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SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
2018 BUSINESS AVIATION TIMELINE
1988
2018 EXCLUSIVE FLEET REPORT
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UPFRONT
The Times They Are A-Changin'? FEELING NOSTALGIC, I RECENTLY dusted off a copy of BART International's very first Fleet Report. Published in February 1989, back when this magazine was still called BA&RT (Business Aviation & Regional Transport), I couldn't help but notice how much has changed both in our world and in our industry. For instance, back then the map of Europe looked just a little different. I see there's a strange place called Yugoslavia and countries like Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia seem to be missing. And there's only half a Germany! The Iron Curtain was still standing strong then, a reality that had a major effect on how we reported our fleet numbers. Whereas today our pages are full of news about the Russian market, back then, when it was still the USSR, the region didn't even register. It's hard to believe that, just a short nine months later, the Berlin Wall would come crashing down and everything would change - the effects of which we're still feeling today. But it's not just the world map that is unrecognizable - Business Aviation looked a lot different back then too. In 1989, we reported that "the Business Aviation fleet is spread fairly equally between the jets and the turboprops…" with the latter being "dominant". According to this year's report the opposite is true. Although we again report that the "global fleet is relatively well-balanced between jets and turboprops", it's the jets that are now the "dominant" breed.
Fernand M. Francois Editor and Publisher
The real story, however, is in the total fleet size. In 1989, we listed the global bizav fleet at 14,181 aircraft. This year, that fleet is at 36,707 aircraft. In other words, Business Aviation has more than doubled in less than 30 years. This makes perfect sense, of course. Today's world is more globalized than the world of Ronald Reagan, shoulder pads and Top Gun, and no mode of transportation is better geared to doing business on a global scale than Business Aviation. There's also been a noticeable change of names over the past 30 years. In our first report the jet roster included names like: AMDBA, now replaced by Falcon. You also have new names like Airbus, Boeing and HondaJet, just to name a few. I can't wait to see Aerion! Despite how much has changed since that first Fleet Report, I'm also struck by how much hasn't. Back then the North American market reigned supreme, with the region's fleet being greater than all the others put together. This year the same holds true, with the North American region accounting for 24,297 of the world's business aircraft. The same can be said for our world. The Cold War may be over, but today's headlines still talk about nuclear war. Star Wars is back in the theaters, Tom Cruise continues to make movies and I still don't get the 'music' playing on the radio. But I guess it's as they say: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
“The present changes the past. Looking back you do not find what you left behind.” Kiran Desal, The Inheritance of Loss
CONTENTS Volume XXX N°1 EDITOR and PUBLISHER Fernand M. Francois ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Kathy Ann Francois ASSISTANT to the PUBLISHER Victoria Coffman
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60
FLEET REPORT
Based on statistics provided by JetNet, our annual Fleet Report sees a steady and relentless market. Nick Klenske reports.
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64
MINI-BOOM YEAR
EDITOR-in-CHIEF Volker K. Thomalla
After analyzing the latest economic figures, Richard Koe concludes that the business aircraft market could gain momentum in 2018.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nick Klenske
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MANAGING EDITOR Busra Ozturk ART DIRECTOR Tanguy Francois
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Louis Smyth, Giulia Mauri, Derek Bloom, Richard Koe, Anna Naznarova
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HELI-EXPO SHOW PREVIEW
At this year's Heli-Expo in Las Vegas, OEMs will highlight innovation in rotorcraft technology.
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SAFETY SENSE
Michael Grüninger and Capt. Carl Norgren analyze a deadly accident, emphasizing the importance of wearing seat belts.
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MODIFICATIONS
Due to the longevity of business aircraft, modifications and upgrades play an increasingly important role concludes BART Senior Editor Marc Grangier.
THE DOCKET
Aoife O'Sullivan suggests giving appropriate care and attention to the choice of law and jurisdiction when buying an aircraft.
SECTIONS
ADVERTISING Kathy Ann Francois Marketing Director kafrancois@bartintl.com
EBACE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
FROM THE COCKPIT
Capt. LeRoy Cook offers crucial guidelines on operating an airplane on a contaminated runway.
CONTACT US info@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
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2017 saw a slight increase in the global helicopter fleet, with China leading the way, reports Volker K. Thomalla.
TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Steve Nichols LAW EDITOR Aoife O'Sullivan
SHOW PREVIEW AERO 2018
Opening the door to Business Aviation, AERO Friedrichshafen will feature turboprop aircraft and jets from different OEMs.
HELICOPTER FLEET REPORT
SENIOR EDITOR Marc Grangier SAFETY EDITORS Capt. LeRoy Cook Michael R. Grüninger
THE FUTURE OF AVIONICS
After talking with industry leaders, Steve Nichols says connectivity, ADS-B and software applications will be the next "Big Thing" in the avionics sector.
3 EDITORIAL 6 POINTER 8 QUICK LANE
PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE MEMBER OF
22 BUSINESS NEWS 24 ON THE MOVE 26 TRANSATLANTIC UPDATE
OUR ADVERTISERS and their Agencies OUR COVER Clockwise starting center left, four Legends of the ‘88 Era, featured in BART N°1: 1- Gulfstream GIV, one of the most requested private jet worldwide. 2- Launched in 1988, the all composite Beechcraft Starship twin turboprop. 3- Dassault-Breguet Falcon 900, the only tri-jets in production in 1988. 4- Piaggio P180 Avanti, twin turboprop in pusher configuration. 5- Aiming to fly in 2023, the Aerion AS2 will be the first supersonic business aircraft. Be on the lookout for BART issue 203. 6- BART Special BACE 17 went in flame at our printer’s facilities 3 days before the Convention and reprinted on the hop. 7- First ever Business Aviation magazine in Europe in 1988, BART International opened offices in the US in 2009.
27 17 65 23 11 21 73 7 77 2 9 31 25 13 15 43 63 19 67 71 84 81 79 83 39
Atlas Air Service Avfuel Corporation BendixKing (TMP Worldwide) Blackhawk Modifications, Inc. CAE Duncan Aviation EBACE 2018 FlightSafety International (GRETEMAN GROUP) GCS Safety Solution Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation HondaJet (MILNER BUTCHER MEDIA GROUP) Jet Aviation JetNet LLC Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Raisbeck Engineering Rockwell Collins ARINCDirect Rolls-Royce RUBACE 2018 SmartSky Networks (GRETEMAN GROUP) Textron Aviation (Copp Media Services, Inc.) The Air Law Firm UAS International Trip Support Universal Avionics Systems, Corp. Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.
A BREAKTHROUGH IN AERONAUTICS
The Over-The-Wing Engine Mount was engineered and proven by Honda after more than 20 years of extensive research and development.
POINTER Events
IN SEQUENCE BRIEFING ROOM CALCULATING ETPS FOR GA AIRCRAFT Nathan Shelley, Senior Flight Planning Specialist at Universal Weather, gives the planning tips.
Agenda HAI HELI-EXPO Feb 26 - Mar 1, 2018 Las Vegas, USA
AERO Friedrichshafen Apr 18 - 21, 2018 Friedrichshafen, Germany
EBACE May 29 - 31, 2018 Geneva, Switzerland
FARNBOROUGH International July 16 - 22, 2018 Farnborough, UK
RUBACE Sept. 12 - 14, 2018 Vnukovo 3 Moscow, Russia
There’s no regulatory requirement for general aviation (GA) operators to calculate Equal Time Points (ETPs) when planning and filing flight plans. However, ETP planning is a best practice procedure most operators choose to make as part of the pre-flight planning process. The following is an overview of what you need to know: ETP DEFINITION
have ETPs when operating over smaller bodies of water and even land masses — such as the Gulf of Mexico or even Anchorage (PANC) to Houston (KHOU). To calculate or not to calculate ETPs always depends on a particular flight department’s ops specs. In general, it’s best practice to have ETPs on flight plans. WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS There are weather recommendations and minima to consider when planning ETPs. Ideally the location should have at least a 500 ft. ceiling and one statute mile visibility to be considered viable. However, in case of limited ETP options the operator might consider a 200 ft. minimum ceiling and ½ statute mile visibility. You’ll also want to ensure there are no NOTAMs that could restrict operations to the ETP.
An ETP is a geographical point in the flight where the aircraft would have the same flying time to continue on to a given airport or to turn back to another suitable airfield. While the ETP is generally close to midpoint of a flight leg this is dependent upon wind factor. If, for example, you’re flying from San Francisco (KSFO) to Honolulu (PHNL), the ETP would be the coast in/coast out point to PHNL or back to KSFO. If you’re flying into headwinds, however, the ETP will be closer to PHNL than to KSFO.
ETPS VS. ETOPS
PURPOSE OF ETPS
CONCLUSION
An ETP is used as a critical point based on an emergency situation. Such emergencies include depressurization, engine failure and/or in-flight medical emergency. Note that ETPs often vary, depending upon the particular emergency scenario and flight level you’ll need to descend to. For depressurization at cruise altitude the norm is to descend to 10,000 ft, engine failure often means descending to 25,000 ft. and in cases of medical emergency flight level changes when required, and will depend on the type of emergency. In practice, actual required changes in flight level will depend on the “operational specs” of the particular flight department.
ETP requirements will vary from one operator to another depending on the ops specs, crew preferences, weather conditions, and region of flight. ETPs are always recommended over regions such as large bodies of water and flying over landmass with few airport options. Note that unlike ETOPs, when filing a flight plan, ETPs won’t incur certain airport charges, so it’s a benefit for the flight to have additional options to consider.
FLIGHT PLAN CONSIDERATIONS
If you have any questions about this article or would like flight planning assistance for your next trip.
Not all flight plans contain ETPs as this is at the discretion of the individual operator. Most operators calculate ETPs when flying over large bodies of water or significant Arctic, Siberian or jungle regions. But, in some cases, operators choose to
ETPs differ from Extended Twin Engine Operations (ETOPs) points in that ETPs are not usually filed with flight plans while ETOPs points are. With an ETP you do not need to notify the particular airport or arrange service availability at the location, while you must do this with ETOPs points. Additionally, including ETOPs points in a flight plan may incur local airport changes whereas this is not the case with ETPs.
Stay tuned for Part 2 in BART 174, covering information on special considerations regarding your ETPs. QUESTIONS
For more information: Contact Nathan Shelley nathanshelley@univ-wea.com.
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QUICK LANE JET AVIATION APPOINTED A BBJ FACTORY AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER IN SINGAPORE Jet Aviation’s MRO facility at Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore has been designated a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) Authorized Warranty Repair Facility and BBJ Factory Authorized Service Center (ASC), joining the company’s previously appointed BBJ ASCs in Basel, Dubai and Geneva. The MRO facility in Singapore has also received EASA approval for the Gulfstream G650. The Boeing Factory Authorized Service Center and Warranty Repair Facility designation permits Jet Aviation’s maintenance facility in Singapore to provide warranty line and base maintenance support to the Boeing BBJ series.
AERO-DIENST’S SUCCESSFUL 120-MONTH INSPECTION ON A GLOBAL EXPRESS XRS
LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AND MTU AERO ENGINES LAUNCH EME AERO
Aero-Dienst, Nuremberg, completed the most comprehensive maintenance event on a Global Express XRS to the customer’s satisfaction. The work scope of the 120-month inspection included the complete dismantling of the VIP cabin, extensive structure and system inspections and the major overhaul of the landing gear. Before the partial painting finalized the works’ proceeding all applicable Airworthiness Directives and requested Service Bulletins were completed. From a 12-year inspection on a Learjet 35 to a 120-month check on a Global Express XRS, major maintenance checks are being carried out for the respective aircraft types.
Lufthansa Technik and MTU Aero Engines have set up a joint venture for the MRO of geared turbofan engines, with each of the partners holding a stake of 50 percent in the new company. The name of the new JV is Engine Maintenance Europe, or EME Aero for short. EME Aero sp. z o.o. will be based in Poland and will have a workforce of 800 employees in the future. The two parties to the joint venture will invest a total amount of around 150 million euros by 2020. The planned annual capacity is over 400 shop visits of PW1000G-series geared turbofans, which power the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft and other airliners.
WORLD FUEL SERVICES CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR WITH TAG FARNBOROUGH World Fuel Services (WFS) has celebrated a successful first year as full-service fuels and solutions provider to TAG Farnborough Airport. This vital deal between the two companies provided WFS with the capabilities to be a front runner in the market in offering a full service and physical on the ground solution for the airport. World Fuel Services’ Vice President Mark Amor commented: “We have always had a relationship with TAG Aviation, however, in the past we were often categorized as the payments and solutions partner, bringing customers, helping manage traffic and promotion and some marketing.”
8 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
Aviation has never been quite the same since the introduction of HondaJet. Apparently, some rules were meant to be broken if we were to stand by our desire to advance the definition of the ultimate flying experience. Because of our innovative thinking, there is no better place to gain increased productivity, access to more places and time on your own terms. The HondaJet is the fastest, most spacious and efficient way to get it all. Find out more about the world’s most technologically advanced light jet at HondaJet.com. The game has changed. Forever. Š Honda Aircraft Company
1.336.387.0707 HondaJet.com
QUICK LANE TEXTRON AVIATION OFFERS GOGO AVANCE L5 CONNECTIVITY SYSTEM FOR CITATION X Textron Aviation Inc. has received supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for the Gogo AVANCE L5 connectivity system upgrade for its Cessna Citation X business jet. When equipped with the AVANCE L5, the Citation X will deliver faster inflight connectivity speeds and enhanced network capacity for a more robust user experience. In addition to the Citation X, the company plans to introduce the AVANCE L5 system to additional products across the Citation, Beechcraft King Air and Hawker platforms in the coming months.
GENEVA AIRPARK’S SERVICES IN INCREASING DEMAND With a growing number of people looking for daily and short-term premium aircraft parking at LSGG, Geneva Airpark’s professional services are in increasing demand having registered a record 20 percent increase year to date on the DAILY service. This is in line with a recent EBAA report, quoting an almost 9 percent increase in Business Aviation movements, marking 10 successive months of uninterrupted growth in Europe. Geneva Airpark is meeting the ever-growing demand for Business Aviation parking at LSGG head-on by completely re-organizing the specially developed 10,000sq meters covered business jet hangar to promote the DAILY solution on short and medium-term stays.
QUEST AIRCRAFT CELEBRATES 10 YEARS SINCE FIRST CUSTOMER DELIVERY
BLACKHAWK WELCOMES WESTERN AIRCRAFT TO AUTHORIZED DEALER NETWORK Blackhawk Modifications, Inc. welcomed Western Aircraft, A Greenwhich AeroGroup Company, to their global network of Authorized Dealers. Located in Boise, Idaho, Western Aircraft is an FAA authorized service center, certified aircraft repair station (FE6R532N), and worldwide distributor of parts and avionics for many of the world’s top aircraft manufacturers and OEMs such as Cessna Aircraft, Dassault Falcon, Beechcraft, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Universal Avionics, Pilatus and many other major suppliers to the corporate and general aviation industry. The addition of Western Aircraft expands Blackhawk’s Dealer Network to 84 Authorized Dealers worldwide.
2017’s December marked the tenth anniversary of the first Kodiak 100 delivery for Quest Aircraft, the Idaho-based manufacturer of the 10-seat turbine STOL aircraft. Over the course of the past ten years, the Kodiak earned a reputation as a highly rugged and technologically advanced single-engine turboprop. 235 Kodiaks were delivered to customers worldwide in 2017. The Kodiak has made considerable advances during the past decade, thanks to a consistent outflow of upgrades and enhancements to each new model year.
10 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
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QUICK LANE AERION AND LOCKHEED MARTIN TO DEVELOP WORLD’S FIRST SUPERSONIC BUSINESS JET Two leaders in supersonic technology, Aerion and Lockheed Martin announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to define a formal and gated process to explore the feasibility of a joint development of the world’s first supersonic business jet, the Aerion AS2. Throughout 2018, the companies will work together to develop a framework on all phases of the program, including engineering, certification and production. The MOU is the result of extensive discussions between Aerion and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works Advanced Development Programs team. For close to 75 years, Skunk Works has existed to create revolutionary aircraft that push the boundaries of what is possible.
P&WC’S PUREPOWER PW800 ENGINE SELECTED TO POWER NEW FALCON JET
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) announced that a member of P&WC’s PurePower PW800 engine family has been selected to power the new Falcon Business Jet. The PurePower PW800 engine is optimized for high-flying, fast, long-range business jets and shares the same proven, rigorously-tested core technology used in Pratt & Whitney’s award-winning PurePower family of geared turbofan commercial engines. The advanced common core technology, employed in 15 different PurePower engine applications, has amassed more than 400,000 in-service hours.
FLYING COLOURS CORP EXTENDS PAINT SHOP FOOTPRINT
TAG FARNBOROUGH AIRPORT REPORTS RECORD GROWTH IN ATM
Flying Colours Corp., the North American MRO business has commenced work fulfilling a long-term paint contract with MHI Canada Aerospace Inc., (MHICA), which is anticipated to last five years. Under the terms of the partnership, Flying Colours will paint over 40 center fuselage sections of the Bombardier Global 5000/6000 aircraft at the company’s Peterborough, Ontario facility each year. MHICA, a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is a Tier 1 manufacturer of major aircraft structures and assemblies based in Mississauga, Ontario.
TAG Farnborough Airport has announced a record increase in air traffic movements (ATM), reporting the highest ever growth in its history with an increase of 17.9 percent in January 2018. This follows a year of significant growth with 2017 being the airport’s busiest year since 2007. For the full year 2017, TAG Farnborough Airport saw a year-on-year increase in air traffic movements of 7.4 percent and the record 17.9 percent increase in January 2018 is a clear indication that this positive trend is set to continue.
12 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
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QUICK LANE STANDARDAERO TO PROVIDE APU MRO SERVICES FOR YAMAL’S SUKHOI SUPERJET StandardAero was recently awarded two multi-year auxiliary power unit (APU) maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contracts to support Yamal Airlines, a Russian-based regional operator. The contracts include a three-year agreement to provide Honeywell GTCP36-150RJ APU MRO services for Yamal’s fleet of 10 CRJ-200LR aircraft and a five-year agreement supporting Honeywell RE220 APU MRO services on Yamal’s fleet of 10 Sukhoi Superjet aircraft, which is expected to grow to 16 aircraft by early next year. These new agreements were signed on November 24 and activated on December 1, 2017. APU services will be provided at StandardAero’s Maryville, TN facility. Yamal Airlines is based in Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia, with main hub in Tyumen. It operates regional passenger services and was established in 1997.
DAHER APPLAUDS TWO TBM 930 OWNERS FOR ROUND-THE-WORLD TRIP Daher acknowledged the achievement of two Polish TBM 930 owners who circled the globe in their very fast turboprop aircraft during a four-week trip. Tomek Dudziak and Arjan Bakker flew most of their around-the-world expedition on flight segments south of the Equator, and many of their 26 stopovers in 25 countries were at UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These co-owners received their TBM 930 (Serial Number 1128) from Daher in 2016, and the globecircling tour – performed from November 6 to December 3 – covered a total distance of 25,831 nautical miles.
MARENCO SWISSHELICOPTER REBRANDS ITS FAST-GROWING BUSINESS
RUAG REMARKETS DORNIER 328 WITH FIXED-PRICE TURNKEY PACKAGE
MSH, the Swiss helicopter manufacturer, has unveiled its new brand name. During an inauguration event held at its recently completed corporate/engineering facility, the company's CEO, Andreas Loewenstein, introduced Kopter to customers, suppliers, partners and staff. Kopter marks a new chapter in the company's history. The launch is an opportunity for the company's leadership to share its ambitious business strategy, as well as news about its upcoming flight test programme and the start of production of the SH09 helicopter.
Dornier 328 support specialist, RUAG Aviation, has concluded the remarketing of a Dornier 328-100 aircraft as a fixed-price, turnkey package solution. The tailor-made support package guaranteed immediate aircraft availability upon purchase and included heavy maintenance, subsystems refurbishment, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Service Bulletins (SB), consulting, and compliance with airworthiness certification. The entire project was realized and fulfilled by the RUAG Dornier 228 and 328 maintenance and support center at Bern-Belp, Switzerland.
14 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
THE ORIGINAL Many claim originality, but there is always only one true pioneer. In designing the PC-12 our objective was to create the world’s most versatile, high performance, efficient and safe aircraft and back it up with the highest level of service. Today, with over 1,500 aircraft in operation, our commitment is just as strong as when the first PC-12 was delivered. At Pilatus, we succeed by helping our customers succeed. How’s that for an original idea? Step up to the “Pilatus Class” now. Pilatus Aircraft Ltd • Switzerland • Phone +41 41 619 61 11 • www.pilatus-aircraft.com
QUICK LANE PIPER M500 AND M350 CERTIFIED WITH GARMIN G1000 NXI Piper Aircraft has announced FAA certification of the G1000 NXi next generation integrated flight deck on both the M500 single engine turboprop and M350 pressurized, single-engine piston and is set to offer it as a retrofit option (via STC) for fielded G1000 equipped Matrix, Mirage (M350) and Meridian (M500) aircraft later in 2017. The G1000 NXi system features wireless cockpit connectivity, enhanced situational awareness, visual approaches and map overlay on the horizontal situation indicator, among other items.
AVFUEL NETWORK ENTERS 2018 ON UPWARD TRAJECTORY
DUNCAN AVIATION SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES ENGINE RENTAL POOL SIZE
Avfuel Corporation announced a banner year in 2017, providing momentum for further growth in the new year. The nation's leading independent supplier of aviation fuel and services experienced a remarkably good year in the addition of branded locations. In total, the company added more than 30 branded FBOs in strategic locations across North America and Europe. In addition, the company added 241 Avfuel Contract Fuel locations: 102 domestically and 139 internationally. This makes for a more robust network for flight departments looking to save money on fuel on every leg of their trip.
