Bartintl160

PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE

160 - JAN FEB - 2016

A successful flight starts at the FBO page 30

BUSINESS AVIATION BEAMED AT LAS VEGAS page 68

OPTIMISM ON THE MIDDLE EAST MARKET page 60

GROWTH RETURNS IN EASTERN EUROPE page 80

SDC 2016

SCHEDULERS & DISPATCHERS TAMPA, FL 29/12/15 11:44

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Upfront From the Editor

Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer BEING BORN AND RAISED IN BELGIUM, my typical reading as a teenager was more Tintin and Snowy than Flash Gordon or Dick Tracy Comic Strip. More precisely, my all time favorite was Tintin in the Congo. Published in 1931, the album is actually banned in the U.S. for racist reasons. Many Congolese felt that this book is xenophobic because the author, Belgian born Hergé, displays the Africans as fat-lipped, childlike savages . Of course this can be attributed to the fact that Belgium held control over the Congo at the time the book was written. Hergé himself admitted having depicted the Congolese people according to the bourgeois, paternalistic stereotypes of the period.

Meanwhile, it was also common for U.S. magazines of the same era to publish cartoons depicting missionaries being fricasseed in huge pots boiling over an open fire while savages danced frantically around the cauldron. The cartoon comes with a caption saying King Kobutu says it lacks a little bit of salt. The humour is stupid by today s standards, and kids had the impression that missionaries were weirdoes sailing off to African jungles to end up in a cannibal s skewer. With the advent of advanced communication and greatly improved modes of transportation, the modern world has discovered that these primitive natives were human beings just like us, people who can be happy or sad, enjoy life but also suffer, need food, health care and education.

A faction of the U.S. aviation community created Wings of Hope in 1964, a non profit, non sectarian organization founded to assist anyone struck by natural catastrophes in remote area of Central and South America, Africa and New Guinea. The funds collected by Wings and Hope are spent for supplying aircraft and their support. The planes carry doctors and teachers.

They transport the sick and the injured to hospitals, and medicine. They do not fly clergy into the Amazon to convey religion onto the backwater tribes; they bring in needed services of health, education and physical aid.

Alternatively, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) transport medical teams, relief workers and missionaries. The organization began in 1945 as the Christian Airmen's Missionary Fellowship (CAMF). Betty Greene flew the inaugural missionary flight to Mexico on February 23, 1946. Collectively, the 140 airplanes of the actual fleet serves some 1,500 non-profit, churches, and humanitarian organizations while parachuting serve people s need in areas inaccessible to aircraft. The organization based in Nampa Idaho brings aid to people who have to deal with challenges due to isolation such as Africa, Asia, Eurasia and Latin America.

The Business Aviation community is far more than what the general press and lifestyle magazines are picturing in their pages. The aid and assistance rendered by these charities accomplish more good for peace and harmony in the world than any government endeavor could ever achieve.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Nelson Mandela

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Mark Huber Helicopter Editor

PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE

Fernand M. Francois Editor and Publisher Kathy Ann Francois Associate Publisher Paul Walsh Managing Editor Marc Grangier Senior Editor Captain LeRoy Cook, Michaël Grüninger Safety Editors Steve Nichols Avionics Editor

Bernard Fitzsimons MRO Editor

JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2016 Volume XXVIII - No 1 BART No 160 WWW.BARTINTL.COM

Kirby J. Harrison New-York Editor CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fabio Gamba, Nick Klenske, Louis Smyth, Giulia Mauri, Derek A. Bloom, Guy Viselé, Aoife O'Sullivan PRODUCTION Tanguy Francois Production Manager ADVERTISING Kathy Ann Francois Advertising Director kafrancois@bartintl.com MARKETING Titi Kusumandari Marketing Manager tkusumandari@bartintl.com

SECTIONS 3 EDITORIAL 6 POINTER 8 FAST TRACK 22 TRANSATLANTIC UPDATE 26 BUSINESS NEWS

CONTENTS 30

48

STEADY GROWTH FOR FBOs The FBO industry is growing steadily as Kirby Harrison reports.

ROTOR REPORT Mark Huber looks at the innovative technologybased solutions for selling helicopter charter.

38

64

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS We showcase trip planners who are using the most advanced technology to make your trip a success.

SHOW REPORTS We report from a successful show in Dubai and a booming NBAA at Las Vegas.

44

80

MAINTENANCE MATTERS Paul Walsh looks at the top predictive maintenance solutions on the market today.

REGIONAL REPORT We report on the growth possibilities in Eastern Europe.

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OUR ADVERTISERS AND THEIR AGENCIES

Member

OUR COVER A good FBO is where a successful flight starts. The reputation of Jet Aviation FBOs is among the best..

AIR ELITE Clay Lacy Aviation locations at both Boeing Field/King County International Airport KBFI in Seattle, Washington and Van Nuys Airport KVNY (pictured) in Los Angeles, California have signed with the Air Elite® Network, growing the membership to a total of 51 Diamond Service FBOs worldwide.

Both locations will be Ascent branded

19 9 15 84 23 27 2 75 7 39 47 79 25 55 43 11 17 35 83 37 13

Avfuel Corporation CAE Concorde Battery Corporation Dassault Falcon (PUCK L'AGENCE) Duncan Aviation EBACE 2016 FlightSafety International (GRETEMAN GROUP) GCS Safety Solution Jet Aviation Jet Expo 2016 Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) JetNet LLC NBAA-BACE 2016 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference 2016 Rockwell Collins ARINCDirect Rolls-Royce Satcom Direct TAG Farnborough Airport Universal Avionics Systems, Corp.

Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc UAS International Trip Support

BART International Business Aviation Real Tool, Premier Transatlantic Business Aviation Magazine. ISSN 0776-7596. Printed in Belgium and published by-monthly by Société Anonyme Frankie&Lette 20 rue de l Industrie at BE1400 Nivelles, Belgium.

Phone +326 788 3603; Fax +326 788 3623. Email info@bartintl.com. With offices in Texas and Arizona, BART International is governed by the International copyright laws. Single copy USD12.00 our EUR12.00.

Annual Professional Subscription available at USD10.00 or EUR10,00.

Administration and Circulation Titi Kusumandari Email: tkusumandari@bartintl.com International Distribution ASENDIA. USPS 016707 Periodical postage paid. For details call IMS at 1 (800) 428 3003 Belgian Posting Office: BE1380 Lasne Office Manager Paul Walsh Responsible Publisher Fernand M. Francois

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POINTER Events

IN SEQUENCE BRIEFING ROOM MORE WAYS YOUR BIZAV TRIP CAN GO WRONG In our latest issue 159, we published three out of 12 critical areas where a Business Aviation trip can go wrong reproduced from the Universal Weather & Aviation blog. Many of these are avoidable with proper preplanning. Today, we'll discuss six more areas in which a trip could go wrong. This list by no means covers everything, but it does provide common pitfalls for operators.

Agenda

Scheduler & Dispatcher Conference Jan 19-22, 2016 Tampa Fl, USA

HAI HELI-EXPO Feb. 29 - March 3, 2016 Louisville KY, USA

AERO Friedrichshafen April 20 – 23, 2016 Friedrichshafen, Germany

EBACE May 19 - 21, 2016 Geneva, Switzerland

1. Flight plan and revision issues Ensure that you have proper entry/exit points on your flight plan for countries that require this as part of the permit process. For example China requires specific routes and entry/exit points, and the same applies to Russia. If a local Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requires you to change your route or entry/exit points, you'll need to ensure that these new flight information regions and routes are applied to your trip and do not impact other, associated, permits.

2. CIQ may be restricted or unavailable It's important to know Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) clearance arrangements and operating hours. Airports that operate 24 hours do not always offer CIQ clearance 24 hours - or there may be blackout times when CIQ services are unavailable. CIQ overtime can be negotiated at some locations, but not at others. Certain airports only provide CIQ clearance upon request, and additional time is required to make these arrangements.

If you're transporting pets, you'll need to know local regulations and correct procedures for bringing animals into the country. Otherwise, "Fifi" or "Fido" may be heading off for a 90-day quarantine experience.

Onboard weapons are another potential complication. Regulations vary by location, but advance notification is always required with regard to onboard weapons.

3. Cabotage can get you into trouble Many regions - including Canada, the European Union, and Mexico - have cabotage rules restricting carriage of local nationals within the country. These regulations have a greater impact on charter operations, but also affect private flights. It's best to confirm, with your 3rdparty provider or local CAA, how cabotage may impact a planned operation.

4. Equipment breakdowns can derail a trip There's always potential to experience an Aircraft on Ground (AOG) event due to equipment or systems breakdowns. Know where local service centers and maintenance facilities are along your route of flight - prior to day of operation. If you experience an AOG, there may be customs, tax, and regulatory issues to consider in terms of importing replacement parts or bringing in a mechanic. It may take days to clear a replacement part through local customs.

For anything other than a minor breakdown, you may need to consider revising permits and/or visas for crew members and passengers.

5. Weather events can trip up a flight Weather issues and natural disasters - typhoons, volcanic activity, etc. - can significantly impact a trip or force you to deviate to an alternate location. Always obtain weather briefs 2448 hours in advance to determine if there may be any issues en route. It's always best to have a backup plan in the event weather or natural disaster issues crop up on the day of operation.

If you have any questions about this article or if you want the Universal Weather & Aviation blog "12 ways your bizav trip can go wrong - in full version", contact: greglinton@univ-wea.com at Universal Weather & Aviation Inc.

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LABACE Aug 23 - 25, 2016 SĂ o Paulo, Brazil

6 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016

@bart_intl

CORRECTION In our previous issue 159, in the completion article page 64 the name of AMAC Aerospace has been on one occasion incorrectly referred as AMACE. We apologize for the oversight.

At Your

SERVICE Jet Aviation’s Global FBO Services Where you need us… when you need us. That is what drives the team at Jet Aviation to deliver exceptional service at all times throughout the world. For nearly half a century, our FBO teams have been providing an award-winning customer experience helping you feel more at home when you’re away from home.

Visit our global FBO locations: Berlin, Boston/Bedford, Dallas, Dubai Dusseldorf, Geneva, Houston, Jeddah Medina, Munich, Nassau, Palm Beach Riyadh, Singapore, St. Louis, Teterboro Vienna, Zurich www.jetaviation.com/fbo

EMBRAER RECEIVES LEGACY 650 ORDER IN THE MIDDLE EAST Embraer Executive Jets has announced an order for a new Legacy 650 large jet to an undisclosed customer, based in the Middle East. This order adds to the 29 Legacy 650s and Legacy 600s that are currently operating in the Middle East. The aircraft is scheduled to be received at the end of 2015 and will be managed by Titan Aviation Group, a global aviation specialty service provider headquartered in the United Arab Emirates.

“The Legacy 650 has impressed customers because of its range, reliability and ample cabin and baggage space offering – the largest in this category. This aircraft can fly non-stop from the main cities in the Middle East to London. We have about 45 business jets in the Middle East and about 60% of this fleet are Legacy 650s or Legacy 600s, which is a testament to the aircraft’s popularity.” said Marco Tulio Pellegrini, President and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “This is the customer’s second purchase from Embraer. We are grateful for the confidence placed in us and thank Titan Aviation for their steadfast support. We are fully committed to supporting their operations.”

WEST STAR ANNOUNCES RENEWAL OF HAWKER AND CITATION SERVICE CENTER AGREEMENT

West Star Aviation has announced the renewal of their Textron Aviation Authorized Hawker and Citation Service Center Agreement at their Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT) Location.

"In an era of OEM Service Center Agreement uncertainty we are extremely proud that Textron Aviation has renewed our agreement", stated Robert Rasberry, CEO of West Star. "The Hawker and Citation MRO services segment has been a focus of West Star for years and we continue to invest resources in its growth."

West Star GJT offers full service, one-stop capabilities to Hawker and Citation Operators including maintenance, avionics, component overhaul, paint, interior refurbishment, and is a Honeywell TFE731and GTCP36-150 Line Service Center. In addition, West Star GJT is approved by Textron Aviation for Hawker landing gear overhaul.

HONDAJET RECEIVES TYPE CERTIFICATION FROM FAA The HondaJet has received type certification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Honda Aircraft Company and the FAA made the announcement at the Honda Aircraft headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The FAA presented the type certificate to Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino in front of more than 2,000 people, including FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, government representatives, community leaders, HondaJet dealers, suppliers, and Honda Aircraft associates.

“Achieving FAA type certification for the HondaJet is a monumental milestone for Honda,” said Fujino. “We established Honda Aircraft as a new aerospace company and introduced our first product — an advanced light jet with technologies developed from serious research activities. We designed, tested, and have now certified this clean-sheet design aircraft – an unprecedented challenge for Honda.”

Honda Aircraft Company validated the HondaJet’s performance, safety, function and reliability through rigorous ground and flight tests with the FAA. Total flight hours exceeded 3,000, with testing conducted at more than 70 locations across the United States.

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At CAE, safe operations are our �rst priority, as demonstrated by our excellent �ight training. But your other needs also deserve attention.

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FLYINGGROUP QUALIFIED TO FLY LPV APPROACHES For GPS approaches, technology evolved towards LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) : based upon GPS, a safety-of-life enhanced signal service enabled by EGNOS in Europe (or WAAS in the USA, and/or several other space-based systems worldwide) allows aircraft to perform even more precise 3-dimensionally guided GPS approaches, hence to lower minima, thereby rendering air navigation safer.

EGNOS comprises three satellites and a network of 40 ground stations that sharpen the original GPS signal, and allow aircraft to perform near-precision approaches using vertical guidance. Thus, a combination of onboard avionics, procedures and pilot training enable LPV approaches. In turn, this helps to reduce flight delays, diversions or cancellations and allows airports (especially remote & regional) to increase capacity, cut operating costs, and reduce CO2 emissions. It is a suitable alternative for regional, corporate and general aviation operators working in remote areas, as well as for small airports that cannot afford ground-based instrument approach systems using expensive radio signals and lighting arrays, to enable safe landings in inclement weather. In this way, FLYINGGROUP aircraft are also able to perform more precise landings on airports with short runways.

EURO JET AND NATA FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

SATCOM DIRECT FIRST DISTRIBUTION PARTNER TO TRANSMIT DATA USING JET CONNEX SERVICE

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and Euro Jet Intercontinental announce the formation of a strategic training partnership.

Euro Jet is teaming up with NATA to help fulfill Euro Jet's goal of offering a high standard of service by utilizing Safety 1st training in its ground handling agent network.

Since 2007, NATA Safety 1st has provided line service and safety training to over 25,000 individuals. The addition of Euro Jet to the Safety 1st program emphasizes the value of this industry recognized, standard-based training to aviation business around the globe and marks another milestone in the international expansion of the Professional Line Service Training (PLST) program.

"NATA Safety 1st is committed to promoting safety and efficiency through our unique mix of online and hands-on practical training," said NATA President and CEO, Thomas L. Hendricks. "We are proud to work with the professionals at Euro Jet to help them achieve their training and safety goals."

Satcom Direct was the first business aviation communications distribution partner to provision its services and transmit data over Inmarsat’s new Kaband Global Xpress network via the Inmarsat-5 F1 satellite, in August. It is again the first to validate its services over the Inmarsat-5 F-2 (I-5 F-2) satellite, achieving this milestone in December.

Jet ConneX is the business aviation high-speed broadband service operating over Inmarsat’s new Global Xpress (GX) constellation. When globally deployed, it will deliver a new standard in satellite broadband services that support high data rate applications in flight, including streaming YouTube videos and Skype video calls, in real time. The I-5 F-2 satellite serves the Atlantic Ocean Region.

Satcom Direct (SD) proprietary solutions enhance the Ka-band technology and optimize the Jet ConneX service to deliver unmatched performance in the air. SD exclusive services allow operators to manage and maximize bandwidth, improve voice call quality, prioritize passenger data and more – bringing them a better Jet ConneX experience. Tiered pricing plans allow operators to choose from various data speeds, so they get the connectivity that’s right for them. And, Jet ConneX offers guaranteed minimum data rates for each pricing tier.

“Aircraft operators want and need the fastest possible data speeds in the air. SD is out in front in proving that our services are ready for the next generation networks as soon as they are available to customers,” said Jim Jensen, SD founder and CEO.

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rolls-royce.com

Nobody does it like CorporateCare® Bringing you the most comprehensive and sought after business jet engine maintenance program in the world, with industry leading service and expertise provided by the original manufacturer. Regardless of where you travel, CorporateCare will be there to support you. To help maximize your assets availability, value and liquidity, Rolls-Royce is proud to offer CorporateCare.

To �nd out more contact Steve Friedrich, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, at +1 (703) 834-1700, or email corporate.care@rolls-royce.com.

Trusted to deliver excellence.

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TAG AVIATION ADDS GULFSTREAM G650 TO UK AOC TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce the addition of the Gulfstream G650 to its UK AOC. Following the successful completion of the AOC proving flight, the leading private and business aviation operator has now received full UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval to operate this ultra-long range type aircraft commercially, becoming the first UK operator to have achieved this status.

The granting of the AOC for the G650 type aircraft is the culmination of several months of dedicated planning and reaffirms the ability of TAG Aviation to operate the latest revolutionary business jets aircraft to the highest possible standards.

Florent Sériès, Vice President Aircraft Management and Charter Services, TAG Aviation Europe said, “TAG Aviation’s number one priority is the safety, security and the well-being of passengers at all times.

Receiving full UK AOC approval means that we can look to now attract other Gulfstream G650 aircraft-type owners with a view to operate their aircraft under a management contract for charter when the aircraft is not being used by them. This has the added attraction of allowing aircraft owners the opportunity to offset some of the operational costs against their own personal flights.”

DAHER DELIVERS THE 100TH TBM 900 Daher’s latest member in its very fast turboprop product line – the TBM 900 – has reached the century mark with the 100th aircraft delivery to date.

The milestone TBM 900 was received by U.S. customer Dale Schneider, a North Carolina businessman who is an active airplane and helicopter pilot, having logged more than 3,000 flight hours. Schneider’s first aircraft was a TBM 700C2 version, which he purchased in 2006 and has flown some 1,000 hours.

“This very symbolic delivery confirms that our TBM 900 not only is the fastest single turboprop, but also the fastest-selling TBM ever – as the program was officially unveiled only 20 months ago in March 2014,” commented Nicolas Chabbert, the Senior Vice President of Daher’s Airplane Business Unit. “We thank Dale Schneider for his confidence, and wish him the best for his next 1,000 TBM flight hours – and beyond.”

WEST STAR MODIFIES FALCON 2000 West Star has reconfigured a Falcon 2000 to a unique 13-passenger configuration.

The Falcon 2000 is normally configured for 8 or 10 passengers.

The reconfiguration required fabricating a new, reduced size RH galley and LH Aux galley/entertainment center, shifting the forward cabin bulkhead/door forward, and extending all the side ledges and window panels. The aft cabin bulkhead was also modified to off-set the new door location resulting from the new conference group Additionally structural modifications were required below and above the cabin floor to accommodate the new loading.

Engineering support was provided by West Star’s in-house engineering group and on-staff DER. Final certification for the reconfiguration was completed via an FAA Form 337.

The final touch was all new veneers, soft goods, countertops, plating, and switch panels for the new seating configuration.

“This is the first time we have completed a Falcon 2000 in this increased capacity configuration stated James McCann, Interior Manager. The OEM may have delivered one in the 13-passenger capacity but it is a unique configuration”.

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JET AVIATION SINGAPORE DELIVERS 1ST BOMBARDIER GLOBAL EXPRESS 8C INSPECTION IN ASIA Jet Aviation Singapore recently delivered the first 8C (120-month) inspection undertaken in Asia on a Bombardier Global Express. In parallel with the heavy inspection, the company further completed a full interior refurbishment and exterior repaint.

The 10-year 8C inspection is the largest maintenance event for Bombardier’s Global Express aircraft, requiring extensive dismantling of the cabin for a thorough check of the airframe and structures. To take advantage of the disassembled aircraft and thereby reduce downtime, Jet Aviation Singapore simultaneously undertook a full interior refurbishment, including interior veneer, headliner, sidewalls and galley refurbishment. In addition, the company accomplished with this delivery the first full exterior strip and repaint on this type of aircraft in the region.

“This has been a milestone project for Jet Aviation Singapore, demonstrating our high standards of workmanship and expertise,” said John Riggir, vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Singapore. “We built our new hangar at Seletar Aerospace Park precisely for projects of this scope and scale. This particular project was delivered on time and budget to a very satisfied customer, and I am pleased to add that we will commence our second 8C inspection for an undisclosed client in January 2016.”

TAG DEVELOPS EASA STC FOR TCAS VERSION 7.1 UPGRADE TAG Aviation S.A. in collaboration with Rockwell Collins has been granted approval for an EASA Supplemental Type Certifications (STC) for the installation of the TTR-4100 TCAS II version 7.1 on Dassault Falcon 2000 and 2000EX. Approval for The Falcon 900 and Falcon 50 will follow in the coming weeks.

These STCs are being developed jointly with Rockwell Collins and are to serve the entire Falcon fleet. STCs will be available to all Rockwell Dealers upon request.

“We are delighted to bring to the Falcon 2000 and 2000EX operators an EASA approved solution with the installation of the TTR-4100”, said Guillaume Perez, Part 21 Manager, TAG Aviation Europe.

“This STC which we managed to develop in just a month and a half is a great achievement for TAG Aviation S.A’s DOA and has been jointly developed with Rockwell Collins. It will be followed by two others in the coming weeks for the Falcon 50 and 900.

The TTR-4100 is the newest TCAS produced and satisfies the TCAS II change 7.1 requirement, which is impending.”

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AMAC AEROSPACE SIGNS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT A heavy base maintenance contract for a Head-of-State BBJ (737-700) has been signed by AMAC Aerospace Switzerland AG. Various cockpit updates and cabin modifications will be performed during this layover.During the heavy base maintenance check, the aircraft auxiliary center tanks as well as the full customized VIP cabin will be removed to perform structural inspections on the VIP aircraft. In addition, various cockpit updates and cabin modifications will be performed during this layover. The aircraft will be inducted in the first quarter of 2016.

“For this project we have been in competition with MROs from Europe and the United States. We are very proud to have been selected for this project which will add another BBJ heavy maintenance input to a long list of projects performed at AMAC facility in Basel, Switzerland. We have become one of the leading MROs for Boeing Business Jet VIP aircrafts.” noted Alexis Ott, Senior Manager Sales & Key Account, AMAC Aerospace Switzerland AG.

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DASSAULT FALCON JET COMPLETES NEW LITTLE ROCK EXPANSION Dassault Falcon Jet has completed another major expansion of its Little Rock Completion Center that will add 350,000 square feet of production space to the Arkansas facility.

