Bart International Issue 184

184

SEP-OCT 2018 DECEMBER 2019

PREMIER TRANS-ATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE

POWERED BY P&WC - PW800 DASSAULT'S NEW FALCON 6X IS TAKING SHAPE IN BIARRITZ

WEIGHT REDUCTION Foundation of a Green Aviation

THE NEW FLAGSHIP HAS ARRIVED Live life to the fullest in our new flagship, the Gulfstream G700™. The G700 features the tallest, widest and longest cabin in the industry, plus all-new, high-thrust Rolls-Royce engines and the award-winning Symmetry Flight Deck™.

UPFRONT

REVOLUTION IN LAS VEGAS WELL TANGUY, SORRY YOU COULDN’T MAKE IT TO VEGAS IN OCTOBER! It was one of the best NBAA-BACE Convention ever.

The show opened with NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen declaring: “This year’s NBAABACE will be the most exciting convention NBAA has ever hosted.”

At the conclusion of the show that prediction was undeniable.

Stimulated with a number of innovative topics, driving the visitors into the future: Urban Air Mobility, Sustainable Fuel, new proposal for a Supersonic Comeback, Connectivity diversifying options and even Electric Airplanes, I was really feeling that Business Aviation had reached a new momentum.

Quite a few OEMs came with new aircraft. Gulfstream introduced its new flagship, the most commodious bestperforming aircraft in the business-jet industry, the Gulfstream G700.

Fernand M. Francois Editor and Publisher

Enter the Cessna Denali singleengine turboprop, a brand-new high-performance aircraft, designed with more performance, more versatility and lower operating costs. Pilatus also came with the world’s greatest single, the PC-12 NGX, a long range passenger aircraft.

Meanwhile, don’t worry Tanguy, I have no intention to convert my page into a show report.

BART International special envoys in Las Vegas Editor-in-Chief Volker Thomalla and Executive Editor Marc Grangier have concocted a show report that I encourage you to discover on page 60.

Energy was high from the Convention’s start to the closing day. NBAA wrapped up an inspiring 2019 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), reflecting a changing industry, and driving it to embrace the future on all fronts.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

Mother Teresa

OUR ADVERTISERS and their Agencies Volume XXX1 N°6 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Fernand M. Francois ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Kathy Ann Francois ASSISTANT to the PUBLISHER Victoria Graham EDITOR IN CHIEF Volker K. Thomalla MANAGING EDITOR Busra Ozturk EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nick Klenske EXECUTIVE EDITOR Marc Grangier SAFETY EDITOR Michael R. Grüninger COACH EDITOR Captain LeRoy Cook TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Steve Nichols

45 59 41 9 11 17 47 71 7 81 2 15 21 55 29 37 51 75 67 84 79 83 25

Air BP AMSTAT Avfuel Corporation CAE Dassault Falcon (PEMA 2M) Duncan Aviation EBACE 2020 Flight Safety Foundation FlightSafety International (GRETEMAN GROUP) GCS Safety Solution Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation HondaJet (MILNER BUTCHER MEDIA GROUP) Jet Aviation JetNet LLC Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) King Aerospace (GRETEMAN GROUP) NBAA-BACE 2020 RUBAE 2020 Schedulers & Dispatchers 2020 Textron Aviation (Copp Media Services, Inc.) The Air Law Firm Universal Avionics Systems, Corp.

West Star Aviation Inc.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Alan Norris, Derek Bloom, Richard Koe, Brian Foley, Eugene Gerden, Anna Naznarova, Giulia Mauri, Aoife 0’Sullivan PRODUCTION MANAGER Tanguy Francois CONTACT US For all the above Info@bartintl.com

ADVERTISING Kathy Ann Francois Marketing Director kafrancois@bartintl.com

BART International Premier Transatlantic Aviation Magazine ISSN 07767596. Printed in Belgium is published and owned by SA Frankie&Lette, 20 rue de l’Industrie at B1400 Nivelles. Phone +326 788 3603.

Info@bartintl.com. BART Intl is governed by the International copyright laws. Free professional subscription available. International distribution by ASENDIA. USPS O16707 Priodical postage paid.

Call IMS I (800) 4283003 Responsible Publisher Fernand M. Francois

EBACE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

32 Middle East Regional Report 34 Focus FBOs 38 Green Engines 42 Sustainable Fuels 46 Electric Powerplant 49 Electric Aircraft Boom or Bust 52 Green Modifications 60 NBAA-BACE Report 68 Avionics Report 72 From the Cockpit 76 Docket 80 Safety Sense

3 Upfront 6 Briefing Room 8 Quick Lane 18 Business News 20 On the Move 22 Trans-Atlantic Update

PREMIER TRANS-ATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE MEMBER OF

OUR COVER

Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Pure®Power PW800 engines have been selected to power the Falcon 6X that offers the largest, quietest and most comfortable cabin of any aircraft in its class and more cabin volume than any other Falcon ever designed.

Without any doubt, weight reduction is the cornerstone of the aviation industry of tomorrow, and a mandatory commitment for manufacturers wanting to make greener aircraft.

BRIEFING ROOM Events

Agenda Heli-Expo 2020 January 27 - 30 Anaheim, California, USA

Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2020) March 10 - 13 Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

AERO Friedrichshafen 2020 April 1 - 4 Friedrichshafen, Germany

ABACE April 21 - 23 Shanghai, China

EBACE May 26 - 28 Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland

AIRCRAFT SECURITY AIRSIDE Aircraft guards can be a worthwhile investment in enhancing safety and security of your operation, personnel and assets. Client Relationship Manager for Universal Private Transport Tracie Carwile explains why these arrangements need to be considered early in the trip planning process as there are often airport authority restrictions and limitations to consider.

AIRCRAFT GUARDS Rules differ across the world and from airport to airport, in terms of allowable aircraft guard options. While some airport authorities permit use of 3rd-party security airside, others mandate that you use only specific and approved security providers.

ARMED AND UNARMED GUARDS There are many locations throughout the world – including Colombia and most of the African continent – where use of armed aircraft guards are permitted. Use of armed guards in Europe is usually only possible in the case of head of State and certain diplomatic flights.

LEAD TIME When setting up aircraft guard services we recommend 72 hours lead time, with a minimum of 48 hours’ advance notice.

It’s best to source aircraft guards either via 3rd-party security providers with a good intelligence network. It’s always important that guard services be properly vetted, licensed and insured for the particular airport.

security solutions, there are options to consider. For example, security tape on doors and hatches is a recommended low cost security enhancement. You may also consider renting hangar space to improve airside privacy and security. Onboard alarm systems are becoming more and more sophisticated and may include direct feeds to your phone from aircraft-mounted cameras.

DAY OF OPERATIONS TIPS We recommend that the guard be in position one hour prior to the aircraft’s arrival and stay 30-60 minutes after takeoff. Have full contact details on the guard to ensure you’re dealing with the right person. Ensure the guard service is aware of all of your requirements. In some cases, there may be language barriers but it’s important to be able to communicate. It’s also necessary to let the guard know if anyone will be returning to the aircraft and who is authorized to enter your aircraft.

CONCLUSION When arranging aircraft guard services always allow sufficient lead time to ensure the security service is properly vetted, licensed, aware of all of your requirements and available. At some more remote locations there may be cases when you’ll need to fly in a security provider from a larger regional destination. Last, be aware of restrictions for each airfield and that there may be limited services due to airport authority regulations.

Got a question? Call Tracie at Universal Weather and Aviation +1 (713) 378-8060

COSTS OF GUARD SERVICES Cost of having aircraft guards on duty varies depending upon the international location.

Cost may range from 25 – 45 USD/hour and could run about 1,000 USD per 24-hour day.

But costs of these services can be much higher at certain locations and depending upon availability.

AIRCRAFT SECURITY ON A BUDGET In cases where aircraft guards are not permitted airside or operators are looking for less costly Follow us on Instagram

6 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

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QUICK LANE SEVERAL DUNCAN AVIATION STCS RECEIVE DGAC VALIDATION Duncan Aviation’s Engineering & Certifications Services Department (ECS) has received validation from the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) in Mexico for more than a dozen of Duncan Aviation’s Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs). Duncan Aviation’s ECS has made all of the STCs available for sale for work on aircraft registered in Mexico. Ten of the approved STCs cover the installation of Digital Flight Data Recorders in 25 makes and models of aircraft, and an additional 11 approved STCs cover the installation of Traffic Collision Avoidance System II on 22 aircraft makes/models. Duncan Aviation also announced that its FBO facilities in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan, have received Stage I accreditation from the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH).

CAE ADDS NEW GLOBAL 7500 FFS TO ITS TRAINING NETWORK CAE is expanding its training capacity in the Middle East with the deployment of a new Bombardier Global 7500 full-flight simulator (FFS) to the Emirates-CAE Flight Training Centre (ECFT) in Dubai. The brand-new CAE Bombardier Global 7500 business jet FFS will be ready for training in 2021 at the ECFT center in Al Garhoud, Dubai. This will be CAE’s third Bombardier Global 7500 FFS as part of its current Authorized Training Provider agreement with Bombardier. CAE already offers Global 7500 aircraft training at CAE Montreal and CAE Dallas training centers.

UNIVERSAL PARTNERS WITH CJET TO ENHANCE SERVICE LEVELS

AIR BP ROLLS OUT AIRFIELD AUTOMATION DIGITAL TECH TO HELP PREVENT MISFUELLING

Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. and China’s Capital Jet (CJET) have signed an agreement to work together to enhance service levels for Business Aviation operations at Beijing Capital Airport (ZBAA).

CJET is the only authorized ground service and customer passage provider for private aviation in and out of ZBAA, as well as the greater Beijing metropolitan area. Per the agreement which goes into effect Dec. 1, 2019, Universal Aviation China will provide on-ramp ground handling within CJET’s FBO at ZBAA, the airport’s lone FBO.

Air BP has rolled out its digital Airfield Automation technology at Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA), located at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). This is the first location in the region to benefit from the new technology which aims to enhance safety, reliability and compliance in airport fuelling operations. The technology is already live at more than 100 airports in 13 countries on 4 continents. More than 45,000 over-wing fuellings have been completed where fuelling operators and customers have benefited from Airfield Automation’s unique Misfuel Prevention Technology, which helps to reduce the risk of misfuelling.

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QUICK LANE JET AVIATION OPENS NEW VAN NUYS FBO AND HANGAR FACILITY

Jet Aviation announced the opening of its new sustainably built FBO and hangar complex at Van Nuys Airport. The facility includes a brand-new 10,000 sq. ft. FBO terminal and 43,000 sq. ft. hangar that can accommodate the newer generation, large-body aircraft currently entering the market.

The much-anticipated FBO and hangar project includes a brandnew 10,000 sq. ft. FBO terminal, a 43,000 sq. ft. hangar with 8,000 sq. ft. of office space and long, unobstructed ramp space. The hangar has a 30 ft. clearance, which can accommodate large aircraft, including the Gulfstream G700 and the Global 7500.

NBAA ADVOCACY ACHIEVES HISTORIC WIN FOR BIZAV PRIVACY, SECURITY The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomed the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) new measure to preserve Business Aviation privacy and security.

Under the FAA’s new “Privacy ICAO Address Program,” operators wishing to block their real-time flight tracking information will soon be able to submit requests, for an alternative temporary ICAO aircraft address not connected to publicly available aircraft registration details, via an FAA web portal.

The FAA has established enhanced agreements with aircraft-tracking providers to limit public data sharing.

WEST STAR AVIATION RECEIVES ANAC BRAZIL CERTIFICATION West Star has received ANAC Brazil Authorization to perform maintenance inspections and repairs on Brazilian registered aircraft at their East Alton, Illinois (ALN) location. “This certification extends our world-class aircraft MRO services to Brazilian aircraft operators at our ALN facility,” stated Santiago Carol, regional sales manager, Latin America. This authorization is in addition to existing DGAC Certification for Mexican registered aircraft.

STANDARDAERO ANNOUNCES OPENING OF NEW HELICOPTER MRO FACILITY IN CANADA StandardAero announced the opening of its newest helicopter MRO facility, continuing its longstanding commitment to the strategic Richmond, BC area and to providing comprehensive aftermarket services to the dense helicopter industry in the Pacific Northwest and global community alike. The opening of the new StandardAero Vancouver facility is the culmination of StandardAero’s efforts in establishing dedicated Centers of Excellence to streamline helicopter support operations across its varied engine and airframe MRO businesses.

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QUICK LANE GARMIN UNVEILS INDUSTRY’S FIRST AUTOLAND SYSTEM FOR GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT Garmin International, Inc. announced a revolution in general aviation – the first Garmin Autoland system. In the event of an emergency, Autoland will control and land the aircraft without human intervention1. The Autoland system determines the most optimal airport and runway, taking into account factors such as weather, terrain, obstacles and aircraft performance statistics. Autoland brings peace of mind to air travel and will soon be available on select general aviation aircraft with the Garmin G3000® integrated flight deck.

“Today, aviation is forever changed as we introduce one of the industry’s most significant innovations – the first Autoland system for general aviation aircraft,” said Cliff Pemble.

FLIGHTSAFETY INTL NOW OFFERS EASA-QUALIFIED G500 TRAINING IN SAVANNAH FlightSafety now offers EASA-qualified initial and recurrent training for Gulfstream G500 aircraft operators at its Learning Center in Savannah, Georgia. FlightSafety also offers a wide variety of other EASA-qualified courses in addition to initial and recurrent training. These include the EASA License Skills Test, EASA License Proficiency Test, EASA Operators Proficiency Checks, and more.

In addition to two FlightSafety FS1000 full-motion simulators, the Gulfstream G500 type rating course includes the use of three new advanced Graphical Flight-deck simulators that have been qualified by EASA as Level 1 Flight Training Devices, and classrooms equipped with an interactive MATRIX cockpit. These new advanced technology training devices feature a visual system, HUD/EVS and sidestick controller designed to enhance scenario-based training.

MTU AERO ENGINES DEVELOPS, OPERATES UNIQUE ENGINE ASSEMBLY SYSTEM With the geared turbofan (GTF), Pratt & Whitney and MTU Aero Engines are building the most eco-efficient propulsion system currently available in the marketplace. MTU not only contributes key turbine and compressor technologies to this highly advanced family of engines, the company is also responsible for final assembly of one third of the PW1100G-JM geared turbofans that power the Airbus A320neo.

“To gear up for these engines, MTU has developed an innovative floorbased line assembly system and built it up and put it into operation at the company’s headquarters in Munich,” explains MTU Chief Operating Officer Lars Wagner.

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KING AEROSPACE AND THURMOND GROUP JOIN FORCES Texas-based King Aerospace Companies and Pennsylvania-based The Thurmond Group have formed a strategic partnership that unites two reputable names in aviation.

The alliance will enable both companies to grow their support for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) specifically and aircraft modifications in general.

Maintenance, engineering and FAA-certified modifications will be handled at King Aerospace’s facility in Ardmore, OK, just 90 miles north of Dallas. The AS9110-certified operation accommodates the most common turboprop and jet aircraft for commercial and military/government commercial-derivative applications. This includes Dash 8, King Air, Boeing 737, Citation, Gulfstream and Challenger aircraft.

SAFETY IS PRIORITY IN JET AVIATION DEAL WITH GE AVIATION

GOGO’S AVANCE PLATFORM TOPS 175,000 BUSINESS AVIATION FLIGHTS

AERO-DIENST CONDUCTS 300 PRIS ON PW300 SERIES

AVFUEL CORPORATION ACQUIRES ASSETS OF CBL TRADING, LLC

Jet Aviation and GE Aviation have signed a long-term agreement for a comprehensive safety and fleet modernization project including C-FOQA (Flight Operations Quality Assurance). The program covers Jet Aviation’s global fleet of some 300 aircraft including the Airbus, Boeing BBJ, Bombardier, Dassault, Gulfstream and more. “The partnership with GE Aviation and their C-FOQA Flight Efficiency Services data analytics marks a continued commitment Jet Aviation has in the support of our flight operations, our flight crews and, most importantly, our customers,” said Don Haloburdo, vice president, Flight Services, Jet Aviation. FOQA is the process of analyzing and reviewing routinely recorded flight data.

Gogo Business Aviation’s AVANCE systems, AVANCE L5 and AVANCE L3, have now flown more than 175,000 flights totaling more than 108 million miles. The 175,000 flights is a milestone that took just two years to reach following the initial launch of AVANCE L5 in late-2017 and highlights how extensively the two systems have been used onboard business aircraft of all types and sizes.

Gogo currently has more than 1,000 AVANCE systems, which includes nearly 750 AVANCE L5 and more than 300 AVANCE L3 systems, installed and flying across a wide array of business aircraft, from single-engine turboprop to the heaviest-iron global business jets.

For 12 years, Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has entrusted its PW300 rental engines to Aero-Dienst for post-rental inspections, which are typically conducted after each rental usage. Since then, over 300 PRIs have been conducted on this series by AeroDienst on behalf of P&WC CSC Europe GmbH. “Aero-Dienst is a key part of our Mobile Repair Team (MRT) and Post Rental Inspections (PRI) network ,” says Ismael Rhissa Zakary, GM P&WC Customer Service Centre Europe GmbH.

Avfuel Corporation announced its acquisition of assets of CBL Trading, LLC – a fuel supply subsidiary of Charter Brokerage, LLC – out of Katy, Texas. The acquisition enhances Avfuel’s existing supply and logistics infrastructure along the Explorer Pipeline from the Gulf Coast to Chicago as well as the Westshore Pipeline from East Chicago, Indiana, to Des Plaines, Illinois, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD). Additionally, Avfuel will take over CBL’s storage agreements at three terminals: Magellan in Dallas, Texas; CITGO in East Chicago; and Shell in Des Plaines. This enables Avfuel to ship additional product via pipeline and expand its storage-base capacity for broader coverage and fuel availability.

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QUICK LANE GARMIN ADDS G1000 NXI UPGRADE FOR THE KING AIR C90 Garmin International announced certification of the G1000® NXi integrated flight deck upgrade for the King Air C90. With the G1000 NXi, aircraft owners and operators receive a wealth of new features, innovative capabilities and added utility all within a modern flight deck. King Air C90 owners and operators can easily upgrade from the G1000 to the G1000 NXi with minimal aircraft downtime and installation labor to receive a next-generation integrated flight deck. “As the popularity and demand of the G1000 NXi continues to grow, we’re excited to expand the availability of this upgrade to even more aircraft,” said Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation sales and marketing.

COLLINS AEROSPACE BRINGS FIRST DIGITAL OCEANIC PLOTTING CHART TO BIZAV

Collins Aerospace Systems is redefining flight operations for Business Aviation with the industry’s first digital Oceanic Plotting Chart for pilots. This new offering, available on the company’s ARINCDirect iPad app, eliminates paper plotting charts and manual processes being used today for navigating oceanic airspace. This new feature is included with all ARINCDirect flight planning subscriptions at no additional cost. It is already actively used by flight departments including Planet 9 Private Air, which owns and operates the largest global fleet of Falcon 7X aircraft.