To meet increased demand from engine customers, Duncan Aviation increased its available pool of rental turbine engines by 33 percent in 2017. This pool now includes several rental engines for the following engine models: HTF7000, HTF7350 and TFE731 (-2C, -3, -5B, -20, -40, and -60). James Prater, manager of Turbine Engine Services, says Duncan Aviation’s recent growth in engine capabilities and authorizations have increased customer demand for engine services, requiring the purchase of additional engines to use as customer rentals.
WEST STAR AVIATION FINALIZES EMBRAER SERVICE CENTER AGREEMENT West Star Aviation has finalized its Service Center agreement with Embraer Executive Jets at its full-service state-of-the-art maintenance facility in Chattanooga, TN at KCHA. This agreement is for Embraer Base Maintenance on Phenom 100/300, Legacy 450/500 and Legacy 600/650. The Chattanooga facility will offer interior refurbishment, avionics, avionics installation and repair, inspections, part services, and engine inspections. “We are thrilled to be able to accept Embraer customers at all three of our full-service facilities at ALN, GJT, and CHA,” said Bob O’Leary, Embraer Business Development Manager, West Star Aviation.
16 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
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QUICK LANE FALCON AVIATION AND LEONARDO HELICOPTERS PARTNER FOR NEW OIL CONTRACT Falcon Aviation, one of the UAE’s leading aviation companies specializing in Business Aviation services, charter and aircraft management, confirmed at the Kuwait Aviation Show that three new Leonardo AW169 helicopters (signed for at the recent Dubai Airshow) will be deployed on a five-year contract with The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). The helicopters will perform onshore and offshore Oil & Gas operations. This debut in Kuwait marks a significant expansion for Falcon Aviation. The first two AW169s will arrive in March and the third in April 2018.
DUNCAN AVIATION NAMED A BENDIXKING REPAIR PARTNER Duncan Aviation was recently selected by BendixKing as a select BendixKing Repair Partner. This designation gives Duncan Aviation authorization to repair, overhaul and sell BendixKing components. Very few avionics repair facilities were selected to be a BendixKing Repair Partner. As a Repair Partner, Duncan Aviation will continue its long relationship with BendixKing and will provide 24/7 repair and overhaul service, support and sales for more than 100 BendixKing avionics and instrument units.
CAE ACQUIRES PART OF TRAINING SOLUTIONS AND COURSEWARE PROVIDER PELESYS CAE has purchased 45 percent of the shares of Pelesys, a global leader in the provision of aviation training solutions and courseware. Through this partnership, CAE will strengthen its courseware offering and consolidate its cadet-to-captain training delivery across its global network. “CAE is a long-standing customer of Pelesys and this investment is a natural evolution of our relationship,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. “By teaming up with the leading aviation training courseware developer and publisher, we will be able to provide our civil aviation customers with the most advanced training material, for a holistic training solutions experience.”
GULFSTREAM DELIVERS FINAL G450 Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has delivered the final Gulfstream G450 as it prepares to usher in the next generation of Business Aviation with the all-new Gulfstream G500. “For the past 12 years, the G450 has been one of the bestselling business jets in the industry, beloved by pilots and passengers alike for its technological advances, smooth handling, impressive range and unsurpassed passenger comfort,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream.
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QUICK LANE JET AVIATION ACHIEVES IS-BAH STANDARD REGISTRATIONS Jet Aviation’s eight FBOs in the US have now qualified for Stage 1 registration to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH Standard), joining the company’s 13 FBOs in EMEA and Asia. David Paddock, senior vice president and general manager, Regional Operations USA, said this achievement clearly demonstrates Jet Aviation’s dedication to ensuring that all customers receive the maximum level of safe and secure ground-handling services at each of its FBOs (fixed base operation). “Ever since the IS-BAH program was launched, our FBO teams across the US have been working to ensure that all of our processes meet ISBAH standards,” Paddock said.
BELL HELICOPTER DEBUTS AS FIRST MAJOR HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER TO EXHIBIT AT CES Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company and major global helicopter manufacturer, revealed at CES 2018 its air taxi cabin design and fully integrated user experience. The four-passenger cabin demonstrates Bell’s view of an on-demand mobility aircraft that focuses on a people-first engineered user experience tailored with an urban air taxi ride. “Bell Helicopter is innovating at the limits of vertical flight and challenging the traditional notion of aviation to solve real-world problems,” stated Bell Helicopter’s President and CEO Mitch Snyder.
ATLAS AIR SERVICE AND FTI RECEIVE STC FOR ADS-B OUT RETROFITTING
FLIGHTSAFETY’S FIRST G500 FULL FLIGHT SIMULATOR RECEIVES FAA QUALIFICATION FlightSafety International and Gulfstream announce that the first full flight simulator for the new Gulfstream G500 aircraft has received interim Level C qualification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration. A second simulator, which will be interchangeable between the Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600, will be qualified following aircraft certification. Pilot and maintenance technician training will then begin using both simulators at FlightSafety’s Learning Center in Savannah, Georgia. FlightSafety and Gulfstream will determine the timing and location of additional domestic and international training sites according to Customer needs.
FTI Engineering Network GmbH received a “Supplemental Type Certificate” (STC) to retrofit all Cessna Citation CJs with the new transponder technology in exclusive cooperation with Atlas Air Service AG. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) prescribed the retrofitting to the air surveillance technology “Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast” (ADS-B) by 2020. Any aircraft must be actively traceable by means of GPSbased aircraft data according to the provisions of the aviation authorities.
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BRIGHT SPACES & FUNCTIONAL DESIGNS Duncan Aviation refurbished this Falcon 900, incorporating the owner’s personality, creating an aesthetically pleasing and functional design. Black comp oak veneer with a matte finish contrasts with the light leather and subtle textures of the newly selected fabrics and carpet. All plating, fixtures and hardware were replaced. To brighten the aircraft, special LED lighting including illuminated cupholders and light lenses, both exclusive Duncan Aviation designs, were installed. +1 402.475.2611 www.DuncanAviation.aero
JSSI Q4 INDEX: RECORD YEAR-END FLIGHT ACTIVITY
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) has released the JSSI Business Aviation Index for the fourth quarter of 2017. The index, which tracks utilization of approximately 2,000 business aircraft worldwide, reports average flight hours in the fourth quarter of 2017 to be at the highest levels in a decade. “Flight hour utilization is cyclical, with peak hours occurring over the busy summer months in the third quarter. On average, flight hours dip 4 percent in the fourth quarter; however, in 2017 we saw a decrease of just 0.4 percent during the same period,” said Neil W. Book, president and CEO of JSSI. “Flight hour activity has always been a strong indicator of the overall health of the economy. The increase in average flight hours of 4.5 percent year to date indicates a continued strengthening of the global economy,” added Book. Key findings in the fourth-quarter data include: Average flight hours increased 4.5 percent year to date and 6.1 percent year over year. Average aircraft utilization of 28.65 hours for the fourth quarter represents the highest level during this period of any year on record. The nine industries within the latest index showed mixed results. The consumer goods sector reported a quarter-over-quarter increase in average flight hours of 6.2 percent and the construction sector reported an increase of 5.2 percent. The greatest decrease was seen in the manufacturing sector, with a quarter-over-quarter reduction in flight activity of 10.1 percent. The power and energy sector also reported a decrease in activity of 8.3 percent. Year-over-year 22 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
results for the aviation, business services and healthcare sectors saw activity increases of more than 12 percent for all three. Seven key regions are sampled in the index. Significant quarter-over-quarter increases were reported in Central America, with a 9.3 percent increase in average flight hours; and Asia-Pacific, with an 8.6 percent increase. The largest quarter-over-quarter decrease was seen in the Middle East, with a drop of 20 percent from the third quarter. All regions, with the exception of the Middle East, reported year-over-year increases in flight activity. The largest increases were seen in Europe, with an 11.6 percent increase, and Central America, with an 11 percent increase over 2016. North America reported an increase in average flight hours of 3.6 percent year to date, with an increase of 1.4 percent year over year.
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PIPER SEES LARGEST EMPLOYMENT GROWTH SINCE 2009
Piper Aircraft Inc. achieved double-digit growth in new aircraft revenue and deliveries for 2017 as demand for trainer aircraft and M-class products continued to expand. The increase in demand for Piper products and resulting increase in production volume has driven the company headcount to over 900 employees located at the Piper world headquarters in Vero Beach, Florida. During the past 18 months, Piper Aircraft has hired over 300 employees, representing more than a 20% increase in employees. “With aircraft orders in place for 2018 and several long term contracts for trainer aircraft, the near term forecast is stable. Additionally, our commitment to a levelloaded, build to order business model further enhances stability and creates consistent work load for the team,” said President and CEO Simon Caldecott. “We are driven to continuously improve our products in support of our customers and their needs which helps create demand and results in the need for a strong and committed workforce,” he added.
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TEXTRON REPORTS 4Q 2017 RESULTS Textron Inc. announced financial results
for the fourth quarter and full year of 2017, and provided guidance for its 2018 financial outlook. Revenues at Textron Aviation of $1.4 billion were down 3 percent, primarily due to lower military volume. Textron Aviation delivered 58 new Citation jets, flat with last year, 31 King Air turboprops up from 28 in last year's fourth quarter, and 2 Beechcraft T-6 trainers, down from 8 last year. Segment profit was $120 million in the fourth quarter, down from $135 million a year ago, primarily due to higher research and development expense. Textron Aviation backlog at the end of the fourth quarter was $1.2 billion, up $15 million from the end of the third quarter. Textron is forecasting 2018 revenues of approximately $14.6 billion, up 3.0 percent from the prior year. Textron expects fullyear 2018 earnings per share from continuing operations will be in the range of $2.95 to $3.15. The company will benefit from the Tax Act and expects an effective tax rate of 22.5% for 2018. The company is estimating net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations of the manufacturing group will be between $1,170 million and $1,270 million and manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions (the non-GAAP measure) will be between $700 and $800 million, with planned pension contributions of about $55 million.
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ON THE MOVE PEOPLE
FlightSafety International recently had several big announcements. Johnny Cruz has been promoted to assistant
manager of the company’s Learning Center in St. Louis, Missouri. He joins Angie Gremard who also serves as assistant manager at the center. Jamie Hopkins has been promoted to manager of the company’s Learning Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He succeeds Jeff Rose who has been named manager of the Columbus Center. Alex Thurmond has been promoted to manager of its Learning Center in St. Louis, Missouri. He succeeds David Glass who is retiring from full-time employment with FlightSafety. Finally, Jeff Rose has been named manager of the company’s Learning Center in Columbus, Ohio. He assumes this responsibility from Fabio Miguez who will now serve as director of Programs for Bombardier training. Executive AirShare announced President and CEO Keith Plumb has decided to leave the company that he co-founded in 2000. During the transition period, current CFO John Owen will serve as interim president. The company has also promoted Caleb Gillaspie to the position of assistant chief pilot. Gillaspie’s role includes planning to ensure safe flights and operations and ongoing mentorship of new captains and secondin-commands. Duncan Aviation recently named Keith Schell as manager of its Components Repairs and Parts & Rotables Sales teams. The team is completed with the addition of Tony Curtis and Cary Prange, assistant managers for Components
Johnny Cruz
Keith Schell
Quest Aircraft announced the appointment of Hitoshi Moriguchi as vice president of Production. Moriguchi will continue to serve as executive vice president and as a board member for the Idaho-based manufacturer of the 10-seat Kodiak. In his new role, Moriguchi will be focused on refining production design and processes to maximize efficiencies as the boutique aircraft manufacturer continues to grow. Helicopter Association International (HAI) hired Anuja Miner as director of membership. In this position, Miner is responsible for directing the membership recruitment and retention operations of the association, including the development of membership campaigns, member services and affinity programs.
Anuja Miner
24 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
Repairs and Parts & Rotables Sales, respectively. Duncan Aviation also announced the addition of Dan Moog to the Turbine Engine Service Sales team. He will focus on developing new business relationships in new markets in the northeast region of the US. Aerion has named former Gulfstream president Bryan Moss to its board of directors. Moss has led the development of successful, top-of-the line business jets at Gulfstream and Bombardier, and has played a prominent role in advancing Business Aviation through his involvement in major trade organizations.
Bryan Moss Safran Helicopter Engines has appointed Olivier Le Merrer as executive vice-president, Support and & Services. He succeeds Franck Saudo who has been appointed CEO of Safran Transmissions Systems. Le Merrer joined Safran Aircraft Engines in 1982, fulfilling various roles in Engineering, Program Management, Manufacturing Operations and Business Unit Management. Exclusive Aircraft Sales welcomed David Kay to the Sales team as director of Aircraft Sales. Kay brings with him nearly 25 years of industry experience in aviation and aircraft sales knowledge. Kay is also an active pilot with commercial and instrument ratings. West Star Aviation announced Michael Zeris as Gulfstream Technical Sales manager at its East Alton, IL location. Zeris has
17 years of aviation experience, 13 of which were spent working with the Gulfstream product line. DAC INTERNATIONAL INC. (DAC) has added Daniel Boen as a Regional sales manager. In his new role, he will be handling the sales responsibilities for the Western United States in addition to Western Canada. Avant Aerospace appointed Donald Snodgrass as its new president. In this role, he will oversee the Avant teams in Texas, Illinois and Colorado in addition to his current responsibilities as president of Dallas Aeronautical Services (DAS). Flightdocs announced that Lee Brewster has joined the company as director of Customer Solutions. She serves on the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Maintenance Committee and was most recently Product Sales Manager for FlightSafety International’s maintenance training programs. Erickson Incorporated announced that Kevin Cochie will serve as vice president and general manager of Defense and National Security where he will lead and manage sales, operations and growth for the business as well as manage Erickson’s Washington DC office. Hayden Olson will serve as vice president of Safety and Human Capital, assuming a vital role that ensures a focus on Erickson’s most valuable asset, its people. Chris Schuldt will assume the role of chief of Staff and senior director of DNS Special Programs. Baldwin Aviation has added a veteran safety professional and member of the United States Helicopter Safety Team, Chris Young, to its team as director of Safety Solutions. Since 2012, Young has worked in various leadership positions supporting aviation clients in the implementation of SMS solutions as well as the optimization of their technical publications and content management.
KNOW MORE. Flight Analysis by Owner/Operator, Aircraft, Fleet, and Airport
UTILIZATION REPORT:
Owner: Don Fay, 540-765Chief Pilot: Tim Lowe, 757-200Operator: EZ Fly, 276-336GULFSTREAM 550 REG #: N107MF
Based: IAD/KIAD Fuel Burn: 72,535 gallons US Flights: 164 Tech Fuel Stops: KFAR/KGRI #1 Airport Pair: KBAF/ KIAD European Flights: 12 Tech Fuel Stops: CYQX/EGPK/CYYT #1 Airport Pair: LIRA/LFPB Notes: Only drinks Espresso
KNOW MORE. KNOW MORE. The World Leader in Aviation Market Intelligence 800.553.8638 +1.315.797.4420 +41 (0) 43.243.7056 jetnet.com VISIT THE JETNET EXHIBIT AT THE HAI HELI-EXPO, FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 1 IN LAS VEGAS, NV, BOOTH #C4134
TRANSATLANTIC EUROPE ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH
From the Desk of EBAA COO Robert Baltus SAFETY FIRST NOW AND ALWAYS THE STATEMENT IN THE TITLE LIES at the very heart of the entire Business Aviation sector and remains the primary responsibility of the almost 400,000 people who work within bizav across Europe. For its part, EBAA has recently answered members’ requests needs by establishing a Safety Committee, consisting of expert representatives from across the bizav spectrum. The objective of the EBAA Safety Committee is to enhance the operational safety of the EBAA member organizations through risk identification and mitigation as well as the development of industry-leading safety practices to further raise existing, high standards. The Safety Committee will advise, educate and consult with EBAA members and EBAA’s Board of Governors on safety issues related to Business Aviation operations to improve the overall safety culture in the industry. Having had its kick-off meeting on the 4th of September 2017, the Safety Committee members have agreed to examine and develop accident prevention procedures, standards, and programs; develop safetyrelated operating, maintenance and administrative standards for the industry; and disseminate this to all EBAA member operators through programs and publications, maintain open lines of communication with all 26 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
member operators. This would enable EBAA to better represent the operational needs and requirements of European aviation stakeholders and work towards gaining the acceptance of local and regional communities. At its latest meeting on 28 November, the Safety Committee agreed on an extended list of priorities for 2018, making FTL and fatigue the highest priority for the upcoming year, closely followed by the underlying reasons for Business Aviation safety occurrences and the recruiting standards and onboard safety role of the crew. The upcoming Safety Conference, taking place in Cologne, on the 15th and 16th of February 2018, is built on the priorities of EBAA’s Safety Committee. The location fosters interaction between the bizav sector and EASA, ensuring information exchange and deeper understanding. Having regulators and industry in the same room provides a crucial and important opportunity to share the challenges surrounding non-proportionate regulation. Given safety is the very foundation of all aviation operations, our conference will address a wide variety of issues from regulation, to runway safety, implementation of new technologies, ground operations and maintenance. As a result, these same issues will be discussed by not only safety and accountable managers, but representatives from ground operations, maintenance and flight operations too. Our speakers and attendees are at the forefront of the industry; they are the gamechangers. The speakers won’t merely present, they’ll be sitting amongst the audience and attending sessions. This is the opportunity for attendees to share ideas, challenges and establish personal connections. We’re delighted that four EASA delegates will speak to their work on safety risk management and EASA’s plans for 2018, while colleagues will attend a number of sessions. Aviation professionals from across Europe, and beyond, will come together to learn best practices, discuss and analyze case
/EUROPE
studies, discover the latest technology and upscale their safety expertise and excellence. The two-day EBAA Bizav Safety Conference will not only focus on how to set individual Safety Performance Indicators (SPI) alerts and target performance markers based on safety metric principles but also provide the opportunity to attend presentations and panels on topics related to the integration of new technologies and the use of optional equipment in poor visibility conditions, including measuring safety and improvement on performance. The agenda of the upcoming event brings together highly-regarded representatives from European institutions, as well representatives from EASA, ICAO and IATA, who will discuss their latest work toward ensuring a safer aviation environment, while IBAC representatives will provide the latest feedback and insight on Business Aviation Industry Standards.
Realizing the importance of integrating new technologies in the bizav operations, the agenda will also touch upon topics such as “Safety Implications of Paperless Technical Operations” or “Improving Safety in Poor Visibility, Using a Wearable Display”. Moreover, since RPAS are gaining more and more terrain in the overall aviation market (with fully-fledged bespoke regulation in the works), the Safety Conference agenda also includes a session dedicated to the risks unmanned flying devices pose to the approach phase of an aircraft, particularly when flown in the vicinity of an airport. To enhance the level of interaction with the audience, as well as maximize the output and take-aways, the Safety Conference agenda will also provide TED-talk-like presentations, interwoven with panel sessions and networking opportunities. To strengthen the connection with national associations, a dedicated panel
with five national association representatives will participate. The focus will be on addressing the difference in the interpretation and implementation of EASA’s regulatory framework within the countries represented on the panel. Benefiting from the generous support of our members and partners (Bombardier, SkyLegs and The Aviation Academy), the upcoming event (now in its third iteration) has established itself as Europe’s premier event dealing with all of the critical elements related to safety management, including data analysis and performance review. Organized as a precursor to the EBACE Safety Sessions, this latest edition of the Safety Conference sets the scene for a year full of constructive discussions over the needs of the bizav industry, regulators and, above all, the reality that safety always comes first. Let’s discuss at EBAA’s Bizav Safety ✈ Conference!
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TRANSATLANTIC U.S.A. ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH EBACE ATTENDEES TO BENEFIT FROM NEW EFFICIENCIES AT GENEVA AIRPORT
From the Desk of NBAA President & CEO Ed Bolen THE NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION Association (NBAA) congratulates BART International on 30 years of expert reporting about matters affecting transatlantic Business Aviation operations. These issues will also be in focus throughout the upcoming European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2018) jointly hosted by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and NBAA. Taking place 29-31 May in Geneva, Switzerland, the convention will bring together business leaders, government officials, manufacturers, flight department personnel and all manner of people involved in nearly every aspect of Business Aviation. This year, attendees will find several changes at Geneva Airport (LSGG) – located adjacent to the EBACE host facility, Geneva’s magnificent Palexpo – aimed at benefitting all stakeholders, including Business Aviation operators. For example, refinements to the Prior Permission Required (PPR) system for coordinating general aviation slots are expected to optimize efficiency and capacity at the Swiss airport. Prior to Dec. 1, parking and slot coordination was handled by airport FBOs, with reservations available up to 21 days in advance of an intended flight. 28 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
Planned changes at Geneva Airport will be very helpful to Business Aviation. Since the Dec. 1 system change, reservation availability may still be viewed 21 days ahead of a flight, but slots are now available from FBOs five days ahead of an intended trip. The new approach will allow for more flexibility, accommodating scenarios such as the need to change an aircraft due to maintenance or other issues. Efficiency and slot availability will also be increased, because a new “match requirement” – under which operators will file a flight plan, then request a slot reservation – will ensure that files containing mismatches between flight plans and slot requests are not included in the system. In a related development, construction remains underway to increase overall
/U.S.A. TRANSATLANTIC airport capacity by 2019. This work requires a temporary reduction in aircraft parking capacity, and towing into marked parking areas, but the ultimate result will be greater space for airport users.
BUSINESS AVIATION MAKES FINANCIAL SENSE sible. "Show them the numbers and accomplishments. These aren't just dollars, miles flown, etc. Show them what the aircraft has done for the company in terms of completed trips, deals done, contacts made and time saved. Prove your worth." Pete Agur, chairman and founder of The VanAllen Group, suggests emphasizing the value of time: "Time is the greatest challenge for those who are moving the company forward. Also, the need to be face-to-face carries great weight in the business world. In any given organization, someone must be the advocate for the concepts of time savings and opportunities created."
