 NG. For people with vision.

Leonardo da Vinci was ahead of his time. Like him, we believe in the power of vision, and we also have the engineering and manufacturing expertise to turn great ideas into reality. We have brought Swiss quality, precision, and know-how to bear in turning our own vision into reality. The result is the Pilatus PC-12 NG, the world’s most popular single-engine turboprop business aircraft.

Find out more about our visions and products at www.pilatus-aircraft.com. Alternatively, please call +41 41 619 62 96 or e-mail salespc12@pilatus-aircraft.com.

PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

PIAGGIO AEREO Piaggio Aereo recently made its first Chinese delivery of the Avanti II to CAEA Aviation. Its subsidiary Free Sky Aviation will operate this first aircraft, with a second to come. CAEA Aviation (Beijing), which business scope covers business jets trading, MRO and FBO, is the exclusive sales agent of Piaggio P180 in China.

According to John Bingham, President and Chief Executive Officer of Piaggio Aero: “These sales mark a Red Letter day for Piaggio and our Chinese partner as the Avanti II represents a new business choice for OUTSIDERS

DELIVERY

Piaggio Aero recently made its first Chinese delivery of the Avanti II, while Piper rolled out its 500th Piper M-Class Meridian.

China’s private aviation market, as this aircraft is 40% more economical than a comparable twin jet because of its lower fuel burn, just less than 100 gallons of fuel an hour”.

A total of 218 Avanti I and II have been delivered to date on the world market, including 89 in Europe. Last year, only five aircraft were delivered, partly due to the problems encountered by Avantair, the US fractional company operating a fleet of 60 Avantis. Since it was refunded last January and plans to renew almost a third of its fleet during the next year and a half, this will undoubtedly bring new orders to the Italian manufacturer (now jointly owned by the Ferrari and Di Mase families and Mubadala Aerospace/Abu Dhabi and Tata Ltd./UK/India).

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PIPER Six months ago, Piper Aircraft rolled out its 500th pressurized single-engine turboprop M-Class Meridian. “The milestone delivery of the 500th Piper Meridian, since first delivery in the year 2000, emphasizes its enduring value proposition even during recent periods of economic uncertainty around the world,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott.

“Single-engine Piper turboprops are growing in popularity as replacements for less economical twin-jets and turboprops”. Equipped with advanced Garmin G1000 avionics suite with Synthetic Vision, the Meridian is powered with a Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6A-42A. It provides a 1,000 nm range, 260 ktas cruise speed and flight into known icing capability.

Several outsiders are developing single-turboprop projects that will mainly compete with the Piper Meridian, but also with the future Beech and Cessna models if these latter ever come on the market. Kestrel Aircraft is a new airplane company based in Wisconsin and led by general aviation entrepreneur, Alan Klapmeier. Based on the original work done by Farnborough Aircraft, the Kestrel airplane will be a six to eight seat, all composite, single-engine turboprop. The idea is to combine high cruise speed and long range, while carrying large payloads in and out of short runways. It will powered by a Honeywell TPE331-14GR flat rated to 1000 shp. Calculated range will be approximately 1,300 NM and cruise speed 320 kts. Certification could take place in about two years. Its price would be around US$ 3M, but the company is still waiting before accepting deposits.

Epic Aircraft, based in Bend, Oregon, but now owned by Russian MROI provider Engineering llc, is currently developing a single-turboprop carbon composite, pressurized six-seat aircraft, the Epic E1000. The goal is to FAA certify it around 2015. Powered by a 1,200 HP PT6-67, it will, according to the manufacturer, have a cruise speed of 330 kts and climb out at 3,000 feet a minute, fully loaded. It should sell for US$ 2.5 to 3M. The same aircraft is also offered as a kit in the experimental aircraft category and its price (US$ 1.95M) includes everything a builder needs to construct, finish and fly the aircraft. Only the hangar is not provided!

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EBACE2014 M AY 2 0 , 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 0 1 4 G E N EVA, SWITZ E R L AN D

www.ebace.aero

PREVIEW

EBACE 2013

AROUND THE EXHIBITION Aeroport Lyon-Bron Booth# 664 Located 6 miles from the center of Lyon, second largest city in France after Paris, Lyon Bron is the third business airport in France after Le Bourget and Cannes. Business aviation traffic in Bron is steady, at around 7,000 business aircraft movements per year.

Air BP Booth Booth #759 Air BP is the specialized aviation division of BP, one of the world’s major energy companies.

They are one of the world’s largest suppliers of both aviation fuels (both Jet Kerosene & Aviation Gasoline) and lubricants (for both turbine and pistonengined aircraft) currently supplying over 7 billion gallons of aviation fuels and lubricants to customers across the globe per annum.

The company is represented at around 600 airports in over 45 countries, with local offices in almost half of these countries. This combination of local representation with a global organization enables them to focus on relationships with partners, be they customers, airport operators or other third parties.

As part of the wider BP Group, they draw upon the company’s wealth of experience in project consultancy and financing, procurement services, research and laboratory centers, training and emergency response.

ARINC Direct Booth #1200 Launched in 2003, ARINC Direct Business Aviation Solutions was created to provide private jet owners and operators with a new level of innovation, technology and service. Over 2,800 aircraft rely on ARINC Direct to deliver a first-class suite of services in every aspect of Business Aviation.

Airinc Direct offers a diverse array of flight support services, such as advanced flight planning and weather, flight following, pre-arranged fuel, international trip support, or one of their other services, such as datalink or satellite communications. With a state-of-the-art Operations Center in 76 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013

Annapolis, Maryland, ARINC Direct is staffed by the industry’s best Flight Coordinators, who maintain aroundthe-clock service to make sure all requirements are met.

Air Service Basel Booth #1553 Air Service Basel has been serving the general and corporate aviation communities since 1967.

At its Maintenance Center at the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse, a staff of skilled, factory trained technicians gives Air Service Basel the ability to serve a large range of different aircraft models, from single engine pistons to mid-size business jets.

The company offers the complete maintenance service for airframe, electrics, engines and avionics, whether it’s line and base maintenance, routine inspections or sophisticated repairs or upgrades.

Moreover Air Service Basel’s FBO terminal offers a private VIP passenger lounge, pilot’s briefing room and private hangar parking, as well as crew transport, fuel support and customs clearance.

Baldwin Aviation Safety & Compliance Booth # 1753 Founded in 2004 Baldwin Aviation was developed on the premise that smaller flight departments need and deserve the same level of quality resources, services and safety management as their multinational counterparts. By developing flexible proprietary software, Baldwin Safety and Compliance is able to deliver a quality safety management program tailored to each flight department while overcoming budget and employee constraints. Their safety management program and proprietary Safety Barometer® are tools that can be used in any size flight department to monitor its safety culture.

Blackhawk Modifications, Inc Booth # 1947 Blackhawk is a leader in providing engine performance solutions to the global turboprop fleet. With the largest installed fleet of STC twinengine turboprop upgrades, Blackhawk is the world’s largest nonOEM buyer of new Pratt & Whitney (P&W) turboprop engines.

One of Blackhawk’s modifications, the XP42A Upgrade Package includes a factory new Pratt & Whitney PT6A 42A engine rated at 850 continuous shaft horsepower (SHP). In addition, the package utilizes a new, wide chord, 100 inch diameter Hartzell four blade propeller; new composite cowling and high efficiency inlet duct; new 40 percet larger oil cooler; the existing engine mount with a modified horse collar; new engine hose kit; new Blackhawk Hawkeye DigiLog engine gauges; and new Frakes exhaust stacks. The upgrade significantly expands Caravan performance margins, effectively doubling the aircraft’s rate of climb while using less fuel.

CRS Jet Spares Booth # 938 The goal of the Corporate Rotable & Supply’s team has been to provide business jet customers with a cost effective, high-quality alternative to OEM spares and rotable parts.

Today CRS has grown to be the preferred supplier to Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 corporate flight departments worldwide. They have achieved their goal by offering a unique balance of technical expertise, quality products and a total dedication to customer satisfaction, all while maintaining costs that are significantly below their competitors.

Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) Limited Booth # 2135 Evergreen Apple Nigeria, EAN, commenced operations in July 2011 and is Nigeria’s first fully integrated FBO, hangar and maintenance centre for business jets. The terminal provides 14,900 square meters of contemporary, luxurious facilities which include a VIP lounge, ground handling, crew room, short stay accommodation, exclusive dispatching, secured hangar and apron parking and aircraft mainte-

nance services for executive jets, located immediately adjacent to Lagos’ Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

The hangar facilities are home to nine base clients and regularly welcome an international charter client base. All line maintenance for EASA registered aircraft is carried out by EAN partner MCM. EAN also runs Wings Restaurant, a sushi and continental restaurant, which is located in the penthouse of the facility overlooking the airport and launched Wings In-Flight in June 2012 to provide on-airport inflight catering services.

Euro Jet Intercontinental Booth #1659 Euro Jet Intercontinental is the world’s leading provider of both flight and ground support services. They coordinate aircraft logistics at 175 worldwide stations in 29 countries.

They can provide ground handling support, permits, fuel, flight planning, hotel arrangements, crew transportation, and catering. They also provide credit and pre-payment. Euro Jet handles 8,000 flights a year on Executive Jets, Commercial, Cargo, and Military aircraft. Their 24/7 Operations Control Center and over 200 staff are ready to assist anytime.

ExecuJet Aviation Group Booth # 851 The ExecuJet Aviation Group offers a diverse range of services including pre-owned and new aircraft sales, aircraft management for private and commercial registered aircraft, aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance, aircraft completions management and fixed base operations.

ExecuJet manages 150 business jets worldwide under the most stringent safety standards. Its commercial fleet is operated under the regulatory umbrella of seven regional civil aviation issued air operating certificates (AOCs).

Jet Support Services Inc Booth # 1251 Founded in 1989, Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) is the world’s largest independent provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for aircraft engines and airframes. JSSI provides i clients with comprehensive and

flexible financial tools for managing the often unpredictable costs of operating and maintaining nearly all types of turbine-powered aircraft, including jets, turbo-props and helicopters. JSSI serves clients around the world by managing maintenance services through its international network of Technical Advisors.