FLIGHTSAFETY INTRODUCES FLIGHTSMART FlightSafety International has introduced FlightSmart, a new, fully integrated training tool developed in conjunction with IBM, a world leader in advanced analytics and AI. FlightSmart is designed to increase training effectiveness and enhance safety through automated, intelligent and objective training. FlightSafety has received a contract for FlightSmart from the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC). It is for implementation of FlightSmart at Columbus AFB on 16 T-6A training devices, including Initial and Operational Flight Trainers. FlightSmart will collect and analyze pilot performance data in order to improve instructor utilization and student proficiency advancement. The contract includes options to expand to other AETC bases that operate the aircraft.

INMARSAT CELEBRATES OVER 600 INSTALLATIONS OF JET CONNEX

Inmarsat’s market-leading Jet ConneX (JX) Business Aviation inflight Wi-Fi solution has now been installed and activated on over 600 business jets worldwide in just under three years of commercial availability. The next evolution of the network will deliver eight additional payloads, marking a transformative step-change in inflight broadband capabilities. As part of this programme, Inmarsat will also become the only provider of inflight connectivity in the Arctic region.

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QUICK LANE TEXTRON AVIATION EXPANDS IN-FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS FOR CITATION JETS Textron Aviation Inc. has received supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for the Gogo AVANCE L5 connectivity system upgrade for its Cessna Citation X+, Citation Sovereign+ and Citation Latitude business jets. Aircraft equipped with Gogo AVANCE L5 will experience faster inflight connectivity speeds and an enhanced network to support on-the-go business needs. This STC expands the company’s Approved Model List to include eight Citation business jet models. “Optimizing connectivity across a range of Textron Aviation products is one more way we can enhance the ownership experience,” said Kriya Shortt, senior vice president of Global Customer Support at Textron Aviation.

DAHER COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF QUEST AIRCRAFT COMPANY Daher Group announced the acquisition completion of the Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest Aircraft Company, marking a major milestone in the French corporation’s growth of its North American operations. With the acquisition of Quest, the Daher Group is now able to deploy its full range of activities in North America: aircraft manufacturing; the production of systems and equipment; along with the supply of logistics and services. This brings the company’s successful business model – which covers both industry and services – to one of the world’s largest aerospace markets.

GULFSTREAM MAKES FIRST CARBON-NEUTRAL FLIGHTS

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced the Gulfstream G650ER, Gulfstream G600, Gulfstream G500, Gulfstream G550 and Gulfstream G280 made the company’s first carbon-neutral flights, traveling from Savannah to the Las Vegas area for the 2019 National Business Aviation Association Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). The five flights were made using a combination of sustainable aviation fuel and carbon offsets.

“Gulfstream already designs extremely fuel-efficient, quiet aircraft capable of using sustainable aviation fuel, which we offer to customers and use regularly for our corporate operations, so using carbon offsets was the natural next step to advancing and elevating our sustainability commitment,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream.

UNIVERSAL AVIONICS DEBUTS NEW ‘FLY BY SIGHT’ NAVIGATION SYSTEM Universal Avionics (UA), an Elbit Systems Company, has unveiled its latest advancement in the ‘Fly by Sight’ flight deck concept. The ‘Fly By Sight’ Navigation System combines ClearVision SkyLens Head Wearable Display (HWD) and the company’s recently unveiled Interactive FMS (i-FMS). The ‘Fly By Sight’ Navigation System reduces head-down time in high workload environments by enabling the pilot to conduct critical functions like a direct-to, runway change or vector-to-final via head-up technologies instead of relying on head-down displays.

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D U N C A N AVIATIO N’S NE W 53,000- S Q UAR EF E E T PA I N T H ANGAR IN P ROVO, UTAH , H AS A T WO -ZO N E AIR SYSTEM FE ATURING A D OW N D R A F T A I R F LOW AND AUTO M ATIC M O NITO RI N G A N D A L A RM S . IT IS TH E O NLY TRULY GREEN B U SI N E SS AVIATIO N PAINT FACILITY IN THE U N I T E D STATE S . NO WASTE P RO D UC TS AR E R E L E AS E D I N TO TH E WATER O R C ITY AND M OR E T H A N 9 9.7 % O F TH E AIR RELE AS E D IS CLEA N D U E TO A N RTO (REGENE RATIVE TH E RMA L OX I D IZ ER) TH AT BURNS O FF TH E VOCS ( VO LATILE O RGANIC CO M P O UNDS).

WATCH THE TIMELAPSE: www.DuncanAviation.aero/provo-paint Aircraft Acquisition & Consignment | Airframe Maintenance | Avionics Installation Emergency Assistance (AOG) | Engine & APU | Engineering & Certification Services | FBO Services Government & Special Programs | Paint & Interior | Parts, Avionics, Instruments & Accessories

JETNET Releases Business Aviation Market Information JETNET LLC, the leading provider of corporate aviation information, has released the first nine months of 2019 results for the preowned business jet, turboprop, piston and helicopter markets.

Market Summary For the first nine months of 2019 there were 6,402 pre-owned jets and helicopters sold. This is a decrease of 954, or 13% fewer sale transactions compared to 2018, across all market sectors. The Piston Helicopters market was the only one to show an increase, gaining 4, or 6% more used helicopter transactions. “Fleet For Sale� percentages for all market sectors, except for Business Jets and Piston Helicopters, were down in the September comparisons, increasing 1.5%, or 131 aircraft overall. Business Jets showed the largest increase in the percentages For Sale compared to the other markets. Business Jets For Sale percentages are at 9.8% compared to 8.9% last year at this same time, an increase of 0.9 percentage points.

The increase in Business Jets For Sale percentage shows the industry remains below the 10% mark and in a seller’s market.

Inventories of pre-owned business jets for sale have increased and are now headed to the 2,200 mark as well, at 2,187 for sale.

Business jets are showing a decrease (16.9%) in pre-owned sale transactions (including leases) in the first nine months of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. However, business jets are taking 9 fewer days to sell, 276 days on average, compared to 285 days last year. Business turboprops average days on the market increased by one day compared to last year as well, while sale transactions declined by 12.2%.

Business piston aircraft have been reported as well. JETNET does not cover all piston aircraft inventory or sales. Two observations are noteworthy. The percentage for sale is more than 10%, and YTD full sale transactions are down 19.9% com18 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

pared to the 2018 YTD numbers. Average days on the market for piston aircraft saw an increase of 28 days compared to last year.

Turbine helicopters showed a decrease of 9.7% in YTD sales transactions, whereas piston helicopters saw an increase in YTD sale transactions of less than 1%, at 0.6%.

New vs. Used As reported by the revised GAMA report, new business jet shipments were 333 (316 previously reported) in the first six months of 2019, compared to 260 in the same period in 2018. This revised report showed 52, or 18.5% more, business jets in the first six months of 2019, as Dassault Falcon Jet reported 17 deliveries not previously reported. The new business jet delivery growth in the first six months of 2019 compared to a decline of 308, or 21.5% fewer used business jet transactions.

In this market information report, used business jet transactions showed a decline of 352, or 16.9%, after the first 9 months of 2019. Of course, several new business jet models have been certified, and deliveries have taken place over the past several years. These include the Bombardier G7500 (7), Gulfstream G500 (27), Gulfstream G600 (4), Dassault Falcon Jet 8X (49), Textron Cessna Citation Longitude (2), Embraer Praetor 600 (8), Pilatus PC-24 (45), HondaJet (94; Elite 28) and Cirrus SF50 (140). Interestingly, without the inclusion of the new, low-value Cirrus SF50 Single-Engine Jet, 2018 New Business Jet deliveries would have fallen 9 percent.

JETNET analyzed the 12-month moving average for full retail transactions for busi nes s j e ts f ro m Ja n u a r y 2 0 1 2 t o September 2019. From January 2012, used business jet transactions steadily increased until June 2016, to a high point of 2,725. A falling-off occurred in the secon d half o f 2 0 1 6 , to a l o w p o i n t i n December 2016 of 2,531, and had steadily inc rea s e d to 2 , 9 0 8 t r a n sa c t i o n s i n December 2018. However, since January 2019, the 12-month moving average for full retail transactions for business jets declined to 2,556, or 16.9%, by September 2019. This decline is only slightly above the low point recorded in December 2016, at 2,53 1 f ull s ale t r a n sa c t i o n s.

Accordingly, 2019 is off to a bad start for the pre-owned business jet market.

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MTU Aero Engines Releases Growth Report in 2019

Textron Reports Third Quarter 2019 Results Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) reported third quarter 2019 net income of $0.95 per share, compared to $0.61 per share last year of adjusted net income, a non-GAAP measure that is defined and reconciled to GAAP in an attachment to this release, or net income of $2.26 per share in the third quarter of 2018, which included the gain on the sale of the Tools & Test product line of $1.65 per share.

In the first nine months of 2019, MTU Aero Engines generated revenues of €3,403.7 million, up 3 % on the previous year (19/2018 €3,318.7 million). The group’s operating profit increased by 10 % from €508.9 million to €557.7 million. The EBIT margin rose from 15.3 % to 16.4 %. Net income increased by 8 % to €391.7 million (19/2018: €362.8 million).

The area in which MTU recorded the highest revenue growth in the first nine months of 2019 was the commercial engine business, where revenues increased by 10 % from €1,037.0 million to €1,137.8 million.

Revenues in the military engine business increased by 7 % to €323.6 million (19/2018: €303.1 million).

In the commercial maintenance business, revenues in the first nine months of 2019 remained at the previous year’s level at €1,995.9 million (1-9/2018: €2,019.7 million).

“In terms of organic growth, revenue in the commercial MRO segment has increased by around 8 %,” added CFO Peter Kameritsch.

This growth was driven mainly by the V2500 engine, followed by the CF34 family of regional and business jet engines.

At September 30, MTU had an order backlog of €20.8 billion (December 31, 2018: €17.6 billion). “That is a new record and clearly underscores MTU’s excellent prospects,” commented Kameritsch. “In purely arithmetical terms, the order backlog corresponds to a production workload of more than four years.” The majority of these orders relate to the V2500 and the Geared Turbofan™ engines of the PW1000G family, in particular the PW1100G-JM for the A320neo.

MTU reported higher earnings in both the OEM and the MRO segment in the first nine months of 2019. In the OEM segment, operating profit increased by 9 % to €369.9 million (1-9/2018: €340.7 million).

$

“Revenues were higher in the quarter primarily driven by Textron Aviation and Industrial, and we continued to have good execution with solid margin performance across our businesses,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott C. Donnelly.

Cash Flow Net cash provided by operating activities of the manufacturing group for the third quarter totaled $238 million, compared to $319 million in last year’s third quarter.

Manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions, a non-GAAP measure that is defined and reconciled to GAAP in an attachment to this release, totaled $181 million compared to $259 million last year.

In the quarter, Textron returned $109 million to shareholders through share repurchases.

Outlook Textron now expects 2019 earnings per share to be in a range of $3.70 to $3.80.

The company revised its expectation for manufacturing cash flow before pension contributions to $600 to $700 million, from $700 to $800 million. Expected pension contributions remain at about $50 million.

$ BART: DECEMBER - 2019 - 19

ON THE MOVE PEOPLE Trenchard Aviation Group, a company in aircraft cabin component design, manufacture, repair and on-wing maintenance, has appointed Martin Longden to the position of VP Interiors.

Hong Kong-based Metrojet Limited, a Business Aviation service provider part of the Kadoorie Group, announced that its MRO in The Philippines – Metrojet Engineering Clark – has welcomed Sarith Vaikuntan as the general manager. Vaikuntan will oversee all aspects of Metrojet Clark MRO’s operations, including the US Federal Aviation Administration Part 145 Repair Station Accountable Manager responsibilities and business development.

FlightSafety International announced that Mike King has been named president, FlightSafety Services. “Mike is an outstanding, highly-experienced leader, who possesses exceptional business acumen,” said David Davenport, President & CEO. As president of FlightSafety Services, King is responsible for the aircrew training systems and contractor logistics support provided to government and military agencies worldwide. This includes the delivery of training and advanced technology devices, as well as support for computer-based workstations and simulators at 21 US military bases.

Mike King

20 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

Also, Richard Hallows has been promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety’s Farnborough Learning Center.

“His management experience and dedication to providing the highest quality training is valued and appreciated,” said Dann Runik, senior vice president, Operations.

The aircraft transaction and brokerage company JetHQ has expanded its team of aviation experts to meet a growing global marketplace demand and announced the addition of two sales managers and a technical analyst to its experienced roster. Sales Manager Jamie Roberts and Technical Analyst Steven Pinkerton have joined the company’s US headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., while Sales Manager Aman Kapur is based at JetHQ’s international headquarters in Dubai, UAE. Also, JetHQ has turned to an aviation veteran to continue the company’s growth in the New York area and East Coast and announced the addition of John Daut as vice president of sales.

Swissport International has appointed Rudolf Steiner as head of Cargo EMEA. Mark Skinner becomes head of Business Development & Sales EMEA. By appointing dedicated managers for its Air Cargo and the Ground Services businesses, Swissport strengthens its customer centricity further.

Additionally, it was announced that Frank Mena, chief commercial officer of Swissport Americas, will take over from Dany Nasr as CEO Swissport North America.

Luxaviation Group announced that François Pauly, president of Compagnie Financière La Luxembourgeoise, has joined Luxaviation Group as director.

King Aerospace has named Analia Vaca to the role of people department leader, tapping into her 15 years of industry experience and a deep-rooted passion for teambuilding. Vaca will be responsible for recruitment, retention, performance management, compensation,

Analia Vaca

Mary Considine

payroll and benefits for King Aerospace Companies, including its Dallas-based corporate headquarters; Ardmore, OKbased corporate aviation services; El Paso, TX facility and global US government special missions support.

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) announced its new Governing Board executive officers. Ali Alnaqbi, founder and chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association, will become chairman of the IBAC Governing Board from 1 January 2020.

Alnaqbi is currently the vice chairman of the Board.

Juergen Wiese, chairman of the European Business Aviation Association, will become vice chairman. Sudhir Nayak of the Business Aircraft Operators Association of India will continue to serve as the treasurer of the IBAC Governing Board.

Comlux Completion is reinforcing its management team to further develop innovation and leading-edge technologies within the company. Newcomers include Fernando Mas, chief technology officer and Adam White, head of engineering.

VisionSafe Corporation has announced the promotion of Kurt Poruks to vice president of Global Sales. He will oversee all aspects of sales, marketing and training. He will continue to further develop his working relationships with global commercial passenger and cargo operations.

The Board of the Shannon Group plc has announced the appointment of Mary Considine as the company’s new chief executive. With over 25 years’ experience in industry, Considine is currently the deputy CEO and CFO for the Group and has been acting CEO since June 2019.

Acropolis Aviation, the UK VVIP executive charter operator based at Farnborough Airport, formally welcomed Mark Bird as ground operations manager.

Joel Lebreton, Keolis Group Supervisory Board Chairman, appointed Patrick Jeantet as Keolis Group executive chairman during an extraordinary Supervisory Board meeting in November. Jeantet will begin as Keolis Group executive chairman in early 2020.

Sandel Avionics Inc. has appointed Steve Jackson as president and chief executive officer. Jackson replaces founder Gerry Block, who announced his retirement in September 2019.

Elliott Aviation has hired David Fenton as chief administrative & financial officer at their headquarters in Moline, IL. Fenton will oversee all corporate financial and administrative functions in Moline, IL. This includes employees in the accounting, finance and information technology functions.

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TRANS-ATLANTIC EUROPE ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH SUSTAINABILITY IN AVIATION IS DRIVING A NEW (WORK)FORCE

From the Desk of EBAA COO Robert Baltus

22 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

THE GLOBAL AVIATION INDUSTRY faces growing workforce challenges. Strong competition for workers, the changing nature of high-skill jobs and a retiring generation all profoundly affect many countries’ modern economies.

Not only that, despite aviation’s huge commitment over many years to reduce fuel burn, emissions and noise, traffic growth continues to make the environmental impacts of aviation even more challenging.

Although sometimes many think large challenges can only be tackled individually and head-on, we have been working on tackling both issues together. What if it were possible to engage with young leaders in our industry and work with their vision to implement changes needed contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals? And what if those young leaders became ambassadors for our industry, showing the younger generation our industry is accessible, pioneering and simply a great sector to work in?

Over the last year, EBAA has committed to working with a newly formed project team of Business Aviation young professionals to develop and introduce industry-wide standards and a subsequent sustainability label.

The programme seeks to help EBAA member organizations play an even greater role in addressing social and environmental issues through awareness raising, best practices sharing and tailored guidance.

The new programme, Standards & Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability (STARS), is being developed by young indus-

try professionals from across Europe who represented Business Aviation at the One Young World (OYW) conference in the Hague, Netherlands in 2018. One Young World is an annual conference uniting some of the world’s preeminent young leaders to encourage positive action in business and society. Inspired to make difference by the world leaders, community activists and CEOs in attendance, EBAA’s ambassadors conceptualized STARS to address pressing societal and environmental issues via partnerships and the widespread mobilization of industrywide environmentally and socially responsible initiatives.

Looking to the future, we at EBAA continue to support our ambassadors. Anticipated to launch at the end of 2020, STARS will comprise a set of guidance and an accreditation that can be achieved in three tiers. The industry-driven project has received the full backing of the EBAA and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), and the project team is currently engaging with industry, community and policy representatives to shape the programme, which will first be rolled out in Europe before seeking to form the basis for a global industry standard.

Not only that, we also continue to grow our network of young professionals across Europe. This year we also sent ten new OYW Business Aviation ambassadors to One Young World, gradually connecting our young professionals across Europe.

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/EUROPE TRANS-ATLANTIC WE ARE ALL ONE IN THE SKY THE European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), along with members of Europe’s leading aviation associations, have published a joint paper setting out the principles to support the safe integration into European airspace of unmanned aircraft or ‘drones’.

The ‘We are ALL ONE in the Sky’ initiative supports the creation of a proportionate, risk- and performance-based regulatory framework to enable the drone services industry to flourish, and – crucially – to provide for a safe, secure and efficient operation of manned and unmanned aviation.

1. ENABLE COMMON AIRSPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THROUGH INFORMATION EXCHANGE As the ‘We are ALL ONE in the Sky' initiative has consistently said, ‘information integration is key’ to integrating drones safely alongside manned aviation. Any regulatory framework must therefore ensure the availability of a consistent flow of information between all actors who may need to use the airspace. That framework shall take into consideration the legitimate need of some users to have their flight information protected.

However, to deliver both safe and secure operations it is essential that a common and shared picture of the airspace, and any operations taking place within it at any given time, is available for those providing traffic services (air traffic management and UTM/U-Space) and other stakeholders with a major strategic interest.

2. CLARIFY RESPONSIBILITIES, LIABILITIES TO BE BORNE BY DIFFERENT ACTORS The responsibility and liability of all actors using and managing the airspace must be clearly defined. For instance, when considering the creation of volumes of ‘U-Space’ airspace in a flight information region where ANSPs have full responsibility, the regulatory framework needs to make clear where responsibilities and liabilities lie.