“Taken together, these changes will be very helpful to Business Aviation,” said Olga Krasowska, manager of airport operations at the EBAA. She noted that the changes are being tested with operator input, and may be refined over time to further improve efficiencies. The changes are the result of cooperation between the Geneva Airport Authority, EBAA Switzerland, the Geneva Business Aviation Association and other user groups. Doug Carr, NBAA vice president of regulatory and international affairs, agreed with Krasowska’s assessment. “These changes will benefit Business Aviation operations, increase efficiencies and add capacity at Geneva Airport, which is all good news for our industry,” he noted. “NBAA will work with our partners at the Geneva Airport and in Europe to ensure that the new system reflects the operational needs of the Business Aviation community.” EBACE is the annual meeting place for the European Business Aviation community. More than 450 Exhibitors will be on hand at EBACE2018, showcasing the latest products and services, with dozens of business aircraft of all sizes, and for a variety of missions, on display on the ramp at Geneva Airport. Business Aviation professionals from throughout Europe and around the world will benefit from informative presentations and educational sessions, as well as opportunities to network with their peers to exchange knowledge and best practices. EBACE is also an ideal venue for young professionals in the industry and those looking to attract new talent to their organization, with several education and networking opportunities to bring those two groups together. Watch for additional information about EBACE2018 in the coming months at www.ebace.aero.
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THOSE WHO USE BUSINESS AVIATION can easily articulate the reasons why they utilize general aviation aircraft to support their enterprises. But skeptics - which may include shareholders, or those inside the company who are not the direct beneficiaries of the efficiencies afforded by business flying - may need more proof. The costs of buying and flying an aircraft are always a top concern for naysayers. Operating and acquisition costs are readily available from a variety of sources, but it is sometimes challenging to quantify the financial benefits of business aircraft use. How do you quantify the value of having sales, marketing or support teams travel as quickly as possible to meet customers' needs? What is the value of meeting face-to-face with a customer before the competition gets there to close a multimillion-dollar deal? Ways to Define Value Michael J. Dyment, founder and managing partner of Washington, D.C.-based NEXA Capital Partners, LLC, asserts, "The flight department does not always connect with key company personnel to promote its value to the organization. Flight department personnel should not hide their activities; let the company know what the department can do." Nel Stubbs, vice president and co-owner of Conklin & deDecker, recommends quantifying the value of Business Aviation whenever pos-
Building Relationships Within companies, those promoting Business Aviation value must be provided with information to support that effort. Periodic compilations of flight destinations reached and opportunities pursued should be provided to management. Ideally, a brief monthly or quarterly meeting between the aviation manager and one or more decision-makers will enable the aviation manager to make the case for the company aircraft and answer any questions or address concerns. For the flight department to succeed, it must actively support the company's mission and objectives. Business aircraft use must play an integral part in helping achieve company goals. Therefore, aviation personnel need to stay attuned to what goes on "downtown." This mutual understanding can be promoted through personal contacts or, as suggested above, regular meetings with key company decision-makers. Jim Cannon, principal consultant at Sundog Aviation, states, "All hands in the flight department must understand the mission and purpose of the flight department and the company. The merger of these two entities makes the difference between good and excellent flight departments." Business Aviation has proved itself many times over as a safe, efficient and effective business tool. However, flight department leaders must not only demonstrate that, but remind others of Business Aviation's value on an ongoing basis.
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BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018 - 29
FLEET REPORT
SLOW AND STEADY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME It’s that time of the year –
EUROPE IN FOCUS
when BART stops to take stock of where the Business Aviation industry is at and where it looks to be going. Nick Klenske reports on the 2017 fleet figures
O
ur annual Fleet Report crunches the numbers and aggregates the various industry forecasts and outlooks to give you the information you need to make sound – and informed – business decisions all year long. So how is the business of Business Aviation? If you ask Forbes Contributing Writer Doug Gollan, it depends on who you ask. According to his 9 October 2017 article entitled “How’s Business in Business Aviation? The answer is Both Simple and Complicated”, on the one end of the spectrum you have the charter market, which is climbing. On the other end of the spectrum are the jet manufacturers, where Gollan says things are a “bit more subdued”. This is because Honeywell’s 26 th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook projects nearly 8,300 new jet deliveries in the next 10 years, or approximately 830 new aircraft annually. Although at first glance this may sound like good news, Gollan notes that the number is well below Honeywell’s pre-recession expectations that forecasted 14,000 new jets being added between 2007 and 2017 – about double of what has actually happened. But let’s put a big asterisk behind that statement, as judging the health of the bizav market in 2018 by comparing it to the pre-recession bizav market is not only unfair, it’s border-
30 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
TOP TEN BUSINESS FLEETS BY COUNTRY United States . . . . . . . . .20.978 Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1525 Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1396 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1336 Venezuela . . . . . . . . . . . . . .768 Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .726 Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .614 China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .497 United Kingdom . . . . . . . . . .492 South Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . .433 line ridiculous. According to Jetcraft’s latest annual 10-year Business Aviation market forecast, the industry is at a new beginning point – one that, unlike the prerecession version of Business Aviation, won’t be defined by number of jets sold but by total revenues earned. As we explain below, the reason for this change in definition is that the industry is shifting towards bigger, more expensive jets. Thus, even though fewer of these jets are sold, their sales generate bigger revenues. “I can say with confidence that the industry is now exiting the toughest market we’ve ever navigated through – but navigate we did,” says Jetcraft President Chad Anderson. “Although
According to Eurocontrol statistics, Business Aviation is the third largest market segment in Europe (following traditional scheduled and low-cost segments). However, even though it is a much smaller market segment in comparison to commercial air travel, it nonetheless has a significant positive economic impact as it generates jobs and, indirectly, stimulates commerce. Between 2002 and 2007, the segment expanded rapidly, contributing to the total growth of flights in Europe. However, following the 2008 economic crisis, Business Aviation in Europe dropped 14% the following year. Although it recovered in 2010 (+5%) and in 2011 (+2.4%), it again declined by 1.2% on average between 2012 and 2015. At the end of 2016, the sector started showing promising signs of vigor. And, for the first quarter of 2017, Business Aviation recorded 6% growth compared to the same period in 2016. This is mainly due to a robust increase in flows within Europe, with France and the UK contributing the most to this growth. Looking ahead, forecast predict a +2.3% average annual growth rate.
Business Aviation may never return to pre-2008 deliveries, thanks to a shift towards bigger jets, it will definitely surpass pre-recession revenues – which sounds like good news to me.”
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JET SUMMARY BY MODEL MFG/MODEL TOTAL EUROPE AIRBUS A310-200 2 2 AIRBUS A310-300 16 9 AIRBUS A320-200 102 8 AIRBUS A330-200 5 0 AIRBUS A340-200 7 0 AIRBUS A340-300X 2 2 AIRBUS A340-500 4 0 AIRBUS A340-600 2 0 AIRBUS ACJ318 20 5 AIRBUS ACJ319 67 30 AIRBUS ACJ320 14 0 AIRBUS ACJ330 3 1 ASTRA 1125 28 0 ASTRA 1125SP 32 0 ASTRA 1125SPX 55 2 AVRO RJ-70 1 1 'BAE 146-100 4 3 BAE 146-200 2 0 BEECHJET 400 44 1 BEECHJET 400A 281 19 BOEING 707-120B 3 0 BOEING 707-320 7 1 BOEING 707-320B 10 1 BOEING 707-320C 17 1 BOEING 727-100 33 1 BOEING 727-200 1 0 BOEING 727-200 ADVANCED 16 3 BOEING 737-200 4 0 BOEING 737-200 ADVANCED 14 1 BOEING 737-300 9 3 BOEING 737-400 3 0 BOEING 737-500 5 0 BOEING 737-700 2 0 BOEING 737-700C 10 0 BOEING 737-800 6 2 BOEING 747-200B 2 0 BOEING 747-300 1 0 BOEING 747-400 6 0 BOEING 747-400M 1 0 BOEING 747-8I 5 0 BOEING 747SP 9 1 BOEING 757-200 17 2 BOEING 767-200 1 0 BOEING 767-200ER 8 1 BOEING 767-300ER 5 1 BOEING 767-400ER 1 0 BOEING 777-200 1 0 BOEING 777-200ER 2 0 BOEING 777-200LR 1 0 BOEING 787-8 5 0 BOEING 787-9 2 1 BOEING BBJ 127 18 BOEING BBJ2 22 4 BOEING BBJ3 7 1 BOMBARDIER CRJ100 6 0 BOMBARDIER CRJ200 13 4 BOMBARDIER CRJ700 3 0 CHALLENGER 300 448 38 CHALLENGER 350 201 40 CHALLENGER 600 65 0 CHALLENGER 601-1A 48 2 CHALLENGER 601-3A 128 9 CHALLENGER 601-3R 57 2 CHALLENGER 604 358 61 CHALLENGER 605 272 41 CHALLENGER 650 51 8 CHALLENGER 800 9 0 CHALLENGER 850 69 27 CHALLENGER 870 10 1
CHALLENGER 890 CIRRUS VISION SF50 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 450 EMBRAER LEGACY 500 EMBRAER LEGACY 600 EMBRAER LEGACY 650 EMBRAER LEGACY 650E EMBRAER LEGACY SHUTTLE EMBRAER LINEAGE 1000 EMBRAER PHENOM 100 EMBRAER PHENOM 100E EMBRAER PHENOM 100EV 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
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017 3 11 220 341 319 191 102 230 219 407 78 247 158 64 362 21 281 535 69 183 103 168 456 146 345 74 270 252 36 112 297 25 325 235 1 45 12 11 31 253 2 26 53 165 91 4 18 28 295 47 6 415 98 30 23 229 4 26 97 131 68 38 66 15 24 2 33 11 72 73
0 1 19 62 31 32 28 45 57 47 6 27 4 4 26 6 24 48 15 10 11 22 90 5 29 7 7 6 3 10 14 0 66 57 0 2 2 4 4 21 0 3 7 48 24 2 1 2 39 6 0 68 9 5 2 20 0 5 24 27 21 8 21 3 7 0 13 4 7 2
FALCON 20G FALCON 50 FALCON 50-40 FALCON 50EX FALCON 7X FALCON 8X 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 G500 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 125-700A HAWKER 125-700B HAWKER 4000 HAWKER 400XP HAWKER 400XPR HAWKER 750 HAWKER 800A HAWKER 800B HAWKER 800XP HAWKER 800XPI HAWKER 850XP HAWKER 900XP HONDAJET HA-420 JET COMMANDER 1121 JET COMMANDER 1121B
5 215 8 100 260 22 174 24 22 113 114 59 3 1 205 229 143 155 22 123 237 118 13 10 23 346 1 9 531 184 79 78 27 136 178 299 191 41 7 12 7 11 1 6 1 1 7 1 13 26 12 3 13 7 2 138 23 68 221 5 47 208 46 413 45 98 180 60 6 5
5 27 0 11 107 13 27 3 8 19 28 14 3 0 53 86 28 47 2 8 20 8 0 0 1 30 0 0 65 37 4 0 0 0 4 9 6 2 5 1 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 6 12 6 12 0 11 4 8 24 8 11 16 4 0 0
TURBOPROPS JETSTAR 6 JETSTAR 731 JETSTAR 8 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 MCDD DC-8-62H MCDD DC-8-72 MCDD DC-9-10 MCDD DC-9-30 MCDD MD-81 MCDD MD-83 MCDD 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 SUKHOI SBJ SYBERJET SJ30-2 WESTWIND 1 WESTWIND 1123 WESTWIND 1124 WESTWIND 2 Total Jets
1 7 3 13 11 21 2 16 43 10 8 15 51 8 108 3 3 2 35 192 36 425 15 38 36 92 235 204 107 7 11 298 110 14 105 2 1 3 1 1 2 10 27 34 118 153 7 20 4 1 24 2 1 2 21 3 2 64 21 3 5 3 3 86 4 33 70 21.427
0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 0 47 0 4 7 5 19 12 8 1 0 19 13 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 6 16 22 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.615
MFG/MODEL AVANTI EVO 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 350ER KING AIR 350i KING AIR 350iER 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 B200CGT 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
TOTAL EUROPE 6 4 125 48 92 40 466 41 1.586 88 344 9 39 4 165 12 17 3 329 37 70 5 49 10 72 6 203 14 301 7 59 1 86 0 51 3 78 13 116 19 76 17 44 0 666 48 28 1 18 2 180 22 203 4 18 5 675 32 67 7 40 7 345 18 8 3 21 1 12 0 93 3 215 1 70 2 110 2 109 1 1.076 94 118 5 1 0 8 0 115 12 5 1 22 1 99 4 415 32 39 0 217 13 416 22 95 2 121 12 159 15 16 0 269 10 186 5 29 2 181 4 9 1 31 4 24 1 34 5 52 4 21 3 6 1
Jet Fleet Europe 11.9% World 88.1%
Turboprop Fleet Europe 8.4% World 91.6%
Total Fleet Europe 10.4% World 89.6%
MERLIN IV-A 16 MERLIN IV-C 17 MITSUBISHI MARQUISE 83 MITSUBISHI MU-2C 16 MITSUBISHI MU-2D 1 MITSUBISHI MU-2F 29 MITSUBISHI MU-2G 1 MITSUBISHI MU-2J 19 MITSUBISHI MU-2K 35 MITSUBISHI MU-2L 11 MITSUBISHI MU-2M 19 MITSUBISHI MU-2N 24 MITSUBISHI MU-2P 28 MITSUBISHI MU-2S 17 MITSUBISHI SOLITAIRE 40 PILATUS PC-12 NG 728 PILATUS PC-12/45 564 PILATUS PC-12/47 199 PIPER M500 45 PIPER M600 45 PIPER MALIBU JETPROP 277 PIPER MERIDIAN 546 SOCATA TBM-700A 105 SOCATA TBM-700B 84 SOCATA TBM-700C1 6 SOCATA TBM-700C2 96 SOCATA TBM-850 329 SOCATA TBM-900 107 SOCATA TBM-910 9 SOCATA TBM-930 74 STARSHIP 2000A 5 TURBO COMMANDER 1000 97 TURBO COMMANDER 690 42 TURBO COMMANDER 690A 173 TURBO COMMANDER 690B 177 TURBO COMMANDER 840 98 TURBO COMMANDER 900 34 TURBO COMMANDER 900 68 15.280 Total TurboProp Grand Total 36.707
© AVDATA/JETNET
3 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 2 118 40 14 9 4 63 80 34 11 3 10 41 8 1 6 1 1 1 9 4 5 0 3 1.279 3.894
FLEET REPORT
EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA Country Total Aruba 5 Bahamas 37 Barbados 10 Belize 24 Bermuda 9 Canada 1336 Cayman Islands 21 Costa Rica 37 Dominica 1 Dominican Republic 60 El Salvador 8 Greenland 4 Guadeloupe 5 Guatemala 98 Haiti 2 Honduras 33 Jamaica 8 Martinique 1 Mexico 1396 Nicaragua 7 Panama 124 Puerto Rico 40 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2 Saint Vincent-Grenadines 5 Sint Maarten 1 Trinidad and Tobago 2 Turks and Caicos Islands 4 United States 20978 Virgin Islands (British) 22 Virgin Islands (U.S.) 14 West Indies 3 Total 24297
GLITCH
Slightly slowing down, the business aircraft fleet flourished again in 2017.
Country Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Curacao Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Total
Executive* Jet 0 5 0 20 0 7 0 3 0 9 12 523 0 18 0 9 0 1 0 35 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 29 0 0 0 7 0 6 0 0 8 965 0 1 0 43 0 22 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 1 0 2 100 13076 2 16 0 7 0 3 123 14814
SOUTH AMERICA
Total Executive* Jet 346 1 177 34 1 9 1525 7 730 122 3 48 343 2 46 4 0 2 41 0 17 17 0 0 85 1 19 55 1 11 7 0 0 12 0 5 768 1 330 3359 17 1394
34 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018 - 2018
Turb. 0 17 3 21 0 801 3 28 0 25 5 4 5 69 2 26 2 1 423 6 81 18 2 2 0 1 2 7802 4 7 0 9360
Turb. 168 24 788 71 295 2 24 17 65 43 7 7 437 1948
Country Total Albania 1 Austria 198 Belarus 3 Belgium 102 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 Bulgaria 22 Channel Islands 2 Croatia 12 Cyprus 13 Czech Republic 92 Denmark 75 Estonia 15 Finland 30 France 432 Germany 726 Gibraltar 2 Greece 35 Guernsey 5 Hungary 21 Iceland 8 Ireland 29 Isle of Man 38 Italy 170 Jersey 0 Latvia 11 Liechtenstein 2 Lithuania 11 Luxembourg 91 Macedonia 3 Malta 131 Monaco 7 Montenegro 2 Netherlands 78 Northern Ireland 5 Norway 40 Poland 59 Portugal 128 Romania 15 Russian Federation 183 San Marino 30 Scotland 1 Serbia 26 Slovak Republic 19 Slovenia 10 Spain 149 Sweden 81 Switzerland 265 Ukraine 22 United Kingdom 492 Total 3894
Executive* Jet 0 1 0 160 0 2 0 62 0 2 1 11 0 1 0 6 0 11 0 57 0 56 0 9 0 14 6 228 12 460 0 2 0 19 0 2 0 13 0 0 0 22 0 25 2 99 0 0 0 10 0 1 2 9 1 47 0 3 3 120 0 5 0 2 2 37 0 2 0 15 0 33 0 125 1 8 4 152 0 29 0 0 0 21 2 15 0 9 3 107 0 42 6 163 1 16 10 326 56 2559
Turb. 0 38 1 40 0 10 1 6 2 35 19 6 16 198 254 0 16 3 8 8 7 13 69 0 1 1 0 43 0 8 2 0 39 3 25 26 3 6 27 1 1 5 2 1 39 39 96 5 156 1279
AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA
Country Australia Cook Islands Fiji French Polynesia Guam Kiribati Marshall Islands New Caledonia New Zealand Papua New Guinea Samoa Tahiti Vanuatu Total
Total 614 1 4 7 2 1 2 6 76 26 3 0 3 745
Executive* 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 5
Jet 198 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 15 3 1 0 0 221
Turb. 414 0 4 7 2 1 0 5 58 23 2 0 3 519
Country Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Brunei Cambodia China Georgia Hong Kong India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Macau Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal 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 33 2 14 13 8 4 1 497 4 130 262 156 45 16 95 256 30 36 27 1 2 24 7 87 2 3 3 10 15 55 105 28 181 58 49 5 2 28 85 168 4 140 1 5 4 2701
Executive* Jet 0 1 0 1 1 13 4 7 0 1 4 0 0 1 67 291 0 3 3 120 5 166 3 46 6 21 0 0 14 42 4 87 1 19 1 29 5 20 0 1 0 0 2 19 1 6 2 54 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 12 1 32 2 51 4 24 29 121 1 49 2 33 0 0 0 2 2 20 4 37 2 127 0 4 8 98 1 0 0 0 2 0 184 1559
Turb. 32 1 0 2 7 0 0 139 1 7 91 107 18 16 39 165 10 6 2 0 2 3 0 31 2 3 2 10 0 22 52 0 31 8 14 5 0 6 44 39 0 34 0 5 2 958
AFRICA
Country Total Algeria 42 Angola 76 Benin 1 Botswana 54 Burkina Faso 5 Burundi 1 Cameroon 8 Canary Islands 2 Central African Republic 5 Chad 9 Comoros 2 Congo 7 Cote d''Ivoire 3 Dem. Republic of Congo 30 Djibouti 2 Egypt 41 Equatorial Guinea 6 Eritrea 2 Ethiopia 12 Gabon 14 Gambia 6 Ghana 11 Guinea 1 Guinea-Bissau 1 Kenya 130 Liberia 2 Libya 15 Madagascar 22 Malawi 2 Mali Republic 5 Mauritania 7 Mauritius 10 Morocco 49 Mozambique 12 Namibia 38 Niger 7 Nigeria 93 Sao Tome and Principe 1 Senegal 11 Seychelles Islands 4 Sierra Leone 1 South Africa 433 Sudan 12 Swaziland 2 Tanzania 91 Togo 8 Tunisia 2 Uganda 25 Zambia 26 Zimbabwe 13 1362 Total
Executive* Jet 0 12 5 27 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 3 0 2 5 12 1 1 3 34 1 4 0 1 0 0 1 10 2 4 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 0 1 9 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 6 2 30 0 4 0 13 0 1 0 80 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 1 156 0 5 1 1 0 5 1 3 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 2 31 466
Turb. 30 44 1 50 4 0 4 0 5 5 2 4 1 13 0 4 1 1 12 3 0 5 1 1 120 2 5 20 2 3 6 4 17 8 25 6 13 0 8 2 1 276 7 0 86 4 0 24 24 11 865
*Executive aircraft are airliner aircraft converted to private business use, excluding models originally meant for business use.
BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018 - 35
COVETED
Gulfstream delivers about 60 G650s a year, accounting for about half of segment sales.
FLEET REPORT 12 MONTH WORLDWIDE TURBINE FLEET 2016
2017
Unit Change
Growth
Worldwide
36.674
37.284
610
1,7%
United States
20.477
20.978
501
2,4%
Africa
1.366
1.362
-4
-0,3%
Asia
2.696
2.702
6
0,2%
Europe
3.880
3.894
14
0,4%
North America
23.764
24.297
533
2,2%
718
745
27
3,8%
3.361
3.359
-2
-0,1%
South America
HIT
Pilatus PC-12 NG, one of the most popular business single turboprop.
Bizav by the Numbers According to Honeywell’s Outlook, slow-but-steady seems to be the name of the game. The report predicts that a range of external factors will drive low single-digit growth over the next 10 years. “Declining used aircraft prices, continued low commodities prices and economic and political uncertainties in many business jet markets remain as nearterm concerns for new jet purchases, leading to modest growth in 2018,” says Honeywell President for the Americas Aftermarket Ben Driggs. We’re already seeing signs of this trend. The 2017 fleet numbers are in and, although the global fleet continues to grow, the pace of that growth has slowed. According to figures provided by JetNet LLC, at the end of 2017, the total global Business Aviation fleet grew by 610, reaching a total of 37,284 aircraft. This represents a 1.7% growth over last year, down from the 2.7% growth seen between 2015 and 2016, when the global fleet added 992 new aircraft.