StandardAero Booth # 2047 Founded in 1911, StandardAero has become one of the world aerospace industry’s largest independent maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers. The company’s success is the outgrowth of the synergistic merger of businesses with complementary specialties that have exponentially increased our capabilities and generated unprecedented customer commitment and value.

Now a part of Dubai Aerospace Enterprises, an international corporation with interests in aircraft leasing, MRO and aviation IT solutions, StandardAero offers extensive MRO services and custom solutions for business aviation, commercial aviation, military and industrial power customers in more than 80 nations around the world. More than 4,000 professional, administrative and technical employees work in a dozen major facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, with an additional 14 strategically located regional service and support centers.

TAG Aviation Booth # 344 In Europe TAG Aviation has fully integrated flight operations in Geneva, London and Madrid, they are a leader in private and business aviation serving the global aviation market with aircraft charter, management, maintenance, FBO / Handling, aircraft completion services as well as acquisition and sales. Moreover, TAG Aviation simplifies the complexity of private jet management for owners with unique turn-key solutions for each aircraft management services client.

Vector Aerospace/SECA Booth #1647 From facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, South Africa and Australia, Vector’s employees serve a global customer base consisting of private and com-

mercial operators, government agencies and defense departments.

Their service portfolio includes support for various types of turbine engines, dynamic components, structures and avionics.

Vector Aerospace holds approvals from some of the world’s leading OEMs including: AgustaWestland, Boeing, Sikorsky, Rolls-Royce, Eurocopter, Pratt & Whitney Canada, General Electric, Turbomeca, Sagem Avionics, Rockwell Collins and many other manufacturers and suppliers.

RUAG Aviation Booth# 1071 The RUAG Group is an international aerospace and defence technology company with production sites in Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Hungary and the United States. It currently generates more than half of its net sales — 53% — outside the Swiss domestic market.

Innovative products and services of outstanding quality form the basis of RUAG’s worldwide success. RUAG thus invests around 8% of its revenues in research and development.

It collaborates closely with international technology partners including Airbus, ASML, Astrium, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, the European Space Agency (ESA), Hilti, KraussMaffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall.

Universal Weather and Aviation Booth # 363 Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. was founded in 1959 by former Air Force meteorologist and network weatherman Tom Evans, who had a vision to provide a service no one else in the world ever had before – customized weather forecasting for Business Aviation. That initial vision would continue to grow over the following half century. As Business Aviation flourished and grew, the company evolved adding new services and solutions to meet the changing and ever-growing needs of those who utilize Business Aviation, regardless of their base of operations or whether a trip is 300 or 3,000 miles.

Today, they have grown from humble beginnings into a global Business Aviation trip management company with 47 locations in 20 countries and over 1,700 employees worldwide.

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REPORT There was a sense of guarded optimism at the Heli-Expo show in Las Vegas with several signs that the global helicopter market is starting to rev up again. Rick Adams reports.

M

ORDERS

Eurocopter (left) secured a sizeable order from Bristow.

HAI President Matt Zuccaro (right) is overjoyed with the growth of Heli-Expo.

ajor aircraft orders, a record attendance, some new models and upbeat forecasts at the Helicopter Association International (HAI) Heli-Expo conference in Las Vegas in March suggested that the rotary market may be generating some lift again.

The two blockbuster announcements were orders for 30 aircraft each by lessor Milestone Aviation Group and Air Medical Group. Dublin, Irelandheadquartered Milestone, which has gone from a startup in 2010 to more than US$1 billion in leased helicopters, ordered 23 Sikorsky S-92 models plus 7 S-76Ds. Air Medical bought 24 Bell 407s and 6 Bell 206Ls. Milestone also contracted with Eurocopter for 14 EC-225s and 5 EC175s.

Eurocopter landed another sizeable order from the largest global helicopter operator, Bristow, which will become the US launch customer for the EC-175 (the first with the new Helionix avionics suite). Bristow has now inked firm orders for 29 of the aircraft, which it helped design, according to Eurocopter President and CEO Marc Paganini. A prototype has already flown from Bristow’s New Iberia, Louisiana, operating base to an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

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HELI-EXPO

ROTARY OPTIMISM RISING

Overall, each of the four major OEMs – AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter and Sikorsky – revealed about 40 firm purchases each of the more than 200 aircraft announced at the show.

Honeywell’s annual forecast update indicated strong demand for new civilian-use helicopters over the next three years – about 1,000 aircraft per year – attributed to replacement of aging fleets, changes in operational requirements and twin-engine regulations.

Honeywell VP of aftermarket sales, Brian Sill, said the renewed buyer confidence is coming primarily from the corporate, oil and gas and utility markets. Shanghai consulting firm AviaTek predicted 65 deliveries in China this year, growing the overall fleet to 435, primarily “intermediate, twin-turbine and heavy lift” models. European OEMs AgustaWestland and Eurocopter lead the turbine market, for which search-and-rescue is the Chinese government’s priority.

Meanwhile, employment information provider JSfirm said 85% of Business Aviation companies surveyed plan to hire this year, including 23% by helicopter operators. But they cautioned there may be a deficit of qualified applicants. Inadequate training, experience and high salary expectations are the caveats.

Bell was demonstrating a simulated cockpit for the fly-by-wire Relentless 525, announced a year ago at HeliExpo and targeted for first flight in 2014. Bell also displayed the new glass cockpit for the 412EPI, which provides wide area augmentation system (WAAS) approach capability, among other features, and its 429 variant with wheeled landing gear. Eurocopter anticipates a 13% increase in deliveries in 2013, and unveiled the new light, twin-engine EC-135T3/P3 model with longer main rotor blades and better hot/high performance.

New CEO Daniele Romiti emphasized AgustaWestland’s profitability, despite parent Finmeccanica’s wellpublicized financial troubles. The company is expecting certification of the AW189 this year and the AW169 next year.

Sikorsky celebrated its 90 th year, and President Mick Maurer predicted a “tailwind” in 2013 with the S-76D in production and a US$1.5 billion backlog for the S-92. About 75% of Sikorsky’s commercial business is from the oil and gas sector, and deeper-water drilling is driving demand for longer-range aircraft.

HAI enjoyed its sixth consecutive year of growth with 20,393 attendees and 736 exhibitors. The European

Helicopter Association revealed that interest in this year’s expanded HeliTech (September 24-26 in London) is running about 10% better than last year.

Supplier Announcements There were also plenty of supplier announcements at the show too, JSSI announced new airframe maintenance programs for Eurocopter EC135 and -145 series aircraft, “covering virtually every part, component, assembly and system,” excluding engines. (Engine coverage can be included as part of a Tip-to-Tail programme.) U n i v e r s a l A v i o n i c s announced a partnership with MD Helicopters to develop a new flight deck for the MD Explorer. Synthetic

vision, enhanced moving maps, system displays, electronic charts and checklists are part of the baseline for the single-pilot IFR-capable flight deck. Michelle James, Director of Marketing and Communications, said, “We are very optimistic for opportunities in the helicopter market, both from an OEM and retrofit aspect.” G a r m i n revealed touchscreen GPS/navcoms optimized for helicopters. The GTN series, with 2.5arc second terrain resolution, “reduces nuisance alerts at low levels,” claimed Joe Stewart, regional sales manager for Latin America and the US Southeast. And finally S t a n d a r d A e r o was selected by Rolls-Royce to become an Authorized Repair Maintenance and Overhaul

Center (AMROC) in support of the RR300 engine at its Winnipeg, Canada and Singapore locations.

Standard Aero received Rolls-Royce awards for total quality, customer satisfaction and M250 program investment.

There was a bit of unplanned excitement the evening before the show opened. As UTC Aerospace was preparing to demonstrate a fast-line from a UH-1H (with more than 70 users group delegates watching plus two television crews), the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police crew received an emergency call to assist an injured hiker in the Red Rock Canyon, about 20 miles west of Las Vegas. End of demo, back to reality. Vegas police average more than 125 search-and-rescue missions a year.

MOMENTUM

Mick Maurer (Right), President of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, predicts a tailwind in 2013.

Joe Stewart, Garmin Regional Sales Manager for Latin America (Left) revealing touch-screen GPS/navcoms optimized for helicopters.

REPORT

HELI-EXPO

NEW SIMULATORS FOLLOWING THE OIL

EXPANSION

CAE (top) expects to have 20 helicopter flight simulators in key locations around the world by the end of 2014.

Rotary wing training is currently dominated by three major players: Flightsafety International (FSI), CAE, and training in the aircraft.

In-flight training, the accepted default before the recent advent of more advanced, less expensive flight simulators, accounted for nearly 23% of accidents of the more than 500 accidents analyzed from three years of data (2000, 2001 and 2006) by the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST). Highrisk missions such as search-and-rescue, emergency medical, and law enforcement, surprisingly, were all very low on the scale, 2.5% or less each.

Of the top 6 ways to reduce helicopter accidents, 5 of the IHST’s recommendations involve training: autorotation, advanced maneuvers, critical issues awareness, aircraft performance and limitations, and emergency procedures training.

FSI and CAE are running neck-andneck to deploy more helicopter flight simulators and high-end flight training devices. By the end of 2014, each training company expects to have more than 20 simulators in key locations around the world.

“We have made significant investments in helicopter training since 2006,” said Steve Phillips, Vice President, Communications, for New York-based FSI. At the HAI Heli-Expo conference in Las Vegas in March, FSI and Sikorsky announced plans for six new S-76 and S92 civil market simulators to be posi-

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tioned in Norway, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the Southeast United States … not coincidentally major offshore oil and gas FSI offers 15 rotary trainers currently, including AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter and Sikorsky models, at training centres in Farnborough UK and in the US in Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Arizona. All of the devices feature VITAL X visual systems, which Phillips explained are “optimized for training low-level flight operations, offer increased scene content, vastly improved weather features, and enhanced levels of detail for optimum cueing.”

FSI and Pratt & Whitney Canada are also partnered on engine maintenance training at 12 locations worldwide.

Flightsafety also announced at HeliExpo that its Eurocopter AS350 device in Tucson, Arizona now features simulated night vision goggle training.

CAE’s Rob Lewis, the company’s new VP for Business Aviation, helicopter and maintenance training, sees the helicopter market growing about 8.5% a year for the next 5 years – “better than the outlook in Business Aviation.” He said the emphasis for more pilot training “is coming from the customer, the end user, particularly the oil and gas sector. They are requiring more training being done in the simulator.”

