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OUR 28th YEAR PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE
GLOBAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND SPARE PARTS page 60 CONNECTIVITY USERS FEEL A NEED FOR SPEED page 68
With the largest, most extensive service network of any aviation manufacturer, we keep your aircraft flying no matter where you are. Whether you fly a Beechcraft ®, Cessna ® or Hawker ®, it’s essential to us that you are never grounded. That’s why our European centers service it all. Learn more and find your nearest service center at service.txtav.com.
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SUPER-MEDIUM CLASS HELICOPTERS AN INSIGHTFUL PREVIEW OF
HAI HELI-EXPO 2016
page 56
SOMEWHERE BELOW YOU, THERE’S A WORLD FULL OF SPEED LIMITS. Leave everything else behind. The HondaJet won’t just get you there faster; it will do it with a level of comfort that makes getting there as exciting as the destination. Escape the gridlock. hondajet.com
Pure Precision Advanced navigation for mission success. 5-inch FPCDU, UNS-1Fw FMS
Visit Heli-Expo booth 9333 to learn more.
uasc.com/rigapproach
EDITORIAL
PUBLISHER'S NOTES AS FRANK SINATRA MIGHT HAVE SUNG, it was a very good year. One of innovation for our industry. OEMs outdid themselves launching new programs, rolling out new aircraft and gaining certification for their latest models. Two clean-sheet aircraft, the Gulfstream G500 and G650, were launched in Georgia. In France, Dassault introduced two new business jets, the Falcon 8X and the 5X. The Citation Latitude, Phenom 300 and Bombardier Global 7000 all also blossomed on our playing field. I would like to emphasize the "special class" HondaJet, with its original concept design. Also the Pilatus 24 Super Versatile Jet, and finally the AS2, a long awaited supersonic business jet, from Aerion in partnership with Airbus. Our mission at BART is to inform you of these latest developments. Six times a year we update you with the latest developments in our dynamic industry. In opposition to lifestyle magazines, our goal is to present our line of work as a business tool rather than a luxury gizmo. Do you know that BART stands for Business Aviation Real Tool? That's what Business Aviation is for trade and industry and that's what we want to be for you, a tool and a resource. I have been a publisher of aviation magazines for 44 years and I know that if you want to keep your reader's attention, you have to have the best editors, journalists and photographers. You also need to get and deserve the confidence of advertisers in the industry. Last year, guided by our
Although we are a new team, BART’s great traditions will always be with us. For example, the magazine’s first Editor-in-Chief Marc Grangier, now 73, is still among our active contributors.
managing editor Paul Walsh, we celebrated our 27th anniversary with a recordbreaking readership. At a time when aviation magazines are becoming leaner or disappearing, making place for on-line substitutes, I gave a mandate to the BART's team to make your magazine even better, starting with a new layout and improved editorial page quality. One sign of that commitment is the arrival of Volker Thomalla as our new Editor-in-Chief. One of the premier talents among aviation journalists, Volker comes to us from Motor Press Stuttgart in Bonn, where he was at the helm of the entire Aerospace Division. Editor-in-Chief of Flug Revue and Aerokurier for 25 years, we are fortunate to benefit from the high reputation he acquired within our industry. We are proud of him, and proud to have him. Busra Ozturk is another recent addition to our editorial team. We hired the young Turkish journalist to support Volker with the management of our team of contributors. BART has always been a friend to the people in the aviation industry, and to its readers. Another new addition, Titi Kusumandari comes to us from Indonesia to support Associate Publisher Kathy Ann Francois in keeping up with our readers and industry players. BART exceedingly deserves its "International" adjective. It is a Business Aviation standard, one of too few authorities you can trust today. You can trust us now, and you can trust us to always be setting our standards even higher worldwide.
“Transatlantic relations are in a good period. The patient is the rest of the world. Global problems would be in a better state if we co-operate.” Javier Solana
SECTIONS Volume XXVIII N째 2 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Fernand M. Francois
3
PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL
6
MEMBER OF
POINTER
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Kathy Ann Francois
8
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Volker K. Thomalla vthomalla@bartintl.com
QUICK LANE
DEPUTY EDITOR Busra Ozturk
BUSINESS NEWS
22
26
ART DIRECTOR Tanguy Francois
TRANSATLANTIC UPDATE
SAFETY EDITOR Michael Gr체ninger INSTRUCTION EDITOR Captain LeRoy Cook TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Steve Nichols ROTORCRAFT EDITOR Mark Huber NEW YORK EDITOR Kirby J. Harrison CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Louis Smyth, Giulia Mauri, Aofie O'Sullivan, Derek Bloom, Guy Visele, Richard Koe, Brian Foley ADVERTISING Kathy Ann Francois Marketing Director kafrancois@bartintl.com Titi Kusumandari Marketing Manager tkusumandari@bartintl.com BART International. Premier Transatlantic Business Aviation Magazine. ISSN 0776-7596. Printed in Belgium, published by SA F&L 20 rue de l'Industrie at B1400 Nivelles, Phone +326 788 3603. Fax +326 788 3623. BART International is governed by the International copyright laws. Free Professional subscription available International distribution by ASENDIA USPS 016707 Periodical postage paid Call IMS 1 (800) 428 3003 Responsible Publisher Fernand M. Francois
CONTENTS 30
FLEET REPORT Despite a rough economic year in 2015, Business Aviation defied the odds reports Busra Ozturk in our annual fleet report.
42
THE BIG (CABIN) CHILL The BRIC countries are experiencing a slowdown in demand for big cabin business aircraft.
45
ANOTHER CHOPPY YEAR Flight activities disappointed in 2015, reports Richard Koe.
48 EBACE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
HELICOPTER DEMAND In almost every region, the helicopter market saw a stable growth.
53
TECHNOLOGY WINNING THE FIGHT Helicopter Cabin Noise reduction systems are making their way into modern helicopters.
56
HELI-EXPO 2016 PREVIEW The super-medium helicopter class is drawing customers from both medium to heavy class helicopter customers reports Mark Huber.
68
THE NEED FOR SPEED Steve Nichols evaluates the latest developments of in-flight connectivity services.
74
FROM THE COCKPIT LeRoy Cook reflects on the tough aspects of pilot judgement and decision making in unfamiliar situations.
OUR ADVERTISERS and their Agencies 81 13 27 25 9 67 7 2 11 65 43 21 39 15 69 19 73 84 83 17
AMSTAT Dassault Falcon Puck l’Agence Duncan Aviation EBACE 2016 FlightSafety International Greteman Group GCS Safety Solution Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation HondaJet Milner Butcher Media Group Jet Aviation Jet Expo 2016 JetNetLLC JSSI Jet Support Services Inc. NBAA-BACE 2016 Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Rockwell Collins ARINCDirect Rolls-Royce Satcom Direct Textron Aviation Customer Support Copp Media Services, Inc. Universal Avionics Systems, Corp. Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.
OUR COVER Helicopters in the super-midsize category are emerging on the market. The Airbus Helicopters H175 adorning our cover is an offering in the niche. Read the insightful preview of Heli-Expo 2016 on page 56
POINTER Events
IN SEQUENCE BRIEFING ROOM MORE TSA WAIVER CHANGES 1. Recent changes
Three NOTAMs were issued – 6/4260, 6/4256, and 6/4255 – and the only change is the reinclusion of “portal countries.” The purpose of this change was to alleviate some of the restrictions impacting operators registered in these portal countries regarding overflying the U.S. and its territories or possessions.
2. Portal country considerations
Agenda
Aircraft no longer require TSA Waivers to transit U.S. territorial airspace if they’re departing from a portal country and arriving into a portal country, as long as they are also registered to “portal countries” – Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and Cayman Islands, and under 100,309 lbs. maximum takeoff weight. Therefore, an operator with an aircraft under 100,309 lbs. MTOW registered to one of the portal countries may fly direct from Mexico to Canada without a TSA Waiver. However, a direct flight from Canada to Guatemala still requires a TSA Waiver, as Guatemala is not a portal country.
3. Non-portal country considerations
Under current TSA Waiver regulations, operators of aircraft registered in non-portal countries that are less than 100,309 lbs. MTOW require TSA Waivers for all overflight of U.S. territorial airspace, but they do not require waivers when operating within the U.S., with the exception of “special interest countries.”
4. Operating to, from, and within U.S. airspace HAI HELI-EXPO Feb. 29 – March 3, 2016 Louisville KY, USA
As per the previous TSA-related NOTAMs issued December 11, 2015, operators of aircraft under 100,309 lbs. MTOW no longer require TSA Waivers when operating within the U.S., unless their aircraft are registered to “special interest” countries. Special interest countries currently include China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, and Syria. Operators of aircraft registered to these countries require TSA Waivers for all flights over and within U.S. airspace, its territories and possessions, and they also require Special Routing Authorization from the FAA. Also, note that for your first stop into the U.S. and last point out of the country, you need to ensure that you have U.S. APIS filed.
5. Obtaining TSA Waivers AERO Friedrichshafen April 20 – 23, 2016 Friedrichshafen, Germany
EBACE May 24 – 26, 2016 Geneva, Switzerland
Normal lead time to obtain a TSA Waiver is five business days. Blanket TSA Waivers may be obtained for up to 90 days, and we recommend adding any aircraft, crew, and airport ICAOs you may travel to or from on the TSA Waiver application. Note that TSA is closed weekends and holidays and does not process waivers during these times. However, short notice waiver requests may be obtained with less than five business days lead time at TSA’s discretion. All TSA Waivers are applied for online. Note that a login/password is needed to check on the status of your TSA Waiver request. Once a waiver is confirmed TSA will update this on its site. If there are any issues with the waiver request they’ll send you an email. Some of the larger issues with TSA Waiver submissions include incorrect crew and passenger information and filling out the form incorrectly.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this article or would like assistance obtaining your next TSA Waiver, contact UNIVERSAL WEATHER & AVIATION at lukasmarrow@univ-wea.com or luisnambo@univ-wea.com.
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BART MOURNS LOSS OF BERNARD FITZSIMONS LABACE Aug 23 – 25, 2016 Sào Paulo, Brazil
FARNBOROUGH INT’L AIRSHOW July 11 – 17, 2016 Farnborough, UK
6 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
It is with very deep sadness that we are informing you that our MRO editor Bernard Fitzsimons, one of our more respected journalists passed away on December 9 following catastrophic surgery to remove a lung. Bernard was a great editor, putting aerospace in writing for more than 25 years. He was writing in BART 158, September issue “There is always something new to learn. I look forward to seeing how Business Jets pan out for the next 10 years – and whatever else the industry comes up with”. We lost him three months later! All of us at BART International are deeply saddened by “Ernie’s” passing and we express our deepest sympathy and condolences to his wife Jenny and his family.
BOUNDLESS POSSIBILITIES Gulfstream gives travelers the ability to live without limits. By fusing exceptional engineering with a genuine obsession for superior style and product support, Gulfstream delivers unsurpassed aviation performance. Our fleet empowers people by expanding horizons. Create boundless possibilities. Fly Gulfstream. To contact a Gulfstream sales representative in your area, visit gulfstream.com/contacts.
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G650ER, G650, G600, G500, G550, G450, G280 and G150 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
QUICK LANE FAA CERTIFIES RAISBECK SWEPT BLADE PROPELLERS FOR KING AIR 350S Raisbeck Engineering announced the FAA certification of its 4-Blade Swept Propellers for the King Air 350 family on Feb. 3. The backlog of orders for the newest version of Raisbeck/Hartzell Swept Blade Propellers began immediately, with first production shipset going to Raisbeck dealer Stevens Aviation in Dayton, Ohio for installation on Denison Aviation’s Indianapolis-based 350. The second shipset is headed to Elliott Aviation in Des Moines, Iowa for installation on Iowa State University’s 350.
AAC REDELIVERS FIRST BOEING 787-8 VVIP FOR HEAD OF STATE CUSTOMER
JET AVIATION ST. LOUIS COMPLETES UPGRADES TO PAINT SHOP
Associated Air Center (AAC), StandardAero’s Large Transport Category VIP Completions Center has redelivered the company’s and the industry’s first Boeing 787-8 Head of State aircraft completion. This project was AAC’s first Boeing 787-8 model aircraft completion and the company’s eighth wide-body completion project. The Head of State configuration features 2,404 square feet of cabin space. This interior configuration can comfortably accommodate 82 VIP passengers.
WEST STAR AVIATION RECEIVES ODA/STC CERTIFICATE FROM FAA
West Star Aviation has announced that they received an Organizational Design Authorization (ODA) allowing them to issue Supplemental Type Certification (STC) projects on behalf of the FAA. West Star Aviation is now authorized to show compliance on behalf of the FAA in regards to STCs, and recently issued an STC on the FAA’s behalf, for the installation and certification of the Honeywell CAS-100B TCAS 7.1 upgrade.
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Jet Aviation St. Louis has completed the installation of a sophisticated system of controls for climate, air quality, and final finish in the Paint Shop. “Our new computerized and automated climate-control system, painter decontamination chambers, and paint delivery and quality-control devices provide the best quality control in the art of aircraft painting,” said Britt Julius, manager, Paint Shop.
COMLUX EXTENDS VVIP FLEET WITH 3 ACQUISITIONS
TEXTRON COMPLETES CERTIFICATION OF US COMPANYOWNED SERVICE CENTERS Textron Aviation Inc. announced on Jan. 28 that it has attained new certifications allowing each U.S. company-owned service center to support the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands. “All 14 Textron Aviation-operated service centers in North America have received expanded certifications in the past year, allowing us to deliver on our service commitments across our brands,” said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Customer Service.
Comlux The Aviation Group has announced major developments to its VVIP fleet of aircraft, which consolidate its position as a key player in the ultra-large cabin / ultra-long range aircraft market, confirming the purchase of 3 brand new Airbus ACJ320 neo, all equipped with CFM Engines. In 2015, Fly Comlux has signed 5 new aircraft management contracts with undisclosed customers of heavy jets and bizjets: 1 Gulfstream 650, 2 Bombardier Global 6000, 1 Airbus ACJ319 and 1 Boeing 777BBJ.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
FOR PROFESSIONAL PILOTS FlightSafety delivers type-specific, specialty and advanced pilot courses – designed to help you operate your aircraft to the highest level of safety – while providing the outstanding service you expect and deserve. Our development experts design courses and our instructors deliver training with one overriding goal – to enhance safety. We offer the most complete range of professional programs for the majority of helicopters and fixed-wing business aircraft on the world’s largest fleet of advanced-technology simulators located throughout a global network of Learning Centers.
Aviation professionals from around the world trust us to provide the highest quality training and outstanding service. More than 1,800 highly experienced professional instructors deliver aircraft- and mission-specific courses, using our comprehensive training systems and advanced-technology flight simulators designed to enhance safety. Trust your training to FlightSafety. You’ll see why so many aviation professionals make the same choice. And have since 1951. For information, please contact Steve Gross, Vice President, Sales • 314.785.7815 sales@flightsafety.com • flightsafety.com • A Berkshire Hathaway company
QUICK LANE CESSNA ANNOUNCES 2016 TOP HAWK UNIVERSITY PARTNERS JET AVIATION COMPLETES 3 FANS INSTALLATIONS IN CHALLENGER 604S Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced the partner universities selected for its 2016 Top Hawk program on Jan. 28. Kent State University, LeTourneau University, Purdue University and Westminster College will each take delivery of a new, custom branded Cessna Skyhawk 172 aircraft to support flight training, recruiting efforts and promotional activities at their respective universities throughout the year.
DUNCAN RECEIVES STC FOR INTEGRATED CHALLENGER 601 3A/3R CPDLC/FANS 1/A+ SOLUTION Duncan Aviation announced that it recently completed an industry-first Controller Pilot Data Link Communications/Future Air Navigation System (CPDLC/FANS) 1/A+ installation. The Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) was recently issued by the FAA and covers the Challenger 601. The installation features the upgraded NZ-2000 Honeywell Flight Management System (FMS), which integrates with current Challenger 601 Original Equipment Manager (OEM) flight decks. “Our installation is unique in the industry,” says Regional Avionics Sales Manager Mark Francetic.
The industry’s first three installations of Future Aircraft Navigation Systems (FANS) in Bombardier Challenger 604s by Jet Aviation St. Louis are complete, with three more already scheduled. The installations are possible after Jet Aviation St. Louis received FAA approval for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). Jet Aviation St. Louis teamed with Rockwell Collins to develop the STC for the Challenger 604 FANS 1/A aftermarket solution.
AIRBUS DELIVERS ACJ319 WITH HIGH-TECH SYSTEM ONBOARD Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC), the innovative provider of customized nose-to-tail solutions to VIP and airline customers under Airbus standards, has delivered a refurbished Airbus ACJ319 for an undisclosed government, after a successful C-Check (10 years) and heavy work on the fuselage. This project presented a double challenge by requiring high-level communication and inflight entertainment (IFE) systems and a new cabin configuration in a record time.
TEXTRON AVIATION LAUNCHES 1CALL, COMPLETE AIRCRAFT SUPPORT TEAM
FLIGHTSAFETY RECEIVES FAA LEVEL D QUALIFICATION FOR 2 CESSNA CARAVAN SIMULATORS FlightSafety International has received Level D qualification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration for two Cessna Caravan aircraft simulators located at its Wichita East Learning Center. The simulators are equipped with Garmin G1000 and Garmin G600 avionics. “The Level D qualification of our Cessna Caravan simulators by the FAA demonstrates FlightSafety’s ongoing commitment to provide the highest quality training using advanced technology equipment that meets the highest standards,” said Daniel MacLellan, Senior Vice President, Operations.
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Textron Aviation Inc. has announced that it has bolstered its customer service offering with the launch of 1Call, which provides a single point of contact for Beechcraft, Citation and Hawker customers during unscheduled maintenance events. Customers can access the dedicated 1Call team by dialing +1-316-5172090. The team oversees every step of a maintenance event using visual display boards that track all calls, air response aircraft and mobile service units through issue resolution.
SAFETY FIRST Jet Aviation Maintenance and Refurbishment Services You can count on Jet Aviation’s 50-plus years of industry experience whether you need a routine inspection, heavy maintenance and repair, refurbishment, or the technical expertise of our round-the-clock AOG team. Strategically located around the world, our repair stations are staffed by technicians trained in all major airframes. Keeping your aircraft safe and operational is our No.1 priority at every Jet Aviation facility. You can count on us.
Visit our global MRO locations: Basel, Boston/Bedford, Dubai, Geneva Hong Kong, Jeddah, Moscow Vnukovo Singapore, St. Louis, Teterboro, Vienna www.jetaviation.com/maintenance
QUICK LANE OSLO AIRPORT FIRST LOCATION TO SUPPLY AIR BP BIOJET VIA FUEL HYDRANT SYSTEM
In a first for commercial aviation, Air BP, together with Norwegian airport operator Avinor, and sustainable biofuel specialist SkyNRG, announced the results of a successful collaboration for commercial supply of jet biofuel at Oslo Airport Gardermoen on Jan. 22. From this date, all airlines landing at Oslo Airport can have jet biofuel delivered from the airport’s main fuel farm, via the existing hydrant mechanism.
JET AVIATION ZURICH SIGNS DISPENSER FUELING AGREEMENT WITH LUFTHANSA GROUP Jet Aviation Zurich has signed an agreement with the Lufthansa Group to provide high-volume fuel uplifts through docked dispenser fueling. The company successfully fueled its first Lufthansa Group aircraft with dispenser fueling on Jan. 1. As part of its agreement, Jet Aviation Zurich purchased two new dispenser trucks and hired five new truck operators, thereby expanding its fueling team to 18, and sent three refueling operators to Frankfurt, Germany, for dispenser training.
COMLUX LAUNCHES NEW VIP SERVICE CENTER IN MIDDLE EAST WITH TEXEL AIR Comlux The Aviation Group has announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with Texel Air, in order to provide its Middle East customers with dedicated MRO line Maintenance and cabin upgrades & refurbishments on their VIP aircraft. While Texel Air will provide hangar, maintenance and certification services through its 3,200 m2 facility at Bahrain International airport, Comlux will take care of system upgrades and cabin modification services by hiring high-skilled local craftsmen and engineers, managed and assisted by Comlux America experts on-site.
GLOBAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR GROUND HANDLERS BY UNIVERSAL AVIATION
LONDON OXFORD AIRPORT OBTAINS TWO NEW ACCREDITATIONS
Universal Aviation has announced a new global certification program designed to recognize and distinguish ground handlers around the world. “When our clients operate to a Universal Aviation Certified location, even in remote locales, they can have confidence that they will receive the same level of service and commitment that they would at a Universal Aviation location,” said Jonathan Howells, Senior Vice President, International, Universal.
London Oxford Airport is ringing in the New Year with two new accreditations. Its OxfordJet FBO has become one of only a few FBO’s in the UK to receive the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). London Oxford has also achieved formal recognition from Gulfstream Aerospace for approved ground handling. This news follows an increasing number of Gulfstream business jets utilizing the OxfordJet FBO on a regular basis.
12 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
TWO WAYS TO CONQUER THE WORLD.
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QUICK LANE JET AVIATION ZURICH FBO HANDLES VAST MAJORITY OF HEAD-OF-STATE WEF 2016 FLIGHTS
Jet Aviation Zurich spent months preparing for the surge of VIP customers that arrived in Zurich to attend the 46th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting, held Jan. 20-23, in Davos, Switzerland. The company served the majority of aircraft and passengers attending WEF, handling 612 movements and 1,830 passengers while supporting fuel sales of 1.5 million liters. The WEF drew business aviation traffic from around the world.
BELL HELICOPTER, AIR METHODS CELEBRATE HISTORIC BELL 407GXP DELIVERY Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, has announced the delivery of the Bell 407GXP configured for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services to Air Methods. This is the first of many Bell 407GXPs expected over the next ten years. “Air Methods is celebrating this historic milestone that supports our mission of giving more tomorrows,” said Aaron Todd, chief executive officer, Air Methods. “As our launch customer for this aircraft, we take great pride in their ongoing trust in Bell Helicopter,” said Bell Helicopter’s President and CEO Mitch Snyder.
PARAGON NETWORK ADDS LUX AIR JET CENTERS AT PHOENIX-GOODYEAR AIRPORT Lux Air Jet Centers, located at PhoenixGoodyear Airport (KGYR), became an official member of the Paragon Network on Jan 1, 2016. Lux Air Jet Centers has been the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport full service FBO since 2007. Lux Air Goodyear offers a full range of ground support assistance for all types of aircraft, including heavy transports. Their highly trained line staff is known for providing the highest level of customer service.
EPIC ADDS KONECT AVIATION TO THEIR FBO NETWORK EPIC welcomes Konect Aviation (MMV) as the newest EPIC FBO Network location. As an EPIC branded location Konect Aviation will be accepting the globally accepted EPIC Card and will award Bravo Rewards points on all fueling purchases. Konect Aviation was awarded the Fixed Base Operator/Airport Manager contract for the McMinnville Municipal Airport, granting Konect Aviation the authority to provide general aviation support services to visitors.