The centerpiece of the $60 million project is a new 250,000 square foot hangar earmarked for Dassault’s latest two models - the Falcon 8X ultra long range trijet and the Falcon 5X very large body twin.

The new completion hangar will bring the total facility footprint to 1.25 million square feet. The expansion also includes refurbishment of cabinet, upholstery and headliner shops and an upgrade to older hangars.

The grand opening ceremony was attended by Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Airport Commissioner Stacy Hurst and Danny Games, Deputy Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The guests were welcomed by Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier, Chief Operating Officer Loik Segalen, and Dassault Falcon Jet President and CEO John Rosanvallon.

“Little Rock is a Center of Excellence for Dassault and a facility that has long been at the forefront of aviation technology,” said Trappier.

“Here we combine the most advanced digital completion techniques - which Dassault pioneered - with a level hand craftsmanship unrivaled in business aviation. This is where the distinct personality of each Falcon comes to life.”

FIRST BELL 407GXP PURCHASED IN GERMANY Bell Helicopter has announced the sale of the first Bell 407GXP to Germany. The aircraft will be outfitted for corporate and VIP transport, which continues to be a popular market segment throughout Europe.

Dr. Ernst Langner and Nataly Langner signed for the Bell 407GXP at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention and Exhibition and will be the first to operate this aircraft throughout Germany.

Pictured Left to Right: Patrick Moulay, Bell Helicopter’s vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, Nataly Langner, Dr. Ernst Langner and Atlas Air Service’s CEO Nicolas von Mende.

“We are thrilled to have the first customer in Germany sign for the Bell 407GXP and deliver this superior aircraft to the region,” said Patrick Moulay, vice president of Global Sales and Marketing for Bell Helicopter.

“The Bell 407 has proven to be a very popular aircraft with over 1,200 flying worldwide today, with particularly strong demand for the upgraded Bell 407GXP from our European customer base. We are pleased to see the continued interest in our modern commercial product line.”

Bell Helicopter’s Independent Representative, Atlas Air Service AG, supported the signing and is a renowned aviation company with its head office in Ganderkesee located in Lower Saxony, Germany and has been an Independent Representative for Bell Helicopter since October 2014.

EMBRAER TEAMS WITH DHL ON NEW GLOBAL LOGISTICS MODEL Embraer Executive Jets announced that it will team with DHL on the new global logistics model designed by the Company for business aviation. The partnership with the major logistics service provider will optimize parts distribution worldwide as Embraer’s business jet fleet continues to grow rapidly. Embraer now has over 930 executive jets operating in more than 60 countries.

“We have been continuously improving our customers’ experience in all aspects, thanks to relevant actions taken in process quality and support infrastructure,” said Waldir Gonçalves, Senior Vice President of Customer Support and Services worldwide. “I’m glad that DHL will join us for this unparalleled new global logistics model for Business Aviation to keep Embraer among the highest-ranked companies in customer support and services.”

Embraer selected DHL because of its global footprint and relevant experience in the aerospace industry. This partnership will ensure best-in-class logistics service, offering overnight deliveries even when an order comes in late in the day. An integrated IT solution will offer real-time visibility and improved tracking.

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ONE AVIATION RECEIVES EASA CERTIFICATION FOR THE ECLIPSE 550 ONE Aviation has announced that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has awarded type certification for the Eclipse 550 twin-engine jet.

“This is a significant event for ONE Aviation and the global future of the Eclipse,” said Alan Klapmeier, ONE Aviation’s CEO. “The Eclipse perfectly fits the typical European mission profile, one that involves carrying three or four passengers a thousand nautical miles.”

ONE Aviation currently has two European distributors who have been anxiously awaiting this development, Aeris Aviation, located in Lane Forest, Guernsey (EGJB), and Jetlounge in Schönhagen, Germany (EDAZ) and Eelde, The Netherlands (EHGG).

“We are thrilled to have EASA certification in place,” says David Hayman, CEO of Aeris Aviation. “This now opens the EU OPS market [European equivalent of Part 135] for the Eclipse, allowing us to sell into charter operations and air taxi services which we believe will be a great fit for the this aircraft.”

EMBRAER LEGACY 500 EXECUTIVE JET SETS NEW SPEED RECORDS Embraer Executive Jets has announced that the Legacy 500 midsize aircraft has set two new world speed records for its class, totaling six in 2015.

“These new speed records reaffirm the Legacy 500’s superior performance and its suitability for transoceanic missions as well as coast-to-coast flights,” said Marco Tulio Pellegrini, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “The Legacy 500 is also setting new standards in comfort, technology, operational cost and reliability in the midsize class.”

The newest speed records were set for “Speed over a Recognized Course” on a trip from the west coast of the United States to Hawaii, with five passengers on board. The flight from Burbank to Kahului (Maui), covered 2,165 nm (4,010 km) in 6 hours, at an average ground speed of 422.25 mph (680 km/h), and the return flight to Phoenix achieved 525.97 mph (846 km/h), covering 2,470 nm (4,574) in 5 hours and 30 minutes.

ROCKWELL COLLINS EXPANDS INDIA OPERATIONS Rockwell Collins has opened a new, expanded facility in Bangalore, India, that bolsters the company’s presence in the country.

“The opening is a reflection of our commitment to India, as well as the increasing demand for services from our India Design Center (IDC) in Hyderabad,” said Sunil Raina, managing director of Rockwell Collins India.

“We chose Bangalore because of the high concentration of engineering talent there and the fact that it is an aerospace hub.”

Rockwell Collins announced it has signed a 15-year lease for the Bangalore building, which will initially house 30 employees. The company expects that number to reach 100 in just one year of operation.

The opening marks the continued expansion in India for Rockwell Collins as its growing economy and aerospace industry continues to present new opportunities for the company.

Rockwell Collins design center in Hyderabad, India augments the company’s existing engineering and information technology (IT) capabilities. The IDC was created to help Rockwell Collins expand its global footprint, meet the needs of customers in this region, and increase access to high-quality technical talent. This center also enables Rockwell Collins’ engineering and IT teams to work collaboratively around the world and around the clock to develop innovative solutions.

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FLIGHTSAFETY FURTHER ENHANCES G650 TRAINING WITH SIMULATOR UPGRADES FlightSafety continues to enhance its Gulfstream G650 training program with upgrades to the simulators.

The Autobrakes system has been added to the initial and recurrent training programs. FlightSafety has worked with Gulfstream to ensure this addition to the G650 training curriculum fulfills the requirements of the FAA FSB Report and EASA OSD. “The ongoing upgrades to our training programs and simulators demonstrate FlightSafety’s commitment to provide our Customers with the highest quality and most current programs,” said Daniel MacLellan, Vice President, Operations.

The Normal and Abnormal operation of the Autobrakes will be covered during ground school and a simulator session. Pilots will see and feel the differences in the flight controls associated with this update to the aircraft.

FlightSafety also offers a standalone course for those wanting to receive the training prior to their next recurrent event. It includes one hour in the simulator. The training is offered at the Savannah Learning Center and will be available in Long Beach by the end of 2015 and in Wilmington early next year.

“We’re very excited to now offer our clients access to unlimited datalink for any aircraft they operate, anywhere they fly,” said Denio Alvarado, Senior Vice President, Global Product Strategy, Universal. “Working closely with the team at Satcom Direct, we’ve fully integrated their datalink service into uvGO. Our clients won’t have to switch between different apps or websites to access datalink services— such as aircraft position reporting and messaging—and trip management services provided through Universal.”

UNIVERSAL NOW OFFERING UNLIMITED DATALINK FOR ANY AIRCRAFT At NBAA 2015, Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. announced that it is now offering unlimited, fixed-rate SATCOM and SITA VHF ACARS datalink subscriptions for any business aircraft, regardless of avionics type via a new alliance with Satcom Direct®. The datalink service is provided by Satcom Direct, and subscriptions can be bundled with online flight planning from Universal.

The service is 100 percent integrated with uvGO, a new trip management app also introduced at NBAA. Through uvGO, operators can track the status of their fleet, view aircraft message history, build and file flight plans, and uplink flight plans to the aircraft—without having to use separate apps or websites.

JET AVIATION CONTINUES TO ADD NEW AIRCRAFT TO ITS GLOBAL MANAGEMENT FLEET Jet Aviation has added 29 aircraft to its global aircraft management fleet this year, including 14 aircraft in EMEA and Asia and 15 in the U.S. Jet Aviation continues to see strong demand for its aircraft management, charter and flight support services throughout the second half of 2015, adding 17 aircraft to its global fleet since the end of May. In the U.S., the company has recently added three Global 6000s and a Lineage based in New York; a Citation 525C and a Legacy 600 based in California; and a Gulfstream V based at London, along with a Wisconsin-based G450 to its managed fleet. Jet Aviation has also added a G550 and G650 on its U.S. air carrier certificate for aircraft charter.

The G550, based at Van Nuys, California, can seat up to 14 passengers and offers WiFi/internet connectivity, Airshow, a DVD player, sound system, connection for iPods and MP3 players, printer, flight phone and satellite communications. The G650, located in Teterboro, NJ, can seat up to 13 passengers and features a full entertainment center highlighted by 12.1” widescreen HD LCD personal monitors and DirecTV, a Blu-ray player, an exterior camera, and three additional 26” widescreen HD LCD monitors throughout the cabin.

“Aircraft owners and operators know they can rely on our full scope of aviation services,” says Dave Deitch, vice president of aircraft management and charter sales in the U.S. “With safety as our top priority, customers value our 24x7 global reach, our cost-efficient solutions and our experience.”

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PEOPLE Acropolis Aviation, the fiveyear old Farnborough, UK based VIP charter operator, is bolstering its presence in the US with the recent appointment of former NetJets/Executive Jets Management executive Kuky Salazar as Vice President-US & Latin America.

Kuky will head the company’s growth in the region, working with charter brokers and private clients, based out of Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, Florida.

International aviation fuel products and services supplier, Air BP, has announced the appointment of Julio Casas as North America General Aviation Director. Julio will be based at Air BP’s American headquarters in Chicago, IL, and starts his role with immediate effect.

Avionics. At the time, Lincoln Avionics was partly owned by Duncan Aviation providing avionics support to general aviation aircraft like Cessna 182s and Pipers Cherokees. In 1985, when Lincoln Avionics was liquidated, the corporation was transitioned into Duncan Aviation.

Miesbach transferred to the avionics installation department and began working on business aircraft such as Citations and Learjets.

Miesbach later joined the Components Repair team and in 1993 was promoted to NAV / Comm Team Leader. The past 15 years he has moved from Avionics Shop Supervisor to his most current position of Avionics Component Repair Manager. During this time, the shop developed and gained a long list of new capabilities that includes FMS, TAWS and digital CVRs; NAT communications and audio equipment, newer weather radars and gyros.

FlightSafety International has announced that T hierry Pierard has been named as an Assistant Manager of the company’s Learning Center in Dallas, Texas.

Vice President, Operations “Thierry is a highly-respected member of our management team and committed to providing our Customers with the highest quality training. We appreciate and value and his ongoing efforts to help lead and support our Teammates at the Dallas Center.”

FlightSafety International has also announced that Neil Kunycky has joined the company as National Sales Director for Beechcraft aircraft training programs.

“We are very pleased that Neil Kunycky has joined FlightSafety as National Sales Director, Beechcraft training,” said Steve Gross, Vice President, Sales.

“Our Customers will benefit from Neil’s 32 years of experience serving Beechcraft owners and operators, his extensive knowledge of training, and proven commitment to provide outstanding Customer service.”

FlightSafety International announced the promotion of Daniel MacLellan to Senior Vice President, Operations.

“We appreciate and value Dan’s in-depth understanding of our business and his many contribu-

the ways he continues to strengthen FlightSafety, significantly contribute to our success.”

Dan is responsible for FlightSafety’s global Learning Center operations. His responsibilities also include Customer service and the entry into service of flight simulators and other advanced training devices.

He has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility during his career with FlightSafety. Dan served as Worldwide Sales Director at the former FlightSafety Boeing Company, Regional Marketing Manager, Assistant Manager of the Wilmington Center, Manager of the Dallas Center, Regional Operations Manager, with responsibility for six locations, and most recently, Vice President, Operations.

James Dillon-Godfray has returned to London Oxford Airport with responsibility for Business Development.

He heads the company’s participation at the NBAA Convention this week at the Las Vegas Convention Centre on fuel partner Air BP’s Booth.

In his new role he will also be supporting commercial devel-

Thierry Pierard

Daniel MacLellan

James Dillon-Godfray

“We look forward to Thierry’s contributions as an Assistant Manager of the Dallas Learning Center,” said Daniel MacLellan,

tions since joining us in 1994,” said Bruce Whitman, Chairman, President & CEO. “Dan’s leadership, innovative approach, and

opment of The London Heliport at Battersea, London’s only commercially licensed heliport serving the capital.

Julio Casas Duncan Aviation has announced Kevin Miesbach as Components/OEM New Business Development Manager. This is a new position created to strengthen and drive components repair services toward new business opportunities with OEMs, government entities and new product capabilities.

In 1982 Miesbach began his career as an Avionics Technician with Lincoln

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TRANSATLANTIC EUROPE ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH

Looking forward to initiatives for 2016

Fabio Gamba CEO EBAA

As we quickly approach the end to 2015, many of us in the Business Aviation industry can utter a sigh of relief that a tough and challenging year is coming to a close. If traffic reports are any indication of the industry s overall performance, Business Aviation has not reached the expected growth that we hoped for at the start of the calendar year.

Eastern Europe suffered the biggest decline to date with traffic down by over 30 percent in some countries due to the political and economic instability that the region has experienced over the past year.

And while the Western parts of Europe were able to achieve better results than its Eastern counterparts, it is still tracking below expectation by a 0.7% reduction in the number of departures in the first three quarters this year compared to last year.

Thankfully, with the winter holiday season dawning upon us, we can all look forward to the prospects that a new year will bring.

At EBAA, those prospects include a few initiatives that I am confident will positively support Business Aviation in the coming years.

Joint EBAA / ECA study on Flight Time Limitation (FTL) One such initiative is a joint EBAA / European Cockpit Association (ECA) study on flight time limitation which will provide the EASA with the hard data that it requires to reconsider its current policy on pilots fatigue. The fact is that the level of fatigue experienced by Business Aviation pilots is different than in other aviation sectors, and as such, the criteria for flight time limitation

should account for these differences.

The preliminary findings of the study have already been presented to EASA at the end of October 2015 and will lead to ongoing discussions in 2016 on how we translate the findings into concrete recommendations on amendments to the existing regulation.

If our proposals are successfully adopted by the EASA, the resulting regulatory framework on Flight Time Limitation will lead to a fairer competitive landscape in Europe. More importantly, the amended policy would represent a major step in the official recognition of Business Aviation as a distinct form of aviation and one that requires a unique set of regulations that are adapted to the BusAv operational model.

Changing the face to safety reporting In parallel to the flight time limitation study, EBAA is equally addressing the broader question of a safety culture in Business Aviation through the development of a new reporting tool scheduled for release in 2016. This reporting tool will serve as a repository of safety occurrences that alerts subscribers of any safety risks that may have been encountered by others gathering data from the reports that are submitted in accordance to the European Commission s revised regulation on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation. Undoubtedly, the tool will reflect the leadership that Business Aviation is providing to advance safety in Europe.

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/EUROPE TRANSATLANTIC Promoting fair implementation of new Part NCC regulations 2016 will also be the year that Europe introduces new Part NCC regulations. While the content of the new regulation is less of a concern, its fair and harmonized implementation across Europe will likely be the point of focus. To help the wider Business Aviation community to prepare for the August 2016 deadline, EBAA has throughout 2015, and will continue to organize seminars until the implementation of the legislation in August 2016, with specialists who will decipher the fine print of the regulation and will explain to operators what changes need to be implemented. In addition, we plan to tackle a number of pending questions together with the Member States and EASA, such as the definition of a complex operator which remains vague and is in need of urgent revision.

Advancing the perception of Business Aviation Alongside the issue of safety, EBAA will also continue to improve the perception of Business Aviation in 2016 as means to stimulate growth and competitiveness. Three inter-related studies will be released in the course of 2016 that includes the long-awaited face lift to our current economic impact report. The report will not only enrich legislators understanding of the sector and its contribution to the European economy but also reveal the opportunities for the sector given the backdrop of the global subprime crisis.

A broader perception study is also underway to complement the findings of the economic impact report. While there is a common agreement within the industry that the general opinion of Business Aviation is low, the study will be a first attempt to formally baseline perceptions and will lead to a more informed understanding of how we may positively influence these opinions.

And last but not least is study to assess the skills shortage within the industry. We are well aware that the availability of resources is progressively declining to subtle yet real changes in people s career aspirations. This, together with demographic changes and fierce competition for resources, has given birth to a real labor threat to Business Aviation. Our study will take a closer look at how the industry performs in attracting and retaining talent to help us define a skills and resources strategy moving forward.

In conclusion, while these initiatives are not a sure remedy to cure the industry s current woes, they at least show us where and how the Association can actively support Business Aviation. So we re looking at 2016 with excitement.

You asked.

We acted.

2016 is a special year. It is Duncan Aviation’s 60th year of helping business aircraft operators be safe, e�cient and productive. For six decades, customers have asked us for solutions and services. We have listened and acted. Together, we have accomplished much, transforming from an aircraft sales business to a world-renowned, fullservice company with dozens of locations. We provide every service a business aircraft operator needs. Our 2,200 team members listen to customers and respond by developing and providing experience, unlike any other.

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Experience. Unlike any other.

TRANSATLANTIC U.S.A. ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS IN FOCUS AT NBAA S ANNUAL CONVENTION

From the Desk of Ed Bolen NBAA President and CEO

As readers of BART International may already know, NBAA recently concluded a highly successful edition of the association s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2015.) More than 27,000 industry leaders from across the globe gathered in Las Vegas, NV to examine the latest products and services, and discuss the latest issues affecting our industry.

Although our annual convention typically focuses primarily on matters affecting business aviation users in the United States, we also understand that - in much the same way business aircraft transcend borders and cross oceans to link cities and communities around the globe - so too will the issues and concerns in one country or region often reverberate across these vast distances.

To that end, NBAA2015 continued a long-standing tradition of featuring several educational sessions focused on international operations, including an interactive session regarding planning and preparation for conducting international operations in a safe, secure, compliant, and professional manner, a topic of particular importance for first-time operators flying across the pond.

Additional discussions focused on the importance of safety management systems (SMS), standard operating procedures, flight operations, training, administration/organization, maintenance and international standards requirements under the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations, or IS-BAO. The need for international operators to equip with datalink systems in compliance with global regulations, including Europe's Link 2000+ program, was also addressed.

In keeping with past NBAA events, NBAA2015 also offered several opportunities for industry stakeholders around the globe to engage in discourse with influential

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leaders and policymakers worldwide, including several high-level NBAA personnel, on issues affecting our global community.

Topics raised in these conversations will help drive NBAA's engagement with international officials in the year ahead on matters of concern to business aviation operators across the globe. These messages will also drive the agenda for the upcoming, 16th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) coming to Geneva, Switzerland on May 24-26, 2016.

As demonstrated by the success of NBAA2015, it's as clear as ever that the global business aviation community must ensure that the industry's value is understood at all levels. We accomplish this by continuing to stand up and explain clearly that business aviation is essential to citizens, companies and communities everywhere.

Without question, business aviation is a vital industry not only across North America, but throughout the world. In 2016 and for years to come, NBAA will proudly continue to promote this message in dialogue with government officials on both sides of the Atlantic.

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EXHIBIT AT THE WORLD’S LARGEST BUSINESS AVIATION EVENT The 2016 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) will have over 27,000 attendees, 1,100 exhibitors, and 2 static displays of aircraft – one inside the exhibit hall and the other outside at Orlando Executive Airport. Don’t miss this important opportunity to gain brand recognition and be seen as an industry leader. Learn more and submit your application today.

SUBMIT APPLICATION: www.nbaa.org/2016/exhibitbart

/U.S.A. TRANSATLANTIC SENATE APPROVES PILOTS' RIGHTS BILL WITH NBAA PROVISIONS PROTECTING AIRMEN

NBAA COMMENDS SENATE COMMITTEE The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) commends the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for considering S.571, the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2), during a committee meeting on Nov. 18. The legislation, which was introduced by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), includes a provision to make modifications to the FAA third-class medical program supported by the general aviation community.

During initial consideration of S. 571, the Commerce Committee agreed to accept an amendment offered by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to advance the third-class medical provision with several modifications.

On Nov. 16, NBAA, along with 16 other aviation groups, sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee leadership, asking them to advance S.571, which continues efforts to introduce reforms focused on the concerns of pilots and others in the general aviation (GA) community, while enhancing the safety and efficiency of GA operations in the U.S. NBAA is pleased with the committee's approval of the Manchin amendment, which calls for reforms to the Federal Aviation Administration's notice to airmen program to better supply critical safety information to pilots, provides protections to volunteer pilots who fly in the public interest, and reforms the cumbersome and costly third-class medical process for general aviation (GA) pilots.

"We appreciate the Senate Commerce Committee's consideration of this important measure, and we look forward to further action on it very soon," said NBAA vice president of government affairs, Dick Doubrava.

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NBAA APPLAUDS FAA RULING

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) commends the Senate on its approval of S.571, the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2), which includes NBAAsponsored language that will ensure aviators facing enforcement action have an opportunity to prepare a proper defense, as well as important third-class medical reform.

The measure must also be approved by the House of Representatives before going on to President Barack Obama for his signature.

"NBAA applauds the Senate for passing this important legislation, said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. We especially want to recognize the leadership of Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) in introducing the bill, and working with 70 Senate co-sponsors to achieve this important legislative victory for the general aviation community. We are pleased that this bill provides needed reforms for third-class medicals and expands the due-process rights of airmen."

In 2014, members of the NBAA Regulatory Issues Advisory Group joined Dick Doubrava, the association s vice president for government affairs, and Brian Koester, NBAA s manager of operations, in drafting language for the bill that would ensure pilots have an opportunity to prepare a proper defense when time is of the essence.

The provision approved by the Senate requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to hand over the enforcement investigative report when serving emergency orders, and upon request in all other cases.

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The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today welcomed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ruling that will require the city of Santa Monica, CA to keep the historic Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) open at least through 2023.

NBAA was among the parties that filed a Part 16 complaint with the FAA, challenging the city of Santa Monica s claim that its federal grant-based obligations expired on June 29, 2014. The complainants, which also included the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), asked the FAA to make a formal determination that the $240,600 in federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds received on Aug. 27, 2003 extended the 20-year grant-based obligation to continue to operate SMO at least through 2023.