36 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
EXECUTIVE JET MARKET FORECAST PER JET CLASS 1,200 1,000 800 Deliveries (# of jets)
Australia & Oceania
duction in the 2021 – 2022 timeframe, the company says the market will quickly rebound in 2023, with annual output rising steadily to 957 aircraft by 2030. Turning to regional performance, Honeywell’s forecast paints a mixed picture. The report predicts significant declines in Chinese and Russian purchase plans, with a notable hit to anticipated deliveries across AsiaPacific due to concerns over increasing regional tensions. According to JetNet figures, which divides the world into slightly different regional breakdowns than Honeywell, the bulk of last year’s growth happened in the North American market, which added 533 aircraft to its fleet, 501 of which came in the US. The North American market now stands at 24,297 aircraft, 20,978 of which are based in the US, followed by 1,396 in Mexico and 1,336 in Canada. This trend looks set to continue into the foreseeable future, with Honeywell estimating that 61% of projected global demand will come from North American operators over the next five years. However, in-line with the worldwide trend, the rate of growth has slowed slightly, with the North American mar-
600 400 200 0 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Note: Sum of jet class numbers might differ from total numbers due to rounding
Source: Embraer
9,100 jets and US$ 259 Bi over the next 10 years
For sake of comparison, Forecast International projects that a total of 12,282 business jets will be produced during the 15-year period from 2017 to 2031, with an estimated value of $354 billion (2017 US dollars). The same report shows annual business jet production rising from 647 aircraft in 2017 to 799 in 2020. Although cyclical economic factors are expected to result in slightly declining pro-
ket dropping from the 2.8% growth that was posted between 2015-2016 to 2.2% growth in the 2016-2017 timeframe. Likewise, growth in the US fell from 2.9% to 2.4%. Along these same lines, Honeywell reports that new jet purchase plan levels decreased by 9% in North America, a number that played a significant role in driving the world average purchase plan rate down to 19%. But on a more positive
note, the same Honeywell survey shows that 39% of responding North American operators plan to schedule their new purchase within the first two years of the five-year horizon – 3% higher than what was reported in the company’s 2016 outlook. A similar trend was seen in Europe. The region, which saw its total fleet grow by 44, for a total of 3,894 aircraft, also saw the rate of growth drop from 2015-2016’s 2.0% to 1.1% between 20162017. Europe is led by Germany (726 aircraft), the UK (492 aircraft) and France (432 aircraft). According to Honeywell, European operators will continue to grapple with sluggish growth fueled by nervousness over Brexit and continual threats of terrorism. The report shows that new jet purchase plans across the region declined significantly, down 11% from the 2016 forecast. That being said, the continent’s share of estimated global five-year demand remained at near 14% in the 2017 survey. “A comparison of the planned timing for European purchases indicated a cautious approach to timing the replacement or expansion of the fleets with new acquisitions,” says Driggs. “Only 33% of new jet purchases are expected in the first two years of the survey, while close to 45% are scheduled for 2022 and beyond.” Based on JetNet figures, only one region saw an increase in its growth rate. Led by Australia, New Zealand and Papa New Guinea, the Australia/Oceania region added 27 aircraft to its fleet, which now totals 745. This represented a 3.8% increase, well above the 2.2% that the region posted in the 2015-2016 timeframe. When the region is combined with Asia, Honeywell says that operators in Asia Pacific report new jet acquisition plans for 13% of their fleet over the next five years. Although this is down significantly from last year, based on the expressed level of purchase plans, the region would still represent close to a 6% share of global new jet demand over the next five years. Likewise, Jetcraft sees continuing signs of growth in the Asia-Pacific market. Its latest forecast predicts that the region will remain one of the most active of the emerging markets (and the third-largest Business Aviation market behind North America and Europe), accounting for
10% of unit deliveries – equaling 798 units – from 2016 to 2025. The company notes that one of the key drivers for Asia-Pacific’s Business Aviation sales activity is its greater acceptance of pre-owned aircraft among buyers, as well as an increase in the number of first-time sellers in the market. “It remains a region where buyers are inclined to purchase new aircraft, but there is a significant shift in attitude, where buyers are acquiring preowned aircraft in greater numbers and with growing confidence,” says Jetcraft Asia President David Dixon.
frame the region added 23 aircraft, for a 1.7% increase – in stark contrast to this year’s negative growth. The region is led by perennial powerhouses Brazil (1,525 aircraft), Venezuela (768 aircraft) and Argentina (346 aircraft). As to Brazil, the Honeywell report notes that the country remained a “bright spot” by recording the strongest new aircraft purchase plans from a major aircraft market, although overall buying plans declined year-over-year. In terms of Africa specifically, according to Jetcraft Vice President, Sales
But when you look at just Asia (which includes the Middle East), numbers are down. Despite the continued talk about the strength of this market and, in particular, the Chinese market, this year’s report shows signs of stagnation. Last year our Fleet Report was all about Asia and its dominant 7.5% growth. This year, however, the region saw only 0.2% growth, having added just six new aircraft to its fleet – a far cry from the 189 aircraft it added during the 2015-2016 timeframe. The region continues to be carried by China (497 aircraft), India (262 aircraft) and Japan (256 aircraft). This year two regions saw a decrease in their fleet sizes. Africa – led by South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria – lost four aircraft, while South America saw their fleet decrease by two. Although South America saw a similar decrease in last year’s report, the decrease in the African fleet comes as a bit of a surprise. During the 2015-2016 time-
Africa Danie Joubert, Africa’s Business Aviation market is shrinking. “This is the result of a number of economic and operational challenges, including the drop in the price of oil that has a substantial, ongoing impact on the sovereign revenues of many African countries,” he says. “This impact has been felt throughout the rest of the economy, causing small companies – many of which are Business Aviation users – to close shop.” Honeywell notes that the drop in Africa, along with the Middle East, can in part be blamed on ongoing political tensions and conflicts. According to their survey, 18% of respondents expressed plans to replace or add to their fleet with a new jet purchase over the next five years – down from 21% last year. In terms of individual country fleets, the only change in the Top Ten list was that China continued to move up, taking over the number eight spot from the UK. The Americas still dominate, with the US, Brazil, Mexico,
BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018 - 37
FORECAST
Honeywell estimates 61% of projected global demand will come from North American operators over the next five years.
FLEET REPORT
Source: CAPA
FUEL EFFICIENCY AND THE PRICE OF JET FUEL
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
tion of the Business Aviation installed base over the forecast period will grow by 3.3%, with large and medium segment aircraft growing at the expense of small segment models. This is largely a result of the changing narrow-body to widebody delivery ratio (in favor of the latter) and the 5% attrition rate that is made up of the retirement of models exclusively in the small and medium sized segments, which comprise 90% of all narrow-body models. Furthermore, according to the Jetcraft report, the combination of a distinct customer preference (especially among new entrants in Business Aviation) and a concerted OEM-driven strategy, the new pro-
Canada and Venezuela holding the top half respectively. France, with 432 aircraft, came just one aircraft short of cracking this year’s Top Ten. You should also keep an eye on Mexico, which Honeywell reports as having “significantly higher” purchase intent. Makes and Models Although business jets tend to get all the attention, the global fleet is relatively well-balanced between jets and turboprops, at 21,427 and 15,280 aircraft respectively. Of the jets, the
ON-THE-RISE
2018 Jet fuel prices started more than 20% more expensive than they were a year ago. Cessna Caravan (below).
Citation II reigns supreme, with 535 aircraft in the fleet, closely followed by the Gulfstream G-550 at 531 aircraft and the Citation Mustang at 456 aircraft. On the turboprop side, the Caravan 208B leads the way with 1,586 aircraft, followed by the King Air B200 at 1,076 and the Pilatus PC12 NG with 728 aircraft. As always, the North American, Asian (including the Middle East) and European markets remain jet heavy, while Africa and Australia con-
38 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
tinue to favor the turboprop. South America, although favoring the turboprop, is fairly well balanced, with 1,411 jets against 1,948 turboprops. In terms of trends, Honeywell reports that operators remain focused on the larger-cabin aircraft classes, ranging from the super mid-size through the ultralong range, which are expected to account for more than 85% of all expenditures on new business jets in the next five years. Likewise, Jetcraft says that the evolu-
gram development footprint over the forecast period displays an overwhelming bias toward widebody aircraft – with 98% of the forecasted revenues from new programs being for widebody models. “This will perpetuate the trend of lower unit delivery numbers, but at an exponentially higher price per unit and absolute revenues performance,” explains Anderson. This is a significant shift, as it fundamentally redefines how Business Aviation should measure its success. “As customers continue to favor larger, long-range aircraft capable of supporting the needs of today’s global business environment, Business Aviation will come to be characterized by fewer deliveries but more revenue – significantly more revenue, peaking at $31.4 billion in 2025,” says Anderson. “In fact, based on Jetcraft’s projections, although the large jet category will constitute only 31% of all units delivered, it will account for more than 63% of total revenue.”
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FLEET REPORT Anderson notes that the trend toward larger aircraft will also affect the average aircraft list price. “Having increased by a healthy 56% over the last decade, our latest forecast sees this number growing an additional 16% by 2026,” he says. This increase will be primarily driven by the fact that 98% of the forecasted revenues generated from new programs will come from widebody models like the Textron Hemisphere, Bombardier Global 7000, Dassault Falcon 8X and Gulfstream 500 and 600. With this in mind, the Jetcraft report predicts that Bombardier will reacquire the highest market share over the forecast period, with 29.2%, while Cessna will maintain the top spot for unit deliveries, at 27.3%. Along the same lines, Forecast International forecast Cessna to lead the business jet market in unit production during the 2017-2031 period, producing 3,178 aircraft and representing 25.9% of the market. Gulfstream is set to come in second, based on a forecasted production of 2,277 business jets, for an 18.5% market share. Embraer takes the third slot, producing 2,255 aircraft to claim an 18.4% market share. However, when the market is measured in monetary value of production, Forecast International sees Gulfstream taking the lead behind a forecasted production of $121 billion worth of business jets – for a market share of 34%. Bombardier is set to generate $87 billion in production value, for a 24.5% share, whereas
Dassault’s market share is estimated at 15.3%, with $54.4 billion worth of business jet production. Preowned Market vs. Buying New According to JetNet, at the close of 2017 there were 3,270 business aircraft for sale worldwide. The majority of these aircraft are based in the US (2,009), followed by Europe (385) and South America (246). Based on a presentation that JetNet Vice President of Sales Paul Cardarelli given at NBAA-BACE 2017, the average number of days a business jet is on the market is 236, down from the 260 days required just one year earlier.
BUSINESS JETS FORECAST - DELIVERY VALUE
Honeywell International
BUSINESS JET DELIVERY FORECAST IN UNITS
CLASS
The biggest drivers of the growth is still coming from mid-size, supermid and large cabin jets.
Honeywell International
40 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
The Honeywell forecast sees the preowned market as being a bright spot, showing a 7% year-over-year improvement in total inventory levels and a slight uptick in anticipated used jet acquisitions by survey respondents. However, the report also cautions that this news is somewhat dampened by the fact that asking prices are still declining overall, especially for medium- and long-range aircraft. On the bright side, Honeywell reports that the total number of recent jet models (less than 10 years old) listed for resale is down 15% yearover-year, now representing less than 8% of the installed base. In proportion to the level of overall listings, howev-
er, the share of recent model jets for sale is still more than 30% of total listings in comparison with pre-recession levels of 15 – 20%. Furthermore, Honeywell says that survey respondents increased their used jet acquisition plans by about 1%, equating to 25% of their fleets in the next five years. This increase in used jet purchase plans clearly aligns with the reduction of used inventory for sale and could result in favorable pricing pressure on used jets in the medium term. However, any news about the preowned market must be balanced against what’s happening on the new jet side. And according to a Bloomberg article, there’s a lot happening. The article notes that OEMs
REGIONAL OUTLOOK
Honeywell International are flooding the market with new jets, thus spurring deep discounts for new aircraft and fueling a three-year slide in prices of used planes (Black, Thomas. 2017, October 8. The Glut of Private Jets Means ‘Insane’ Bargains for Buyers. Bloomberg). This so called ‘jet glut’ is one reason preowned prices were down 16% as of August 2016. According to Black, “with bargains aplenty on machines with few flight hours, manufacturers are cutting deals to entice buyers to purchase new planes, meanwhile they keep churning out aircraft and introducing new models.” That being said, Jetcraft says that, overall, the pre-owned market is enjoying a period of positive momentum. “Not only are inventories back to pre-recession levels, we’re seeing a unique trend where absorption rates for pre-owned aircraft are set to improve over the next 10 years,” explains Anderson. “The market is back to a point where any aircraft that is well priced, marketed and positioned will have more than one buyer.” Jetcraft notes that the depreciation rate of residual values will continue to experience downward pressure
AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES
PURCHASE PLANS BY AIRCRAFT CLASS
Honeywell International
well into the front end of the 10-year forecast period, at which time most of the late model, widebody, nonwarranty inventory will be cleared. Once the predicted new models are put into service, however, the depreciation rate of residual values will absolutely improve. “Buyers should always use caution when attempting to predict residual values in this type of market,” adds Anderson. “We frequently remind buyers that depreciation is natural and should be planned for.”
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WORTH
Piaggio Avanti II (top). Bombardier (center) is set to generate $87 billion in production value, for a 24.5% share.
FLEET REPORT REGIONAL DEMAND FOR NEW JETS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS
Honeywell Int’l Good Reason to Be Optimistic According to Honeywell, this is the fourth consecutive decline in its forecast’s anticipated business aircraft deliveries, with 2017 totals down 2 to 3 percent from the 2016 10-year forecast, and well off the 2014 forecasted peak of up to 9,450 anticipated deliveries. “Slower order rates for established business jet models are to blame for much of this decline, with deliveries of approximately 620 to 640 new jets expected this year – a decline of roughly 30 aircraft year-over-year,” says Driggs.
Honeywell also notes an 8% decrease in planned new jet purchases by operators over the next five years compared to 2016, with super-midsize through ultralong range aircraft representing more than 85% of all purchases in that time. The longer-range forecast through 2027 project a 3 to 4% average annual growth rate, fueled by certification of new models and projected growth in the global economy. Despite this stagnation in new jet purchases, the North American market continues to be a bright spot. Over the next five years, Honeywell forecast that the market will comprise an estimated 61% of global demand, with nearly 40% of its survey respondents in the region stating their intent to schedule new aircraft purchases over the next two years – a 3% increase over last year’s survey.
NEW JET PURCHASE PLANS BY AIRCRAFT CLASS
Honeywell International Driggs notes that, despite this slowdown in growth, there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic. “Declines in five-year operator purchase plans are offset in the long-term forecast by several new programs entering service, which will drive solid growth in new business jet purchases in the mid and long term,” he says. Anderson echoes this optimism, stating that the industry stands at a new beginning point stronger and healthier than ever. “After nearly a decade since the recession, Business Aviation has good reason to be optimistic as we’re now well-positioned for several years of steadier, healthier growth and expanding revenues,” he says. “While there are no guarantees in any market, it’s safe to say that after years of less certainty, at least as of right now, market activity is predictable.”
BACKLOG
Deliveries and orders of Falcon business jets, including the Falcon 8X trijet (below), both climbed last year.
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FLEET REPORT
COULD 2018 BE A MINI-BOOM YEAR FOR BUSINESS AVIATION?
Richard Koe anticipates a better year ahead with the combination of a stronger economy, competitive pricing and more product choice
in Europe, stagnant since 2012, flight activity came back to life in the last 12 months. Industry surveys across a range of perceptions, from overall confidence, to customer interest and availability of funding, all gained momentum in 2017, despite the poor translation, so far, into buyers of new aircraft. Signs of better times ahead have also come from the wider political, economic and regulatory environment. Politically, the industry has no doubt got a better hearing from a president who is also an avid user of business jets, even if they may not
A CORPORATE
President Donald Trump is the embodiment of how an entrepreneur uses private aviation to build a business.
s sure as seagulls follow trawlers, recessions sooner or later transform into recoveries. During the past 10 years, Business Aviation has made a habit of declaring a turning point, more in hope than expectation. As optimism ebbed, the consensus view was that flat is normal and that the industry’s pre-recession growth was a one-off. Then came Trump’s election in the US. Industry sentiment quickly brightened, and there was speculation that 2017 would see the longwaited recovery. It didn’t material-
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ize, at least not in aircraft sales, which will come in at a decade lowpoint. So, should we lower expectations for 2018? Sales of new aircraft have traditionally lagged the pick-up in other bellwethers of recovery both inside and outside the industry. Many of these have started to flag up only recently: Pre-owned inventories finally returned to normal levels in the last few months; pre-owned pricing has dropped anchor after several years of sinking values; aircraft utilization hit a new gear in 2017 in the US; and
thank him for his support of ATC privatization. The industry will certainly thank him for finding a way, belatedly, to pass a legislative program of tax cuts and jobs initiatives in December. Specifically, limiting top individual tax rates under 40 percent and cutting corporate rates from 35 percent to 21 percent starting this year was well-timed for Christmas. Better still, Congress has authorized the extension of 100 percent bonus depreciation deductions, to both new and pre-owned aircraft.
Geopolitically, the industry has a much stronger tailwind coming into 2018 than it did a year ago, when Trump´s accession had spooked global trade, the oil price was stuck around $50 a barrel, China´s economy had just posted its slowest growth in 25 years, and Europe was quaking with Brexit repercussions and imminent French elections. This year, the economic outlook is positive, with synchronized growth across advanced and developing economies. The US, by far the most important locomotive for Business Aviation, is into the 7th year of its economic expansion and GDP growth at its highest since 2014. Europe has its most robust growth in a decade, and secondary Business Aviation markets, from Brazil to Russia and Nigeria are recovering with the comeback in energy prices. More than ever, at least in this century, the US market is the industry´s key market. Corporate America, where Business Aviation began 70 years ago, still decides when and how the industry turns up or down. Back in 2009, business jets became a liability for business leaders, and their toxic image played a large part in dissuading new aircraft purchases for the better part of a decade. The resulting glut of capacity collapsed the pricing of preowned aircraft and residual values have been looking for a floor ever since. No wonder business jet owners have constantly extended upgrade and replacement cycles. But at some point, whether it‘s a factory or a corporate jet, companies need to renew their capital assets. Naturally, businesses are going to find it much easier to renew such investments when their profits are rising. Last year´s low interest rates, low inflation and falling dollar were a boon for corporate profits in the US. Historically there has been a fairly good correlation between business jet investment and corporate profits, but this correlation unhitched in the recession, companies preferring a more risk-averse program of tax cuts and share buy-backs. With balance sheets strengthened and equity markets already sky-high, it´s more likely now that businesses will shift focus to investment. With Trump’s efforts to redirect these investments on-shore, corporate investment in
the US in 2018 could provide the business jet market with a long overdue boost. Not that Business Aviation is just the passive recipient of changes in demand; there are a number of important growth catalysts on the supply side of the equation. First and foremost, new aircraft models set to enter the market in the next 18 months will stimulate demand. At the top end of the market, Gulfstream will look to upgrade its venerable G450 platform with the G500, Bombardier will introduce its much-belated Global 7000 to compete with the G650, and Cessna is stepping into the large cabin playground with the Hemisphere. Technological advances will continue to see aircraft capable of flying further and faster, with all industry forecasts seeing a preponderance of value in large cabin aircraft. This partly reflects the globalization of trade and commerce, partly too the purchasing power and status requirements of newly minted billionaires in emerging markets.
ing records of the Honda Jet and Phenom 300 over the last year. Pilatus will also find new competition in its own back yard with the scheduled entry of Cessna´s single-engine Denali later this year. Whilst it’s fair to say new products have not yet lifted overall sales, their influx has clearly helped drive aircraft activity, as shown in Chart 1. In the third Quarter of 2017, there were more than 23,000 Phenom 300 sectors, up 27 percent year on year. Much of this activity owes to the successful introduction of the Phenom to fractional fleets. The King Air 350 has similar growth and activity, with this footprint specifically linked to the success of the Wheels Up membership program, which is employing more than 70 such aircraft. Membership programs have flourished in the last 18 months, with Jet Smarter and Surf Air building businesses around the platform, then established operators such as VistaJet and XO Jet jumping the bandwagon with their own membership products.
CHART 1: BUSINESS AVIATION AIRCRAFT WITH MOST ACTIVITY AND GROWTH IN NORTH AMERICA, Q3-2017
The midsize part of the market had a prolonged relapse during the recession as corporate demand withered, with the over-supplied fractional fleets of Hawkers increasingly disused. But this part of the market has also been invigorated by new products, with Embraer 450, 500 and Citation Latitude winning new customers. At the lighter end of the market, 2018 will see Pilatus adding to the outstanding success of the PC-12 turboprop with the jet performance of the PC-24, competing with the best-sell-
It’s not hard to see why membership programs have struck a chord with both investors and users of Business Aviation. The combination of smart phones and big data platforms have empowered a sharing economy which has radically disrupted other travel and transportation sectors. Business Aviation is a smaller and tougher nut to crack given its supply-side fragmentation, operational complexity and regulatory demands. But there are strong incentives, with substantial excess capacity, underutilized assets,
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BOOST
Although new products have not yet lifted overall sales, their influx has helped drive aircraft activity.