FLIGHTSAFETY INT’L ADDS GULFSTREAM G650 CPDLC TO ITS eLEARNING COURSES FlightSafety International adds Gulfstream G650 Controller Pilot Data Link Communication to its extensive series of eLearning courses and CPDLC iFlightDECK ™ subscription-based application. The three-hour eLearning CPDLC scenario-based course is designed to familiarize pilots with CPDLC/ADS-C operations in normal and abnormal situations. The course will take them through a flight planning phase, as well as flights over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
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1200 HORSEPOWER AT YOUR FINGERTIPS The PC-12 NG is part pacemaker, part insider tip. Its short-field performance lets you say yes to trips that used to give you headaches. Its operating costs come in much, much lower than competing aircraft. The large cabin makes it a joy for riders. And its renowned safety and reliability are backed by the industry’s top-rated support. All in all, a workhorse that looks good, any way you look at it. Pilatus Aircraft Ltd • Switzerland • Phone +41 41 619 61 11 • www.pilatus-aircraft.com
QUICK LANE TAG FARNBOROUGH AIRPORT OPENS NEW TERMINAL FACILITIES TAG Farnborough Airport has invested an additional £1 million to create more space for passengers and crew at its terminal building in order to meet growing demand. In 2015, air traffic movement (ATM) growth was 2%. This includes a 6% increase in the number of airlinerderived (50-80 tons maximum take-off weight) business jets, which represents the highest number in this category for any year.
AMAC AEROSPACE OPENS 4th HANGAR AT EUROAIRPORT IN BASEL
DAHER DELIVERS 55 TBM 900 AIRCRAFT IN 2015
AMAC Aerospace AG opens its fourth hangar at their facilities at EuroAirport in Basel after only 11 months construction time. The additional hangar area of 7,280 m2 and the additional apron area of 6,038 m2 allow AMAC Aerospace to further expand their capacity for wide-body maintenance work. Unlike the already existing three hangars, the fourth one is purely dedicated to maintenance projects and wide-body aircrafts.
Daher’s Airplane Business Unit delivered a total of 55 TBM 900s in 2015 – a 10 percent increase compared to 2014, and the second best year since the first TBM single-engine very fast turboprop aircraft was provided to a customer in 1991. The 2015 geographic distribution reflected global economic trends in 2015, as TBM 900 deliveries were led by the United States. Latin America ranked second, while Europe was third.
ASSOCIATED AIR CENTER COMPLETES FAA STC CERTIFICATION Associated Air Center (AAC) has obtained a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of a Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) System — as part of the requirements for Future Air Navigation System (FANS) — on a Boeing Business Jet VIP model aircraft. The STC was completed at AAC’s FAR-145 FAA Repair Station at Dallas Love Field and delivered to the customer on Dec. 23, 2015.
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AEROSERVICIO APPOINTED EXCLUSIVE KODIAK SALES REPRESENTATIVE Quest Aircraft Company has named Aeroservicio as its authorized KODIAK sales representative for Chile. Based in Santiago, Chile, Aeroservicio has over 50 years of experience in the aviation industry. “The KODIAK is well-suited for a wide variety of operators in Chile and the surrounding countries, and the addition of Aeroservicio will enhance our marketing efforts in this market,” said John Hunt, Vice President of Sales for North, Central and South America.
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QUICK LANE JET AVIATION VIENNA RECEIVES EASA APPROVAL FOR GULFSTREAM GV-SP Jet Aviation Vienna received authorization from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to provide line maintenance to the series of GV-SP aircraft which includes the Gulfstream G550. The company also provides line and base maintenance and AOG services to the Cessna Citation series and Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft, as well as line maintenance services to Bombardier Learjet and Global 5000 aircraft.
LEGACY 450 SPREADS ITS WINGS OVER EUROPEAN SKIES
WEST STAR AVIATION ANNOUNCES APPROVAL BY CAAC West Star Aviation announced that their Grand Junction, CO location has been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). West Star’s Grand Junction location is now in compliance with the China Civil Aviation Regulation (CCAR)Part 145 Maintenance Organization. The purpose of the approval includes repairing landing gear for business aircraft and also specialized service of Ultrasonic, Eddy Current X-Ray, Liquid Penetrate and Magnetic Particle Inspection.
Embraer Executive Jets’ Legacy 450 is spreading its wings over European skies. The first EASA-registered aircraft is based in Brussels, Belgium, under the management of Smart Air SA. The new mid-light business jet is available for charter and will be operated by ASL. The Legacy 450 has received certification from the aeronautical authorities of Brazil, the United States and the European Union.
EMBRAER DELIVERS FIRST LEGACY 500 TO CHINA'S LAUNCH CUSTOMER JACKIE CHAN Embraer has announced that Jackie Chan, a worldrenowned movie star, became the first customer in China to take delivery of a Legacy 500. "The Legacy 500 features our best-to-date technologies and it incorporates designs that maximize passenger comfort and fuel efficiency," said Marco Tulio Pellegrini, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. "I'm so thrilled to receive this Legacy 500, a state-of-art executive jet," said Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan's connection with Embraer Executive Jets dates to 2012, when he received an Embraer Legacy 650 as China's launch customer and became Embraer's brand ambassador.
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QUICK LANE HONDA AIRCRAFT COMPANY BEGINS HONDAJET DELIVERIES
Honda Aircraft Company announced on Dec. 23 that it has begun deliveries of the HondaJet, the world's most advanced light jet. The company has delivered the first aircraft at its world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. This milestone follows final type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which the HondaJet received on Dec. 8. Honda Aircraft Company CEO Michimasa Fujino said: "We are very excited to commence deliveries of the HondaJet, fulfilling Honda's commitment to advancing human mobility through innovation."
TAG AVIATION LE BOURGET MAINTENANCE CENTER NOW AN AUTHORIZED ROCKWELL COLLINS DEALER
TAG Aviation’s Maintenance Service Center located at Le Bourget Airport in Paris has announced it has become an Authorized Business and Regional Systems (BRS) Dealer following a new cooperation with Rockwell Collins. TAG Aviation Le Bourget is now authorized to promote and sell a wide range of the leading US manufacturer’s products including Venue™ cabin management and entertainment solution, an interactive Airshow® moving map and Tailwind® airborne satellite TV as well as other avionics system solutions.
StandardAero LAUNCHES PT6A FASTLANE “TM” ENGINE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM StandardAero has launched a new, customized accelerated response program to support PT6A turboprop engine operators with hot section inspections, repairs and on-site field services. This new program titled “PT6A FASTLANE™” includes but is not limited to, on-wing inspections by a certified StandardAero Field Service Representative (FSR), Service Center support and OEM approved repairs. Primary engine models for the FASTLANE program include PT6A-41/-42/-60A/-114A/-135A.
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StandardAero CERTIFIES ROCKWELL COLLINS TCAS 7.1 - TTR-4100 SYSTEM Working in conjunction with Rockwell Collins, StandardAero’s Springfield, Illinois business aviation MRO facility, has completed its first Rockwell Collins TTR-4100 TCAS 7.1 Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a Falcon 50EX aircraft. This new TTR-4100 TCAS processor incorporates new 7.1 logic that enhances crew awareness of traffic situations and allows either aircraft to issue resolution advisory reversals in the event an approaching aircraft does not follow ATC or TCAS instructions to avoid a conflict.
JET AVIATION DEVELOPS COMPETITIVE MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES TO SUPPORT PRO LINE 21
Jet Aviation Basel has installed two Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Avionic upgrades: one on a Dassault Falcon 2000, the other on a Dassault Falcon 2000EX. The company has also developed a Pro Line 21 support kit to reduce expected downtime of such installations to six weeks. The Pro Line 21 support kit is based on modern instrument panels and cable looms that can be customized to the various aircraft types supported by Jet Aviation Basel’s in-house shops.
All of these names have one name in common. AgustaWestland • Airbus • Airbus Helicopters • Bell • Boeing • Bombardier • Cessna Dassault • Embraer • GE • Gulfstream • Hawker Beechcraft • Honeywell MD Helicopters • Pratt & Whitney • Robinson Rolls Royce • Sikorsky • Williams
Lower Maintenance Costs • Higher Residual Value • Global Support JSSI ® is the leading provider of hourly cost maintenance programs covering virtually all makes and models of business aircraft, engines and APUs, including helicopters. jetsupport.com/gettoknowus • +1.312.644.8810 • +44.1252.52.6588
TEXTRON REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER 2015 INCOME GENERAL DYNAMICS REPORTS FOURTH-QUARTER, FULL-YEAR 2015 RESULTS Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) has reported fourth quarter 2015 income from continuing operations of $0.81 per share, up 6.6 percent from $0.76 per share in the fourth quarter of 2014. Revenues in the quarter were $3.9 billion, down 4.2 percent compared to $4.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014. Textron segment profit in the quarter was $378 million, down $20 million from the fourth quarter of 2014. Fourth quarter manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions was $534 million compared to $449 million during last year's fourth quarter. "We had good execution in the quarter with margin improvements at Aviation, Systems and Industrial and solid double digit margins at Bell," said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott C. Donnelly. "While overall revenues were down in the quarter, we were encouraged by continued strong demand at Industrial, the ramp-up of our new Latitude business jet and the positive customer reception to our new Longitude and Hemisphere jets announced during November's National Business Aviation Association Exhibition." Full-year income from continuing operations was $2.50 per share, compared to $2.15 in 2014. Full-year 2015 manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions was $631 million compared to $753 million in 2014. Outlook Textron is forecasting 2016 revenues of approximately $14.3 billion, up six percent, and earnings per share from continuing operations in the range of $2.60 to $2.80. The company is estimating cash flow from continuing operations of the manufacturing group before pension contributions will be between $600 and $700 million with planned pension contributions of about $60 million. Donnelly continued, "Our outlook for 2016 reflects the success of our strategy of investing in both new product development and 22 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
acquisitions. As we look to the future, we remain committed to making investments to drive growth and shareholder value." Fourth Quarter Segment Results Textron Aviation Revenues at Textron Aviation were down $32 million, primarily reflecting lower King Air and used pre-owned aircraft volumes partially offset by higher jet volume. Textron Aviation delivered 60 new jets and 33 King Airs in the quarter, compared to 55 jets and 41 King Airs in last year's fourth quarter. Textron Aviation recorded a segment profit of $138 million in the fourth quarter compared to $130 million a year ago. The increase is primarily due to improved performance, which included lower amortization of $8 million related to fair value step-up adjustments, partially offset by the impact of lower volumes. Textron Aviation backlog at the end of the fourth quarter was $1.1 billion, down $308 million from the end of the third quarter. Bell Bell revenues decreased $36 million, primarily the result of lower commercial aftermarket volume and a change in mix of commercial aircraft delivered in the quarter partially offset by higher military deliveries. Bell delivered 8 V-22's and 9 H-1's in the quarter compared to 7 V-22's and 7 H-1's in last year's fourth quarter and 56 commercial helicopters compared to 57 units last year. Segment profit decreased $22 million, primarily due to unfavorable impact from the change in the mix of commercial aircraft delivered in the quarter and the lower commercial aftermarket volume partially offset by favorable performance. Bell backlog at the end of the fourth quarter was $5.2 billion, up $76 million from the end of the third quarter.
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General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) has reported fourth-quarter 2015 earnings from continuing operations of $764 million, a 3.7 percent increase over fourthquarter 2014, on revenue of $7.8 billion. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $2.40 compared to $2.19 in the year-ago quarter, a 9.6 percent increase. Full-year Results Full-year earnings from continuing operations rose to $3 billion from $2.7 billion in 2014, a 10.9 percent increase. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were up 16 percent at $9.08 compared to $7.83 in 2014. Revenue for 2015 was up 2 percent, to $31.5 billion. “General Dynamics had another recordsetting year of financial performance, with operating earnings, margins, earnings
from continuing operations, EPS and return on sales at the highest levels in the company’s history,” said Phebe Novakovic, chairman and chief executive officer. “We have a healthy and stable backlog with the defense businesses executing on recent program wins, and Aerospace’s backlog is growing year-overyear reflecting strong order activity throughout 2015. “Over the past 36 months, this management team has demonstrated the value of focusing on operations, managing the business for cash and earnings, and growing return on invested capital. The company’s accomplishments in 2015 illustrate the strength of our approach and support our commitment to disciplined growth.” Revenue Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $7.8 billion. For the full year of 2015, revenue was $31.5 billion, a 2 percent increase compared to 2014. The Aerospace and Marine Systems groups increased revenue in 2015, with Marine Systems growing by more than 9 percent. Margin Company-wide operating margin for fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 was 13.3 percent. Margins grew 50 basis points over the fourth quarter of 2014 and 70 basis points for the full year, with expansion in Aerospace, Combat Systems and Information Systems and Technology during the year. Cash Net cash provided by operating activities for the full year totaled $2.5 billion. Free cash flow from operations, defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, was $1.9 billion for the year. Backlog General Dynamics’ total backlog at the end of 2015 was $66.1 billion. It was another strong quarter for the Aerospace group, with order activity in each of the Gulfstream products and across their global market. The estimated potential contract value, representing management’s estimate of value in unfunded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts and unexercised options, was $24.5 billion. Total potential contract value, the sum of all backlog components, was $90.6 billion at the end of the year.
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JSSI SEES BUSINESS AVIATION SOARING IN 2015 JSSI Business Aviation Index Suggests Small Cabin Aircraft Use Spearheads Growth JSSI has released its Q3 2015 Business Aviation Index, which tracks flight hours for business aircraft by region, industry and cabin type. According to JSSI’s Q3 2015 Business Aviation Index, global flight hours grew 4.3% Quarter-overQuarter (QoQ). By percentage of peak usage – JSSI concluded business aviation is now operating at 80.7% of the sector’s 2008 peak levels. “Q2 2015’s flight activity is, on the whole, indicative of volatility in the global business aviation markets,” said Neil Book, JSSI’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The decline in oil prices has had a negative impact on the helicopter sector which supports offshore operations and flight hours in the Middle East. Stable economic conditions in North America and Europe are reflected in both QoQ and YoY flight hour growth. Despite this growth, third quarter business aviation is still well behind -2008 levels.” JSSI Index: By Aircraft Type Segmenting flight hour data by aircraft type reveals medium and small cabin aircraft, the primary choice of aircraft by midsize companies, were this quarter’s biggest growth areas, as both maintained positive YoY gains in flight hours. Aircraft Type QoQ Change YoY Change
Helicopter -0.3% -15.0%
Noting the African rebound, Book stated, “Many foreign investors remain bullish on growth prospects for the region and continue to utilize business aviation to
Large Cabin 0.9% -5.0%
Medium Cabin 2.2% 3.7%
Small Cabin 8.8% 8.2%
Region Africa Asia-Pacific C. America Europe Mid. East N. America S. America QoQ Change 24.5% -0.2% 3.0% 9.3% 4.6% 2.3% 9.1% YoY Change 12.5% 0.7% 12.9% 0.5% -12.1% 1.7% -9.7% “As the U.S. economy remains strong and fuel prices remain low, owner/operators are flying small cabin aircraft more, as are midsize companies looking for both access and flexibility,” continued Mr. Book. JSSI Index: By Region From Q2 2015 to Q3 2015, business aviation grew across nearly every market. Africa outpaced expectations as it experienced the largest QoQ increase in over one year.
access areas difficult to reach using the airlines. The strong growth also represents a rebound from a historically tough 2014, due to the unprecedented 2014 Ebola outbreak.” “South America’s -9.7% decline in YOY flight activity reflects the weak overall state of the region’s principle economies, which the IMF predicts will enter a reces s ion later this year,” r ema r ked Book.
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ON THE MOVE PEOPLE Duncan Aviation recently named Lee Bowes the company’s Central United States Regional Manager. In this new
Lee Bowes position, Bowes will help business aircraft operators in the central part of the United States, including Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming and become more familiar with the comprehensive service capabilities offered by Duncan Aviation. These services include airframe and engine maintenance, paint and interior refurbishment, avionics installations, repair, engine and airframe AOG assistance, aircraft sales and acquisition, and parts support. Puja Mahajan has been appointed as CEO of Elit’Avia, succeeding Michel Coulomb.
Puja Mahajan
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As CEO, Puja will lead Elit’Avia’s continued success as one of the world’s foremost aircraft charter, management and travel services providers. Michel Coulomb, Chairman of the Board now, said, “In just over two years as Chief Operating Officer with Elit’Avia, Puja has made tremendous contributions to the company’s growth. We are delighted that she has accepted her new role to lead the company onto even greater successes.” FlightSafety International has also announced that Luiz Hamilton Lima has joined the company as airline training Sales Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Luiz joins FlightSafety from Embraer after more than 35 years with the company. “Our current and prospective airline Customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa will benefit from Luiz’s knowledge, experience and commitment to provide the very best service and training solutions that meet their individual needs,” said Steve Gross, Vice President, Sales. Another news from FlightSafety International is the promotion of Steve Gross to the position of Senior Vice President, Commercial. He is now responsible for FlightSafety’s business aviation and regional airline training sales activities worldwide. He was most recently Vice President, Sales. “Steve is most deserving of this promotion to Senior Vice President, Commercial. Our Customers around the world appreciate and value Steve’s ability to develop and tailor solutions that meet their specific needs,” said Bruce Whitman, Chairman, President & CEO. David Opalach has also been named Assistant Manager of the FlightSafety International’s Learning Center in Wilmington, Delaware. The Wilmington Learning Center offers a wide variety of training programs for pilots, mainte-
David Opalach
Nicolas Robinson
nance technicians, and flight attendants and Opalach will be responsible for the training operations and simulations that are carried out in the center. David most recently served as the Director of Quality Management Systems and as the point of contact for all courseware development at the Wilmington Learning Center. Gama Aviation has appointed Lorrissa Lippi as Marketing and Media Coordinator to help further develop its marketing efforts in the US. Lorrissa will report to Duncan Daines, Group Chief Marketing Officer, and Johnny Griggs, Brand Manager, and will be responsible for new business and event support, as well as developing digital content for each US location and assisting in the expansion of marketing strategies. Speaking on her appointment, Lorrissa commented: “I hope to make a valuable contribution to the continued success of Gama Aviation.” Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. recently promoted Nicolas Robinson to the position of regional vice president of new aircraft Sales for Africa. Robinson, previously the company’s director of Product Support Sales for Asia Pacific, reports to Trevor Esling, Gulfstream regional senior vice president, International Sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Robinson is based at the Gulfstream Sales and Design
Center in Mayfair, London. A 19-year veteran of the aviation industry, Robinson most recently oversaw Gulfstream’s Product Support Sales activities in Asia Pacific. TAG Aviation Europe has announced the appointment of Daniel Christe as Chief Executive Officer of TAG Aviation Europe. Welcoming his promotion, Mr Christe said: “I am very enthusiastic to take the lead of TAG Aviation Europe which enjoys an unrivalled reputation in the business aviation industry. I remain mindful about the challenges ahead in the current difficult economic environment but am privileged to have beside me the dedication and support of a very experienced management team.” West Star Aviation has announced that Thomas Hilboldt will be the General Manager for their newest location in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Having over 40 years of experience in aviation, Tom will be responsible for overseeing all operations of the new 40,000-sq.-ft. heated hangar and will oversee all maintenance, interior, avionics and mobile response team services. “Tom is respected throughout the aviation industry and has proven skills that will continue to add positive growth for our new location,” says, Rodger Renaud, Chief Operating Officer.
Join European business leaders, government officials, 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
TRANSATLANTIC EUROPE ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH
From the Desk of Fabio Gamba CEO EBAA
EUROPEAN AVIATION SUMMIT SHEDS LIGHT ON THE CHALLENGES FACING THE AVIATION INDUSTRY THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT 2016 will be a year where air transport gets the attention it needs. The year kicked off with the much anticipated European Aviation Summit where EU Commissioner Violeta Bulc formally presented her Aviation Strategy to the most influential personalities in the industry. While industry leaders universally agree that European transport needs legislative support to boost its competitiveness, the specific measures outlined in the Aviation Strategy have fostered far less confidence on the outcomes that the strategy is expected to achieve. Admittedly, the EU Commissioner recognizes that the Aviation Strategy may not provide the right tools to help the industry moving forward and has called upon aviation thought leaders to actively engage in conversations with her cabinet to find the right balance. The challenge, of course, will be for the various segments in air transport to align their interests and needs so that any recommended amendments to the Aviation Strategy is reflective of the entire value chain. More diversity in the dialogue on aviation needs So with the diversity of interests within the air transport industry being the potential barrier, what does it mean for smaller segments such as Business
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Aviation? Notably, it means that the European Commission must ensure that there is a fairer representation of voices at the table. Surprisingly, the three panels that were offered at the European Aviation Summit only included the likes of mainstream airlines and larger commercial organisations – such as Lufthansa, Ryanair, EasyJet, and the Aeroports de Paris. But the absence of other players in the industry could not be more obvious. If we are to successfully implement an Aviation Strategy that truly delivers on the needs of the industry, we must open the dialogue to a wider net of actors to ensure that we do not marginalize any of the air transport’s sectors, one that is an important provider of internal connectivity such as Business Aviation at that. Promoting greater awareness of the value of Business Aviation In preparation of the continuing debate on the Aviation Strategy, the EBAA is proud to announce the release of an independent study on the impact of Business Aviation to the European economy. The study provides the hard facts that helps policymakers to understand the broader value of Business Aviation in terms of its contribution to Europe’s gross value add (GVA) and the number of jobs that it has created.
/EUROPE Interestingly, the study not only reveals that Business Aviation accounts for nearly half a million jobs but also generates close to EUR 100 billion in revenues. Equally important is the sector’s added benefit of connectivity – serving more than 25 000 airport pairs that are not connected by non-stop commercial flights. By offering seamless service to distant and remote regions across Europe, Business Aviation offers greater access to destinations that do not have the benefit of a commercial hub to sustain local business activity. With this in mind, it is now up to the European Commission to ensure that it also includes measures in its Aviation Strategy that help the sector to continue its positive contributions to regional economies. Advancing the perception of Business Aviation Alongside the Secretariat’s efforts to raise awareness of the economic benefits of Business Aviation, EBAA will also continue to tackle the issue of perception. It is no secret that public opinion of Business Aviation has also proved to be a challenge for the sector – often being associated with high costs and elitism. In 2015, the EBAA decided to conduct a formal study that helped the Secretariat to get behind the core issues influencing public perception and to identify opportunities to advance those perceptions. The findings of the study have shown that: ❍ The more educated stakeholders are about Business Aviation, the better their perception of the sector ❍ Stakeholders value Bizav as a necessary and useful tool but struggle with its perceived elitism and high costs ❍ Stakeholders attribute a low performance to the sector on the environmental and economic fronts Over the course of 2016, EBAA will work with partners in the industry to carve out specific programs and initiatives that address these three fronts. In summary, 2016 will be an exciting year for the air transport industry, and Business Aviation in particular. Fortunately, we have the tools in place to help us make a real difference. That is the aim.
ALT
You asked. We acted. Business aircraft operators have always wanted the best in safety and efficiency. It was no different in the 1960s. As new cockpit and system technology emerged,
those
who
had
purchased
Bonanzas,
King Airs, Barons and even Learjets without it were interested in having their aircraft upgraded. Donald Duncan operated Duncan Aviation, an aircraft sales and support facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. He listened to their wishes. And in 1966, he acted by hiring Don Fiedler, an electronics engineer, as the company’s 17th employee. His job was to install and repair avionics equipment for a variety of business aircraft. Decades later, Duncan Aviation is still providing operators with the best in avionics and instrument repair and avionics upgrades. And we still take our founder’s cue. We listen to customer wishes and respond by developing and providing experience, unlike any other.
www.DuncanAviation.aero/60
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Experience. Unlike any other.