America s airports are part of a federal transportation system, and this determination highlights FAA s recognition of the overall importance of grant commitments and demonstrates to other municipalities that recently have attempted to impose illegal restrictions, such as the town of East Hampton, NY, the significance of the commitment that airport owners and operators make when accepting federal funds, said NBAA Chief Operating Officer Steve Brown.

We hope that the city will end its short-sighted efforts to restrict operations at SMO, especially now that they have been declared impermissible," Brown added. "These measures result in disputes and litigations that are a waste of public dollars.

SMO is able to accommodate a wide range of business and personal aircraft. The airport serves as a base to numerous aircraft, businesses, flight schools, provides jobs and serves as an important economic contributor to the community. Additionally, SMO is an important reliever airport for the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and other airports in the Los Angeles area.

In addition to the 20-year grant commitments, the 1948 deed, which transferred control of SMO from the federal government to the city, after substantial improvements made by the federal government during World War II, requires the airport to be maintained for public use in perpetuity.

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Join European business leaders, government ofďŹ cials, manufacturers, corporate aviation department personnel and all those involved in business aviation for the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2016). Visit the EBACE website to learn more and register today.

REGISTER TODAY: www.ebace.aero/bart

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TEXTRON REPORTS THIRD QUARTER 2015 INCOME

Bell backlog at the end of the third quarter was $5.1 billion, up $338 million from the end of the second quarter.

Textron Systems Revenues at Textron Systems increased $62 million, primarily due to higher Weapons and Sensors and Unmanned Systems volumes.

Segment profit was up $12 million, reflecting the impact of the higher volumes.

Textron Systems’ backlog at the end of the third quarter was $2.6 billion, down $142 million from the end of the second quarter.

Textron Inc. has reported third quarter 2015 income from continuing operations of $0.63 per share, up 10.5 percent from $0.57 per share in the third quarter of 2014.

Revenues in the quarter were $3.2 billion, down 7.3 percent compared to $3.4 billion in the third quarter of 2014.

Textronsegment profit in the quarter was $312 million, up $19 million from the third quarter of 2014. Third quarter manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions was $116 million compared to $144 million during last year’s third quarter.

“Revenues were down in the quarter, primarily driven by lower deliveries of V-22s at Bell, but we had solid revenue growth at Textron Aviation, Textron Systems and Industrial, reflecting our investments in new products and sales capabilities,” saidTextron Chairman and CEO Scott C. Donnelly. “Furthermore, good margin results across our segments contributed to solid overall financial performance in the quarter, despite the decrease in revenues.”

Outlook Textron revised its 2015 earnings per share from continuing operations guidance to a range of $2.40 to $2.50 from $2.30 to $2.50 and confirmed its expectation for cash flow from continuing operations of the manufacturing group before pension contributions of $550 to $650 million with planned pension contributions of about $70 million.

Third Quarter Segment Results Textron Aviation Revenues at Textron Aviation were up $79 million, primarily reflecting higher jet and military volumes. Textron Aviation delivered 37 new Citation jets and 29 King Air turboprops in the quarter, compared to 33 Citations and 30 King Airs in last year’s third quarter.

Textron Aviation recorded a segment profit of $107 million in the third quarter compared to $62 million a year ago. The increase is primarily due to the higher volumes and mix and improved performance, which included lower amortization of $9 million related to fair value step-up adjustments.

Textron Aviation backlog at the end of the third quarter was $1.4 billion, approximately flat with the end of the second quarter.

Bell Bell revenues decreased $426 million, primarily the result of lower V-22 aircraft deliveries, lower commercial aftermarket volume and a change in mix of commercial aircraft.

Bell delivered 4 V-22’s and 5 H-1’s in the quarter, compared to 12 V-22’s and 4 H-1’s in last year’s third quarter and 45 commercial helicopters, compared to 41 units last year.

Segment profit decreased $47 million primarily due to the lower volumes partially offset by favorable performance.

Industrial Industrial revenues increased $43 million due to higher overall volumes, partially offset by a $59 million unfavorable impact from foreign exchange.

Segment profit increased $8 million reflecting the impact of the higher volumes.

$

CAE REPORTS SECOND QUARTER RESULTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016

CAE has reported revenue of $616.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal year 2016, representing a 17% increase over the second quarter last year. Second quarter net income attributable to equity holders from continuing operations was $75.3 million ($0.28 per share) vs. $42.0 million ($0.16 per share) last year.

Second quarter net income before specific items was $47.7 million ($0.18 per share), up 14% from the same period last year.

Specific items in the second quarter included $1.8 million (net after-tax) restructuring

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costs related to the process improvement program underway and a $29.4 million onetime tax item. All financial information is in Canadian dollars.

“I am pleased with our solid growth this quarter and the market’s receptivity to our innovative training solutions. We experienced a high level of order activity which enabled us to reach a new record $6.4 billion order backlog,” said Marc Parent, CAE’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “In Civil, we generated double-digit growth in operating income over last year and we maintained our leading market position. In Defence, we also had double-digit income growth and orders exceeded revenue for the third quarter in a row, affirming our recently renewed outlook for growth.

Our progress in the second quarter positions us well to meet our positive outlook for the fiscal year.”

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WINGX`S LATEST MONTHLY BUSINESS AVIATION MONITOR There were 56,200 Business Aviation departures in Europe in November 2015, a 2.5% decline year on year. With one month of the year to go, 2015 activity is down 0.8% on 2014, equivalent to 5700 fewer flights. § Russia saw the largest decline this month, with 442 fewer flights, 30% less activity year on year. So far in 2015, flights from Russia into Europe have declined 23%. Flights from Europe to the CIS region have fallen 27% during 2015.

Europe´s four busiest markets, France, Germany, UK and Italy were down this month. Activity in Switzerland was slightly up, and flights from Spain picked up 8%. For the year to date, activity is still up in 4 of the top 6 countries in Europe.

The substantial fall in flight activity in Italy this month - 7% YOY – was mainly in AOC flights, falling 12%. AOC activity was up slightly in France, UK, Switzerland, well up in Spain, and growing more than 20% in Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.

Private flights fell most this month, down 4% overall and 7% for business jets. There was slight decline in Private activity in all top 5 markets, double digit declines in Sweden, Netherlands, Turkey, and 30% fall in Private flights from Russia.

The business jet OEM fleet with largest decline in Private flights was Embraer, sectors reduced by 27% YOY. Bombardier and Hawker jets also saw >10% declines in

Private activity. Private flights increased on CJ1 and Falcon 2000 jets. " Turboprop activity was up this month, due to a 4% increase in Turboprop charter flights. In Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Turboprop flights were up between 7%-12%.

Piston activity fell 1%, but Piston AOC sectors were up by 1.4%.

WINGX. " Overall, AOC flights increased by 13% on VLJs, and by 23% on Super Midsize jets.

Challenger 300 and Phenom 300 jets grew YOY activity more than 60%. ULR jets continued to increase activity, flight hours up 5% YOY, operating 8% of all business aviation sectors. " Activity at busiest airport Le Bourget increased 4% this month, Turboprop departures up 17%. Flights were up 5% at Luton, driven by a substantial increase in AOC activity. Top Italy airports Linate and Ciampino were down 18% and 13%, respectively.

Richard Koe, Managing Director of WINGX Advance, comments: "The market continued to slide this month, taking away the slight recovery of activity in Europe in early summer. The renewed collapse of the business jet market in Russia, down by a third this month, is a factor but this now accounts for less than 2% of total European activity. Becoming more significant is Italy´s decline, the charter market particularly weak.

On the brighter side, France and UK charter markets are quite resilient, with strong growth niches in ultra-long range, super midsize and very light jet operations."

$

HONEYWELL S FORECAST SEES UP TO 9,200 DELIVERIES As a slow growth economic environment takes hold across many global markets, the business aviation industry is not immune to its impact. In its 24th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook released today, Honeywell Aerospace (NYSE: HON)forecasts up to 9,200 new business jet deliveries worth $270 billion from 2015 to 2025, with a 3 to 5 percent reduction over the value noted in the 2014 forecast.

“While emerging markets like Brazil continue to be a bright spot for business aviation over the medium term, we have seen weaker demand across other key growth markets, which may affect near-term order and delivery levels,” said Brian Sill, president, Business and General Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace. “And while the slug-

gish economic growth and political tensions are driving a more reserved approach to purchasing, we are seeing operators invest in retrofits and upgrades for their existing aircraft, especially around connectivity, boosting aftermarket opportunities.”

Key global findings in the 2015 Honeywell outlook include: Deliveries of approximately 675 to 725 new jets in 2015, a single-digit percentage growth year over year. The improvement in deliveries expected in 2015 is largely due to new model introductions and an increase in fractional-usage type of aircraft deliveries.

2016 deliveries are projected to be slightly lower reflecting weaker emerging market demand partially offset by deliveries to fractional operators.

Operators surveyed plan to make new jet purchases equivalent to about 22 percent of their fleets over the next five years as replacements or additions to their current fleet.

Of the total new business jet purchase plans, 19 percent are intended to occur by the end of 2016, while 17 and 20 percent are scheduled for 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Operators continue to focus on larger-cabin aircraft classes, ranging from super mid-size through ultra long-range and business liner, which are expected to account for more than 80 percent of all expenditures on new business jets in the near term.

The longer-range forecast through 2025 projects a 3 percent average annual growth rate despite the relatively flat near-term outlook as new models and improved economic performance contribute to industry growth.

Breakdown by Region Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC)Slight improvements in Chinese and Russian purchase plans compared with last year are not enough to support an improved overall BRIC outlook.

Since Honeywell first began spotlighting the BRIC countries in 2011, industry growth there has lost momentum, reaching just over 21 percent in this year’s survey.

Brazil remained a bright spot by recording the strongest new aircraft purchase plans in the survey, though overall buying plans fell year over year.

The combined BRIC countries retain a very strong near-term demand profile with 48 percent of intended new jet purchases scheduled for the next two years.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

FBOs

STEADY GROWTH AHEAD FOR FBOS

By Kirby Harrison

Based on recent studies, better times are ahead for the FBO industry, but they’re not out on the ramp doing a happy dance quite yet.

I

STABLE

You’ll find steady growth in today’s FBO industry (Universal Weather Stansted pictured).

t is a slow recovery,” said John Enticknap, a principal at Aviation Business Strategies Group (ABSG). And he added, “It is important to understand that this slow growth is what we are calling the new normal.”

“Prior to 2008 and 2009, we saw FBO revenue grow as much as 12 to 15 percent annually. This disappeared in the ensuing recession. Annual growth since 2010 is about 2 to 2.5 percent, roughly approximating that of the annual Gross National Product (GNP),” he added.

If growth is slow, there appears to be plenty of activity within the FBO industry as new operations are opening, from Atlantic Aviation in Salt Lake City to Million Air in Beijing, and others, like Odyssey Aviation in the Bahamas, are expanding existing facilities.

The recent move catching the most attention was the acquisition of Landmark Aviation FBO chain by BBA

Aviation, the parent company of the Signature Flight Support chain, for a proposed $2.065 billion.

It was described by the Londonbased global aviation support and after-market services provider as “a major expansion of Signature Flight support,” making it the world’s largest FBO network. Landmark has 68 FBOs and Signature’s existing network consists of 133 wholly owned and affiliate global locations.

“A lot remains to be done before it is a done deal, and that includes a review by the Department of Justice anti-trust division. The review includes the fact that Landmark and Signature operate at some 11 locations with competing FBOs. In addition, Landmark has a large aircraft charter and flight management business and holds a FAR Part 135 air carrier certificate. That certificate cannot be held by a nonU.S. corporation, and Signature’s parent company, BBA Aviation, is a British company.

With regard to that transaction, it should also be noted that it will have no effect on the remaining 1,400 viable or independent FBOS, said ABSG co-principal Ron Jackson. “It really doesn’t change the FBO industry landscape; in that regard, it’s more of a merger than an acquisition.”

New and Expanding FBOs In North America, a new FBO is u n d e r c o n s t r u c t i o n at Toronto Pearson International Airport and expected to open in mid-2016, at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Massachusetts. Rectrix Aviation acquired Five Start Jet to become the sole FBO services provider.

Trego-Dugan Aviation has opened as t h e s o l e F B O s e r v i c es center at Central Nebraska Regional Airport at Grand Island, and aircraft charter, manager and MRO provider Desert Jet has launched begun work on its o w n F B O i n P a l m Springs , California Meanwhile outside the U.S., Million Air is set to become the first and only “premium FBO” at Beijing Capital International Airport, German FBO operator Kurz Aviation Service and Jet Aviation of Switzerland have formed an alliance to offer clients a seamless network within the Federal Republic of Germany.

GAMA Aviation has been promoting its FBO at Sharjah Airport, near Dubai and DC Aviation-Al Futtaim remains the only FBO provider at Dubai World Central/Al Maktoum International Airport and has now obtained access to U.S. pre-clearance for customers and immigration at its Dubai World Central hub.

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B. Coleman Aviation FBO at Gary/Chicago International is up and running and announced in November it has been approved as a gateway under the DCA Access Standard Security program. The program gov-

through contract fuel suppliers and store the fuel on their own fuel farms.

“Then they’ll tanker their fuel from their own fuel and, but on occasional take on a ‘courtesy load’ at an FBO,” explained Enticknap.

At the same time, it appears the age of the “freebee” is not yet over, in particular among smaller chains and independent FBOs. It is often regional, with an FBO offering maple syrup and another offering free locally grown cof-

erns business aviation access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, while on the West Coast, KaiserAir of Santa Rosa, Calif. has also won approval allowing direct flights into Reagan National gateway airport.

“We are happy to report that for the first time in several years, we’re seeing a glimmer of optimism amongst the majority of FBO owners and operators,” according to authors of the 2015 Annual FBO Industry Survey from ABSG released in February of this year.

According to Enticknap, there is a direct correlation between cost-perbarrel for oil and the cost of jet fuel at the pump, since most fuel purchased

by FBOs is based on an index pricing formula. “As an overall national average, fuel prices have come down, but how much the retail price of Jet A has fallen is a regional and local phenomenon and hard to pin down.”

ABSG claims, on the other hand, there is no direct correlation between lower fuel costs and the number of hours being flown by business aircraft.

The reason is that trips are typically planned well in advanced, and increased flying time is more closely tied to an improving economy.

Further, many flight departments, major operators and charter companies acquire fuel at strategic prices

Creating A New Business Model One of the biggest challenges facing FBOs is whether the old business model based on fuel and real estate continues to serve the industry well. According to AGSB, under the European model, the FBO is more often an intermediary with a separate on-field fuel provider. In addition, every service has a fee, from putting coffee and ice on board to unloading baggage and a rranging a ride to the hotel.

It is a strategy that typically changes the role of the FBO to that of intermediary between the customer and the on-field fuel provider. “There would be a fee for everything, from ice and coffee to ground handling and crew car,” explained Ron Jackson, also a principal at AGSB. “In short, every airplane visiting an FBO should be contributing in some way to the revenue stream.”

Sun Air Jets at Camarillo Airport in Southern California is a major aircraft charter and management company that also owns a full-service FBO. And taking the usual FBO business model a step outside the norm, Sun Air recently opened Film Sun Air, making its facilities available for everything from movies to video shoots.

fee, Jackson explained. He also pointed to growing ties between FBOs and events that are a major draw, such as yacht shows and sports events such as the World Cup and U.S. Open tennis tournament. And there is one Caribbean FBO that made a deal with local marina to sell discounted diesel fuel to large mega-yacht owners, aware that an owner of a mega-yacht is almost certainly the owner of a private jet.

At the same time, more and more FBOs are emphasizing the value of customer service as a way to differentiate and at the same time create brand loyalty. “There is a direct relationship between customer loyalty and excellent customer service,” concluded Jackson.

ABSG has taken the idea of service a step further by creating a formalized customer service program called “Don’t Forget the Cheese.”

At the bottom line, the health of the FBO industry is in many ways related to the health of the business and general aviation industry. Therein lays good news. At the NBAA convention in November 2015, GAMA Aviation revealed research revealing the “dominance of the U.S. in the business aviation market.” The study noted that 2,774 business aircraft were delivered in the U.S. between 2010 and 2015, 47

FOREMOST

Jet Aviation (right) and Signature (left) are two of the world s leading FBO companies.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

FBOs

percent of the global total. It further pointed out that of the mid- to largesize jets is even stronger, accounting for 52 percent of the global fleet.

Outside the U.S., there are dark clouds in some of the world’s regions; Brazil, China and Russia, to name a few.

According to aviation analyst Brian Foley of Brian Foley Associates in Sparta, New Jersey, the sagging Brazilian economy is affecting business aviation in that South American country. “Economically, they hitched their horse to China, and with the slowdown in the Chinese economy, there has been a drop in exports.”

For those tied to the Chinese economy, there is the question of what is depending on economic conditions in one country or region and another. It depends on sanctions levied or removed and in general the growth of the business aviation industry as a whole.

From insiders in the FBO industry, the expectation is that the new normal is likely to likely to be around for some time to come.

FBOs Seeing Growth Desert Jet, an aircraft charter, management and MRO provider at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Palm Springs is launching its own FBO service. The new, $5 million FBO is to be open for service in the spring of 2016. In the meantime, operations will be housed in a temporary facility.

BOOST

Desert Jet, Clay Lacy and Atlantic are offering innovative ways to boost the FBO experience.

normal? “There hasn’t yet been a steady period of sales normalcy and predictability,” he pointed out, “only extremes.” And he added, “It seems to be a universal axiom that when a country’s economy is in a down cycle, political leaders and shareholders deprecate business aviation.”

As for Russia, the continuing conflict in Crimea and recent military entry into the Middle East conflict has resulted in sanctions that have sharply reduced business aviation traffic to and from that country. Europe, said Foley, will continue to hold its own in terms of business aviation activity, “maybe up a percentage point or two.”

In short, the future of the FBO industry appears alternately dim and bright,

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expected in the first quarter 2016 and will include a 20,000-square-foot second hangar at the Paragon Aviation Group.

Rectrix Aviation has acquired Five Star Jet to become the sole FBO provider at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport. A small FBO and MRO chain, Rectrix has FBOs in Bedford, Worcester and Hyannis, Mass., as well as Sarasota, Florida. The center first established itself at Westfield-Barnes with acquisition of AirFlyte in 2013.

It was a grand opening of TregoDugan Aviation on November 3, making it the sole FBO services provider at Central Nebraska Regional Airport at Grand Island.

The new center is Phillips 66-branded and includes a pilot lounge, audiovisual-equipped conference room, weather and computer services. The Two other FBOs provide service at Cochran Regional – Signature Flight Support and Landmark Aviation.

Clay Lacy Aviation has joined the World Fuel Services-sponsored Air Elite network and will also carry the Ascent Fuel brand.

In the past year, Air Elite has added six other FBOs to its roster: Cabo San Lucas International Airport, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Caribbean Support & Flight Services, Barranquila, Colombia; Fireblade Aviation, Johannesburg, South Africa; Fort Collins-Loveland Jet Center, Loveland, Colorado; Jet Aviation, Nassau, Bahamas; WorldWay Aviation, Sorocaba, Brazil.

Atlantic Aviation was scheduled to open new facilities at Salt Lake City International Airport in December.

Atlantic was the winner of a requestfor-proposal process for a second FBO. It is Atlantic’s 66 th U.S.-based FBO. Until its new $25.5 million complex is finished in Salt Lake City, Atlantic will operate out of the former Keystone Aviation terminal.

Million Air is set to become the first and only “premium FBO” at Beijing Capital International Airport. The move is part of an agreement signed with China’s Capital Jet and Epic Aviation to create CJET/Million Air Beijing. A grand opening is set for January 1, 2016. Million Air will train and oversee operational and safety standards and the facility will be an EPIC Aviation fuel carrier.

A new FBO is under construction at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

When it opens in the summer of 2016, Aerospace Centre will be the fourth FBO at Canada’s busiest airport. The 50,000 square foot facility will include passenger terminal and offices, as well as meeting, recreational, rest and work space for passengers and crew.

There will also be a hangar and workshop complex capable of accommodating aircraft last large as a BBJ. Odyssey Aviation at Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport in the Bahamas has launched a $4-million expansion of its FBO facilities. The upgrade will add approximately 60,000 square feet of parking to its 60,000square-foot center. The new parking will accommodate another two-dozen aircraft. Completion of the upgrade is

facility is also a Part 145 repair station.

In a move that spells adios for Stevens Aviation, the GreenvilleSpartanburg International Airport Commission voted in September to assume operations at the sole FBO when the current lease expires at the end of 2016. Stevens had been the FBO provider since it opened in 1962 and supplies fueling for both general and commercial aviation operators.

The commission elected to neither renegotiate the contact with Stevens, nor seek any request for proposals.

While approximately 60 of Stevens FBO are likely to be laid off, according to airport President and CEO David Edwards, all the displaced personnel

PREMIER

Cjet Million Air (top) is to become the first FBO at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Aerospace Centre Toronto will be the fourth FBO at Canada s busiest airport.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

FBOs

workers from Sevens will receive an interview for employment at the airport district.

DC Aviation-Al Futtaim (DCAF) made a decision in 2012 to establish an FBO presence at Dubai World Central/Al Maktoum International Airport. It was the first FBO to show an interest in moving from the old Dubai International Airport and today remains the only FBO provider at Dubai World Central with stand-alone facilities with maintenance support service. The provider has obtained access to U.S. pre-clearance for customers and immigration at its Dubai World Central hub.

With announcement in November of a partnership with local company Eolo 7,500-square-foot “technology garden” highlighting advances by regional companies. A 240,000-square-foot hangar accommodates aircraft up to large-cabin, ultra-long-range business jets and the parking ramp can support aircraft up to the size of a VIP Boeing 767.

With the acquisition of El Aero Services facilities at Carson City Airport and Elko Regional Airport (both in Nevada), Mountain West has added two more FBO centers to its main center of FBO operations at Lake Tahoe. The two new sites will be operated as separate business entities.

KaiserAir in Santa Rosa, Calif. has won approval as a gateway for air operations to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, allowing direct

LEGACY

Stevens Aviation (top), Rectrix Aviation and TregoDucan Aviation are representatives of the US s proud aviation heritage

to co-brand its FBO at Toluca International Airport, Jetex Flight Support is upping its profile in the Mexican market. It is being jointly run by the two entities at what has become Mexico’s main business aviation gateway. Jetex has a network of FBOs in addition to its Dubai headquarters in the United Arab Emirates, with centers in Beijing, Kiev, Ukraine, London, Miami, Paris, the Philippines, Santiago, Chile and Shannon, Ireland.

Signature Flight Support at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport recently began full FBO services in November. The $82-million facility was built to LEED environmental specifications and includes a 10,000-square-foot terminal and a

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SPECIAL FEATURE

flights to the airport. It company received similar gateway approval for its Oakland, Calif. FBO approximately a year ago. Among the requirements for approval is a sterile area where required security protocols can be done in privacy.