Lewis indicated CAE is “talking with three large fleet operators” about the kind of partnership deal the Montreal, Canada-based company struck with

CHC Helicopters two years ago. CAE acquired CHC’s training resources and is responsible for training more than 2,000 pilots and maintenance engineers annually.

At Heli-Expo, CAE announced that its subject experts have augmented initial and recurrent pilot training by integrating offshore elements such as checklists, standard operating procedures and other operational requirements into the curricula for various Eurocopter and Sikorsky models.

CAE, too, is on a deployment binge. In November they placed the first two fullmotion CAE 3000 Series full-flight simulators, S-76C++ models in Sao Paulo, Brazil (a joint venture with anchor customer Lider) and Zhuhai, China (at their JV with China Southern Airlines).

Five additional devices have been announced for the next two years, including the first AW189, an AW139, an EC-225/S-92 combo, and two S-92s.

Lewis noted, “It makes sense to outsource training to someone like CAE. We keep the training material updated with the regulatory changes, we usually have three or four of the simulator types available, and the operator can use their capital in their core business.”

CAE’s maintenance training approach is a “mobile classroom” of bringing training near to the operator’s location.

Lewis said they have more than a dozen such locations around the world.

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SHOW REPORT

By Paul Walsh

2013 saw the Business Airport World Expo move back to Farnborough, where frankly, the event belongs, and where it s likely to stay for future installments.

S

ure, Farnborough will never match Cannes for style or luxury.

But you’ve got to wonder about some of the people at last year’s expo in Cannes – were they there to work, or just to lie on the beach? At least at Farnborough visitors don’t go for the weather: it’s all about business, with the focus being on developing relationships, building profiles and finding opportunities.

For expo organizers UKIP, putting on an event in their own backyard makes more sense too and this year, in contrast to last, everything was smoothly arranged with few complaints from exhibitors.

HOMEWARD

This year the Business Airport World Expo moved back to Farnborough for a smoothly arranged, businessfocused event.

International Appeal Certainly, BAWE lived up to claims of being an international expo; among the 130 exhibitors there were representatives from the USA, Malta, Germany, Iceland, France, Italy, not to mention the UK. In all, exhibitors came from some 33 countries – even Pakistan was represented thanks to a large booth from flight support services company Avicon.

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BUSINESS AIRPORT WORLD EXPO

BACK ON HOME TURF “We think the World Expo is an ideal event for us as it is so specific to Business Aviation,” said Syed Wahabuddin, CEO, Avicon. “A good proportion of our business opportunities can be found here and we use the show to enhance our customer base.

It also provides us with the opportunity to meet other service providers and discuss issues in the market.”

Sticking with the international theme, Segun Demuren, of Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) was similarly upbeat: “BAWE is a great way to network and let people know we’re alive. It is a good place to catch up with our partners and see what is happening in the industry. It is an exciting time for Nigeria in the Business Aviation industry and visitors to our stand are very interested in what is going on and how they can be a part of it.”

Indeed, EAN had plenty to inform their customers about. They’ve received Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) certification from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority meaning they can undertake wheels and battery service provision on a wider variety of Nigerian registered aircraft types. Just following the show they were selected by Avjet Routing to serve as its preferred

ground Nigerian handler. And finally, they’ve launched their own Nigerian Business Aviation conference to be held Tuesday, 7 May, 2013.

“Nigeria is such an important country for the growth of Business Aviation in Sub-Saharan Africa it seemed essential that we addressed at an early stage the issues affecting its growth in a single event,” commented Segun Demuren, CEO of EAN. “We are looking forward to welcoming Nigeria’s most influential business executives who will have an opportunity to discuss at first hand with the regulatory bodies, banks and lawyers issues that are currently stalling development.”

In other African developments at BAWE, Bestfly Flight Support announced its new state-of-the-art hangar currently being constructed at Luanda International Airport in Angola.

The 2,400m² facility will be the first of its kind in the country and will offer visitors to Angola a safe and secure place to store their aircraft.

The company has invested US$800,000 in the new facility, which will be fully closed and will be able to accommodate up to seven private jets.

It will also provide all the latest equipment for light maintenance services.

Europe and the Middle East Closer to home, Jet Aviation had a booth at the show, where Frank Kusserow, Jet Aviation’s Head of FBO services for EMEA & Asia, spoke enthusiastically about the company’s plans for further FBO expansion and its desire to maintain its focus on being a service-led organization. One example of this tendency is in Dubai, where Jet Aviation recently opened a new FBO facility at the World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport.

“This is all about meeting our customers’ needs at both international airports in Dubai,” says Michael Rucker, vice president and general manager at Jet Aviation Dubai. “We welcome the opportunity to support aircraft and passengers.”

Another company on the rise is Euro Jet who spoke of their new hangar facility at Prague’s Vaclav

Havel Airport in the Czech Republic that includes 1,500m² for aircraft storage and an additional 300m² for office space and long-term storage.

The hangar can accommodate aircraft up to the Gulfstream V series or multiple Citation Jets and is fully enclosed and heated. It also has an area for the crew and is under 24hour security.

Euro Jet also offers a complimentary crew lounge in Terminal 3, dedicated ground support agents, and a crew car. Additionally, it has discounted towing at the airport and negotiated hotel rates at top Prague hotels.

Of course expansion doesn’t have to be about new hangers and parking spaces. Italian group SKY Services are expanding their technological support with the launch of its Sky Guide and ISKYSERVICES mobile app that will

provide customers with all the information they need when flying into one of the company’s Italian FBOs. The new products provide information on the services available at a particular FBO in the network as well as a guide to local restaurants, shops, monuments and attractions in the surrounding area. The guide is currently available for eight of SKY Services’ locations, but it will be extended to a further 11 airports and then to the whole of Italy.

“Sky Guide is a complete guide on how to reach our locations, the history of the area, monuments and events for the surrounding area,” explained Clemente de Rosa, managing director, SKY Services. “This is also available on our app with localized functions. I believe this is the first of its kind in Europe and is great for our customers, 85% of which are from outside of Italy.”

Airport Growth Moving on, Cambridge Airport had plenty of explaining to do given the sweeping changes that have taken place at the organization. First there was the creation of JETabiliy, a new all-encompassing aviation services unit which brings together the management of Cambridge Airport, and the newly-launched ‘one call, one team’ JETability business.

Aviation services will be headed by Steve Jones as managing director who sees his remit broadened to include Cambridge Airport.

And it certainly seems that Cambridge is in safe hands given the experience Jones has in steering the growth of regional airports – in the UK he was Managing Director of Oxford Airport for ten years and in the Middle East he was General Manager of Al Bateen Executive

BUSY

There was full business to business activity around the exhibition booths, with exhibitors promoting their services.

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SHOW REPORT

OPPORTUNITY

Building relationships, convincing the right prospect or attending conferences are among the opportunities on hand at BAWE.

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BUSINESS AIRPORT WORLD EXPO Airport, the first and only dedicated Business Aviation airport in the Middle East.

It’s worth noting that Cambridge’s growth didn’t stop with the formation of JETability –in the weeks following it acquired 100% of the share capital of FlairJet Ltd, the London Oxford Airportbased aircraft management and charter company.

Speaking of expansion, Vipport from Moscow and JetPort from St. Petersburg were also present. Indeed on March 6th JetPort announced that its new Center for Business Aviation Pulkovo-3 had officially opened its doors for domestic flights, offering clients a full spectrum of services, including pre-flight security, customs control and passport control.

Shannon Airport was present too, promoting what their US preclearance services can offer for travelers heading for the US. Indeed, as Universal Weather and Aviation points out, it’s now possible to pre-clear at Shannon (EINN) in about half the ground time that was required previously and without, in most cases, shutting down all aircraft systems.

Of course the Business Airport World Expo wasn’t just about airports, a handful of suppliers and technology companies were there too. Rockwell Collins is a case in point and was demonstrating its new Skybox, which allows passengers to play any content stored in the system’s library on up to 10 Apple iOS devices. Passengers can also stream movies, photos or business documents from their devices to cabin displays.

It was just another example of the innovation on display at Farnborough and as the Business Airport World Expo drew to a close, show organizers sounded confident that we can expect another successful event in 2014. “We were delighted with the quality and quantity of attendees this year,” said Graham Johnson, Managing Director at UKIP Media & Events. “You could see business being done throughout the exhibition hall. The show has been so successful that Business Airport World Expo 2014 will be returning to London Farnborough next year on March 19-20 2014…. and I’d be very surprised if we don’t see at least 2,500-3,000 attendees.”

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS

By Bernard Fitzsimons

Non-traditional export markets, notably the so-called BRIC countries and China in particular, have become a focus for business jet manufacturers sales efforts.

Support provision is consequently expanding rapidly.

OEM CUSTOMER SUPPORT

MANUFACTURERS RAMP UP CUSTOMER SUPPORT

B

urgeoning business jet fleets in the growth economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China have spurred manufacturers to add local support operations for the new aircraft. The last year has seen the announcement of new or planned service centers in China by Beechcraft, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer and Gulfstream, as well as several more in the other BRIC countries, Africa and the Asia Pacific region.

BOOST

Furthering support in emerging market: Execujet Africa (top).

Bombardier Singapore SC (center).

Since the beginning of 2012 Bombardier has appointed new business jet authorized service facilities or line maintenance facilities in Qatar, Lagos, New Delhi, Shanghai and Tianjin. The latest is in Brazil, where Maga Aviation at Sao Paolo’s Campo dos Amarais airport has become an ASF for Learjet 40, 40 XR, 45 and 45 XR. In Lagos, ExecuJet Nigeria has been made an LMF for the Challenger 300, 604 and 605, Global 5000 and 6000, Global Express and Global Express XRS. This year the company plans to open its new factory owned and operated service center in Singapore. The building is progressing well, says Mark

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Masluch acting supervisor Communications & PR, Bombardier Customer Service. He adds that the company has already hired many of the technicians it needs, including maintenance and operations managers. They are gaining experience in the North American network before returning to Singapore.

“If you look at the market share that Bombardier has gained, it’s really growing quickly outside of North America and we’ve stepped on the accelerator in terms of deploying service personnel,” Masluch says.