Clarity also needs to be provided on the relationship between existing air navigation service regulations, Standardized European Rules of the Air and the U-Space regulatory framework.

The protection of airports and aerodromes and the area in their vicinity regarding the unlawful use of drones must be clearly addressed. Entities responsible for policing illegal acts must be appointed, and local particularities identified. There is also an emerging and urgent need for standardization, through the creation of industry standards, on counter-drone technologies. To prevent any disruption, a two-fold strategy should be implemented: The airspace around an airport/aerodrome needs to be protected, based on risk, to prevent unauthorized drones from entering it and unauthorized drone activities need to be detected at the earliest possible stage.

3. MAXIMISE AIRSPACE CAPACITY AND VALUE THROUGH INTEGRATION, NOT SEGREGATION Airspace is a finite resource with a growing number of actors – such as for manned and unmanned commercial, general aviation and air sports, military and search & rescue operations – all wanting to use it. Creating a mature framework that enables different categories of cooperative users to share the airspace is the best way to ensure fair and equitable access for all. It is also fundamental to unlock the true value of the drone (new entrants) services industry.

Some of the most beneficial potential applications for drones exist in areas where other aircraft are likely to operate – from close to airports to offshore oil rigs where helicopters may operate. Furthermore, there will be occasions when certain actors (e.g. emergency service helicopters) need to enter airspace that might predominantly be used by another type of user.

Enabling this efficient integration and safe co-existence between manned and unmanned aircraft is in large part dependent on the information exchange referenced above.

4. MAINTAIN & IMPROVE TODAY’S HIGH SAFETY LEVEL The regulatory framework must ensure that the existing high levels of aviation safety are maintained and steps are taken to improve on the current situation, while recognizing that the means of achieving the same level of safety level for drones, in many cases, differ to the means required of manned operations. To maintain the same level of safety, separation must be guaranteed under any circumstances – even with small drones (up to 25 kg) in the Open category. Any failure or malfunction of UTM or U-Space service provision could be potentially detrimental not only to the safety of the drone operations, but also to the safety of ATM of manned aviation, due to the potential interaction of unmanned aircraft with the safety envelope of manned flights. Therefore, and for the sake of a safe development of a new technology, it is important to set up a voluntary strict reporting incident platform (nonpunitive, based on Just Culture) as well as to initiate any tasks pertaining to the analysis of such events as stated in Regulation (EU) No 376-2014, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, on mandatory reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences.

5. CREATE FLEXIBLE FRAMEWORK TO ACCOMMODATE AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY The drone industry is in its early stages and further developments are happening at a dynamic pace. Many demonstrations are currently taking place to explore how future drone operations might be undertaken, how multiple UTM/U-Space service providers can operate in the same airspace, and how manned and unmanned operations can co-exist, including EU-funded activities. Furthermore, many drone operators are liaising already with UTM/USpace service providers, ANSPs and national regulatory authorities to be provided with the services they need to begin their operations and achieve the safety cases necessary to operate.

The regulatory framework must allow this to continue and not adopt too prescriptive an approach that risks setting the industry on a particular course or excluding certain players before its full operation is properly understood.

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TRANS-ATLANTIC U.S.A. ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH NBAA-BACE SHOWED BUSINESS AVIATION IS READY TO EMBRACE ITS FUTURE

From the Desk of NBAA President & CEO Ed Bolen WHETHER YOUR FLIGHT DEPARTMENT is based in Las Vegas or Geneva, Stockholm or Shanghai, it’s clear our global Business Aviation community is in the midst of an unprecedented and thrilling transformation before our eyes, as new aircraft, technologies and practices take hold, showcasing the innovation and sustainability of our industry.

This exciting evolution was apparent throughout the recently concluded 2019 edition of NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), which took place from 22-24 Oct. in Las Vegas, NV. The show placed new modes of transport, such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles, front and center in the all-new UAS/UAM Innovation Display Area, while on the show floor, an inaugural New Product Showcase introduced 11 new, distinctive products from a host of innovative companies.

Sustainability in Business Aviation was a dominant theme throughout the show, with around two dozen aircraft fueling enroute with SAF, a non-fossil power source that can reduce aviation’s carbon lifecycle emissions by up to 80 percent.

Local civic and business leaders issued a proclamation recognizing the Business Aviation community’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, with an estimat24 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

ed 150,000 gallons of SAF pumped into aircraft departing Henderson Executive Airport the last day of the show.

NBAA also joined with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and other industry stakeholders at the show to announce a new Business Aviation Global Sustainability Summit in Washington, DC, in March 2020. A panel of industry leaders, in an “I Want My SAF” forum, offered perspectives about increasing SAF availability and usage before a standing-room only audience.

More than 70 of the latest business aircraft were displayed at Henderson Airport, and another 11 were featured inside the Las Vegas Convention Center. Also at the airport, Gulfstream unveiled its new G700, Bombardier displayed its Learjet 75 Liberty mockup for the first time and Textron Aviation’s newly certified Citation Longitude was on hand. Pilatus introduced the NGX, and other aircraft, including Daher’s newly certified TBM 940 and the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, made their first appearances at NBAA-BACE. Throughout the show, trailblazing aviators shared their work to attract the next generation of visionaries to join the Business Aviation workforce. Record-breaking solo pilot Barrington Irving received NBAA’s 2019 American Spirit Award for his work to engage young people in the pursuit of

/U.S.A. TRANS-ATLANTIC

science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers in aviation, while military veteran and business leader Ross Perot, Jr., who is partnering with Uber on UAM infrastructure, received NBAA’s Meritorious Service to Aviation award.

They were joined by a diverse roster of other exciting speakers, including basketball legend and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson; Eric Allision, head of Uber Elevate; tech entrepreneur Sky Dayton, an investor in electric aircraft startup Joby Aviation; US Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeannie M. Leavitt, America’s first female fighter pilot; Game Composites founder and chairman Steuart Walton; and “Jetman” Yves Rossy, who shared his story of developing the experimental jet-powered wing that allows him to fly like bird.

The annual Careers in Business Aviation Day hosted hundreds of students who attended NBAA-BACE for free. NBAA also unveiled its 2019 class of Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 young professionals (YoPros), who are already reshaping the industry.

I believe 2019 NBAA-BACE was the most exhilarating convention NBAA has ever hosted, reflecting an equally exciting time for our industry. I also expect this energy and inspiration to carry forward to our upcoming events in 2020, including the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva from 26-28 May. The 2020 edition of NBAA-BACE will take place in Orlando, FL from 6-8 October.

It’s clear that Business Aviation is ready to embrace an inspiring future that was on proud display at 2019 NBAA-BACE, with a show that fired the imagination, and stirred us to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible - the very definition of aviation. I welcome readers of BART International to join us in Geneva, Shanghai and Orlando next year to see the very latest developments in this exciting time.

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HELI-EXPO PREVIEW Once again, the HAI Heli-Expo presents an unmatched opportunity to gain access to rotary

HELICOPTERS STILL GOING STRONG

industry professionals and the latest product developments. From a long list of exciting events, Alan Norris shares his top picks

T

APPEAL

Kopter’s muchanticipated SH09 (top).

Aero Asset’s 3Q helicopter market trends (center).

he Helicopter Association International (HAI) Heli-Expo is without question the world’s largest trade show dedicated to the international helicopter community.

Whether you are new to the industry or an established part of it, this is the must-attend event. Attendees have an unmatched opportunity to gain access to rotary industry professionals and the latest product developments. The exhibition returns to a familiar location, the Anaheim Convention Center, after a five year absence and is unusually taking place early this year during the last week in January 2020.

HAI has 92903 sq. m. (1 mil. sq. ft.) of space to play with and are expecting over 700 exhibitors ranging from the major OEMs right through to associated support equipment suppliers, along with a predicted 60 airframes on display.

Canadian based international helicopter brokerage Aero Asset released its 3rd Quarter 2019 Preowned Helicopter Market Trends, which covered twelve twin engine aircraft in the light, medium and heavy classes with markets ranked by retail sales volume and absorption rates.

The key findings showed increased activity in the heavy market, although the absorption rate was down still showing a 50% Year on Year decline.

Light and medium twin VIP configurations represented 2/3rds of Year to Date (YTD) transactions with many destined for EMS conversion projects.

The EC135/145 market showed strong demand, predominantly driven by US EMS operators wanting Pratt &

26 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

Whitney powered Single Pilot IFR aircraft. The Leonardo AW139 dominates the preowned medium twin engine market with five sales recorded in Q3 alone and ten YTD, with six long and four short nose variants. Bell 412 supply declined 25% with zero transactions in Q3 and only three YTD. Lower pricing of the Bell 429 triggered increased a demand, with three retail trades in Q3 and four retail trades YTD meant the Bell 429 absorption rate remains higher than competing markets.

Overall Aero Asset estimated that to reach 2018 levels an increase in trading volume was needed in Q4.

Most of the OEMs will have a lot of announcements for new customers and orders and recently Swiss based Kopter (Booth #6845) has signed a memorandum of agreement with Metro Aviation (Booth #3624) regis-

tering their intent to purchase five SH09s following FAA certification.

Korea Aerospace Industries has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding, paving the way for a close cooperation between the two companies and opening possible future sales to other Asian countries. The SH09 third prototype (P3) has now accumulated over ten flight hours at the company’s test center in Pozzallo in Sicily following the installation of an upgraded gearbox.

With deadly fires continuing across California, the Los Angeles County (California) Fire Department Air Operations teams will receive the 2020 Salute to Excellence Humanitarian Service Award. The award recognizes the efforts made by the flight and ground crews of the four Sikorsky (Booth #7532) built S-70 Firehawks

while battling the 2018 Woolsey Fire, the largest wildfire on record in Los Angeles County.

United Rotorcraft (Booth #7024), the maintenance and modification division of Air Methods, has a strong order book for its Firehawk conversion program that turns new and used Black Hawks into 3,785 Liter (1,000 gallon) water-bombers. The company recently delivered the first S70i to CAL FIRE, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and is currently working on various configurations of Firehawks for Ventura County, San Diego Fire Rescue Department, and Los Angeles County.

Aerometals (Booth #1808) has announced the introduction of a new

Express of Chamblee, Georgia plus orders from Heli Air-Swiss and longtime operator of the K-Max Rotex Helicopter AG. Garmin (Booth #4910) has received IFR certification for the G1000H NXi on the Bell 407GXi and see this as going forwards to meet the needs of single-engine helicopter owners. Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation sales and marketing said: “The G1000H NXi gives helicopter owners and operators a modern glass flight deck that boasts an unprecedented level of performance, a superior feature set and a level of innovation and integration beyond what is found on a single-engine IFR certified helicopter today.”

generation Engine Inlet Barrier Filter designed both for the S70i and Blackhawk UH-60. The City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Air Operations Department is the launch customer for the new generation engine inlet barrier filter.

MD Helicopters (Booth #6815) is a very strong American brand and always has a presence at Heli-Expo.

Civilian sales of the MD530F and Explorer have been slow with a few going to US law enforcement agencies, but military sales of the model have been stronger with contracts to supply and support the Afghan Air Force.

Kaman Aerospace (Booth #4904) has seen continuing orders for the KMax following the re-launch of type production in 2017 with a recent delivery to Helicopter

Dart Aerospace (Booth #5908) has acquired fellow Canadian manufacturer Aero Design and added over 30 STCs to their portfolio. This follows their acquisition of Oregon-based aerial firefighting equipment specialist Simplex Aerospace. DART’s STC portfolio has now jumped from 900 to more than 1100 STCs. Safran (Booth #4924) is celebrating the Arrius engine having flown 10 million flight hours since its introduction in 1996. The Arrius family covers a power range of 450-750 shp and was first installed in the EC135 in 1996.

The latest Arrius 2B2Plus variant entered service on the H135 in 2014.

This combination has become increasingly popular amongst HEMS operators. In 2016, the Arrius 2R became operational on the single-engine Bell 505 and features dual channel FADEC,

its assembled at their Grand Prairie Plant in Texas, and more than 200 units are now in service. Another variant, the Arrius 2G1, powers the Russian Helicopters Ka-226T. The company has also received EASA certification of the 1,100 to 1,300 shp Arrano 1A engine which will power the H160.

It has been a turbulent few years for the helicopter market with volatile oil prices and continued helicopter overcapacity in some areas globally. The offshore support industry has almost remained stagnant. The companies supporting the oil and gas industry have felt the knock on effect of reduced crude oil prices with reduced exploration and demand for helicopters serving the ongoing operations. This was dramatically demonstrated in 2019 when both Bristow and PHI, two of the

BART: DECEMBER - 2019 - 27

RESCUE

A MD 530F of the Mesa Police Department (left).

An S-70 Firehawk extinguishing wildfires (right).

HELI-EXPO PREVIEW

EVOLUTION

Leonardo’s multimission AW169 (top left).

Airbus’ newest product H145 (top right).

The Bell Nexus (below).

world’s oldest and largest offshore operators, filed for voluntary Chapter 11 protection in the US Bankruptcy Court. Despite this uncertainty, the helicopter industry in the utility sector saw the increased use of helicopters for missions such as wind farm developments.

The Asia-Pacific region continues to be seen as an expanding market with analysts forecasting China as the largest potential market for new helicopter sales.

Airbus Helicopters Airbus (Booth #3432) continues to lead the global civil helicopter market with global sales strong across its whole range.

Their second five-bladed H145 prototype has performed its maiden flight in Donauwörth and will be used for additional flight tests to achieve EASA certification in early 2020. Following some altitude tests in the French Pyrenees, the first prototype is currently performing a high altitude test campaign in Chile.

Airbus Corporate Helicopters continues to grow its sales with the sale of an ACH130 to a UK based entrepreneur and is to provide the world’s largest superyacht, the REV Ocean, with a ACH145. Chinas Shenzhen Eastern

28 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

General Aviation Company plus an undisclosed Manila customer will be the launch customers of the ACH160 in Asia.

Leonardo (Booth #5536) has reached a milestone with the delivery of the 1,000th AW139 helicopter. First flown in 2001, the type is now in operation with 280 customers in over 70 countries. German offshore transport specialist in the North and Baltic Sea region, Wiking Helikopter Service, signed a 30 million contract for two AW139s. Also, Malaysia-based Weststar Aviation Services, another offshore transportation services provider, signed a 50 million contract for three AW139s and two AW169s for operations in West Africa and the Middle East. Over 200 AW169s have now been ordered by more than 80 customers and the NHV Group has placed an order for two AW169s to perform offshore transport operations in North Sea sector and this order with delivery expected by the end of 2020. Leonardo is still on track for the FAA to certify the AW609 with the launch customer Era Group having placed a firm order for two aircraft.

Falcon Aviation Services of Abu Dhabi has expanded its AW189 fleet with the addition of a further two aircraft, of which one is leased from helicopter leasing and financing company Milestone Aviation Group (Booth #4916). This addition makes Falcon Aviation one of the largest AW189 commercial operators. Milestone Aviation also acquired an incremental S-92A that brings their total S-92A fleet to 79 units and is the largest owner of the S-92A globally.

Although most people agree that traditional rotorcraft sales won’t be impacted in the future, the develop-

ment of electric and hybrid VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft for the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market is moving at a fast pace.

A study by Airbus surveyed 1,500 members of the public around the world to determine their perceptions of safety, noise and visual pollution when it comes to the deployment of UAMs. The research found that 44% are in support of the initiative, with 41% believing these aircraft to be safe.

Both Airbus and Bell (Booth #1231) are investing heavily in their designs, both similar in style and configuration with overhead cabin ducted fans. The CityAirbus has eight fixed pitch propellers, and a full-scale demonstrator has conducted its first take-off in 2019. The Bell Nexus has six tilting ducted fans for propulsion.

Although the main exhibition hall is the biggest draw for attendees in the days building up to the exhibition, HAI organizes a large number of helicopter related professional education courses, seminars, workshops and forums offering discussions on everything from Law Enforcement and Firefighting operations to Manufacturer Technical Briefings. .

These one-hour briefings provide a forum for airframe and engine manufacturers to present current maintenance and technical product information to aircraft owners and maintenance professionals.

Showcasing the latest product developments in the helicopter industry, Heli-Expo will be held in Anaheim, CA, United States from 28 to 30 January 2020. Visitor and exhibitor information can be found at https://www.rotor.org/Home/HELIEXPO.

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DUBAI AIRSHOW REPORT

ON THE CUSP OF INCREDIBLE GROWTH

Marc Grangier picks out some of the highlights from the Dubai Airshow

F

RANGE

Bombardier’s new Global 6500 can connect New York to Dubai.

or the past two decades, the Middle East has been the rising star of the aerospace industry, bolstered by a natural strategic location and concerted efforts from operators and governments to foster the market. As the global center of activity continues to gravitate eastward, new opportunities will continue to fuel growth across the region. To capitalize, the UAE has been heavily investing in infrastructure, a trend that is seen across the whole Middle East region. Reports suggest there were $50 billion worth of aerospace investments underway in 2018, from greenfield airports in Kuwait to upgrades to Bahrain’s air traffic control systems.

This theme of growth and opportunity was on full display at the Dubai Airshow, which took place 17-21 November at DWC, Dubai Airshow Site. “It is clear that the aerospace industry in the Middle East is on the cusp of incredible growth,” says Michele van Akelijen, managing director of show organizer Tarsus F&E LLC Middle East. “When you look at the potential for businesses, it’s no wonder that this year’s Dubai Airshow saw a large number of new exhibitors from around the world.”

Amongst these new exhibitors were technology and solution focused companies ready to drive the industry forward. A total of 1,300 exhibitors exhibited at the event, attracting up to 87,000 trade attendees across the five days.

According to JetNet, 123 of the 534 business jets operating in the Middle East are based in Saudi Arabia, giving it the title of largest fleet in the region. As a result, the Kingdom had a big presence at the show, with several of its biggest players exhibiting, including: GDC Middle East, Advanced Electronics Company (AEC), Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC), Saudi Aerospace Company (SAC), and Saudia Aerospace & Engineering Industries (SAEI). For the first time, the General

30 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also attended the event.

In terms of fleet size, Saudi Arabia is followed by Turkey (122) and the UAE (102). Combined, these three countries account for 65% of all the business jets based in the Middle East. As to aircraft type, Bombardier, Gulfstream and Textron have a 65% combined share (i.e. 345) of the 534 Middle East-based aircraft fleet.

Bombardier currently has the largest fleet (121 jets), followed by Gulfstream (116), Textron (108), Dassault (60) and Embraer (49). In the extra-large category, there are also 20 Boeing BBJs and 17 Airbus AC319s.

OEMs in the Desert Many of these models were on display at the show. For example, Bombardier highlighted the latest additions to its Global family, the Global 5500 and the Global 6500, which received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification last October. These new aircraft build on the success of the Global 5000 and Global 6000 by offering 500 and 600 nautical miles of additional range, respectively, coupled with an up to 13% fuel burn advantage. The Global 5500 aircraft can connect Sao Paolo to Paris and Moscow to Los Angeles, while the Global 6500 aircraft can connect Hong Kong or Singapore to London.