Already operating seven FBOs in Germany, Kurz Aviation Service and Jet Aviation of Switzerland have formed a strategic alliance offering clients a seamless network within the Federal Republic. The companies will exchange nationwide operational and service-relevant flight data. Kurz has facilities in Cologne, Egelsbach, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Jet Aviation has facilities at Berlin Teigel, Schonefeld, Dusseldorf and Munich.

All those sites will be available to customers through a single point of contact.

STRENGTH

Tac Air (top) and Odyssey Aviation (center) remain strong in the US. Jet Ex is expanding in Mexico.

FBOs Texas headquartered Tac Air is focused on numerous improvements throughout its chain of 14 FBOs. Most recently, a 2,000-square-foot purposebuilt U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility has opened at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Neb. and is attached to the Tac Air facility.

Established in coordination with the Omaha Airport Authority, it will provide a “seamless experience for all general aviation aircraft arriving [at Eppley] from outside the U.S.,” said Matt David, Tac Air director of business development. The chain is also involved in an $11 million redevelopment project at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas that includes a new executive terminal.

At DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Atlanta, the Epps Aviation FBO recently celebrated 50 years at the Atlanta field with a 25-year lease extension.

The agreement allows Epps to begin construction of a new avionics installation facility. “Our reinvestment program for the service center will create a modern and unique work environment for our employees that effectively addresses the needs of our customers,” said founder and President Pat Epps.

At the NBAA convention in 2014, B. Coleman Aviation FBO at Gary/Chicago International Airport had just opened its doors for business. In November this year, the FBO also announced that it has been approved as a gateway under the DCA Access Standard Security Program, the program that governs business aviation access to Washington Reagan National Airport adjacent to the national’s capital. The FBO is named for pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman.

At California’s San Bernardino International Airport, Luxivair is promoting itself as outside the normal FBO experience. Located between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, amenities feature a floor-to-ceiling glass atrium lobby, stadium seating theater and personal concierge service. Services not always available at other FBOs include U.S. Customs and ground power units.

✈

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DOSSIER

TRIP SUPPORT

PRIOR PLANNING IS CRITICAL TO THE TRIP

By Kirby Harrison

In today s Business Aviation industry, a globally interconnected economy has created an environment in which the workload has gone up, lead time has gone down and stress has risen dramatically for operators, schedulers and dispatchers, and the demands on flight planning and trip support providers have risen in like fashion.

A

COMPLEXITY

Keeping up with today s regulations can be a full time job for some.

mong the major challenges in international travel are the plethora complexities of new regulations. “For an operator who travels internationally, keeping up with the new regulations and changes to existing rules is more than a full time job,” said Pete Lewis, Universal Weather & Aviation vice president of global trip operations.

He also noted that UK Bribery Act and U.S. Foreign and Corrupt Practices Act violations are on the rise. Further, not knowing the law is no excuse and operators are being

held liable for illegal actions that a third-party coordinates on their behalf. “This is the reason for a fulltime 20-person global regulatory services team, a compliance department, and a government and industry affairs group at Universal,” said Lewis.

There is also a global partnership management group is responsible for vetting suppliers and ensuring they are compliant and meeting Universal’s standards.

Restrictions by various governments frequently stem from a lack of understanding of the importance

of business aviation to economic growth, said Matt York, Jeppesen senior manager of international trip planning. New restrictions are frequently the result of regime change. “It seems that new leaders coming in do not fully understand the value of business aviation and commercial airline traffic remains a priority.”

Among regional difficulties are an increasing number of regulations regarding ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) requirements for airways and airspace that force non-compliant aircraft to take longer routes, requiring very technical flight planning to ensure proper routing.

Countries embroiled in conflict typically have many, and frequently changing, flight restrictions.

International sanctions, such as those affecting Iran and Russian, among other nations, also prompt new restrictions.

A decision whether to operate in and out of one of these regions often depends on the business aviation operator’s level of comfort in general, according to Jeppesen. “If there is a need, they will go,” said York. “One only need follow the hot spots in the news to know where a westerner may not want to go.”

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DOSSIER

TRIP SUPPORT

He added that Jeppesen has solid guidelines from the U.S. State Department that it uses to keep its customers informed.

Some of the most restrictive regulations are in the Middle East, despite reports from Honeywell’s Global Data Center (GDC) of an increase in operations in the region. “Local governments there continue to support business aviation,” explained Kiah Erlich, senior manager of product marketing for Honeywell Aerospace.

Some of the most carefully enforced regulations come from the state of Israel. Officials there restrict airspace over-flights for any flights that have over-flown any of the bordering Arab countries. At the same time, Arab countries bordering Israel will not

SUPPORT

Honeywell s Global Data Center and Rockwell Collins Global ACARS Network help operators around the world.

allow aircraft departing from Israel to over-fly their airspace. Also, Israel requires crew members to go through rigorous and lengthy screen processes for approval of flight into or within Israel.

More recently, Indonesia has implemented flight rules that make it very difficult for foreign operators to operate within the country. In Italy, no additional passengers may board who did not enter the country. China usually permits a maximum of five stops within the country, and for any addition stops, the aircraft must leave the country and re-enter, which requires another permit and multi-entry visas for many nationals.

Japan has its own hurdles, requiring private, non-revenue operators to obtain landing permits for any planned domestic operations. To make the hurdle more of a challenge, requests must be submitted by mail or in person, and in Japanese.

Bottom line, said Universal’s Lewis; “Every trip needs to be reviewed carefully to determine requirements for that particular trip.”

Despite the regulatory difficulties, Honeywell’s Global Data Center (GDC) continues to see an increase in operations in Asia and the Middle East. According to Honeywell’s Erlich, the reason can be found in U.S.-based companies “that are continuing to

grow their businesses in those regions, and local governments that continue to support business aviation.”

Technology is also playing a role in the changing face of flight planning and trip support. It comes down to connectivity, mobility and simplicity, according to GDC. “The amount of information being made available at operators’ fingertips is driving a major shift in the industry,” said Erlich. “The move from paper charts to mobile EFBs (electronic flight bags) is driving demand for streamlined, integrated and simple flight support tools.

ARINC Direct Flight Support Services from Rockwell Collins takes the concept still further. “There is an increasing need for flight services companies to provide complete endto-end solutions for their customers,” said Matt Pahl, director of flight operations services. “In an industry that is constantly working with ever-changing rules and regulations, flight departments need a single-source provider that can provide all the solutions needed to meet these requirements.”

Among the new technologies is an unlimited, fixed-rate satcom and SITA VHF ACARs datalink to which any business aircraft can subscribe, regardless of avionics type. The datalink service from Universal is provided by Satcom Direct and subscriptions can be bundled with Online flight planning from Universal.

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The datalink is 100-percent integrated with uvGO, Universal’s new trip management app. “Our clients don’t have to switch between different apps or Websites to access datalink,” said Lewis.

While the growth in ADS-B flying has created some difficulties for those crews whose aircraft are not yet ADS-B equipped, the system has made worldwide positioning reports common, allowing flight departments to track their aircraft in real time.

Mobile apps for itinerary and basic trip and flight planning support functions have made big improvements in this “shrinking world” when it comes to communicating with trip planning providers. Among those apps is FlightAware, available on iTunes and the Apple store, providing real-time flight tracking and status anywhere in the world.

With all the new technology, more companies are looking to “do it yourself” flight planning and trip support.

Flying to Europe and the Caribbean may not be overly difficult, but while they may not need a trip planning provider, operators are nevertheless often looking for overall international trip planning expertise in terms of good data or tools in an ever-changing industry, explained Jeppesen’s York. “Overall, I think providers’ role is still viewed as important, albeit changing a bit,” he added.

As in other business aviation segments, acquisitions and growth have marked flight planning and trip planning. Rockwell Collins acquired ARINCDirect in 2013 and quickly integrated assets to create ARINCDirect Flight Support Services. “We continue to evaluate our customer’s needs and consider where adjustments need to be made to our overall global solutions,” said Pahl.

With the addition of its International Trip Support partnership with JETEX to offer “a one-stopshop option for flight planning needs of customers worldwide,” said Pahl.

“A desire for a one-stop-shop will continue to drive service providers to work closer together to create a seamless experience for the customer.

Jeppesen notes that while a high level of customer service remains a key for any successful trip-planning company, “having the right amount

of technology, such as a mobile app for crews out in the field, is becoming more of a must,” York explained.

“Crews want to access information quickly, not matter where they are.”

According to Universal, the growing numbers of large, long-range, aircraft has also changed the flight planning and trip support industry. They allow operators to eliminate additional stops and get there faster, which affects flight planning over longer routes. It also requires additional time to determine what routes will work best based on such factors as the leg, weather, the operating procedures and communications.

With the larger aircraft, trip support must determine which airports can accommodate the big jets, based on such factors as weight, wingspan, ground support equipment availability and suitable parking. Also, noted Universal’s Lewis, some airfields may not accessible 24 hours and itineraries may have to be revised, even in flight, to meet the airport operating hours.

ARINCDirect also pointed out that as the range of these aircraft is stretched, it is sometimes difficult for crews to comprehend why they cannot get their expected cruise speeds and be able to complete their mission as scheduled. “This becomes more of an issue during the fall and winter months when the polar and sub-tropical jet streams become much more pronounced in the northern hemisphere and negative wind factors are more commonplace,” Pahl explained.

According to GDC, non-stop flights of longer duration are also subject to numerous events that may complicate the original flight plan and increase the pilot workload, such as adverse weather and foreign airspace restrictions.

Also, there are a growing number of long-range aircraft that can outfly standard two-man crew rest and duty requirements. This sometimes must be solved by including stops for a crew swap, or by a three-person crew.

Security has always been and remains an issue, said Jeppesen’s York. “We believe more of our clients have implemented a security program within their flight department that they would have control over, and not necessarily ask a trip planning provider to secure for them.”

Matt Pahl at ARINCDirect said in this modern age, clients do need to be more security conscious, “and we have seen an increase in the need for security briefings and threat level assessments in order for corporate security teams to evaluate additional requirements.

Tracie Carwile, security and transportation rep resentative at Universal, has seen an increase in demand for aircraft security, especially where western interests are highly profiled. “You need to check which airports allow armed security guards on the ramp next to the aircraft,” she said. “Even an unarmed guard is still an excellent deterrent in protecting your asset.”

As for ground transportation, in the past, taxis or crew van type vehicles were provided by the FBO, which presents an elevated risk for crew and passengers, Carwile said. “At minimum, private ground transportation that has been pre-vetted and arranged prior to arrival should be used to reduce the potential for risk.”

Risk is relative to business operations, standard operating procedures and the region of travel. And factors for increased risk could be the profile of your company, local business dealings within the region and nationality/religious ties of crew and passengers, she explained Finally, said Carwile, hotels are considered soft targets and may present more of a risk for business aviation clientele in the future. For this reason, the location of the hotel should be considered during planning. Also consider nearby potential targets of demonstrations and protest, such as government buildings and schools.

Finally, ARINCDirect has noted an increasing need for flight services companies to provide complete, end-to-end solutions.

Customer want one provider to supply services from back office support to cabin connectivity to flight planning tools to trip support” said Pahl.

“In an industry that is constantly working through ever-changing rules and regulations, flight departments need a single-source provider that can provide all the solutions needed to meet these requirements.”

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DOSSIER

TRIP SUPPORT

gram. Enrollment allows operators compliance with European Union VAT requirements. The service is free and MoonJet takes care of all documentation.

Jetex To Open Op Center in Brazil Trip support and ground handling specialist Jetex Flight Support has a preliminary agreement with high-end Brazilian real estate giant JHSF to open an operations center at Catarina Executive Airport near SĂŁo Paulo.

Catarina is the first dedicated business aviation airport in Brazil and is scheduled to open in 2016.

Nexus Wins Contract With Saudi Operator This month, Nexus will begin providing flight support for a unidentified Flight Planning and Trip Support Briefs UAS International Trip Support Joins With Tyrolean Jet UAS International Trip Support and Tyrolean Jet Services have reached a partnership agreement that will allow global trip support provider UAS to supply aviation support services to the Austrian VVIP charter operator. Those services include flight support, flight planning, dispatch, permits, navigation, handling, hotel accommodations, fuel and other international operational assistance. The flight support provider has also added an office in New Delhi, joining two addition offices opened last year in Hong Kong and Beijing

ADVANCED

Satcom Direct Moonjet Expands to China (top) and Jet Ex (bottom) are MoonJet Flight Support, a seven-yearbringing old company focused on trip arrangeinnovations to ments through the Middle East and trip planning. Africa, is opening an office in China.

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MoonJet is based in Amman, Jordan and has offices in Africa, Austria, Russia, the UAE, United Kingdom and United States. MoonJet has also completed its VAT (value-added tax) exemption pro-

Saudi Arabian operator at 15 airports in the kingdom. The agreement will add to the current fleet of approximately 170 aircraft for which Nexus provides flight support. The company is also considering more direct involvement in ground handling in India and Africa.

Universal Launchs uvGO App Universal Weather & Aviation has launched uvGO, a native iPad app that allows users to complete do-it-yourself trip control. It was created to fit the logical workflow of the operator and serves a do-it-yourself solution to integrate everything Universal offers. Among options is the ability to coordinate trips through the dedicated Universal trip support team.

✈

MAINTENANCE MATTERS

KEEPING YOUR ENGINES HEALTHY

By Paul Walsh

H

MONITORING

Snec a’s Silvercrest will co e with a ro ust engine health anage ent syste .

ow healthy are your engines? In times past answering this question involved removing the engines and conducting a thorough, yet costly investigation. Nowadays there’s technology that answers this question for you, often while you’re still in the air. We’re talking about the engine health monitoring system, an innovation that’s changing the way that engines are maintained; making the process more efficient, safer, and less expensive than ever before.

Snecma’s Silvercrest, an engine that’s currently in development for the Dassault Falcon 5X is a clear example of how health monitoring can save operators money over the course of an engine’s lifecycle. The Silvercrest is designed from the ground up, and certified for on-condition maintenance, which means that in Snecma’s world, fixed maintenance schedules are a thing of the past: each engine gets its own personalized timetable, based on the data that comes through from the company’s monitoring system and from on-wing inspection.

Based on a sophisticated, real-time analysis of flight data, only reaching the operational limits on certain parameters or parts can lead to the removal of an engine for a shop visit.

The result is that the engine can remain in service, all the way up to the time stipulated by critical Life Limited Parts (LLP).

Snecma draws on over 30 years of experience in on-condition maintenance in the commercial aviation market. The monitoring system is called ForeVision, an exclusive solution that provides real-time monitoring of engine performance and readings.

More than 1,500 engine parameters are tracked in flight, using embedded sensors. This information allows the real-time monitoring of 30 key functions, including engine performance, and the engine’s lubrication, fuel and filtering systems. The system automatically transmits reports, several times a flight summarizing each of about 50 main indicators, calculated by power-

ful onboard algorithms. These reports are analyzed by specialized ground crews, and the most urgent info is immediately transmitted to the engine manufacturer. Snecma analyzes this data and, if needed, determines maintenance recommendations and sends them to the operator.

Snecma uses fault detection and condition monitoring data analysis algorithms with validation enabled by a software tool from IDBS, a global provider of innovative data management, analytics and modeling software.

A Snecma proprietary research platform, Samanta, which is shared among all companies within the Safran group, drastically shortened product development by creating prototype algorithms. Samanta comes with a database capitalizing operational data for test and validation purposes. The IDBS EWorkBook application is linked to Samanta and is used to maintain a history of the algorithms’ maturation process. Once a prototype algorithm is matured and validated, the code is sent for compilation and execution within real-time fault detection and condition monitoring applications in Snecma’s aircraft engines.

EWorkBook provides a single collaborative platform for the capture, analysis, searching and reporting of all research and development (R&D) data within a fully compliant, validated environment.

The algorithm takes inputs from the engine of the aircraft, analyzes behavior and identifies abnormality.

EWorkBook links datasets with the algorithm hence ensuring persistence of experiments. Its rich functionality improves information analysis by ensuring that validation scenarios and key performance experiments can be carried out in real-time.

Neil Kipling, CEO and Founder of IDBS said, “Snecma uses good data management to create better, higher value, safer products for its market.

This is the essence of innovation in R&D, and it is exactly what we create our software to support. We are delighted that Snecma has demonstrated just how versatile a product E WorkBook has become.”

EWorkBook provides a collaborative environment which structures the workflow process to ensure algorithms are developed and tested in a timely, efficient manner. A variety of academic partners, all involved in the algorithmic maturation process, benefitted from its standardized platform which stores and quantifies all experimentation within a single, secure location.

It’s also worth noting that Snecma is using an oil-debris monitoring system on its engines. The system is developed by Eaton and enhances engine health and aircraft safety by capturing, retaining and analyzing oil debris particles to determine if critical engine component failures are imminent. The

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system includes a quantitative debris monitor (QDM) sensor and a signal conditioner.

QDM is a proven, mature technology that has produced significant gains for engine monitoring and aircraft maintenance while improving safety and reliability and lowering operating costs.

Eaton’s QDM has logged more than 22 million successful engine flight hours on the GE90 (Boeing 777); is qualified for the GP7200 (Airbus A380); and has been selected for GEnx (Boeing 787, 747-8), Trent 1000 engines (Boeing 787) and Trent XWB engines (Airbus A350).

Once again this technology saves money by reducing the maintenance burden for airplanes. Engines equipped with QDM preclude the need for manual checks and inspections and enable condition-based maintenance, a more cost-effective alternative that increases time on wing over the life of the airplane.

Rolls Royce also uses Engine Health Management (EHM) to track the health of thousands of engines operating worldwide, using onboard sensors and live satellite feeds.

A corporate EHM team covers all the business sectors which enables the Group to develop technologies and best practice. In the Civil market for example, the Trent family of engines is supported by a comprehensive RollsRoyce EHM capability operated in conjunction with Controls and Data Services (CDS), a Rolls-Royce company, and accessible as appropriate by the airlines involved.

EHM is a pro-active technique for predicting when something might go wrong and averting a potential threat before it has a chance to develop into a real problem. EHM covers the assessment of an engine’s state of health in real time or post-flight and how the data is used reflects the nature of the relevant service contracts. Essentially, EHM is about making more informed decisions regarding operating an engine fleet through acting on the best information available.

The evolution of EHM and the revolution in its use has significantly reduced costs by preventing or delaying maintenance, as well as flagging potentially costly technical problems.

New assets will incorporate EHM capability, and techniques will, where possible, be retro-fitted to existing equipment.

Broader engineering disciplines can benefit from the data that is collected.

As operational profiles of technical performance are revealed in ever more detail – from individual components to whole engines – so engineers can develop more thorough and costeffective maintenance schedules, and designers can feed higher reliability features into the engine products of the future.

EHM uses a range of sensors strategically positioned throughout the engine to record key technical parameters several times each flight. The EHM sensors in aero engines monitor numerous critical engine characteristics such as temperatures, pressures, speeds, flows and vibration levels to ensure they are within known tolerances and to highlight when they are not. In the most extreme cases air crew could be contacted, but far more

often the action will lie with the operator’s own maintenance personnel or a Rolls-Royce service representative in the field to manage a special service inspection.

The Trent engine can be fitted permanently with about 25 sensors. The figure below shows the typical parameters measured for EHM. Many of these are multi-purpose as they are used to control the engine and provide indication of engine operation to the pilot as well as being used by the EHM system. These are selected to make the system as flexible as possible.

The main engine parameters – shaft speeds and turbine gas temperature (TGT) – are used to give a clear view

of the overall health of the engine. A number of pressure and temperature sensors are fitted through the gas path of the engine to enable the performance of each of the main modules (including the fan, the intermediate and high pressure compressors, and the high, intermediate and low pressure turbines) to be calculated. These sensors are fitted between each module, except where the temperature is too high for reliable measurements to be made.

Vibration sensors provide valuable information on the condition of all the rotating components. An electric magnetic chip detector is fitted to trap any debris in the oil system that may be caused by unusual wear to bearings or

STREAMLINE

he onitor a es engine onitoring ore efficient. sensors (center).

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS gears. Other sensors are used to assess the health of the fuel system (pump, metering valve, filter); the oil system (pump and filter); the cooling air system and the nacelle ventilation (nacelle is the cover housing – separate from the fuselage that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on aircraft). As engine operation can vary significantly between flights (due to day temperature or pilot selection of reduced thrust), data from the aircraft to provide thrust setting, ambient conditions and bleed extraction status is also used.

G E A v i a t i o n is also strong in engine health monitoring, but extends its expertise to health monitoring systems for an entire aircraft offering Integrated Vehicle Health Management technology for aircraft such as G650 business jet aircraft.

“This is one of the first comprehensive health management systems for a civil airplane and a first for business jets,” said Lorraine Bolsinger, president and CEO of GE Aviation Systems, when they were awarded the contract for the G650. “We are thrilled to be launching this new product and service with Gulfstream.

Gulfstream is a leader in the business jet market by introducing new technology, innovation and best-in-class product support. The IVHM technology will clearly be a differentiator for the G650 in the marketplace.”

HEALTH

offers vehicle health onitoring for the et.

GE’s Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) technology powers Gulfstream’s PlaneConnectHTM&trade Health & Trend Monitoring system. The system continuously manages and analyzes data throughout the flight creating a comprehensive set of health information for the engines, avionics, power, cabin and other aircraft systems. Wireless connectivity links every aircraft to a Ground Services Network (GSN) providing a webbased service that delivers a real time picture of aircraft health for Gulfstream and the operator to access 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

The system is seamlessly integrated with Gulfstream’s product support to enable unprecedented capability to enhance dispatch reliability and avail-

ability - a hallmark of Gulfstream’s customer service orientation.

GE has also developed a cutting edge technology with prognostics capabilities that will become the future of health management in business and general aviation. The system leverages GE’s extensive experience in aircraft health diagnostics and prognostic analytics.

So far the system’s performance has been more than satisfactory: “In one case, a G650 reported a problem in flight five hours before reaching its destination airport – when it arrived at its planned fuel stop, a technician and replacement parts were on site to fix the problem, expediting aircraft dispatch to its final destination and preventing an off-site AOG,” noted Alan Caslavka, president, Avionics & Digital Systems for GE Aviation.

“We’ve been really pleased with the performance and continue to seek enhancements to serve Gulfstream operators.”

The system continuously manages and analyzes data throughout the flight creating a comprehensive set of health information for the engines, avionics, power, electrical, mechanical and other aircraft systems.

Wireless connectivity links every air-

craft to a Ground Services Network (GSN) providing a web-based service that delivers a real time, 24/7 picture of aircraft health for Gulfstream and the operator. Since entry into service, the fleet has recorded more than 1/3 of a terabyte of data for short-term troubleshooting support. More than 25 GB of this data has been automatically prioritized for retention/analysis and transmitted from aircraft across the globe.