TRANSATLANTIC U.S.A. ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH NBAA HELPS REPRESENT INDUSTRY CONCERNS AS EASA WORKS TO HARMONIZE PROCESSES
From the Desk of Ed Bolen NBAA President and CEO THROUGHOUT 2016, NBAA will continue working, alongside the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and other stakeholder groups, before the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and other regulatory agencies to ensure that business aviation operators continue to operate safely and efficiently – and under a regulatory regime that is as workable as possible – when traveling in the European Union (EU). As always, part of our work in this area also includes educating member companies with NBAA and other associations about the latest European operating requirements and procedures. For example, beginning in late November of this year, Part 135 air carrier operators planning to fly into the EU and its related territories will need prior authorization through the new EASA Third-Country Operator (TCO) program intended to enhance safety, and reduce foreign operators' administrative requirements when flying to multiple European countries. A couple of issues that initially concerned business aircraft operators about TCO have been resolved. One potential issue involved requirements issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for flight data 28 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
recorders (FDR), which are different from EASA's requirements. NBAA also expressed concern that EASA safety management system (SMS) stipulations in that process were more restrictive, perhaps unduly so, than the FAA's requirement, which only applies to Part 121 air carriers and not to business aircraft. Already in effect, as of Dec. 1, 2015, is an EASA requirement that all aircraft above 5,700 kilograms (12,500 pounds) maximum certified takeoff mass (MCTM) be equipped with Airborne Collision Avoidance System II (ACAS) version 7.1. Understandably, these issues raised concerns that non-European operators could be flagged for noncompliance with these dictates during Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) inspections. Because the TCO requirements are based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards – and there are some key differences between ICAO and FAA regulations, such as SMS implementation – some U.S. operators have raised concerns that are being addressed by NBAA. These discussions have already resulted in reasonable compromises. For example, EASA told TCO applicants in December 2015, "after analysis of the
/U.S.A. TRANSATLANTIC prevailing FDR equipage situation worldwide, taking due consideration of corresponding EU regulations, the problem size, the direct effects on the safe conduct of flight, as well as technical feasibility and economic impact of retrofit, for the purpose of TCO authorization EASA will not require third-country operators to change their existing FDR equipment in order to establish compliance ... and will accept already-installed FDR equipment on aircraft with an individual certificate of airworthiness first issued before 26 November 2016." That said, compliance with EASA's application of ICAO Annex 6 flight data analysis program requirements, "remains fully applicable for the purpose of TCO authorization" for all aircraft in excess of 27,000 kilograms (60,000 pounds) MCTM, which has been a requirement for EU-registered aircraft since October 2014. Commercial and non-commercial business aircraft operators should also be prepared for random ramp inspections, which may include a check to make sure their traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) meets the new 7.1 standard. As EASA works to better harmonize safety regulations across Europe, the agency aims to replace sometimes-inconsistent schemes of individual states with a more centralized and ideally performance- and risk-based approach. New requirements for TCO, ACAS 7.1, SMS, and other rules for noncommercial operators are just a few of the effects on business aviation from Europe's evolving aviation regulations. NBAA will remain actively engaged in this process to ensure that our industry’s concerns are properly represented and addressed, not only for U.S.-based operators, but for those utilizing business aviation from around the globe.
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NBAA'S 2016 SCHEDULERS & DISPATCHERS CONFERENCE BREAKS RECORDS THE 2016 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2016) concluded Friday, Jan. 22 at the Tampa Convention Center with a record 2,800-plus attendees and a record 517 exhibitors taking part in the annual conference, which included dozens of innovative education sessions, various networking events and ample opportunities to give back to the local community. “We strive to enhance the attendee and exhibitor experience each year and, as a result, more and more people understand this is the place to be," said Mike Nichols, NBAA’s vice president of operational excellence and professional development. "Schedulers and dispatchers are the buyers and they are empowered to come here and make choices, while gaining valuable skills and knowledge through robust education sessions." SDC2016 included many new features, most notably an increased focus on humanitarian efforts in support of the host city by holding a food packing event for Feeding America Tampa Bay. About 200 conference attendees volunteered time to pack 800 bags of food so needy children and their families would have food for the weekend. Additionally, this was the sixth year the conference collected gently used business clothes for local charities. This year, a total of 4,379 garments were collected, breaking last year's record of 1,500 items. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen also took the opportunity to talk to attendees about the upcoming FAA reauthorization bill, which when introduced next month, is expected to include a call for privatizing air traffic control with user fees. Calling it an "imminent battle," Bolen urged SDC2016 attendees to contact lawmakers urging them to vote against the plan, adding they could use NBAA's online Contact Congress resource to easily make their voice heard. "It's a tremendous opportunity we have to make our views known," he said. "We need all of you to be active and engaged in this process. The future of business aviation is at stake." Other new and expanded features of the conference included: ❍ A unique approach to learning with innovative concepts, such as session rooms configured to inspire engagement
and provide a more intimate and inclusive setting for professional development. ❍ Two opening general session speakers who spoke to the conference theme – "unlock your potential." On Jan. 19, bestselling author and entrepreneur Ty Bennett discussed leadership, and on Jan. 20, Bob Hobbi, President and CEO of ServiceElements International, facilitated realistic scenarios demonstrating challenges that schedulers and dispatchers experience in the workplace. ❍ For the second year, a third full day of education sessions as offered on a widerange of topics – from surviving audits to regulatory compliance and international operations to technology challenges. "Professional development is a cornerstone of the Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, and we are continually striving to understand how our attendees want to learn and listening to their feedback and then trying to adapt to that," said Jo Damato, NBAA's director of educational development and strategy. "This conference is going into its 28th year and we don't ever want to be a conference that looks the way it did 28 years ago or even five years ago. We are always moving forward and always looking at what can attendees get from this event that improves their professional development " Dozens of scholarships also were awarded at SDC2016, with thousands of dollars in monetary and training scholarships presented to dozens of individuals. Additionally, Dorette Kerr, a former chair of the S&D Committee, received the association’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Outstanding Achievement & Leadership Award. "The conference went great, we had a lot of positive feedback from attendees about the event," said SDC2016 Chair Eve Gregory, with C&S Wholesale Grocers, noting that it takes hundreds of volunteers to make the conference a success each year. "The organizing committee did a remarkable job – it was apparent in the exhibit hall, in the session rooms and in everything that they planned. I'm so proud of the conference they produced."
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FLEET REPORT Busra Ozturk presents our
GROWTH SPURT
annual Fleet Overview Report, analyzing and comparing 2015 figures provided by JetNet
The Business Aviation industry has always been innovative, but now it’s showing resilience as well. Despite a rough economic and political year in 2015, Business Aviation defied the odds.
B
EFFICIENT
Companies rely on Business Aviation to outperform the competition.
ART’s exclusive 2015 Fleet Report shows that the global Business Aviation fleet grew from 34,755 aircraft in 2014 to 35,682 in 2015. That’s a 2.7% growth rate, up from 2.3% the year before. This is a strong indication of growing optimism in the Business Aviation industry, but it remains to be seen how well this will translate into reality in today’s economic climate. This may seem like a bold statement, but we’re not alone. According to a survey by JetNet, 62% of aircraft owners and operators believe the industry has passed the low point in the current business cycle and is on an upward trajectory. The responses were the most positive the company has received since it started the quarterly survey in 2010. Unfortunately, this level of optimism is shared equally across all regions, nor is it universal with all forecasters. Optimism is strongest in North America, where 73% of respondents say the market is on an upswing, while it is weakest in Latin America and the Caribbean, where respondents are split on whether the industry has hit the low point or has farther to fall. In Europe, approximately half of those who responded believe the market is on the rise, while roughly one third say it is still at the low point of the cycle. Turning to the general naysayers, the 24th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook report from Honeywell forecasts up to 9,200 new business jet deliveries worth $270 billion from 2015 to 2025. That’s a three to five-percent reduction over the
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value noted in its 2014 forecast. With Brazil in recession, and the Middle East and Russia suffering from low oil prices, weak currencies, and sanctions, the report says it will take time to secure the uptick in business aircraft sales. Looking ahead through 2016, Honeywell Business and General Aviation President Brian Sill said he expects similar delivery levels as the industry transitions to new models amid a shifting international economic outlook. While last year the forecast projected an increase in business jet deliveries, this year it expects deliveries to decrease slightly, reflecting a weaker demand from emerging markets partially offset by deliveries to fractional operators. But let’s get into the details and you can decide for yourself!
Established Markets When looking at the Fleet Report by continent, much of the good news comes from the United States, where the Business Aviation fleet grew by 3.5% last year, from 19,229 units to 19,894. The US holds about half of the total business aircraft in the world, and has long been the backbone of the Bizav industry. This is partly because many large aircraft manufacturers are US-owned companies, and those that aren’t often still have plants in the United States, as manufacturing in the US reduces their shipping distances and costs significantly. According to a 2015 Gama Aviation study, the United States is home to 50% of the world’s total business aircraft. That’s about 23,582 aircraft. Between 2010 and 2014, 2,774 business aircraft were delivered to the US, which is 47%
TOP TEN BUSINESS FLEETS BY COUNTRY United States . . . . . . . . . . 19894 Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1611 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1335 Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1305 Venezuela . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764 Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637 Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590 United Kingdom . . . . . . . . . 517 South Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
of the global total. US dominance of mid-to-large size jets is even stronger, accounting for 52% of the global fleet. “The US Business Aviation market is by far the biggest in the world, and very dynamic,” says Gama Aviation CEO and President Tom Connelly. “It consists of over 23,500 aircraft, and we estimate that between 2010 and 2014, as many as 46 business aircraft were being delivered every month, partly fueled by market innovations.” According to JetNet, the length of jet ownership has risen from 3.7 years in 2005, to 5.1 years in 2015. Owners of pre-owned jets are keeping them in use for 3.2 years, which is on average a year longer than in 2005. Replacement is expected to account for 70% of new business jet demand in the North American market in coming years. JetNet survey respondents who said there’s a ‘strong likelihood’ that they will buy a new jet within a year are looking at smaller cabins. According to Honeywell though, larger-cabin aircraft, ranging from super mid-size through ultra-longrange jets, remain the primary focus of operators. These aircraft are expected to account for more than 80% of all spending on new business jets in the near term. According to the Honeywell report, 52% of new purchases will be large cabin jets, while 23% will be midsize, with the remaining 25% being small cabin types. Though the European Business Aviation market made a strong start to 2015 with an increased number of flights and business jet deliveries in Western Europe, the gain wasn’t enough to push full-year results into
REGIONAL DEMAND FOR NEW JETS IN NEXT 5 YEARS
PURCHASE PLANS BY AIRCRAFT CLASS
positive territory. In fact, the only decline observed in last year’s fleet data comes from Europe, where there was a decline of 2.5%, or from 3,902 to 3,803. According to a report from Victor, an online charter specialist, Germany, the UK and France are the three biggest markets across the UK, Europe and Russia. The three combined account for almost half of all European movements. Growth in the UK and Ireland is continuous, and despite a weak economy, private jet travel remains steady in France. The growing strength of the US dollar, the currency for most business jet pricing, could have some effect on sales in the European market. There is
some good news, however, such as diminished fuel prices. But regardless, challenges still exists in Europe, mainly the Ukraine crisis and the 2017 UKEU referendum. Overall, the report showed cyclical recovery, but weak growth due to cautious customers. A 2015 review released by the EBAA suggests that despite economic challenges, the European fleet of Business Aviation aircraft continues to climb. There are telltale signs that Business Aviation is experiencing difficulties to grow at major mixed-mode airports for a number of reasons, and this feeds into the major trend that the top-10 European airport list is currently going through a reshuffle and will look different in the years to come. Other major sector indicators relate to operating costs include the lower-
BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016 - 31
LEADING
The US still boasts the world’s largest Business Aviation fleet.
JET SUMMARY BY MODEL MFG/MODEL TOTAL AIRBUS A310-200 2 AIRBUS A310-300 17 AIRBUS A320-200 46 AIRBUS A330-200 4 AIRBUS A340-200 7 AIRBUS A340-300X 2 AIRBUS A340-500 4 AIRBUS A340-600 4 AIRBUS ACJ318 18 AIRBUS ACJ319 65 AIRBUS ACJ320 12 AIRBUS ACJ330 2 ASTRA 1125 30 ASTRA 1125SP 33 ASTRA 1125SPX 56 AVRO RJ-70 1 BAC 1-11 4 BAE 146-100 6 BAE 146-200 2 BEECHJET 400 50 BEECHJET 400A 298 BOEING 707-120B 3 BOEING 707-320 7 BOEING 707-320B 10 BOEING 707-320C 18 BOEING 727-100 35 BOEING 727-200 1 BOEING 727-200 ADVANCED 18 BOEING 737-200 4 BOEING 737-200 ADVANCED 14 BOEING 737-300 9 BOEING 737-400 2 BOEING 737-500 6 BOEING 737-700 3 BOEING 737-700C 9 BOEING 737-800 26 BOEING 747-200B 2 BOEING 747-300 1 BOEING 747-400 6 BOEING 747-400M 2 BOEING 747-8I 4 BOEING 747SP 9 BOEING 757-200 16 BOEING 767-200 1 BOEING 767-200ER 9 BOEING 767-300ER 5 BOEING 777-200 1 BOEING 777-200ER 2 BOEING 777-200LR 1 BOEING 787-8 5 BOEING 787-9 1 BOEING BBJ 125 BOEING BBJ2 21 BOEING BBJ3 6 BOMBARDIER CRJ100 5 BOMBARDIER CRJ200 13 CHALLENGER 300 449 CHALLENGER 350 90 CHALLENGER 600 68 CHALLENGER 601-1A 48 CHALLENGER 601-3A 127 CHALLENGER 601-3R 57 CHALLENGER 604 356 CHALLENGER 605 270 CHALLENGER 650 5 CHALLENGER 800 11 CHALLENGER 850 65
EUROPE 2 9 4 1 0 2 1 1 4 27 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 0 1 17 0 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 2 3 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 17 5 0 1 3 53 23 0 1 11 1 63 52 0 0 29
CHALLENGER 870 CHALLENGER 890 CITATION 500 CITATION 525 CITATION BRAVO CITATION CJ1 CITATION CJ1+ CITATION CJ2 CITATION CJ2+ CITATION CJ3 CITATION CJ3+ CITATION CJ4 CITATION ENCORE CITATION ENCORE+ CITATION EXCEL CITATION I CITATION I/SP CITATION II CITATION II/SP CITATION III CITATION LATITUDE CITATION M2 CITATION MUSTANG CITATION S/II CITATION SOVEREIGN CITATION SOVEREIGN+ CITATION ULTRA CITATION V CITATION VI CITATION VII CITATION X CITATION X+ CITATION XLS CITATION XLS+ DIAMOND I DIAMOND IA DORNIER 328JET DORNIER ENVOY 3 ECLIPSE 550 ECLIPSE EA500 EMBRAER ERJ-135 EMBRAER LEGACY 500 EMBRAER LEGACY 600 EMBRAER LEGACY 650 EMBRAER LEGACY SHUTTLE EMBRAER LINEAGE 1000 EMBRAER PHENOM 100 EMBRAER PHENOM 300 FALCON 10 FALCON 100 FALCON 200 FALCON 2000 FALCON 2000DX FALCON 2000EX FALCON 2000EX EASy FALCON 2000LX FALCON 2000LXS FALCON 2000S FALCON 20C FALCON 20C-5 FALCON 20D FALCON 20D-5 FALCON 20E FALCON 20E-5 FALCON 20F FALCON 20F-5 FALCON 20G FALCON 50
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015 10 3 232 346 327 191 102 231 224 408 30 203 163 64 360 23 284 550 70 184 8 90 453 148 344 51 272 250 35 113 305 17 321 192 2 50 14 11 18 255 2 17 168 73 18 24 321 296 113 30 25 229 4 26 101 130 37 30 75 16 26 1 34 12 78 75 5 233
1 0 24 68 40 31 31 43 57 52 1 25 5 3 29 7 26 51 15 9 0 8 96 6 29 5 7 7 2 10 18 0 71 52 0 2 4 4 2 22 0 0 53 16 1 1 29 42 9 4 3 30 0 6 31 32 10 7 21 3 7 0 13 4 8 1 5 32
FALCON 50-40 FALCON 50EX FALCON 7X FALCON 900 FALCON 900C FALCON 900DX FALCON 900EX FALCON 900EX EASy FALCON 900LX FOKKER 100 FOKKER 70 GLOBAL 5000 GLOBAL 6000 GLOBAL EXPRESS GLOBAL EXPRESS XRS GULFSTREAM G-100 GULFSTREAM G-150 GULFSTREAM G-200 GULFSTREAM G-280 GULFSTREAM G-300 GULFSTREAM G-350 GULFSTREAM G-400 GULFSTREAM G-450 GULFSTREAM G-500 GULFSTREAM G-550 GULFSTREAM G-650 GULFSTREAM G-650ER GULFSTREAM G-II GULFSTREAM G-IIB GULFSTREAM G-III GULFSTREAM G-IV GULFSTREAM G-IVSP GULFSTREAM G-V HAWKER 1000A HAWKER 1000B HAWKER 125-1A HAWKER 125-1AS HAWKER 125-1B HAWKER 125-3A HAWKER 125-3A/RA HAWKER 125-3A/RAS HAWKER 125-3AS HAWKER 125-3B HAWKER 125-3B/RAS HAWKER 125-400A HAWKER 125-400AS HAWKER 125-400B HAWKER 125-400BS HAWKER 125-600A HAWKER 125-600AS HAWKER 125-600B HAWKER 125-600BS HAWKER 125-700A HAWKER 125-700B HAWKER 4000 HAWKER 400XP HAWKER 750 HAWKER 800A HAWKER 800B HAWKER 800XP HAWKER 800XPI HAWKER 850XP HAWKER 900XP JET COMMANDER 1121 JET COMMANDER 1121B JETSTAR 6 JETSTAR 731 JETSTAR 8
7 99 235 174 24 23 116 118 42 3 1 184 149 143 152 22 110 235 75 13 11 23 315 9 499 100 45 103 30 160 184 301 189 44 6 14 8 11 1 6 1 1 8 1 13 33 13 3 13 8 2 1 146 24 70 231 48 222 50 413 51 99 181 6 5 2 8 4
0 11 98 33 4 7 23 33 13 3 1 55 56 32 44 1 10 21 2 0 0 0 29 1 70 24 1 0 0 1 6 10 10 2 3 1 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 13 6 12 17 4 10 26 18 11 18 0 0 0 1 0
TURBOPROPS JETSTAR II LEARJET 23 LEARJET 24 LEARJET 24A LEARJET 24B LEARJET 24D LEARJET 24E LEARJET 24F LEARJET 25 LEARJET 25B LEARJET 25C LEARJET 25D LEARJET 25G LEARJET 28 LEARJET 29 LEARJET 31 LEARJET 31A LEARJET 35 LEARJET 35A LEARJET 36 LEARJET 36A LEARJET 40 LEARJET 40XR LEARJET 45 LEARJET 45XR LEARJET 55 LEARJET 55B LEARJET 55C LEARJET 60 LEARJET 60XR LEARJET 70 LEARJET 75 LOCKHEED L-1011-500 MDD DC-8-62H MDD DC-8-72 MDD DC-9-10 MDD DC-9-30 MDD MD-81 MDD MD-83 MDD MD-87 NEXTANT 400XT NEXTANT 400XTi PREMIER I PREMIER IA SABRELINER 40 SABRELINER 40A SABRELINER 40EL SABRELINER 40R SABRELINER 60 SABRELINER 60A SABRELINER 60AELXM SABRELINER 60EL SABRELINER 60ELXM SABRELINER 60EX SABRELINER 60SCELXM SABRELINER 65 SABRELINER 80 SABRELINER 80A SABRELINER 80SC SYBERJET SJ30-2 WESTWIND 1 WESTWIND 1123 WESTWIND 1124 WESTWIND 2 Total Jets
© AVDATA/JETNET
16 10 24 2 20 51 11 8 20 60 10 115 3 5 2 35 201 37 434 15 37 40 91 233 206 109 7 13 307 108 13 61 1 2 1 4 1 1 2 11 29 23 122 149 8 21 4 1 27 2 1 2 24 3 2 71 21 3 5 3 87 5 41 75
1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 3 9 0 45 0 4 9 5 18 14 7 1 0 30 11 0 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 4 16 24 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20.459
2.569
MFG/MODEL ADAM A500 AVANTI II AVANTI P180 CARAVAN 208 CARAVAN 208B CARAVAN 208B EX CHEYENNE 400 CHEYENNE I CHEYENNE IA CHEYENNE II CHEYENNE III CHEYENNE IIIA CHEYENNE IIXL CONQUEST I CONQUEST II DE HAVILLAND DHC-2T DE HAVILLAND DHC-3T GULFSTREAM G-I JETSTREAM 31 JETSTREAM 32 JETSTREAM 41 KING AIR 100 KING AIR 200 KING AIR 200C KING AIR 200T KING AIR 250 KING AIR 300 KING AIR 300LW KING AIR 350 KING AIR 350C KING AIR 350i KING AIR 90 KING AIR A/B90 KING AIR A100 KING AIR A200 KING AIR A90 KING AIR A90-1 KING AIR B100 KING AIR B200 KING AIR B200C KING AIR B200CT KING AIR B200GT KING AIR B200SE KING AIR B200T KING AIR B90 KING AIR C90 KING AIR C90-1 KING AIR C90A KING AIR C90B KING AIR C90GT KING AIR C90GTi KING AIR C90GTx KING AIR C90SE KING AIR E90 KING AIR F90 KING AIR F90-1 KODIAK 100 MERLIN 300 MERLIN IIB MERLIN III MERLIN IIIA MERLIN IIIB MERLIN IIIC MERLIN IV MERLIN IV-A MERLIN IV-C MITSUBISHI MARQUISE
TOTAL 7 126 96 440 1.607 209 39 167 17 339 72 51 74 205 308 50 82 57 86 126 85 44 680 31 20 122 206 18 716 58 250 23 12 100 219 72 114 116 1.080 118 9 115 5 23 102 419 40 217 418 96 122 140 16 273 186 29 141 9 33 26 34 54 23 6 18 19 85
EUROPE 0 44 42 37 91 8 5 13 3 39 5 13 6 13 9 0 0 3 16 21 25 0 48 1 2 11 3 6 40 6 19 1 0 4 1 2 3 1 93 5 0 12 1 1 5 34 0 16 22 3 13 11 0 12 5 3 1 2 4 1 6 4 3 1 3 5 0
Jet Fleet
Europe 12.5%
World 87.5%
Turboprop Fleet Europe 8.4%
World 91.6%
Total Fleet
Europe 10.8%
World 89.2%
MITSUBISHI MU-2C 16 MITSUBISHI MU-2D 1 MITSUBISHI MU-2F 30 MITSUBISHI MU-2G 1 MITSUBISHI MU-2J 21 MITSUBISHI MU-2K 36 MITSUBISHI MU-2L 12 MITSUBISHI MU-2M 19 MITSUBISHI MU-2N 24 MITSUBISHI MU-2P 29 MITSUBISHI MU-2S 17 MITSUBISHI SOLITAIRE 42 PILATUS PC-12 NG 556 PILATUS PC-12/45 567 PILATUS PC-12/47 201 PIPER M500 17 PIPER MALIBU JETPROP 264 PIPER MERIDIAN 538 SOCATA TBM-700A 106 SOCATA TBM-700B 88 SOCATA TBM-700C1 7 SOCATA TBM-700C2 95 SOCATA TBM-850 330 SOCATA TBM-900 84 STARSHIP 2000A 5 TURBO COMMANDER 1000 98 TURBO COMMANDER 690 42 TURBO COMMANDER 690A 177 TURBO COMMANDER 690B 182 TURBO COMMANDER 840 100 TURBO COMMANDER 900 34 TURBO COMMANDER 980 69 Total TurboProp 14.708
0 0 0 0 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 2 83 43 20 2 65 77 35 14 3 9 36 4 1 1 0 9 5 4 1 3 1.234
Grand Total © AVDATA/JETNET
3.803
35.167
FLEET REPORT
EUROPE
Turb. 0 14 1 20 0 801 3 23 0 25 3 4 6 66 7 25 2 405 3 6 82 15 0 2 2 2 7499 4 8 0 9028
Country Total Albania 1 Austria 210 Belarus 13 Belgium 102 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 Bulgaria 18 Channel Islands 1 Croatia 11 Cyprus 13 Czech Republic 82 Denmark 75 Estonia 20 Finland 34 France 410 Germany 637 Gibraltar 1 Greece 36 Guernsey 2 Hungary 16 Iceland 8 Ireland 22 Isle of Man 47 Italy 187 Jersey 0 Latvia 9 Liechtenstein 2 Lithuania 11 Luxembourg 96 Macedonia 2 Malta 102 Moldova 1 Monaco 5 Montenegro 3 Netherlands 77 Norway 39 Poland 44 Portugal 134 Romania 14 Russian Federation 189 San Marino 21 Scotland 3 Serbia 24 Slovak Republic 11 Slovenia 10 Spain 154 Sweden 86 Switzerland 269 Ukraine 32 United Kingdom 517 3803 Total
Turb. 160 23 808 72 289 25 16 55 42 8 7 437 1942
Country Australia Fiji French Polynesia Guam Kiribati New Caledonia New Zealand Papua New Guinea Samoa Tahiti Tonga Islands Vanuatu Total
NORTH AMERICA Country Total Aruba 7 Bahamas 31 Barbados 8 Belize 21 Bermuda 17 Canada 1335 Cayman Islands 21 Costa Rica 32 Dominica 1 Dominican Republic 54 El Salvador 8 Greenland 4 Guadeloupe 6 Guatemala 99 Haiti 8 Honduras 31 Jamaica 7 Mexico 1305 Netherlands Antilles 5 Nicaragua 6 Panama 133 Puerto Rico 34 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 Saint Vincent-Grenadines 6 Trinidad and Tobago 3 Turks and Caicos Islands 4 United States 19894 Virgin Islands (British) 22 Virgin Islands (U.S.) 14 West Indies 1 23118 Total
MAJOR
Germany, the UK and France are the major three markets in Europe.