“We’re going to be there with bricks and mortar ahead of the influx of new aircraft.”

Along with the new facilities, there has been a parallel emphasis on both the distribution and the pricing of parts. Bombardier’s Dubai parts depot has been enlarged, and the Frankfurt warehouse has been upgraded to full hub status. `”There’s been a huge shift in parts availability and transaction opportunities for customers,” says Masluch of the new hub, which is now able to accept customer part returns and part exchanges, certify parts and receive shipments direct from vendors. The result should be reduced turn time for units, and increased parts availability for customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. There will be a third hub in the Asia Pacific, where Bombardier already has parts depots in Singapore and Hong Kong.

“At this point we have 10 depots worldwide and it’s really important that we get more no-go and MEL parts in each depot in the region,” Masluch comments. “It used to be that you called us, we had a part but it wasn’t near you. Now more and more you call us, we have a part and it’s in the depot that’s closest to your base of operations.”

Meanwhile, he says, the price matching scheme for rotable and consumable parts that Bombardier launched

To support the 20 or so Falcons currently operated in India and others due for delivery over the next two years, Dassault has expanded its Falcon liaison office in New Delhi and authorized charter operator Taj Air to establish a line service station at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The facility provides scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and inspections for the Falcon 2000 and 2000DX/EX/LX and is a base for spare parts inventory.

Air Works India in Mumbai is a Falcon 900EX ASC. Shanghai Hawker Pacific at the city’s Hongqiao International airport is Dassault’s new ASC in China, with a focus on the Falcon 2000EX EASy, 900EX and 7X. “The Indian market is becoming more conducive to consistent growth and the investments in our support network will place us in an excellent position to benefit in the future,” Dassault Falcon president and CEO John Rosanvallon said in February. in 2011 has received some good feedback from customers. And since the beginning of 2013 all parts come with a two-year warranty: “We won’t consider the warranty period on the price matching for a competitor’s part. So if you’re priced at $X with a one year warranty we’ll give you that price on top of offering you the two year warranty, we won’t factor that into the price matching.”

BRIC building China has become Gulfstream’s top export market, and the start of operations last November’s at Gulfstream Beijing made it the first business jet OEM to offer factory service in the country. Gulfstream Beijing, a joint venture with Deer Jet, Asia’s biggest business jet operator, and its fellow Hainan Airlines Group subsidiary, Hainan Aviation Technik is backed by parts and materials worth more than $50 million at warehouses in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Gulfstream has also opened its own maintenance facility at Sorocaba in Brazil, where the former Jet Aviation facility has been rebranded Gulfstream Brazil. There is a bonded warehouse at Sorocaba with $1.5 million in parts, plus inventory worth more than $9 million at Sao Paolo Cogonhas.

Support operations in the United States are continuing to grow.

Gulfstream has added staff at its Dallas service center and its Brunswick, Georgia, completions center as well as the Westfield, Massachusetts, service center, where a new 11,600-sq m hangar is due to open in the second quarter of 2013.

Dassault has targeted all four BRIC countries. Its Brazil service center at Sao Paolo Sorocaba airport, which became operational in 2009, was the first company-owned Falcon service center outside France and the US. This year should see the addition of a new ASC at Moscow Sheremetyevo, augmenting the existing satellite service center at Vnukovo.

Embraer, itself one of the emblems of Brazil’s emergence as an economic powerhouse, is building its own new executive jet service center in Sorocaba. Due to open in the second half of this year, it will reinforce the existing service center in São José dos Campos and ASCs at Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba and Goiânia.

Further afield, ExecuJet Haite in Tianjin, a joint venture between ExecuJet and Tianjin Haite Engineering, has become Embraer’s first ASC in China, where it will provide line and base maintenance for the Lineage 1000 and Legacy 500/600.

ExecuJet Middle East in Dubai has expanded its provision to include

EMERGING

Gulfstream Sorocaba Brazil (top).

Dassault growing its footprint in Moscow Sheremetyevo (center).

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS

SERVICE

Sorocaba Embraer Jet Service Center (top).

Comlux Aviation service Lineage Service center in Indianapolis USA (center).

Lineage 1000 line maintenance. And in India Air Works is expanding its maintenance capability for the south of the country at Hosur. Last year saw the creation of a spare parts depot in Bangalore.

Comlux Aviation Service in Indianapolis has become the first independent Lineage 1000 service center in North America, as well as a Legacy 600/650 ASC. The approval covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, avionics, structural repairs and interior refurbishment. Further US support comes from a new UPS-operated distribution center in Las Vegas, which is part of the manufacturer’s effort to provide same-day deliveries of parts to customers and service centers throughout North America.

Ensuring support for new models is another focus for Embraer. Well ahead of next year’s scheduled service entry of the new Legacy 500, Embraer has signed MoUs with 17 service centers around the world to support the new midsize jet. The strategy is to have product support in place world wide before the new type enters service.

ASC perspective Duncan Aviation is an ASC for Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, and Embraer aircraft, as well as for several engine, avionics and accessory OEMs.

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OEM CUSTOMER SUPPORT

“Being an authorized service center for an airframe OEM assures the operator that the service facility has the required training, tooling and spare parts to support the aircraft,” says vice president sales John Slieter. An ASC will also have a direct line to the OEM for engineering support.

“We value our relationships with manufacturers for many reasons,” he says, “and over the last several years, we have developed even better relationships with many of them. For example, we have technicians and experts who sit on some OEM advisory boards, providing feedback and suggestions. We have developed great working relationships with several,

assisting them with engineering, paint and interior services as needed.”

Duncan strongly believes that developing these relationships “improves the industry and the products and helps us serve our mutual customers with the best in quality, time and service.”

On the other hand, Slieter says, Duncan has always exceeded the minimum training hours and invests heavily on tooling, even for service for aircraft that are not covered by ASC agreements, such as Gulfstreams, Hawkers and Global Expresses. A new Gulfstream-dedicated airframe team is currently being recruited at Lincoln, complementing the established team at Battle Creek.

“Although we value our OEM partnerships and believe that supporting each other in service to our mutual customers is best,” he considers, “it can be said that there are advantages in not having an ASC agreement. For example, Duncan Aviation can now use PMA [parts manufacturing approval, or nonOEM] replacement parts for Hawker aircraft. This is something that many operators prefer because they see PMA parts as a greater value, but using them was against our previous ASC agreement. In addition, for Gulfstreams and Hawkers we are now more free to use independent DERs [designated engineering representatives] for design and approval of non-warranty airframe repairs.”

Hawker Beechcraft’s decision last year not to renew Duncan Aviation’s ASC agreement after 13 years was disappointing both for the company and its customer base, he says. “However, we have and will continue to provide top-quality services to Hawker operators for years to come.”

The company is making sure it has the facilities to do that. Last year Duncan added a new 4,200-sq m paint hangar for large and ultra-large at its Lincoln, Nebraska, base. This year it is scheduled to add two new 3,700-sq m maintenance bays, plus extensive additional office and back shop accommodation. The Provo, Utah, base Duncan opened in 2010 is also set for expansion. A Bombardier and Embraer ASC, the Provo facility has added buildings and capabilities, and further expansion is planned.

At Battle Creek, Michigan, meanwhile, where Duncan has seen a growth in visits by larger airframes such as Globals and the bigger Falcons and Gulfstreams, new storage is planned to increase hangar throughput. The facility is within non-stop range of Europe, and the company is also targeting new business from South American operators. Additional avionics satellite shops are planned, too, building on the existing network of more than 25 locations.

Hawker Support The post-Chapter 11 Beechcraft may have ditched the Hawker product line but it remains committed to supporting the aircraft through its 10 facilities in the US, Mexico and UK and 90-plus ASCs.

The latest factory service center opened in September in Monterrey, Mexico. As well as maintenance, repair and modification of airframes, engines and avionics, it offers interior modifications and includes the first dedicated paint facility in Mexico for general aviation. Two months earlier the company opened a new northeastern US regional service center with 3,700 sq m of hangar space at Wilmington, Delaware.

There are also new Beechcraft ASCs in Brazil and China and a parts warehouse in India. In Brazil, Premium Jet Aircraft Maintenance in Curitiba has become an ASC for the Hawker 125 and Model 400 series. Shanghai Hawker Pacific has become the company’s first ASC in mainland China, while the new parts warehouse in India is operated by Airworks in Bangalore. Harrods Aviation at London Luton has become a limited service center to support the Hawker 750, 800, 800XP, 850XP and 900XP. The Asia Pacific region has seen the addition of new Cessna support facilities. The joint regional service center

opened last year by Cessna and fellow Textron subsidiary Bell Helicopter in Singapore’s Seletar Aviation Park is planned to carry out training, customization and completions as well as MRO. In China, established Citation operator Beijing Dingshi GA Tech Service Center has become an authorized service facility for the Citation X, XLS+ family and Sovereign, and there are plans to authorize Shanghai Hawker Pacific as a Citation Sovereign facility.

In Europe, where there are more than 1,000 Citations, Cessna has opened a new service center in Valencia, Spain, and brought some

existing service facilities in house. The Valencia service center has 5,800 sq m of hangar space and is intended to service customers in North Africa as well as western Europe. The former Kinch Aviation Services at Doncaster Sheffield airport has become the UK’s first Citation service center, and Cessna has acquired the Jet Aviation MRO facilities in Zurich and in Düsseldorf, Germany: they offer repair, maintenance, overhaul, refurbishment and customization services for both Citation business jets and other manufacturers’ aircraft already maintained there.

✈

GROWTH

Within non-stop range from Europe, Duncan is experiencing a growth in visits by large airframes.

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THE DOCKET

REGULATION IN EUROPE

EUROPE AS A MANUFACTURING HUB

Does Embraer s recent decision and opening of a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Portugal signal a new era of aviation manufacturing in Europe? Or is it merely an exception to the general rule that Europe tends to regulate away new investment opportunities.

Nick Klenske explores what was behind Embraer s decision to turn towards Europe and looks at the pros and cons of Europe as an import/export destination.