“The power distribution system uses modular, solid-state power tiles that support either distributed or federated systems with a highly scalable design,” said Vic Bonneau, president of Electrical Power Systems for GE Aviation. “The system has demonstrated solid performance on the G650.”

The G650’s secondary power distributed system architecture incorporates many aircraft utility functions allowing for the elimination of other aircraft system line replaceable units.

This combined with the distributed architecture, eliminates miles of wiring and 400 mechanical circuit breakers.

The IVHM technology dates back to 1991 when GE developed the world’s first certified Health and Usage Monitoring System, HUMS, for helicopters. GE has recorded and analyzed in excess of 2 million flight hours of data from more than 500 military and commercial helicopters.

Finally across Pratt and Whitney Canada’s engines there are also flexible, proactive solutions for engine health and maintenance management The company manages engine health and maintenance planning requirements, helping operators achieve superior reliability and controlled maintenance costs over the life of engines.

It’s important to note that these services are customizable solutions, allowing operators to select a monitoring method that’s best their needs.

The engine health data is then managed through our patented Advanced Diagnostics & Engine Management (ADEM™) system that employs a suite of web-enabled software tools.

✈

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All of these names have one name in common.

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REPORT

ROTOR CHARTER MARKET

VARIABLE BUSINESS MODELS IN U.S. HELICOPTER MARKET

By Mark Huber

n an age of he icopter mobi e apps and rotor ride sharing entures such a B ade or o u , e ar based e iF ite is de iberate y and defiant y o d schoo you charter the ho e he icopter and the he icopters a ha e t o engines and t o pi ots. ant to sa e a fe buc s e you ust go ahead and mosey on do n the f ight ine.

H

eliFlite will sell you a block of hours on a “HeliCard,” thereby putting you at the front of the line with guaranteed access during peak periods such as summer Sunday nights coming back from New York’s toney Hamptons. HeliFlite CEO Kurt Carlson said about two-thirds’ of his company’s customers opt for the agreed upon pre-paid card service while the other are straight charter for customers who fly the company fleet of four Bell 430s and three Sikorsky S76s. The company also offers shared ownership and aircraft management programs. It manages a Bell 429 and the maintenance on an AgustaWestland AW109.

ACCESS

eliFlite’s eli ard gives you guaranteed access during pea periods. eliFlite O urt arson (center).

“Our product offerings have been consistent over the last several years,” Carlson said. “Most of our business is in the card sector but the one-off charter business has been robust as well,” Carlson said. “So our business has been strong. We have only twinengine, executive-cabin, dual-piloted ships. All our ships seat between six and eight passengers. Our niche in the New York metro marketplace is the flyer who requires the highest safety standards in the industry and the highest safety-rated aircraft. When we charter an aircraft we charter the entire aircraft to whoever the buyer is.

We haven’t ventured into the selling seats market, that’s not our niche.”

“Our customers are individuals and corporate executives. We provide supplemental lift to corporate flight departments. If a blue chip, Fortune 500 company is having a board meeting and their board members are flying into Teterboro (New Jersey) or White Plains (New York) , we’ll contract with those companies to provide first mile, last mile service for their board members and executives.

Washington, D.C. to Boston is our footprint. We’re based at Newark Liberty Airport just six minutes from Manhattan,” Carlson said.

Carlson said that, while demand is well-balanced between individuals who charter for personal reasons and business customers, demand is seasonal, with more personal customer during

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the summer months. “There’s definitely more corporate use in the fall, winter, and early spring,” he said. “But overall it is pretty well-balanced among the various categories of clients.

Business has been quite strong and growing for the last 36 months. As long as the financial markets are stable and the overall economy is solid, that is a significant positive for our business.

Our focus on perfect safety, perfect service makes us a service provider of choice for the type of clients that we focus our attention on.

Carlson said his company is hyper focused on safety. All of HeliFlite’s ships are IFR capable with the latest avionics upgrades. “The only focus we have is on the safety of our crews and our passengers. We maintain ratings including Wyvern Wingman and Argus Platinum status and we are certified business partners with national fixed wing charter, management and fractional carriers providing first mile and last mile service to their customers.

Carlson thinks some of his clients probably price shop—up to a point.

“I’m sure they do compare us to what else is out there, but we have the largest and most sophisticated fleet in the marketplace and we have been around a long time. We’re specifically focused on executive class cabin ships and focus on maintaining our fleet at the highest level. We have been around since 1998 so we are pretty well known in the market.”

Helicopter noise has been a hot button political issue in the New York market for the last few years, but Carlson says his pilots do their best to fly abatement routes and procedures to minimize the impact. “We work closely with any local community that has an interest in our service and we follow a very stringent fly neighborly program where we fly agreed upon routes, including along Long Island’s north shore and other agreed upon entries and egresses at East Hampton and other east end communities. So we are very sensitive to the local residents when we are flying over their communities and we work with various groups and municipalities to fly as neighborly as possible. We are part of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, in fact, I’m on the board, and we are always focused on doing right by citizens wherever our footprint goes and it is a high priority for the company and it always has been.”

BLADE MIGRATES SOUTH; EVOLUX GOES NATIONWIDE That is not to say that Blade is not making inroads with the by the seat value shopper: It is. After taking Manhattan by storm two years ago, Blade announced in November that it was headed south into Florida to cash in on the snowbird traffic.

Blade began service in Manhattan two summers ago by offering helicopter ridesharing services during the busy summer months. Now it is tacking on a weekly Florida jet service to Miami and Palm Beach called BLADEone in cooperation with JFI Jets. Per seat cost is $2,200 each way and includes the jet portion on the trip on a Gulfstream IV with the helicopter connection to or from Manhattan. Upon arrival at the Miami Opa-Locka Blade lounge, passengers can immediately continue onto Palm Beach via helicopter or take crowdsources or charter flights anywhere within Florida, the Bahamas, or any Caribbean destination.

Blade offers slick packaging and perks that include private lounges in New York and Miami, cuisine created by noted chef and restaurateur Todd English, Jack Spade amenity kits for men and women and EOS lip balms.

Accessible in-flight entertainment includes selections from the Tribeca Film Institute.

EvoLux is vaguely like Blade, only nationwide and without a lot of the fluff.

The service is a mobile online helicopter charter marketplace and social reservation platform to book custom helicopter travel. It closely mirrors the car service Uber in terms of price differentiated service. EvoLux allows travelers to identify nearby available helicopters, compare options, and book private SkyLimo charters, or organize shared flights by using the platform s social SkyShare reservation feature. SkyShare reservations are individual seat-priced, goal-oriented bookings where travelers leverage their social networks to invite friends, business colleagues, or other EvoLux members to join and fill additional seats to reduce overall charter costs.

Service levels and costs vary with airframe sizes, again much like the car service Uber does with auto sizes. EcoLux is less than $1,500 per flight hour and features helicopters with or without air conditioning that include the Robinson R-44, R-66, the Bell 206, 206L-3, and 206L-4; DeLux ranges from $1,500 to $3,000 per flight hour and features helicopters with or without air conditioning including the Bell 206L-3, 206-L-4, 407, Eurocopter EC-120, EC-130, AS-350, MD Helicopters MD-600, and AgustaWestland AW109 and AW119; AstroLux is priced at $3,000 to $5,000 per flight hour and is composed of cabin class, IFR capable twins including the Bell 430, Eurocopter EC-155, EC-365, Sikorsky S-76A, S76B, S76C, AgustaWestland AW-109, AW-139, and AW-169; and UltraLux helicopters at more than $5,000 per flight hour that feature VVIP plush leather interiors with noise canceling cabins, seating for 6-12 passengers, and in-flight entertainment systems including the Bell 430, Eurocopter EC-155, EC-365, Sikorsky S-76C++, S-76D, AgustaWestland AW-139, 169, and the 189.

CHARTER

vo u irrors U er in ter s of price differentiated service.

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REPORT The ERHC has been engaged in a protracted political battle with regard to mandatory routing and the recent failed attempts to ban helicopters from the East Hampton, New York airport despite voluntary noise abatement efforts from area helicopter operators including HeliFlite. This summer East Hampton was allowed to enact an airport curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and a ban on certain noisy aircraft between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. The town board had wanted to enact even more draconian restrictions but was forestalled by pending challenge litigation that, if unsuccessful, could significantly limit helicopter access to the airport.

Helicopter operators transiting New York’s Long Island have been forced to use the “North Shore Route” in a move designed to mitigate noise, but critics suggest has merely concentrated it along a narrow causeway.

Attempts to restrict or even outright ban helicopter overflights continues to be a matter of concern to helicopter operators both in New York and the Los Angeles basin in California.

Blade and EvoLux don’t concern Carlson. “The market niche that we are in has always been very receptive to our service and products.”

NARROW

roviders such as vo u are operating in very niche ar ets. hicago raffic ( otto ). ay eavitt vo u founder (center).

ROTOR CHARTER MARKET

EvoLux is currently active in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and most recently, Chicago.

“We’ve had our eye on the Midwest for some time. We were simply waiting for an operation like Vertiport Chicago to fill the void in helicopter infrastructure and support services to expand our offerings. With their facilities outfitted with executive conference rooms and a luxurious reception lounge, together we can provide SkyShares users a seamless VIP experience,” said Ray Leavitt, founder of EvoLux. EvoLux’s adoption in other trafficclogged regions proves the demand for an alternative to sitting for hours on an overcrowded highway,” Leavitt said. “If Uber and Expedia merged to focus on helicopter travel, they would have created EvoLux to disrupt the traditional charter boolking process and provide some relief for travelers wanting to rise above the congestion.

Additionally, high-end destinations off the beaten path such as wineries, racetracks, golf courses, ski resorts, and casinos who have a hard time attracting their clientele from a distance now have an exhilarating option to offer their guests,” he said.

In Chicago, an Upstart Trevor Heffernan launched a successful Chicago helitour company, Chicago Helicopter Experience, in 2011 and this past October inaugurated CHE Premier Charter, with an Airbus Helicopters EC135 light twin and an EC130 large single to offer traditional helicopter charter, unlike EvoLux. Heffernan has the helicopters on long-term leases. “There’s

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never been helicopter charter here before so this just makes sense,” he said.

“It really hasn’t been an option for 50 years, especially since 2003 when Meigs (lakefront airport) closed. So we’re going to need to educate consumers about it and educate them as to the benefits especially with regard to driving to and from the city to various locations. Because it hasn’t been an option before it’s not in the forefront of their minds. So we’re educating the consumer and putting our product in front of them, showing

them how much time they can save showing them how much time they can save flying to the local airports, to their warehouse facilities, whatever it may be, instead of driving,” he said.

“There are so many corporations headquartered in Chicago and have corporate flight departments here with

planes in Palwaukee (Chicago Executive) , Aurora, or Gary (Indiana),” Heffernan said. “On any given day it can be an hour and a half drive in from Chicago Executive or a ten minute flight in one of our helicopters. So as we continue to educate these flight departments about the

conveniences of using the helicopters it really starts making a lot of sense for them. In the summer, there are tons of golf courses and that brings up the whole other element of corporate entertaining—you can take clients out for golf and get back to the city in time for dinner. They wouldn’t otherwise be able to do that do to (ground) traffic. It all focuses around traffic and saving people time. Even when people fly into Midway to avoid the comparatively longer drives in from Executive or Du Page airports, Midway is more expensive and it is a pain to get in and out, so we also educate flight departments about landing at and basing at other airports that are less difficult, more convenient, and less expensive.

It’s an education process on many DYNAMIC fronts.” revor effernan CHE’s helipad is conveniently locat- is the rains ed near the booming South Loop, near ehind the the Eisenhower Expressway and the hicago Orange Line train. elicopter ✈ e perience.

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SPECIAL REPORT

IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINING TIMES FOR IFEC latest interfaces for HD digital video streaming.

Gogo is introducing automatic, inhangar wireless update capabilities for its Gogo Vision inflight TV system for business aviation. Customers will have the ability to receive fully-automatic content updates via Gogo Cloud, the company’s nationwide content delivery network.

The system uses “machine to machine” Wi-Fi technology to automatically load fresh content when the aircraft arrives at a Gogo Cloud location, with no interaction required from the flight crew or maintenance personnel. Gogo also said that from December, Vision is available for viewing on cabin monitors and not just personal Wi-Fi devices.

By Steve Nichols

This has been an interesting year in terms of IFEC developments for the Business Aviation sector. As we ll see later this has been lots of activity on the inflight connectivity front, but first let s look at in-flight entertainment.

T

VIGOROUS

The inflight connectivity segment was very active in 2015. Rockwell Collins IFEC (top), Venue VIP cabin (center).

he IFE highlight of NBAA was the debut of Rockwell Collins’ Stage content service, which will launch in mid 2016. This is a subscription-based media streaming solution for corporate and private aircraft.

Stage enables up to 70 passengers to stream media, including Hollywood digital rights management (DRM)-protected movies and TV shows, to their personal devices from an onboard server through wireless access points.

Rockwell Collins says content is selected by flight departments from a frequently-updated cloud-based media catalogue and then loaded on the aircraft server in a variety of ways, including both physical and wireless.

Greg Irmen, vice president and general manager, Information Systems for Rockwell Collins, said:“Stage makes prepping an aircraft’s cabin entertainment for a trip much easier — espe-

cially when last-minute changes are necessary — to give passengers access to exactly the entertainment and information they want.”

Stage apps are available for both iOS and Android tablets and smartphones and content can also be accessed via web browsers on tablets without the app, including Google Chrome.

Lufthansa Technik is to supply Bombardier with a high-definition IFE upgrade for the Challenger 300. It said the upgrade needs limited wiring and hardware changes and will support the

At NBAA TrueNorth Avionics said it plans to offer a personalized entertainment application on its Optelity Pro cabin communications platform.

Optelity Experience, powered by the UGO service platform, has been tailored for business jets and allows passengers to view a variety of entertainment options on their tablets without using satellite bandwidth as the content is delivered at the gate using the Optelity system’s LTE network.

Now on to inflight connectivity, Inmarsat’s ultra-fast Ka-band Global

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Xpress service, the business aviation arm of which is called Jet ConneX (JX), is very close to a full global launch.

This will probably now take place in early 2016, but with three satellites now in place and the hardware just about ready to ship we have an exciting year ahead.

There are two antennas for the system available from Honeywell. The first is the small and light JetWave MCS-8000 tail-mount parabolic dish.

This will suit smaller business jets.

The larger MCS-8200 fuselage-mounted steerable array is aimed at larger VVIP type aircraft such as BBJs, ACJs and bigger.

The MCS-8000 should be suitable for bandwidths up to around 30-33Mbps and the larger antenna up to 50Mbps.

I saw an early draft of the Jet ConneX service schedule that showed various business packages will be available with a range of speeds, called maximum information rates (MIR), and also monthly data allowances.

This outlined MIR speeds from 315Mbps, with monthly data packages running from 25-95Gb. There may be a maximum monthly “carry over” allowance of half the specified Gb limit. As I said, this was an early draft and the final packages may change when the service is launched.

At the time of writing the MCS-8000 tail-mount antenna was being tested on two aircraft in the US and an STC for the Dassault Falcon was expected in late Q4 2015.

Many other STCS for other aircraft are being developed, including one for the 747-400 by J e t A v i a t i o n Basel. The first STC for the larger fuselage-mounted MCS-8200 antenna

is expected for the Boeing 757 in late 2015, as this was the Honeywell aircraft used in the initial JX flight tests in the UK. VistaJet became Rockwell Collins’ first business aviation customer to adopt Jet ConneX via its ARINCDirect arm.

Nick Van Der Meer, Chief Operating Officer, VistaJet, said: “Our customers are increasingly demanding faster and more reliable in-flight internet service as a routine part of their business travel.

Bombardier has also confirmed that testing and validation for its Bombardier WAVE (Wireless Access Virtually Everywhere) high-speed inflight connectivity, which will use

Inmarsat’s JX connectivity, is nearing completion, following multiple successful tests aboard its Global aircraft test bed.

Operators with smaller bizjets that can’t accommodate the Honeywell JetWave tail-mount antenna may have to wait until 2017-2018. Kymeta is developing a small flat-panel antenna for GX/JX, but there is currently no launch date for it.

Given the hype, you could be forgiven for thinking that JetConneX was the only inflight connectivity solution available for business aviation. But there are plenty of other options.

Over the mainland US and Canada, Gogo still reigns with its air-to-ground (ATG) Gogo Biz service. Gogo Business Aviation recently announced a number of enhancements to its service, beginning with its ATG 1000 inflight connectivity system.

The ATG 1000 system already enables voice, e-mail with attachments, and calling and texting with passengers’ own smartphones and mobile numbers.

From December it will also support a number of cockpit and operational applications including FlightAware’s Flight Tracker Global, ForeFlight’s ForeFlight Mobile, Honeywell’s myGDC, and WSI Corporation’s Pilotbrief Optima.

INNOVATIVE

Gogo Inflight Entertainment BBJ (top), John Wade, Gogo Business Aviation s executive vice president, with Gogo IFEC (below)

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SPECIAL REPORT

FOREFRONT

Honewell are at the forefront of the connectivity revolution.

Jack Jacobs Vice President Marketing & Product Management at Honeywell (top).

Gogo says it expects to continue expanding the list of approved apps for the ATG 1000 system in the future.

Gogo has also partnered with Weather Services International (WSI) and its Pilotbrief Optima iPad application to provide up-to-date weather data in the cockpit.

WSI, the business-to-business division of The Weather Company, recently launched a new version of Pilotbrief Optima for iPad. The partnership with Gogo means pilots can now access upto-date weather information via the Gogo Biz connectivity.

Satcom Direct, which has recently rebranded to simply “SD”, has launched its SD FlightLogs, which is powered by SD’s FlightDeck Freedom. The system provides aircraft operators with an electronic flight log that automates the tracking of aircraft movements.

The company says SD FlightLogs is the first web-based system designed to intuitively manage aircraft flight log data and reduces manual user input.

SD FlightLogs provides pilots, maintenance and flight operations personnel with the ability to stay in sync with their aircraft anywhere in the world.

The company has also been promoting its GlobalVT app, which works with the SD Router (SDR) and enables passengers to use their own mobile (cellphone) number on their smartphone while in-flight, anywhere in the world.

The service acts like a global cellular roaming service, routeing all calls and texts to a passenger’s smartphone number via a satellite connection.

A big bonus is that your outgoing calls have a ‘+87’ or other strange number displayed when you call, so your recipient is more likely to answer it.

Another surprising development was news that Astronics AeroSat and Panasonic Avionics have partnered to bring high-speed inflight connectivity services and global live television programming to the business and VVIP aviation market.

Astronics Aerosat will uses its tailmounted Ku-band antenna with Panasonic’s Global Communications Services to offer high-speed internet,

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IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

four channels of global television services and regional DBS-TV programming.

At NBAA Honeywell announced that it was to acquire Denmark’s Satcom1.

Satcom1 provides routing software and is distribution partner for Honeywell’s JetWave terminals and Inmarsat’s GX Aviation program , as well as being a long-standing SwiftBroadband expert.

It also provides an inflight TV solution called Satcom1.TV. The company tells me that this has proved popular in the Middle East where it is fitted on a range of VVIP customers’ aircraf in the region.

It said the service launch of Satcom1.TV was on a head-of-state Airbus A340, owned by an undisclosed client and it has now been installed locally for owners of Airbus, Boeing, Gulfstream and Bombardier business jets too.

The service allows passengers to watch live TV via their satcom connection and works with PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, or with a connected TV, via an HDMI cable, or integrated onboard AV system.

The system is designed to work with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband (SBB), Inmarsat Jet ConneX (Ka-band coming in 2016) and ViaSat’s Yonder Ku-band and Exede in the Air Ka-band.

However, as it needs a minimum bandwidth of 750kbps SBB users will need to use at least two bonded channels.

Finally, if you want Ka-band speeds, but can’t wait for Inmarsat GX, don’t forget that ViaSat’s “Exede in the Air” service is available right now. ViaSat’s tiny tail-mount antenna is only 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter, but packs quite a punch, delivering nearly 8.83Mbps down and 3.2Mbps up using Eutelsat’s KA-SAT satellite over Europe and ViaSat-1 over the Americas.

The ViaSat-2 satellite is due to be launched by SpaceX in the summer of 2016 and expand coverage over the Atlantic Ocean, plus add additional capacity over Canada and Central America.

✈

D E D I C AT E D T O H E L P I N G B U S I N E S S A C H I E V E I T S H I G H E S T G O A L S .

NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference JANUARY 19 – 22, 2016

TAMPA, FL

Unlock Your Potential…

Connect and Inspire at SDC2016 At its core, SDC2016 is the premier professional development event for anyone with responsibility for scheduling and/or dispatching business aircraft. Elevate your career with 25 CAM-approved education sessions from the industry’s greatest and brightest while also getting business done for the year ahead. With countless opportunities to network and connect with more than 2,700 of your peers and 450 exhibitors, you don’t want to miss SDC2016.

REGISTER TODAY: www.nbaa.org/sdc/bart

PREVIEW

SCHEDULERS AND DISPATCHERS

SCHEDULERS AND DISPATCHERS GATHERS PACE

By Paul Walsh

A

s the NBAA’s meeting and convention goes from strength to strength, another event is slowly gathering a following. That’s Schedulers and Dispatchers; with 2,700plus visitors at the previous edition, it’s becoming a must-attend event for FBOs, fuel suppliers and trip-planners.

The 2016 conference theme is “unlock your potential” and at the opening general session, Ty Bennett CEO, entrepreneur, & best-selling author will share proven strategies and techniques to increase overall designed to give flight department personnel an overview of the various federal and state regulatory requirements facing aircraft owners and operators, and methods for compliance with those requirements. The course will expose students to the major compliance requirements of the DOT, FAA, IRS, TSA, OSHA, DOA and many other federal and state agencies.

Students will then work through recordkeeping techniques and best practices and discuss audit standards and safety management systems. The course culminates in an exercise in which students are asked to put their HI-TECH

UVair uvGO to plan and manage the mission (top).

Universal Avionics and Rockwell Collins team for ADS-B solutions (center).

Honeywell JetWave fuselage mount antenna for high speed satellite communications (bottom).

commitment needed for relationshipbuilding, increasing value, and improving interpersonal communication. He will focus on the tenet that “people support what they help create.” This general session will also serve an introduction to the second general session that will be on Thursday’s 8:00 a.m. where Bob Hobbi, President and CEO of ServiceElements International, Inc. will facilitate aviation scenarios demonstrating challenges that flight department personnel and vendors experience in the workplace.