Country Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Total
Executive* Jet 0 7 1 16 0 7 0 1 0 17 10 524 0 18 0 9 1 0 0 29 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 33 1 0 0 6 0 5 10 890 0 2 0 0 0 51 0 19 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 2 94 12301 1 17 0 6 0 1 119 13971
SOUTH AMERICA
Total Executive* Jet 324 1 163 32 1 8 1611 4 799 114 3 39 332 1 42 42 0 17 16 0 0 68 1 12 53 1 10 8 0 0 12 0 5 764 1 326 3376 13 1421
34 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
Executive* Jet 0 1 2 178 0 13 2 58 0 2 1 11 0 0 0 5 0 10 0 47 0 57 0 12 0 19 7 213 8 400 0 1 0 22 0 0 1 10 1 0 0 15 0 34 1 114 0 0 0 8 0 1 2 9 1 52 0 2 3 95 0 1 0 4 0 3 1 41 1 15 0 22 0 132 1 8 5 137 0 20 0 0 0 20 0 10 0 9 4 106 0 47 7 178 1 25 14 339 63 2506
Turb. 0 30 0 42 0 6 1 6 3 35 18 8 15 190 229 0 14 2 5 7 7 13 72 0 1 1 0 43 0 4 0 1 0 35 23 22 2 5 47 1 3 4 1 1 44 39 84 6 164 1234
AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA Total 590 4 5 2 1 8 59 25 3 1 2 2 702
Executive* 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
Jet 193 0 0 0 0 1 12 2 1 0 0 0 209
Turb. 395 4 5 2 1 7 46 23 2 1 2 2 490
ing price of fuel, route charges, and taxes, including the EU ETS, which increased by 9.3% in 2014 alone. “Business Aviation should be the first to benefit from some economic stability, although forecasts for growth remain conservative,” says EBAA’s CEO Fabio Gamba.
Country Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Brunei Burma Cambodia China Georgia Hong Kong India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Macau Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal North Korea Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Taiwan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen Total
ASIA Total 32 3 13 14 9 3 1 1 410 3 126 262 146 45 8 91 231 29 38 31 2 2 23 9 82 2 3 3 11 1 16 48 97 26 190 54 42 5 2 22 79 149 3 129 1 5 4 2506
The weak Russian economy is a reflection of just how much the economic climate in Russia dictates the pace at which aircraft orders and deliveries are realized in the region. What little recent activity there has been has generally trended toward downgrades and purchasing of preowned aircraft, displacing what otherwise
Executive* Jet 0 0 0 1 1 12 3 8 0 3 3 0 0 1 0 1 42 268 0 3 3 116 3 170 1 47 6 21 0 0 14 41 3 81 1 20 1 29 6 23 0 1 0 0 1 19 2 7 1 47 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 13 1 32 2 46 5 21 29 131 2 45 2 28 0 0 0 2 1 15 5 31 2 119 0 3 9 88 1 0 0 0 2 0 155 1495
Turb. 32 2 0 3 6 0 0 0 100 0 7 89 98 18 8 36 147 8 8 2 1 2 3 0 34 2 3 2 11 0 0 15 49 0 30 7 12 5 0 6 43 28 0 32 0 5 2 856
AFRICA
Country Total Algeria 41 Angola 75 Botswana 49 Burkina Faso 6 Burundi 1 Cameroon 7 Canary Islands 1 Central African Republic 4 Chad 9 Comoros 2 Congo 7 Cote d''Ivoire 5 Dem. Republic of Congo 29 Djibouti 1 Egypt 45 Equatorial Guinea 7 Eritrea 2 Ethiopia 10 Gabon 15 Gambia 7 Ghana 13 Guinea 1 Guinea-Bissau 2 Kenya 133 Liberia 3 Libya 16 Madagascar 19 Malawi 2 Mali Republic 5 Mauritania 6 Mauritius 6 Morocco 46 Mozambique 9 Namibia 35 Niger 6 Nigeria 94 Sao Tome and Principe 1 Senegal 11 Seychelles Islands 5 Sierra Leone 1 South Africa 435 Sudan 11 Swaziland 3 Tanzania 87 Togo 8 Tunisia 2 Uganda 21 Zambia 27 Zimbabwe 12 1343 Total
Executive* Jet 1 10 5 24 0 6 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 2 5 13 1 0 4 37 1 5 0 1 0 0 1 10 2 5 0 7 0 0 0 0 2 9 0 0 1 10 0 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 1 28 0 3 0 13 0 1 1 83 0 1 1 2 0 4 0 0 3 158 0 4 2 1 0 3 1 3 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 2 37 467
Turb. 30 46 43 5 0 4 0 4 6 2 4 3 11 0 4 1 1 10 4 0 6 1 2 122 3 5 16 2 3 5 2 17 6 22 5 10 0 8 1 1 274 7 0 84 4 0 20 25 10 839
*Executive aircraft are airliner aircraft converted to private business use, excluding models originally meant for business use.
BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016 - 35
EMERGING
Bombardier’s 2015-2024 outlook predicts economic growth of 2.5% per year in Asia.
FLEET REPORT would have been new aircraft transactions. Yet even within this challenging market, Dassault continues to soar, remaining one of the leading suppliers of high-end business jets in Russia and CIS, with a third of the large cabin market. “The success of the Falcon line in the Russian region stems from their robustness, advanced design and fuel efficiency,” says Gilles Gautier, Vice President, Falcon Sales for Dassault Aviation. “These features make them perfect for the vast expanse and rugged conditions of the Russian marketplace.”
12 MONTH WORLD WIDE TURBINE FLEET 2014
2015
Unit Change
Growth
Worldwide
34.755
35.682
927
2.7%
United States
19.229
19.894
665
3.5%
Africa
1.301
1.343
42
3.2%
Asia
2.359
2.506
147
6.2%
Europe
3.902
3.803
-99
-2.5%
North America
22.426
23.118
692
3.1%
677
702
25
3.5%
3.350
3.376
26
0.8%
Australia & Oceania South America
2015 BUSINESS JET DELIVERY FORECAST IN UNITS
PLANNING
Purchases in South America remain more front-loaded than the world average.
South America Moving on to South America, we see that Business Aviation grew slightly, up from 3,360 to 3,376 aircraft. Brazil’s growth rate shows a slight decrease from 1,635 to 1,611, while Venezuela grew from 738 to 764 units and Colombia from 328 to 332. The Brazilian currency, the Real, reached its lowest point against the dollar in 10 years. As the purchase of aircraft and parts are made in US dollars, the exchange rate heavily impacted Brazilian companies. Economic recovery in Brazil before 2016 is unlikely, but Brazilian Association of General Aviation (ABAG) officials say by mid-2016 they hope to see improvements, though smaller companies could be struggling until 2017. Calling the Central and South American Business Aviation market “an industry life buoy” over the world-
36 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
wide economic slowdown, analyst Brian Foley, founder of Brifo consultancy, believes that is about to change: “This market has entered a cyclic downturn that will be more pronounced than previous ones,” says Foley. He goes on to say that sales of private jets, turboprops and helicopters are exhibiting continuous declines in year-over-year growth rates. “Growth approached or exceeded double digits as recently as 2011,” he says. “But that growth has ebbed to low, singledigit rates over the last year. It is my thesis that the fleet will eventually contract over the next few years, with equipment either being idled or sold to more prosperous regions of the world such as the US.” A variety of factors - including debt, inflation, weakened currencies, declining GDP growth and political tension – have contributed to the situ-
ation, none of which will be rectified soon. “The final hit, with perhaps the greatest implication, is the drop off in commodity prices, including around a 50-percent drop in oil prices over the past year,” he says. “As a region with an economy heavily dependent on natural resources, the full effects have yet to be seen and will linger throughout these economies for years.” A possible exception to this is Mexico. As a key trading partner it has been indirectly benefitting from the US economic recovery. “Given all of the manufacturing projects outsourced to Mexico by general aviation manufacturers, that’s a welcome way to reciprocate,” adds Foley. Latin American purchase plans rose and lead all regions, according to Honeywell. Latin America’s 18% share of total projected demand between now and 2025 grew slightly compared with a year ago. Twenty-nine percent of the Latin America sample fleet expects to be replaced or added to with new jet purchases, which is one point higher than last year’s survey. And nearly 48%of this region’s projected purchases are timed to happen between 2015 and 2017. “Latin America, despite some rough current economic conditions, is expected to be the 3rd largest market for deliveries, superseded by Western Europe, the second largest sales market,” says Brian Kough, director of forecasts & analysis with Aviation Week Intelligence Network. “Our actual delivery estimates have diminished noticeably this year compared to last, but we still feel sales will be pretty solid given the current economic, financial and geopolitical conditions.”
Asia Asia also delivered good news, with the fleet growing by 6.2% over last year, from 2,359 units to 2,506. China has the largest fleet on the continent, jumping to 410 from 353 units. Speaking of China, the country has been a strong driver for Business Aviation growth over the years, yet the country’s economic slowdown last year cast concerns over the future of the industry. While investors are worried about the future, the slowdown in sales is hardly chasing anyone out of the Chinese market. This offers hope that world trade flows are finding some stability after a dismal 2015. Beijing could even prove successful in its increasingly forceful attempts to stabilize the yuan. Bombardier Business Aircraft further fosters optimism here by forecasting that the Chinese market will accept 875 business aircraft between 2015 and 2024, making it the thirdlargest market for new deliveries after North America and Europe. China has also emerged as one of the world’s fastest selling business jet markets and a major destination for Falcon aircraft. Dassault’s confidence in this market is reflected in new moves to strengthen its promotion and product support network in China and the neighboring region. “Although new sales activity in China was down in 2014, deliveries for
the new ultra-long range Falcon 8X and very large body Falcon 5X, as those recently introduced aircraft progress through development.” According to the Honeywell survey, operators in the Asia Pacific region report new jet acquisition plans for 14% of their fleet, up 2% from 2014. Despite the below-average level, the improved purchase plans yield about a 4% share of global demand over the next five years. Nearly 40% of respondents are scheduling their new purchases within the first two years of the five-year horizon.
the continent though still resides in South Africa, which is the only African country in the “Top 20” fleets of the world. According to Asian Sky Group’s fleet report, the African fleet is the oldest in the world. The average aircraft age in Africa is over 19 years, with some of the aircraft from the late 50s and early 60s. Not too surprisingly, the light and medium business jet categories represent over 50% of the African fleet. Around 60% of the fleet consists of Very Light, Light and Medium category aircraft.
BUSINESS JET FORECAST - DELIVERY VALUE
FORECAST BY REGION
GOAL
Falcons remained very strong, with eight aircraft entering service,” says Oliver Villa, Senior VP, Civil aircraft at Dassault Aviation. “We are still seeing strong demand for our Falcon 7X, a trend we expect to continue with
The Middle East and Africa Africa also saw significant growth, with its fleet adding 42 more units for a total of 1,343 aircraft last year. In Ghana alone the total business jet fleet grew by 85%. The largest fleet on
In Africa, the GDP Annual Growth between 2014 and 2023 is expected to be 5.1%. That’s higher than any other continent, according to the World Bank, and signals a larger industry in the future.
BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016 - 37
Operators in Asia Pacific report new jet acquisition plans for 14 percent of their fleet.
FLEET REPORT According to Honeywell, in the Middle East and Africa, slightly lowered purchase plans were reported in the region overall, which is not surprising given another year of significant political upheaval and ongoing conflict in tandem with low oil prices. The share of projected five-year global demand attributed to the Middle East and Africa remained below its historical range of 4-7% again this year. Regional distress is also weighing in on operators, with potential buyers in the region scheduling their purchases
AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
REGIONAL DEMAND
later in the next five-year window compared with last year, with only 21% of purchases planned before 2018. In the Middle East and Africa, 16% of respondents said they will replace or add to their fleet with a new jet purchase, down from 18% last year.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
PREDICTION
Reflecting weaker demand, Honeywell projects slightly lower deliveries for 2016.
38 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS
Meanwhile, Bombardier Business Aircraft has terminated sales and distribution agreements with its exclusive representative in 21 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and restructured some customer commercial agreements that resulted in the cancellation of business jet orders totaling nearly $2 billion. The Montrealbased company’s Business Aircraft President David Coleal said in a news release that the termination of the TAG agreements, in addition to other company initiatives, “will increase our long-term profitability.”
NOVEMBER 1– 3, 2016 ORLANDO, FL
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
FLEET REPORT Jets vs. Turboprops This year’s Fleet Report shows that the turboprop fleet grew by 318 units, or 2.2% compared to last year. The worldwide jet fleet grew by 540 units, or 2.7%. Manufacturers have a reason to be happy with these results. Dassault, for example, now has 2,118 aircraft in the worldwide fleet, up from 2,076 the previous year, and Gulfstream’s fleet grew to 2,424 units, up from 2,294. In fact, the G550 stands out as the second most popular jet choice, growing from 457 to 499 units. The G450 also grew, from 295 to 315 units. Given soft market conditions, Hawker Beechcraft also did extremely well last year with its fleet up to 8,279 units. Meanwhile, Embraer
now has 919 units in the worldwide jet fleet, up from 798. Bombardier also fared well. With 4,493 in the worldwide fleet, its large cabin models made an especially strong showing. The steady NetJets deliveries will help Bombardier hold the line on its margins for its traditional sales, even though there is considerable margin room on such a mature program. Cessna posted an impressive 2015 and now boasts 8,847 units in its fleet. Its Caravan 208 models are still the most popular turboprops on the market, with 2,256 units in the worldwide fleet. Likewise, its Citation II is still the most popular jet with 550 units in the fleet, though that number is down from 558 last year.
OEMs
Business Aviation manufacturers had a thriving year in 2015.
40 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
Though the jet and turboprop fleets grew in 2016, Charles Park, Honeywell’s Director of Strategic Planning, said many operators want to keep their aircraft relevant, but are opting to upgrade their existing aircraft or buy a used jet. “If an operator wants a new jet, but the conditions to acquire a new jet aren’t ripe, then you either keep your old aircraft as is and upgrade it, or buy a less expensive used jet that meets your needs,” he says. “If you can upgrade your current aircraft and get value added enhancements, particularly those that add to residual value, that is one option. If you sell your jet and acquire a used model instead of a new one, a key consideration is whether that used aircraft you are buying is up to date, which incents either the buyer or the seller to upgrade the used jet. It may be easier to sell your own old aircraft if it is upgraded as well.” Operators surveyed by Honeywell plan to make new jet purchases equivalent to about 22% of their fleets over the next five years as replacements or additions to their current fleet. Operators are cautious about slow economic growth and geopolitical concerns. Of those purchase plans, 19% are scheduled to occur by the end of 2016, while 17% are scheduled for 2017, and 20% in 2018. Operators responding to the Honeywell survey increased their used jet acquisition plans by about 4%, or about 32% of their fleets, over the next five years. This is likely to translate into an improving aftermarket for cockpit and cabin upgrades to maintain the value of the aircraft as assets, and ensure they remain effective business tools. Five year fleet replacement or expansion plans are at 22% of current fleet, which was 23% in 2014. According to Sill, even if operators are planning on buying, some might hold out for new aircraft that will offer greater performance and improved cabin features, including greater inflight connectivity. “While the sluggish 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,” he says. “The market is still responding to those options very well.”
Oil Prices Of course the industry is also heavily impacted by outside forces and, in particular, the oil industry. The decline in fuel prices in recent years has had an impact on the industry in general, but whether that impact has been positive or negative depends on the country, field and role.
bad effects for the economies of oil-producing countries. They can also hurt emerging markets for the long-range, large-cabin models. In summary, it is best said that oil prices are a complicated issue, and it is still too early for manufacturers to make any real assertions about the impact low oil prices will have. However, according to a JetNet IQ survey that asked what effect continued low petroleum prices would have on aircraft uses, more than half of respondents reported they anticipate no change in their flight hours. Looking Ahead One of the highlights of the Honeywell survey is the bright lon g - term ou tlook for Bu s in es s Aviation. The longer-range forecast through 2025 projects a 3% average annual growth rate despite the relatively flat near-term outlook as new models and improved economic performance help grow the industry. In the immediate future, North America and Europe are expected to keep the largest share of the market.
Lower fuel prices make flying corporate jets more affordable, and therefore it is positive for company profitability. On the other hand, weaker economic growth is always alarming for Bizav. Low oil prices can cause
Our predictions: That the North American market will continue to dominate the world sales and MRO demand and will also have a vibrant fleet replacement cycle. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see…
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BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016 - 41
BLOW
The decline in oil prices heavily impacts the industry growth.
FLEET REPORT
BRICS TAKE A BREATHER G
ulfstream reduced its workforce by 600 workers in December, 2015 with book to bill dropping below 1. Bombardier slowed down production of the Global 5000/6000 family a few months before that, announcing it would lay off 1750 workers. Dassault sales declined by 72% in 2015 while the backlog dropped to 91 from 121 the year before that. Strange coincidence? Hardly. What we’re seeing is clear evidence of a systemic big cabin slowdown. The culprits? The sagging fortunes of BRIC countries, emerging markets and oil-related companies and regions. While a complete novel could be written about either of these three culprits, for now let’s just consider the BRICs — Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Brian Foley puts a spotlight on the systematic big cabin slowdown in BRIC countries
THE BIG (CABIN) CHILL
SMALL/MEDIUM JETS REGAIN, BUT BIG CABIN SLIDE ACCELERATES
IMPROVING MARKET OR ILLUSION? UNITS UP BUT VALUES DOWN
Strong BRIC sales continued for the next 5 years. But slowly systemic changes began happening around the early 2014 time frame which has shaped where we are today. Brazil A confluence of economic problems have put Brazil on the sidelines for now. To quantify this, its GDP fell a record 4.5% year-over-year in the third quarter in 2015. Other complications include high unemployment and inflation, a weak currency and high government debt. Brazil’s economy is deeply dependent on commodities, prices for which continue in an extended freefall. Its recession, which started almost a year ago, is deepening.
WEAKENING
BRIC's economy still struggles after a decline in early 2014.
BRIC countries have an appetite for large cabin aircraft. This is because of the geographical distances between them and other international business centers, which requires the long range capability only a large cabin jet can provide. During the 2009 financial crisis, BRIC countries seemed insulated from
42 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
the shock and kept buying large aircraft. Sustained big cabin sales through this era was one of the few bright spots in business aviation. By comparison, deliveries of small and medium sized jets plummeted by two thirds causing the halving of the workforce at Cessna and the bankruptcy of Hawker Beechcraft.
Russia Geopolitical unrest and low commodity prices have had a serious impact on this resource-rich country. The Russian Economy Ministry has just revised its 2016 economic growth forecast to continue the negative contraction of last year, principally due to plunging oil prices which by some accounts is the source of 70% of Russia’s GDP.
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FLEET REPORT India India seems to be on firmer footing than the others, having maintained a fairly stable GDP growth rate in the 7% range. But even then India isn’t a huge curator of business jets. According to aircraft data provider AMSTAT, India has just 158 or the world’s 20,800 business jets based there — a paltry 0.8%. Although the economy is doing relatively well, there isn’t an aviation infrastructure to support business jets. Although India has airports capable of business jet operations, it could be a
UNIT DELIVERIES GROW DRIVEN BY SMALL/MEDIUM JETS: VALUES FLAT DUE TO FEWER EXPENSIVE, BIG CABIN SALES
challenge to find fuel, hangarage, maintenance, catering or even facilities for the passengers.
FLAT
More small and mid-size jets are being sold without adding an additional value.