FLEET REPORT and very low levels of customer awareness. In the background, surging tech sector valuations and an ocean of idle private equity on the sidelines, and it’s not a surprise to see money backing new ideas to shake up a conservative market; in the last 3 years more than $250 million has poured into digital brokerage platforms aiming to disrupt the traditional charter market. In terms of trends in flight activity, investments in the charter business look well justified, with commercial sectors, whether Part-135, AOC or fractional, driving utilization on both sides of the Atlantic during 2017. Charter demand for business jets increased 10% in 2017 in both the US and Europe, as shown in Chart 2. In the US, operators have harnessed the scaled-up economies of a large taxi fleet with the digital membership channel to endusers. In Europe’s more heterogeneous and less mature market, the fleets are smaller and the digital B2C brokerages are independent and earlystage. This may change in 2018, as investors, which may well be US-based entrants, see opportunities to link up fleet operations and retail channels. CHART 2: COMMERCIAL (PART-135 AND CHARTER) FLIGHT ACTIVITY IN EUROPE AND US, Q3-2017
ENTREPRENEUR
In terms of trends in flight activity, investments in the charter business look well justified.
As access to Business Aviation gets more transparent, it will finally start linking up with the rest of the travel sphere. The technology is there to identify and price-up dynamic inventory, which could then be promoted through global distribution systems with airlines and hotels. The main obstacle is the complex and often antiquated way in which operators move and manage their inventory. Most operators manage owners’ flight activity as well as chartered trips. With most
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fleets fewer than 5 aircraft, guaranteeing availability to 3rd party customers is difficult, and pricing, often at owners’ discretion, is inevitably inconsistent. Most flight management systems aren’t web-based, so they’re not reliably making inventory available to brokers. Procurement, whether it’s aircraft handling or flight training, is still highly fragmented, purchased directly by tiny operators. Digital platforms are starting to get traction in terms of transforming the
front-end of Business Aviation. This year we expect to see more investment and progress in the digitization of the back-end. Bigger fleets will help, and we expect both the creation of new fleet operators, for example off-shoots of US operators in Europe and Asia, and some further consolidation of existing fleets. Operational economics justify fleet consolidation, but only for the small minority of fleets with more than half a dozen aircraft. The big opportunity to scale procurement is already being exploited by start-ups specializing in digital aggregation of operators’ purchasing requirements. Meanwhile front-end brokers will look to leverage flight management systems, exemplified by Stellar’s investment in CTA FOS, the leading US flight support service. The confluence of innovation in the way private jets can be accessed, and the general uplift in business confidence, private wealth and luxury aspirations, should see a lot more growth in aircraft charters in 2018. After all, the available chartered fleet has capacity to spare, running at no more than 300 hours per aircraft last year.
Charter activity has always been seasonal, especially in Europe with its summer season peak, but in 2017 we saw more accentuated activity around the micro spikes of events in the sporting, luxury and big business calendar. This reflects savvier marketing and operational clarity, with membership programs curating air-andground trips in the knowledge they can pre-book the required aircraft. It will be interesting to see how much Business Aviation the year’s first premier events attract. As shown in Chart 3, the Super Bowl is likely to dwarf all other contenders for the most popular private jet event in the calendar. While the charter business powers ahead, owner activity has little encouragement from trends in 2017, when Part 91 activity was flat on both sides of the Atlantic. A lot of these aircraft are sitting around for sale. Many are ageing, and although operationally functional, will not attract buyers, or least the would-be buyers won’t get financing. The slow pace of ADS-B implementation, with the mandate’s deadline under two years away, suggests many of these aircraft may get decommissioned. That may catalyze new aircraft purchases. But there are a couple of traditional assumptions to be challenged. One is that once an individual has purchased an aircraft, they will stick with ownership. The other is that the new cohort of charter customers will at some point graduate to becoming aircraft owners. Last year, General Electric Co’s decision to sell off its corporate fleet to cut costs set off industry alarm bells. Bloomberg likened it to Mark Zuckerberg unplugging from the internet. A month later, at the Corporate Jet Investor conference in Miami, Rolls Royce noted that it was seeing a decline in flight departments in its US customer base. At the same conference, head of Embraer Michael Amalfitano spoke about an oncoming shift from owning aircraft to accessing aircraft. He had in mind the millennial generation, no small number of whom have graduated early to the wealth bracket where they might use Business Aviation. Manufacturers like Embraer, just as the car brands have done, will need to preempt this potential change in user preferences.
CHART 3: COMPARATIVE BUSINESS JET ACTIVITY, AT SUPERBOWL AND AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, 2017
Notwithstanding the shifting sands in long-term business jet customer behavior, aircraft manufacturers should find stronger demand from their global market of high net worth individuals this year. Wealth creation will always be the industry‘s most direct driver, and the wealth outlook for 2018 will undoubtedly mark a bumper year. The combination of stronger economy, competitive pricing and more product choice should give Business Aviation a good 12 months. Predicting anything better than that would be unwise though. Pre-recession aircraft sales are still a far-off prospect. And an unanticipated economic or political shock that puts confidence on ice is quite possible. Past experience amply demonstrates the immediacy of the negative consequences for Business Aviation.
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Richard Koe is managing director of WINGX Advance GmbH. WINGX, based in Germany and founded in 2011, provides business intelligence for the global private jet market. WINGX researches and tracks market data, from which they build analytics to assist customers in their decision making. Their customers span the entire industry supply chain, from airports, operators and manufacturers to industry investors and financial analysts. Mr. Koe has a background in sales, business development and strategy, in the Business Aviation sector and previously in telecom and manufacturing industries. He has a Bachelor degree from Oxford University and a Masters from Johns Hopkins University.
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SEASONAL
In 2017, charter activity was more accentuated around the events in the sporting, luxury and big business calendar. Richard Koe (right below).
FLEET REPORT
HELICOPTER FLEET SEES STEADY GROWTH
No annual review of the Business Aviation market is complete without a look at the helicopter fleet. Volker K. Thomalla comments on this year’s roundup
A
RELIABLE
Robinson R44 (top), the fourseat descendant of the R22, is leading the light piston helicopter class.
s with their jet and turboprop brothers, the Business Aviation helicopter market also stays on a stable and steady course. According to the Global Commercial Helicopter Market 2017-2027 report, as of 2017, the global commercial helicopter systems market was valued at $8.2 billion. With rising demand from emerging economies, coupled with growing usage across different sectors – including offshore oil and gas – the market is expected to increase to $11.6 billion by 2027. According to Honeywell’s 19th annual TurbinePowered Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook, these dollar figures translate to between 3,900 to 4,400 civilian-use helicopters delivered between 2017 and 2021. According to the Global Commercial Helicopter Market report, the bulk of this growth will come from mediumsized helicopters, which will account for 55% of the market, followed by light and heavy models with shares of 35.4% and 9.6% respectively. This follows predicted demand being driven by the rapid expansion of major helicopter operators and leasing corporations procuring significant numbers
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of new and advanced helicopters to renew their existing fleets. Market stability comes from the fact that these operators and firms are spread across a diverse client base from various industries, including offshore oil and gas, energy, emergency medical services, search and rescue and VIP transport. This diversity helps protect the sector from any issues within any individual industry – important when you consider the recent volatility in oil and gas related markets.
We Crunched the Numbers After crunching the numbers provided by JetNet, the global helicopter fleet currently stands at 31,504 units. As with the aircraft fleet, the bulk of these helicopters are in North America – 12,773 to be exact – of which 9,482 call the US home. Although this number is nearly double the fleet size of the next largest region (Europe at 6,887), the remainder of the fleet is generally spread evenly across the rest of the world,
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 CADET ROBINSON R44 RAVEN I ROBINSON R44 RAVEN II SCHWEIZER 300CB SCHWEIZER S-300C 'SCHWEIZER S-300CBI Total Piston Single Turbine Make/Model AGUSTA/WESTLAND A119 KOALA AGUSTA/WESTLAND A119KE 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 505 JET RANGER X 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 LEONARDO AW119Kx MD MD 500E MD MD 520N MD MD 530F MD MD 600N ROBINSON R66 SCHWEIZER 330 SCHWEIZER S-333 Total Single Turbine Multiple Turbine Make/Model AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109A AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109A MK II AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109C AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109K2 AGUSTA/WESTLAND A109S GRAND
TOTAL 7 120 14 104 3 94 61 26 98 61 47 1007 1610 59 111 40 525 20 1371 3494 78 460 184 9.594
EUROPE 1 31 0 25 0 21 9 0 9 12 4 277 304 4 21 13 120 2 348 766 13 157 30 2.167
85 101 1.219 632 632 215 27 129 54 907 1.851 94 395 468 426 3 30 1.058 259 126 15 24 75 77 29 130 290 44 1.027 465 55 414 164 119 74 25 57 342 98 153 58 683 14 49 13.192
17 25 147 290 189 35 1 5 4 56 191 9 23 22 5 0 0 61 22 11 0 11 56 65 10 13 52 22 310 123 6 50 80 45 36 10 2 67 10 3 6 112 3 9 2.214
53 88 64 28 174
22 43 19 16 67
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017
AIRBUS AS-332C1E SUPER PUMA AIRBUS AS-355NP ECUREUIL II AIRBUS AS-365N-3 DAUPHIN 2 AIRBUS EC-135P2+ AIRBUS EC-135T2+ AIRBUS EC-145 AIRBUS H135 AIRBUS H145 AIRBUS H155 AIRBUS H175 AIRBUS H225 BELL 206LT TWINRANGER BELL 212 BELL 214ST BELL 222A BELL 222B BELL 222SP BELL 222UT BELL 230 BELL 412 BELL 412EP BELL 412EPI BELL 412HP BELL 412SP BELL 427 BELL 429 GLOBALRANGER BELL 430 BELL/AGUSTA AB-412 BELL/AGUSTA AB-412EP BELL/AGUSTA AB-412HP BELL/AGUSTA AB-412SP EUROCOPTER AS-332L SUPER PUMA EUROCOPTER AS-332L1 SUPER PUMA EUROCOPTER AS-332L2 SUPER PUMA EUROCOPTER AS-355E ECUREUIL II EUROCOPTER AS-355F ECUREUIL II EUROCOPTER AS-355F-1 ECUREUIL EUROCOPTER AS-355F-2 ECUREUIL EUROCOPTER AS-355N ECUREUIL II EUROCOPTER AS-365C DAUPHIN 2 EUROCOPTER AS-365N DAUPHIN 2 EUROCOPTER AS-365N-1 DAUPHIN 2 EUROCOPTER AS-365N-2 DAUPHIN 2 EUROCOPTER BK-117A-1 EUROCOPTER BK-117B-1 EUROCOPTER BK-117B-2 EUROCOPTER BK-117C-1 EUROCOPTER EC-135P1 EUROCOPTER EC-135P2 EUROCOPTER EC-135T1 EUROCOPTER EC-135T2 EUROCOPTER EC-155B EUROCOPTER/KAWASAKI BK-117A-1 EUROCOPTER/KAWASAKI BK-117B EUROCOPTER/KAWASAKI BK-117C-1 LEONARDO A109E POWER LEONARDO A109SP GRANDNEW LEONARDO AW139 LEONARDO AW169 LEONARDO AW189 MD MD EXPLORER SIKORSKY S-76A SIKORSKY S-76A+ SIKORSKY S-76A++ SIKORSKY S-76B SIKORSKY S-76C SIKORSKY S-76C+ SIKORSKY S-76C++ SIKORSKY S-76D SIKORSKY S-92A Multiple Turbine Total Grand Total
© AVDATA/JETNET
4 60 198 379 219 777 87 113 143 21 166 3 472 28 33 14 5 34 32 109 552 16 61 30 77 308 111 28 17 4 22 56 67 45 2 111 59 157 148 43 95 35 121 46 48 71 52 44 153 85 144 30 9 87 9 373 152 815 36 36 111 93 24 34 70 23 145 209 68 282 8.718 31.504
0 36 70 147 128 118 61 84 49 19 63 1 52 0 4 4 1 1 0 32 44 1 20 4 11 47 8 26 17 3 16 18 33 19 0 46 24 49 72 19 32 10 24 0 16 14 20 14 62 47 103 17 0 1 0 107 62 214 24 18 59 1 1 2 9 5 7 20 1 102 2.506 6.887
FLEET REPORT with Asia claiming 3,845, South America 3,033, Oceania 2,700 and Africa an impressive 1,581. In terms of pistons versus turbines, as of the end of 2017 there were 9,594 pistons in the global fleet and 21,910 turbines. Of the turbines, 13,192 are single turbine models, with the remaining 8,718 being multiple turbine models. As for the most popular models, on the piston side of the equation the leaders are the Robinson R44 II (3,494), Robinson R22 Beta II (1,610) and Robinson R44 Raven I (1,371). Turning to the single turbine models, the Bell 206B-3 Jetranger III has the lead with 1,851 models in service, followed by the Airbus AS350B-2
TOP TEN FLEETS BY COUNTRY United States
9074
Canada
2249
Australia
1838
Brazil
1792
United Kingdom
1126
South Africa
914
France
905
China
837
Italy
734
Mexico
729
PISTON VERSUS TURBINES World Area Africa Asia Central America Europe North America * Oceania South America Unknown Total
Pistons 568 721 292 2.167 3.867 1.384 887 0 9.594
Single 609 1.278 670 2.214 6.396 922 1.341 428 13.192
Multi 404 1.846 249 2.506 2.510 394 805 241 8.718
Total 1.581 3.845 1.211 6.887 12.773 2.700 3.033 669 31.504
* North America includes Central America counts.
PROGRESS
In its 20-Year Market Forecast, Airbus Helicopters says 21,822 new rotorcraft worth €125 billion will be acquired.
Ecureuil and the Bell 407 at 1,219 and 1,058 respectively. For the multiple turbines, the leaders are the Leonardo AW139 (815), Airbus EC14T (777) and Bell 412EP (552). Comparing these numbers to what we reported in last year’s Fleet Report, what we see is stability – which is good news for the market. Sure, there were a few slight decreases in fleets, such as in the UK (minus 24), US (minus 32) and
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Brazil (minus 40), but these were only minor dips and can only be expected. “The current global economic situation is causing fleet managers to evaluate new helicopter purchases closely, which is why we’re seeing a more cautious five-year demand projection compared with previous years,” says Honeywell Aerospace President for the Americas Ben Driggs. “When considering a new purchase, operators’
results mirrored those from last year, with make and model choices for their new aircraft most strongly influenced by range, cabin size, performance, technology upgrades and brand experience.” Furthermore, they were largely negated by growth in other countries, such as Australia, which saw its fleet grow by 38 units, from 1,791 to 1,829. Other countries posting increases include: France (from 901 to 926 units), South Africa (from 900 to 931 units), Italy (from 725 to 756 units) and New Zealand (from 719 to 754 units). Overall, the worldwide piston helicopter fleet saw a small increase over last year – growing from 9,547 units to 9,594 units. The growth happened primarily in Africa, Oceania, Central America and Asia. In fact, according to JetNet’s data, Asia was the allaround leader this year, seeing the most growth in the piston, single turbine and multi-turbine segments. Specifically, the region saw its single and twin turbine fleet expand from 3,022 to 3,124 units within just one year. The majority of this growth came from China, which ended the year with a fleet of 837. That being said, don’t expect Asia to overtake the North American market
any time soon. According to the Global Commercial Helicopter Market, during the 2017-2027 timeframe, North America is expected to lead the global commercial helicopter market with a cumulative expenditure of $37.9 billion. The region’s spending will be largely driven by a growing use of civil helicopters in emergency medical services, law enforcement operations and other para-public missions.
Confidence in the Future Despite fleet growth having slowed slightly, all-in-all the industry should have confidence when looking forward. For starters, according to the Honeywell report, helicopter fleet utilization in 2017 generally increased compared to the year before. Furthermore, usage rates are expected to continue to improve – even significantly improve in North America and Latin America. Confidence should also be bolstered by the never-ending innovation efforts dedicated to creating even more efficient models. For example, nearly all the major manufacturers are investing heavily in R&D in order to continue to compete in this highly competitive market. As speed and weight are factors essential to a helicopter’s performance, expect manufacturers to focus their attention on developing faster, larger and more reliable options in the years to come. Innovation is also happening in the aftermarket, which is seeing increasing demand for technology-focused upgrades in terms of connectivity, safety and situational awareness. This is especially true in the US, where the FAA’s requirement for emergency medical service-configured helicopters to be equipped with helicopter
HONEYWELL’S REGIONAL REVIEW South America
❍ Still above the world average, purchase plans have declined by more than 13% from 2016 to 2017. ❍ Led all global regions in the rate of new aircraft purchase plans, although slightly down year-over-year due to weak economic performances in Brazil and Venezuela. ❍ Favor light single-engine models, which represent nearly 60% of all planned acquisitions. This is followed by intermediate and medium twin-engine platforms.
Middle East and Africa
North America
Europe
Asia Pacific
❍ Boast the second-highest new purchase rate among all regions – with up to 22% of fleets slated for turnover with a new helicopter replacement or addition. ❍ Close to 80% of these planned new helicopter purchases are intermediate and medium twin-engine models, with light single-engine models being the second highest mentioned platform by surveyed operators. ❍ Although purchase plans are down by more than 2% over 2016, North American purchase plans remain a significant component of the overall 2017 survey demand, with the region representing more than 40% of the current world fleet. ❍ Over 75% of planned North American purchases are identified as light singleengine models and just under 13% of new purchases are expected as intermediate or medium twin-engine models. ❍ Europe saw a decrease by more than 3%, marking the second year in a row that it posted a decrease. Much of this is related to the fact that the number of Russian operators responding to the survey remains small, which continues to add some uncertainty to the region’s overall results. ❍ Excluding heavy-twin helicopters, European purchases tend to favor all classes in nearly equal shares. ❍ Another year of solid results, with a number of countries contributing more relative and absolute new helicopter purchase plans (i.e., China, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia). ❍ Operators tend to focus more on corporate and oil and gas end uses for their new purchase plans. As a result, intermediate and medium twin-engine helicopters are the most popular models in their new aircraft plans. ❍ India held fairly steady year-over-year based on a very small sample input.
terrain awareness and warning systems (HTAWS) and flight data monitoring systems went into effect mid last year. There’s also the upcoming ADS-B requirement that will impact the majority of helicopters operating in US airspace. Even innovation happening in other sectors is set to help spur the helicopter market. For instance, the World Offshore Helicopter Market Forecast, published by the Westwood Global Energy Group and covering the 2018-2022 period, sees significant opportunities for helicopter operators in the offshore wind market. According to the report, the installation of nearly 6,000 turbines in offshore wind parks around the world within the next five years should lead to $119 million in offshore wind related helicopter expenditure (with a CAGR of 39%). Add this new market to other innovations plus growth in some markets, and what you get is a formula for secure and predictable growth. In light of this, we predict to see slow but steady growth throughout 2018.
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HIGHEST
In the multiple turbine class, the leader is the Leonardo AW139 with 815 aircraft.
HAI PREVIEW
THE HELICOPTER SECTOR LANDS IN LAS VEGAS
The annual HAI Heli-Expo lands in Las Vegas February 26th through March 1st, and BART International has the information you need to make the most out of your show. Nick Klenske reports
TRADEMARK
Airbus Corporate Helicopters was branded at HAI 2017.
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s the world’s largest helicopter exposition, HAI Heli-Expo is the place to be for all things rotorcraft. Whether you’re looking for an aircraft, vendor, mentor or a job – you’ll find them all in Las Vegas. This year’s edition will welcome over
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20,000 industry professionals from around the world, including 700 exhibitors and over 60 aircraft on display. Here BART highlights just a few of the names you’ll be seeing in Vegas.
Airbus Corporate Helicopters Launched at EBACE 2017 as Airbus Helicopter’s dedicated private and Business Aviation brand, Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) builds from Airbus’ leadership in the sector by offering a unique level of quality finish, craftsmanship and bespoke service matching the most demanding requirements. “Helicopters are the ideal complement to corporate and VIP customers due to the unique capabilities that rotary wing aircraft bring,” says Head of Airbus Corporate Helicopters Frederic Lemos. “Primarily, they provide a point-to-point transport for business and corporate customers and an enhanced lifestyle for VIP customers, enabling efficient travel between assets or even to remote, inaccessible locations.” ACH provides an exclusive platform from which customers can benefit from best-in-class products, tailored completion and service. Mirroring Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), the company’s successful sister brand, ACH provides customers with an end-to-end exclusive ownership experience ranging from advice on choosing the right aircraft to designing a bespoke style. Bell Helicopters Bell Helicopters plans to show you why every bizav fleet needs a helicopter. According to Bell, helicopters are extremely versatile aircraft that complete extraordinary operations each day. From assisting with executive travel to rescuing people stranded in oceans and mountains, there are many missions that require the use of vertical lift aircraft. “Owners tend to rely on jets for fast travel to important events to save time and increase efficiency,” says Bell Executive Vice President of International Sales Patrick Moulay. “While fixed-wing aircraft are essential for long-distance trips, adding a helicopter to a corporate or personal flight department will provide a range of benefits, including security and privacy, accessibility to limited areas, saved time and the always important saved money.” To highlight how a helicopter can complement a jet, Moulay points to NASCAR driver and Bell Helicopter owner Kurt Busch. In order to race in
both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, Busch used his Bell 407 to fly from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to his jet, which then took him to Concord, North Carolina, where he then flew in a Bell 429 from the airport to the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “Without having the Bell Helicopters bookend this journey, Busch never would have become the fourth NASCAR driver in history to achieve this feat, proving that important goals can be reached when using a helicopter during a limited timeframe,” adds Moulay.