I INVESTMENT

Embraer's investment in Portugal might be the start of a factual European aviation manufacturing.

t was back in 2008 – pre-crisis times – when Embraer made the announcement that it was set to implement two new industrial units dedicated to manufacturing complex airframe structures, one focused on metallic assemblies and the other on composites, in Évora, Portugal. It was a much publicized event, attracting Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Souza and then President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

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“We are pleased to announce new investments in Portugal, which represent another important strategic step towards improving Embraer’s productivity and competitiveness, while also supporting the company’s growth and its global presence,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President & CEO. “We firmly believe that these technological state-of-the-art operations will represent an important contribution to the region of Évora, as well as to Portugal and to the European Union – one of our largest and most important markets, both for our supplies and aircraft sales and services.”

The reasons behind Évora’s selection were many, including the potential it offered for access to qualified labor, logistical infrastructure and existence of a technological center dedicated to aeronautics. At the time the facilities represented an estimated investment of 100 million (metallic) and 48 million (composites) over the course of six years, according to their respective implementation schedules.

Needless to say, a lot has happened since that announcement in 2008, including the global recession and the

more recent (and ongoing) Euro crisis, and the opening of the two Centers of Excellence, which occurred in September of last year.

“Today’s opening of Embraer´s first factories in Europe is a key step in our industrial strategy,” said Curado, Embraer President & CEO during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “These two Centers of Excellence combine the most advanced technologies and manufacturing processes in both metallic and composite airframe construction, and we are sure they will provide a relevant contribution to the development of the Portuguese aerospace industry.”

The Immediate Benefit Although there are many who question Europe’s vitality as a manufacturing destination, Embraer’s decision is having an immediate and direct effect – at least on the development of the badly beaten Portuguese economy. In fact, once the jealous neighbor to Spain’s thriving aerospace sector (which has long been developing parts for Airbus and Eurocopter), Portugal’s aviation sector is now a bright spot in the otherwise dull economic landscape.

Many see Embraer’s investment as having both a symbolic and economic multiplier effect, finally giving Portugal the status of an aerospace manufacturing nation, and kick-starting a new sector of small and mediumsize manufacturing and design enterprises in Evora and beyond. However, it should be noted that this is not Embraer’s first foray into Portugal’s aerospace sector. Six years ago the company became the controlling shareholder in OGMA in a part-privatization (initially with EADS, although it has since bought out its European rival).

Embraer has since awarded OGMA and another Portuguese company, EEA, contracts to design and manufacture fuselage sections for the KC-390.

Lisbon has committed to buy six examples of the transport, which is due to fly in 2014, but has not yet placed a firm order.

Turning back to Evora, the sleepy rural town that, like most of Portugal, depends heavily on tourism, has been facing rising unemployment and depopulation. Thus, high-value exports and jobs were sorely needed.

For Embraer, the move into Portugal has a number of benefits. It shifts an element of its cost base into the Eurozone and reduces its exposure to the dollar/real exchange rate, and while local aeronautical experience is lacking, the airframer can draw on a well-educated skills pool in a region where wage pressure is low. More so, financial incentives from Portugal and the European Union were “important” but certainly “not the main reason” Embraer moved in, says Curado.

Then there is hope for a trickledown effect, with the new Embraer facility soon attracting smaller suppliers to come and set up shop in the surrounding empty fields, eventually growing up into a true aviation cluster and bolstering Europe’s image as a manufacturing hub.

Challenges Ahead So that’s the good news.

Now for the other side of the coin.

Although the Embraer case study would seem to indicate that all is well for Europe as a manufacturing destination, many challenges do lay ahead.

For example, according to Luiz Fernando Fuchs, President, Embraer Aviation Europe, one key challenge to manufacturing in Europe is that not all

areas are ‘low cost’. “The major challenge of manufacturing in Europe is to remain innovative, both in terms of product development and in industrial processes,” he says. “In addressing this, to motivate, to prepare and to retain talents as well as highly-qualified people, are our top priorities and can be very challenging in non-low costs areas.”

Then there is the matter of the European regulatory environment, for example the REACH legislation that all companies must follow in order to have their products and processes fully compliant.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) Regulation 1907/2006 entered into force on June 2007 across the European Union. Its principal purpose is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment.

It places duties on the ‘Manufacturers’, ‘Importers’ and ‘Downstream Users’ of substances, preparations or mixtures and articles, when these are placed on the market.

It seeks to achieve this by requiring the registration of the majority of chemical substances, on their own, in preparations or mixtures or in some case in articles (where the substance in question is ‘intended for release’).

Registration dossiers, many of which are in preparation for 2013, will be subject to evaluation by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki, working with Member State competent authorities. Substances of Very High Concern (carcinogens, mutagens, reprotoxins, persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances and those of ‘equivalent concern’) may be selected for a Candidate List requiring authorization for their continued use.

Authorization is a rigorous, expensive and demanding process, requiring detailed justification for the continued use of the substances, such as socioeconomic studies or an accepted substitution.

In summary, REACH aims to deliver much more information to the users of chemicals already on the market, and to drive the substitution of many problem chemicals by safer alternatives.

This is reinforced by outside pressure from NGOs and others.

The REACH Regulation also reenacts the system of restrictions on the marketing and use of chemicals from

a Directive from 1976, which allows individual substances to be targeted by strict restrictions or bans.

Restrictions from this earlier directive may be carried over into REACH, but firms cannot assume that exemptions will also survive the transition, and these may need to be separately renegotiated.

The related ‘CLP Regulation’ is the EU Regulation on the Classification, Labeling and Packaging of Chemicals. This enacts within the European Union the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). It brought into effect major changes to the classification and labeling of substances (from 1 June 2010) and of preparations (from 1 June 2015) and will lead to the repeal from 1 June 2015 of the Dangerous Substances Directive and the Dangerous Preparations Directive. Although complex, it must be noted that there are some advantages to the adoption of this regulation for businesses operating in many jurisdictions, as it will bring classification and labeling provisions closer inline worldwide.

HOPE

By investing in Portugal, Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, shows that there is still hope for Europe s manufacturing future.

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THE DOCKET

DIRECTIVE

EU regulations on chemical substances have serious implications on the European aviation industry.

When it was first proposed, REACH was thought to be of concern mainly to the chemicals industry. However, as the width of its scope became better understood, it became clear that it would have massive impacts on numerous industries, including aviation. For example, it has been estimated that there are as many as 10,000 REACH substances in a Ford car – so just imagine how many could be in the latest business jet.

The aerospace response to this issue has been led by the main aerospace trade associations, and by the major manufacturing firms, which tend to see REACH principally as a business risk concerning the continued availability of essential materials and the integrity of their supply chains, rather than simply another compliance issue.

Much of the aerospace industry effort has gone into taking the messages about REACH requirements out to the complex supply chains by which major manufacturers are supported, with REACH compliance guidelines, materials, workshops and training. The industry has also produced its own REACH Implementation Guidelines, along with an aerospace (and defense) industry opinion on what constitutes a substance, preparation or article.

Although this represents an important initial industry view, the European Court of Justice remains the ultimate arbiter of how EU law is interpreted.

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REGULATION IN EUROPE

The Impact on the Aviation Industry In general, the aviation industry has a problem with some of the substances listed as being of very high concern (SVHC) under REACH. The reason is concern for the serious consequences it could have not only on the European aviation maintenance industry, but also on the European economy as it prompts manufacturers and the maintenance industry to relocate their activities outside the EU. Speaking at a recent Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Europe’ conference, one association official highlighted the detrimental effects of SVHC list. “The REACH regulation was designed for large chemical suppliers without taking into account the requirements of downstream users of chemicals, such as the aerospace and maintenance industry,” he said.

For example, one early draft decision included a ban on chromates, essential for corrosion protection for aircraft, for which there are currently no alternatives. But as we all know, the aviation industry has a long history of developing procedures to protect people and the environment from dangerous substances.

In that light, these regulations contradict the stringent aviation safety requirements set by the European

Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), for example. One source went as far as to warn that the regulations pose a “significant threat to the European economy and to the competitiveness of the EU aviation and maintenance industry” and that aircraft operators may see them as incentive “to move their activities to non-EU countries”.

As with many regulations, the industry supports the general objectives of REACH with regard to the safe use of chemicals. However, the aviation maintenance industry makes substantial use of chemicals, including so-called Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), to fulfill stringent aviation safety requirements specified by EASA. Despite many years of research, no viable alternatives are on the horizon which would substitute them.

The resulting effects include a huge administrative burden, huge bureaucratic costs and potential supply chain disruptions for the industry. Moreover, regarding environment and worker protection, the regulations provide no added value as the industry already has introduced the necessary measures in these areas. The regulations also jeopardize the competitiveness of the European industry as it only refers to the EU, meaning aircraft operators will be incentivized

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8

FROM THE COCKPIT

SAFETY FIRST

PRIORITIES

By LeRoy Cook

D

PRECEDENCE

The order of priority for any pilot: safety, comfort and, only then, speed.

uring the time when I was both a pilot and in charge of marketing our company’s aircraft charter activities, I wanted to underscore our philosophy of taking care of the passengers, to reassure potential clients that all would be well when flying with us. In the printed brochure we handed out, I ranked our operating principles in order of priority.

First, and always, came SAFETY. If the flight couldn’t be conducted safely, it would be canceled, period. Second in ranking was COMFORT for the passengers; if the weather looked to be turbulent, we would divert, change altitudes, or recommend departing earlier or later, in order to make the trip more enjoyable, even at the cost of extra fuel burn and reduced speed.

Lastly came SPEED; everyone wants to get there quickly and on time, but we emphasized that safety and comfort came first.

I don’t know how many customers we convinced with this approach, but most of the ones I flew appreciated the forthrightness and honesty we displayed. To the obviously nervous infrequent flyers, I would say “I’m going to make this a safe flight, for myself.

Therefore, since you’re riding with me, you’ll be safe as well.” I wouldn’t elaborate about the cloud types ahead, or the reason for a potential course change, but I would explain that “I’m going to be turning west for a little while, to keep our ride smooth.” or “I’m climbing above these clouds so we won’t bounce so much.”

Other charter operators told me to “always take the trip, regardless of the conditions. Depart on time and work out the situation in the air.” By doing so, they rationalized, one had a captive load of freight that wasn’t going to be lost to competitors or alternative modes of transport. Most of the time, there was a way to get through. The pilots, of course, bore the brunt of fulfilling the contractual agreement, and if a pilot couldn’t make it happen, there were plenty of others waiting to be hired.