Gulfstream Aerospace showcased its newly certified Gulfstream G600, its high-speed, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650ER and its super-midsize Gulfstream G280. The G600 earned its type and production certificates from the FAA last June and have recently entered service. The aircraft features a long, comfortable cabin with three living areas and a crew rest; a forward or aft galley; and a shower. It can seat up to 19 passengers.

Gulfstream’s flagship, the four-livingarea G650ER, has a range of 7,500 nautical miles/13,890 kilometers at its long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85.

It has a high-speed range utility of 6,400 nm/11,853 km at Mach 0.90, while the G280 can fly 3,600 nm/6,667 km at Mach 0.80.

Last but not least, the manufacturer also presented its new G700, which, according to Gulfstream, will boast the tallest, widest and longest cabin in the industry and will be able to fly 7,500 nautical miles/13,890 kilometers at Mach 0.85 or 6,400 nm/11,853 km at Mach 0.90.

Dassault Aviation brought its Falcon 8X flagship and super versatile Falcon 900LX. It also put the spotlight on its new Falcon 6X ultra-wide-body twinjet, which is on track for certification and initial deliveries in 2022. The 1,98 m (6 ft. 6 in) high, 2,58 m (8 ft. 6 in) wide, 5,500 nm (10,186 km) 6X will draw on many of the advanced features of the 8X, including an ultra-

quiet cabin and unrivalled airport capabilities.

Textron had its Citation Longitude on display. With a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers) and full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds (726 kilograms), this aircraft can seat up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat, and features a stand-up, 6foot tall flat-floor cabin. A standard double-club configuration delivers the most legroom in the super-midsize class. The clean-sheet design of the Longitude integrates the latest technology throughout the aircraft, bringing date up to three patients plus medical personnel. The large cargo door also facilitates rapid loading and unloading of patients. These characteristics, plus its capacity to use short runways, make it an excellent aircraft for medevac missions.

Concerning Helicopters…

Bell Helicopters showcased its new Bell 525, the world’s first fly-by-wire commercial helicopter designed to operate in austere environments with decreased pilot workload. The aircraft customers the lowest ownership cost in its class. It features the next evolution of the Garmin G5000 flight deck and is powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines with fully integrated autothrottles with envelope protection.

While its aircraft are not in the longrange category, Pilatus was on hand to highlight the unpaved runway capabilities of its new PC-12 NGX and pinpoint the flexibility of its new PC-24 twinjet, which opens up many possibilities for deployment on medevac missions. Its spacious cabin can accommofeatures the first fully-integrated touch screen avionics suite designed for helicopters, the Garmin G5000H. The Bell 525 will be the first commercial aircraft certified with Fly-By-Wire which increases safety through reduced pilot workload and enhanced situational awareness. According to Bell, its rotor drive system will set a new industry benchmark for robustness and run-dry capability, thus minimizing single point failures and complying with the latest FAA rules for run-dry performance.

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CUTTING-EDGE

From the top: Gulfstream G600, Citation Longitude, PC-12 NGX and Falcon 8X.

MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL REPORT

AN APPETITE FOR LARGE CABIN, LONG RANGE AIRCRAFT

Nick Klenske explores the latest business jet trends in the Middle East

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PROGRESS

The MEBAA Show Morocco 2019 was the third edition (left). The ultralong-range G650ER (right).

ccording to last year’s edition of the Honeywell Market Outlook, only 4% of global demand for new business aircraft can be attributed to the Middle East and Africa region.

This figure is at the lower end of the historical range of 4 to 7% typically attributed to the region – the result of ongoing political tensions between, for example, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

According to Honeywell’s survey, 14% of respondents said they will replace or add to their fleet with a new jet purchase – down from 18% last year – with most planning their acquisitions past the five year horizon.

One exception to this trend is the UAE, where Business Aviation is seeing positive growth rates of between 8 and 9%. “154 of the region’s 600 registered aircraft are registered in the UAE, with the volume of sales of business and private aviation in the UAE ranging from 2.9 to 3.3,” says MEBAA Chairman and CEO Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi. “The contribution of the sector to GDP ranges between 2-3%, equivalent to about AED 4.2 billion.”

According to Alnaqbi, there are many factors that contribute to the growth of the sector in the UAE, including a strategic location, acceler-

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ated spending on developing aviation infrastructure, and such upcoming international events as Expo 2020.

“Many of the VIPs visiting the Expo will visit via their own jets or chartered private jets,” he says.

Another regional bright spot is Morocco, which hosted the third edition of MEBAA Show Morocco in September. Due to its strategic location between Europe, the Middle East and the rest of Africa, the country is seeing an increasing amount of business jet movements. The industry also benefits from government support, actively targeting and attracting the aerospace and Business Aviation sectors through is Vision 2020 strategy. And on top of all this, a new business airport is set to open in the coming years.

According to the country’s Office National des Aeroports (ONDA), Moroccan airports mange 50% of all business jet movements in North Africa. Furthermore, ONDA forecast 1,200 business aircraft to make 175,000 individual aircraft movements by 2020 in the Middle East and North Africa region – demonstrating growth opportunities across the entire supply chain.

OEMs Deliver Big As we reported in our Annual Fleet Report, large cabin and long range aircraft dominate the Middle East regional market. Among the most popular is Gulfstream. With over 180 aircraft based in the Middle East and Africa, the region has always been an attractive market for the OEM. The company has considerable market penetration in the region and takes care of its customers via a parts distribution center in Dubai South.

At last year’s MEBAA show, the company announced that the ultralong-range Gulfstream G650ER completed a record-breaking flight from Teterboro, New Jersey to Dubai – covering the 6,142 nautical miles in just 11 hours and two minutes. “Time and again, the G650ER has demonstrated its performance agility,” says Gulfstream President Mark Burns.

“No other aircraft offers the highspeed range utility that the G650ER does.”

The Middle East is home to over 30 G650ER aircraft. But judging for the region’s taste for big aircraft, you can bet that the newly announced Gulfstream G700 will be a big hit with Middle East customers.

the region and account for almost half of new Falcon deliveries.

“Operators in the Middle East highly value the performance, flexibility, robustness and innovative features of our large cabin models, which draw heavily on advanced technologies inherited from Dassault’s fighter programs,” says a Dassault Aviation representative.

“This is particularly true of newer models like the Falcon 8X, which offers the best combination of range, cabin comfort and operating efficiency of any aircraft in its class.”

The Middle East is also an important market for Bombardier. In May, the company announced the signing of an agreement with JETEX for the establishment of a new Line Maintenance Station in Dubai. The facility further complements the tipto-tail maintenance services provided

by Bombardier’s Service and Support Network in the Middle East and around the globe. The new Line Maintenance Station will initially offer unscheduled maintenance services The Falcon 8X can fly nonstop from New York to Dubai, Dubai to Adelaide and Jeddah to São Paulo, yet easily access short runway airports like London City, Gstaad and Lugano in Switzerland and Cannes, France that are typically off limits to big business jets.

and build toward scheduled maintenance operations. The technical engineers supporting the line station are certified for all Challenger series and Global series business jets.

“This expansion is an integral part of our overall mission to enhance OEM support for our operators in the Middle East – and we are very pleased to be working with JETEX in the development of this project,” says Jean-Christophe Gallagher, vice president and general manager, Customer Experience, Bombardier Business

Aircraft. “As a part of our commitment to offering an exceptional customer experience, we are delighted to offer our customers expanded support, more resources and increased flexibility closer to their base of operations.”

In the past decade, Dassault has seen its fleet of Falcon jets in the Middle East double. In fact, large cabin Falcons, including the 6,450 nm/11,945 km 8X and the 5,950 nm/11,020 km 7X (from which the 8X is derived), now make up nearly one third of the 75 Falcons operating in

Celebrating 40 Years Servicing these jets is J e t Aviation, with locations in Dubai, Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh, and Yanbu.

The company is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year in Saudi Arabia and, as part of the celebration, announced plans to relocate its Riyadh FBO to a newly refurbished 600 square-meter state-of-the art, double-story facility at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

“We are delighted to move our FBO to these newly refurbished, more spacious premises,” says Khaled AlGhamdi, general manager of Jet Aviation in Saudi Arabia. “With the expected traffic growth to Riyadh in the coming years, the additional space is necessary and offers great benefit in terms of passenger and crew comfort.”

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HEADQUARTER

Falcon 8X (top).

Jetex FBO in Dubai (center).

Jet Aviation’s Riyadh FBO is being redesigned (below).

FBO REPORT

FBOS: FROM RECEPTION TO TRIP PLANNING AND AOG Marc Grangier looks at the leading FBOs from around the world and assess which areas of technology and customer service they have invested in

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LOCATIONS

From the top: Desert Jet, TAG Aviation Macau, Jet Aviation Riyadh FBO, Clay Lacy Van Nuys.

round the world, the Business Aviation sector handles more than 31,000 aircraft every year.

And behind the scenes handling these numbers are the all-important fixed-base operators (FBOs). They are an integral component of the private jet experience, offering an array of services for customers, aircraft and crew. In fact, Business Aviation pilots arrive and depart from FBOs so frequently that they begin to easily distinguish the ‘better’ from the ‘best.’

So, what criteria do professional pilots look for when choosing an FBO and what amenities do pilots and clients appreciate?

Landing, ramp fees, fuel prices and various other expenditures will influence a pilot’s choice when deciding upon an FBO, but not all private jet operations are influenced solely by cost. Equally important to many is how well the staff is trained and if the FBO exhibits an exceptional level of customer service. What makes a certain company standout are often the ‘little things’ that go above and beyond what is expected. “A FBO is really about the people,” says Pauline Ranjbar, a Client Services Representative at Clay Lacy Aviation in Los Angeles. “In addition to competitive fuel pricing, 24/7 maintenance facilities and other personalized support services are of the utmost importance to remain competitive.”

“It’s the added smile or personal touch that makes the difference for guests and crews,” adds Chris Little,

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Chief Marketing Officer, Desert Jet Company. “Our company is successful because we have brought a new upscale look to the airport and a level of service that was once a tradition in the executive aircraft handling industry.”

In the News Recently, the FBO market has seen a lot of changes, with acquisitions and consolidation being the name of the game. FBO chains have increased, believing that consolidation is crucial to their existence and profits, and independent FBOs have decreased.

In fact, consolidation has accounted for 33% fewer third party FBOs over the past 15 years.

Epitomizing this expansion trend is J e t A v i a t i o n , whose recent groundbreaking at its West Palm Beach, Florida FBO for new hangar and office space is just the latest step in the company’s efforts to expand and improve its global network, now at 35 locations. By the end of the year, the company plans to provide FBO services at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (KKIA). In the US and the Caribbean, construction or renovation is under way – or soon will be – at seven of Jet Aviation’s 12 regional locations. This includes its newest facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. It also includes the entirely new FBO and hangar complex at Van Nuys, California (on track for a Q4 opening) and hangar expansions in Teterboro, New Jersey; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and the aforementioned West Palm Beach, Florida.

At the beginning of the year, TAG Aviation officially launched its first FBO operation in Asia Pacific.

Located in Macau, this new facility marks a major milestone for the company’s ambitions in expanding its business to meet the continuing growth in the region. It represents the fourth FBO for TAG Aviation globally, after Farnborough, Geneva and Sion. Last summer, the facility was awarded the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) Stage 1 certificate of registration from IBAC. Universal Weather and Aviation has signed a definitive agreement to sell its UVair Fueling Division to World Fuel Services. World Fuel

Services includes more than 550 FBOs and aircraft ground operations worldwide that serve World Fuel Services, Ascent, or Phillips 66 Aviation branded fuel, with 70+ of these FBOs designated as Air Elite Diamond Service Locations. Upon the official closing of the sale, Universal will continue to service its trip support customers, and World Fuel Services will become the exclusive fuel provider for all missions through Universal.

Flight Planning Business jet operators must manage increasingly complex operations using different systems for scheduling and dispatch, flight planning, fuel services, maintenance and other third-party services. These complexities can become overwhelming, with the potential for safety and scheduling issues that multiple systems can create. Hence the importance of flight planning services. A number of FBOs offer them, with the market being roughly divided between a half dozen well-established companies – which many FBOs offer to their customers.

Collin Aerospace’s ARINCDirect provides end-to-end flight support services, including weather services, flight following, and data communications over VHF, HF and satellite. All flight information applications on ARINCDirect are webenabled, so flight department personnel can send messages, perform flight planning, check weather, view live air traffic information, and perform a variety of other tasks from any standard internet connection.

Since 1985, Honeywell’s GoDirect Flight Services has been offering pre-flight and in-flight pilot services for Business Aviation. GoDirect Flight Sentinel service combines flight planning, active flight monitoring and datalink communications to

increase the effectiveness of the FAA’s Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) program for Business Aviation organizations.

Jeppesen, a Boeing company, has been providing flight planning, aviation weather and international trip planning services for over 30 years.

Its JetPlan flight planning calculates the optimized plan for a desired routing and aircraft that one can file with ATC. It is available through a web interface (Jetplan.com) or pc software (JetPlanner), which allows one to graphically depict a route, overlay weather and navigation information and track a flight in progress.

ForeFlight, another Boeing company, was formed in 2007. ForeFlight Mobile, its flagship product, is used by individual pilots and professional flight crews. It has become the go-to app to route, plan and file, access and manage electronic charts and maps, organize flight publications, and be used as a reference for en-route navigation aid. ‘Dispatch’, an add-on to ForeFlight’s Mobile and web applications, has been specially developed for flight departments to simplify team flight planning by equally empowering pilots, flight planners and ops managers.

For nearly 30 years, Air Routing International (ARI) has provided

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ASSISTANCE

ARINCDirect provides topclass flight planning (top).

UVair is a total Jet-A solution (below).

FBO REPORT

SUPPORT

Honeywell’s GoDirect Flight Planning service (top left).

Textron MSU team (top right).

Gulfstream Service Center Savannah (below).

a variety of support services.

Beginning as a weather service provider, the firm and its associates – Wilkens Weather Technologies, Air Routing Fuel and Air Routing Card Services – have developed many support concepts. Now called ‘Rockwell Collins Ascend Flight Information Solutions’, the company offers special volume fuel purchasing to flight planning, ground transportation, hotel arrangements, catering, weather and security services, charge and payment options and even electronic flight planning.

In more than 50 years in business, Universal Weather and Aviation has evolved from the first company to provide corporate aviation weather briefs into a comprehensive aviation solutions provider. As a subscriber to NBAA ATS, Universal has timely or advance access to the status of NAS and current Traffic Management Initiatives (TMI) that affect national airspace air traffic flow. It uses this information to help its clients effectively diminish or avoid delays.

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AOG Services Obviously, most AOG situations occur on a FBO’s ramp. While it was a minor part of Business Aviation activities only 10 years ago, AOG services have considerably grown during the last decade, and a number of FBOs and OEMs now have their own dedicated services. For example, Jet Aviation’s dedicated AOG teams around the globe respond 24/7 to an emergency from the nearest available Jet Aviation maintenance facility or aircraft service center.

Gulfstream Aerospace has also created a center dedicated to the resolution of AOG issues. Located in Gulfstream’s Savannah Service Center, it is equipped with large monitors that provide an up-to-date visual dashboard of Gulfstream aircraft in-work worldwide and the company’s maintenance facilities and personnel, along with health updates from aircraft during flight.

For Textron, when you’re AOG, dial +1.316.517.2090 in the US or +49.211.454.9766 in the EU for live support. No holding. No automated response. Its 1CALL connects cus-

tomers with more than 70 Mobile Service Units (MSU) worldwide.

Every MSU is equipped to deliver factory-direct support in the field. The service fleet includes airborne support that’s always within a five-hour reach.

Bombardier has signed an agreement with Jetex for the establishment of a new line maintenance and AOG station in Dubai, further complementing the maintenance services provided

by Bombardier’s service and support network.

With ‘FalconResponse’, Dassault Aviation provides parts, tools and engineering resources to get a grounded Falcon back into operation as quickly as possible. Located in Teterboro (New Jersey), Boise (Idaho) and Saint-Cloud (France), the Falcon Command Center tracks AOG events around the clock. Two Falcon 900s are available at Teterboro Airport and Paris Le Bourget Airport, ready to speed technical teams and necessary parts and tools to the AOG’s location and, if required, provide passengers with alternate lift.

StandardAero has developed a Business Aviation-centric app offering one-touch AOG support and local/technical sales contacts, with an ultimate goal of minimizing downtime and providing the necessary support and expertise that one has come to expect. The StandardAero App is currently available on iTunes and at the Apple App Store.

In case of engine problem, RollsRoyce has strengthened its global network of Authorized Service Centers (ASC) for its CorporateCare customer base. The latest addition is Inflite Jet Centre at London Stansted Airport, which has a customer support team 24/7 for any AOG.

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AV I O N I C S INTERIORS MAINTENANCE

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GREEN ENGINES

SAF POSES NO CHALLENGE FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINES F

rom a technical standpoint, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is simply Jet-A. It is certified to the same standards and possesses similar properties and characteristics as conventional jet fuel made from fossil sources. “SAF is, quite simply Jet-A in every way,” says GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “It’s a drop-in fuel that has undergone exhaustive testing and meets all specifications and requirements.”

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is one of the most discussed topics in Business Aviation today.

But what do the engine manufacturer have to say about it?

Volker K. Thomalla writes

Jet fuel is used for many other purposes besides combustion, including lubrication, as cooling fluid or even as hydraulic fluid. In the past, there were concerns that some lubrication qualities of SAF were not as good as those of fossil fuels, but with today’s fuels, these concerns no longer exist for modern aircraft engines. SAF has even more advantages over fossil fuel, including higher energy density and a lower freezing point, thus reducing the need to add additives in the tank.

As of today, all aircraft operators use a blend of SAF and fossil fuel, but more for cost and availability reasons than for safety concerns. In May 2018, Boeing successfully tested a noblend 100% bio-fuel operation on its Boeing 777F ecoDemonstrator aircraft.

It’s Here and It Works When asked about the compatibility of sustainable jet fuel and modern aircraft engines, Dirk Wiesinger, Vice President Business Aviation at RollsRoyce got straight to the point: “Rolls-Royce believes in sustainable fuels. It works,” he says.

SIGNATURE

The new Pearl 700 (below) has been developed exclusively for the G700 (top).

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New aircraft engines are, by design, compatible with future fuels. RollsRoyce’s newest business aircraft engine, the Pearl 700, is a good example. It was unveiled at NBAA-BACE 2019 as the engine of choice for the brand-new ultralong-range Gulfstream G700.

The Pearl 700 combines the proven architecture of the BR700 engine family with a new core and a number of innovative technologies from the company’s Advance2 technology demonstration program. On the G700, it produces up to 18,250 lb of

take-off thrust while featuring a 5% reduction in specific fuel consumption (SFC) compared to the BR725. It also has a 12% better thrust-to-weight ratio and maintains the low-noise and lowemission performance of the BR725.