TOP 10 REASONS TO PUT HELI-EXPO ON YOUR SCHEDULE ❍ Connect with 730 industry suppliers. ❍ Develop strategic connections with 20,000 industry professionals from more than 90 countries. ❍ Build partnerships with industry peers through 14 HAI committee meetings and other member events. ❍ Discover the issues that will shape the future of the industry by attending workshops, forums and other special events. ❍ Experience the latest the industry has to offer through hands-on demonstrations, including over 60 helicopters on the show floor. ❍ Advance your professional goals by attending HAI Professional Education courses in career development, pilot skills, maintenance, operations and safety management. ❍ Earn continuing education credits, including FAA-accepted courses for flight instructor refresher, inspection authorization renewal and the FAA AMT and WINGS programs. ❍ Renew your inspection authorization certificate at the Manufacturer Technical Briefings and select Professional Education courses. ❍ Meet desirable employers and top-notch candidates at the HFI Helicopter Industry Career Fair. ❍ Work smarter by attending the HFI Rotor Safety Challenge and over 30 expert-led safety sessions.
a roadmap to increase the use of electrical equipment in aircraft systems and propulsion. The project was developed within Clean Sky, the European program aimed at developing cutting-edge technologies capable of reducing the industry’s environmental and noise impact. The core objective is to create an aircraft characterized by lower emissions, both in terms of noise and pollutants, and greater fuel efficiency. Robinson In 2017, Robinson kicked off the year with the delivery of its 12,000th helicopter. The R66 S/N 0763 was delivered to Hover Dynamics, one of three long-time Robinson dealers in Leonardo At Leonardo, the name of the game is innovation. To close out 2017, the company won the National Award for Innovation – Italy’s most prestigious innovation prize. The annual award aims to enhance and support the best examples of innovation in a range of sectors. “Technological innovation is a necessary condition for growth and a decisive factor for sustainable and lasting development,” says Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo. “That is why Leonardo invests EUR 1.4 billion – or 11% of our revenues – annually in research and development and has a policy based on open innovation, using tools and technological skills that come from outside the company.” The Italian company was awarded the prize for its research and development of an electric tail rotor for helicopters, a solution that offers
DOUBLE-DUTY
numerous benefits in terms of reliability, safety, maintenance, operational use and fuel consumption with a significant reduction in the rotorcraft’s environmental impact. The groundbreaking technology is part of
South Africa. Later in the year, the company announced that the Newscopter version of the R66 had received FAA certification. This year, the company will be displaying its R66, R44 Raven II and the
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NASCAR driver Kurt Busch used a Bell 429 to run in two races on the same day (left). Leonardo at HeliExpo 2017 (right).
HAI PREVIEW est intelligence and analytical capabilities – including Big Data. From its commercial helicopter portfolio, Sikorsky combines data analytics with its helicopter engineering and manufacturing expertise to develop product improvements for customers in oil and gas, VIP transport and search and rescue operations. Engineers and data scientists collaborate to interpret data and use those insights to ensure S-92 and S-76 aircraft readiness and reliability whenever and wherever they’re needed. This is particularly true when it comes to monitoring safety issues. For example, both the S-92 and S-76 are equipped with an onboard health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) that captures huge R44 Cadet featuring the latest avionics and Genesys HeliSAS autopilot at its booth. Out at the static display, you will find another R66, this one featuring the company’s new cargo hook and wire strike prevention kit, features developed jointly with Magellan Aerospace. Sikorsky Sikorsky, a part of Lockheed Martin, is committed to providing world-class products and global support to commercial rotary wing operators. At the heart of this offering is Sikorsky’s Customer Care Center. Based in Trumbull, Connecticut, the Customer Care Center provides 24/7 support by an interdisciplinary team of experts. The Center is designed to improve aircraft availability and customer satisfaction using the latamounts of information on individual aircraft that can indicate potentially disruptive or dangerous events. Using both individual aircraft data and aggregated data across the fleet, Sikorsky can minimize the impact of an issue and keep the community aware of how to inspect and monitor their aircraft to identify whether they are at risk. “Being able to immediately look at aircraft data is a big benefit to the industry, and it’s something the industry needs in order to ensure the highest level of safety,” says Sikorsky Director of Fleet Management Simon Gharibian. “HUMS data turns unplanned events into planned events for our operators.”
MOMENTOUS
1,200e Robinson Helicopter event celebrated in 2016 (top). Sikorsky Customer Care Center manned 24/7. MD 6XX unveiled at HAI 2017. 54 - BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018
CARING FOR YOUR COPTER Caring for your helicopter can be a complicated business. JSSI Senior Director of Helicopter Services Raymond Weiser says you can achieve peace-of-mind by using a specialized support company. According to Weiser, who was brought in by JSSI to establish its portfolio of helicopter support programs, JSSI has several packages available to clients. For example, the Tip-to-Tail program covers every assembly and system on the aircraft. Other options include JSSI’s Airframe Program, Premium Engine Program and Unscheduled Program, the latter of which provides protection for unscheduled maintenance with an annual subscription based on yearly utilization. Although most of these services are available directly from the OEM, Weiser notes that many clients prefer to go with JSSI’s independent management. “This ensures that they receive objective advice, particularly when negotiating with the OEM over contentious issues,” he says. “We can also apply a consistent policy to operators of mixed fleets who would otherwise have to deal with several OEMs.” He adds that with hundreds of helicopters in its engine programs, and no small amount in the Tip-to-Tail scheme, JSSI enjoys substantial influence with the manufacturers, not to mention huge buying power – all to the financial advantage of its clients. JSSI assigns a technical representative for every OEM, and has a global team of technicians based out of such locations as Chicago, Farnborough, Hong Kong, Dubai and Sao Paulo. As a result, clients with an AOG situation get 24/7 instant response to their problems, all coordinated by the company’s service center and experienced team of technical advisors. “We also work closely with helicopter MROs,” adds Weiser. “But most importantly, our technicians are constantly aware of any developing problems that may be starting to affect the wider fleet of helicopters and engines.” JSSI can support a vast array of models from Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, Bell, Enstrom, MD Helicopters, Robinson and Sikorsky. Most recently, in August 2017, the company enrolled a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, which is now covered by JSSI’s Tip-to-Tail program. “On this aircraft, we listened and created a maintenance program to meet the unique requirements of these operators,” says Weiser. “We can offer a stabilized budget, protection from those unexpected maintenance expenses and exceptional technical support from our worldwide team of technical advisors.”
The immediacy and accuracy of the information enables Sikorsky to work with customers in real time, thus taking the burden off operators. Rather than grounding an entire fleet, pulling parts and finding an improvement,
Sikorsky analysts and engineers can examine the data to find a specific issue and fix the problem before it becomes catastrophic. According to Gharibian, once Sikorsky identifies and solves an issue, data scientists
will sift through fleet and aircraft records to find early indicators of the problem and build tools that can catch them in advance. MD Helicopters MD Helicopters delivers class-leading rotorcraft for luxury and business travel operations. Whether serving as an airborne boardroom for time-sensitive business trips or providing liaison flights with government officials and very important passengers, MD’s fleet of NOTARequipped helicopters deliver unparalleled performance and luxury. At Heli-Expo 2017, the company debuted its MD 6XX Concept Helicopter. The rotorcraft is a nextgeneration, multi-mission helicopter that will set new standards for power, performance and multi-mission capabilities across military, law enforcement, EMS/air medical and special operations markets. “With the development of the MD 6XX, I assembled some of the industry’s most well-respected companies to work directly with me and my internal technology, engineering and R&D teams to deliver an aircraft that will provide unparalleled value and performance for our operators,” says MD Helicopters CEO Lynn Tilton. Inspired by the payload capability of the MD 600N, the MD 6XX Concept aircraft features a number of newly designed structural elements and technologically advanced systems that combine to deliver enhanced safety, reduced pilot workload, increased flexibility and lower cost of ownership. “As the design of the MD 6XX is completed, we expect the performance of the all-new helicopter to set the standard for single engine helicopters for years to come in terms of performance, functionality and safety,” adds Tilton. More Information! That’s essentially the Who’s Who of Heli-Expo. But for those readers serious about the rotorcraft business, be sure to turn to page 48 and read our latest Helicopter Fleet Report, which gives a comprehensive overview of the market and what you can expect in the years to come.
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TIP-TO-TAIL
Every helicopter on a JSSI Program is assigned a 24/7 support team.
MODIFICATIONS
MODIFICATIONS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE
From major overhauls to simple touch-up jobs and appliance upgrades, aircraft modification companies are waiting in the wings with new projects. Marc Grangier offers the latest industry news
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GEARED
Gogo AVANCE L5 available on CitationX (top L). InSight Display System on Citation VII (top R). ADS-B programs developed at Duncan Aviation (center)
nyone who has wandered the floors of NBAA-BACE, EBACE or any other show knows that it’s impossible to ignore the importance of modifications. “The growing importance of modifications is partly the result of passengers demanding faster and more reliable connectivity, personalized entertainment systems and anything else that can be fit into a business aircraft cabin,” says Jet Maintenance Solutions CEO Darius Saluga. “For MROs, this means increasing demand for modifications in the cabin design.” But modifications don’t just happen in the back, they are also driven by pilots and operators who have a word to say about what they want up front. As a result, today’s modifications sector is wide-ranging and comprehensive, including everything from Wi-Fi and connectivity to technological tools such as ADS-B. From avionics to winglets, MROs to cabin completions, here BART explores just how important the modifications sector is. Avionics and Related Software Duncan Aviation has worked tirelessly to get the word out about the FAA’s looming ADS-B deadline. At the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2019, all business aircraft intend-
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ing to fly in US airspace must be ADSB equipped. To-date, Duncan Aviation has brought more than 500 aircraft into compliance. Additionally, the Duncan Aviation Engineering & Certification Department has developed STCs for various equipment to give aircraft owner/operators as much choice on ADS-B equipment as possible. The company now holds or has access to 42 STCs for FAAapproved ADS-B solutions, which allows them to perform upgrades on more than 100 aircraft models. Millennial Technologies, the authorized dealer for Universal Avionics, recently signed the first
international Cessna Citation VII aircraft for the company’s new InSight Display System. This marks the second installation of the InSight system in a Citation VII since the STC received FAA approval last September. The installation will feature Universal’s InSight Display System, Engine Interface Unit (EIU), TAWS Class A, and UNS-1Fw SBAS-Flight Management System with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out. In this respect, Universal Avionics is offering Learjet 40/45/40XR/45XR and Citation Excel/XLS its SBAS-FMS upgrade
incentive program, valid until the end of 2018, allowing operators with legacy Universal Avionics FMS to gain Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) approach procedures like Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) and several other benefits over traditional GPS or Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures.
starting with the Challenger series aircraft. The high-performance 4G incabin Wi-Fi system will be available for installation as a forward-fit on new Challenger aircraft, as well as a retrofit option on in-service Challenger jets. Customers will be able to install the retrofit at all Bombardier Service Centers and at Duncan Aviation’s facilities throughout the US.
Textron Aviation received STC approval for the Gogo AVANCE connectivity system upgrade on its Cessna Citation X business jet. When equipped with the AVANCE L5, the Citation X will deliver faster inflight connectivity speeds and enhanced network capacity for a more robust user experience. In addition to the Citation X, the company plans to introduce the AVANCE L5 system to additional products across the Citation, Beechcraft King Air and Hawker platforms. “Increased Wi-Fi connectivity continues to be one of the most requested aftermarket solutions from our customers,” says Textron Senior Vice President for Customer Service Kriya Shortt. “Now, with the Gogo AVANCE L5 upgrade, Citation X customers gain the most modern connectivity solution available, allowing them to stay connected in the air and on the ground.” The AVANCE L5 platform-based solution incorporates dual-band 802.11ac WiFi service and operates on the Gogo Biz 4G ground network of more than 250 towers, providing reliable connectivity over the continental US and large parts of Canada and Alaska. Likewise, Bombardier Business Aircraft will also be offering Gogo’s AVANCE L5 on its business jets,
Flying Colours Corp. completed its first installation of a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Advanced avionics suite for the flight deck of a Bombardier Challenger 300. The fitting of the state-of-the-art cockpit upgrade was carried out in conjunction with a scheduled heavy maintenance check. The flexible architecture of the system enables the addition of optional features, including FANS 1/A, RNP 0.3 AR, Multi-Scan Radar and Synthetic Vision System with minimal effort. The owner also took the opportunity to maximize downtime by having ADS-B Out integrated. StandardAero Business Aviation’s Houston facility performed the industry’s first installation of an ALTO Aviation Cadence Switch System CMS/IFE enhancement on a Falcon 900EX aircraft. This installation was carried out in conjunction with a 3C airframe inspection and a host of other upgrades, including avionics upgrades to meet upcoming mandates, CMS/IFE upgrade, Gogo ATG 4G provisioning, SD Router installation and a new STC for the Honeywell MKV-A EGPWS. Honeywell recently unveiled GoDirect Cabin Connectivity, a suite of services and mobile applica-
tions that help business jet owners and operators easily manage and control their satellite communications services and usage. By providing operators with the tools needed to manage an aircraft’s connectivity network via an online portal or mobile device, Honeywell has limited the need for support by third-party services, instead putting operators in control of network troubleshooting, access, data consumption and billing. This is important, as reliable, highspeed connectivity is a growing expenditure for aircraft operators. This service gives operators flexibility with and visibility into their current wireless services to make troubleshooting, networking and onboard data management an easy process that can save time and money. Advent Aircraft Systems continues to increase the aircraft count certified to accept its anti-skid braking technology. The FAA granted an STC for the Advent eABStm for all King Air 300 and 300LW aircraft. These aircraft variants join the King Air B300 and B200 variants that were STC’d in February 2016 and June 2017 respectively. The STC applies to Beechcraft King Air 300/300LW series aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line GPS 4000S or Garmin G1000/430W/530W
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EXPERTS
Standard Aero is authorized by the majority of manufacturers (top). Pro Line 21 in Challenger 300 by Flying Colours (left). Honeywell puts forward Go Direct Cabin Connectivity (right center).
MODIFICATIONS support to Bombardier Challenger 300 series, 600 series and Global 5000/6000 aircraft, as well as to Gulfstream G550/G650 aircraft. On the other hand, Jet Aviation’s MRO facility at Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore has been designated a BBJ Authorized Warranty Repair Facility and BBJ Factory Authorized Service Center (ASC), joining the company’s previously appointed BBJ ASCs in Basel, Dubai and Geneva. The MRO facility in Singapore also received EASA approval for the Gulfstream G650. avionics. “We’ve heard from King Air owners outside the B200/B300 series and we know the demand is there, and we want those aircraft to have this system,” says Advent President Ron Roberts. “Creating a wide base of aircraft that can use Advent’s technology has been part of the plan from the outset, and this STC is just one more step in that process.” MRO Capabilities Aero-Dienst has expanded its component repair capabilities with a new repair shop for aircraft avionic and
CAPABILITY
Jet Aviation’s Seletar facility in Singapore (top). Lufthansa Technik signed its first Boeing 787-8 VIP cabin completion contract (center). TAG Maintenance Services introduced a new 3D cabin configuration tool (below).
safety equipment. The new shop, which will open during the first half of 2018, will be located in the area of Landsberg am Lech, Germany. “Our customers will value quick turnaround times for certain components that need to be maintained regularly and cannot be shipped efficiently over long distances,” says Aero-Dienst Head of Maintenance Andre Ebach. “With the experience of our company as aircraft operator, maintenance provider and service center for many OEM products, we are confident in
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this undertaking and will continue to strive to provide our customers with an excellent service experience.” Jet Aviation’s maintenance facility at Moscow-Vnukovo has received certification from the Federal Air Transport Agency (RFAA) in Russia for Federal Aviation Rules 285 (FAP285). Introduced by the RFAA in 2015, FAP-285 certification confirms adherence to all Russian civil aviation laws. With this approval, Jet Aviation’s Moscow facility is now authorized to provide line maintenance and AOG
Jet Maintenance Solutions (JET MS), headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, was recently approved for Bombardier Global 5000/6000 MRO services by EASA and CAA authorities. The Vilnius company will support large cabin business jet operators and owners with base, line maintenance and spare parts supply services in accordance to its EASA Part-145 certificate. The company is also fully qualified to provide MRO services for Hawker Beechcraft 700/750/800/800XP/850XP/900XP, as well as Bombardier CRJ100/CRJ200/CRJ440 and Challenger 604/605/850 aircraft. Cabin Completions and Refurbishments Lufthansa Technik received an order for a VIP cabin completion on a Boeing 787-8. The project, which is scheduled to start in 2018, is the company’s first completion for this aircraft type. Tailored to the customer’s specific requirements, the aircraft will receive an elegant VIP design. The private section includes a representative office area, a bathroom and a bedroom.
The following section combines a dining and conference area. In the rear section of the aircraft, delegation seating in different classes will be integrated. To date, Lufthansa Technik has provided technical services to more than 100 Boeing 787 from various commercial and VIP 787 operators. To further streamline TAG’s range of aircraft refurbishment capabilities, TAG Maintenance Services introduced a new 3D cabin configuration tool that provides customers with the most extensive range of aircraft refurbishment interiors solutions (see
BART No 170). Developed in conjunction with a Swiss-based architect studio, the fully rendered 3D configurator can create the most popular cabin layouts with realistic representations of the selected materials and ambient lighting scenarios. Propulsion Systems and Winglets At the end of last year, Blackhawk Modifications received its STC approval to integrate the Collins Proline 21 systems with its XP67A Engine+ Upgrade. To be eligible for the Collins Airspace Modernization STC and the XP67A, the PFD screens and 4000S GPS must be updated. It is optional to install ADSB-out, LPV, Synthetic Vision and IFIS 5000. The company also indicated it had installed the Garmin G1000 in one of its XP67Aequipped King Air 350’s. This airplane is now in Garmin’s headquarters in Kansas where they are conducting functionality checks. Upon completion of these tests, Blackhawk will begin scheduling installations. Raisbeck Engineering received STC approval for its new Composite five-blade Swept Propeller for the
Beechcraft King Air 350. The 106inch diameter propeller, developed in collaboration with Hartzell Propeller, reduces weight and improves short field and climb performance. The new composite propellers have an extended 3,000-hour, three-year warranty and unlimited blade life. Tamarack Aerospace announced that it has received EASA, FAA and ANAC approval of a new Aircraft Flight Manual Supplement (AFMS) for aircraft equipped with its ATLAS Active Winglets on the Cessna C525 series, which includes the CJ, CJ1, CJ1+ and M2 business aircraft. The new approved AFMS and maintenance manual outlines the operational benefits that owners will see with an Active Winglet equipped aircraft. “Beyond range and time to climb, owners will also see other benefits, such as stability, improved hot/high performance, aesthetics and value retention,” says Tamarack Aerospace President Justin Ryan. The company says it plans to offer the winglets for the Embraer Phenom 100 and the Citation Mustang.
Aviation Partners Inc. (API) has installed more than 450 blended winglets on Falcon 900 series aircraft. “The Falcon program has been by far our most successful business jet winglet program to date,” says API Vice President of Sales & Marketing Gary Dunn. “Since the first Winglet STC for a Falcon model was received, approximately 50% of the in-service Falcon 2000 series fleet and 30% of the 900 fleet now sports blended winglets.” The recently certified winglets for the Falcon 900 series are considered ‘High Mach’ – a new design optimized for higher cruise speeds than API’s previous Blended Winglet offerings. Robertson Fuel Systems and StandardAero obtained FAA certification for their retrofittable crash-resistant fuel tank (CRFT) for the Airbus AS350 and EC130 family of light single helicopters. EASA certification is expected to follow shortly. The CRFT was developed as a direct replacement for all AS350 models. The tank’s unique design features a robust crash-resistant fuel bladder, with the same capacity as the legacy fuel cell, and uses such innovations as magnetic field sensor fuel gauging technology and vent system roll-over protection. Indisputably, avionics upgrades and cabin modifications have been the hot topics of 2017 - a trend that is likely to continue this year. However, the increased presence of OEM-provided modification services will consequently squeeze the market share of independent private MROs. The only way for them to remain competitive - and not be ignored - is to further increase their service quality and innovate, innovate, innovate.
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CERTIFIED
Raisbeck Engineering Composite 5Blade Swept Propeller (right) and Blackhawk Modifications’ XP67A engine upgrade (left) received their STC.
AVIONICS
WHAT NEXT FOR THE AVIONICS INDUSTRY? US President Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.” The avionics industry definitely believes in moving forward, but what exactly will we see in the coming years? Steve Nichols spoke with a number of industry experts to get their view on where the avionics industry is moving
SD Avionics provides an app-based solution for inflight connectivity on business jets, which simplifies upgrades. Its systems are found on a range of aircraft types including Bombardier, Gulfstream, Dassault Falcon, Boeing BBJs and Airbus ACJs. Robert Clare, director of Sales at Universal Avionics agreed that we may see a shift from air-framers towards a more software driven
Mark van Berkel, president and chief executive officer of SD Avionics (formerly TrueNorth, before being acquired by Satcom Direct in 2016), said: “I have been involved in the avionics industry for 25 or more years and I think that we will see a change toward a software-defined approach to avionics. There are currently a lot of different hardware platforms with a lot of different software applications running on them, but just as your phone a common hardware platform, with all the right interfaces and buses, you can have less wiring and more capabilities just through software.” In terms of inflight connectivity, Van Berkel also perceives a shift towards a more content-driven approach. “When we talk about content we tend to think of movies, but taking your iPhone as an example, content now includes maps, Facetime, teleconferencing and much more,” he said.