One of the events’ biggest draws is its impressive range of educational sessions, which kick off with a regulatory and documentation course,

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knowledge into practice to address several common scenarios facing flight departments.

Then there are also sessions on how to survive audits, thinking process, not function, a dispatcher’s guide to flight planning, and sessions on the challenges of operating into India and China.

But aside from being a great opportunity for growth and personal development, Schedulers and Dispatchers is also an important networking opportunity, with some of the leading decision-makers in the industry attending.

Universal Aviation will be one of the main players at the event. It recently announced uvGO, a new way for business aircraft operators to easily plan, build, and manage successful missions worldwide—from beginning to end. Available as a native iPad app, uvGO gives users complete do-it-yourself control over their trips, as well as the ability to optionally coordinate trips through their dedicated Universal® trip support team.

ity to execute key tasks—such as flight planning, weather, fuel pricing, datalink, and trip coordination—in just our app, or our website, or a combination of the two. Whatever they prefer.” uvGO is available for operators working with Universal® Trip Support Services and/or carrying the UVair® Fueling Card. Universal Clients can start using uvGO immediately by downloading it on the App Store.

Rockwell Collins’ ARINCDirect will be present promoting the fact that customers flying non-ADS-B equipped aircraft can, for the first time, receive real-time position reports around the world through an enhanced flight tracking service for business aircraft called Mode S Multilateration (MLAT).

The ARINCDirect flight tracking is made possible through collaboration with FlightAware. FlightAware’s new MLAT technology leverages its extensive ground station network of receivers to provide real-time flight

tomers with a seamless, integrated solution that can be displayed in their hangar, dispatch center, or corporate office.

“Flight tracking is a critically important issue for both the business and commercial aviation operators,” said Daniel Baker, CEO of FlightAware.

“With the integration of FlightAware’s aircraft tracking into its flight planning services, ARINCDirect customers now have access to more features and improved aircraft location information than ever before.”

The new service is now available to ARINCDirect customers in Europe. It is in beta testing in the rest of the world, and is expected to be available in December 2015 Another exhibitor: Honeywell is also moving forward in the trip planning space and recently announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire privately-held Satcom1, the leading provider of on board communications routing software and a satellite communications provider of airtime and

“uvGO was designed from the perspective of fitting the logical workflow of the operator and serves as a do-ityourself solution that integrates everything Universal offers in one simple interface,” explained Denio Alvarado, Sr. VP, Global Product Strategy, Universal. “Through uvGO, our clients can manage trips on their own, or send them for coordination through Universal via a single, simple intuitive system that streamlines the process of how missions are managed.”

Alvarado added, “We also took into account that operators wanted an app that is not dependent on a separate website, so our system has been designed to give operators the flexibil-

positions for business aviation aircraft that are not ADS-B equipped, even where RADAR data is not available.

“More than 80% of Business Aviation aircraft are not ADS-B equipped—with many of them flying in Europe and abroad—so this service provides tremendous benefits to our customers traveling internationally,” said David Poltorak, vice president, Business Aviation for Rockwell Collins. “Now customers can track the exact location of their aircraft globally in real-time, enhancing safety and operations.”

ARINCDirect is also now reselling FlightAware TV, a map-based fleet or airport flight tracking display that can run on any HDTV, providing cus-

consulting services. The acquisition positions Honeywell to offer operators a seamless experience with an all-inone connectivity solution spanning routing software, airtime, hardware equipment, avionics, flight support services and applications. Revenues for 2015 are expected to be approximately $25 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2015.

Satcom1 is the leading provider of routing software that optimizes the inflight connectivity experience and an existing distribution partner for Honeywell’s JetWave™ terminals and Inmarsat’s GX Aviation program. The company provides in-flight airtime, satellite communications services and

ADVANCED

Rockwell Collins ArincDirect put forward MLAT, a tracking service for business aircraft (left).

UAS International Trip Support (right) will highlight their expansion across the world including India.

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PREVIEW

OCCASION

A strong presence of maintenance specialists is assured at SDC. Duncan Aviation will promote their expansion at Teterboro.

software for private business aircraft, and government and head of state aircraft and helicopters. Satcom1’s highspeed solutions provide real-time, reliable Internet and Wi-Fi cockpit communications that help pilots fly more safely and efficiently, and keep passengers connected in the air. Satcom1 also provides consulting services and develops specialized software and networks designed for mission-specific communication needs, such as in combat situations.

“Demand for in-flight Internet and Wi-Fi connectivity is rapidly growing and Satcom1 will strengthen Honeywell’s position as a complete provider and integrator of satellite communications equipment, software applications and global airtime services,” said Tim Mahoney, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace.

“Honeywell is already uniquely placed across the entire value chain of a thriving $8 billion in-flight connectivity segment, making the acquisition of Satcom1 an excellent fit with our business. The addition of Satcom1 significantly bolsters our connectivity portfolio and enhances our growing software engineering expertise. Our customers will benefit from our ability to now offer a complete suite of connectivity solutions, with a much greater global reach.”

“Strengthening Honeywell’s connectivity offerings with the addition of Satcom1 provides existing and future customers access to a full suite of connectivity offerings throughout their aircraft. Together, we will have a worldwide sales and support presence, facilitating customer interactions and improving the ability to provide customers a greater variety of voice and data solutions to meet their growing demand,” said Søren Elmann Ingerslev, chairman of Satcom1.

Another strong player in the arena is Satcom Direct, now known as SD. The company is the first Inmarsat SwiftBroadband (SBB) distribution partner to provision and enable the new SwiftBroadband high data rate (HDR) service with Honeywell avionics, nearly doubling in-flight data speeds available to Business Aviation.

In its latest “first” for Business Aviation, Satcom Direct has made

HDR service available to SwiftBroadband customers, providing a faster and more efficient broadband connection. HDR enhances passengers’ overall network connectivity experience by unlocking the ability to use high-bandwidth applications inflight. The service can provide up to 650 kbps per streaming channel.

Customers with a Satcom Direct Router (SDR™) can use Satcom Direct’s exclusive SkyBondSM service to combine up to 2 channels, currently, providing speeds of up to 1.3 Mbps.

This is approximately two times faster per channel than traditional SwiftBroadband in-flight connections.

“The number one request we get from operators, passengers and VVIP customers worldwide is faster internet.

Satcom Direct is constantly developing and leveraging ways to increase airborne data speeds, so it’s only natural we would be the first to bring HDR to Business Aviation. Checking email, streaming video, and internet browsing just got significantly faster for our customers and we couldn’t be more pleased to be able to deliver it,” said Jim Jensen, CEO and Founder of Satcom Direct.

UAS International Trip Support is definitely worth checking out. The company is expanding in places across the world including India where it now has station managers with unlimited ramp access throughout India. UAS personnel now have this freedom of access and can, therefore, provide more personalized and customized supervision for its clients. Ramp access also affords UAS more coordination in meet and

assist services. This development also ensures the UAS standard of service in India as UAS personnel can deal with the handling directly and no third-party involvement is necessary.

A huge challenge many operators face during operations into India is transparency in receiving information.

Currently, UAS station managers can ensure the most reliable and trusted information about operations and services across India. UAS’ strong, professional relationship with local authorities means smooth flight transitions, and direct ramp access ensures the highest level of service quality.

Since the launch of the New Delhi office in April 2015, UAS has experienced massive demand for its services in the region, including flight planning, overflying and landing permits, ground handling supervision, fuelling, catering, assistance in customs/immigration clearance, hotel and transport. This increased market penetration is part of the company’s sustained international expansion strategy. “This is a great coup for UAS and our clients flying into and out of India. We can now provide superior supervision of all ground activities and, therefore, provide even more efficiency and peace of mind for our clients,” according to Vinay Garg, UAS Regional Director, Indian Subcontinent.

“Our job is to respond to our clients’ demands, and give them the best service on the ground and in the air,” he added.

“We are determined to give our clients the best service, support and quality.

Ramp access in India will ensure that our clients, their passengers and crew

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actually feel the difference,” says Mr. Omar Hosari, UAS Cofounder and CEO. On the fuel and FBO side, EPIC will be present talking about the dramatic expansion of their FBO network.

Indeed at NBAA, they announced eight new domestic locations and two new international locations to its FBO network. The new members who joined the EPIC network in 2015, span from coast-to-coast in the United States and include two major international gateways, further expanding EPIC’s reach, literally around the globe.

One company that is expanding is Avfuel, which continued its trajectory of growth in 2015 with updated technology, and a spike in customers and global solutions.

“We’ve had a great year,” said Joel Hirst, vice president of sales for Avfuel.

“I think that’s a testament to our qualified staff and the talent we’ve brought in to support our growing customer base.

We always have our ear to the ground, discovering new solutions to fulfil our customers’ needs. I think they are very perceptive to that mentality and look to join a network that not only provides the best solutions, but continuously strives to better itself.”

With this mindset, Avfuel created a new website for its customers and excelled in international expansion, contract fuel growth and commercial fuel sales.

Given the high-profile attendance at Schedulers and Dispatchers, many executives from outside of the trip planning business are also present at the event. For instance Duncan Aviation will have a large presence, having recently announced their expansion and growth of its Teterboro, New Jersey, satellite facility, where Manager Jeff Glanville and the rest of the team members moved from the facility where they’ve been located for the last few years into a 1,300-square-foot facility in the Landmark FBO. Manager of Satellite Operations Matt Nelson says, “This expansion represents the health of our business and the optimism we feel for growth now and in the future. It also means we’re planning to see a significant increase in our daily offerings, including Wi-Fi, ADS-B, and FANS installations and WAAS/LPV upgrades.”

Not only has the shop expanded its space, but the company is looking to hire two more qualified technicians to

work the second shift (3:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.) in order to better accommodate the needs of Duncan Aviation’s customers at the Teterboro Airport. As the busiest corporate airport in the United States, Teterboro serves a number of transient customers—drop-in customers from outside of the United States whose schedules often have them arriving early in the morning or late at night.

Jet Aviation will also be present.

They’ve just announced the first follow-on installation of a Future Airspace Navigation System (FANS) in a Bombardier Challenger 604 after completing and receiving FAA approval for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).

The industry’s first FANS installation on the Challenger 604 sets yet another precedent at Jet Aviation St. Louis. The FANS 1/A upgrade package, which includes the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADC-C) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), will reduce pilot workload and significantly enhance the clarity and accuracy of pilot communications with Air Navigation Service Providers in oceanic and remote airspace worldwide. It will give those aircraft access to preferred wind-efficient transatlantic routes to save both time and fuel.

Finally attendees at the show will be able to meet with executives from Flightsafety International. Among other things they’ll be able to talk about how the company has enhanced its Gulfstream G650 training program with upgrades to the simulators. The Autobrakes system has been added to

the initial and recurrent training programs. FlightSafety has worked with Gulfstream to ensure this addition to the G650 training curriculum fulfills the requirements of the FAA FSB Report and EASA OSD. “The ongoing upgrades to our training programs and simulators demonstrate FlightSafety’s commitment to provide our Customers with the highest quality and most current programs,” said Daniel MacLellan, Vice President, OOperations. The Normal and Abnormal operation of the Autobrakes will be covered during ground school and a simulator session. Pilots will see and feel the differences in the flight controls associated with this update to the aircraft. FlightSafety also offers a standalone course for those wanting to receive the training prior to their next recurrent event. It includes one hour in the simulator.

✈

TRAINING

Flight Safety will present an advanced Gufstream G650 training program with simulator upgrades. (top) Jet Aviation announced the first FANS installation in a Challenger 604 (bottom).

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MARKET

UPDATE

RESILIENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

By Richard Koe

NUCLEUS

Dubai remains one of the world s leading Business Aviation hubs.

Jet Aviation Dubai (center).

T

he Dubai Air Show in the first half of November was the largest and best-attended of the bi-annual event´s almost 30 year history. With its new location in Dubai World Central it hosted over 11,000 exhibitors, 65,000 visitors and 160 aircraft. Primarily a commercial and military aviation show, it also showcased the Middle East´s resilient Business

Aviation sector. The region´s civil aviation activity owes much its geographic centrality linking emerging markets and advanced economies. For now at least one of world´s most important trading hubs is weathering the storm clouds over the global economy, as well as the region´s multiple conflict zones.

For Business Aviation, the other fundamental impetus is wealth creation.

According to Wealth-X, the global

wealth research company, there are 5,975 ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWI) in the Middle East, some 3% of the global population of ultrawealthy. With a Business Aviation fleet of around 450 aircraft, the ratio of UHNWI to aircraft is a third the ratio prevailing in the US market, which shows its potential for further growth.

There are some obvious short-term headwinds, not least the prolonged slump in oil prices. But on balance, Bombardier´s 10 year forecast for the Middle East to take 275 business jet deliveries still represents a significant growth trajectory.

From both the fleet-ownership and aircraft activity footprint in the region, it´s clear that the Middle East is a mature Business Aviation market, but with distinctive characteristics. Research provided by Wealth-X and WINGX at the Dubai event showed that business jet owners in the Middle East are demographically distinct – younger than the global average, with more liquid assets, and much more likely to have inherited rather than self-made their wealth – and particular in their aircraft preference – with the typical aircraft purchase value at USD $48M compared to the global average of USD $16M.

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The inclination to large cabin, longrange aircraft reflects a functional need for inter-connecting a region closer to the size of North America than Western Europe, and of course for operating non-stop flights to aircraft owners´ destinations outside the Middle East. It also indicates a cultural preference for individual owners to travel with a large entourage of family and advisers. In contrast to typical business jet owners in the US market, for whom the aircraft is primarily a business tool, the travel motivation for the Middle Eastern business jet traveler is a lifestyle decision, inextricably linking business and leisure purposes.

This contrast is illustrated in WealthX research, as shown in Chart 1.

CHART 1: BUSINESS JET OWNERSHIP IN MIDDLE EAST AND WORLDWIDE Top 5 Industries Industrial Conglomerates Non-Profit & Social Organizations Finance/Banking/Investment Manufacturing Real Estate

Middle Eastern Jet Owners 29.2% 25.7% 10.5% 10.5% 5.3%

Top 5 Industries Finance/Banking/Investment Real Estate Non-Profit & Social Organizations Industrial Conglomerates Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels

Global Jet Owners 19.3% 7.3% 5.7% 5.5% 5.1%

The most popular industry for the global UHNWI population of business jet owners is finance, banking and investment. In the Middle East, by contrast, more than 50% of owners are involved in industrial conglomerates and non-profit & social organisations.

This reflects the large representation of traditional ruling families and merchant businesses. In the grey area between government and private enterprise, they are most closely aligned to the region´s economic fortunes. They are also playing the leading roles in the region´s efforts to diversify its economy, and no doubt private jets are an important tool in the coordination and oversight of major infrastructure and construction projects.

The pattern of business jet activity in the Middle East demonstrates the regional customer´s predilection for large cabin aircraft. WINGX data, as shown in Chart 2, indicates there were

1,200 VIP bizliner flights from the Middle East in Q3 2015, 42% up year on year. A further 21% of flights were operated in ultra-long range jets, and the most popular are the heavy jets, with over 27% of all Business Aviation activity in the period. By contrast, only a few hundred light jet and turboprop sectors were flown in Q3, although very light jet activity is rapidly increasing.

Cabin and range preferences are reflected in the relative trends in activity of the various OEM fleets.

Bombardier and Gulfstream aircraft operate at least half all flights from the Middle East. The most well estab-

CHART 2: Q3 BUSINESS AVIATION ACTIVITY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

SIZE

Middle East buyers prefer large cabin jets.

Dassault Falcon 7X (top).

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MARKET

UPDATE

CHART 3: MIDDLE EAST BUSINESS AVIATION ACTIVITY BY AIRCRAFT TYPE

ESTABLISHED

In a short space of time the Middle East has become a mature Business Aviation market.

lished Bombardier jets are Challenger 600 and Global Express, but fastest growing demand is for the Global 5000 and Challenger 300. In the last 10 years Bombardier´s fleet has doubled and in the last quarter its activity was up 10%. Gulfstream has over 100 aircraft in the region, with the Gulfstream IV/G40 and V/G550 the best established, and Gulfstream 650 in great demand, especially in UAE and Saudi.

Some specific detail in shown in Chart 3, which shows 2015 flight connections between the Middle East and Europe. Through September 2015, the Challenger 600 has been the most active aircraft flying to European destinations. 1,159 flight departures have been operated by 174 different aircraft.

This activity, 11% of all flights, increased 5% year on year. Some of these aircraft will have been European registered or based, just visiting the Middle East. But most are Middle East owners, and the resilience of

their activity contrasts with the slump in the same aircraft´s activity in Europe as a whole – down 10% this year – and particularly in Russia, where Challenger 600 activity is down more than 40%.

A number of ultra-long range jets show very strong growth – Global Express activity up 24%, Global 650 activity up 90%. Interestingly, Falcon F7X activity from the Middle East is down 10% this year. Midsize aircraft activity has slumped, illustrated by the more than 10% declines in Hawker 700-900 and Lear 60 flights. Light Cessna jets barely make the shortlist, although the Citation Bravo has obviously found a niche, flying 24% more this year. At the other end of the scale, several bizliner types are in strong demand, with the BBJ1 flying almost 400 departures, and VIP A320s – 36 of them - operating 332 departures, and an increase of more than 50% this year.

The emphasis on large cabin business jet activity underlines the signifi-

cantly higher wealth profile of typical business jet users in the Middle East.

The region´s income has been rocked over the last 18 months by the tumbling oil price, which has undoubtedly diluted appetite for new jet purchases.

And it may have had a significant impact on the the disposable incomes of mid-light business jet owners, whose activity has fallen this year. But overall activity is still growing, pointing to the resilient lifestyle habits of the more typical large jet owner. In the year until November, total flights from the Middle East to Europe were up 5%.

There was a considerable recovery in Q3, with flight from the Middle East to all regions up by 15%. Flights to Africa were up 18%, to North America, up almost 50%.

The Gulf States generate the overwhelming majority of business jet activity in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have by far the largest and newest fleets. Flights between Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai and

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CHART 4: DISTRIBUTION OF YTD 2015 FLIGHTS INTO THE EUROPEAN REGION FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Abu Dhabi are the most frequent intra-regional activity. For international flights, Rafic Hariri airport in Beirut and Ben Gurion in Tel Aviv generate the most departures, combining some 6,000 flights into Europe during the year. Jeddah´s King Abdul Aziz airport and Riyadh´s King Khalid International are almost as busy during the summer months, particularly for bizliners flying to and from Europe.

Business Aviation suppliers and operators in UAE´s busiest Emirate, Dubai, have been encouraged to migrate from Dubai International to Dubai Al Maktoum in the last 5 years. However the original airport still sees more international business jet departures – 160 flights outbound to Europe from OMDB in Q3, up 30% year on year, compared to 130 from OMDW, slightly down on last year´s activity. Down the list other busy airports include Al Bateen, Kuwait, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah.

Sulaimaniyah airport in Kurdistan also has growing light aircraft activity.

Of the flights which go from Middle East to Europe, the vast majority of all international departures, the 3 leading destination countries, as shown in Chart 4, are Turkey, UK and France. Flights to Turkey have

shown strong growth this year, with Istanbul´s Sabiha Gökçen the most frequent destination. Milas Bodrum and Dalaman are also popular connections, mainly from Beirut. Flights to UK and France have shown a smaller but still solid increase this year. Over 90% of the flights into the UK have come into London, with Luton and Stansted as preferred airports to accommodate the bizliners, mainly coming in from Jeddah and Riyadh.

✈

Richard Koe is joint Managing Director of WINGX, taking the lead on strategy, business development and sales initiatives. Together with Christoph Kohler, Richard has grown WINGX to be the leading provider of market intelligence to the global business aviation industry. As well as managing WINGX, Richard is a regular speaker, panellist and moderator at industry conferences worldwide, writes on a wide range of business aviation issues, and works closely with regional regulators and industry associations.

POPULAR

Turkey, the UK and France are the leading destination countries for Business Aviation traffic from Europe.

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REPORT

DUBAI AIRSHOW

BUSINESS AVIATION FLOCKS TO DUBAI

In terms of aircraft, the new Cessna Citation Latitude midsize business jet made its Middle Eastern debut.

Ali Ashban, Textron Aviation’s Regional Vice President of Sales for the Middle East, Africa and India, presented the aircraft and gave visitors a first-hand look at its spaciousness and comfort. Textron says the Citation Latitude is a game-changing product and a perfect business travel option for the region.

After Dubai the aircraft was due to fly to Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh and other destinations as part of a tour of the region.

Embraer’s Legacy 500 was also making its Dubai debut. Embraer says the aircraft was designed from the ground up as a “game-changing, midsize business jet”.

It features a futuristic flight deck with Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion integrated avionics system featuring four high-resolution displays, synthetic vision system for enhanced safety, graphical flight planning with advanced flight management system, Embraer Enhanced Vision System (E2VS) for increased situational awareness, Surface Management System (SMS), and much more.

The company says it has an installed fleet of 45 aircraft in the region with 29 Legacy 600/650s as well was 10 Lineage 1000s.

Dassault Falcon Jet brought along a number of its large-cabin business aircraft to the Dubai static park.

By Steve Nichols

N FIRST

The Dubai Air Show is the premier event for the air transport segment in the Middle East.

ovember saw the 2015 Dubai Air Show take place at the new Al Maktoum International Airport, perhaps better known as Dubai World Central (DWC).

The show is the premier event for both the air transport and Business Aviation sectors in the region with something for everyone. And with the Middle East being the world’s biggest market for VVIP aircraft (even though nobody like to talk about who the actual customers are) there were plenty of potential buyers.

A total 1,103 exhibitors displayed their wares at the show, which received around 65,000 trade visitors over the five days it was run.

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plus an authorized service center and technical office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dassault Aviation Chairman/CEO Eric Trappier, said: “Falcons are particularly well suited for conditions in the Middle East, where operators appreciate the outstanding performance, comfort and flexibility of Falcon aircraft.

“We are forecasting continued, though slower, regional growth in the short term, due to prevailing economic conditions, and will continue to invest in the region so we can continue to support our operators with maximum effectiveness.”

Bombardier said it was looking forward to the delivery of two new long-range Global 5000 aircraft to The 7X featured prominently as did the Falcon 900LX and a mock-up of the all- new Falcon 5X very large body twin jet, which rolled out in June 2015. Next year, the larger derivative of the type, the 8X, will enter service. Dassault said the aircraft is midway through its development and the third one is now at the company’s Little Rock, Arkansas facility for completion.

Dassault has a big presence in the Middle East region. It says the Falcon fleet in the Middle East has nearly doubled in the last five years, to about 70 aircraft, and continues to grow despite the softness of the current market.

It also has an authorized service center, spares distribution center and regional sales office in Dubai, be operated by ExecuJet Middle East of Dubai, UAE. ExecuJet Middle East will manage the aircraft on behalf of two customers in the region.