The Pearl 700 core is the most efficient core in Business Aviation. It has a 10-stage lightweight design high pressure compressor (HPC), including six titanium blisks and a pressureratio of 24:1. The ultra-low emissions combustor is state-of-the-art and is optimized for low emissions and lower noise. A 2-stage high-pressure turbine (HPT) with a shroudless blade design, enhanced aerodynamics and blade colling is followed by an enhanced 4-stage low pressure turbine (LPT) with a 3D airfoil geometry that enables higher fan power for increased thrust.

The fan is a blisked fan, whose 24 forged titanium blades have been friction-welded to the fan hub. The fan diameter is 51.8’’ (132 centimeters).

“The Pearl 700 is the technologically most advanced powerplant that we have in Business Aviation,” says Colm Golden, Pear 700 Program Director at Rolls-Royce Business Aviation.

Pioneering Sustainable Performance Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) had the environment as much in mind as it had performance and economics when designing its PW800 PurePower turbofan engine for business aircraft. The engine powers the Gulfstream G500 as well as the G600, which entered into service in September 2018 and August 2019 respectively.

Gulfstream is a pioneer in using SAF. It uses the eco-friendly fuel on all its corporate flights, as well as for all test flights. The Gulfstream crews have flown the G500 test aircraft for more than 5,000 hours for test flights and FAA development and certification flights. Nearly all these flights were done by using a blend of fossil jet fuel and SAF, which proves the suitability of using SAF for daily use.

Gulfstream aircraft have flown numerous world speed records on SAF. “We made Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel available to our customers earlier this year and are taking as many opportunities as we can to raise the profile of this sustain-

able resource,” says Gulfstream President Mark Burns. “Gulfstream led the industry four years ago when we committed to our own supply of SAJF, and we have been strong supporters of our industry’s efforts to enhance awareness of the fuel and decrease emissions.”

French manufacturer Dassault Aviation has also chosen the PW800 for its newest business jet, the Falcon 6X, which was launched in February 2018. The first sections of the Falcon 6X have been assembled. Dassault targets a first flight of the new type in 2021 and an entry-into-service in 2022.

Development of the Falcon 6X’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812D engine is also proceeding on schedule. The production PW812D, together with the integrated nacelle from United Technologies Corp, will soon be mounted on Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Boeing 747SP Flying Test Bed for the next upcoming flight test campaign.

The PW812D has completed highrisk certification tests, which include bird strikes, hot/cold weather trials for ice, and lost fan blades. The six development engines have accumulated more than 1,200 hours testing and run time. In all, the P&WC geared turbofan (GTF) core at the heart of the Dassault-specific PW812D has logged more than 14,000 hours on the bench.

The PW800 shares the same core technology used in the Pratt & Whitney GTF (Geared Turbo Fan) engine family. It’s a modern but proven technology. P&WC states that the PW800 over-delivers in reducing the engine’s footprint and moving towards a greener aviation world. The engine is controlled by a dual-channel

BART: DECEMBER - 2019 - 39

CLEAR-CUT

PW800 (right).

Development of Falcon 6X’s PW812D engine is proceeding on schedule (left).

GREEN ENGINES

PROWESS

The Passportpowered Global 7500 has completed the longest nonstop city-pair flight (top).

FADEC, which helps the engine reach new levels of dispatch reliability. The Talon X combustor is designed for optimum fuel efficiency, low noise and low emissions. Other technological highlights include an advanced single-piece fan that offers low maintenance cost and improved noise and vibration characteristics, an advanced dual-channel FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) with advanced engine diagnostics, prognostics and health monitoring, and a mixer with an innovative design for high efficiency. The health monitoring system allows Pratt & Whitney Canada to offer a 10,000-hour timebetween-overhaul (TBO) for the engine with no midlife-inspection required.

According to the company, the engine is setting new standards in sustainability. For example, the TALON X combustor results in double-digit margins, thus clearing anticipated future regulations by the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) and in ultra-low levels of unburned hydrocarbons and smoke. “We deliver a 10% or better fuel burn, compared with the competition,” says Scott McElvaine, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Vice-President of PW800 Marketing & Customer Service “This is good for the budget and the environment, because 10% or better means less money spent on fuel and fewer emissions going into the atmosphere.”

“With its significant fuel economy, reduced emissions, and low noise output, the PW800 is actually ahead of anticipated environmental standards in these areas,” adds McElvaine. “This is an engine built

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not just for today, but for long into the future.”

A Green Passport GE Aviation is also using scaled technologies from its commercial airliner engine family, the GEnx, for its Passport Business Jet engine. The Passport first flew in 2015 and entered into service with the Bombardier Global 7500 in late December of 2018. The high-bypass engine features a state-of-the-art combustor that burns lean and emits ultra-low NOx. Passport can use all types of certified jet fuel, including SAF. “Passport, like all of GE’s commercial engine counterparts, can use sustainable fuels,” says the company.

“Production and use of alternate fuels are key to the industry’s Business Aviation commitment on climate change which seeks to achieve carbon neutral growth from 2020 forward.”

At EBACE this year, the Bombardier team flew the Global 7500 on approved ‘drop in’ sustainable jet fuel. There are currently five synthetic pathways to jet fuel approved by the industry. Passport is approved for all of them. The engine has accumulated over 8,000 flight hours so far on the Global 7500. It is meeting or exceeding key performance parameters in terms of fuel burn, weight and noise.

The Ball is in Your Court Engine manufacturers are prepared for the next generation of aviation fuels that help the industry meet its own goals for carbon emissions. Today’s jet engines are tested and proven to use SAF – now the ball is in the fuel provider and operators’ court. Fuel providers need to ramp up production to meet demand and operators must use Sustainable Aviation Fuel to shape the industry’s greener future.

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GREEN FUEL

SAF IS A GAME-CHANGER

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ccording to the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change (BACCC), Business Aviation is committed to reducing its carbon footprint to 50% of 2005 levels by 2050. The BACCC was signed by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) a decade ago and is in line with the environmental goals of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Renewable jet fuel is a key technology for dramatically (and immediately) reducing aviation’s carbon footprint. Compared to fossil fuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) even has a higher energy density, offering users more ‘bang for the buck’. But supply and demand are not yet balanced.

Volker K. Thomalla reports To achieve this challenging goal, new technologies must be used, infrastructure has to be improved and operations need to be optimized.

But the most promising factor in reducing emissions is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It is a key technology capable of reducing CO 2 emissions to the targeted levels.

“Business Aviation has always led the way in promoting technologies that advance the sustainability of flight,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, speaking at EBACE when 23 aircraft flew to Geneva on a blend of SAF and conventional jet fuel.

COMMITMENT

EBAA Chairman Juergen Wiese speaking on the ongoing SAJF efforts at EBACE 2019.

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Bolen continued: “Business Aviation has long made sustainability a priority, and we have made tangible progress.

Over the past decade, we have redoubled our commitment to reducing the industry’s already-small carbon footprint, and key to that has been the development and use of sustainable fuels.”

“SAF is the main solution to our environmental challenges,” adds EBAA Chairman Jürgen Wiese. “Along with other means of emissions reduction, use of the fuels will be key to meeting our industry’s environmental goals.”

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) have been discussed for years.

Although several companies have started producing SAF from different sources, demand and supply remain unbalanced. As a result, the price for the eco-friendly fuel remains at levels which are simply not acceptable for most operators.

Today, there are only six refineries worldwide that produce SAF in meaningful quantities. The current cost of SAF is driven by lack of demand. As demand increases, supply will be stepped up and overall costs will decrease. To accelerate the availability and use if SAF, NBAA and GAMA announced that they will organize a Business Aviation Global Sustainability Summit in Washington, D.C. in March 2020.

SAF Producers But what exactly is SAF and where does it come from?

SAF is a non-petroleum based jet fuel that is produced by recycling sustainable raw materials or using carbon that is extracted from plants.

It can be produced from agricultural waste, saw dust or even sewage.

Ongoing research seems to prove that even is also a suitable material that can be used to produce SAF. Used cooking oil, which would normally be dumped, is another valuable raw material for SAF. The Finnish company Neste is the world’s leading renewable fuel producer. It uses renewable waste and residue materials to produce SAF. In Europe and the US, Neste’s capacity is currently at 100,000 tons per year.

By 2022, Neste will have an additional production site in Singapore, offering an additional capacity of one million tons of renewable jet fuel annually.

The company recently opened a new office near Amsterdam, which will serve as the global hub for its growing renewable aviation business. “We are determined to serve our customers and the entire aviation industry in reducing greenhouse gas emissions with our Neste MY Renewable Jet Fuel,” says Neste President and CEO Peter Vanacker. “It has been tested in over 1,000 commercial flights and is already being sold and used in the market.”

Other producers have stepped up their production capacity as well.

W o r l d E n e r g y of Paramount, California, is investing $350 million to complete the conversion of its facility into one of the cleanest fuel refineries in the world. It is planning to boost its production of renewable fuel to 305 million gallons within the next two years. About 15% of this quantity is likely to end up in aircraft tanks.

The same can be said of Gevo, Inc., a Texas-based renewable fuels and chemicals manufacturer that supplies Avfuel Corporation with SAF. Today, it produces the ecofriendly fuel only on a per-batch basis. However, before the end of 2022, Gevo will produce up to 15 million gallons of sustainable fuel per year.

Avfuel had partnered with Avflight Salina at Salina Regional Airport in Kansas, as well as with the Henderson Executive Airport in Nevada (where NBAA-BACE’s static display was located) to provide SAF for aircraft headed to NBAA-BACE and back. “Avfuel is doing a great job with these demonstrations,” says Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber. “They are important because they show the viability of SAF, express to corporations that they have a choice when flying their corporate jets, and educate other fixed based operators what is possible in what they can provide their customers.”

To supply the fuel for this occasion, Avfuel acquired a concentrated delivery of SAF from Gevo and blended it with petroleum-based jet fuel. The mixture was then tested for fuel quality and to ensure it meets all standards associated with jet fuel.

BART: DECEMBER - 2019 - 43

RESOURCE

Neste offers Jet A1 kerosene from own refinery (right).

Gevo provides alcohol-to-jet fuel to Avfuel (left).

GREEN FUEL Power-to-Liquid Fuel G erm an s tart- u p Iner a t ec of Karlsruhe is pursuing a different approach to produce CO 2 neutral aviation fuel. The company was fou n d ed in 2014 and pr oduc es Power-to-liquid (PtL) fuel. It is m ad e from carb on di oxi de a nd renewable energy. CO2 is captured from the air b y a Di r ec t -Ai r Capture-Plant, while hydrogen is obtained through an electrolysis unit from Siemens. In Ineratec’s current Power-to-Liquid plant, the source materials are converted into World Fuel has been engaged in the development of SAF for years.

Since 2015, the company has delivered 500,000 gallons of SAF to its Business Aviation customers, including Gulfstream Aerospace, which uses SAF for all its corporate flights test flight activities. On top of this, World Fuel has also provided over 13 Million gallons of SAF to airlines.

RENEWABLES

World Fuel Services has so far delivered 500,000 gallons of SAF (left).

BP Biojet has been supplied to 15 airports worldwide (right).

A Lower Carbon Journey Over its lifecycle, SAF has an up to 80% smaller carbon footprint than fossil jet fuel. But SAF not only reduces emissions, it also features a higher energy density than traditional jet fuel. As it is certified as Jet A1, it can be used in aircraft without requiring any technical modifications. “SAF is, quite simply, Jet-A in every way: a drop-in fuel that has undergone exhaustive testing and meets all specifications and requirements,” says GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce.

Air BP’s Irene Lores Casalinas, General Manager West Med Cluster, told BART International that Air BP is leading with example. “We’re embracing the lower carbon journey and we are committed to carbon neutrality,” she says.

The company certified its sustainable aviation fuel as early as 2015 and started providing it in Scandinavian countries to commercial operators.

In 2016, Air BP created a strategic partnership with Fulcrum BioEnergy with an initial investment of $30 million. The Californian company is building its first SAF-plant in Reno, Nevada, which will produce sustainable fuel made from house-

44 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

hold waste. Fulcrum intends to construct additional facilities and plans to supply Air BP with over 50 million US gallons of SAF per year. The company is also supplying its own SAF under the BP Biojet brand to airlines at more than 15 airport locations. Oslo was the first airport in which the sustainable fuel was supplied to the aircraft through the existing airport fueling infrastructure.

At NBAA-BACE, Air BP highlighted how solid waste from homes and businesses (food scraps, packaging, paper, textiles, etc.) that would otherwise go into landfill or be incinerated can be converted into SAF. This process can help ease or solve the waste problem of large metropolitan areas by converting waste into useful and eco-friendly aviation fuel.

Irene Lores Casalinas sees great opportunities, but also the need to finance new facilities. “As more technologies are approved, there’s a need for investments from large players,” she says. “We will continue to invest.”

synthetic gas and then transformed into 200-300 liters of fuel per day.

Ineratec’s compact plants enable the storage of renewable energy and an economical production of nearly climate neutral fuel.

As the energy supply from sustainable sources such as wind or solar power is fluctuating, the usage of the plants is decentralized for optimal reaction to the fluctuation. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has tested the quality and usability of the PtL-fuel for different transport sectors. Rotterdam The Hague Airport and a European consortium are cooperating in a study, which aims at developing a demonstration plant in the Netherlands that will produce significant amounts of renewable jet fuel in the foreseeable future.

It’s Here, It’s Now Ed Bolen summarized the association’s view on SAF best, says: “Sustainable Aviation Fuel seems too good to be true but it’s not – it’s here, it’s now.”

✈

Just add household waste.

Reducing our carbon footprint has become a priority for everyone.

We’re passionate about creating a greener future. Which is why we’re investing in lower carbon and sustainable aviation fuel. BP’s sustainable aviation fuel is called BP Biojet. It’s made from used cooking oil and household waste such as packaging and food scraps that would otherwise go to landfill.

These fuels can reduce the carbon footprint of aviation fuel by up to 80% over their full life cycle. What’s more we’ve supplied 15 airports worldwide.

Our waste is quite literally fuelling a lower carbon future.

BP Biojet – Sustainable aviation fuel

Operations I Sustainable fuels I Offsetting

airbp.com/lowcarbon

GREEN ELECTRIC ENGINES

IT’S (ALMOST) ELECTRIC! The global aviation sector will be propelled into a new era of cleaner, greener flight through new research and investments.

Nick Klenske looks into the aero engines of the future

I CORE

Honeywell HTS900 (right).

GE Catalyst was selected to power the XTI TriFan 600 (left).

f you go by the buzz at NBAABACE, the era of the all-electric aircraft is just around the corner.

We’ve all seen the high-tech, futuristic eVTOLs and have heard the promises that we’ll soon be taking an autonomous flying taxi to the airport, where we can catch our flight on a super quiet, ultra-clean all-electric aircraft.

Granted, some of the hype may be premature, as there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of infrastructure, safety, and technology. But this future is probably closer than you think – and driving it are the many hybrid-electric engines that are currently being developed today.

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Higher, Faster and Farther At the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Airshow last summer, GE Aviation announced that it signed a deal with XTI Aircraft Company that will see GE’s Catalyst engine be used as the core of a new hybrid-electric propulsion system for XTI’s planned TriFan 600 business aircraft. According to GE Reports, hybridization enables distributed propulsion, with one turbine turning multiple propellers on an aircraft. This differs from traditional turboprop engines, which need a separate turbine for every propeller.

According to Craig Hoover, GE Aviation’s hybrid-electric pursuits leader for the company’s business and general aviation unit, this differ-

ence enables hybrid aircraft to have more propulsion sources, thus allowing designers to rethink the basics of aircraft design. “This enables a lot of applications, such as vertical takeoff, which will be very disruptive for the industry as you will no longer have to go to an airport in order to catch a flight,” he says.

Because current battery technology doesn’t offer enough energy density to travel long distance, most electric aircraft have a limited range. Hybrid planes, on the other hand, combine a turbine engine’s high-energy density of jet fuel benefits with an electric aircraft’s benefits of less maintenance and less noise. For the TriFan 600, this means being able to travel much higher (30,000 feet) and go faster than all-electric aircraft. With the Catalyst producing nearly 1,4000 horsepower, or 1 megawatt of power, the TriFan will be able to transport a larger payload while still being able to use vertical take-off and landing.

“We see the Catalyst as being in the sweet spot from a power and altitude capability for where we see the turboprop market going with hybrid aircraft,” adds Hoover.

Driving the Science of HybridElectric Propulsion Honeywell is also busy developing hybrid electric propulsion systems.

The company debuted its new hybridelectric turbogenerator at HAI HELIEXPO 2019 in Atlanta. The prototype system combines the rugged, flight-

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GREEN ELECTRIC ENGINES

ICONIC

UTC's Project 804 (left).

Safran's ENGINeUS electric motors will fly on Cassio 1 (center).

Rolls-Royce acquired the eAircraft business of Siemens (right).

proven HTS900 engine with two compact, high-power-density generators.

Each generator provides 200 kilowatts, which combined is enough to power 40 average American homes running air conditioning at full blast.

The system burns conventional or bio-derived jet fuel and can feed motors or high-capacity batteries.

“This redefines powered flight by providing electricity to spare in a safe, light package built for aviation,” says Bryan Wood, senior director of Honeywell’s hybrid-electric and electric propulsion programs. “As the urban air mobility segment grows, Honeywell is providing safe, reliable propulsion solutions as well as a host of other aviation technologies that are ready to install today on next-generation vehicles.”

Honeywell continues to expand its presence in urban air mobility, offering avionics, propulsion, flight controls, navigation, collision avoidance, power generation, actuation, logistics, satellite communication and connectivity technologies to companies developing new aircraft. In January the company announced its work with Pipistrel Vertical Solutions to develop systems for a vertical takeoff and landing air vehicle that will eventually be capable of fully autonomous flight.

Project 804 In March of this year, Collins Aerospace, alongside United Technologies Advanced Projects and Pratt & Whitney, announced Project 804 – a hybrid-electric X-plane based on a Bombardier Dash 8 Series Q100 aircraft. “Working together, we will re-engineer one side of the aircraft with a 2 megawatt-class propulsion system combining an engine (sized for

48 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

cruise power) and a similarly sized, 1megawatt motor, motor controller and battery system to provide supplemental power during takeoff,” says a Collins Aerospace representative.

This system is expected to yield an average fuel savings of 30%, effectively making regional flights as practical as a Greyhound bus trip. The company projects a mission range of approximately 600 nautical miles – and a first flight in less than three years from now.

To support this endeavor, Collins Aerospace recently unveiled its plans for The Grid: a 25,000-square-foot, high-power, high-voltage electric systems lab located in Rockford, Illinois.

The lab will serve as the development center of the 1 megawatt motor for Project 804 – the aerospace industry’s most power-dense and efficient to date.