China With a fondness for large aircraft, the opportunity until recently seemed vast and unstoppable. But for now someone hit the snooze button. A combination negative views of flaunting wealth, a gyrating stock market and lowered economic growth estimates has dampened near-term prospects. While a predicted GDP growth rate of 6.5% isn’t all that bad, the country also lacks aviation infrastructure and airspace flexibility which acts as a cap to ever realizing the full potential of the market. It’s conceivable that the BRICs need 5-7 years before they’re once again a formidable source of busi-
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ness jet sales. Apart from BRICs, weak emerging markets and the worldwide commodity price freefall will further aggravate the big cabin slowdown throughout the year and next. All of this will cause the business jet industry’s near-term outlook to be counter-intuitive. Common sense normally dictates that as more jets are sold the industry’s total shipment values go up. That may no longer be the case for the time being. Worldwide business jet shipments toppled from a high of 1317 units in 2008 to a measly low of 672 in 2012. As to be expected the combined dollar value of these deliveries decreased in concert. Beginning in 2015, contrary to conventional wisdom, the number of units delivered will continue to track upward as they
have been with one notable exception — total shipment values may actually decrease or remain flat. The reason has to do with a change in the mix of aircraft that will be sent to customers. Future shipments will contain a greater proportion of less costly small and medium jets. Thus, even though more jets will be built, their average retail values will be less as the sales center of gravity shifts towards the lower end of the market. Although more small and mid-size jets are being sold, you have to sell up to 10 of them just to offset the value of just one big Gulfstream lost sale. The net effect is that over the next couple of years more units will go out the door without moving the needle on overall industry values. This anomaly won’t rectify itself until 2018 when a slew of new, large, pricey jet models from Dassault, Bombardier and Gulfstream hit the market. For the next decade, I predict 8,679 business jets worth $241 billion will be built, during which time this atypical unit/value excursion will work itself out. Dollars have always been the more relevant health metric than units. From this perspective the business jet recovery, although verifiable from an increasing unit perspective, is perhaps for now just running in place.
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About Brian Foley Associates (BRiFO) Since 2006 BRiFO has provided aviation investors and companies with advice, research, branding and investment banking services. His complete business jet forecast is available at www.BRiFO.com
BUSINESS AVIATION ACTIVITY ANOTHER CHOPPY YEAR TO COME Global Business Aviation review on aircraft activity
Chart 1
BUSINESS AVIATION ACTIVITY – ANOTHER CHOPPY YEAR TO COME.
and future market insights by Richard Koe With almost all the numbers in, the sales of new business jets in 2015 is likely to nudge up a little on 2014, the first year in which there was some stabilization in declining deliveries since the recession began. Unfortunately this may be as good as the recovery gets in the short-term. Reflecting the global economy´s increasing febrile state, the latest sentiment surveys of the business aviation industry indicate declining confidence. Right now, if you offered the industry nothing worse than a repeat of 2015´s sluggish growth, it should take it without hesitation. Flight activity trends should be positive, if only because the influx of new aircraft, whilst much smaller than pre-recession, easily outmatch retirements. But despite this weight of numbers, flight activity disappointed in 2015. In Europe, business aviation flights in 2015 declined just under 1% on 2014. As shown by Chart 1, the decline in business jet activity was sharper, with the aggregate business aviation activity trend mitigated by the recent strong recovery in turboprop and piston flights. In terms of business jet flights per month, European activity is pretty much back to where it was in 2009, still around 15% off peak activity in 2008. As shown in more detail in Chart 2, the flight activity trend in Europe last year was not uniformly bleak. Much of the slowdown in activity owes to the collapse of Europe´s peripheral markets, principally in Russia but also Ukraine and Turkey. Five years ago, surging demand for private jets in these countries helped the industry weather the worst of the recession in Western Europe. The war in Ukraine in 2014 and concurrent slump in the
oil market ended the economic growth story and business jet activity with it. Business jet flights from Europe to the CIS region last year declined at least 25%. By the end of the year, beset with political crisis and economic downturn, business jet activity in Turkey was also faltering. In combination Europe´s developing business aviation markets took the overall market Chart 2
down by 3%. Without this influence, flight activity in Europe was more or less flat last year. In Western Europe, activity was up, with between 1% and 3% gains in Germany, France, UK and Spain. In the former two, recent growth owes more to turboprop and piston activity. But the UK and Spain are showing solid recovery in business jet movements, particularly in demand for charter flights.
BUSINESS AVIATION FLIGHTS FROM EUROPE´S TOP 20 MARKETS, 2015
VOLATILITY
Charts reflect the climate of an economic instability. BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016 - 45
FLEET REPORT Chart 3
BUSINESS AVIATION ACTIVITY IN EUROPE BY AIRCRAFT SEGMENT, 2015
The fleet profile in Europe´s peripheral markets has been disproportionately weighted towards large-cabin long-range jets. Hence the demise of these markets has had an accentuated impact on this aircraft segment. Heavy jet activity in Europe in 2015 slumped 10%, as shown in Chart 3. Charter demand was worst affected; charter hours in Heavy Jets fell by more than 15% last year. Challenger 600 and Legacy 650 aircraft, once much in demand for Russian customers, are now sitting idle. Notably, Ultra-Long Range jet activity continued to grow in Europe in 2015. This customer seems to have been least affected by the crisis. Chart 4
The core Western European fleet has historically had a midsize and light aircraft profile. These customers were most affected by the 2008 recession, the repercussions reflected in the travails of Hawker and Beechcraft. 2015 saw only more pain for the midsize sector, with activity draining away from stalwart aircraft types like the Hawker 700-900 and Lear 60. Many customers may have upgraded to higher performance super midsize Challen ger 350 an d G ulfs tream 280s. Others may be waiting to upgrade to the Citation Latitude and Embraer 450. Their market entry in 2016 should rejuvenate activity.
BUSINESS AVIATION FLIGHTS, NORTH AMERICA, 2013-2015
PROGRESSION
The North American fleet is growing year after year since 2008.
46 - BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016
The light aircraft segment did already see some revival in 2015. Some of this is evident in higher owner utilization of older Entry Level jets such as the CJ1 and Bravo, for which the cost of fuel may be a factor. Then there is the continued success of Very Light Jets, especially the Citation Mustang, originally anticipated as an owner-pilot aircraft, but consistently more popular as an air taxi. The core Light Jet segment has been invigorated by the Phenom 300, particularly through its incorporation into the NetJets fleet. The Light Jet comeback appears to be at the expense of the Super Light segment, which currently looks priced out by lighter aircraft with increasingly comparable performance. European business aviation activity in 2016 will see further development of these trends: The CIS market will continue to wither, perhaps now a slower rate; business jet demand in Turkey will stagnate as its economic recession deepens; flight activity in Northern and Western Europe should quicken, as the Eurozone´s economic growth gets a little more robust; Southern Europe may falter, especially with a resumption of debt crises in Italy or Greece; business aviation in Central and Eastern Europe should benefit from relatively faster growing economies, although this region´s contribution to Europe´s total activity is relatively slight. The overall effect should be some increase in activity, after a 3 year lull. In turn, the total size of the European business aviation market is dwarfed by the North American market. As shown in Chart 4, there were almost four times the number of flights in 2015. Also, flight activity in North America grew throughout the year, up by 2-3% on 2014. Activity growth has been fairly solid since 2013, solid evidence that the industry recovered from its post-2008 crash, on the back of several years´ economic growth, strong stock markets and high corporate profits. What´s disappointing is the rate of growth in flight activity. Unlike the European fleet, which has shrunk the last few years, not least through the sale of pre-owned jets back to the US, the North American fleet has grown each year since 2008, yet activity levels have barely recovered. Historical
benchmarks to previous upswings in corporate profitability and equity prices imply that business jet utilization should have come roaring back in the last 18 months. But this time around the profits have come from cost-cutting not revenue growth, and the equity prices from low interest rate medication rather than underlying value. Even several years into economic recovery, businesses are unsure whether normalized growth is around the corner. Clearly this uncertainty has pervaded all investment decisions, including the purchase or use of private jets. It hasn´t helped that the image of flying private jets has earned such stigma in the wake of the recession. As a result, even with easy borrowing, bargain-priced aircraft, and a slew of new jets entering the market, buyers have never been as cautious. Well over 10% of the active fleet is officially for sale. As much as a further 20% of aircraft are effectively idle. As in Europe, there are significant variations in activity by geography, type of usage and aircraft segment. North America´s core market, Texas, saw a decline close to 5%. This is obviously linked to the impact of the global collapse in energy prices on the region´s vital oil and gas sector. In contrast, flight activity on the West Coast has been pretty vibrant, reflecting the resilient growth in the technology sector radiating out of Silicon Valley. Other hubs for business aviation include the New York area and Florida, for which growth was solid but unspectacular. Of the less than 3% of flights going outside North America, the transatlantic share slightly diminished. Chart 5 provides some insight into the most popular city pairs in the North America market. These busiest 50 pairs generated only 3% of all the airport-to-airport connections in the region in 2015, which shows how fragmented the market is, and underlines the role business aviation has in adding connectivity to the airline network. The most frequented route last year was Las Vegas to Van Nuys, with over 2000 flights, more than 5 a day. Teterboro is the North American market´s key hub, with over 1700 flights to Palm Beach, almost 1000 flights transcontinental to Van Nuys, some 400 transatlantic to Luton. In total there were some 70,000 business aviation flights out of Teterboro last year.
Chart 5
BUSIEST CITY-PAIRS FLOWN BY BUSINESS JET, NORTH AMERICA, 2015
Fractional ownership, which generated a large proportion of manufacturers´ orders for new aircraft before 2008, has greatly diminished since then. But the years of severe decline appear to be over, with last year seeing a slight increase in fleet size and flight activity picking. Many previous fractional owners reverted to chartering aircraft on an ad hoc basis. For the last 3 years, growth in charter activity has been the leading indicator of some stabilization in the market as a whole. Last year Part 135 flights continued to grow, up around 3%. Membership and Block Hour charter programs are driving much of the growth. Unlike in Europe, heavy jet activity was resilient in the North American market last year, although the increasing decline in pre-owned large cabin pricing suggests there is a significant over-capacity issue, likely to translate into a slowdown in this segment in 2016. Midsize jet activity picked up in 2015 as Latitude and Embraer 450 jets came into the market. Light jet activity had a very strong year, flights up almost 10% in Q4. The Phenom 300, the biggest selling jet in the US market the 3 years, is a success factor. The Honda Jet should add more momentum in this segment in 2016. VLJs, by contrast, are flying less than they were. This may be down to the increased charter and fractional competition from turboprops, especially the King Air 350 and PC12. Back just a couple of months, at the 2015 NBAA in Las Vegas, a straw poll would have shown solid optimism for the industry going into 2016. The US Fed´s rate-rise was supposed to indi-
cate normalizing growth for the world´s largest economy, but instead it has focused attention on the quickening slowdown in emerging markets, and the potential repercussions for global economic growth. This is bound to caution already very wary buyers and users of business jets. Aircraft manufacturers have lost the crutch they´ve had in emerging markets and, at least at the outset of 2016, it looks unlikely they will find much mitigation in the US market. On the other hand, even if there is no growth in new deliveries in the US, a repetition of last year will introduce several hundred new aircraft to the fleet. Many other pre-owned aircraft will be added through strong dollar purchases of used aircraft from abroad. The stock market panic of January may quickly dissipate, without affecting the underlying economy. Confidence may have been dented, but even now, the balance of opinion expects slower growth in 2016, not a recession. Growth in business aviation activity should follow suit, but one thing that can be guaranteed is that it won´t be a smooth ride.
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Richard Koe is Managing Director of WINGX, a leading provider of market intelligence to the global Business Aviation industry. As well as managing WINGX, Richard is a regular speaker, panelist and moderator at industry conferences worldwide, writes on a wide range of Business Aviation issues, and works closely with regional regulators and industry associations.
BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016 - 47
FACTOR
Flight activities vary depending on geography, type of usage and aircraft segment.
FLEET REPORT
HELICOPTERS
STILL IN DEMAND
D
POSITIVE
The helicopter industry showed growth despite a challenging market backdrop.
espite the sluggish economy in 2015, the helicopter industry set out to show it was still indispensable. In almost every region, the market saw stable growth and maintained a steady stream of deliveries. In the past, the market has been driven by the development of new product platforms, key global OEMs incorporating cutting edge technologies, and delivering enhanced operating economic and performance feature. Last year was no different. Mike Madsen, president of Honeywell’s Aerospace and Space division says the purchase interest for helicopters is trending up, influenced by increased utilization rates and helicopter replacement cycles. Last year, Honeywell predicted that about 5,000 helicopters would be bought through 2019, a number Madsen describes as “steady” compared to previous forecasts. Unsurprisingly, fluctuating energy prices have impacted some companies’ decisions, especially those involved in the oil industry. Still, in these situations the helicopter indus-
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try is doing the same as any other industry: further expanding the business by turning toward developing markets. Asia, for example, is considered one of the most promising markets for global helicopter manufacturers. At 11-percent of global market share it rivals Europe, which holds 22-percent as the world’s second largest regional market. Another significant market is Latin America, which currently holds 9-percent market share. North America still makes up the largest part of the worldwide helicopter fleet, at about 41-percent, and Africa holds the smallest share, with 4-percent. As for helicopter purchase trends, Madsen says the key drivers for operators who intend to purchase a helicopter within the next five years are the age of their current aircraft, the contracted replacement cycle, and warranty expiration. Make and model choice for new aircraft is strongly influenced by range, cabin size, reliability, safety, high-performance and brand experience.
An overview of 2015's helicopter industry, fleet figures by region, trends and how manufacturers are doing
Now to the Numbers Several trends arise in the helicopter fleet data. Light single-engine helicopters are still the most popular product class, with the BELL206/407, Eurocopter AS350 and Robinson R44 the most frequently mentioned models. According to Honeywell, light singleengine aircraft represents nearly half of all planned purchases during the forecast period. Light twins command 18 percent of the market, while intermediate and medium twins are at 31 percent, and only 2-percent of the market goes to heavy multiengine platforms. When it comes to light twins, the AW139, EC135 and EC145 series lead the class. This class is particularly popular in Europe and increasingly in North America with the addition of the BELL412 and BELL212. In fact, the data shows a shifting preference toward light singles in North America. Looking at regional statistics, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia continue to lead in terms of growth levels. Europe and North America remain steady.
HELICOPTER SUMMARY BY MODEL PISTON MFG/MODEL ENSTROM 280 SHARK ENSTROM 280C SHARK ENSTROM 280F SHARK ENSTROM 280FX SHARK ENSTROM F-28 ENSTROM F-28A ENSTROM F-28C ENSTROM F-28C-2 ENSTROM F28F FALCON ROBINSON R22 ROBINSON R22 ALPHA ROBINSON R22 BETA ROBINSON R22 BETA II ROBINSON R22 HP ROBINSON R22 MARINER ROBINSON R22 MARINER II ROBINSON R44 ASTRO ROBINSON R44 RAVEN I ROBINSON R44 RAVEN II SCHWEIZER 300CB SCHWEIZER S-300C SCHWEIZER S-300CBI Total Piston Turbine MFG/MODEL AGUSTA/WESTLAND A119 KOALA AGUSTA/WESTLAND A119KE AGUSTA/WESTLAND AW119Kx AIRBUS AS-350B-2 ECUREUIL AIRBUS H120 AIRBUS H125 AIRBUS H130 BELL 204B BELL 205A-1 BELL 206A JETRANGER BELL 206B JETRANGER II BELL 206B-3 JETRANGER III BELL 206L LONGRANGER BELL 206L-1 LONGRANGER II BELL 206L-3 LONGRANGER BELL 206L-4 LONGRANGER IV BELL 210 BELL 214B BIGLIFTER BELL 407 BELL 407GX BELL 407GXP BELL/AGUSTA AB-206A JETRANGER BELL/AGUSTA AB-206B JETRANGER II BELL/AGUSTA AB-206B-3 JETRANGER ENSTROM 480 ENSTROM 480B EUROCOPTER AS-350B ECUREUIL EUROCOPTER AS-350B-1 ECUREUIL EUROCOPTER AS-350B-3 ECUREUIL EUROCOPTER AS-350BA ECUREUIL EUROCOPTER AS-350D ASTAR EUROCOPTER EC-130B-4 ECUREUIL EUROCOPTER SA-315B LAMA EUROCOPTER SA-316B ALOUETTE III EUROCOPTER SA-318C ALOUETTE II EUROCOPTER SA-319B ALOUETTE III MD MD 500E MD MD 520N MD MD 530F MD MD 600N ROBINSON R66 SCHWEIZER 330 SCHWEIZER S-333 Total Single Turbine Multi Turbine MFG/MODEL AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109A AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109A MK II AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109C AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109E POWER AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109K2
TOTAL 7 120 14 103 3 105 69 28 100 69 55 1084 1608 67 108 41 544 1340 3335 90 469 198 9.557 TOTAL 86 102 32 1.210 622 439 124 30 130 57 944 1.888 97 408 473 416 3 33 1.071 266 1 25 78 78 30 121 301 48 1.033 498 54 419 186 127 74 26 353 98 137 61 578 14 47 12.818 TOTAL 56 91 64 375 28
EUROPE 1 31 0 25 0 21 9 1 9 16 4 297 319 6 19 15 129 362 786 19 165 32 2.266 EUROPE 18 26 1 155 293 137 10 1 6 4 60 197 9 24 22 6 0 2 64 19 0 12 58 67 11 11 56 22 321 124 5 55 94 48 36 9 69 11 3 6 105 4 8 2.189 EUROPE 23 45 18 112 16
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015
AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109S GRAND 174 AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109SP GRANDNEW 138 AGUSTA/WESTLAND AW139 766 AGUSTA/WESTLAND AW169 1 AGUSTA/WESTLAND AW189 25 AIRBUS AS-332C1E SUPER PUMA 3 AIRBUS AS-355NP ECUREUIL II 58 AIRBUS AS-365N-3 DAUPHIN 2 192 AIRBUS EC-135P2+ 388 AIRBUS EC-135T2+ 214 AIRBUS EC-145 697 AIRBUS H135 10 AIRBUS H145 31 AIRBUS H155 134 AIRBUS H175 4 AIRBUS H225 166 BELL 206LT TWINRANGER 4 BELL 212 472 BELL 214ST 30 BELL 222A 36 BELL 222B 17 BELL 222SP 6 BELL 222UT 43 BELL 230 33 BELL 412 112 BELL 412EP 543 BELL 412HP 68 BELL 412SP 31 BELL 427 79 BELL 429 GLOBALRANGER 242 BELL 430 114 BELL/AGUSTA AB-412 28 BELL/AGUSTA AB-412EP 17 BELL/AGUSTA AB-412HP 4 BELL/AGUSTA AB-412SP 22 EUROCOPTER AS-332L SUPER PUMA 60 EUROCOPTER AS-332L1 SUPER PUMA 67 EUROCOPTER AS-332L2 SUPER PUMA 45 EUROCOPTER AS-355E ECUREUIL II 2 EUROCOPTER AS-355F ECUREUIL II 120 EUROCOPTER AS-355F-1 ECUREUIL 63 EUROCOPTER AS-355F-2 ECUREUIL 159 EUROCOPTER AS-355N ECUREUIL II 148 EUROCOPTER AS-365C DAUPHIN 2 45 EUROCOPTER AS-365N DAUPHIN 2 99 EUROCOPTER AS-365N-1 DAUPHIN 2 37 EUROCOPTER AS-365N-2 DAUPHIN 2 122 EUROCOPTER BK-117A-1 52 EUROCOPTER BK-117B-1 54 EUROCOPTER BK-117B-2 67 EUROCOPTER BK-117C-1 52 EUROCOPTER EC-135P1 44 EUROCOPTER EC-135P2 155 EUROCOPTER EC-135T1 87 EUROCOPTER EC-135T2 146 EUROCOPTER EC-155B 30 EUROCOPTER/KAWASAKI BK-117A-1 10 EUROCOPTER/KAWASAKI BK-117B 86 EUROCOPTER/KAWASAKI BK-117C-1 9 MD MD EXPLORER 114 SIKORSKY S-76A 114 SIKORSKY S-76A+ 35 SIKORSKY S-76A++ 37 SIKORSKY S-76B 76 SIKORSKY S-76C 27 SIKORSKY S-76C+ 145 SIKORSKY S-76C++ 214 SIKORSKY S-76D 58 SIKORSKY S-92A 276 Total Multi Turbine 8.371
64 57 207 0 10 1 36 66 157 123 116 10 26 47 4 64 1 50 0 6 3 2 2 1 27 34 20 4 12 40 9 27 17 3 16 21 30 23 0 47 26 50 74 21 35 12 27 0 19 17 25 14 62 48 105 18 0 1 0 53 2 1 3 18 5 11 18 3 93 2.358
Grand Total © AVDATA/JETNET
6.813
30.746
FLEET REPORT In the size categories, piston helicopters represent around one third of the fleet. The piston segment is dominated by Robinson, followed by Schweizer and Enstrom. Looking at turbine aircraft only, Airbus Helicopters leads, followed by Bell, Sikorsky and AgustaWestland. With a total fleet of 30,746, the North American market remained the leader with 12,630 helicopters, up from 12,404 units last year. It’s followed by Europe’s fleet of 6,813 up from 6,510 rotorcraft in the previous year. Asia came in third with its 3,499 strong fleet, followed by South America at 3,056, Oceania at 2,643, and Africa at 1,521.
World Area Africa Asia Central America Europe North America * Oceania South America Unknown Total
TOP TEN FLEETS BY COUNTRY United States
9.395
Canada
2.417
Brazil
1.848
Australia
1.758
United Kingdom
1.091
France
892
South Africa
875
Japan
755
Italy
742
Germany
720
PISTON VERSUS TURBINES Pistons 540 604 288 2.266 3.869 1.392 886 0 9.557
Single 585 1.114 640 2.189 6.319 890 1.345 372 12.818
* North America includes Central America counts
MASS
The Russian twin turbine Mi-8 is among the world's most-produced helicopters.
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Multi 396 1.781 263 2.358 2.442 361 825 199 8.371
Total 1.521 3.499 1.191 6.813 12.630 2.643 3.056 571 30.746
The data shows that Africa favors the single-segment, whereas Asia leans towards the multi-segment. Europe is fairly evenly spread across the three segments, with 2,266 pistons, 2,189 singles and 2,358 multi. Singles significantly lead in the North American market, making up 6,319 aircraft in its total fleet. In Oceania, pistons are the clear leader, while the single is the most favored segment in South America. Once again, the US leads the top ten fleet leader-board with a rotorcraft fleet of 9,395, up from 9,146 last year. It’s followed by a 2,417 strong aircraft in Canada. Brazil comes in third with 1,848, followed by Australia at 1,758 and the United Kingdom at 1,091. The bottom half of the top ten include France (892), South Africa (875), Japan (755), Italy (742), and Germany (720). Just below the top ten are New Zealand (711), Mexico (689) and Russia (579). In comparison to last year, there is no major change in positions, but when comparing with a couple of years before, Brazil’s upswing stands out the most. Another front-runner in the helicopter market is China, which saw a strong expansion, reaching a total
number of 595 helicopters up from 511 last year. The increased easing of airspace regulations and the establishment of new aviation support infrastructure in China has led to a surge in demand for helicopters in a wide range of applications. Most additions are in the large cabin and up segments, as we have seen in the past. Business levels are still high in China, which seems encouraging. The challenge is the amount of time it takes to complete transactions, which is usually quite long.
Manufacturers Looking at these figures, helicopter manufacturers and related companies seem enthusiastic to grow their product line and global customer base. Textron subsidiary Bell Helicopter introduced the latest variant of the popular Bell 407 platform last year. The new aircraft incorporates the reliability and advanced technology of the Bell 407GX platform, and introduces performance enhancements, payload increase and pilot workload reduction.
BART: MARCH - APRIL 2016 - 51
SOLID
AW139 (top) and Bell 407 are civil utility helicopters mostly used for emergency services.