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Maintain Priorities For all of our business and corporate flight operations, we need to keep our priorities in mind, whether or not we have paying passengers on board. Oh, we all realize that it may necessary to accept getting bounced around a bit if we can pick up a fast tailwind, but, as I age, I find that I personally like a nice smooth ride, for myself. Oddly enough, seeking smooth conditions seems to enhance safety, by staying out of unfriendly weather.

In no case do we want to stretch our safety limits by bending rules; regulations are to be followed, but, beyond that, our personal and flight department limits need to be made even more restrictive. I don’t fly late at night if I’ve been up all day. The rules allow it, but I know I’m not at my best at the end of an 18-hour wake time. I also want extra fuel reserves over the mandated amount and I want more than one alternate landing spot within reach, not just in the planning phase but as the trip progresses.

Safety must be the first priority.

Regulations do not guarantee safety.

They encourage it, they originate from unsafe experiences, and they are the foundation on which we operate. But rules alone will not keep us safe, or create an enjoyable flight. We must flesh out the bare skeleton of the regulations with added procedures of our own.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish Beyond the Safety, Comfort, Speed trio, there is a fourth priority— Operating Cost. All other priorities having been satisfied, it’s always important to consider the cost of the flight. In most cases, satisfying the first three priorities will not add materially to the expense involved, and in fact can prevent much greater loss, should safety be compromised. In the matter of speed, one must consider the impact of slowing down to reduce the expense of fuel burn in the context of hourly maintenance management fees and engine reserves. Adding to the trip’s duration can incur enough extra hourly charges to exceed the price of fuel. In other words, staying at max-cruise can be cheaper, overall.

In general aviation, WE set the priorities; even if we’re using a company procedures manual, we likely had a hand in writing it, because a manual is developed to provide guidance for us, not the accounting department or management committee. This is our airplane, and we’ll fly it our way. That said, our way had better be the right

way, because there’s no one else to absorb blame. Therefore, our ladder of priorities mustn’t be skewed by saving a bit of money or stretching the regs; we have a vested interest in keeping safety first, and we want to know our airplane is 100% ready for flight when we taxi out.

Deferring maintenance until you can return to base or finish a planned itinerary is sometimes necessary, but must never be allowed to accumulate like a snowball rolling downhill. Prioritize defects; Category One, for instance, would be powerplant deficiencies or major system faults, while Category Two could be the first layer of redundancy in a backed-up system or the loss of a non-critical system. Category Three would be nice-to-have items like scheduled inspections, blankets or spare batteries. Flying with categoryone deficiencies would only be done when there’s no alternative, while taking off with more than a single category-two fault would be a cause for worry.

Category-three items may increase workload or paperwork, but are not a safety risk as long as they’re not a source of distraction from other duties.

Staying Comfortable We can’t exactly control the environment, but we can take charge of our participation in it. Weather impacts safety, comfort and speed, in some way. In order to counter its potential threat, we must keep abreast of the latest met reports, load on fuel to give

alternatives and seek information on ride reports in the road ahead.

Remember that customer satisfaction results from managing the trip’s difficulties in such a way that they are never detected.

A certain level of passenger comfort also results from simple attention to housekeeping, as well as the conduct of the flight. Today, I noticed an open seam in an upholstery panel when I climbed aboard. I will get that put back in place, not because it’s unsafe but because I don’t want passengers looking at the faded foam and wondering what else is neglected on their aircraft. Cleaning windows and removing trash from seat pockets goes a long way toward impressing one’s riders.

I’ve observed that getting the passengers home 15 minutes late is seldom noticed, as long as the major portion of the trip was smooth, the descent profile was stable and the landing was rolled on, not slammed down. Make it a mark of pride to handle the passengers like a crate of eggs; don’t jiggle them, don’t jostle them around, and set them down easy. Their priority should be your priority.

In another life, when I supervised salespeople, I reminded them “buyers can get this material you’re selling anywhere; let them know we appreciate them, and leave them with a good impression, so they’ll want to procure their goods here.” In the final analysis, priorities do matter.

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CALM

Relax your passengers by keeping fuel loads high and the aircraft clean.

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SAFETY SENSE

By Michael R. Grüninger and Capt. Carl C. Norgren of Great Circle Services AG (GCS)

I

n 1980, a Lockheed L-1011 operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines suffered an in-flight fire and returned to the departure airport Riyadh. The aircraft landed, rolled to the end of the runway and stopped on the taxiway.

The crew did not start an evacuation.

The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) personnel did not enter the aircraft as the engines were still running. After engine shutdown they watched from the outside as the fire spread inside the aircraft. According to the accident investigation report a lack of training and appropriate equipment prevented the ARFF crews from taking any action.

The crew inside the burning cabin were not able to initiate an evacuation.

All passengers and crew perished in the fire. Accident investigators concluded that the crew were overcome by toxic fumes and were no longer in a position to initiate an evacuation once the aircraft came to a halt. The accident report by the Presidency of Civil Aviation reads ‘The inhalation of toxic gasses, at times, is insidious and causes physical and mental impairment which would be alleviated by the proper use of oxygen.’ Luckily the lessons were learned and since 1980 many things have changed.

LATE

Poor training meant that crew on LockheadL1011 delayed an evacuation

Mastering Rare Events Aircraft evacuations are extremely rare events. When crew members encounter an evacuation it will most likely be the first and only time in their professional careers. Therefore crew members do not have the benefit of learning from own experience. To prepare for evacuations crew members study lessons learnt from past evacuations and undergo simulation training.

For crew members the lessons learnt from numerous accidents and incidents have led to more sophisticated training programs. Procedures for evacuation preparation have been refined. Flight crews regularly practice simulated evacuations from the actual aircraft or from mock-ups. CRM training emphasizes the importance of communication to achieve a coordinated team action in case of emergencies.

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RESCUE AND EVACUATION

FIRE FIGHTING

Planning Evacuations

Communications The lack of communication between the flight crew of the Saudi L-1011 and ARFF personnel posed a significant problem. The ARFF personnel were not equipped to communicate on VHF frequencies and tried unsuccessfully to relay their messages through the tower controller, who in turn tried to contact the flight crew without success.

As a result of numerous safety recommendations ARFF personnel at many aerodromes today have VHF radios working on aviation frequencies. In addition, many aerodromes have published discrete emergency frequencies to improve communication between flight crews and ARFF personnel. A thorough flight preparation would identify such frequencies and add them to the crew briefing.

Data from the NTSB suggests that preparing an evacuation significantly improves the survival chances of the occupants and limits the number of injuries sustained. Checklists for evacuation preparation are a valuable tool for crew members. Preparing the cabin for evacuation should include such items as reminding passengers of exit locations and explaining the operation of emergency exits, demonstrating and practicing the brace-forimpact position, re-seating passengers closer to emergency exits, removing sharp objects and high-heeled shoes, reviewing evacuation orders and reminding passengers to leave their carry-on luggage behind. Since time is often limited the preparation must be in order of priority. Many operators have two evacuation preparation checklists: a short version (less than 10 to 15 minutes) and a longer version.

When You Least Expect Them Most evacuations occur without preparation. They are the result of emergencies that arise unexpectedly.

The most common causes for evacuations are engine fires, cargo smoke warnings and APU fires. Unplanned evacuations are more challenging than planned evacuations.

In 2005, an Air France Airbus 340300 overran runway 24L in Toronto while landing in heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with poor braking action. The aircraft came to rest in a ravine and immediately caught fire. All 309 occupants managed to evacuate the aircraft before it was destroyed by the post-impact fire. The cabin crew

took decisive and timely action and initiated the evacuation without waiting for an evacuation signal from the flight deck.

Fire outside the aircraft was visible from the cabin and smoke was entering the cabin. The crew reacted to the events unfolding and applied their judgment to initiate evacuation without waiting for instructions from the flight deck. This was a crucial factor that saved lives as the cabin evacuation signaling system had become inoperative during the crash.

Some cabin crew donned protective breathing equipment to protect themselves against the inhalation of toxic fumes.

When the ARFF crews arrived at the crash site the evacuation was complete and the aircraft was engulfed by fire. The post-crash fire was intense and violent. The presence of large amounts of flammable substances such as fuel, oxygen, rubber tires and hydraulic fluid make aircraft fires especially dangerous. The intense heat from an aircraft fire can melt the aluminum alloy of the aircraft fuselage in as little as three minutes. For fuselages made of composite materials this time is considerably shorter.

In 2006 an A310 operated by OAO Aviakompania Sibir overran the runway at Irkutsk at high speed and collided with buildings. In the intense postcrash fire 75 passengers and 3 cabin crew members out of a total of 203 persons on board managed to evacuate the aircraft. All survivors evacuated the burning wreck within the first 60 seconds following the crash. Thereafter the intensity of the fire precluded any further rescue attempts.

Conditions inside the aircraft cabin quickly became un-survivable due to high carbon monoxide concentrations and intense heat. Rapid evacuation is essential to survival!

Don t Wait to be Rescued The first priority for the ARFF personnel is to safeguard escape paths outside the aircraft for occupants to self-evacuate to safety. The ARFF personnel will focus on fire control first before starting rescue attempts inside the aircraft.

The US National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) “Guide for Aircraft Rescue and Fire-Fighting (ARFF) operations” defines aircraft

rescue as the “action taken to save or set free persons involved in an aircraft incident/accident by safeguarding the integrity of the aircraft fuselage from an external/internal fire, to support self-evacuation, and to undertake the removal of injured and trapped persons”.

Every Aerodrome is Different The minimum aerodrome category for rescue and fire fighting required for a specific aircraft type depends on its fuselage length and diameter. The larger the aircraft, the higher the aerodrome category for rescue and fire fighting required.

ARFF capabilities vary widely between aerodromes, despite ICAO has laid down ARFF standards and recommended practices in the ICAO Airport Services Manual, Part 1, Rescue and Fire Fighting.

The aerodrome category for rescue and fire fighting is based only on 4 parameters: the quantities of water and complementary extinguishing agents available and the number of aircraft fire-fighting vehicles and their total discharge capacity.