In fact, The Grid will be one of a select few facilities in the world with the capability to test complete electric propulsion systems of this capacity. The lab will also be leveraged to create advanced electric systems for the next generation of more electric fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, including commercial, military, business, UAV and urban air mobility platforms.

Now that’s ENGINeUS! Meanwhile, at NBAA-BACE 2019, Safran announced that its ENGINeUS smart electric motors will begin flying on the testbed for VoltAero’s Cassio hybrid-electric general aviation aircraft.

Two ENGINeUS 45 motor versions will be installed in forward-facing positions on the wings of VoltAero’s Cassio 1 testbed as part of this aircraft’s ‘pushpull’ propulsion configuration. The ENGINeUS 45 delivers a continuous power of 45 kW and features built-in, dedicated control electronics.

By integrating the ENGINeUS 45 motors on Cassio 1, Safran Electrical & Power will contribute to the development of a highly promising hybridelectric general aviation aircraft.

“Since our unveiling of ENGINeUS, we have worked daily to continually improve the motors’ exceptional performance, and we’ve just started their industrialization to address the emerging market of more-electric aircraft,” says Hervé Blanc, Executive Vice President & General Manager of the Electrical Systems and Motors Division at Safran Electrical & Power.

Making Aviation More Sustainable In October, Rolls-Royce completed its acquisition of the electric and hybridelectric aerospace propulsion activities of Siemens. “We are at the dawn of the ‘third era’ of aviation, which will bring a new class of quieter and cleaner air transport to the skies, and our new colleagues will add vital skills, expertise and new technology to our portfolio,” says Rob Watson, Director of RollsRoyce Electrical.

“Electrification is just one of the ways in which we are making aviation more sustainable,” adds Paul Stein, RollsRoyce Chief Technology Officer. “We are continuing to increase the fuel efficiency of our gas turbines, increasing the integration between airframe and engine; and encouraging the development of sustainable fuels.”

The former Siemens business employs around 180 specialist electrical designers and engineers who have been developing a range of all-electric and hybrid electric propulsion solutions for the aerospace industry. They will continue to work in their existing locations.

✈

ELECTRIC AIRPLANES

BUSINESS AVIATION LOOKS TOWARDS A NEW TYPE OF ELECTRIC

Aerospace firms are

joining forces to tackle carbon pollution and

electric aircraft is one big solution. Nick Klenske looks at the aircraft you could be flying in soon

B

usiness Aviation has long been at the forefront of sustainability and energy efficiency. In fact, according to General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) estimates, the industry is responsible for just 2% of civil aviation’s total CO2 emissions. When you consider that aviation itself is responsible for only 2% of all human-produced emissions, it puts Business Aviation’s total footprint at 0.04% of the global total.

Even with this impressive record, the industry continues to work towards becoming carbon neutral, whether that be through the use of sustainable jet fuel, more efficient aircraft design, or even the use of allelectric aircraft.

“Wait, electric aircraft – aren’t we getting a little ahead of ourselves,” you ask?

Actually, the era of the electric aircraft is much closer than you think.

At the Paris Airshow last summer, Eviation Aircraft, a global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, announced Cape Air as the first commercial customer for its all-electric Alice aircraft.

According to Eviation, short distance travel (between 50 and 650 miles) is on the rise. “This growing segment offers the ideal scenario for Eviation’s all-electric Alice, which aims to undercut the cost of travel by making middle mile trips cheaper, faster and cleaner,” says Omer BarYohay, Eviation CEO. “The shift to electric will reduce operating costs,

eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, make air travel more affordable and connect communities like never before.”

Eviation’s Alice leverages an IP portfolio that includes innovations in thermal management and autonomous landing, as well as distributed electric propulsion, industry-leading battery technology and cutting-edge composite body frames.

It is capable of flying with nine passengers at 240 knots to a range of up to 650 miles on a single charge.

Following test flights this year and certification in 2021, Eviation will begin shipping the aircraft for commercial use in 2022.

Redefining Business Aviation Alice is an electric aircraft in the traditional sense – not only does it look and feel like a ‘regular’ aircraft, it’s also flown like with actual pilots up front. But limiting our discussion of electric aircraft to manned aircraft would be doing our readers a disservice, as the future business aircraft may look more like a taxi and could very well be flown autonomously.

They’re called electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicles (eVTOLs) and, according to a recent NBAA report, they hold a huge potential for Business Aviation. Unveiled at NBAA-BACE 2019, the new report, titled “Business Aviation Embraces Electric Flight: How Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Creates Enterprise Value”, details the financial and economic business case for UAM and its benefits for Business Aviation.

BART: DECEMBER - 2019 - 49

STARTUPS

Cape Air is the first commercial customer for Eviation’s Alice (top). eVTOL vehicle (below).

GREEN ELECTRIC AIRPLANES ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES According to the NBAA/NEXA report, electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles are rapidly becoming a reality, due to the intersection of several breakthrough and maturing developments. In combination, these developments are poised to produce some of the safest, greenest and most efficient air vehicles imaginable: Improved Energy Use and Storage: Powerful batteries making use of lithium ion technologies– which have recently made Nobel Prize-winning headlines – along with hydrogen fuel cells and hybrid charging, now can provide hours of electricity to power vehicles.

Motors Using a ‘System of Systems’: Advances have been made with motors that work with each other to transform battery power into high torque, rotor-induced lift more effectively and efficiently than ever before. These lightweight, multi-rotor designs provide an unprecedented degree of safety and performance.

Emerging, Super-Light and Safe Vehicle Composites: Composites not available even a decade ago offer greater design freedom, enabling the creation of complex aerodynamic shapes and requiring less maintenance, while operating at a safety level characteristic of the highest aviation standards.

Next-Gen Avionics: Electric vehicles will make use of precision navigation capabilities, with GPS augmentation through kinematic accuracy improvements, embedded inertial sensors and independent ground beacons.

Advanced Pilot Assistance and Flight Automation: Certified sense-and-avoid technologies, predetermined ‘tunnels in space’ and pilot assistance modes will provide safer flight operations.

AIR-TAXI

The Bell Nexus (top) and its interiors (center). Garmin is developing autonomous vehicle management systems for the Nexus (below).

According to the report, UAM is being proven in cities today and, with the introduction of eVTOL aircraft, is expected to become an increasingly important part of our transportation system in the next several years.

These new, battery-powered rotorcraft, which will utilize an array of emerging advanced technologies, are expected to be quieter and safer than current helicopters.

50 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

report’s co-author. “We now know that the addition of eVTOL aircraft to Business Aviation operators will further increase their productivity and mobility, which translates into a positive impact on long-term enterprise value.”

“eVTOLs have the potential to transform short-range air transportation, especially for those companies and individuals that use Business Aviation,” says NBAA Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation Mike Nichols, CAM and co-author of both the study and accompanying white paper. “These companies are expected to be among the first eVTOL users because these vehicles will solve the ‘last mile’ or ‘door-to-door’ challenge by moving people quickly from a company office to meetings in city centers that are near to existing heliports or newly constructed vertiports, or to outlying airports so passengers can depart on a business aircraft or scheduled airline flight.”

“We have long known, and NEXA’s prior studies have proven, that Business Aviation creates significant enterprise value for many of the world’s top performing companies,” adds Michael Dyment, NEXA Advisors’ Managing Partner and the

Bell Nexus Eyes Electric One OEM well on its way towards launching such an eVTOL system is Bell. The company’s Nexus hybridelectric VTOL, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January this year, is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system and driven by Bell’s powered-lift concept, incorporating six tilting ducted fans designed for safety and efficiency. The fully autonomous aircraft will convert from helicopter mode to airplane mode, just like its trademark tiltrotors.

“We will also continue to pursue a parallel path of all electric because we truly believe that is the right answer, however the batteries that support an aircraft of that size, speed and range requirements that we’re after just aren’t there yet,” says Bell CEO Mitch Snyder. “But when it is ready, we can easily remove our engine and the fuel tank and install the additional batteries without impacting anything else about the flying vehicle.”

Bell is working with Uber to create VTOLs that will operate on an aerial rideshare network in the first US Uber Air cities of Dallas-Fort Worth/Frisco, Texas, and Los Angeles. Uber’s goal for these cities is make air taxis commercially available on Uber Air in 2023.

✈

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GREEN MODIFICATIONS

WHEN GOING GREEN MEANS WINNING THE WEIGHT PROBLEM When it comes to heavier-than-air machines, weight is everything. Ever since man first took to the air, engineers have continuously worked to improve lift to weight ratios.

Without any doubt, weight reduction is the cornerstone of the aviation industry of tomorrow, and a mandatory commitment if manufacturers want to make greener aircraft. Marc Grangier reports

W

CONCEPT

GE Aviation’s 3D printed ATP fuel heater (top) and Catalyst engine (below).

hile one part of the industry is focusing on enhancing the engine performance and aerodynamics, another battle is taking place in the area of reducing the weight of an aircraft. Over the past few years, major progress has been achieved in technology and materials, allowing a broad range of options to drive efficiency. Here, we look at some of the latest.

52 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

Advanced Materials Among the new advanced materials used in aircraft production, one can find carbon fiber reinforced polymer, composite materials, titanium aluminide, and lighter metal alloys and graphene. Carbon-fiber reinforced polymers have been used since the 1970s, but initially only in specific parts of the aircraft, such as tail components. Now, they are being used

more extensively as they are lighter than aluminum alloys and can cut fuel consumption by 5%.

The industry also believes in 3D printing, which has already delivered promising results by shifting the design of aircraft and components.

GE Aviation’s new turboprop engine, developed to power the new Cessna Denali, will be the first commercial aircraft engine to have a large portion of its components made by additive manufacturing methods, including 3D printing. This will reducing the number of required parts from 855 to just 12, decreasing the finished engine weight by 5%.

If composite materials are now widely used in the aviation industry, Michimasa Fujino, HondaJet CEO, warns that careful evaluation is needed. This is especially true concerning light jets because the weight benefit is often limited by the necessary minimum gauge of the structure and other design constraints. In addition, unique characteristics of composite material, including strength ‘knock down factor’ for hot wet conditions, compression

after impact (CAI), and inter-laminar shear strength, etc., are design constraints that must be considered and all of which have a negative impact on actual weight reduction.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to what materials to build private jets with. Some go for the traditional all-aluminum formula, whereas others rely almost entirely on composites. Most manufacturers sit somewhere in between, with their choice of materials being guided by cost, philosophy of design and history.

als, found in the engines and nacelles, wings and tail assemblies, fuselage, window frames, doors, flooring, paneling, etc.

Nacelle manufacturers were the first to adopt significant amounts of composite materials. By the 1970s, designers had turned to composites for the weight savings needed for the large nacelles required by the new generation of large high power turbofans. Today’s nacelles are made primarily from a variety of composite materials rather than metals, not only to save weight, but also to provide

“Sometimes decisions are made part by part, but they definitely look at composites whatever the case,” says Shawn-Ann Speer, senior account manager at Solvay’s Composite Materials Global Business Unit (GBU).

According to Speer, since 1987, the use of composites in aerospace has doubled every five years, and new composites regularly appear.” As a result, today just about any part of a plane can be made of composite materials, from the fuselage to the radome, flight surfaces such as ailerons and flaps, and interior structures like cockpit panels or kitchenettes.

Since 1946, Hexcel advanced composites have been helping to reduce the weight of aerospace structures while maintaining their strength.

Back then, aircraft were made primarily of metal alloys, which were extremely heavy, noisy, corrosive and required extensive amounts of maintenance, making them less efficient than modern solutions for flight.

Now, many newer aircraft are made with more than 50% composite materi-

superior sound protection and the benefits of lower maintenance.

Composite materials made from carbon and glass fibers, aramid papers and high temperature resins have revolutionized the way the modern nacelle is constructed. Carbon fiber epoxy prepregs account for typically half the volume of the entire nacelle structure including the inlet cowl, fan cowl, and thrust reverser.

Dassault has decades of expertise in developing cutting-edge material technologies designed to add strength and quality while also reducing weight. One of its pioneering works concerned the Falcon V10 F. Introduced in the 1980s, this aircraft featured the first carbon wing to obtain FAR/JAR 125 qualification.

Today, Dassault continues to utilize advanced lightweight materials

BART: DECEMBER - 2019 - 53

COMPOUND

HondaJet (top).

Engine nacelle made with composite materials (center left).

Hexcel (center right).

Falcon 7X (below).

GREEN MODIFICATIONS

MODEL

NASA’s Double Bubble D8 future aircraft design (left).

Gulfstream’s Savannah facility dedicated to wing work (right).

whenever they offer a significant performance – and economic - improvement. All the Falcons now feature a carbon composite/cast titanium structure for their horizontal stabilizers. This innovation requires one tenth of the number of parts and one third of the quantity of fasteners.

And it is lighter, stronger, and less expensive to produce and easier to maintain than a conventional aluminum airfoil. Another example of performance meeting economy is the precision cast cabin door adopted for the new Falcons. These doors require less than half as many parts and fasteners as the traditional design.

Furthermore, the structure of the company’s top-of-the-line Falcon 7X is almost 20% composite. It also features a composite carbon vertical stabilizer using an advanced resin transfer molding (RTM) technique. This technique, which combines high-performance prepregs with direct processing using multiaxial reinforcements (a new non-crimp technology that provides strength and stiffness exactly where required), sharply reduces costs and weight.

For Kathryn Kearney, global content marketing specialist for Honeywell Aerospace, fuel is often the single largest cost for aircraft operators. Some experts estimate that every pound of a plane’s weight, including crew, passengers, baggage and the aircraft itself, totals up to approximately $10,000 in annual fuel costs. To reduce aircraft weight - and therefore fuel usage - design and maintenance organizations are looking at nearly every aspect of aircraft.

Even small changes in these areas can add up to significant results.

54 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

According to Kearney, there are four ways changes in aircraft design are helping reduce fuel consumption.

The first one is drag reduction.

Reducing the lift-to-drag ratio of an aircraft can make it more aerodynamically efficient and help reduce the aircraft’s weight and fuel use. Engineers are experimenting with innovative designs that will help reduce drag.

Ideas include thicker fuselages, which increase airflow, and longer, slimmer wings. Winglets are also being installed to help minimize the amount of air that flows around the wingtip. There’s also a concept under development at NASA, called the “double bubble” D8, that relocates the aircraft’s engine to the top of the plane toward the tail – a move that significantly decreases drag and increases fuel efficiency. Engineers say the design could reduce carbon emissions by up to 66% within two decades and result in 37% less fuel consumption than that of today’s jets.

One of the most recent business aircraft with a fuselage totally built with composites is the HondaJet. CEO Fujino told BART that through the application of composite material for the aircraft’s fuselage, his company has managed to reduce fuselage weight by 10 to 15% percent over aluminum, with both an affordable fabrication cost and the best contour for aerodynamics.

The HondaJet’s fuselage is constructed entirely of graphite composites. The cockpit and tail sections are a honey-comb sandwich construction that maintains the compound curves, which are especially important for the laminar-flow nose. The sandwich structure also has the advantage of reduced cost due to the ease with

which it can be fabricated into complex, three-dimensional contours. An integrally stiffened panel structure is employed for the constant cross-section portion of the cabin.

The stiffened panel structure reduces weight because of its high efficiency structure and also maximizes the cabin volume. The general frames and stringers have identical dimensions in the constant cabin section, so the numbers of molds for the frames and stringers are minimized.

The constant fuselage section can be easily extended to satisfy future fuselage stretching. A feature of the fuselage fabrication is that the sandwich panel and the stiffened panel are cocured integrally in an auto- clave to reduce weight and cost. It was a technical challenge to cure the honeycomb sandwich structure under the pressure (85.3 psi) required for the stiffened panel, but a new method called the ‘picture-frame stabilizing method’ prevents core crushing.

Concerning composite structures, one must also mention two 80’ forerunner aircraft, the LearAvia LearFan and the Beechcraft Starship. For various reasons, these two models were unsuccessful. The LearFan never entered series production and if the Starship was finally certified, only a handful were sold before the program was stopped.

Wings, Propellers and Airfoils A decade ago, Gulfstream Aerospace built its first all-composite structural wing. The all-composite device was manufactured at its Research and Development Center (RDC) by the company’s Advanced Composites group. Gulfstream engineers and technicians were involved

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GREEN MODIFICATIONS

STRUCTURE

Eviation’s Alice is built 95% from composite materials (top left).

The King Air 300 (top right).

Hartzell Propeller on King Air 200 (below).

in the design, development, manufacturing and testing of the wing assembly. The 18-foot structural wing assembly, which weighted 465 pounds, was similar in size and shape to the outboard section of the Gulfstream G650 aircraft but with a 35% weight reduction. It was then the biggest section of a wing that could fit in the RDC II Laboratory’s autoclave, a high-pressurized oven used to cure composites.

“The successful completion of this test was a major step forward for Gulfstream research and development,” said Pres Hennes, then senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream.

Full-scale assembly and testing of wing and fuselage sections have shown the manufacturer that it makes sense to use large-scale composite primary structures in Gulfstream aircraft. Using composite materials instead of metal reduces an aircraft’s weight and cost, the fuel it burns and the carbon dioxide it emits.

56 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

Composites also improve the aircraft’s efficiency, durability and skin appearance. In new aircraft designs, weight reduction influences the size and thrust of the engines, which further adds to the reductions in fuel burned and carbon dioxide emitted.

Composite Cluster Singapore (CCS) recently announced it was working with Eviation Aircraft on ‘Alice’, a fully electric aircraft structure. Built 95% from composite materials, it will be controlled by fly-by-wire and powered by three electric engines, in a wingtip and pusher configuration.

The nine-passenger aircraft will have a range of 640 miles / 1,000 km at a cruise speed of 240 knots, and its direct operating costs will be much lower than current turboprop aircraft.

For CCS, composite materials have a bright future for structures such as the wing and belly fairings, in terms of weight reduction. The first shipset for Alice was recently delivered for assembly to Vannes in France. A second prototype is in production.

Turboprop propellers also represent a weight that has to be taken into consideration. At last NBAA, Hartzell Propeller announced that it had secured a FAA certificate for a new five-blade carbon fiber propeller system for the King Air 200 series that will offer operators an average 48pound total weight savings versus OEM installed propellers.

Furthermore, it will deliver more than 15% greater take-off acceleration, over 10% better climb rate and five to seven knots faster cruise performance compared to original equipment propellers. Available through Raisbeck Engineering, this new propeller is constructed of structural carbon fiber with nickel cobalt leading

edges, thus optimizing airfoil efficiency and allowing for a larger 96-inch diameter with less blade tip noise.

Modification specialists have also contributed to decrease aircraft drag, and therefore fuel consumption and weight, thanks to a complete nose-totail customization. Blackhawk Aerospace estimates that its modifications, including engines, propellers, new interiors and glass cockpit avionics, can, depending upon the type of aircraft selected, increase their climb rate by up to 60%, and cruise speed by up to 40%.