EXECUTIVE
SD Avionics President and CEO Mark van Berkel (left). Director of Sales for Universal Avionics Robert Clare (below).
is driven by its applications we may see a change towards the hardware being installed at the factory and different applications being software defined.” He added: “We are already seeing this with the development of software defined radio, where a hardware box can run as an HF, VHF or UHF radio by the application of different software. We now have more than enough processing power available. Your iPhone has more computing power than the computers NASA used to send men to the moon. If you have
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approach. “Universal Avionics responded to a number of requests from OEMs over the past few years looking for software-based solutions. OEMs are getting more and more hardware platforms and then looking for the software they want to run on it.” Clare persisted: “It has become difficult to upgrade older integrated cockpit platforms from five, 10 or 15 years ago as upgrades can often involve ripping everything out and starting again. So, a future software-based approach would be easier,” he added. “In our business, the challenge is to find an easy way for owners to keep their aircraft up to date and get new technology on board,” he said. But what is the next “big thing” that is keeping Universal Avionics busy? “The big one on the horizon is ADSBIn,” Clare said. “It is here to some degree, and as the NextGen program gets implemented we see it help reduce a lot of risks, such as runway incursions and other inflight conflicts. Meanwhile he added, the number one priority for aircraft owners is to
find cost-effective, low-cost ways to get new technology into their cockpits. That’s what everyone wants,” he said, persisting: “Looking further forward I think we’ll see augmented reality coming into the cockpit. This could be fused with the avionics to really revolutionize the cockpit. It could allow pilots to get a greater view of what’s around their aircraft and see way more than could be seen with a standard static display. Augmented reality could also help reduced the cost of training, saving an awful lot of real flights from taking place.” There is also growing interest in technologies to get data on and off an aircraft. “Our Unilink product does just that – getting data both into and out of the cockpit – but I think the industry has just barely scratched the surface of what can be done. This is the number one reason why aircraft are being brought into the shops.” Clare concluded, saying: “We are also working with Inmarsat, Gogo and Satcom Direct on both satellite and air-to-ground (ATG) solutions.” Bill Stone, Garmin’s senior manager, Aviation Business Development, stated that we should expect to see more of a “mesh computing”
It is one thing having the weather data, but the goal is to have the right avionics software to paint the picture for the pilot in a way that makes is easy to understand and assimilate. Peeter Sööt, director of Business and Regional Systems Manager for Rockwell Collins, said that while software plays an important part, there will always be hardware improvements and developments in avionics. “That’s the way the industry has always developed, otherwise we would still be using cathode ray tubes,” Sööt said. He added: “Rockwell Collins builds products, like the Pro Line Fusion integrated cockpit, with an eye on both the short and long-term.” He added: “Pro Line Fusion was built for today, but with a continuous ongoing development process. It was originally introduced in the forwardfit market, but increasingly we are looking at the after-market too.” Rockwell Collins currently supplies Pro Line Fusion as a retrofit upgrade on the Citation CJ3, Beechcraft King Air and Bombardier Challenger 604. “Looking forward, we definitely see the fusion of more sensor technology on head-up displays. For example, our EVS-3000 enhanced vision system
said Sööt, adding: “and in time I can see EVS technology being fused with synthetic vision as well.” But what of the far future? “Beyond the 10-year timeframe, Rockwell Collins has an Advanced Technology Centre that looks at future technologies. Inflight connectivity is bringing new opportunities, both for the cockpit, the cabin and maintenance teams,” Sööt concluded. Carl Esposito, Honeywell’s president, Electronic Systems, said: “There isn’t a product in our portfolio that doesn’t or couldn’t have a connectivity component. Inmarsat GX and the Honeywell JetWave equipment have opened up a whole new avenue for ideas.” For example, Honeywell’s GoDirect Cabin Connectivity puts business jet owners and operators in control of satellite communication services, network troubleshooting, access, data, consumption and billing while reducing the need for third-party service support. Honeywell’s GoDirect family has more than 50 value-adding aviation services and applications, including the latest flight planning application GoDirect Flight Bag Pro. Using Flight Bag Pro, flight crews can create and file flight plans, calcu-
approach to airborne weather data in the future. “Every day there may be 30-40,000 aircraft flying and wouldn’t it be great if all their real-time weather data could be aggregated and made available to everyone else?” Stone said. “It seems that nowadays, on the ground at least, everything is connected to everything else. What we need to do is aggregate that meteorological data and find ways to interpret it, feeding it back to the avionics to enhance flight operations.”
(EVS), is the first uncooled sensor to be certified by the FAA for descents below 100 feet above, plus landing and rollout,” he said. Rockwell Collins’ EVS-3000 uses independent cores, each optimized for detecting different spectral wavelengths throughout the visible and infrared spectrum, such as incandescent lights, the runway thermal environment and LEDs. “The use of an uncooled sensor saves weight, lowers power consumption and greatly improves reliability,”
late and compare aircraft cruise modes for optimal performance, access up-to-the-minute weather updates and airspace information, view airport approach plates, and more. According to Honeywell, more GoDirect applications are in the pipeline. Kevin J. Kliethermes, director of Sales at Flying Colours, said that the upcoming FAA ADS-B mandates were its customers’ number one priority. The FAA has mandated that aircraft operating in airspace that now
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HARDWARE
Garmin’s Bill Stone (left). Rockwell Collins’ Peeter Sööt (center). Carl Esposito from Honeywell (right).
AVIONICS
INFLUENTIAL
Flying Colours’ Director of Sales Kevin Kliethermes (left). SmartSky President Ryan Stone (center). SD’s COO Chris Moore (right).
requires a Mode C transponder must be equipped with ADS-B Out by January 1, 2020. “The challenge is making sure we can fit everyone in by that deadline,” said Kliethermes. “We expect to see the FAA develop further ADS-B mandates that will go beyond 2025, so it will be an ongoing program for us,” he added. Kliethermes said that apart from ADS-B Out upgrades, the other number one requested upgrade from business aviation customers was inflight connectivity. “We have a number of customers flying with Gogo air-toground over the continental US and with Iridium satellite for oceanic travel, but many now want faster broadband everywhere they fly. We’ve fitted a number of Honeywell JetWave systems for Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX service,” he said. Using Inmarsat’s advanced Ka-band satellite network, Jet ConneX offers data plans up to 15Mbps and consistent global coverage. “The biggest demand for Jet ConneX has been from owners of head of state and larger business aircraft. In time, we expect to see Ku- and Ka-band systems becoming available to smaller aircraft.” He mentioned that one of the biggest drivers was the cost structure. “At the moment, it makes sense for customers in the US to use air-toground systems, such as Gogo. But if the cost-structure changes that could alter the whole dynamic in terms of what people want and use,” said Kliethermes. And with new satelliteand ATG-based inflight connectivity systems in the pipeline who knows what future cost structures may look like. For example, SmartSky Networks is getting closer to the full commercial roll-out of its 4G LTE-
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based air-to-ground (ATG) inflight connectivity service. SmartSky says its patented 4G technology with beamforming and efficient air-to-ground network “gives passengers an office-in-the-sky experience and operators a new, better way of managing their aircraft communications”. An analysis of recent data operations revealed it could deliver peak speeds well in excess of 10 Mbps. After a media flight in late 2017, Ryan Stone, SmartSky Networks president, said: “SmartSky 4G LTE is the only system that can deliver multi-Gigabyte-per-hour data rates inflight, bi-directionally and with low latency.” He added: “The meaning of that doesn’t truly hit home until you experience it. The promised revolution in connectivity is under way.” SmartSky says its 4G LTE solution will go live across the US in mid-2018 for business aviation operators and there is more coming, such as the launch of Iridium’s upgraded Certus service via its new Iridium NEXT satellites and OneWeb’s promised constellation of more than 600 low earth orbiting (LEO) satellites that, when launched, augurs to provide approximately 10 terabits per second of low-latency, high-speed broadband around the globe. Coming Across But more and more data communications going to and from an aircraft brings new challenges. An aspect of avionics security that no-one really foresaw years ago is the increasing risk of cyber-attacks. In October, Satcom Direct (SD) launched a suite of comprehensive cyber security services and products. In
response to the growing number of global cyber-attacks on the aviation community, it says its SD Cyber Smart Kit and SD Cyber Security Solutions combine the benefits of SD’s hardware routers, software services, ground infrastructure and technical expertise, to protect business aviation data. Chris Moore, SD’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are alarmed at how many companies we speak with have not addressed the potential threats of a cyber-security attack on their aircraft network. They can damage reputation and finance, and are becoming more frequent. This is why we’ve developed a set of services that provide practical solutions, supported by accessible training options.” SD has also launched its CyberSAFE (Securing Assets for End Users) course. The new course educates users about technology-related risks and provide practical solutions. The course is designed for anyone interfacing, supporting or interacting with the aircraft communications systems including crew, flight department members and passengers. Mark Mata, director of Training at SD, said: “Something as innocent as opening an email or clicking on links, or even using an infected USB drive in a network computer, can result in a serious breach.” He added: “It’s surprising how little thought many of us give to cyber security in our day-today actions but cyber-attacks are on the increase. Human error has been identified as the leading cause of cyber security incidents and end-user education is one of the top ways to prevent network infection.”
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AERO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN PREVIEW
AERO IS ALSO FOR BUSINESS
AERO Friedrichshafen is an important General Aviation exhibition organized in Germany – The annual event attracts exhibitors and visitors in large numbers and Business Aviation is a growing segment of the event. This year’s edition will see the debut of a dedicated flight simulator area, highlighting the latest flight training devices. Volker K. Thomalla reports
T
ALLURE
Stands of Daher (left below) and HondaJet (right) attracted a good number of visitors at 2017’s AERO Friedrichshafen.
he 26th AERO Friedrichshafen event opens its doors on April 18, and organizers expect well over 30,000 attendees to pass through the doors over the course of its four days. In 2017, AERO featured over 700 exhibitors, a number that should be easily matched this year, says Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellman. “The diversity of the exhibits at AERO 2018 will be impressive, with the range of aircraft stretching from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to microlights, single- and multi-engine piston-powered aircraft, helicopters, gyrocopters and turboprop aircraft all the way up to multi-engine jets,” he says. “Innovative propulsion systems, the most advanced avionics and aviation services and accessories will be additional focal points, as well as pilot
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training and information about career opportunities in aviation. Even if the show’s main focus is General Aviation and air sports, Business Aviation is also present at AERO. “A surprisingly large number of our customers and other people interested in Embraer Executive Jets come to Friedrichshafen,” says Atlas Air Service CEO Dr. Nicolas von Mende. “Our visitors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland prefer AERO because it is easy to get to and coming here in their own plane is simple – it is the special closeness with customers and the easy-going, visitor oriented atmosphere that makes AERO well appreciated.” OEMs like Pilatus, Honda, Cirrus, Daher, Embraer, Quest and Piper are among the numerous exhibitors that will show their jet and turboprop air-
craft at AERO. Single and twin-engine piston-powered aircraft will complement the display of business aircraft. In March 2017, EASA finally decided to allow commercial flights under IR conditions and at night with single engine turboprop aircraft. As a result, the manufacturers of these aircraft expect an increase in demand and will highlight the new regulation at the show. The flight simulator area, a new addition to the show, will have flight simulator manufacturers and flight training providers showing off their products and services. Likewise, avionics will play a big role at AERO 2018. Expect the ADS-B mandate in Europe and the US to be a major topic, as many operators have been reluctant to complete the requirement early and December 31, 2019 will be here before you realize it.
Connectivity. Everywhere you go.
Pilots and passengers will appreciate the affordable, global inflight connectivity provided by AeroWave™ from BendixKing. Crews will now have inflight access to the internet and their favorite apps. Passengers will enjoy the ability to send and receive emails or text messages, check the weather, make phone calls and more. AeroWave’s low-cost connectivity service plan is based on prepaid hours of use and has nothing to do with data usage. Airtime is only $40 USD per hour, and it works at any altitude. It’s that simple. Don’t leave your favorite apps behind. Find out how to get globally connected today.
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AERO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN PREVIEW
DISPLAY
Pilatus PC-24 (left). Embraer Executive Jets showcased its Phenom 300 at the static display last year (right).
Bizav Roundup Last year, Daher Business Aircraft debuted its TBM 910, the newest version of the highly successful TBM family of single engine turboprop aircraft, at AERO. This year, the French manufacturer will once again show the TBM 910, along with a TBM 930. The TBM 930 features Garmin’s G3000 integrated flight deck with touch screen controls, while the TBM 910 is equipped with Garmin nextgeneration G1000 NXi avionics suite. In October the company celebrated the delivery of its 200th TBM 900series aircraft since the introduction of this upgraded family in March 2014. Daher’s TBM 900 family – its sixth evolution from the original TBM 700 configuration – is the latest evolution of the company’s very fast turboprop concept. Piper Aircraft will highlight its recent FAA certification of the Garmin G1000 NXi next generation integrated flight deck on both the M500 single engine turboprop and M350 pressurized, single-engine piston. Piper is set to offer it as a retrofit option (via STC) for fielded G1000 equipped Matrix, Mirage (M350), and Meridian (M500) aircraft later this year. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the first delivery of the Kodiak 100 in December, Quest will showcase the ten-seat aircraft with a reputation as a highly rugged and technologically advanced single-engine turboprop. By the end of last year, 235 Kodiaks were delivered to customers worldwide. “The Kodiak design was born out of a passion to be helpful in the world, and useful within our own industry,” says Quest CEO Rob Wells. “It is that passion and dedication that has brought us here today.”
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Pilatus Aircraft is a long-time exhibitor at AERO. The company will bring one of its PC-12 single turboprop aircraft to Friedrichshafen, which is already operating in Europe under the new CAT SET-IMC regulations. At the time we went to press, the company hadn’t decided whether or not it would be bringing its new PC-24 Super Versatile Jet. The aircraft was certified by EASA and the FAA on December 7. Since the first flight of the type in May 2015, three prototypes have amassed 2,205 flight hours in Switzerland and the US. “As Pilatus’ first ever Pilatus Business Jet, naturally the requirements associated with obtaining certification are extremely rigorous, and I need hardly mention that we faced some big challenges,” says Pilatus Chairman of the Board Oscar J. Schwenk. “All performance data promised to our first 84 customers have been achieved or even exceeded, with the PC-24 delivering a maximum speed of 440 knots (815 km/h) compared to the contractually agreed 425 knots (787 km/h) – to cite just one example.” Pilatus has invested more than 500 million Swiss francs of its own funds in the PC-24 development program. In order to expand its production capacity, a further 150 million francs went into buildings and state-of-theart production machinery at the company’s headquarters in Stans. Pilatus currently has eight PC-24s on the final assembly line, with 23 deliveries to customers around the world planned throughout 2018. The first customer, US-based fractional ownership company PlaneSense, accepted delivery of the first production aircraft in January.
The HondaJet will be exhibited at the show by Rheinland Air Service, the Central European dealer for Honda Aircraft. According to data provided by GAMA, the light twinjet was the most delivered business jet in the first six months of 2017, with 24 HondaJet aircraft being handed over to their new owners. The aircraft is now certified in Europe, the US, Mexico and Brazil. One of the highlights of the static display will be the Embraer Legacy 450 and Legacy 500, which will be brought there by local representative Atlas Air Service. In November, Embraer announced a modification to both jet types, which lowers their maximum cabin altitude. Embraer has increased the cabin pressurization differential from 9.3 psi to 9.73 psi. The aircraft’s environmental control system preserves a sea-level cabin altitude while flying under 27,050 ft (8,245 m). With a 6,000 ft cabin altitude when flying at 45,000 ft, it was already among the lowest on the market, but the maximum cabin altitude has been further reduced to a best-in-class 5,800 ft (1,768 m). “With our focus on value, the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 are setting new standards for the midsize cabin segments,” says Embraer President Michael Amalfitano. “These aircraft are beautifully designed and brilliantly engineered, and they will continue to elevate the experience that we provide our customers.” So while AERO may continue to be a predominately general aviation focused show, this year’s lineup of Bizav OEMs shows that AERO also means business.
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FROM THE COCKPIT Landing on contaminated runways involves increased levels of risk related to deceleration and directional control. Capt. LeRoy Cook offers some guidelines to help pilots stay on the tarmac
O
OVERRUN
In 2005, a Boeing 737-700 made a tailwind landing on a slippery runway and ran off the end of the runway.
ne of the challenges to a pilot’s abilities is operating a heavy, fast business airplane on a runway that is not in perfect condition. Or, when the conditions warrant, NOT using such a runway. In the second case, the passengers in back may not always understand why a destination they’ve been to many times is suddenly off limits. The fact that a heavy rain storm has just moved through, or that the snow ploughs haven’t scraped the pavement clean, doesn’t seem to register. Nevertheless, when faced with a contaminated runway condition, safe conduct of the flight depends on the crew’s actions. It is vital that good judgment, gained from experience and training, be applied. Each situation is different, so one cannot rely completely on performance tables or operating specifications. If the pilot in command says the contaminated runway is not safe for the aircraft, his or her word should rule. EASA considers a runway contaminated if more than 25% of its area is covered by the non-dry condition. Guidance can be obtained from the aircraft’s flight manual, of course, but most familiar performance numbers, particularly takeoff and landing runway lengths, are derived from an
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USING A CONTAMINATED RUNWAY assumption of a dry, level runway. Variables like the amount of standing water on the pavement, the type of pavement, tire residue on the surface, the depth of the maingear tire tread, runway grooving and pilot technique – all come into play when judging whether or not use the runway. Use any operations manual add-ons or specifications, but be ready to apply extra distance to increase your comfort level. Winter operations open up another set of considerations. Just as the hyperbolic “50 Eskimo words for snow” may illustrate the varying characteristics of white frozen precipitation, one set of ops specs won’t work for all conditions. The type of snow or ice, its depth, how successfully it was removed, and even the amount of preceding traffic, make it hard to quantify the usability of a runway. Therefore, pursuit of safety often means cancellation or delay of the flight. As a wise old instructor said when he passed his good-judgment observations along to me, “If there’s any doubt…there is no doubt. Don’t go.” That said, careful considerations and extra runway length can make a wet or slick runway usable. Added
margins don’t just mean pavement footage, it also means altering technique, flying precisely to achieve “book” performance. There’s no room for sloppy flying when using a contaminated runway. One notable contaminated runway landing accident took place on 8 December, 2005 at Chicago’s Midway airport, when a Southwest Airlines
action reported as “poor” on the last portion of the wet runway. That accident sparked a major overhaul of reporting and assessment standards for contaminated runway operations.
Boeing 737 was unable to stop after a late touchdown in the falling snow on runway 31C and departed the end of the runway to wind up in a roadway. The airplane’s occupants suffered no major injuries but a family of five in a vehicle on the street was struck, with one fatality. Contributing factors were a computed 8-knot tailwind, because the runway used was the only option for acceptable landing minimums, given the weather conditions, and there was also an 18-second delay in activating reverse thrust. The runway was reported as 90% covered with 1/16-inch of wet snow, with braking
an engine fails prior to reaching V1 speed. But can you really conduct a rejected takeoff if the runway surface is less than perfect? Most of us simply consider that the odds of losing an engine at an inappropriate time are quite remote, so we load up and go, accepting the risk of a contaminated surface. Another point to ponder is reduced acceleration from the effect of drag on the wheels, which are being forced to plough through water or snow. In anticipation of this, it would be well to use a maximum-performance takeoff technique, lining up at
Takeoff Calculations Our much-vaunted “balanced field” takeoff runway length is based on being able to stop without damage if
the first available foot of runway, holding the brakes until full takeoff power is developed, and rotating precisely, to the recommended pitch attitude, as Vr is approached. Given the choice, I would depart with a maximum-lift takeoff flap setting, to get off the contaminated runway as early as possible, even at the cost of climb gradient.