Khader Mattar, Vice President of Sales, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and China, Bombardier Business Aircraft, said: “The business jet fleet in the Middle East has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and our entry-long range Global 5000 jet is the most delivered large aircraft in the Middle East region.

“The Middle East is a key region for Bombardier, and we are delighted to see our market leadership, in terms of both share and installed base, strengthened further by these deliveries.”

E

First appearance at the Show Citation Latitude (top). Falcon 8x (center). Khader Mattar (right) VP. Bombardier Business Aircraft for the region.

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DUBAI AIRSHOW “Al Maktoum International is projected to be the world’s largest airport and appears poised to become the preferred business aviation airport in the Dubai area. The state-ofthe-art facility within the fast-cycle l o g i s t i c s e n v i r o n m e nt of Dubai South will enable us to more efficiently address customer requirements.”

Gulfstream has started stocking parts at the new center which is approximately 6,000 square feet/557 square meters.

On the rotor craft front, Bell Helicopter took along its 525 flight simulator.

STARS

Speed record for the travelling to u ai. (top) Bell with FBW controls. (center)

ExecuJet Middle East also serves as a Bombardier Authorized Service Facility in Dubai. The company is a five-time winner of the Bombardier Authorized Service Facility Excellence Award in the International category.

The annual awards recognize the outstanding efforts and successes of individual ASFs within the Bombardier network in five categories.

It added that more than 100 Bombardier business jets are currently based in the Middle East, and Bombardier customers are served by comprehensive regional support services on the ground.

Meanwhile Airbus debuted its ACJ319, which was for sale via Switzerland’s 28 East Group. The interior is split into four compartments and featured dining space for 12, a relaxed lounge and a shower at the back of the aircraft.

Initially available in A319 and A320 variants, the Neo version of the 319 can fly eight passengers for an extra 1,500km, bringing the range up to 12,500km, while the 320 goes for a further 1,800km, or up to 11,100nm with 25 passengers on board.

With nearly 100 sq m of cabin floor area, there are a large number of configurations on offer, including separate lounges, a large master bedroom, and a dedicated area for accompanying staff.

Prices are expected to start around $87 million with a typical VIP cabin.

Riyadh-based Alpha Star is the launch customer for the ACJ319 neo in the second quarter of 2019, while Acropolis Aviation has taken the first

ACJ320 neo, due for delivery at the end of 2018.

Gulfstream celebrated a new speed record for its top-of-the-range G650ER, travelling to Dubai from Savannah, a distance of 6,679nm (12,300km) in 13 hours precisely. The aircraft was not empty either, carrying a crew of four plus three passengers, and travelling at Mach 0.89.

The company was also promoting its new regional parts distribution center near Al Maktoum International Airport which houses high-usage items and provides rapidresponse support to Gulfstream’s factory-authorized service center and customers throughout the Middle East, India and Africa.

Derek Zimmerman, President, Gulfstream Product Support, said: “Our new distribution center is in a prime location to serve our customers.

The 525 is Bell’s newest helicopter with a full fly-by-wire (FBW) control system and lots of features, such as t r i p l e r e d u n d a n t f l i ght systems, cables routed in three different places, five-blade rotors, cabin doors behind the pilots and much more.

Business wise, Jet Aviation Dubai was celebrating 10 years in the UAE. The company opened its fixed-base operation (FBO) and maintenance facility at Dubai International Airport in May 2005, the first executive aviation maintenance services provider to do so.

It now has a long list of regulatory authorisations and aircraft manufacturer approvals. Almost three years ago, in December 2012, the company opened a second FBO facility at Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport – home of the Dubai Airshow.

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Sister company Jet Aviation Basel also announced it had delivered a VIP cabin interior on a narrow-body ACJA320 to an undisclosed government client in Europe. This is the company’s third delivery this year, “all of which were completed on or before the committed delivery dates”, said the company.

Another company celebrating a birthday was the slightly older ExecuJet Middle East, part of the ExecuJet Aviation Group.

It was celebrating 16 years in the region coupled with 10 years MRO operations.

Mike Berry, Executive VP, ExecuJet Middle East, said: “We’ve grown tremendously. The ExecuJet entity in the Middle East began in 1999 with just a couple of managed aircraft, but it now employs over 345 people and runs state-of-the-art MRO and FBO facilities at Dubai International Airport and Dubai South. We’ve also expanded our FBO network into Riyadh and Istanbul, making a total of four in the region.

“We were especially pleased to participate at the Dubai Air Show this year, as we are celebrating 16 years in the Middle East. The show was a great opportunity to network and promote our full aviation services in the region, and given the central location of the UAE on the world map, we were able to meet plenty of business people from other regions too.”

GDC Middle East, which was formed earlier this year, and is a division of GDC Technics, said it has signed a cooperation agreement with Turkish ISR group ESEN System Integration.

It also signed a five-year contract at the show for the operation and maintenance of VVIP helicopters in Saudi Arabia.

Honeywell Regional Sales Director Raghed Talih said it sees big potential in the VVIP and business jet markets in the MENA region, with increasing demand for its aftermarket upgrades.

“The region’s business fleets have been growing, but at a lower rate. But we’ve seen a number of new VVIP platforms entering service, such as the Boeing 747-8 and 787,” Talih said.

“Operators have a healthy appetite for after-market upgrades, such as connectivity and personal entertainment for the cabin and safety upgrades for the cockpit.”

Honeywell was also bullish about its maintenance programmes.

“We launched our Mechanical Protection Plan (MPP) a couple of years back, which was mainly focused on Gulfstream platforms, including the G-450/550, G-IV and G-V. But we’ve now expanded that onto the G-200 and also Bombardier platforms like the Challenger 604/605.

“The market has endorsed our programme as a way of controlling costs and avoiding disruption,” Talih said.

There was also some inflight connectivity news.

Rockwell Collins said it has signed VistaJet as its first business aviation customer for Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX Ka-band in-flight connectivity solution.

Jet ConneX is expected to launch globally in early 2016 and will support both voice and high-speed internet via Inmarsat’s next generation of Ka-band I-5 satellites. Rockwell Collins is a value-added reseller for the Jet ConneX service as part of its ARINCDirect business.

Jet ConneX promises to bring speeds of up to around 30Mbps to a Honeywell tail-mounted antenna on business aircraft, allowing passengers to surf the internet, send and receive e-mails, video conference and much more.

Satcom1 (which subsequently announced it had been acquired by Honeywell) said its new Satcom1.TV service is proving to be popular with Middle Eastern customer. Its says the service launch of Satcom1.TV was on a head-of-state

Airbus A340, owned by an undisclosed client.

Karina Larsen, Vice President and Co-founder of Satcom1, said: “The most popular channels requested in the Middle East have been OSN, BeIN Sports, and SkyUK.” The service, which was unveiled at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in May 2015, has now been installed locally for owners of Airbus, Boeing, Gulfstream and Bombardier business jets.

Sticking with TV, Gogo Business Aviation was promoting its range of connectivity services including its Gogo Vision wireless in-flight entertainment (IFE) and information service and Gogo Text & Talk, which allows you to use your own phone and number while in flight.

Gogo launched an enhanced version of Gogo Vision at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in May, bringing a wide range of Hollywood entertainment to business aircraft worldwide.

Gogo Vision, which was recently selected by NetJets, serves up approximately 200 on-demand movies and TV shows, along with moving maps, news, flight progress information and destination weather.

Satcom Direct (now known simply as SD since NBAA) also showcased its limited edition GOLD SDR router that enables cabin communications for business aviation customers.

The anodised GOLD Satcom Direct Router (SDR) can integrate with any satcom system and manage cabin communications, run software apps and connect to 3G/4G cellular networks. It weighs less than 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), and meets DO-160G and DO-178B Level D standards.

Satcom Direct says the SDR not only interfaces with current networks, but is designed to work with future networks including Ka, Ku and L-Band, and others in development.

STCs are available for most major airframes.

In all, the show was a great success for the region and its business aviation customers. The next Dubai Airshow will be held on 12 - 16 November 2017.

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AIRLINERS

Big airliners like the Boeing 777 were also present at the show.

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NBAA 2015

BUSINESS AVIATION SHOWS ITS VITALITY AT NBAA 2015 Pay too much attention to the global media you might have the impression that Business Aviation is a marginal player within the air transport segment.

However, attend NBAA s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition and the impression is entirely different. Business Aviation isn t niche, it s an economic force to be reckoned with, providing millions of jobs and making businesses more efficient across the US and beyond.

By Paul Walsh

PREVALENT

More than 27,000 delegates attended NBAA 2015.

Ed Bolen NBAA President and CEO. (left) Capt.

Sullenberger. (right)

T

he convention, which took place from Nov. 17 to 19, featured more than 1,100 exhibitors in the Las Vegas Convention Center, and more than 27,000 attendees.

Additionally, about 100 aircraft were displayed in several locations – at a sold-out static display at Henderson Executive Airport, at an indoor display inside the convention center and at various exhibitor booths on the convention hall floor. Attendees from the show represented all 50 U.S. states, and 96 countries.

“This year’s show was enormously successful,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “In addition to the strong participation from exhibitors and attendees alike, our industry’s largest event once again showcased the size and significance of the Business Aviation community, as well as the passion and professionalism of its people.”

But it wasn’t just about the numbers; there were many other examples of the convention’s value: For instance the Opening General Session featured leaders from government, business and industry.

Government leaders included Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, Rep. Dina Titus (D-1-NV) and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. Other speakers included Mark Baker, president and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and Dierks Bentley, acclaimed singer, songwriter and pilot.

View an NBAA Video Minute with Opening General Session video highlights.

The second-day Opening Session on Nov. 18 was also well-attended and featured aviation leaders and legends, including “Miracle on the Hudson” hero-pilot, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Also, Joe Clark, the inventor of winglet technology, was presented with NBAA’s Meritorious

Service to Aviation Award. In addition, the National Aviation Hall of Fame announced its 2016 class of enshrinees.

Safety was also high on the agenda at the show and an inaugural National Safety Forum – a day-long session held on Nov. 19, the third and final day of NBAA2015 –brought together top government and industry leaders to discuss and address the principal safety issues confronting business aircraft operators.

There was also the introduction of new or enhanced industry-advocacy tools, which were unveiled at the convention’s Media Kickoff Breakfast. For

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example, new, mobile-friendly versions of the No Plane No Gain website and NBAA’s online Contact Congress tool were introduced. Also, a new survey once again puts forward the true face of Business Aviation, to help correct misperceptions about the industry. In addition, a new edition of the “Business Leaders on Business Aviation” booklet was introduced – the expanded publication features testimonials from CEOs on the value of business aviation to their companies.

A live Emergency-Response Simulation, which provided valuable knowledge on emergency preparedness responsibilities from leaders in aviation safety. The live demonstration put attendees at the scene of a simulated accident and utilized role-playing to demonstrate various flight department roles during an emergency.

A full roster of education sessions, held throughout the week, as well as sessions on the future of aviation, and on unmanned aircraft systems, held in NBAA’s “Innovation Zone” on the exhibit floor.

“We’re thrilled to unveil the future of this larger Citation family. The debut of the Longitude has been highly anticipated among prospective customers, industry observers and our Textron Aviation team members,” said Scott Ernest, Textron Aviation president and CEO. “Driven by customer input, the Longitude combines the ideal mix of performance, cabin com-

fort and industry leading technology.

And, along with the Citation’s proven design and dependability, the Longitude is designed to revolutionize the super-midsize segment.”

The aircraft integrates the latest technology throughout the aircraft, bringing customers the lowest ownership costs in this category. It also features the next evolution of the

Garmin G5000 flight deck and is powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines with fully integrated autothrottles. The aircraft offers a full fuel payload of 1,500 pounds, a maximum cruise speed of 476 knots and a four-passenger high-speed range of 3,400 nautical miles.

“We believe that this range and performance is what the market wants for typical missions in this class,” Ernest said. “No other business jet in this space matches the Longitude’s combination of range, payload, cruise speed, standard features and lower total ownership costs.”

But we also shouldn’t forget about the manufacturers, who used the show to introduce some of their industry changing technology.

Starting out with Cessna which lead with a double-whammy, debuting its new Cessna Citation Longitude business jet and also announcing it plans to enter the large business jet category with the clean sheet, 4,500-nautical mile Citation Hemisphere. The Longitude and Hemisphere will join the Citation Latitude to complete a new, large-cabin, three-aircraft Citation family.

LIVELY

There was plenty of activity on the static and in the halls at the event. Cessna Citation Longitude (bottom).

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NBAA 2015 deliver the most comfortable and smoothest performing aircraft on the market, with all systems and features working like clockwork from day one.”

Gulfstream also made a big splash with their all-new GulfstreamG500 making its first cross-country trip for the show. The flight test aircraft arrived at Henderson Executive Airport on Nov. 13 to join the G650ER, G550, G450, G280 andG150 in Gulfstream’s static display.

The G500 flew from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport into 75-knot headwinds and arrived at Henderson Executive 4

OEMS

Dassault made a splash with its Falcon 8X while Gulfstream s G500 made its first cross country trip to get to the show.

It was also a big show for Dassault, with the Falcon 8X, making its debut.

Since first taking to the air last February, the three aircraft in the Falcon 8X flight test program have accumulated 380 flight hours over 185 flights, and are now more than two thirds of the way towards FAA and EASA approval. The flight envelope has been fully opened and s/n 01 recently reached a speed of Mach 0.97. The portion of the program dedicated to certification, including takeoff and landing performance and validation of the aircraft’s third generation EASy flight deck, is also advanced.

The 8X on display in Las Vegas, the sixth to come off the assembly line, headed to Dassault’s Little Rock, Arkansas completion facility after the show for cabin and equipment outfitting and painting. Two other 8Xs are already in Little Rock, including the first customer aircraft and the third test unit, which is preparing for the cabin comfort test campaign.

In parallel with flight tests, Dassault is continuing to ramp up production at its final assembly facility in Mérignac, near Bordeaux, France. Eight aircraft are currently in various stages of assembly in Mérignac and ground was recently broken there on a new six-bay hangar to handle maintenance and repair work for the 8X, the 7X and other Falcon models.

“We are extremely satisfied with the way the 8X program is progressing.

Aircraft flight performance, notably long range capability, has fully met design targets and production ramp up has proceeded smoothly,” said

Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “We anticipate certification by mid-2016, on schedule, with initial deliveries to follow in the second half of the year.”

The 100-hour cabin comfort test campaign, set to get underway in Little Rock early next year, will focus on verifying comfort, acoustics, air conditioning, entertainment/communications and other cabin features. These tests will al so include a round-the-world tour to demonstrate operational reliability and performance in different conditions of flight, including high and low temperature, high humidity and high altitude operation.

“The world tour will take the aircraft through flights of various duration in all kinds of difficult conditions representing the extremes of what our customers might expect to face during their aircraft’s operational life,” said Trappier. “Our goal is to

hours and 36 minutes later, accomplishing the 1,630-nauticalmile/3,018-kilometer flight at an average speed of Mach 0.85 and altitude of 45,000 feet/13,716 meters.

Gulfstream test pilots Scott Martin and Scott Evans were at the controls, with Flight Test engineers Paul Ludlow and Nathaniel Rutland providing on-board support.

“Delivering on our promises is a tradition at Gulfstream, and we look forward to doing the same with our new generation of aircraft, the G500 and G600,” said Dan Nale, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “The robust testing we accomplished on the ground and in the air since announcing the aircraft helped make this achievement possible. We are proud to give customers, the Business Aviation industry and the public a chance to see the G500 in person at NBAA.”

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One of the most exciting news releases at the show came from Aerion Corp., which announced that Flexjet has placed a firm order for 20 of Aerion’s AS2 aircraft, which will be the first commercially available supersonic business jet. Flexjet becomes the inaugural fleet purchaser of the AS2.

“Throughout its history, Flexjet has been on the leading edge of aviation technology, introducing advanced performance to our Owners. Today, we are proud to be at the forefront of the next revolution in business jets, supersonic travel. We are pleased to be the first fleet purchaser of the Aerion AS2 and to be able to offer supersonic, intercontinental flight capabilities to our Owners,” said The G500 flew to Las Vegas with a significant amount of flight testing equipment on board, including a noseboom, which provides air data, angleof-attack and angle-of-sideslip information to the pilots and engineers, an attitude Recovery System (ARS) safety equipment for high-speed flutter testing and low-speed stall testing, adatamonitoring system that provides realtime data for engineers on board and in the telemetry room as well as flutter vanes on the wing and horizontal tips.

The first G500 test aircraft, T1, is focused on flight performance and controls and has achieved a number of flight-test milestones since its first flight on May 18. The aircraft has flown more than 160 hours, completed 44 flights and reached an altitude exceeding 50,000 ft/15,240 m. Its longest flight was 5 hours and 22 minutes. T1 has reached a top speed of Mach 0.995.

Flutter and envelope expansion testing are in progress, and initial testing of the aircraft’s handling qualities and the high-speed and recovery stall system have also taken place.

Brazilian manufacturer Embraer was also present, announcing that it will extend the range of the Legacy 450, its new mid-light business jet, to 2,900 nm (5,371 km). This represents an increase of 325 nm (602 km) over the range of the recently certified aircraft. The extended range will enable nonstop flights from San Francisco to Hawaii, New York to Los Angeles, Riyadh to Cannes or Shanghai to Jakarta. The first Legacy 450 with the additional range is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2016.

“The Legacy 450 was designed to be a game-changing mid-light business jet.

Now, we have decided to go the extra mile to meet customer needs for transoceanic range in a best-in-class cabin,” said Marco Tulio Pellegrini, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “The additional range extends the aircraft’s operational envelope without compromising its already certified performance. The Legacy 450 goes beyond expectations.”

To reach the new range, there will be some minor modifications to the wing to allow it to accommodate more fuel.

Modifications will also encompass updates to the Fuel Control Unit (FCU), avionics and aircraft flight manuals. The increased range will be retrofittable for the first aircraft serial numbers assembled without this extra fuel tank capacity.

For now, the list price of the aircraft remains unchanged at US$ 16.57 million, based on 2015 economic conditions.

Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci. The Aerion AS2 business jet has a top speed of Mach 1.5, which is 67 percent faster than the top cruise speeds of current or anticipated long-range subsonic jets.

Canadian manufacturer Bombardier used the show as an opportunity to celebrate the imminent entry-into-service of the new Challenger 650 aircraft.

“Our collaboration with NetJets to create their Signature Series concept on our Challenger and Global platforms is evidence of what can be accomplished when two visionary industry leaders join forces,” said David Coleal, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “We’re also extremely thrilled that the first NetJets Signature Series Challenger 650 aircraft will mark the 1,000th Challenger 600 series aircraft to enter into service.”

NEWS

Aerion received an order for 20 of its supersonic AS2 aircraft (top).

Embraer announced a range extension on its Legacy 450.

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NBAA 2015 the status of their fleet, view aircraft message history, build and file flight plans, and uplink flight plans to the aircraft—without having to use separate apps or websites.

“We’re very excited to now offer our clients access to unlimited datalink for any aircraft they operate, anywhere they fly,” said Denio Alvarado, Senior Vice President, Global Product Strategy, Universal. “Working closely with the team at Satcom Direct, we’ve fully integrated their datalink service into uvGO. Our clients won’t have to switch between different apps or websites to access datalink services—such

I E

ilatus co pletely upgraded its . (top) while Bo ardier announced the entry into service of its hallenger . (center)

With its improved performance capabilities, cutting-edge interior design and comfort, and proven reliability and efficiency, the new Challenger 650 aircraft will assure Bombardier’s continuing market leadership in the Medium business jet category.

“The Challenger 650 aircraft will be a wonderful addition to our fleet,” said Pat Gallagher, NetJets’ Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “It’s a state-of-the-art, widebody aircraft that expands our large-cabin offerings.

Bringing our Signature Series concept to this new aircraft has been an important project for us and we’re very appreciative that Bombardier shares our commitment to the highest levels of safety, comfort and convenience for our Owners and their guests.”

Swiss Manufacturer Pilatus’ biggest announcement at the show was that for 2016 its best-selling single turboprop PC-12 NG will offer greater speed, better takeoff and climb performance, more cabin comfort, greater range, and a quieter cabin with no increase in fuel burn or operating cost.

This boost in overall efficiency is exemplary of the core Pilatus tenet of being an environmentally conscious aircraft builder.

The 2016 Pilatus PC-12 NG cruises at a new maximum top-speed of 285 knots (528 km/h) thanks to an aerodynamic optimization effort which analyzed every square inch of the exterior of the PC-12 NG to come up with a number of enhancements to reduce drag. Several subtle, but important changes contribute to the increased speed with no additional power. The under wing flap actuator fairings for

example were redesigned for smoother airflow around them and the cabin entry door handle was changed to a flush fitting design. Gaps and joints around the flaps were sealed, and several antennas were repositioned to align with localized air flow patterns.

P But it wasn’t just about the manufacturers. For instance Universal Weather and A viation, Inc. announced that it is now offering unlimited, fixed-rate SATCOM and SITA VHF ACARS datalink subscriptions for any business aircraft, regardless of avionics type via a new alliance with Satcom Direct. The datalink service is provided by Satcom Direct, and subscriptions can be bundled with online flight planning from Universal.

The service is 100 percent integrated with uvGO, a new trip management app also introduced at NBAA. Through uvGO, operators can track

as aircraft position reporting and messaging—and trip management services provided through Universal.”

Clients who sign-up for a bundled datalink and online flight planning subscription will be invoiced through Universal at a fixed annual rate, along with other services they receive from Universal.

Jet Aviation’s big news was that it has recently signed an agreement to perform the world’s first installation of a Ka-Band satellite communications system (SCS) on a Boeing B747-400 aircraft. The company will install Honeywell’s JetWaveTM fuselagemounted antenna (MCS-8200) to support the Ka-Band satellite communications (Satcom) system.

Ka-Band connectivity enables one of the highest data transfer speeds available in the industry while further supporting the growth in data expected to occur over the coming decades. Jet Aviation Basel will develop a Ka-Band supplemental type certificate (STC) for

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the B747-400 and install the Ka-Band system with Honeywell’s high-speed Satcom hardware and the JetWaveTM MCS-8200 fuselage-mounted antenna.

The Ka-Band SCS will ultimately interface with the existing local area network (LAN) on the aircraft.