Raisbeck Engineering has developed a number of modifications such as Dual Aft Body Strakes (DABS) that improves an aircraft’s directional stability, passenger comfort, pilot control and aircraft handling. Wing to body vortices normally disrupt the airflow under the aircraft’s aft fuselage, resulting in drag. Raisbeck’s DABS eliminate this separation, channeling the vortices and accelerating the air, creating a better climb and cruise performance. Also, Raisbeck’s new composite 5-Blade swept propellers, combining airfoil efficiency and carbon fiber structural design to maximize thrust, enhance climb and cruise speed performance and takeoff and landing distances without increasing noise levels in the airplane or on the ground. Operators can enjoy 4% better runway acceleration, improved landing deceleration and weight savings over other propeller materials.

Cabin Interiors Much like aerostructures, cabin interiors have been put on a weightloss regime. They have witnessed an impactful, significant evolvement over the past five decades in which com-

posite materials have had a disruptive journey and played a pivotal role in upgrading the overall cabin interiors.

All the major players are working closely with the aircraft OEMs to develop advanced lightweight interior systems that offer excellent aesthetics and aid operators to improve the overall passenger’s experience.

Composite materials are the perennial choice in fabricating structural parts of those systems, as the materials not only offer the advantages of being light in weight and high strength-to-weight ratio, but also improve the overall cabin aesthetics.

For suppliers, the interiors market represents a sizeable consumer of raw materials. Glass fiber-reinforced composites represent about 65% of total volumes. Carbon fiber composites make up most of the remainder, with limited application of aramid fiber composites (primarily in the cargo compartments). Based on the pressure to include more IFE and reduce operating costs, the use of carbon fiber composites will nearly reach parity with glass fiber composites by 2022.

Beyond traditional applications in the floorboards, ceiling and panels, monuments and other components, seating has become a major focal point for composites applications. Light-weighting seats can enable major aircraft weight reductions. Zodiac Aerospace, teamed with Hexcel, has developed new all-composite seats manufactured from Hexcel’s HexPly carbon fiber prepregs, which provide light weight, mechanical resistance and aesthetic appearance. The armrests and tray tables are manufactured from Hexcel’s HexMC compression molding process, providing a strong resistance.

Concerning Bombardier, the Canadian manufacturer has produced the Nuage chaise, a first in Business Aviation. Modular, very light weight and inspired by a chaise longue, its minimalist style lends to the cabin’s open feeling, while its varied functionality gives this space a lot of versatility. A four-in-one design, the Nuage chaise can be used for meetings, dining, lounging and sleeping, broadening the utility of the whole cabin. The Nuage chaise is already featured aboard Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft.

Recently, Jet Aviation Basel redelivered a Boeing BBJ with a custom VIP cabin interior and aircraft livery. With the aircraft having to regularly meet long-range flight missions, a lightweight cabin interior was critical.

Therefore, Jet Aviation Basel leveraged technology improvements from its extensive investment in the Boeing 787 platform and developed a sound insulation optimization technique that decreased the weight by 30%.

Last August, GDC Technics constructed a customized B777 interior cabin for a confidential head-of-state customer that weighs in 1,000 pounds below project estimates. For Brad Foreman, GDC Technics CEO: “We are continuing our trend on delivering aircraft with innovative designs and nanotechnology materials that are far below the estimated weight – resulting in a more fuel efficient and longer range aircraft. New fabrication techniques and advanced-technology materials result in cabins that are 20% lighter than industry norms, an enormous advantage for customers.

Concerning connectivity, the latest technology for communication and

entertainment is used, integrated onto carbon-fiber and conventional aircraft platforms. We also use 3D printing. Lightweight, precision-crafted cabin interior and IFE components are advancing this technology from rapid prototyping to superior finished goods.”

F/LIST, the Austrian-based business with subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, USA, United Kingdom, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, has delivered more than 1,500 cabin interiors for aircraft manufacturers such as Bombardier, Embraer and Pilatus. EASA Part 21G, 21J and 145 certifications allow F/LIST to cover the entire VIP cabin interior value chain, starting from engineering to production and final installation of interior components.

For the company, its composite technology, including lightweight structures and non-dimpling liners, has allowed a 15-25% weight reduction compared to conventional construction techniques.

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STYLE

Raisbeck DABS (top left).

Bombardier’s Nuage chaise (top right).

Jet Aviation’s Boeing 787 cabin design (below).

GREEN MODIFICATIONS

HIGH-END

F/LIST’s Embraer interiors (top left).

True Blue Power battery (top right).

High speed inflight Wifi adds to private jet experience (below).

The wires and cables inside the airframe are also heavy. Today, engineers are researching the possibility of replacing wiring in some non-avionic systems, such as those that control cabin lighting, cabin pressure, landing gear and door sensors, with small, lightweight wireless transceivers.

Using long-life batteries, the transceiver modules could be installed on components in the plane. The modules would gather and send data to router-like concentrators powered by the plane’s electrical system. Data needed by the pilot would be displayed on tablet PCs in the cockpit.

Always to save weight, some researchers are also looking into “flyby-wireless” systems that would replace wired connections between safety-critical avionics components, including an aircraft’s engine, navigation system and onboard computers.

A growing force behind the composites push is the increasing deployment of inflight entertainment (IFE) systems. It is increasingly common to see touch screens and other passenger interfaces for movies, games, music and telephone service. Manufacturers

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are aggressively pursuing Wi-Fi technology to support web browsing and other individualized passenger services. These features, unfortunately, are not light and the increased weight of electronics places even greater value on lightweight materials and designs that don’t impinge on passenger space and mobility. For Nexans, which produces cable and cabling solutions for aerospace, aluminumbased power cable solutions save weight, while smooth cables ease and speed up installation.

Also, the increasing use of personal electronic devices by passengers, including laptops, tablets and e-readers, is enriching the travel experience. In the democratic digital age, it is highly likely that the next step will be to empower the passenger to create his/her own entertainment by making available in-seat digital services like WIFI, broadband, satellite connections, Twitter, Facebook, texting, etc., while at the same time allowing operators to eliminate costly and weighty entertainment systems.

Batteries Aircraft batteries have always been relatively heavy, the reason why manufacturers are beginning to move from the use of Nickel Cadmium (Nicad) batteries to Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries, which can offer greater capacity for less weight. And this weight problem will be of paramount importance with the ongoing development of electric aircraft, as seen at NBAA-BACE last month.

Lithium-ion aircraft battery manufacturer True Blue Power recently introduced new, fifth-generation (Gen5) main-ship batteries. Engineered to address the many challenges that lead-

acid and nickel cadmium (nicad) technologies present, the True Blue Power Gen5 battery family eliminates expensive battery maintenance, frequent capacity checks, low-voltage operational delays, and most battery-related aircraft-on-ground situations. The Gen5 lithium-ion batteries weigh up to 60% less and deliver more amp hours per pound than any other aircraft battery. Furthermore, he weight savings are very good, saving as much as 100 pounds on large business jets.

The weight battle is certainly not yet won, but huge progress has been made during the last five decades. A typical example is the first Dassault Falcon Mystère 20, which first flew in 1963. Then, its maximum take-off weight (MTOW) was 30,325lb/13,646kg. If one compares it to a similar business aircraft flying today, with roughly identical size and performance, (for example the Embraer Phenom 300), it’s interesting to notice that its MTOW is nearly two times lower than that of the Dassault ancestor. For Embraer, this huge weight reduction has been partly due to the use of composites and honeycomb sandwich structures, but also lighter engines, resulting in increased cabin space and better performance.

In this respect, as we stressed above, less weight also means greater fuel efficiency and lower operating costs, which can add up to important savings. These potential savings are therefore making weight reduction a major priority for manufacturers wishing to offer greener aircraft, and one understands why their engineers continue to tirelessly research and develop new solutions.

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NBAA-BACE REPORT

NBAA-BACE EMBRACES THE FUTURE ON ALL FRONTS The world’s leading Business Aviation trade show fulfilled all promises this year. From new business jets and turboprop aircraft to the mobility solutions of tomorrow, the show had it all. What happened in Vegas set a new benchmark for future NBAA-BACE. From our Special Envoys in Las Vegas: Marc Grangier and Volker K. Thomalla

N

FLAGSHIP

A full-scale mockup of the new Gulfstream G700 was shown at the show.

BAA-BACE 2019, held in Las Vegas October 22 - 24, was, according to NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, “the most exiting convention the NBAA has ever hosted.” Business Aviation is amidst major changes and faces several challenges, and this year’s event highlighted these changes and embraced the future on all fronts. Sustainability, new technologies and skill shortages were just some of the major topics that dominated the panel discussions, exhibition halls and static display.

Forecasting the Future Eagerly awaited at each NBAABACE are the market outlooks from Honeywell Aerospace and JetNet iQ, which are traditionally published at

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the show. Honeywell’s 28th Global Business Aviation Outlook had both good and not so good news. First the good news. The company reports seeing strong growth in the short- to medium-term, which is mainly spurred by several new airplane models coming to market. Meanwhile, deliveries of new business jets should increase in the near term.

“Production ramp up on many new business jet platforms are expected to lead to a 7% increase in deliveries in 2020, following a strong projected growth in 2019 over 2018 aircraft deliveries,” says Heath Patrick, president, Americas Aftermarket, Honeywell Aerospace. “We are confident that these new and innovative aircraft models will support solid growth in the short-term and have a continuing impact on new business jet purchases in the mid- and longterm.”

Honeywell predicts deliveries of up to 7,600 business jets worth $248 billion from 2020 to 2029. However, the not so good news is that this number is down 100 aircraft, or 1 to 2 percentage points, from last year’s 10-year forecast.

In Europe, the uncertainty of the effects of Brexit, as well as an expected slower growth in the overall economy, have caused a decrease in new jet purchase plans. But Europe’s share of the global demand over the

next five years is expected to be in the range of 19%. The US and Canada continue to be the world’s strongest markets for business aircraft, with an expected 60% share. That being said, new jet purchase plans did decrease 2% in North America in this year’s survey, although 15% of the fleet is expected to be replaced or supplemented with a new jet purchase over the next five years.

JetNet iQ forecasts deliveries of 7,050 new jets worth $241 billion between 2019 and 2028. This number does not include personal jets like the single-engine Cirrus SF50 Vision.

According to JetNet iQ, the most popular Business Jets on the market are the Bombardier Challenger 350, the Pilatus PC-24 and the Gulfstream G500.

JetNet iQ is constantly analyzing the market conditions for used aircraft, too. According to their findings, as of August 31st, 2019, 9.6% of the worldwide business jet fleet was for sale.

This number is even below the lowest pre-crisis level in November 2007.

The highest number of pre-owned jets for sale ever recorded was in August 2009, when 17.7% of the fleet was for sale. “In 2019, the OEM’s backlogs rebounded for the first time post-crisis,” says Rollie Vincent, JetNet iQ creator and director.

A Star is Born Gulfstream Aerospace’s G700 made a rock star-like debut at the show.

The manufacturer had developed its new flagship in secrecy, and the unveiling of a full size cabin mock-up on the eve of NBAA-BACE was one of the highlights of the show. During the unveiling, Mark Burns, Gulfstream president, showed a video of the G700’s first prototype taxiing in Savannah under its own power, indicating that the G700’s first flight will happen soon. The G700’s preliminary range of 7,500 nm at Mach 0.85 comes close to the Bombardier Global 7500’s range of 7,700 nm, which is its main competitor.

The G700 will be without a doubt the largest, longest-range and heaviest business jet Gulfstream has ever built.

It comes with a price tag of $75 million. According to Gulfstream, the allnew cabin on the G700 allows customers to extend their personal and professional lifestyle to their aircraft.

With up to five living areas, the G700 offers an extra-large galley with a passenger lounge or crew compartment; a six-place dining or conference room; and a master suite with shower.

The Gulfstream Cabin Experience promotes and enhances wellness through its 20 panoramic oval windows, the largest in the industry, and the industry’s lowest cabin altitude, which offers 100% fresh air and an ultra-quiet interior. When the G700 cruises at flight level 450, the cabin altitude will be 4,060 ft. At flight level 510, the cabin altitude will be at 4,850 ft, reducing fatigue and enhancing the comfort for passengers and crew alike. No other purpose-built business jet has such a low cabin altitude at these flight levels.

“Gulfstream has a long tradition of listening to our customers, and the G700 cabin is the evolution of that collaboration,” says Burns. “Customers

shared how much they value flexibility and comfort in the cabin, all without compromising the speed and range advantages they have come to expect from Gulfstream.”

The G700 is powered by two RollsRoyce Pearl 700 turbofans, which is the second member of the Pearl family. It’s the most powerful Pearl engine, featuring 18,250 lbs take-off thrust and combines the proven technologies from the BR700 family with new technologies from Rolls-Royce’s Advance2 technology demonstrator programs.

Qatar Airways was identified as the international launch customer for the G700. Its charter service, Qatar Executive, is already operating a significant fleet of Gulfstream aircraft, including six G650ER and five G500.

Qatar has signed firm orders for 10 G700. Flexjet, the fractional ownership company, is the first US-based

customer for the type. It has committed to buying up to 16 G700.

New Falcon Coming Soon Dassault Aviation is busily working on the newest addition to its portfolio, the 5,500nm widebody Falcon 6X. The program is on schedule and, after successfully completing the Critical Design Review (CDR) last spring, the company has begun manufacturing parts for the new twinengine jet. “We have moved from the development phase to the industrialization phase,” says Carlos Brana, Dassault Executive Vice President of Civil Aviation.

In Biarritz, technicians have assembled the tail section (T5) of the first Falcon 6X, with the first fuselage sec-

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IN-ORDER

The Falcon 6X program is on schedule, says Carlos Brana.

NBAA-BACE REPORT

tion being assembled in Argenteuil.

The company has also begun production of the first wing set at its Martignas plant near Bordeaux. Final assembly of the 6X will take place at the Dassault plant at BordeauxMérignac airport.

The published specifications of the Falcon 6X remain unchanged: maximum speed will be Mach 0.90, with a max range of 5,500 nautical miles being achieved at Mach 0.80. At a cruise speed of Mach 0.85, the Falcon 6X still bridges 5,100 nm nonstop. The first flight of the Falcon 6X is scheduled to take place in 2021 as planned.

At NBAA-BACE, the company also announced its intention to unveil an all-new Falcon business jet soon. The concept is currently being developed on the brand-new 3D experience platform. “It’s premature to talk about this new aircraft, but next year, we can give you more details on the new Falcon,” says Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

On the subject of a supersonic business jet, Trappier said a lot of questions remain to be answered before such an aircraft could be built. “It has to be environmentally compatible, otherwise it will not be built,” he says.

CATCHY

Citation Longitude (top left).

Ron Draper (top right).

PC-12 NGX (center) and its BMW Designworks interiors (below).

Textron Goes Big Textron Aviation brought an impressive line-up of its business aircraft to NBAA-BACE. The newest and largest certified aircraft on display was the super midsize Citation Longitude, the largest business jet built by Textron so far. The aircraft was certified a month ago and entered service in October. Also on display was a Citation Latitude, the most delivered midsize jet three years in a row.

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At NBAA, Textron revealed the industry’s first interactive, 3D fullcolor technical library following the Citation Latitude’s entry into service.

The so-called 3DPubs help technicians review and validate maintenance processes before working on an aircraft. It also expedites trouble shooting on an aircraft. Using a color-coding system, technicians can quickly differentiate visuals to identify line replacement units, hardware, discarded parts, sealant application areas and specialized tools.

3DPubs contain thousands of maintenance procedures, wiring diagram reference designators and parts catalogs.

“2019 has been a great year for us,” says Ron Draper, President and CEO of Textron Aviation, noting that the fourth quarter will be strong and that he expects 2020 to be another good year due to a limited availability of used aircraft and only 8.2% of the Citation fleet for sale.

Pilatus Offers Counterpunch To counter future competition by the Textron Denali, Pilatus quietly and with no fuss developed its “Next Big Thing”: the PC-12 NGX, which it unveiled in Vegas. Incorporating an improved engine, smarter avionics and a completely redesigned cabin

cabin services with tip-to-tail solutions for new and in-service aircraft.

This agreement is a first step toward the launch of Bombardier’s comprehensive Smart Link Plus connected aircraft program, which will be of major importance during the next decade. Launching in the second half of 2020, Smart Link Plus will help Bombardier customers drive operations and maintenance decisions by leveraging fleet-wide data.

GE Aviation is also working closely with Bombardier on the developwith square windows enlarged by 10%, this new aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6E-67XP featuring an Electronic Propeller and Engine Control System including Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) – a first in this market segment. In addition, the new propeller’s low speed mode results in a significant reduction in cabin noise for great passenger comfort. The new turboprop engine enables the aircraft to achieve a maximum cruise speed of 290 KTAS (537 km per hour).

The aircraft also boast a number advanced features, such as the Pristfree fuel operation and Advanced Cockpit Environment (ACE) System

by Honeywell. In another first for the segment, Pilatus combines the power of a cursor control device with the versatility of a smart touch screen controller in a truly professional flight deck. The digital autothrottle reduces pilot workload for greater safety and ensures automatic power optimization in every phase of flight.

Concerning the cabin, six different BMW Designworks’ interiors are offered, with new light passenger seats with full-recline capability.

Scheduled maintenance intervals have been extended to 600 flight hours, and the TBO has also been increased from 4,000 to 5,000 hours.

Base price of the PC-12 NGX in 2020 is $4,390,000, with a typically equipped executive-configured aircraft priced at $5,369,000.

Although the secret was well kept, to keep abreast of competition, the aircraft is already certified and customer deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2020.

A Smart Move Bombardier disclosed a Preferred Service Provider (PSP) agreement with GE Aviation. GE will power Bombardier’s cockpit and cabin connectivity solutions – including new, curated service bundles that will simplify the selection of cockpit and

ment of the Smart Link Plus box – a Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) “smart” box capable of generating key data for customers, enabling them to increase operational efficiency and minimize return-to-service times through data-driven decisions. Eligible Challenger and Global customers will receive this HMU “brain” free-of-charge. The smart box, at the heart of the program, will provide aircraft data to Bombardier’s digital platform, where it will be analyzed and transferred into actionable insights by drawing on Bombardier’s aircraft expertise and leveraging the power of the entire connected fleet.

Apart from announcing a range increase for its latest Global 5500 business jet - 5,900 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 - Bombardier also showcased a full-size interior mock-up of the newest member of its Learjet family, the Learjet 75 Liberty, which is expected to enter service in 2020.

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LINEUP

Bombardier showcased its Learjet 75 Liberty (top), Global 6500 (center) at the show, where it also announced partnership with GE Aviation (below).

NBAA-BACE REPORT

Praetors Launch Embraer proudly publicized a purchase agreement with Flexjet. Valued at up to $1.4 billion, at current list prices, this deal was included in the 2019 second quarter backlog, with deliveries starting in the fourth quarter of 2019. The deal comprises a fleet of Embraer business jets, which includes the recently certified Praetor jets and the Phenom 300. With this purchase agreement, Flexjet becomes Embraer’s Praetor fleet launch customer.

DISPLAY

Michimasa Fujino (top left).