The initial climb should be made at V2+10, as long as all engines are operating normally. Retract any takeoff flaps only after clearing obstacles. Checking On the FICON Determining the destination and alternate airports’ usable state is sometimes difficult; ASOS reports probably won’t contain FICON (field condition) information, while ATIS broadcasts will add the caution note “braking action advisories are in effect,” leaving it up to the control tower operator to pass along the most current reports. Therefore, it may be
CRASH
The airplane rolled through a blast fence, an airport perimeter fence and onto an adjacent roadway where it collided with an automobile before stopping. BART: JANUARY - FEBRUARY - 2018 - 69
FROM THE COCKPIT report is cause for concern. If the runway is marginal for the aircraft when dry, it should be considered as having additional risk at “5” or unusable at “4”. When venturing to land where runway conditions generate a “3” code, it would be wise to have 2.6 times the dry-runway stopping distance available. If not, go elsewhere to land. How Good Are You? Technique and familiarity with the aircraft can make a contaminated-runway landing acceptable, or, in their absence, result in an off-pavement excursion. If you’re not absolutely sure you’re able to pull it off, or you’re
MIXED
Shortly before ATC issued the landing clearance, they advised ‘braking action reported good for the first half, poor for the second half.’
impossible to make a diversion decision while still at en route altitude. Part of the preflight planning should be to anticipate contaminated runway issues, including fuel needed for a last-minute diversion. Current runway condition codes, in an attempt to measure the unmeasurable, assign a number of 1 through 6 to the assessment criteria. If the runway is dry, it gets a “6”, while a “5” is used when it is wet, if there’s standing water, snow or slush of 1/8-inch or less in depth, or if only frost is on the pavement. Braking action would be expected to be “good”, meaning stopping and steering are normal. EASA says that a runway is considered wet “…when there is sufficient moisture on the runway surface to cause it to appear reflective, but without significant areas of standing water.” According to the US FAA’s Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) #06012, a “good” braking assessment on a wet or dry snow-covered landing runway should cause a 90% added factor to be applied to the required runway length. If the runway condition code is lowered to “3”, the runway is either wet enough to be slippery or there is more than 1/8-inch of snow depth. While dry snow on top of compacted snow might provide some traction, compacted snow alone with temperatures above –15°C significantly degrades stopping performance. Braking action reports of “medium” match these conditions, meaning deceleration and steering are noticeably reduced. A runway covered with compacted snow with temperature
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below –15°C earns a slightly better “4” code. SAFO 06012 adds 120% for a “medium” braking assessment. From here on, it gets worse. A “2” code is applied to water or slush depth greater than 1/8-inch, and “1” is used for an ice-covered runway; braking action of “poor” goes with these ratings, meaning braking and steering are “significantly” reduced. According to SAFO 06012, 160% should be added to the dry-runway length if using a runway with a “poor” assessment. A “0” code or “nil” braking report would generally mean the pavement is closed for use. The type of aircraft generating the braking action report is not usually considered, even though heavier weight would be beneficial to the braking effort. As you can see, there is some subjectivity in these classifications. Anything less than a “5” runway condition code or a “good” braking action
having a day of imprecise performance, go around before attempting the landing. A successful contaminated-runway landing means that you must get the wheels on the runway and spun up in an early, foreshortened, touchdown zone, not far down the runway after floating off an extra five or ten knots over Vref. Go to idle thrust at the threshold, on Vref, or perhaps a bit less. Landing with Less Than the Best When we clamp on the brakes after touchdown, we expect to feel the usual tug against our shoulder harness as deceleration begins. It’s a helpless, hapless feeling when that slowing isn’t happening. Anti-skid braking may be on duty, but when the tires haven’t found the friction to keep them glued to the pavement, you are just going along for the ride. Anti-skid is a great stopping aid, when it is working. Be aware that
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FROM THE COCKPIT Not Done Yet As you taxi, pretend you have no brakes – you might not, if the surfaces haven’t been cleaned. Plan turns and stops far ahead. Enter a turn at slow speed, after braking beforehand, then add power as needed to keep moving around the corner. Be alert for slippage by the castered nosegear. It may even be necessary to use reverse thrust or differential power to stay on track. Don’t forget to hold the nosegear down to maintain its traction in reverse. If the taxiway centerline is obscured, make sure you have
HAZARD
Most runways are constructed in such a way that water does not accumulate but a wet runway still has a substantial negative effect on braking action.
hydroplaning can inhibit the wheelspin computer’s effectiveness; normal braking technique is to apply and hold maximum pedal pressure, expecting the anti-skid to prevent lockup and skidding. However, if on contaminated pavement, apply only enough brake pressure to achieve anti-skid cycling and then hold that amount of pressure. If you detect lengthened non-braking periods between cycling, let up to allow the wheels to spin up and then reapply braking as before. Hydroplaning comes into play when groundspeed is excessive, dependant on tire pressure; lower tire pressure with fast speed makes it easy to hydroplane. A hydroplane condition is not, per se, a skid. It means the tire is not in contact with the pavement, not rotating and not contributing to braking. It can result from water damming under the tire, from steam generated by braking, from rubber build-up on the runway, and by bald maingear tires. To mini-
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mize the risk of hydroplaning, eschew a smooth, greased-on touchdown, in favor of a firm arrival to break through the film of water or slush. Don’t touch down with extra speed, and take advantage of spoilers and aerodynamic braking to slow below hydroplane speed before applying heavy braking. If your aircraft’s operations manual does not specify a hydroplaning speed, multiply the square root of the tire pressure by nine, which will give an approximation of the expected hydroplane speed in knots. Reverse thrust is indispensable, but it must be used with care on slick surfaces. Beware of allowing a crosswind to weathercock the airplane while using reverse; aft-mounted engines can drive a canted airplane from the centerline. Come out of reverse as you slow to the recommended speed, but leave the reversers deployed to gain a bit of aerodynamic braking and to inhibit idle thrust.
clearance to pass obstructions and keep the landing gear on the pavement. Be especially watchful of snow piles covered by fresh snowfall when lighting is flat; a white object against a white background is invisible unless it’s casting a shadow. You can hit it before you know it’s there. Strong wind may not be a factor if operating on dry surfaces, but when sitting on ice or packed snow it’s possible for even a large airplane to get blown sideways. Don’t be too proud to shut the airplane down and call for a chain-equipped tug, if you slide into an unrecoverable situation. An airport with contaminated pavement issues is not the familiar airfield you’ve come to know and love. Treat it as having shorter runways, restricted taxi room and perhaps missing signage and lights. Use all Crew Resource Management resources and don’t be afraid to exercise PIC prerogatives if the conditions aren’t comfortably safe.
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SAFETY SENSE
LIKE A SCARED HORSE On Sept. 14, 1999, an F900 was subjected to violent vertical load oscillations, which killed most of the passengers, after incorrect crew response to a minor pitch control malfunction. Michael R. Grüninger and Capt. Carl C. Norgren analyze the accident and highlight the impact of not following the good practice of wearing seat belts
LIFE-SAVER
Passengers must always fasten their seat belts when the seat belt sign is illuminated.
Struck by Oscillations he Falcon 900B, Flight OAL3838, descended towards Bucharest airport on the 14th of September 1999. The short flight had taken off from Athens an hour earlier with 10 passengers and one cabin attendant.
T
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The pilots expected a night time landing. During the descent, the PIC called the cabin attendant and informed her of the remaining flight time. The cabin attendant had not reported ‘cabin secured’ yet. The passengers were not wearing their seat belts during the descent.
Descending through FL 150, the Falcon suddenly experienced 10 violent oscillations in the pitch axis. The oscillations lasted for 24 seconds. They significantly exceeded the maneuvering load factor limits of +2.6g and -1.0g. The accelerometer recorded maximum vertical accelerations of +4.7g and -3.26g. The oscillations threw the unfastened passengers against the cabin ceiling and aircraft furniture causing fatal injuries to seven passengers, serious injuries to the cabin attendant and one passenger as well as minor injuries to the remaining two passengers. 24 Seconds later, the oscillations ceased and the PIC regained control of the aircraft. He declared an emergency and landed the aircraft without further incident. Both pilots immediately submitted to medical examinations and blood tests. No traces of alcohol or drugs were found. Knowing the Details of the Flight Guidance and Autopilot Systems The flight crew operating Flight OAL3838 were both rated on B737 aircraft in addition to the Falcon 900B. Both flew mainly on the Boeing 737-400 and only occasionally flew on the Falcon 900B. The report concludes: “The crew overrode the A/P on the pitch channel during the last three to four seconds before the A/P disengaged. The crew applied inputs on the control column for nose-up, while the A/P trimmed the aircraft for nose-down.” The report further suggests that “the possible explanations for the A/P overpowering on the control column could be a pilot’s brief distraction and/or his flying skills acquired on Boeing 737-400 aircraft.” Modern aircraft control systems have no direct connection between the control wheel on the flight deck and the control surfaces. Hence, pilots do not get a direct feedback on the control forces. Instead, aircraft are equipped with mechanical or electronic mechanisms which provide artificial feedback to the pilot simulating the forces on the control surfaces. In the Falcon 900, artificial flightcontrol feel is provided by a system of springs. An automatic spring-loadadjusting system, called the “Arthur
Q” or simply “Arthur” unit adjusts the artificial feel of the elevators according to airspeed and horizontal-stabilizer position. When this artificial feedback mechanism fails, there is a danger of overcontrolling resulting in powerful pitch oscillations. The loss of such feedback mechanisms must be treated with great care and respect. The “Pitch Feel” light illuminates when the difference between the position of the Arthur unit actuator and the position of the horizontal stabilizer passes a certain threshold. In this case, a lock will operate and the unit actuator will return to its low-speed position. With Pitch Feel on, even on high speed flights only small input forces on the control wheel are sufficient to move the control surfaces. It is easy for a pilot to oversteer the input in such conditions. In fact, as the Arthur Unit Checklist specifies, light pitch control may result in pilot induced high load factors if large displacements or rapid movements of the control surfaces are commanded. The PIC had tested the flight control in climb after the Pitch Feel light illuminated. At that moment, at a speed of approximately 210 knots, he judged the control forces to be “normal”. This led him to the conclusion that the Pitch Feel light did not indicate a major hazard to the flight. The PIC, when approaching the cleared level of FL150 in descent, was discussing operational issues with the cabin attendant. Concurrently, the pilot-non flying was receiving the ATC clearance to further descent to FL050 and started pre-selecting the new flight level into the altitude window of the autopilot. At this moment, the pilot flying most likely noticed that he was about to bust the level and was startled. He applied a Boeing
737 procedure to halt the descent and manually pull the control wheel to an attitude maintaining FL 150. The autopilot began to counter the pilot’s nose-up elevator input by moving the horizontal stabilizer to trim the aircraft nose-down. The pilot felt a progressive increase in effort on the control column and continued to pull back on the control column to maintain a nose-up movement. Eventually, the elevator-servomotor torque reached the maximum value. Immediately the Falcon’s autopilot disconnected. The series of pilot-induced oscillations started. After 24 seconds and 10 oscillations, this dramatic phase was over. The load factors generated were tremendous. The cabin attendant later recalled that the aircraft behaved like a “scared horse”. She could not brace herself before hitting the upper part of the cabin and the jump seat with her entire body. The cabin interior was destroyed. Blood was everywhere. A metal catering container hit the ceiling and penetrated the upper-fuselage skin 127mm by 25mm. Legal Ramifications The accident killed the Greek foreign affairs deputy minister, Giannos Kranidiotis, his only son and five other passengers. None of the passengers killed were wearing their seatbelts. The Greek prosecuting authorities charged the crew with manslaughter and causing bodily injury. The report by Greek legal investigators Alex Fischer and Akrivos Tsolakis says the primary cause was a malfunction in the aircraft’s Pitch Feel system, and although the relevant alert light was on, the pilots ignored it as a false warning. The report alleges that the Pitch Feel and the cockpit voice recorder
(CVR) malfunctions were long-term defects which had not been rectified, hence the decision to prosecute the Greek CAA for poor safety oversight and Olympic Airways, responsible for the aircraft’s maintenance. The Pitch Feel system should have incorporated an approved Dassault modification which had not been carried out, says the report. Furthermore, the aircraft’s checklist did not contain the procedure for Pitch Feel failure, which entails reducing the indicated airspeed (IAS) to less than 260 Kts. The aircraft’s IAS at top of descent was 332 Kts. Had the checklist reminded the pilots of this speed limitation, the oscillations might have been much less violent. The CVR was not working and had probably been inoperative for a long time. The flight data recorder (FDR) information was used extensively in the investigation. The report lists the following four causal factors for the accident: ❍ Inadequate risk assessments of flight-control “Pitch Feel” malfunctions ❍ Overriding of the autopilot on the pitch channel by the crew ❍ Inappropriate inputs on the control column at high speed with the Arthur Q unit (a flight-control-artificial-feel-adjusting system) failed in the “low-speed” position, leading to pilot-induced oscillations ❍ Seat belts not fastened during descent flight phase.
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CALAMITY
The fatal accident caused a catering container to stick into the ceiling of the Falcon 900B (top right).
SAFETY SENSE
Sentenced to Imprisonment The Athens First Degree Court found the captain guilty, sentenced him to five years’ in prison and acquitted the co-pilot. On appeal, the court rejected the probable cause scenario and reduced the sentence to 36 months. The authors do not know how the appeal to the Supreme Court ended. The engineers responsible for maintenance control and maintenance performance were acquitted. They had been charged for omitting to rectify the Pitch Feel malfunction. always prefer safety over comfort, in particular when considering the legal implications, not mentioning the moral implications, for not directing passengers to fasten seat belts. The fasten-seat-belt sign should be switched on in time prior to descent. Even more important, cabin attendants or the pilots, if no cabin attendants are on board, should remind the passengers of the benefits of always keeping the seat belt fastened.
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PENALTY
The Athens First Degree Court found the captain guilty and sentenced him to 36 months in prison.
For Your Safety and Comfort, Keep Your Seat Belts Fastened According to the operator’s standard operating procedures, the seat belt sign should be activated by the crew five minutes before landing unless there were special reasons to activate it earlier. Contrary to Dassault’s recommended top-of-descent procedure published in the Aircraft Flight Manual, the report says, the seat belt sign was not on.
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Fastening a seat belt might seem like a trivial task. But trivial it isn’t. The aircraft might behave like a scared horse. In such an event, even if the turbulence is less dramatic than it was in this accident, the impact of not following the good practice of always wearing the seat belt while seated can be disastrous. While safety is in any case enhanced, passenger comfort might suffer a bit, despite the well-known figure of speech. Crews should
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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AIRCRAFT SALES AND FINANCE HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CHOICE OF GOVERNING LAW? Aoife O’Sullivan suggests appropriate care and attention should be given to the choice of law and choice of jurisdiction to avoid lengthy confusing disputes involving conflicting legal systems
A
TRICKY
Aircraft acquisition finance is a complex and multifaceted business.
ircraft sales, purchases and finance inevitably involve a wide variety of competing cultures, jurisdictions, personalities and laws. An aircraft that is registered in the US can be owned by a Dubai national through a citizen Trust in Delaware. He may sell to a Chinese buyer through a BVI entity who wishes to register the aircraft in Europe and offer the aircraft for commercial charter when he is not using the aircraft himself. The pre-purchase inspection may well be carried out in Basel (which is both Swiss and French depending on where you stand airside) with the aircraft then being flown to the UK to allow the (German/Swiss/US) Bank register an English law mortgage. The currency of the transaction is in USD, the escrow agent in the US, the broker Austrian and the operator based in Malta. Each party is assessed for application of any US, EU, UN or other applicable sanctions or embargoes. The insurers put a policy in place which restricts landing and overflight in certain countries, the breach of which will invalidate the policy. The whole transaction is then assessed for tax application including into which jurisdiction should the air-
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craft be imported, whether on a temporary basis for maintenance or on a long-term basis for use and operation. The apparently improbable scenario summarized above is in fact a very real challenge on every aircraft sale and finance in the Business Aviation world. The flexibility of transacting on a world stage allows buyers and sellers to access an international market not only to source or sell their aircraft but also to finance the aircraft. Unfortunately, the legal, regulatory and tax laws do not always correlate, and it is essential for all parties to hire a team of genuine experts who have current experience of all the factors affecting the transaction. It is only when this team works together to resolve the various issues that the deal can conclude. Boilerplate Clauses All contracts contain what are colloquially known by lawyers as “boilerplate clauses”. These are the clauses that are required to make a contract valid and/or are generally accepted as being necessary for the proper protection of all parties. Such clauses include those surrounding the intention to create legal relations, offer, acceptance and whether considera-
tion passed from one party to another. Over time, it has been generally accepted in the legal profession that a contract should include what have become reasonably standard clauses dealing with matters such as force majeure (matters impacting the transaction which are outside the reasonable control of both parties such as war, strikes, acts of God etc), the ability of a party to assign the contract to another, notice provisions, etc. All these clauses have the potential to impact greatly on the parties’ relationship with each other. One of the most important is the choice of law or governing law clause. This enables the parties to identify the substantive law that will be applied when determining and interpreting the rights and obligations of the parties and any disputes that may arise and can be expanded by a “jurisdiction clause” to indicate how disputes are to be resolved, for example through the courts or arbitration. If there is no effective jurisdiction clause, the correct forum for the settlement of disputes will be determined by the rules of private international law or, within Europe, by the rules set out in various EU instruments. Generally (but not necessari-
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ly), the country whose governing law is chosen will be the same as the country whose courts are chosen to have jurisdiction over disputes, so that the courts will not need to decide issues arising under a legal system with which they are unfamiliar. However, there may be situations where parties agree on a governing law which is not that of the chosen jurisdiction. To avoid a potentially lengthy and expensive dispute over the application of the rules of the applicable instruments and to reduce any uncertainty, parties should ensure to include a jurisdiction clause in their agreements and to expressly state whether the jurisdiction of the chosen court is exclusive or non-exclusive.
COMPLEXITY
Agreements with foreign buyers can raise specific problems.
Which Governing Law Should I Choose? First and foremost, don’t be sloppy. You do not have to accept the choice of law of another party and you certainly don’t have to accept the choice of law of an intermediary such as a broker using his standard letter of intent. Be aware of obvious errors. For example, there is no such thing as “US law”. The US Legal System is a complex organization of Federal
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and State governmental divisions. The US Constitution is the highest law of the land. The United States Code is the official compilation and codification of general and permanent federal statutory law. Federal law and treaties, so long as they are in accordance with the Constitution, pre-empt conflicting state and territorial laws in the 50 U.S. states and in the territories. Equally, there is no such thing as the laws of Great Britain or the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has three separate and distinct legal systems (for now at least, Brexit depending!): (i) Scotland; (ii) England and Wales; and (iii) Northern Ireland. The Scottish courts and the Scottish legal profession operate separately from the courts of England. The only exception to this is that decisions of the Court of Session, the highest court in Scotland, are subject to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in London. No reference should ever be made to the UK or Great Britain. If parties want their dispute to be heard in London, the contract should refer to the “courts of England and Wales” and to the “laws of England and Wales”. The issues to be considered when deciding which law or jurisdiction should govern a contract are the following: ❍ Relevance to the transaction – if a transaction is European and has no nexus to the US it makes no sense to expose the parties to the jurisdiction of the US. ❍ Reliability – the English legal system is world renowned as being fair, impartial and reliable. English common law has given great deference to freedom of contract and party autonomy, in contrast with most civil lawbased legal systems, which apply more stringent rules derived from codified statutes. ❍ Exposure and risk – consider the additional implications of choosing one legal system over another. Always obtain legal advice or a legal opinion if you are not familiar with the legal system. For example, in the US under the concept of negligent entrustment, it is possible for an aircraft lessor to be held responsible for the negligent actions of an operator.
❍ Practicality and convenience: the availability and costs of legal representation; location of the parties and witnesses. London is home to a large body of world class, international law firms that offer multi-jurisdictional legal advice to international clients at pre-contract stage, in the negotiation and preparation of contractual documentation and in resolving disputes. ❍ Quality and language of the courts. ❍ Procedural issues: disclosure and recovery of costs. ❍ Speed and cost of the litigation process. English courts deter weak or speculative claims through the rules of ‘loser pays’ and ‘pay as you go’ and an absence of jury trials and punitive damages. ❍ The need for effective enforcement of any judgment or award. An English judgment can be easily enforced within the European Union by virtue of the Brussels 1 Regulation and the European Enforcement Order. Outside the EU, the UK is party to many reciprocal arrangements allowing for mutual recognition and enforcement. ❍ Interim Injunctions and remedies: English courts can grant a range of interim injunctions including: • asset freezing injunctions (including on a worldwide basis) • search and seizure orders (to obtain and preserve evidence) • prohibitory injunctions (preventing a party taking action) • mandatory injunctions (forcing a party to take action). In urgent cases, an order can be obtained very quickly and, in appropriate cases, without initial notice to the other party. English Law and the Courts of England In the words of Rt Hon Jack Straw “Our courts, particularly those in London, play host to many parties from overseas: at the specialized Commercial Court, a staggering 80% of cases involve a foreign claimant or defendant…people come here because they want to conduct their business in a country that offers a flexible and dependable legal system. In ever more complex, sophisticated and inter-related markets, English commercial law provides predictability of outcome, legal certainty and fairness. It is clear and is built upon well-founded principles, such as the ability to require exact
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performance and the absence of any general duty of good faith. People also come here because they know they will find first class, highly specialized lawyers, arbitrators and mediators and they recognize that a decision from an English court carries a guarantee of judicial excellence and integrity.” English law has developed from a combination of statute and case law in which publicly decided cases form part of a body of law, known as the common law. Parties can predict whether a proposed course of action is likely to be lawful or unlawful. It is based on the principle of freedom of contract which is more flexible than many civil law systems, which rely on a more rigid and prescriptive civil code. A contract is generally accepted to be valid unless it is for an illegal purpose or is otherwise contrary to public policy. The key principle of ‘freedom of contract’, where parties are bound by the terms of their agreement, is attractive to commercial parties. Disputes are determined according to the letter of the contract and it is very rare that the Courts will impute or imply factors into a business relationship which are not governed by the four corners of the contract.
AMBIGUITY
There are few certainties about Brexit's effect on the UK and broader European aviation sector.
What Difference does the Cape Town Convention Make? The Cape Town Convention warrants an article in itself (in fact warrants many articles by itself). Suffice to say, the intention behind the Cape Town Convention was to establish an international forum for the creation, enforcement, registration and priority of security interests in aircraft and engines, known as “international interests”.
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If the Convention applies, the parties to a transaction can agree to register the transaction with Aviareto in Ireland in effect create a public declaration of security or contractual interest. The obvious benefit on repossession is that a quick search at Aviareto will show a repossessing party whether there is likely to be any contest to the repossession or whether there are competing interests. The Convention sets out basic default remedies available for holders of an international interest. The default remedies are optional and Contracting States may declare which remedies will apply in its jurisdiction. In each case therefore, enquiries should be made as to the effect of registration in the context of the applicable Contracting State. In general, for a chargee of an aircraft (i.e. typically the lender or mortgagee who has taken a charge over the aircraft), the available default remedies are: ❍ to take possession or control of the aircraft ❍ to sell or grant a lease of the aircraft, or ❍ to collect or receive income or profits from the use of the aircraft. In addition, the creditor may procure de-registration and export of the aircraft if an irrevocable de-registration and export request authorization (IDERA) is issued substantially in the form attached to the Protocol and is submitted to the Registry. If the Cape Town Convention applies to a contract, both parties should take steps to understand the application of the Convention and as to how it will impact on choice of law.
English courts continue to be highly regarded internationally as reliable, measured and fair. Consequently, English law often becomes a natural choice for parties to international commercial contracts. It is highly unlikely that Brexit will have an adverse impact on the laws of England being a popular choice of governing law in aviation transactions. If enforceability of a judgment throughout the EU is a significant factor in the choice of jurisdiction, England leaving the EU may have an impact, but this is no different to the current position with NY law. If it’s not, nothing changes. If enforceability of a judgment throughout the EU is important, there are various responses available, including the bold one of giving the English courts exclusive jurisdiction. Far more important is to ensure you are dealing with a tried and tested, reliable, consistent and fair system of dispute resolution.
Conclusion Appropriate care and attention needs to be given to the choice of law and choice of jurisdiction to avoid lengthy confusing disputes involving conflicting legal systems. At the height of its power, the British Empire had widespread global reach that extended across Australia, New Zealand, India, the Far East, the Caribbean and large parts of Africa and Canada, as well as many other Commonwealth nations. The legal systems of many of these countries have been derived from or maintain a strong link to English common law principles. The decisions of the
Aoife O'Sullivan specializes in private, corporate and commercial aviation, military aircraft and civil aerospace. She advises on aircraft finance and regulatory issues, including corporate structures, aircraft acquisitions and airline start-ups. She is internationally renowned for her work in aircraft finance. She is a member of the Board of Aerion Corporation Inc. which is developing a supersonic business jet and was a founding member of IIBN, a network of Irish entrepreneurs. She has acted as chair of the European Business Aviation Association finance and leasing group.
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