Modern ARFF technologies such as GPS-based moving map navigation displays, ground radar transponders and forward-looking infrared (FLIR) video camera systems are not considered.

Tools for cutting and piercing the fuselage of an aircraft and nozzles fitted on extendable booms designed to pierce aircraft fuselages to allow the delivery of extinguishing agents into the interior of the cabin are available at large aerodromes. ICAO does not consider the level of sophistication of ARFF equipment in aerodrome ARFF classification.

Aircraft operators are wise to consider the available ARFF category of all aerodromes planned to be used. They should meet the required aerodrome category for rescue and fire fighting for the aircraft type operated.

ARFF Aircraft Knowledge Fire-fighters need to be familiar with a large range of different aircraft models. One valuable source of information for ARFF personnel are crash charts provided by the aircraft manufacturers. Most aerodromes have crash charts available for the aircraft which regularly use the aerodrome.

The crash charts for business aircraft

which visit airports at irregular intervals mare often not be available to the ARFF crews.

And even when available, the cabin layout business aircraft is often customized and can vary considerable from one airframe to the next. Modifications performed after delivery of the aircraft from the manufacturer, including the installation of long range fuel tanks, will also not be reflected on the crash charts. This is also true for freighter conversions of passenger aircraft.

In addition, the lack of emergency cut-in markings on the fuselage of many business jets denies the ARFF crews potentially vital information for aircraft access.

Conclusion Given the advances in crew training on evacuations and the technical advances in ARFF equipment and training the outcome of the in-flight fire on-board the Saudi L-1011 would probably be very different today. For flight crews a thorough pre-flight preparation and good knowledge of evacuation procedures can make a big difference one day, since as we all know, luck favors the prepared.

Michael R. Grüninger is Managing Director and Capt. Carl C. Norgren is Head of Business Development of Great Circle Services (GCS) Safety Solutions.

GCS assists in the whole range of planning and management issues, offering customized solutions to strengthen the position of a business in the aviation market. Its services include training and auditing (IS-BAO, IOSA), consultancy, manual development and process engineering. GCS can be reached at www.gcs-safety.com and +41-41 460 46 60. The column Safety Sense appears regularly in BART International.

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IMPROVED

Technical advances in Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting equipment means on board fires are more easily dealt with than before.

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FBO REPORT

PULKOVO-3 St. PETERSBURG

RUSSIAN BUSINESS AVIATION MOVES NORTH

By Paul Walsh

Sometimes it s hard to keep the jealous feelings at bay as we look east to Russia, where Business Aviation is surging ahead, jet sales are rising and new airports are popping up all over the country.

T

VOLUME

Pulkovo-3, St Petersburg s newest and largest Business Aviation center can serve up to 1,500 passengers per day.

his success shouldn’t be a surprise really, especially when you consider that Moscow has become one of the world’s top industrial and financial centers, and is now home to 79 billionaires. Look out at the tarmac at Vnukovo- 3 Moscow and you’ll see how this success has translated into vast Business Aviation growth: all the parking spaces are filled with a multitude of jets and turboprops and the airport itself has become the most popular Business Aviation destination in the whole of Europe.

But the latest trend is not more growth in Moscow, rather it’s more growth in the rest of Russia which naturally means that many other cities are profiting from Business Aviation.

First in line of course is St. Petersburg.

Don’t get me wrong, Business Aviation has been present in St.

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Petersburg for well over ten years.

However, much of this has been Business Aviation in name only, involving businessmen flying in for some leisure and entertainment, and flying right back out again.

Nowadays, however, the city is seeing much more traffic that’s related purely to business.

For one thing, the city’s industrial capacity is growing: last year St. Petersburg factories made around 20 percent of Russian-manufactured automobiles. The city’s Hyundai plant made 222,000 automobiles last year, General Motors produced 93,000, with Nissan and Toyota adding to a production total of 700,000 for the city as a whole.

St. Petersburg has also won the title of the “beer capital” of Russia contributing over 30% of the domestic production of beer. And if that wasn’t enough, over 10% of the world’s power turbines are made in St. Petersburg: last year two thousand turbines were sent from the city to power plants across the world.

It’s clear that the international executives, clients and suppliers of these companies need a convenient way to fly into St. Petersburg, get their business done and fly straight back out again.

JetPort, which is part of the same group of companies as VIPPORT, has recognized this problem for a long time. The solution: build a state-of-theart Business Aviation center on the outskirts of the city.

On paper the plan couldn’t be simpler, JetPort SPb is taking the model that worked so well at Vnuckovo-3, bringing it north to St. Petersburg and calling it Pulkovo -3 - St Petersburg’s newest and largest Business Aviation center, launched officially in April of this year.

Aviation enthusiast Sergey G. Pugin, one of the main figures behind the new development, remembers how it was before the center was built: “Business Aviation travelers were processed at the main airport terminal, where service wasn’t great and wait times could be long.”

“So back in 2009 we got to work.

This being Russia, the hardest part was getting the necessary certifications and approvals, but once the paperwork was settled the project moved quickly – three years on, the passenger terminal and apron are fully completed.”

At the heart of Pulkovo- 3 is a spacious and classically designed passenger terminal, including pre-flight security, customs control, passport checks, as well as duty free, a bar and meeting rooms. The terminal has a surface area of 4,000 sq. m – the ground floor can serve up to 1,500 passengers per day; the second floor houses JetPort SPb’s administration, management and flight operations center.

Overall the site extends to over 100,000 sq.m., with ramps accommodating more than 20 aircraft parking places, aircraft hangars, the passenger terminal, and other infrastructure. As Pugin notes, JetPort’s aim is to process its passengers as quickly and efficiently as possible, while also offering them the best in customer service.

Of course it helps that JetPort SPb is organized into a range of distinct divisions including operations, passenger service and ground transport –which cooperate to provide a full service ground handling solution. Or as Pugin puts it, “We don’t rely on third parties so we save money. Then we pass these savings on to our customers.”

At the moment JetPort SPb handles approximately 30 aircraft movements per day but during special occasions and trade events that number can increase dramatically. For instance, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2012, JetPort handled 278 aircraft and saw 1,115 passengers pass through its gates, including the heads of international companies, politicians and official delegations.

Overall last year, JetPort handled 8,060 flights and 17,038 passengers in an already existing VIP lounge. This

year JetPort wants to increase their passenger numbers to 25,000 per year.

It’s an ambitious projection, so you’d expect that JetPort has a comprehensive strategy for driving traffic to St. Petersburg. And you’d be right – they do.

“Launching this new center for Business Aviation at Pulkovo-3 means we can radically expand our list of services for business flights,” says Pugin.

“Now customers can rely on long-term parking at the FBO, and inside the passenger terminal we’ve got a whole host of new facilities with state-of-theart arrival and departure zones, Wi-Fi, crew lounge, meeting rooms – in short everything that the business traveler needs.”

“Moreover, our team is constantly improving its skills and capabilities so we’re confident we can meet the highest service requirements and guarantee customer satisfaction. We now employ 120 people at Pulkovo-3, but as the center’s facilities and services increase, this number is set to increase to 160. So it’s this combination of resources and facilities, which is going to attract more travelers to our center.”

“We really enjoy serving high-profile customers. But, to be honest, it doesn’t matter who the customer is, we want to offer the best service possible,” adds Pugin. “And with these new facilities we can. We’re always in full control of our passenger’s experience and you can be sure they won’t be disappointed when they come to St. Petersburg.”

✈

SPACE

The terminal extends to 4,000 sq.m and outside there s parking spaces for 20 aircraft.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

BUSINESS AVIATION IN ACTION

A BLACKHAWK IN AFRICA

By Mark C. Ross

D

UTILITY

The Blackhawk modified Cessna Caravan grants 400% more time for guests in Mark Ross' safari parks.

eath was assured! We had been waiting for a solid four hours before the lioness finally charged, and charged almost directly at us. Now, in spite of our near-panic excitement, we were desperately wishing for her to kill. A second lioness, one that we hadn’t even seen during the hours of waiting, launched from behind us, tearing past our vehicle and crashed into the wildebeest’s neck seconds before her pride mate hit the prey’s hip. Death was assured! My safari guests, safe in our Land Cruiser, shot image after image from the safety of our vehicle, awe struck by what was taking place before them.

These, for me, are the moments that my business is all about, and that I, personally, find so astounding. I’m Mark Ross, and I design and guide private wildlife safaris throughout East Africa. I do it quite a bit differently than most safari companies or guides, and bring different qualifications and resources “to the table”. I am the only wildlife biologist who guides full time in the field, I am the only commercially, instrument, and gas turbine rated guide in my part of the world. And I’m the only guide who has a Cessna Caravan; one of only two Blackhawk Modifications converted Caravans on the entire African continent.

East Africa is the supreme place in the world for wildlife safaris, no two ways about it; and Kenya is the premier country for those experiences within East Africa. Kenya has been my home for more than thirty-five years. I first came to this country to finish my degrees in wildlife biology, got a second degree and then a third, and finally gave up teaching and journalism to

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be in the field guiding safaris full time.

I’ve never regretted that decision, not for a second. Quite simply, I just love being with wildlife, love teaching wildlife behavior, predator behavior in particular, and happen to love the heck out of flying. I know I’m lucky and remind myself of that every day. I just can’t wait to go to “work” each morning.

There are ups and downs to living and working in less developed countries, but those difficulties can make life far more interesting, involved, and fun as well. The roads, for example, in this part of the world are somewhere between horrendous and just non-existent, and some of the airstrips aren’t much better. But that’s wonderful for me and my business because I avoid those roads and fly my guests from park to park, from camp to camp. Our typical “travel time” for an entire safari of two weeks or so, is only 7 hours.

One hour in the Blackhawk Caravan, cruising at a relaxed 175 knots, is equal to at least one full day of driving on those horrendous roads. My guests thus spend about 300% to 400% more time in the parks than the average safari-goer simply because we never waste time driving between them. Not to mention my people also arrive dust free, relaxed and ready to get out in a 4x4 and experience all the wildlife Africa has to offer.