FLEET REPORT Derived from the Bell 407GX platform, the Bell 407GXP has an additional 50 lbs (22.5 kg) of payload capability, coupled with a new M250 Rolls-Royce engine that improves performance and fuel efficiency. These enhancements make it one of the best in its class. The aircraft is also equipped with new avionics features such as a hover performance calculator improvement and a transmission TBO extension of +500 hours that is expected to lower maintenance costs. Latin America is a promising market for Bell aircraft, and it presents a highly diversified climate, according to Jay Ortiz, Bell Helicopter’s vice president of Latin American sales.
EFFICIENT
AW609 (top) is known with its tiltrotor flight capabilities, while H135 is eco-friendly.
“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 Latin American customer base,” he says.
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Looking at earnings figures from Textron, owner of the Bell Helicopter, we see revenue in the third quarter of last year was down 7.3-percent last year, from $3.4 billion in 2014 to $3.2 billion. Textron segment 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. Airbus Helicopters unveiled the Bluecopter, a demonstrator based on the H135. One notable feature is a power management system that could shut down one engine in the cruise phase and use the other one at a higher, and thus more fuel-efficient, output. Meanwhile, Italy’s Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland suffered a setback on the AW609 civil tiltrotor program after the fatal crash of prototype two on October 30. Though overall revenue from western helicopter manufacturers is up, oil price drops have an indirect effect on helicopter sales by reducing the financial capacity of countries whose economies rely on oil. Surely, the decrease in oil prices and economic uncertainty in those parts of the world will continue to affect helicopter deliveries for months to come, but the market value will hopefully remain unchanged – but only time will tell.
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HELICOPTER CABIN NOISE A snapshot of the developments for helicopter cabin noise reduction systems written by Kirby Harrison
THE SCIENCE OF THE QUIET
HELICOPTER CABIN
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n the helicopter cabin, noise is almost accepted as a fact of flight, what with a turbine whining just overhead, a main rotor beating the air, as well as gear boxes and the usual aircraft racket produced by actuators, pumps and fans. But that is changing, thanks to new technology, new installation techniques, and new materials. In recent years, reducing helicopter cabin noise has become the goal of manufacturers and interiors specialists alike, and there has been considerable progress. One of the more impressive efforts came from German chemicals giant BASF. The product is Basotect, a flexible, open-cell foam made from
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CLATTER
Reducing cabin noise in helicopter is one of the goals of helicopter manufacturers. Basotect from BASF (left) is one of the solutions.
HELICOPTER CABIN NOISE melamine resin. Its open-cell surface guarantees that sound waves are not reflected but penetrate the cell structure unhindered, and the sound energy is reduced.
RESULTS
The noise level in a Russian Mi8 VIP (top pictures) dropped from 85 to 8O dB after a BASF Basotect insulation.
The initial installation was in a VIP version of the Russian-made Mi 8 helicopter. Moscow-based VeminaAviaprestige was responsible for the interior furnishings and opted for Basotect for the thermal/acoustic barrier. The special foam, coated on both sides by waterproof fleece, was affixed to selected noise-intensive points at a thickness of 40 millimeters. It was produced and fitted by StandartPlast, a provider of acoustic systems solutions to the transportation industry. According to Sergey Milek, COO at StandartPlast, “The noise level inside the helicopter dropped from 85 to 80 dB (decibels). It also reduced the weight of the helicopter’s usual sound insulation system by 80 percent. This 240 kilogram reduction allows an increase in passenger capacity or flight range. The package was certified by Russian aviation authorities. One of the most cabin innovative noise alteration systems came from Andrew Winch Designs of London. They called it Whisper Dish and have taken it from residential use to aircraft. While the basic technology is not new, the Andrew Winch variant involved incorporation of parabolic surfaces in sidewalls opposite each other. The result was that the sound waves were reflected and amplified in a specific space, allowing two people to converse quietly within the amplified area and at the same time not be heard across the room. Whisper Dish does not make the cabin quieter, but combined with other noise absorbing materials and installation techniques, the passenger experience is enhanced.
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WHAT IS NOISE? Noise at its most simple is a sound that can be described as unpleasant or annoying. Or it may be undesirable, or interfering with sounds we wish to hear. In fact the word “noise” is derived from the Latin “nausea,” which is pretty much selfexplanatory. Sound perception is also unique to each individual, explained the late Otto Pobanz, whose work in the field remains the standard today when attempting to reduce aircraft cabin noise. “Every person’s hearing is different,” he explained. “In virtually everyone older, certain hearing frequencies have been degraded over time. And if you put 10 people on an airplane in flight, each of them will have a different perception of the noise level, regardless of age group.” There is a growing focus in recent years on the subject of noise pollution. Studies have shown direct links between noise and health. Among problems related to noise are stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption and loss of productivity. Continued or repeated exposure to high intensity noise may cause acoustic trauma to the ear and result in hearing loss. It can be temporary loss, or permanent, and may affect one ear or both ears. Sound is typically measured in decibels, or dB. Studies have shown that sounds of less than 75 dB, even after long exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss. Repeated exposure to sound at or above 85 dB can cause hearing loss. According to an FAA study, cabin noise level in a single-rotor helicopter ranges from 80 to 102 dB. With the aid of new technology, OEMs and independent helicopter interior specialists have managed to reduce the cabin noise in some cases to decibel levels in the mid-to-low 70s. Compare those noise levels to 60 dB for normal conversation, 85 dB for heavy city traffic, and 105 dB attributed to an emergency vehicle siren. And noise is not merely annoying, it is also a health risk, from increased stress levels to temporary or permanent hearing loss. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, eight-hour work-days exposed to noise in the 85 dB range contributes to an 8-percent change of hearing loss. The same workday at 95 dB increases this change to 25 percent. So the bottom line is that reducing helicopter cabin noise is not only a matter of comfort, it is also a matter of ensuring the health of the passengers.
At Sikorsky, now part of Lockheed Martin, both the S-76D and S-92 helicopters are equipped with Sikorsky’s exclusive active vibration control and sound damping technologies. “With cabin accommodations being a high priority for the executive or head-of-state passenger, Sikorsky incorporates several sound attenuating solutions,” said a Sikorsky spokesperson. “These are designed to lessen the effect of broadcast noise from the most common sources; the main transmission, engines and rotors.” More recently Italian aircraft cabin interiors specialist Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG) has been working on its SILENS technology. In the past six months, the Borgomanero, Italybased company has certified the SILENS system in a new platform – the Bell 429. It has already been certified with EASA, Brazil, Canada, Russia and San Marino. In addition, Mecaer is now investing in a new Agusta-Westland AW139 sliding door SILENS supplementary type certificate. It will allow sliding door customers the same technology that was previously
available only in the hinged door AW-139. Certification is expected in mid-2016. According to Armando Sassoli, head of business development and MAG co-general manager, one of the AW139 helicopters achieved a cabin sound level of 68 dB. “To our knowledge, this is the lowest level of sound ever achieved in this aircraft type,” he added.
New materials are always being developed to create an even lighter system and even lower dB levels in the passenger cabin, Sassoli pointed out. “New systems are currently being analyzed in our engineering department.” He added that Mecaer quiet-cabin systems and technology are now in service on six continents and have logged hundreds of thousands of headset-free flight hours.
To accomplish this, the S-76 is equipped with the Sikorsky’s Quiet Zone main transmission and Silencer cocoon interior. It also adapts patented airframe structure isolation technologies originally developed for the S-92 helicopter’s executive configuration buildup. “Because sound levels vary from aircraft to aircraft, Sikorsky gives careful consideration and optimization of the unique needs and style requirements of the customer.” In recent years, insiders have suggested that the best way to reduce cabin noise in a helicopter, or any aircraft, is to design it to a noise standard as part of design. Among the possibilities is a reduction in the tip speed of the rotors as a means to reduce rotor noise. Otto Pobanz offered another perspective. He pointed out that there is no single solution to reducing aircraft cabin noise. Each noise source, he said, requires its own solution, and reducing one source of noise can often reveal another. “It’s a never-ending chase,” he said.
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ALTERNATIVES
SILENS technology from Mecaer Aviation Group was installed on a Bell429 (top). MAG works also on noise reduction solutions for the AW-139 (center) and S-76 cabins (bottom).
HELI EXPO PREVIEW
EXCITEMENT
Finmeccanica AW189 (below) will touch down at the 2016 HAI HELI-EXPO, world's largest helicopter trade show.
HELICOPTERS
SUPER-MEDIUM CLASS RISE OF THE “MIDCHINES” An insightful preview of Heli-Expo 2016 with a focus on the emerging super-medium helicopter market by Mark Huber
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hree of the big four Western helicopter OEMs are offering new super-midsize ships — those that fit into the 17,000 to 20,000 lb weight class — in the hope of drawing from both medium and heavy class customers. To date, Finmeccanica (formerly AgustaWestland) and Airbus have certified offerings in the niche and Bell has a product under development that should be certified sometime next
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year. As one might expect, the majority of ships have been ordered from the energy services sector (OGP). Collectively, all three OEMs are collectively claiming orders of slightly over 300 ships; however, given $34-a-barrel oil it remains to be seen how solid some of those orders are. Representatives for the OEMs make the case that cheap oil means that super-mediums are even more needed in the deepwater offshore energy game because of their value proposition: The ability to fly missions or almost fly missions that is equivalent to heavy helicopters, but with medium helicopter economics and with cabin ergonomics essentially the same including the ability to stand up. In recent weeks, we have seen various OGP operators part their heavy helicopters, a trend bound to continue unless the price of oil recovers soon. While OGP customers are first in line for the category, it is expected that para-public, search-and-rescue, executive, and VIP users will join the customer list over time and the OEMs already have floated some fairly modern and opulent concepts for executive/VIP users. The various leasing companies and OGP operators already have committed to the super mids in a big way. Last year alone various leasing companies committed to well over 50 of the category with Waypoint and Milestone Leasing lining up with letters of intent for 20 Bell 525s each. It is clear the leasing companies hear “ka-ching” from the “mid-chines.” Here then is the trio of super-mediums on, or coming to, market. Finmeccanica AW189 This helicopter actually began as a military program in 2006 that took the successful civilian medium AW139 and lengthened it by 12 feet and powered it with a pair of FADEC GE CT7-2E1 turboshaft engines (2,000 shp) and a larger rotor system. The engines have the power to enable the AW189 to satisfy the US military’s 6,000 foot, 95F degrees hover out of ground effect requirement. The AW189 cruises at 150 nm and has a maximum range of 635 nm. The AW189 has the range to fly out to and return from platforms
as far as 200 nm offshore with up to 12 passengers, making it a serious alternative to large category helicopters currently employed on the same mission. There is maximum seating for 18 passengers in the 409 cubic foot cabin and the baggage hold is 71 cubic feet; maximum takeoff weight is 17,900 lbs. During certification testing the AW189 successfully demonstrated its ability to operate for 50 minutes following loss of lubrication to the main gearbox. Earlier this year the company announced that capability could be extended. The AW189 made its first flight in 2011 and was granted certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency in 2014 and the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2015. More than 20 have been delivered; however, work continues on a number of kits including the optional Full Icing Protection System (FIPS), which has delayed the AW189’s entry into service as a search and rescue helicopter in the United Kingdom. Currently the helicopter is available with only Limited Icing Protection System (LIPS). Helicopters equipped with LIPS are permitted to fly within a known and defined envelope of icing conditions provided that the capability to descend into a known band of positive temperature is available throughout the intended route, typical of conditions encountered, for example, over the North Sea. Thanks to its cost-effectiveness and reduced weight, LIPS is optimal for flight in limited icing conditions for operations such as offshore and passenger transport as well as search and rescue. LIPS is available as an option and includes ice detectors, Supercooled Large Droplet (SLD) marker, Ice Accretion Meter and heated windshield. The system does not require heated rotor blades and associated equipment, while the engine air intake heating system is already incorporated into the standard AW189 helicopter. FIPS builds on LIPS with electrical power generators and heated windshield and main and tail rotor blades. Up front in the night vision goggle compatible cockpit, the AW189’s glass panel avionics system is built around a Rockwell Collins brain with a four-axis auto-pilot.
Training is available on the AW189 through the CAE/Finmeccanica Rotorsim Series 3000 Level D Simulator at the Marchetti Training Academy in Sesto Calende, Italy. The simulator incorporates a six degrees-of-freedom electric motion system and high-performance vibration platform that reproduces vibration cues, a high-fidelity image generator, and a direct-projection 210degree by 80-degree field-of-view dome display. More than 20 AW189s already have been delivered.
Airbus H175 Airbus Helicopters delivered its first H175 super-medium twin in 2014. The H175 features the Helionix avionics suite developed in cooperation with Elbit Systems and Rockwell Collins, a roomy and comfortable cockpit and cabin layout with oversized passenger windows and low cabin vibration and low interior and exterior noise levels. Its two-zone environmental control system precludes the typical choice of freeze or broil in the cockpit and each passenger has his own individual overhead air gasper. A high-density cabin layout is available with seats for 18 passengers; the main cabin volume is a comfy 434.37 cu ft. Add another 95.35 cu ft for the baggage compartment. The baggage hold can be reached from inside the cabin. The cockpit is very comfortable and all the switches and controls are located along the pedestal and the panel easily accessed from either right or left seat. The Helionix avionics system incorporates four-axis autopilot, two flight computers, and an autohover systems that automatically
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ELEGANCE
The AW189 in VIP version provides a panoramic view for all passengers.
HELI EXPO PREVIEW Bell 525 The most ambitious of the trio, the Bell 525 “Relentless” remains under development and features triple-redundant fly-by-wire (FBW) digital flight controls. The first 525 flew July 1 and the second one just joined the flight test program. Three more will take to the sky and Bell still hopes to have the craft certified sometime in 2017. In addition to the FBW, the 525 is the first commercial helicopter featuring sidestick, as opposed to the traditional cyclic (stick between your legs) and collective (stick on your left side) con-
corrects for wind. An automatic stability system can keep the helicopter stable merely by toggling two beeps on the cyclic to activate the “recovery mode” that reestablishes the latest heading, speed and altitude. Likewise, an automatic hover can kick in at 150 feet. This feature is particularly useful in situations where the pilot loses visual reference to the ground such as a brownout or inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions.
SPACIOUS
With extremely roomy cabin, the Airbus H175 accommodates up to 18 passengers and 2 crew.
The H175 is a flexible flier that performs well under a variety of load conditions with a maximum range of 600 nm; 265 with seven passengers plus a 10 percent fudge factor plus a 30 minute reserve. And that’s with the passengers weighted down heavy, not some fantasy 170 lb dummies. The H175 does not have an auxiliary power unit, but one of its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-67E engines can be run on the ground while declutched, providing power to cool the cabin before aircraft loading. The engines (1,776 shp each) deliver solid performance: The H175 has already established several time-to-climb records, including 19,685 feet (6,000 meters) in 6 minutes, 54 seconds.
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Test pilots said that they had experienced climb rates of up to 4,500 feet per minute. Like the AW189, the H175 is a work in progress when it comes to certification for inlet barrier filters, flight into known ice and certification for single pilot IFR. The H175 was designed for ease of maintenance and to meet the MSG3 maintenance standard. The engines, main gearbox and rotors all have an initial time between overhaul (TBO) of 5,000 hours. The fuselage contains multiple ladder attach points for easy climbing and the tall cowling presents ease of access to a variety of systems. Airbus maintains the H175 will be five to seven percent less expensive to maintain than competitive aircraft.
trols. It also has the Garmin G5000H touchscreen avionics system. The 525 is powered by a pair of GE CT7-2F1 turboshafts (1,800 shp each) that drive an all-composite five-blade main rotor with a disc diameter of 54.5 feet and a four bladed tail rotor. The hybrid aluminum/composite fuselage will have 88 square feet of flat floor space and be 4.5 feet tall and have a 128 cubic foot baggage compartment. Entry to the 525’s cabin is through a pair of hinged doors between the cockpit and the first of four seating rows (coach) or through two large aft sliding doors. The 525 is the largest civil helicopter Bell has ever attempted. It will have a maximum takeoff weight of 19,300 lbs, a useful load of 7,400 lbs, a top speed of at least 155 knots, range of 500 nau-
tude say trapped in a white out or brownout, he need merely let go of the controls and the ARC will place the helicopter automatically in a hover. From there the pilot can make gradual control adjustments into a safe landing. ARC also can be used to send maintenance health usage monitoring (HUMS) data in real time via uplink facilitating best practices such as trend monitoring to minimize aircraft downtime. While the 525 may be Bell’s first civil aircraft with FBW and Bell’s largest civil aircraft, Bell has built
tical miles, and seating inside for up to 20 passengers (coach); 8-12 in executive to VVIP luxury. Bell revealed the program in 2012 and has received 70 letters of intent since then. A public price has yet to be disclosed but given the advanced technology expect it to be on the high side, perhaps as much as $24 million by the time it is delivered with a VIP cabin that offers all the same amenities you would find in a full-sized corporate jet. Bell spent a lot of time thinking through the details on the 525, both large and small. The first thing you
notice is the drooped Plexiglas windshield and the low-slung instrument panel that provides the pilots with excellent visibility outside the helicopter. Then there are things you may not notice, like the selection of materials or the shape of the tailboom. The 525 uses composites on the base of the airframe forming sort of a composite bathtub in places you would expect it would be vulnerable to corrosion. In other places, it uses metal. The aerodynamic tailboom and canted tailrotor translate into less power needed for anti-torque so more power goes to the main rotor blades and less power is used overall. In the cockpit, besides the sidesticks, you notice the crew seats that track back and then outward in the motion
of a “J” to provide easy and comfortable access for the pilots. Now there’s a concept, no more limbo dance insertions and extractions over the center instrument pedestal! The FBW gives the 525 a totally different pilot feel than a traditional helicopter in that its ARC (Awareness Reactive Control) Horizon cockpit responds faster than the human brain and automatically intercedes to keep pilots and passengers out of danger. ARC can sense a critical failure and set the aircraft up for an emergency landing procedure—say an autorotation— faster than the pilot can. This gives the pilot precious extra seconds to select an emergency landing site, safe systems, or alert passengers. If a pilot finds himself at low speed and low alti-
larger aircraft with FBW: the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor in partnership with Boeing for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force and will soon begin making deliveries to the U.S. Navy. The V-22 experience will serve Bell well on the 525 even if incorporating the FBW at first presents something of a learning curve. With all three machines, the impact of the depressed oil market on how fast customers can accept them remains to be seen as does what be the reaction of Sikorsky’s new owner, Lockheed Martin. Will Sikorsky compete by offering price discounting on the S-92 or jump into the fray with a competing product of its own? Stay tuned.
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RELENTLESS
The Bell 525 offers one of the largest cabin in its class.
MAINTENANCE
BUSINESS AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE IS A GLOBAL MATTER A glance at the access to Bizav maintenance, global customer support and spare parts by Kirby Harrison
D
GLOBAL
The Global 7000 is on the wings for 2017, with a very strong order book, says Bombardier CEO, Alain Bellemare.
riven by a global economy that is spurring sales of long-range business jets and in turn the need for access to maintenance, global support and spare parts, aircraft manufacturers are rapidly expanding to meet challenge. Evidence of this global reach of business jets is readily apparent, in particular at Canadian OEM Bombardier. To date, the number of Global Express and Global XRS deliveriess has topped the 600 mark. And despite a decision to reduce production due to a soft market and sagging demand in Russia, Bombardier Business Aircraft president and CEO Alain Bellemare said the order book remains “very strong.” And looking further out into 2017 and 2018, the Global 7000 and Global 8000, respectively, are in the wings, so to speak, despite some delays in both programs. The Global 7000 is expected to hit Mach 0.925 and travel 7,400 nautical miles nonstop at Mach .85. Also in the long-range, large cabin, category, Dassault Falcon Jet’s
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Falcon 7X points to China as its second largest market, where 35 airplanes are already in service. More than 250 Falcon 7Xs have come off the production line, a precursor to the French OEM’s new ultra-long range Falcon 8X trijet. The 8X will have a range of 6,450 nautical miles, capable of non-stop flights from Beijing to New York or Hong Kong. Deliveries of the new flagship are expected to begin in late 2016.
There is ample evidence that the Business Aviation world will continue to grow. Embraer recently released its 10-year market outlook for Business Aviation and forecasts 9,100 new business jet deliveries, with a value of $259 billion. The Brazilian OEM further noted that while 4,850 business jet deliveries were forecast in North America, 4,250 deliveries are expected in the rest of the word – primarily Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. And of the total deliveries, 3,400 are expected to be large-cabin aircraft with long-range capability. At this point, Embraer Executive Jets’ own global fleet of all aircraft types, exceeds 930 aircraft in 60 countries. Gulfstream Aerospace is working hard to corner the market in largecabin, ultra long-range business jets with its G650 and more recent G650ER. In 2003, about 18 percent of the Gulfstream fleet was based in internationally. By the end of 2014, that had grown to 35 percent, and in sheer numbers, the Gulfstream fleet worldwide now totals more than 2,400 aircraft across every continent but Antarctica. Textron Aviation, parent company to Cessna Aviation and Beechcraft, does not produce business jets with extraordinary range, but with its Citation jet line from Cessna and King Air line from Beechcraft, total fleet is truly global. Cessna has delivered 6,750 business jets to date, and Beechcraft has delivered 7,300 King Airs. Today, 64 percent of sales are in North America and the remainder scattered throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. Last year, Cessna celebrated its first business jet deliveries in China – two Citation XLS+ models – through the company’s joint venture operations in Zuhai.
tion authority certification from 14 countries, from Europe and the U.S. to Malaysia and India. Additional certification is expected from the Chinese authorities. At Dassault Falcon Jet, the company has taken a major step in launching its FalconResponse program, an expanded portfolio of AOG support services to ensure faster return to service. Dassault has 34 authorized service centers and four owned service centers worldwide. As have others, Embraer has been expanding its maintenance and supService and Support Expanding Globally As never before, OEMs are seeing the value of supporting what they sell and anywhere their customers fly. According to Scott Kalister, Embraer’s senior vp of customer support and services worldwide, “freedom of movement is what business aviation customers seek.” That freedom, he added, was exemplified by a recent flight of Embraer’s ultralarge cabin Lineage 1000E, which set a flight time record of 10 hours and 4 minutes, from Beijing to Abu Dhabi.
“As the number of Bombardier business aircraft operators grows in regions around the world, Bombardier continues to explore opportunities to expand its presence world,” said Andy Nureddin, vice president and general manager of customer services. Among the most recent extensions was the start of work on a new maintenance facility in Tianjin, China. Set to open in 2017, it will provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul,
along with associated services. Under the joint venture agreement, the facility will be operated using similar processes and procedures that govern Bombardier’s worldwide, wholly owned service center network. In February this year, Bombardier marked the second anniversary of its Singapore Service Center and is celebrated maintenance support at the facility for more than 800 aircraft since its opening. It has received avia-
port programs, most notably its Embraer Executive Care (EEC) program. With it, customers pay only for hours flown for five years, plus a fixed amount per month. “In return they know in advance what their maintenance expenses will be by transferring the risk of cost variations to Embraer,” said Scott Kalister, senior vp of customer support and services worldwide. The EEC Standard package covers aircraft components such as avionics and auxiliary power units, as well as tires and brakes for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Freight costs are included. EEC Intermediate is currently available for the Legacy 600, Legacy 650 and Lineage 1000 customers. It covers labor and heavy maintenance costs, in addition to all the options available under EEC standard. EEC Enhanced is the premium package providing all the coverage available under EEC standard, as well as labor costs for all levels of maintenance. It also provides mobile recovery service to help with unexpected events at remote locations.