“Business aviation demands the very best in in-flight connectivity,” says Vincent Rongier, head of Refurbishment, Modification and Upgrades at Jet Aviation Basel Maintenance. “Our team of Avionics specialists has the expertise and experience in selecting and installing Satcom systems for all aircraft types. And we take special pride in being able to advise our clients about systems specific to

We’ve been Satcom Direct since 1997, and now we’re even more,” said Jim Jensen, SD founder and CEO. More than a satellite communications provider, SD delivers global connectivity via services that enable clients to use satellite, air-to-ground and 3G cellular networks, seamlessly, via its exclusive router the SDRTM. Proprietary value-added enhancements accelerate data, improve voice call quality, and enable use of smartphones at any altitude, anywhere in the world. Along with significant additions to its product portfolio, in October, SD celebrated its latest milestone with the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art 42,000-sq-ft world headquarters in Melbourne, Florida.

their needs to ensure the best possible user experience.”

Meanwhile Satcom Direct overhauled its whole brand identity and renamed itself SD. The move stems from the company’s ongoing technology advancements and strategic partnerships, which have broadened its capabilities as a global connectivity provider. In addition to SATCOM, SD offers secured network capabilities, airto-ground solutions, and value-added services to make those networks faster, more efficient and more secure.

The company name will remain Satcom Direct, while using the “SD” mark and initials to represent its evolution as a company. “From the beginning, SD has been an innovator, delivering numerous technology advancements to business aviation and government customers. We received a patent for our very first product, the Global One Number®, and we’ve continued to bring new technologies to the marketplace.

Finally Rockwell Collins and Duncan Aviation announced that Citation CJ3 owners have a new aftermarket option for meeting mandates while simultaneously enhancing their ownership and flying experience—the Pro Line Fusion flight deck upgrade. The system is expected to certify for the CJ3 at the end of 2016, and will be available for additional CJ models in the future.

Pro Line Fusion for the CJ3 replaces the factory-installed portrait displays with larger 14.1-inch landscape touchscreen primary flight displays. The new system includes intuitive, touchinteractive maps, and easy-to-use icons, giving the pilot the ability to control items on the screen through touch. Also, it eliminates the need for Flight Management System (FMS) control display units originally installed in the pedestal.

“CJ3 owners have an extraordinary, all-in-one alternative for complying with airspace modernization dead-

lines,” said Craig Olson, vice president and general manager, Business and Regional Systems for Rockwell Collins. “This upgrade brings turn-key compliance with ADS-B, WAAS and more, plus pilots will enjoy extensive situational awareness and a revolution in simplicity.”

“We are excited about partnering with Rockwell Collins on the CJ3 Pro Line Fusion program,” said Steve Gade, vice president of business development and aircraft sales for Duncan Aviation. “Our enthusiasm is based on the confidence and trust we have in on our working experience with Rockwell Collins, the excellent platform represented by the CJ3 in its loyal ownership group, the proven features and functions of the Fusion product, the timing of the solution, and the fact that Duncan Aviation is experienced with these types of avionics installations."

✈

Satcom Direct renamed itself SD (top) Jet Aviation Basel develop a Ka-Band STC for the B747-400 (left) CJ3 Pro Line Fusion flight deck upgrade (right)

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SAFETY SENSE

PILOT HEROICS

PROFESSIONAL COOL

By Michael R. Grüninger of Great Circle Services AG (GCS) and Capt. Carl C. Norgren A Captain with a History Captain Robert Piché became a hero when he managed to land his Airbus 330 safely at the Lajes Airbase on a small island in the middle of the North Atlantic on Aug. 24, 2001.

Having learned to fly in a remote area of Canada, Captain Piché first became a pilot for a regional airline.

But, after the airline went bankrupt and he struggled to find a new flying job, Piché ended up trafficking drugs in small aircrafts and into difficult makeshift airfields. He, then, got arrested right after landing in the US and served a prison term. Upon his release from prison, Captain Piché started a whole new life as a commercial pilot. The criminal past lay behind him and he even settled into family life. However, the experience of flying literally under fire and in extremely challenging situations has strengthened his cool-headedness, helping him develop into a rather taciturn and straightforward commander.

HERO

Captain Robert Piché was hailed as a hero for his landing of an Airbus 330 in 2001.

Engine Power Loss Creeping In In his second year as Airbus 330 captain he flew Air Transat flight TSC236, an A330-243 aircraft with 293 passengers and 13 crew on board, on a routine North Atlantic crossing from Toronto (CYYZ), Canada, to Lisbon (LPPT), Portugal.

At 04:38, while still in Mid Atlantic at FL390, the flight crew became aware of abnormal engine oil parameters.

The Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) engine page showed high oil pressure, low oil temperature and low oil quantity. The values were within operating limits, but abnormal.

Without a checklist for these indications the crew relayed the readings to their Maintenance Control Centre (MCC) via HF radio. MCC could not provide any explanation and did not provide any advice.

Little did the pilots know that the abnormal engine oil indications were caused by excessive fuel flow through the fuel/oil heat exchanger.

It took almost another hour before the ECAM displayed the Fuel Imbalance advisory message at 05:33.

By heart and without consulting their abnormal checklist the flight crew initiated the fuel balancing procedure.

They opened the fuel cross-feed valve and turned the right-wing fuel pumps off. However, they had not analysed the root cause for the fuel imbalance.

With hindsight some observers commented that the flight crew contributed to aggravate the situation. By opening the fuel cross-feed valve they remove the redundancy of the two separate fuel systems.

From here on the events unfolded in a rather quick succession. The flight crew realized that the remaining fuel on-board would not be sufficient to reach Lisbon.

At 05:45 they initiated a diversion to Lajes airport on Terceira Island on the Azores.

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10 Safety and compliance training & auditing

years IS-BAO preparation and audit

Management

SMS implementation suppor t

Process Development

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SAFETY SENSE

At 06:13 the right engine flamed out due to fuel exhaustion, followed at 06:26 by the left engine. By this time the aircraft was 65 NM from Lajes at FL390. The crew followed the ALL ENG FLAME OUT procedure.

The accident investigation later revealed organisational and performance errors in maintenance to be the root cause of the fuel leak in engine number two. Hydraulic tubes were not properly installed. The hydraulic tubes came into contact with the fuel lines which resulted in the fracture of the fuel line and the fuel leak. This was the initiating event that led to the fuel exhaustion.

The Airbus had now become a glider.

URGENT

Air Transat flight TSC236 in Lajes following the emergency landing.

Cold Blood and Tense Nerves Until now, despite knowing that fuel was critical and that reaching destination was out of question, the pilots were convinced they could still divert to Lajes with power. With the loss of all engines they had to reassess their mental model.

In this new mental model, energy management and sound decision making became vital.

There was no doubt that a runway within gliding distance was available.

Aeroplanes are designed to fly.

Emergency systems feed the main flight controls. But having lost most of its electrical power, it was now solely up to the pilots to aviate, navigate and communicate.

It is probably not wrong to say that here Captain Piché’s experience and, for lack of a better word, flying instincts kicked in.

PILOT HEROICS

The accident report concludes: “Assisted by radar vectors from Lajes air traffic control, the crew carried out an all engines-out, visual approach, at night and in good visual weather conditions.”

The Pilot - A Hero?

Captain Piché was celebrated as a hero in Canada. He had saved hundreds of people, leaving just a few with minor injuries resulting from the emergency evacuation. The aircraft suffered some damage, but the hull was not lost.

Back in Canada four days after the accident Captain Piché answered questions by reporters: “When you don’t have that other engine, sooner or later you’re going to go down, you know. That’s just about it. You don’t have time to think about anything else than taking care of the safety of the passengers. You do as you’ve been taught. – There was not much to play with. We didn’t have a second chance to make the landing, so we did manage to guide the aircraft all the way down.”

He has always asked not to be called a hero.

Once the dust had settled down, details of Captain Piché’s maverick past became public. He had difficulties coping with the accident experience.

Alcohol became his analgesic. Luckily before destroying his family and his career, he succeeded to quit his drinking habit.

Without knowledge of the clinical details it is safe to assume that the Lajes landing must have been a stressful if not traumatic experience.

Such an event leaves traces in any human being. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep disturbances and a host of other symptoms are to be expected following a perceived life-threatening trauma to an individual or persons close to an individual.

It is a mean trick of nature that symptoms may not always occur immediately following the event.

Sometimes they may manifest themselves months and years later.

Pilots are at risk of this condition particularly following an aircraft mishap or near mishap, death of a fellow aviator or participation in a mishap investigation.

Considering the impact of an accident on the psyche of the persons involved is therefore very important.

As Captain Piché himself repeatedly stated, he was not a hero.

He is a human being and traumatic events affected him as they would affect any of us. In the context of the emergency response plan operators are strongly advised to provide care services to all those involved in or affected by an accident or serious incident.

Captain Piché was strong enough to come to terms with what he had experienced, partly aided by his previous experiences in life. He continued flying as a respected and trusted commander at Air Transat. ✈ _________________

Michael R. Grüninger is Managing Director of Great Circle Services (GCS) Safety Solutions and Capt.

Carl C. Norgren is a freelance contributor to Safety Sense. 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.gcssafety.com and +41-41 460 46 60.

The column Safety Sense appears regularly in BART International since 2007.

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FROM THE COCKPIT

TRAINING

DOING THE JOB OF TRAINING WELL

By LeRoy Cook

I

t was a simple job. I was mowing a small meadow on our ranch, clipping away weeds to improve the stand of forage. All it required was putting the tractor in gear and turning left at the ever-diminishing corners.

Like a lot of life’s chores, I could take time to do it well, or I could rush it through in a sloppy manner. The area was a kilometer away from any eyes, so no one but me would know if I left a few weeds standing or skipped a corner.

Thus it is with teaching flying skills.

When introducing new subjects of study, the instructor can teach them well or poorly, as he or she wishes. No one will know except the CFIs themselves, at least for now. It’s possible to cut corners in training, leaving some lessons untaught, to be filled in later by the student’s in-flight experiences.

One of my students from 25 years ago came by to see me the other day.

He lives half a continent away and is now flying pressurized twins, but he still remembers how he started out, and he told me we were the best instructors he ever had. That he has survived his career through unpredictable skies is evidence that he was started right.

Beyond Bare-Bones Training It’s easy enough to simply teach the test standards, and certainly the CFI has to go over these expected tasks to make sure the student is capable. But the standards are a bare-bones framework of things to be taught, nothing else. Life in the cockpit has so much more it can throw at a pilot. If we conduct all the training in a long winter of

cool, stable air, the student may finish the course without ever knowing what summer turbulence and convective build-ups are like. And students who learn in a warm climate may have never seen an engine that has to be coaxed into starting. Theory is fine, but application is better. Ground school alone can’t substitute for real flight training.

PREPARED

Ground school can never replace real flight training.

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FROM THE COCKPIT

TRAINING

R

I

E

A good instructor will encourage a student to keep on learning.

As I swung around the meadow’s perimeter on my initial cut, I took care to make the corners smooth, because each subsequent pass had to follow them. Thus it would be with a student’s first hours of initial training. What he learns from them will be the foundation upon which the rest of the curriculum will rest. Do it well, and your job as a teacher will be easier in the future. Make it sloppy, and it will require cover-up corrections later.

I drove the mowing machinery in a left-hand pattern, just as regulations require at a standard non-towered airport, because the discharge sweeps a windrow to the left side of my cut.

Each pass mulches the windrow into the previous cutting, leaving the meadow clear of weed piles that could kill new grass. In the same way, we incorporate what we learn in each previous period of training into new material introduced in today’s class.

Rather than tossing it aside untouched, we put it to use, dispersing its lessons through our body of knowledge.

The field looks so big when I begin, yet I know it will go faster after some of the longest rows are done. The task of learning how to bring an airplane into the air and safely back again also looks immense at the beginning. It has to be taken one period at a time, occasionally looking back to see how far we’ve come.

Progress in training is seldom as regular and even as chopping down swaths of weeds, but neither can it happen without steady practice on a regular schedule.

I once had to abandon a pasturemowing job because rain moved in, and I couldn’t get back to it because my travels took me out of the country. This allowed the weeds to pop back up. When I revisited the halfclipped field a month later, I had no choice but to start over. I have also had students drop away and come back after a year’s absence, and it was evident that we had to start over, from the very beginning. If the job is to look finished at the end, we have to make sure everything is covered to the same depth.

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I The important goal is flight training isn’t just to teach procedures and pass a check, but to inculcate into the student a desire to keep learning. It isn’t enough to finish a course by filling in boxes. If the student has healthy respect for the environment and machine, he’ll research a subject that is unfamiliar and find out if safety is affected by the challenge ahead. To want to learn is the way to live life productively, not just endure it.

As with the job of mowing the meadow, I start students without worrying about how long it will take to get them done. Hopefully, I’ll make the burden of flight training seem light, and they’ll comment about how short the lessons seem. The best students want to keep on going past the scheduled time, staying perhaps another 15 or 30 minutes for questions and answers. More is not always better, of course. When fatigue sets in, it’s best to cap their enthusiasm with a break from strenuous study. Then we can start fresh next time.

The uncut portion of the meadow shrinks as the sides of my rectangle become smaller with each round.

Tempted to rush, I must resist and actually gear down to keep the mower’s speed up through the turn’s slowdown. When flight training gets to advanced stages, we need to raise our expectations to hone skills even sharper. Landing anywhere on the runway is no longer good enough; we must pick a runway marker and give ourselves a narrow window in which to plant the wheels.

As the short rows come into view, we’ll change our mowing technique, cutting only two sides instead of four because there isn’t time to swing around the narrow ends. I revert to swathing like an aerial applicator spraying crops, turning 30 degrees to the right, then making a teardrop back to the left to line up with a minimum of effort. Efficiency demands innovation, in flight training as well as weed-whacking. That’s how we reduce wasted motion and move to the finish more quickly. A good syllabus will have the student working on the next thing next, blending in new work without repeating aimlessly.

Having a plan makes any important job go smoother. I drove into the pasture knowing what I wanted to do. Had I never seen it before, I would have studied the hazards and taken the first cuts more slowly than usual. Occasionally, non-typical students show up, often inherited from other instructors needing a second opinion on their work. Physical limitations, apprehension and prior failures may require a slower start. The plan’s outcome can’t be altered, but we can try different methods to meet the goals.

I stop to take a look at the pasture—the whole pasture. Some of the turns caught me dozing and I see sprigs of survivor weeds still standing. I’ll plan a clean-up pass to knock them down. We need to take stock of each student in the class near the end of the training to make sure we didn’t forget to cover a vital detail. This is where a second opinion from a fellow instructor can be valuable, looking for things we didn’t see.

Sooner than we thought, the job is done. We can take satisfaction in looking back at what we’ve done, leaving the world a little nicer than when we found it. If we put one more mortal on his personal path to the stars, giving them the opportunity to guide a set of wings wherever they wish to go, it’s a job well done. Other fields await, but we can take a moment to savor the clean look of the one we’ve just done.

✈

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REGIONAL REPORT

EASTERN EUROPE

GROWTH RETURNS TO EASTERN EUROPE

By Paul Walsh

RECOVER

The Eastern European market is slowly getting back on its feet.

After a year marked by the Ukrainian crisis and Western sanctions on Russia, Eastern Europe is slowly getting back on its feet, with economies such as those in Poland and the Baltics starting to see growth rates that outstrip their Western European counterparts.

A

s the IMF reported recently, much of the Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe is growing at a healthy pace, while Russia and other CIS economies are facing economic challenges.

The region as a whole is expected to return to positive growth next year. Overall, activity in the region is set to contract by 0.6 percent in 2015 and expand by 1.3 percent in 2016.

But what about Business Aviation?

Well if recent developments in the region are anything to go by, it seems that the industry is doing everything that it can to capitalize on the momentum. Indeed even last year, in spite of the political crisis, Business Aviation sales were steady and according to a recent report in the Aviation Times, 213 aircraft sales transactions took place. If 2015 continues to follow this trend the estimated number of transactions could grow by 5% on a year to year basis. Indeed, so far in 2015, 67 new aircraft have been bought by Eastern European operators while 65 used aircraft have been sold to owners outside Eastern Europe, therefore the region currently has a net gain of 2 new aircraft.

One company achieving considerable success in the Baltics is FBO Riga, which has recorded significant growth in demand for its services after the launch of a new Business Aviation center that consists of an aircraft hangar and a boutique-terminal at Riga International Airport (RIX). In October 2015, the total number of business aviation flights handled by the company has more than doubled while the number of business passengers climbed by 60% compared to company’s results in the year-ago period.

“We are glad that our customers have highly estimated the capabilities of the new FBO RIGA business aviation center. The first results speak for themselves – in less than two months

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after the launch of the new FBO facility we have climbed to the volumes of 2010-2011 both in the number of handled flights and passengers, and we do not intend to stop here. Today we are in negotiations with business operators and jet owners offering them flexible and beneficial solutions that we develop individually according to the objectives and needs of every single customer”, said Roman Starkov, coowner of FBO RIGA. With the beginning of the winter season, FBO RIGA also records high demand for hangar storage services.

The company has already signed a number of contracts with jet owners and business operators, accommodated first jets and is expecting to fill the hangar capacity by the end of the year.

“While working on the construction and technical equipment of the FBO RIGA facilities, and planning service

portfolio we focused on customers’ needs as well as market trends that might have an influence on business aviation industry in the future.

Therefore, in FBO RIGA project we have applied the best world practices and expertise. We are glad to offer our customers a full range of services, flexible pricing policy and an individual approach to each order. In early 2016, we are also planning to launch a MRO station for business aircraft at FBO RIGA”, said Leonid Gorodnitski, co-owner of FBO RIGA. FBO RIGA Business Aviation center consists of a multiuse boutique-terminal, a high tech aircraft hangar (8400 m²), a parking apron for business jets and a helipad. The hangar is fully equipped for storage and maintenance

of business aircraft. It can easily accommodate up to five Boeing Business Jets or nine Gulfstream G550s FBO RIGA business aviation center opened its doors in early September 2015 and became one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects successfully implemented in the Baltic States and the CIS in recent years.

The total investment in the project amounted to 12.5 million euros.

Another company that is experiencing significant Business Aviation growth in the region is ABS Jets. The company announced recently that they have received approval from Embraer and the Czech Republic CAA to perform base maintenance on the Phenom 300. This means that ABS Jets are now approved to maintain all types of Embraer Phenom aircraft.

As an Embraer Approved Service Centre and operator of Embraer aircraft, ABS Jets have been able to efficiently integrate the maintenance requirements of the Phenom 300. The 300’s ease-ofmaintenance and long intervals between services complement the maintenance requirements of the other Embraer aircraft that ABS Jets currently maintain.

Vladimir Petak, CEO of ABS Jets, says: “Our maintenance center facilities are the most state-of-the-art so I am delighted that we have the approval of Embraer and the Czech CAA to work on the Phenom 300. We are an authorized Embraer Executive Jets Service Centre for all types of their aircraft and more than half of our fleet are Embraer aircraft, we have indepth knowledge and experience of the Phenom 300. I am very pleased that we are now able to maintain all types of Phenom aircraft.”

Thierry Barré, Technical Director at ABS Jets, added “We have been working hard to ensure we have the best facilities possible to maintain the Phenom 300. It is a great achievement to see our work rewarded by the approval to maintain the aircraft. The popularity of this aircraft in Europe means that there is a great demand for maintenance facilities and therefore I am sure we will be very busy. I look forward to working closely with Phenom 300 operators and owners.”

ABS Jets Aircraft Maintenance Services play an important role in ABS Jets’ business activities. ABS Jets´ Service Center is approved to perform maintenance for aircraft registered in EASA countries, as well as Russia (RA), Aruba (P4), The United Arab Emirates

SIGNIFICANT

ABS Jets plays a substantial role for the development of Business Aviation in the Baltic States region.

Vladimir Petak CEO pictured.

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REGIONAL REPORT

EASTERN EUROPEEASTERN EUROPE ees to be certified in the NATA Safety First training program. Safety First training works to further develop handling agents on such items as ramp security, proper fuel inspection, correct equipment handling, and emergency procedures. While all Euro Jet agents are fully badged and have received similar training by each airport authority, this training allows them to review all these items over the course of two months ultimately obtaining full certification. Euro Jet is the only handling agent of its kind to have received this training.

According to Euro Jet CEO Charlie Bodnar, “The year 2015 was a year filled with investment. We invested in expanding our company and adding more features that make our product better. We also worked extensively on developing our team with increased training. The better trained our people

(A6), The Isle of Man (M), Ukraine (UR), Turkey (TC) and Kazakhstan (UP). ABS Jets provides dedicated daily maintenance support (Line Maintenance and AOG recovery), as well as more complex technical and repair services (Base Maintenance) for its managed aircraft and all external customers. ABS Jets became an EASC (Embraer Approved Service Centre) for Base Maintenance of specific types of civilian aircraft in 2007.

CREDIT

Charlie Bodnar CEO EURO Jet Business Aviation says that the industry deserves more recognition.

Euro Jet Has Record Growth in 2016 The year 2015 for Euro Jet Intercontinental was yet another record year that saw continued growth and expansion and also a strong focus on employee development.

The Eastern European and Central Asian handling support agent coordinated more flights in 2015 than any other year. This also included a record year for fuel uplift and global permit coordination. Euro Jet is now located in over 32 countries at 195 airports.

Euro Jet further developed their operation in Turkey and Ukraine by appointing Gozde Uncu as their Turkey Country Manager. Based out of Istanbul, she oversees all flights into Turkey while adhering to the same high standards maintained at all Euro Jet locations.

In Ukraine, Euro Jet recently obtained a supervision license allowing full access at all airports throughout the country, including Kiev’s two airports, Boryspil and Zhuliany. Euro Jet will also open up a brand new complimentary VIP crew lounge at Kiev Boryspil along with a crew car on the ramp.

Euro Jet is not only focused on supporting flights in Europe and Central Asia, but has also seen significant growth in its Middle East and Far East Asian handling support. This has been lead by Muhammad Shakeel, the Country Manager for Pakistan, who also oversees this whole region.

In addition to expanding its presence, Euro Jet has invested heavily this year in team member training, working to ensure that their agents on the ground are the best in the business.

Euro Jet’s operations and ramp team were recently certified in dangerous goods procedures. This allows Euro Jet to apply for permits for aircraft flying dangerous goods. Key Euro Jet operations team members participated in a training course that instructed them on how to correctly apply IATA rules for dangerous goods, such as how to properly recognize dangerous goods, ensure it is properly packaged, understand the relevant legalities of all items, and correctly fill in the shippers declaration.

In addition to the Dangerous good training, Euro Jet has also untaken the task of properly training all its employ-

are, the better the customer experience. But this is just the beginning, I am excited for 2016 and the many new developments that will occur in the New Year.”

Euro Jet’s expansion will continue into 2016 with the opening up of new VIP complimentary crew lounges in the Czech Republic, Croatia, and Ukraine. The company will also be expanding to new airports. Many of these items will be released throughout the year and will be unveiled leading up to EBACE, where they will also have an updated exhibit space.

✈

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