Before I bought my Cessna Grand Caravan I flew a Robertson STOL Cessna 206 here for more than twenty years. What a tremendous performer that plane was, but it did have its limitations, as all planes do. I could land that thing anywhere, on bad strips, on roads, out in the open plains, and slow it down to about 37 knots. But it was slow going and cramped in that plane,

and was not the ideal instrument platform. Flying that plane, of course, also only allowed me to carry five guests and very limited luggage. Still, for twenty years, that plane served me well and my business did well too; I had one great safari, one great adventure, after another. Finally, however, in spite of my financial fears, I knew I needed to move up to a larger plane to grow my business, and further my flying career in the process.

I narrowed the search for that larger aircraft down to either the Quest Kodiak or the Cessna Caravan. The Kodiak was my first choice because of its STOL capabilities, but the Caravan had “longer legs”, and fuel availability is a huge problem in East Africa, and the Kodiak also would only allow me to carry nine guests, and was an unknown airframe in that part of the world. That could pose servicing and parts supply issues, so I had to go with the Caravan (which are plentiful in East Africa).

So, with a shaking heart and shaking pocket book, I finally bought a used Grand Caravan and almost instantly fell in love with it, and was so glad I had made the change. The Caravan was fast, compared to the 206, was easy to fly, no shock cooling or fuel management issues, and was a great instrument platform. I could now comfortably carry twice as many guests as my 206, so my profit margin went northwards; which helped my temporarily southbound wallet. I also, of course, had the ease of finding Jet A-1, and the joy of no longer paying African avgas prices which can be very difficult to find and quite expensive.

Though, in all my decades of flying the 206, I’d never had an engine problem, I was still happier having the

Pratt & Whitney PT6A in front of me, especially when it came to flying across Lake Victoria or out to Madagascar! There’s a direct correlation between funny engine sounds and large bodies of water.

But the Caravan just couldn’t take me into and out of many of the little “secret” places that I had used to go with the STOL 206 for all those years.

I was forced to change my itineraries and destinations accordingly, and was not always happy about that. But I had no choice. That is until the Blackhawk Modification came along.

I coughed up the money for the engine, prop and STOL conversion and, once again, it proved to be 100% the correct decision. I am now basically flying like I flew the RSTOL 206, but am carrying twelve guests, hundreds of pounds of luggage and cruising at 175 knots between the game parks! I can go from the Serengeti plains to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda in just over an hour; absolutely unbelievable!

The Blackhawk converted Caravan goes into anywhere and everywhere that I took my RSTOL 206. Having a Pratt PT6-42A, cranking out a solid 850 horsepower, is a huge difference from the previous, underpowered Pratt engine. I’m back to landing on the roads and plains, I am once again using the airstrips on Mt. Kenya, even the great one at 10,400 MSL, that is only 502 meters (1650’) long!

I am airborne in 457 meters (1500’) off of most anywhere, and am airborne in just 384 meters (1620’) on that high altitude strip on Mt. Kenya. The PT6A42A engine is still producing over 800 horsepower at that altitude. The Blackhawk’s shorter prop allows me to go to full power from a standing start without hammering rocks into my

prop. I can slow down to 52 knots and cruise at 190 knots if I’m in a bit of a hurry. That directly translates to a hugely improved business for me. I have retained the uniqueness that makes my safari business successful and yet carry twice as much and go a solid fifty-five knots faster in the Blackhawk Caravan than in the 206.

With the combination of increased TBO and increased speed I’m making about 35% more profit with the Blackhawk Grand Caravan than with the straight Grand Caravan. That’s more than twice as much profit as I was managing with the 206, and as much as I love my job, I am not running these trips as a charity.

Kenya is definitely a land of opportunity and adventure, in flying, safaris and business opportunities. Besides flying my guests, and doing the occasional medical evacuation I also get some giggles from my flying. We, for example, have a small but incredibly enthusiastic, group of skydivers, and we have some of the most beautiful country in the world for jumping.

Stepping out the door of the Blackhawk, at 12,000 feet on the edge of the Indian Ocean, white beach and blue sea below you, brings a smile to our faces each time we get our “knees in the breeze”.

For these jumps I launch at sea level with fifteen of us fools on board, and am at 12,000 feet in about eleven minutes. Equally important from a costing standpoint, is that the plane is back on the ground in just another five minutes, so I can easily do three jumps per hour, without stress, and that means its 40% cheaper than jumping out of our old 206! Suddenly skydiving is affordable again. There are other applications for my Blackhawk now as well.

A number of years ago I started a small foundation to help a local community, a community that is on a small island out in Lake Victoria. Small island means small airstrip. Now, instead of using my 206 and carrying two doctors/dentists and 200 pounds of medical equipment and supplies, I carry seven of us, 1200 pounds of fuel (which includes needed reserves) and right at three quarters of a ton of equipment and supplies. It would take me three round trips in a 206, hours of flight time, to do what I now do in under an hour in the Blackhawk Caravan. Rather amazing; and significant for a non-profit organization.

A Pilot s Perspective

LANDING AT ALTITUDE (12,000 MSL and 500 meters of soft dirt and rock)

I climb steadily and quickly with the powerful PT6A-42A pulling me to 14,000 feet (I have oxygen) in minutes. There is no substitute for power.

Still the peaks of Mt. Kenya are more than 2,000 feet above me. Neil and I are quiet as we stare at the jagged rocks poking out of the clouds. I normally wouldn’t approach the mountain at such a high altitude but I need to see the snow and ice; I won’t fly into what I can see.

We descend as we head north, crossing the Sirimon ridge at 12,000 feet, leaving us scant sky beneath the cargo pod. But we’re in the clear now and we can see all the way to where we know the strip lies. I pull back some power, something I’ve never done before at these altitudes, and drop 10 degrees of flaps only, and push the prop lever forwards. I need to keep energy and the ability to go around or abort in reserve. We see the strip and I drop low and slow more. We’re still doing an indicated 100 knots as we fly just off center of the strip, at perhaps 50 feet. I rest my hand on the power lever and sideslip a bit, dropping my left wing so I can see down clearly and give the narrow line of dirt a hard stare. The rains don’t seem to have caused much damage and the conclusion is that the 29 inch tires should have no problem. I’ve been in here many a time with the 206, but never with a Caravan.

We are hemmed in by clouds so I go to 20 degrees of flaps and turn fairly tight, reversing and lining up with the uphill strip. The wind is from behind and left, as it always is. I select 30 degrees of flaps, something I can’t do in the 206 and still hold enough power to climb, but I have some 800 horsepower left and it does astound me.

ULTIMATE

East Africa is the supreme place for wildlife safaris and the Cessna Caravan is the supreme aircraft for the region.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2013 - 101

SPECIAL FEATURE

RESULT

Ross makes 35% more profit with the Blackhawk Grand Caravan than with the straight Grand Caravan.

Part of the Blackhawk conversion requires the STOL kit, including the heavy axles, and I know I have them, so I just need to save the nose gear. I slow the aircraft to 65 knots indicated, which, at 10,500 feet MSL, is still moving smartly along, especially when you consider I only have 500 meters (1640’) of airstrip available. But the strip is soft and uphill, and the quartering tailwind is far less than usual. I trim and trim until my nose is way up, and we actually touch much softer than I used to in the 206. Having the STOL and the Pratt’s huge power reserve made it surprisingly easy.

I keep the stick back, and slowly pull power. The hill and the soft dirt will slow us, and I can’t be in a hurry to load the wheels here. The strip tilts left to right and has small ditches and gullies on it. Save the nose-save the nose-save the nose. I only bring back the power to idle just at the base of the final steep rise. We coast up the last 150 feet of hard rocky ground and I sneak in a bit of power to pull the turn.

I look at Neil, he looks at me; we both smile and shrug. Neil’s done perhaps a dozen trips into this strip with me, but

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BUSINESS AVIATION IN ACTION

always in the 206, and it’s much more “exciting” in that plane than what we’re flying in now.

Avionics shut down, LEAVE THE FLAPS AT 30 THIS TIME, kill the fuel, pull the parking brake until we’re chocked, and unload the bags of fingerling trout. Now the real work begins.

We’ve stupidly decided to hike up 80 pounds of water and fish to a lake that is still 2,000 feet higher than we are. “If you’re gonna be dumb you better be tough.” Hours later, after a spectacular day of fishing, we’re back at the plane and I’m more than a bit nervous about the departure.

I’ve checked Blackhawk’s performance numbers – twice, and it should be a piece of cake.

But this is the real world now, with real world consequences.

We pre-flight, un-chock, and fire the PT6 right up. It’s cool, almost chilly and the wind is now into us and the strip is now downhill. But it’s a “one shot” deal, and once I start the roll and all the power is in we are truly committed to getting airborne. I will use 770 degrees ITT at the start while maintaining the max torque limitations listed for this

altitude and temp, before I roll, and then shove in the inertial separator once we’ve got some headway. That will bring up my torque, but will leave me comfortably within the Blackhawk max power settings. I’m good with that.

I know I have a significantly shorter prop (4-bladed) than a standard Caravan so, for once, I don’t mind standing on the brakes and bringing up the power. Hell, I don’t really have much choice anyhow. I’m sure not going to be able to keep the plane on this soft, narrow and sloped strip AND look at the gage at the same time. I want to fly, not go for a game drive.

At 740 degrees I can’t hold the plane on the soft dirt and rock any more so I feed in some left pedal to complete the turn to downhill, and then get my heels on the floor and push “right foot” to hold us on the slope. I nudge up the power a tinch and we are suddenly, seriously moving downhill.

Separator in and I already know we have it made, and made easily. I have got so much power and combined with the STOL flap mod and the heavy axles we are just fine.

I pull, fairly hard, at about 1380 ft., and could have pulled sooner. But I knew I had it made, could feel the plane wanting to fly, so why bother with that wobbly, borderline, area. I’m patient a bit longer, and pulling at 1380 ft. gets us airborne with a safety margin of speed. I am relieved that Blackhawk built in some cushion on their charts.

I bank fairly hard to the left, for no other reason than I’m happy, glance and Neil, who looks like he could care less, and we’re headed back to Nairobi.

Just another day at “work” in the wilds of Africa.

✈

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The Opening of a New Chapter Business Turboprops Swiss Army Knives of Our Industry Business Aviation Engines Reaching for Higher Thrust Special Feature A Blackhawk in Africa Page 70

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EBACE 2013 Around the Exhibition

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