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EXPANDING
Above: The Gulfstream fleet worldwide totals more than 2,400 aircraft. Below:To expand its AOG support, Dassault Falcon Jet launched its FalconResponse Program.
MAINTENANCE Gulfstream’s product support group had a busy 2015, opening a new maintenance hangar at its Brunswick, GA site. The 110,000-square-foot facility accommodates all Gulfstream aircraft models and more than doubles the site’s under-roof capacity to as many as seven large-cabin business jets simultaneously. Also added to the Gulfstream service and support family was a maintenance operation at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport consisting of 11 technicians and support staff. On the West Coast, aircraft began
WORLDWIDE
Above: Bombardier Business Aircraft is working on a new maintenance facility in Tianjin, China. Center: Cessna delivered two Citation XLS+ models in China.
rolling into a newly renovated 19,000-square-foot maintenance hangar at Gulfstream’s Long Beach site. The Savannah, GA-based OEM also has plans to deploy three new specially equipped Field and Aircraft Support Team (FAST) ground vehicles to assist operators in the Seattle, Chicago and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. Textron Aviation announced in late January it has bolstered its customer service with the launch of 1Call, providing a single, worldwide point of contact for Beechcraft, Citation and Hawker customers during unscheduled maintenance events. “Our enhanced call center means simplified, quick access to Textron Aviation’s customer service team,” said Brad Thress, senior VP for customer service. “From the initial call to progress reports to after-service followup, customers will encounter a streamlined process and level of service.” Textron Aviation is particularly proud of its comprehensive maintenance and support programs across
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the Beechcraft, Citation and Hawker platforms, under the ProAdvantage umbrella – Power Advantage for engines, Pro Parts for parts, and Pro Tech for labor programs. Customers may also choose from an “a la carte” menu or full coverage. ProAdvantage is paid for at a flat, hourly rate. More than half the current Citation fleet is on one program or another, and about 700 King Air twin turboprops are enrolled. Spare Parts Availability Is Key Since August last year, Bombardier has reduced operating costs by lowering the price of approximately 1,000 business aircraft parts with its Parts Price Reduction initiative. The company offers a two-year warranty and price matching, and has increased its international parts presence with: increased parts inventory in Dubai; added to regional material availability in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Russian by 10 percent; and increased inventory levels in Frankfurt by more than 47 percent.
Bombardier has two parts distribution centers, one each in Chicago and Frankfurt, and seven regional depots, moving some 70,000 parts a month to customers around the world. The Customer Response Team Express network offers flexibility with access to multiple aircraft for simultaneous dispatch around the world. The parts are back by the company’s Parts Satisfaction Guarantee and two-year warranty. To improve the incidence of no-faultfound (NFF) parts and defective-onarrival (DOA) parts, Bombardier’s Parts Satisfaction Guarantee Bombardier will refund the shipping and labor charges if a replacement unit is needed. What’s more, if a Bombardier-recommended part doesn’t fix a fault and is deemed unnecessary, the company will absorb the labor and shipping costs incurred to return it. Bombardier will even waive its restocking fees for any parts returned unused that were ordered for resolution of an AOG event. Spare parts is a significant role in any global support effort and part of Dassault’s solution is a partnership with UPS which houses three spare parts delivery facilities in Louisville, San Jose and Singapore. The company claims a spares service level (line items shipped that meet the customer’s required-by date) of 98.5 percent. Resources available to FalconResponse include a global, 24/7 Falcon Command Center, mobile repair teams strategically based around the world, and $800 million in “ready-to-ship” spares inventory at 15 spare parts facilities. Also involved is the company’s new Falcon Airborne Support, a new service using a pair of large-cabin Falcon 900 aircraft dedicated exclusively to AOG support, as well as alternative lift for stranded passengers. Dassault has 13 spare parts centers around the world, from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Johannesburg in South Africa. Since 2015, Embraer has been implementing an enhanced logistics model to achieve even higher fill rates by optimizing global parts distribution. The company has seven parts distribution centers – one in
Coupled with Bombardier’s industry-leading SmartFix Plus trouble shooting tools, Smart Link affords operators an exceptional degree of customization with which to manage aircraft data, and features stringent safeguards to ensure information security and confidentiality of customer data. Smart Link also encompasses each of the aircraft families: Learjet 70 and Learjet 75, Challenger models 300, 350, 604, 605 and 650, and Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft equipped with Bombardier Vision flight deck. Brazil, two on each coast of the U.S., three in Europe and one in the United Arab Emirates. To enhance logistics efficiency, Embraer works with partners DHL Express and Federal Express. The business jet manufacturer based in Savannah, Georgia has four spare parts distribution centers and seven forward stocking locations. Gulfstream also has parts and materials staged at all of its services centers – nine in the U.S. and three abroad – one in Sorocaba, Brazil, one in Beijing, China and one in Luton, England.
At Textron Aviation, parts supply and logistics have been consolidated into a single system. According to Thress, prior to the integration, the same-day fill rate for parts was 85 percent for Beechcraft and 96 percent for Cessna. The combined performance improvement is now at 97 percent parts availability. “We think we’re really pretty good with spare parts and parts pools,” said Thress. There are five parts distributions center world: Beijing, China; Dusseldorf, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Singapore; and Wichita,
Kansas. The value of the total parts inventory is approximately $500 million. Every company-owned service center has parts in stock, those parts can be seen through the parts inventory management system, and they can be shipped from any of the five depots. Technology On the Cutting Edge New technology is everywhere. In November last year. Bombardier Business Aircraft launched Smart Link, a data connectivity, monitoring and in-flight reporting service.
“Technology today is mission-critical for global customer support,” said Embraer’s Kalister. “Our AHEAD (Aircraft Health and Advanced Diagnostics) program is based on a technology solution to ensure that customer support engagement in unscheduled events is agile, comprehensive and effective.” AHEAD was originally developed for Embraer’s commercial aircraft and subsequently used in development of the Embraer Executive Jets’ newest business aircraft, the Legacy 500 and Legacy 450. The system delivers maintenance and operational support through the integration of onboard aircraft systems, technical publications and maintenance tracking. AHEAD also enables the expedited return to service through up-to-date information available to maintenance teams, the service center network and Embraer Contact Center. “AHEAD’s in-flight advanced notification ensures effective troubleshooting, supported by prompt 24/7 customer support.
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RESOURCES
Above: Textron Aviation is proud of its maintenance and support program. Center: Gulfstream's Product Support Group at Brunswick GA. Below: Falcon Response includes a global 24/7 Falcon Command Center.
MAINTENANCE Gulfstream is a tech-savvy aircraft manufacturer and its PlaneConnect air-to-ground program allows inflight monitoring its G450, G550, G650 and G650ER. Remote diagnosis of a problem and the ordering of replacement parts can be accomplished while the aircraft is still in flight, explained Barry Russell, vice president of worldwide service center operations. An enhanced version called PlaneConnect HTM (Health and Trend Monitoring) is in use with the newer G650 and G650ER. It pro-
TECHNOLOGY
Above: Technical support services available 24/7, Textron Aviation's 1 Call team oversees every step of an unscheduled maintenance event. Bottom: Gulfstream defines the industry standard with its rapidly deployed FAST Teams.
vides near-real-time aircraft condition monitoring by recording up to 10,000 pre-defined parameters such as high-priority CAS events and engine status. The system transmits the information to the operator’s maintenance department with an operational copy to Gulfstream Technical Operations. “Technology touches everything we do,” said Cessna’s Thress. And the biggest technology advance recently at Textron Aviation is the opening of an e-commerce solution for parts transactions. It combines Cessna and Beechcraft parts distribution and improves the level of service with a simple user interface for parts ordering. In addition to parts, the customer can also access warranty claims. New Garmin-equipped aircraft from Textron Aviation have an integrated multi-level approach to maintenance and diagnostics for improved troubleshooting. The system e-mails a plain English CAS message in flight to whomever the owner wants to receive it, such as the maintenance director of the Textron Aviations (TxtAv) support team.
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“We also have a proprietary datarecording system called AReS,” said Thress. “With it, if we get notification that an annunciator went off, we have a lot of information to help troubleshoot the system.” Keeping Up With Regulatory Issues Government regulations are an evergrowing challenge worldwide and maintenance, global support and spare parts are not immune. NexGen and SESAR regulations/ mandates, such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out and Future Air Navigation System datalink (FANS) 1/A+ have impacted the entire aviation industry. Bombardier has actively addressed these regulatory requirement issues. “We’re worked closely with our entire operator base and identified cost-effective solutions for each platform to ensure the continued airworthiness of all our aircraft,” said Nureddin. And to help its customers comply with the new aviation standards, Bombardier
offers the ADS-B Out training courses to provide instruction to fulfill the requirements of EASA 20-24 and FAA AC99-114. Gulfstream has made NexGen/SESAR-compliant equipment standard on new aircraft and is working to provide operators with hardware and software upgrades that satisfy mandates on all in-service aircraft. “We are now working with our operators to make sure they are informed and help them become compliant,” declared Gulfstream’s Russell. On the after-market side, Textron Aviation also sees the next regulatory challenge emerging from NextGen. “These regulations are coming in waves and a couple of them took effect last year, including TCAS II, version 7.1,” said Thress. “We were able to find solutions for aircraft in Europe before it hit [and] later, Australia issued a form of ADS-B Out and we were able to make another solution available quickly.” And he added, “With nearly 7,0000 Citations and 2,500 Hawkers in service, we have a dedicated engineering group developing solutions.” “It wasn’t so long ago that most of the business aviation traffic was centered in the U.S. and Europe,” said a Dassault Spokesman. “Now the paradigm has changed with increased trade.” At the end of the day, Thress, put it succinctly. He allows as how supporting the customer doesn’t mean mere quality service, but also how that service is delivered. “A direct relationship with the customer is always the best relationship.”
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MAINTENANCE
GLOBAL ECONOMY AFFECTS U.S.
MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS "AS THE GLOBAL ECONOMY evolves, so does the business aviation industry," said Kevin Thomas, senior vp of Chicago-based business development & strategic planning for Jet Support services, Inc. (JSSI). And he added, "At JSSI, we bring our service to our customers by placing our employees near them, all over the world."
and become smarter and more accurate with maintenance coverage. Also important is the matter of where the aircraft will be maintained and manpower availability. "While Business Aviation is well established in mature markets such as North America and Europe, personnel with requisite expertise must be imported
Among considerations in the growth of Business Aviation maintenance is the recent drop in fuel prices that has lowered aircraft operating costs in some regions. These lower operating costs encourage the repositioning of aircraft to more desirable facilitoes. On the other hand, some operators have agreements with facilities in return for better terms, which can have an impact beyond fuel cost savings. Another point on the subject of a growing global market is keeping up with customs and import/export requirements. Keeping up with these issues is a key to the parts business in today's world, and JSSI and other major players in the world of business jet maintenance are seeking to improve those processes in every country. Data acquisition systems that provide the capability to auto-download engine and airframe data were formerly available only in high-end business jets. Today, these systems are available in smaller, less expensive aircraft. This allows maintenance centers to provide forecasting
to those regionals that are fairly new to the industry," explained Thomas. "But while manpower is relatively cheap in a particular country, the cost of importing the aviation expertise needed is much higher and must be taken into consideration.” According to JSSI, the EASA designation of a Continuing Airworthiness Management Organizations (CAMO) to coordinate compliance of aircraft with maintenance programs, airworthiness directives and service bulletins is a matter of growing concern. Unfortunately, added Thomas, "Some CAMOS do not always have the best interest of the customer in mind, and in some cases, the CAMO receives incentives and rewards for sending aircraft to a particular MRO facility, or for ordering a part from a particular vendor.” At Elliot Aviation, the Moline, Illinois-based maintenance leader sees flying hours as the main driver influencing business. "Where there is a demand for flying, there is a demand for business aviation," said Mark Wilkin, vp of avionics programs and operational logistics.
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Used aircraft sales are also a force in the maintenance business and Elliott keeps a finger on the pulse of the market. "During a sale, aircraft are getting pre-buy inspections and getting retrofits at the time of purchase." And he, like other maintenance specialists, also point to ADSB mandates. More out of the ordinary regulatory changes are avionics obsolescence. For example, CRTs (cathode ray tubes) in many older aircraft are becoming obsolete and as they fail, they are being
replaced by newer technology. The alternative is to ground the aircraft. "Our two newest programs are the Garmin G5000 and the 400E program for the Beechjet and Hawker 400XP aircraft," said Wilkin. Not only is the G5000 a major upgrade, but it can provide 400XP customers 200 pounds or more useful load increase. Elliott is offering customers a 15day guaranteed downtime for the complete retrofit and onsite training. Certification of the system is expected in the spring of 2016. Wilkin said Elliott has seen positive growth in aircraft maintenance over the past five years and added, "We expect 2016 to continue that trend for maintenance and refurbishments." It is a track similar to that of JSSI, with whom Elliott is a an occasional partner. "Over the past 10 years, JSSI has continued to grow and lead the industry with the most comprehensive and innovative hourly cost maintenance as we evolve into a total solutions provider," concluded Thomas.
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CONNECTIVITY
BUSINESS CONNECTIVITY USERS FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED A
s fighter ace Maverick said in the 1980’s cult film Top Gun: “I feel the need. The need for speed”. And when it comes to their inflight internet connectivity, business aviation passengers feel the need too. They only demand one thing on their aircraft – to be able to use the internet in the air, at the same speeds they can use on the ground. Plus they want VPN access, streaming video, teleconferencing and VOIP phone calls, which is a tall order. Speaking at the recent Bahrain Air Show, Derek Donahue, Satcom Direct’s regional director for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, (EEMEA), said: “We anticipate that
Steve Nichols evaluates latest developments and future of in-flight connectivity services, with insights from the industry
HIGH-TECH
Inmarsat I-5 satellite is being built at Boeing (top). Satcom Direct's Derek Donahue (center). Honeywell MCS-800 antenna (bottom).
in 2016 our clients will want more of everything – speed, bandwidth, applications – and will use our inflight tools even more intensely.” “We predict a subtle shift in expectations as passengers and crew see using their phone, internet, streaming TV, or accurately recording the aircraft’s activity, as the norm, not a luxury. We are readying ourselves for this increased activity and look forward to offering our existing, and new, customers an even better connectivity experience.”
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The main key to this speed hike is the increasing availability of faster Ka-band services over the next few years. With its higher radio frequencies (26.5–40 GHz) you can get a 1020x speed hike compared with current Ku-band systems and up to 40x more than SwiftBroadband (Lband). Satcom Direct is gearing up for the full global launch of Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX service via its Global Xpress Ka-band I-5 satellites. The company was one of the first providers to verify the functionality of its aero network and software services over the Inmarsat I-5 network. It conducted tests at its international headquarters in Farnborough, UK, via the initial Inmarsat I-5 satellite (F1), now in service over Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
CONNECTIVITY
DISPLAY
ViaSat's James Person is seen with diminutive Ka-band tail mounted antenna.
“Being the first in Business Aviation to prove our technologies over Inmarsat’s Ka-band network demonstrates that not only does Satcom Direct deliver what flight departments need now, we’re preparing for the future so that when operators transition to these new networks, the value added services they utilize are in place,” said Donahue. Donahue said interest in Jet ConneX was high, especially with VVIP and head of state (HOS) users in the Middle East. We are trying to pick early adopters who may benefit from the advantages that GX can bring,” he said. “A lot of potential new customers across Europe and Russia have also expressed interest.” Donahue said that there is a lot of STC development work that needs to be completed before GX becomes commonplace on VVIP aircraft (an STC has been granted on the B757 – Honeywell’s test bed aircraft) and installation costs are not insignificant. “To retrofit GX on a Boeing BBJ, for example, is likely to cost around $750,000-$1m,” he said. Jet ConneX is still on course for its formal global launch some time in the first half of 2016. The three Inmarsat I-5 satellites are in position and have now achieved global service introduction, and STC work on the fuselage-mounted Honeywell MCS-8200 and tail-mounted MCS8000 antennas is ongoing. And Inmarsat has plans for even more Ka-band satellites. The fourth is already being prepared at Boeing’s El Segundo plant near Los Angeles for a Q3 2016 launch and in December it announced that Airbus Defence and Space had been awarded a contract to design and develop the first two next-generation Inmarsat-6 (I-6) mobile communications satellites in a contract valued in the region of $600M ( 550M). I-6 F1 and F2 will carry a large 9m aperture L-band antenna and nine multi-beam Ka-band antennas, with first satellite (I-6 F1) scheduled for launch in 2020. A new-generation modular digital processor will provide full routing flexibility over up to 8,000 channels and be dynamically steerable over the full Earth disk, with flexible channel-to-beam allocation.
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Other companies are working on GX equipment and STCs for the Business Aviation community. EAD Aerospace, an Eclipse company, says it is working with two MRO companies to develop EASA Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) for Honeywell’s JetWave hardware for Inmarsat’s GX Aviation connectivity. The STCs will cover MCS-8200 installations on Airbus A320 family aircraft, A330, A340 and also Boeing 777. The current projects are all for undisclosed Middle Eastern customers. EAD Aerospace says its SUMS (Satcom Universal Mounting System) approach to certification prioritizes safety, flexibility and decreased weight. With minimal intrusion to the structure of the aircraft during installation, the EAD Aerospace SUMS solution will make removal of the antenna in the case of a leased airframe much easier. All STCs are being developed concurrently and the first is planned to be completed by the summer of 2016. Business operators in the Americas also have access to Kaband technology from a different supplier. James Person, Viasat’s Director, Global Business Development, General Aviation, said at EBACE 2015 in Geneva that the demand for m ore an d m ore b an d wid th from business users has become insatiable.
“They want to be able to do everything in the air that they can do on the ground. With our ViaSat ‘Exede in the Air’ service and its smaller dish they can get a multi-megabit experience.” ViaSat’s tiny tail-mount antenna is only 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter, but can deliver multi-Megabit speeds. At its ground-based demonstration at EBACE it was delivering data speeds of 8.83Mbps down and 3.2Mbps up using Eutelsat’s KASAT satellite. “We expect to get the whole system certified by the end of the first quarter of 2016. We’ll start with Gulfstreams and add Bombardier, Boeing BBJ, Cessna, Dassault and Embraer shortly after. “What is important is those multi megabit speeds are very sustainable,” said Person. “Each of our spot beams can handle a total of around 1,000Mbps, so any aircraft may only be using less than three percent of a beam’s total capacity.” ViaSat is also obtaining STCs for its first fuselage-mounted Global Aero Terminal 5320 Ku/Ka combined array. This will suit larger VVIP aircraft such as the Airbus ACJ and Boeing BBJ and will allow users to switch between Ku and Ka coverage depending upon their location. This brings the best of both worlds to business users who want to ensure they have high-speed connectivity all the time, with fall-back to other satellites if need be. And as new satellites come online, such as Intelsat’s Ku-band EpicNG
High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) range mentioned later, it just adds to the choices that are available to VVIP and HOS users. ViaSat announced in November that it has also partnered with Jet Aviation St. Louis to develop the first-ever hybrid Ku/Ka-band radome for Gulfstream’s large cabin business jets, starting with the Gulfstream G550. The agreement covers collaboration on both the new dual-band radome and associated Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The radome will support both the ViaSat 30cm tail-mount Kuband antenna and its advanced Kaband antenna separately or in a dual configuration. It also announced that it was working with Rockwell Collins to integrate its ViaSat VMT-1500 terminal and global Ku-band internet service with Rockwell Collins’ eRouter (ERT-120) and iARINCDirect flight support services, bringing comprehensive cabin and cockpit connectivity capabilities to business aviation operators. But just what is the company’s Kaband coverage like? ViaSat-1’s Ka-band service covers North and South America, plus Europe is covered through a roaming agreement with Eutelsat and its KA-SAT satellite. “This covers more than 85% of all business aviation routes at this time,” Person added. “We intend to roll-out further Ka-band coverage over time, just as cellphone operators have expanded their coverage.”
And that’s exactly what ViaSat is doing. The ViaSat-2 satellite will be launched by SpaceX later in 2016, with an in-service date of early 2017, and expand coverage over the Atlantic Ocean, plus add additional capacity over Canada and Central America. Don Buchman, ViaSat’s Director of Mobile Broadband, said that ViaSat-2 will have double the throughput capacity of ViaSat-1, from 140 Gbps to 280 Gbps. “ViaSat-2 will really open up routes down to the Caribbean, Mexico, North and South America, plus the trans-Atlantic paths. That covers the lion’s share of many common aircraft routes,” Buchman said. “But we have plenty more in the pipeline. We’re talking about ViaSat-3 now, which is step change yet again in terms of throughput. “This will be a ‘visible earth’ satellite offering full coverage from its geostationary position. The goal is to have three such satellites in position to cover the entire globe,” Buchman said. ViaSat-3, which will launch around the 2019 timeframe, will offer a total of 1,000 Gbps (1 Terrabit) throughput. “It will also offer smart capacity with the ability to focus its spot beams where capacity is actually needed,” Buchman said. “So we will eventually have a three-satellite ViaSat-3 constellation – one over the Americas, the second over Europe and the third over Asia-Pacific.
“This will give us global highspeed connectivity. There is a lot of demand out there and aviation plays a big part in that. We’ve been in this business a long while, but the demand has turned out to be phenomenal. “We are seeing high demand from existing customers that want to deploy ViaSat’s global highcapacity internet service for business applications like Voice over IP, VPN connectivity and highdefinition conference calls,” he said. There could also be another Kaband provider in a few years time. Abu Dhabi-based satellite operator Yahsat said in November that it is to trial inflight connectivity via its Ka-band satellites aboard an Etihad A320 aircraft. Mubadala-owned Yahsat says its Ka-band capacity could provide higher speeds and cheaper rates compared with other Ku-band inflight connectivity systems, offering speeds of up to 50 Mbps to the plane. Yahsat CEO Massood Mahmood said at the Dubai Airshow that it was early days for the trial and the final details had not been worked out. He added that Yahsat was looking at a number of options including different configurations, dual Ku/Ka-band antennas and coverage, and potential partnerships with others in the sector. “We’ve been looking at the possibility of inflight connectivity over Yahsat’s satellites for some time,” Mahmood said. “We now have extensive experience of providing Ka-band coverage to a wide range of users, including the UAE government and military. “That knowledge has proved invaluable for this next phase of our development – it’s a very exciting time.” Yahsat is looking at a number of options, including using Ku-band satellites to fill in the gaps where there is no Ka coverage. He said satellite operator SES could be a suitable partner to do just that. And like ViaSat with its Ku-Ka antenna, Yahsat is talking to potential partners about developing its own dual antenna solution.
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EXPANSION
Panasonic Avionics' David Bruner anticipates a growing demand for Ku-band HTS capacities.
CONNECTIVITY
TEAMWORK
ViaSat is working with Rockwell Collins to create a better on-board connectivity capability.
The company’s first satellite, Yahsat Y1A, was launched in April 2011, and the second, Y1B, in April 2012. Yahsat will launch its third satellite, Al Yah 3, by the end of 2016, extending its coverage to Brazil and an additional 16 markets across Africa. Collectively, these will provide Ka-band coverage over Africa, Latin America, and South-West Asia. A partnership deal with SES on a future Ka-band satellite could add Europe and Africa. While the current trial is focused on providing Ka-band connectivity to the air transport market, Yahsat has not ruled out providing the service to business users. The massive Gulf-based VVIP Business Aviation market could then make use of the STCs obtained for their air transport cousins. But Ku-band satellites can also provide megabit, or even multimegabit speeds. And this bandwidth is likely to get even greater with the launch of Intelsat’s nextgeneration EpicNG satellites. These High-Throughput Satellites (HTS) feature highpower spot beams that should boost the data rates available. The first EpicNG satellite to be lofted which was due to be launched from Kourou as the feature was being written. Full entry to service is planned for quarter two. James Collett, Director Mobility Services at Intelsat, said: “The satellite will cover the Americas, plus important trans-Atlantic routes, from its 310 degree East [50 degrees west] position” he said. “And hot on its heels will be Intelsat 33e, which is due to launch in the second half of 2016.” Intelsat-33e will sit at 60 degrees East and cover Europe, Africa and Asia. “We have four further EpicNG satellites planned for launch between 2016 and 2019,” Collett said. “The combined effect will be to double the capacity of our existing fleet.” EpicNG will feature both wide and spot beams, giving a total capacity of about 25-60Gbps per satellite. This translates to around 200Mbps per spot beam with the
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new high throughout satellite (HTS) services. “This is a leap up from the less than 10Gbps available currently,” Collett said. “The other important aspect of EpicNG is that we are putting the capacity just where it is needed, especially over high-density air traffic routes. “We are sticking with Ku as it has a lot of momentum in the inflight connectivity market and no hardware upgrades will be needed to take advantage of the higher throughout.” Another big development on the Ku-band front late last year was news that Panasonic Avionics is to enter the Business Aviation market with its inflight connectivity products. It has joined forces with Astronics AeroSat to bring highspeed inflight connectivity services and global live television programming to the business and VVIP aviation market. Astronics Aerosat says it will use its tail-mounted Ku-band antenna with Panasonic’s Global Communications Services to offer high-speed internet, four channels of global television services and regional DBS-TV programming. But why did Panasonic decide to break into the Business Aviation market now? David Bruner, Vice President of Global
Communications Services for Panasonic Avionics, said: “We’ve looked at this market for quite some time. From a network design perspective, we’ve had the ability to serve the Business Aviation community with global coverage for several years now. “What we needed from a technology perspective was a robust tailmount antenna with performance that meets the requirements of this demanding customer group. “Our agreement with Astronics to use their T-Series tail-mount antenna gives us that critical piece of technology we need to deliver a superior service into this market,” Bruner added. “The other major factor is the introduction of the new Ku-band HTS capacity worldwide, layered on top of our already global coverage, which allows us to offer true broadband guaranteed data rates virtually everywhere these types of aircraft fly.” Bruner said that customers operating globally, who have “experienced the most deficient service” will benefit most immediately. He added that the massive Kuband capacity coming online in North America and in the Europe/Middle East regions will offer broadband service levels unheard of in Business Aviation.
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FROM THE COCKPIT
ARE WE TEACHING PIC?
LeRoy Cook reflects on the tough aspect of pilot judgment and decision making in unfamiliar situations
T
PRAISE
Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles are credited with saving 155 lives in Airbus A320 seen above.
hroughout a pilot’s developing career, it is important to foster the growth of pilot in command capability. This begins with the transition to a solo-authorized student pilot, then achieving the private pilot license, and continuing into commercial pilot status with successive upgrades. All too often, we are concerned with meeting legal minimum standards, pushing applicants through the syllabus as efficiently as possible. But, overriding all other concerns should be: making the trainee capable of being pilot in command. At some point, we must convert them from pliant trainees to decision makers — often a new experience for someone who has been under the strict control of a training program. As instructors and evaluators, we must be watching for independent decision-making, not just rote procedural compliance. What will this apprentice do when faced with a challenge? Yes, it is important to reach for the checklist, or complete the memory items as appropriate to the situation. More so is recognizing the need for such action, and making sure it’s the
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correct response. When US Airways Flight 1549 suffered dual flameouts from goose ingestion over New York City on 15 January 2009, First Officer Jeffery Skiles automatically retrieved the emergency restart checklist and began working it, even before Captain Chesley Sullenberger, as PIC, called for it. Because he had been taught to be PIC himself, Skiles knew his job. From The Beginning PIC training starts early, and continues with each flight. A PIC has total responsibility for the safe conduct of a flight. He or she can, and should,
refuse to take an airplane into the air that fails to pass a critical preflight inspection. The weather must meet the standards required by the flight be it local or across a continent, strictly VMC or IMC, day or night, with passengers or crew only, in crosswind or down the runway. Even a student pilot has authority to make these decisions, when operating solo in the aircraft. In many cases, a flight academy places aircraft on the line and the student assumes the maintenance crew has given it its blessing. It’s presumed to be airworthy, or the school
or CFI wouldn’t have okayed its use. However, I’m always proud of a student who brings a plane back from the run-up ramp because a fault was found during the pre-takeoff check. An excessive RPM drop or spongy brake might be justifiable for a short flight on my own, but when the student takes the correct action I know he’s becoming a PIC. As preparation for a flight check, I will purposely ask a trainee to perform a stall at less than 1,500 feet AGL. When he does a perfect, textbook-choreographed stall, I tell him that it was unacceptable, and of course he wants to know why. I point to the altimeter needle and tell him: “You should have refused my request and told me you needed to climb to a safe altitude before proceeding.” The issue is not compliance with checkride procedures, I stress, but the need to have enough altitude in case the stall doesn’t go as planned. He or she must be PIC, not just on checkrides or under tutelage, but on every flight when in charge of the aircraft. Questioning authority in the interest of safety is a responsibility of the PIC. PIC status is an awesome obligation. Innocent lives will — not may or might, but WILL — be in the hands of the pilot. To continue on in the face of danger, to accept an unairworthy aircraft, to flaunt inconvenient regulations, to abdicate weather or fuel load decisions to a briefer or dispatcher — these are signs that we have a pilot who’s not fully in command. The ultimate PIC is the person who exercises PIC authority to meet a PIC responsibility. Taking Charge A MetroJet B-737 captain refused a takeoff clearance on a foggy night in December, 1999 at Providence, Rhode Island, because there was another aircraft on the tower frequency whose location on the airport after landing was unverified. As it turned out, the other airplane was sitting on the active runway, unseen by the tower controller. And there was a commuter airliner that showed up unscheduled at our little airport one day, seeking additional fuel because the captain noticed the transfer pumps weren’t feeding. And a private pilot called me from a satellite field,
needing a ride back to base, after several attempts to land in a 25-knot crosswind resulted in go-arounds. In all these cases, the aircraft and its occupants were safe, in spite of a threatening situation that might have snared a less-wary pilot. A pilot once told me, with a certain measure of pride, that he brought our airplane back from a weather-plagued trip by flying at 500-feet AGL for the last few miles. Instead of the congratulatory kudo he expected, I told him I would’ve have been prouder if he had called me to pick him up at the last airport he flew past while he still had acceptable weather. By pressing on, he only proved he was good at holding altitude and heading with precision. He was not showing himself worthy of being PIC, where decisions, not vacillation, are required. Where does PIC training start? From the earliest student-pilot days. It’s normal for beginners to defer to the vaunted experience in the right seat, from which they have grown to expect direction and judgment calls. A good CFI will wait for an appropri-
I find an appalling lack of fully-PIC training in new pilot logbooks. The minimally-required number of hours spent in solo practice is insufficient to build decision-making. Operating on one’s own forces PIC status on the student and creates a PIC mentality, out of necessity. Students should not be short-cutted into the next phase of training without time to develop. When I see easy solo cross-country flights that merely repeat the path of the dual cross-country training, I have to wonder if the trainee is capable of making PIC decisions in unfamiliar situations. Role-modeling is part of PIC training. When I cancel a trip, I talk about it with every low-time pilot I meet that day, and I tell them exactly why I didn’t go. It’s important for them to know that grown-up pilots can, and should, refuse to go at times. As an experienced PIC, do not set the wrong example by stretching limits of weather, loading or airworthiness. What beginners see you do, they’ll try to emulate someday. Freedom is the payoff for achieving PIC status. Unlike military and airline pilots, we in general aviation are free
ate amount of time before issuing directions, seeing if the student will act on his or her own. I seldom see even high-time students initiate a goaround from a poorly-executed approach. They’ll wait for the CFI to call the wave-off, as if they were thinking “he’s not saying anything, so he must want me to keep going.” Instead, I would like to see them abort on their own and then tell me what they’re going to do differently on the next try. That’s a sign that they are beginning to take charge and are well on their way to becoming pilots in command.
to launch a flight on our own recognizance, without support from Operations or Dispatch. That freedom to light up and slip the surly bonds carries a price. The responsibility for the outcome of the flight is totally ours, requiring constant crosschecking and evaluation as the trip proceeds. Making PIC decisions is what it’s all about, and students aren’t going to learn that unless they are shown. We can’t expect them to assume aviation adulthood without providing a transition from dependency as part of their training.
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LIABILITY
PICs ought to watch for independent decisionmaking, not just rote procedural compliance.
SAFETY SENSE
SUDDENLY IN
TROUBLE
Michael R. Grüninger and Capt. Carl C. Norgren share real life experiences and lessons on flight safety challenges, pre-flight calculations Going with the flow In Basel runway 15 is the main landing runway. When ATC advised the crew that a take-off from runway 33 was possible, but would imply a delay of over half an hour, the commander decided against runway 33 and opted for runway 15 where no delays were expected. The Belair aircraft then commenced taxiing. At this stage, the crew tried again to get runway 33 again, but it became obvious why the take-off had to be performed from runway 15. There was simply too much landing traffic on runway 15 and all preceding departures
P
THREAT
Commander and First Officer of Belair flight BHP 2532 faced challenge when taking off the A320-214.
lan the flight
The weather in Basel on this early afternoon of 06 October 2014 was excellent. The air was 20°C warm under a blue sky just sprinkled with a few clouds. There was no significant wind. The Airbus 320-214 was still at the gate while the Commander and the First Officer of Belair flight BHP 2532 were preparing the cockpit for a flight to Djerba, Tunisia. The crew discussed which runway to use. Initially they wanted to use Runway 33’s total available runway length of 3900 m. The commander was meticulous in preparation. Various take-off scenarios were prepared. The crew calculated the take-off data for a full length runway 33 and 15 departure. In addition, the commander calculated the take-off data for an intersection takeoff at Golf on runway 15 on his EFB and the co-pilot prepared a take-off from the Hotel intersection on runway 15 on his EFB. The Flight Management and Guidance System (FMGS) allows two different flight routes to be entered. The crew loaded a full-length runway
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15 departure into the primary flight plan and a full-length runway 33 departure in the secondary flight plan. The crew briefed for take-off while still standing at the gate. The briefing on that particular day covered a fulllength take-off on runway 15 and a take-off on runway 33 from Delta intersection. Neither of the two intersections Gold and Hotel on runway 15 were mentioned.
were taking place towards the south-est. The Belair aircraft gave way to an Easyjet Airbus which then departed from intersection Golf of runway 15. At this stage the Commander of the Belair flight decided to follow his peer and proposed to ATC that they too could take-off from intersection Golf. He was assuming that the aircraft in approach to runway 15 would land first.
Surprisingly ATC cleared BHP 2532 for take-off before the next landing aircraft. Time was suddenly in short supply and the crew lined-up on runway 15 and performed a rolling takeoff. At V1 the commander noted that the acceleration was slower than usual and that the end of the runway was approaching fast. He realized that the safety of the flight was at risk. Suddenly the flight was in danger. The commander applied TOGA power. Simultaneously he checked on his EFB, where a Golf intersection take-off had already been calculated, whether the aircraft was already fast enough for rotation. He rotated. The climb was uneventful and the flight continued to Djerba. Streamlining and expediting Streamlining flight operations and performing tasks expeditiously is part of the daily routine of every airline commander. Time is money and passengers expect flights to operate to published schedules. This results in constant time pressure and air crews aim to fit into the flow of other traffic as well as possible. Nobody wants to obstruct others or to be obstructed unnecessarily. But time pressure is an old enemy of flight safety. In this particular case, the crew let time pressure and the wish to go with the flow affect the safety of their operation. Such streamlining happened in a context where procedures did not effectively prevent errors to happen. The investigation highlighted three contributing factors: ❍ Procedures which required the checking of essential items in silence. Without verbalization crosschecking could not take place in the spirit of a closed loop. ❍ The decision to perform an intersection take-off was made at very short notice without consideration of the time required for a re-briefing. ❍ Additional cross-checking of the data entered into the flight guidance system during the line up, which had been introduced by the company 6 months earlier, was ineffective because the flight crew were unaware of this new procedure.
Changing the plan The crew had prepared the flight thoroughly. They had calculated multiple takeoff scenarios for take-off and all data was in the FMS or in their EFBs. Despite the good preparation, events unfolded not as expected. As the crew tried to speed up departure, and ATC provided them a take-off clearance ahead of the expected moment, the crew was suddenly put in a state of hurry. The ideal sequence of actions required a certain amount of time.
for reasons of operational efficiency. The pre-flight calculations had ascertained that the accelerate-stop distance did not exceed the accelerate-stop distance available (ASDA) as required by the regulations (CAT.POL.A.205). By suddenly changing the plan last minute, the flight was put at peril. Researchers suggest that pilots should treat interruptions, suspending tasks, deferring tasks or performing tasks out of normal sequence as red flags.
That time was simply not available any longer. Human factor researchers have dispelled the myth that multitasking comes easily to humans. The Belair crew found themselves in a situation where they had to taxi, lineup and perform a take-off before they were able to complete all FMGS changes. This typical multitasking situation created vulnerability to error. The situation would have been mitigated were the procedures designed to accommodate multitasking situations. Instead of fostering cross-checks with a closed loop logic, the operator’s silent cockpit philosophy separated the pilots from each other. The erroneous take-off power setting remained undetected. Only the commander’s experience in judging distances and his disposition to react swiftly prevented a bigger tragedy.
The next simple way to mitigating multitasking risks is to use solid procedures. The simplest way to return to a standard situation is to stop and take the time to fix the issues. But stopping while cleared for takeoff is a hard decision to take for a pilot who wants to fit smoothly into the flow.
Fly the plan The tragic aspect of this serious incident is characterized by the good preparation which vanished
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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 (ISBAO, IOSA), consultancy, manual development and process engineering. GCS can be reached at www.gcs-safety.com and +41-41 460 46 60. The column Safety Sense appears regularly in BART International since 2007.
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DANGER
Time pressure and multitasking risks are enemies of aviation safety.
HONDAJET
HONDA AIRCRAFT
CELEBRATES ITS FIRST HONDAJET DELIVERY Volker K. Thomalla takes a close look at HondaJet’s industrial revival with its first delivery of advanced light jet that Honda Aircraft would be able to deliver the first HA-420 HondaJet to a customer before the end of the year. He had all reasons for his optimism, because the new aircraft type had received provisional type certification from the FAA on March 27, 2015 and had completed all FAA Part 23 certification flight testing in October. The flight test program had exceeded 3000 flight hours and was conducted at more than 70 locations in the United States. Both program milestones, the certification and the first delivery, were met as promised.
H
ENTHUSIASM
Delivery of the first HondaJet to an excitedly awaiting new owner in North Carolina.
onda Aircraft has handed over the first HondaJet to a customer on December 23. The light jet is fully packed with innovations for greater comfort, speed and efficiency. But the road to certification and first customer delivery has been far longer than expected at program launch. Now, Honda Aircraft is ramping up production. At last year’s NBAA in November in Las Vegas, Honda Aircraft President and CEO, Michimasa Fujino, was very optimistic that the final type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would be awarded to Honda Aircraft before the end of 2015 and
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the world,” said Michimasa Fujino. Honda Aircraft declined to name the buyer of the first HondaJet. But a look into the FAA registry shows that the aircraft with the registration N420EX is owned by Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee of Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a long journey for Honda Aircraft to get to this important milestone. Back in 1997, Michimasa Fujino had sketched the first drawings of a new light jet that should become the HondaJet. In December of 2003, the first proof-of-conceptdemonstrator took to the air. In 2006, Honda Aircraft was founded as a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co. It wanted to form a sales and service alliance with Piper Aircraft and expected the certification of the HondaJet no later than 2010. But the alliance with Piper stalled as did the certification in 2010. Delays plagued the programs in its initial phases. Four years later, on On December 8, 2015, the HondaJet received final type certification from the FAA. More than 2000 people were present at Honda Aircraft’s World Headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, when FAA Administrator Michael Huerta handed over the type certificate to Michimasa Fujino. “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.” He joked: “This is one of the most expensive pieces of paper!” Michael Huerta answered: “Tonight, the experiment is over. Go fly!” Just two weeks later, on December 23, Honda Aircraft handed over the first HondaJet to an undisclosed customer. “We are very excited to commence deliveries of the HondaJet, fulfilling Honda’s commitment to advancing human mobility through innovation. Honda Aircraft has now extended this commitment skyward with the delivery of our first aircraft, and I hope we soon will begin to see many HondaJets at airports around
December 20, 2010, the first flight of the first FAA-conforming HondaJet took place, right in the middle of the recession that had struck the world’s economy and that had cut the demand for light jets by over 50 percent from one day to another. But Honda Aircraft continued its path. The first production HondaJet achieved its initial flight on June 27, 2014. One month later, on July 28, 2014, the aircraft made its public debut at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The HondaJet enters a market that is already well served by established manufacturers like Textron Aviation with the Cessna Citation Mustang,
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FULFILLED
Honda Aircraft CEO Michimasa Fujino in high spirits after the HondaJet certification last December.
HONDAJET Citation M2 and CJ3+, Embraer with the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 and Bombardier with the Learjet 70. But the HondaJet is a unique aircraft with a lot of innovative features. The most striking feature of the aircraft is its patented over-the-wing engine mount (OTWEM) design that according to Honda Aircraft, “dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag”. It helps also to reduce cabin sound and ground-detectable noise. The winglet-equipped wings are laminar flow wings and even the front sec-
COMPLETION
Now in full capacity, HondaJet expects to build 50 aircraft in the first production year.
tion of the aircraft maintains a laminar flow over the lower fuselage reducing drag and improving the overall aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft. The designers of the HondaJet have chosen composites to build the aircraft’s fuselage. The cabin is the roomiest in its class and offers seating for four passengers. The aircraft can be flown by a two-member crew or single handed, leaving room for a fifth passenger in the co-pilot’s seat. For everyone’s comfort, the $4.5 million aircraft is equipped with a fully serviceable private aft lavatory. Honda Aircraft brings some fresh air to the market in other areas of aircraft ownership. The liveries of the aircraft are standing out from other manufacturer’s designs. The aircraft’s design has a basic white which is topped by green, yellow, red, silver or blue patches on top of the front section, the engines and the empennage. The HondaJet flies at a maximum cruise speed of 420 KTAS at flight level 300. The maximum cruise alti-
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tude is 43,000 ft, the initial rate of climb is 3990 ft/min. With four occupants, it can fly nonstop 1180 nautical miles (NBAA IFR range). At program launch, Honda Aircraft wanted to use Garmin’s G1000 avionics suite as standard equipment. But the company later decided to switch to the much more advanced Garmin G3000 Avionics which is customized by Honda. Three 14-inch landscape high-resolution displays and two touch-screen controllers enable the flight crew to get all flight-critical information where and when they need it. The $4.5 million jet features a 40/60 display configuration on both Primary Flight Displays (PFD). This 40/60 enhancement provides an easier visual scan for pilots and contributes to improved situational awareness and safety by allowing the pilot or co-pilot to select and show additional information within a customizable tile that consumes approximately 40 percent of the width of each display.
The HondaJet is powered by two GE Honda HF120 turbofans with a bypass ratio of 2.9:1 and an output of 2050 lb. The engine is a clean-sheet design, which was certified by the FAA back in December 2013. It features a wide-chord swept titanium blisk fan with composite fan outer guide vanes and is controlled by a dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC). The time between overhaul is 5000 hours. The engine is manufactured by GE Honda Engines in Burlington, North Carolina, some 30 miles east of Honda Aircraft’s World Headquarter. Together with FlightSafety International, Honda Aircraft has developed training programs for crews and technicians for the new jet. These programs incorporate new training technologies like an enhanced graphic system and operational day flow to allow pilots a seamless transition from the classroom to the cockpit. The Honda Aircraft Training Center became operational in late 2014 in Greensboro, but had to wait for the arrival of the first simulator. In February 2015, the first HondaJet full motion flight simulator was installed in the HondaJet Training Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was built and assembled at Flight Safety’s facilities in Borken Arrow, Oklahoma. It’s a level D simulator that will be certified to meet both the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. “Pilot training is an important factor for safety, and we are putting significant effort and investment into flight training for all of our customers. The HondaJet flight simulator will be an invaluable training tool in preparing pilots to
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HONDAJET operate the world’s most advanced light jet. It is part of a customized training program that will use the latest technologies to create a learning experience that is engaging and real to life,” said Fujino. The company has built a worldwide dealer network in eleven territories. Central Europe (including Austria, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuiania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia 2015 in Geneva. Right after the show in Switzerland, the HondaJet demonstrator flew to the UK, Belgium, France, Germany and Poland before returning to Greensboro in the US. Upon completing the tour, Honda Aircraft stated: ”The world tour, combined with a North American demonstration tour, has demonstrated the aircraft’s maturity, reliability and readiness for entry into service. The HondaJet flew more than 300 total hours in North America, Japan, Europe and South America.” Honda Aircraft is now ramping up production. At the end of 2015, the company had 1700 employees and 25
INTERIOR
HondaJet interiors bring together: comfort, ergonomic efficiency and safety.
and Switzerland) is served by Rheinland Air Service (RAS) of Mönchengladbach, Germany, while TAG Aviation in Farnborough is looking after Southern Europe (including Andorra, the Channel Islands, Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud in Switzerland) and Southern England. Belgium, Ireland, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Scandinavia is the territory of Marshall Aircraft Sales Limited of Birmingham. Honda Aircraft itself looks after Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS from its World headquarters in Greensboro. The manufacturer offers a warranty which is transferable upon aircraft resale. The airframe and OEM components have a warranty that runs up to 36 months after delivery or 1500 flight hours, the earlier to occur. Paint and interior equipment are warranted until a year after the delivery date.
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Near the end of the flight test campaign, Honda Aircraft sent one aircraft on a world tour to demonstrate not only the maturity of the aircraft, but to show the jet to potential and existing customers. The 26,000 miles World Tour started officially in Japan in April. The jet was featured at public and private events at six airports with the HondaJet conducting flight demonstrations. More than 10,000 people had the opportunity to see the jet in Japan. The tour continued with the official European HondaJet debut at EBACE
HondaJets were in different stages of production. Honda Aircraft expects to built 50 aircraft in the first full production year, increasing this number to about 75 thereafter. Michimasa Fujino is optimistic that the HondaJet will raise the bar. He said: "Honda Aircraft is not only bringing new value to the market with the HondaJet, but also a higher standard for aircraft ownership. Together with the HondaJet dealer network, we have built the infrastructure to deliver on our objective."
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