HondaJet Elite (top right) and its medevac version (center left).

Flexjet’s Phenom 300 (center right).

Praetor 500 (below).

HondaJet Continues to Deliver Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino mentioned the first installation of a medevac configuration on the HondaJet Elite. The medevac configuration was installed on a HondaJet Elite owned

by Wing Spirit, an air ambulance and charter company based in Hawaii.

Additionally, due to increased demand for the HondaJet, Honda Aircraft has begun construction on a second FlightSafety International HondaJet Elite simulator. The company revealed that the second simulator will be located in Farnborough, United Kingdom, where it will support HondaJet’s European customers.

It is expected to begin operation in April 2020.

According to Fujino, the HondaJet has been the most delivered aircraft in its class for the first half of 2019, based on numbers provided by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). During the first six months of the year, 17 aircraft were delivered to customers around the world. Present rate of production is one aircraft per week.

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to, runway change or vector-to-final via head-up technologies instead of relying on head-down displays. The system is designed specifically to make these operations more intuitive, made feasible by integrating the headup display with key FMS functionality.

This is the next generation in UA’s drive to expand Head Up operations, augmenting the real world through Head Up technologies with Line-ofSight (head-tracking) functionality that pilots can use to accomplish highly demanding tasks during critiThe company’s new Praetor 500 midsize business jet was granted its FAA and EASA Type Certificate at the end of September, less than a year after the program was announced. Embraer also indicated that Jet Flight Service, based at Vnukovo International Airport, had been approved as an Embraer Authorized Service Center (EASC) to expand their support for Legacy 600/650 customers in Moscow, Russia.

Daher on a Quest The Daher group has acquired Quest Aircraft Company, a Sandpoint, Idaho based company that produces the Kodiak aircraft. “By expanding its product line to include both the Kodiak and TBM, Daher becomes the seventh-ranked general aviation aircraft manufacturer worldwide,” says Daher CEO Didier Kayat.

The Kodiak is an all-terrain multimission aircraft, with more than 270 units in use worldwide by air-taxi, recreational and leisure operators, along with businesses, pilot-owners and humanitarian organizations.

Beyond the OEMs Of course, NBAA-BACE is much more than an OEM showcase – it covers the entire gauntlet of Business Aviation. While in Vegas, Universal Avionics CEO Dror Yahav gave BART an exclusive presentation on its ‘Fly By Sight’ Navigation System, which combines ClearVision SkyLens Head Wearable Display (HWD) and the company’s recently unveiled Interactive FMS (i-FMS). The ‘Fly By Sight’ Navigation System reduces head-down time in high workload environments by enabling the pilot to conduct critical functions like a direct-

cal phases of flight. The ‘Fly By Sight’ will be offered as an add-on to existing cockpit systems, as a retrofit package, or as part of the company’s integrated Insight ClearVision cockpit solution.

This year’s show was the occasion for Blackhawk Modifications to celebrate its 20th year in business.

Since its creation, Blackhawk has engineered, certified and offered the turboprop aircraft market over 30 individual STCs. To date, there are over 850 customers worldwide who are flying with one of the many Blackhawk XP Engine+ Upgrades.

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ACQUISITION

Didier Kayat (top left) announced the Quest Kodiak (top right) is now a Daher product.

Blackhawk Modifications (center).

Dror Yahav (below).

NBAA-BACE REPORT

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) came back on its acquisition of MRO software specialist Trackware Ltd. For Neil Book, president and CEO of JSSI, this adjunction will be crucial in the future of his company, as it is responsible for maintaining in excess of 2,000 business and regional jets and helicopters around the world and, as a result, manages close to 10,000 maintenance events per year, working with a wide cross section of MROs. Jet Aviation Staffing and FlightSafety International have set up a global pilot training partnership program powered by the hullo Aircrew

TEAMWORK

Jet Aviation to use GE analytics service (top left).

Neil Book (top right).

Standardaero booth (center).

Jet Aviation and FlightSafety formed training partnership (below).

Blackhawk also announced the alignment of several mutually-owned aviation-based companies under one umbrella that will be branded as Blackhawk Aerospace. It will encompass four groups: Blackhawk Modifications, Blackhawk Composites, Blackhawk Aerospace Solutions (formerly known as Vector-Hawk Aerospace) and Blackhawk Aircraft Sales.

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platform. This program was created in support of the freelance workforce.

This training opportunity allows pilots to complete recurrent training, with Jet Aviation Staffing ensuring payment of the upfront costs for eligible pilots and offering a flexible re-payment plan. hullo Aircrew provides a platform to connect freelance and contract aircrew members with operators in a fast and simple process.

This time with GE Aviation, Jet Aviation has signed a long-term agreement for a comprehensive safety and fleet modernization project including C-FOQA. The program covers Jet Aviation’s global fleet of some 300-aircraft, including Airbus, Boeing BBJ, Bombardier, Dassault, Gulfstream and more.

StandardAero announced that it will open its first European-based Business Aviation parts warehouse in Amsterdam in January 2020 to support operators and strengthen the company’s parts support in the EMEA region.

The new facility will stock current parts that support Honeywell TFE731, HTF7000, CFE738 engines and Honeywell APU parts. Additional future expansions will include parts to support Learjet, Challenger, Global, Gulfstream, Hawker, Falcon and Citation airframes.

The new parts warehouse expands StandardAero’s current capacity and improves customer access to critical parts inventory. Additionally, it complements the company’s continuing investment in Europe to expand its footprint, facilities and services to improve support for European customers and European-based aircraft.

The company also indicated it was currently completing its 10,000th Falcon airframe service event since the year 2000, on a recently acquired Falcon 7X. It will also be modifying the 7X for LPV, Synthetic Vision, Honeywell Jetwave Satcom and a Collins Venue Cabin Management System. Additionally, an interior bulkhead modification will be completed that will add one more legal seat location usable for takeoff, taxi and landing.

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SCHEDULERS & DISPATCHERS CONFERENCE Stay up-to-date on the latest operational information critical to your job function, discover new vendors and suppliers in the growing exhibit hall, and network with your peers. Whether this is your first time joining us or you’re a seasoned SDC veteran, you’ll want to make plans to attend.

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March 10-13

2020 CHARLOTTE, NC

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AVIONICS REPORT

SATCOM DIRECT HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF IFC SUPPORT TRAINING Today, the Business Aviation industry faces an ever-changing field of cyberattacks. Yet with the right training and systems, avionics companies can provide a high level of security.

BART’s Avionics Editor Steve Nichols looks at what Satcom Direct has recently been doing in this field

A

INSTRUCTION

The SD Entry into Service facility delivers essential aviation IT training on board their aircraft.

s inflight connectivity on business aircraft becomes more commonplace, the demand for cabin crew and fleet operators to have relevant IT skills has increased. The risks of cybercrime have also increased too with business aircraft becoming high priority targets for hackers.

To combat this Satcom Direct (SD) recently bolstered its IT training for the Business Aviation sector.

The second edition of aeroIT, SD’s aviation IT certification, is now available with renewed content and an exam updated to reflect the changes.

SD’s training programs have been added to the curricula offered at both FlightSafety International (FSI) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the number of SD digital self-learning courses has grown.

Revisions to the aeroIT course place more focus on cybersecurity, the latest communications systems

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and information technology advancements to ensure aviation IT professionals’ knowledge is current with the most recent developments.

The revised exam, designed to test candidates’ understanding of developing connectivity technologies, will enable existing aeroIT certificate holders to renew their existing qualification.

The updated aeroIT course now forms part of FlightSafety International’s new Cabin Master Technician program. Embry-Riddle has also approved the inclusion of aeroIT as part of its new Bachelor’s degree, Aviation Maintenance Science with an area of concentration in cybertechnology, avionics and security.

The first group of students taking the program began studies this fall.

The supporting SD aeroIT study book, newly reprinted in its second edition is a required text for EmbryRiddle students.

The aeroIT course is also available through SD’s recently enhanced Learning Management System which provides computer-based training with videos and digital material. Students can fit studying into their work schedule and complete the course at their own pace.

For candidates preferring an immersive instructor led experience SD offers aeroIT training at its Melbourne, Florida facility and FlightSafety International delivers the aeroIT renewal course in Savannah, the Dallas North Learning Center and the recently added, Long Beach location.

The dedicated aeroCNCT course, created to support industry professionals that work with, or are responsible for, connectivity during flight is also offered at the Savannah facility.

In addition to making updates to the aeroIT and CyberSAFE courses, the new self-paced courses cover a range of topics with datalink, air-to-ground, satellite modules featured, as well as

courses related to SD products and services, including the SD Pro operating system.

Jason Rigby, director of training for SD, said: “Our approach is holistic, so our network partners are incredibly important to us. We are excited to provide enhanced access to our materials via the highly-respected FlightSafety International, Embry-Riddle establishments and our improved LMS. “We know that an always-on generation expects connectivity to perform all the time and this drives our continuous educational development program so we can support our customers, so they can support their passengers, crew and employees. As aviators ourselves we understand that reliable, professional training is essential for sector development. The latest additions and updates, along with our growing network of educational partners, firmly positions SD’s training modules at the core of Business Aviation IT training.”

Since launch three years ago, more than 700 candidates have completed the aeroIT course. In 2018 alone, 205 candidates achieved an 86% pass rate of the accredited exam for aeroIT, and 74 students completed the aeroCNCT test with 85% passing. A further 16 customers have already maximized the opportunity to renew their certificates.

FlightSafety International offers the Satcom Direct AeroIT certification preparation course.

AeroIT was the world’s first information technology certification for aviation and equips aircraft technicians, maintenance, IT personnel and crew with vital knowledge of today’s sophisticated airborne communications systems.

Satcom Direct says the aeroIT prep course and certification exam equip flight departments with the knowledge to configure and troubleshoot onboard networks and SATCOM systems, which both enhances technicians’ professional development and supports their organizations’ missions.

Students completing the courses can take their exam on campus or via the digital Questionmark platform, which SD administers. The aeroIT credential is valid for three years and then must be renewed to remain current.

Additional levels of certification are in development to validate different levels of mastery.

In collaboration with SD, FlightSafety offers the TTTCabin Communications and Cabin Management courses in Savannah, Georgia and Teterboro, New Jersey for both maintenance technicians and flight crews. aeroIT was initially offered in Savannah and includes an option for future expansion into other FlightSafety training centers. aeroIT ultimately will be incorporated into FlightSafety’s Avionics and Cabin Master Technician programs. SD continues to offer aeroIT training at its offices across the globe.

Satcom Direct (SD) launched a CyberSAFE (Securing Assets for End Users) course back in 2017.

The course, originally developed in conjunction with Logical Operations, educates users about technology-related risks and provides practical solutions to this continuously emerging threat to business and industry.

Contrary to popular opinion, being in a business aircraft does not exempt you from a cyber threat. Even if you are in the air, if you can see the internet, then hackers can see you – and that means you are vulnerable.

Business aircraft operators need to manage and monitor cybersecurity if they are to avoid costly hacking events and other issues with their company’s precious data. The aircraft can become targets, with hackers knowing that there are high net worth individuals on board.

The number of cybersecurity attacks worldwide is increasing every year.

From the period between 2013-2015, it was reported that the cost of cyber crimes quadrupled, costing between $400-£500 billion.

And in a recent Cybersecurity Ventures report, it predicted the cost of cyber threats will rise to $6 trillion annually by 2021.

This cost includes everything from damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement, fraud, post-attack disruption to businesses, forensic investigation, restoration and deleted hacked data and systems and much more.

The “Cybersecurity Standards for Aircraft to Improve Resilience Act of 2016” (more commonly known as the “Cyber AIR Act”), introduced to US Congress in April of 2016, shows just

how serious the cybersecurity threat is to Business Aviation.

SD says it takes airborne cybersecurity very seriously indeed, which is why it introduced its SD Threat Monitoring assessment and consultation services and SD SkyProtect service.

SkyProtect can audit and assess a flight department operation and provide recommendations on its security practices. It says it can also evaluate the “state of the network” and educate on best practices and standards.

To mitigate these threats, other than the full-blown private network, it also offers real-time threat monitoring, penetration testing, antivirus/malware/firewall protection; and will work the flight department to create policies for them to adhere to, such as a policy on passengers and “BYOD” – Bring Your Own Device usage.

Michael Skov Christensen, VP Satcom Direct International, said: “For a very long time corporate flight departments had IT compliance in their organization. But the only place that didn’t extend to was their aircraft.

“A lot of the information being sent to and from their aircraft is highly sensitive. So the risk of having no control of the data over a satellite link is a total no go.”

SD’s SkyProtect offering is a range of security solutions, tailored to the flight department – such as onsite risk assessments, recommended security postures and policies, active monitoring of security threats to their aircraft to ensure the integrity of the network.

Its team of technical solutions managers will make recommendations on how to combat security risks found within a flight department through a

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SECURITY

The militarygrade SD Datacenter in Florida.

AVIONICS REPORT

PROTECTION

CyberSAFE courses educate users about technologyrelated risks.

H O N E Y W E L L’ S G L O B A L B U S I N E S S AVIATION O UTLOOK F ORECASTS N EW DELIVERIES WORTH $248BN

Honeywell’s annual Global Business Aviation Outlook, unveiled at NBAA, predicts 2020 deliveries will be higher than 2019 as new models enter service.

It forecasts up to 7,600 new business jet deliveries worth $248 billion from 2020 to 2029, down 1-2 percentage points from the 2018 10-year forecast.

The report says five-year purchase plans for new business jets are down slightly, but plans to buy used jets have grown significantly. Its long-range forecast predicts a healthy market with steady annual growth.

A key finding was that operators plan to make new jet purchases equivalent to about 17% of their fleets over the next five years as replacements or additions to their current fleet – a decrease of three percentage points compared with 2018 survey results.

It said operators continue to focus on larger-cabin aircraft classes, from large cabin through ultra-long range aircraft, which are expected to account for more than 71% of all expenditures of new business jets in the next five years.

The longer-range forecast through 2029 projects a 2-3% average annual growth rate in line with expected worldwide economic growth.

In terms of regional differences, compared with last year, new aircraft acquisition plans in North America are slightly lower. It was a similar note for Europe where operators in Germany and France are facing a slow economic growth environment. Lower purchase plans were reported in the Middle East and Africa, impacted by political tensions and ongoing conflicts in the region.

It was better news in Latin America where purchase plans are stable and are lower by only one percentage point.

The good news continues in Asia Pacific, where despite geopolitical and commercial tensions, purchase plans are higher, up by three percentage points.

Gaetan Handfield, senior manager, market analysis, Honeywell Aerospace, said: “We surveyed 1,600 operators worldwide who manage 4,600 aircraft. The biggest surprise for me was the interest in used aircraft this year.”

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suite of practices that adheres to ISO 27001 and NIST standards.

These include network discovery, risk assessment and threat monitoring services.

To facilitate this, SD also has its own state-of-the-art, military-grade data center in Florida, a secured hub for customer connectivity and valueadded services, where it can support clients’ data management from the aircraft and host servers.

The SD Data Center is a 25,000 sq. ft. purpose-built facility that meets Tier III standards, complies with major industry requirements, and is designed to withstand a category five hurricane.

It also offers the SD Private Network – a global communications framework that interconnects with satellite and air-to-ground connectivity providers via the SD Data Center and its multiple points of presence (POPs), worldwide. The company says the SD Private Network offers an unparalleled level of security and reliability to every product and service it offers.

This allows the application of SD proprietary value-added services to improve data speeds, create seamless transitions between ground-based and airborne communications networks, filter unwanted data transmissions to and from the aircraft, and enable the use of computers and personal devices in-flight, just like on the ground.

“This is bespoke and tailored to a specific company’s requirements,” said Skov Christensen. “Our goal is to ensure that data remains secure throughout the whole ecosystem.”

With POPs located in the US and Europe, it can also offer flexible routing and addressing options to meet

corporate policies and regulatory requirements.

All SD customers using its products and services can opt for SD Custom Routing, offering an added level of protection and control.

By selecting SD Custom Routing, all of a client’s airborne data traffic can be delivered from the connectivity provider directly to their corporate network, bypassing their public routing and the internet.

The SD Private Network infrastructure is constantly monitored to ensure 100% uptime. The latest IT security and best practices are applied and maintained to meet the compliance requirements for numerous industries.

SD’s in-house network security experts also stay ahead of evolving security threats and proactively monitor network activity so that it can identify and block intrusion attempts in real-time.

“Our aim is to bring total peace of mind to our customers,” concluded Skov Christensen.

Jason Rigby added: “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.

“Our CyberSAFE course educates users about technology-related risks and their responsibilities as an enduser in protecting organizations from them.”

The course is designed for selfpaced learning, but it also can be delivered in person and via online, live instructor-led sessions through SD’s Learning Management System (LMS) at satcomdirect.motivelearning.com.

Taking approximately three hours it is followed by an online assessment, which upon successful completion delivers students the Certified CyberSAFE credential.

“It’s surprising how little thought many of us give to cybersecurity in our day-to-day actions but cyberattacks 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,” concluded Rigby.

✈

CRITICAL AVIATION SAFETY INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Take advantage of FSF’s comprehensive online resources.

As the only independent, impartial and international source for aviation safety, the Flight Safety Foundation takes keeping our skies safe seriously.

To ensure the aviation industry has the most up-to-date safety information, the FSF website is your go-to repository of comprehensive, trustworthy aviation safety information.

As safety continues to evolve from reactive to predictive to proactive, FSF members gain insight through expanded online offerings, including curated external content and our own AeroSafety World journal in a digital-only format for maximum flexibility. Moreover, you are able to interact via an exclusive online community designed to facilitate additional discussion of key safety initiatives.

Gain vital insight and help us keep the skies safe by becoming a member today. www.flightsafety.org ©2019 Flight Safety Foundation 701 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 250, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Visit flightsafety.org, information@flightsafety.org or call +1 (703) 739 6700

FROM THE COCKPIT

PRACTICE

Upset Prevention and Recovery Training helps pilots prevent loss of control in flight.

RECOVERY FROM C LOSS OF CONTROL Losing control hundreds or thousands of feet above the ground can present unique and at times, fatal challenges. Capt. LeRoy Cook writes about the best practices to avoid loss of aircraft control

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ontrol of the aircraft is a basic tenet of flight. In fact, the Wright Brothers were noted not so much for lifting off in the first successful heavier-than-air craft, but for perfecting a method of steering the apparatus, achieved by persistent experimentation. The dynamics of producing lift had been roughed out earlier by Cayley and Lilienthal, but control of a flying machine’s path in the air had been elusive.

Some 115 years later, we still find ourselves struggling to keep control of our airplane under difficult circum-

stances. At the top of the National Business Aviation Association’s 2018 Top Safety Focus checklist is the ever (un)popular “Loss Of ControlInflight”, its LOC-I acronym bestowed on aircraft accidents caused by pilots who evidently didn’t have their aircraft under control as the event occurred. This broad-brush term covers a multitude of sins leading up to the event, but common to all such accidents is the fact that the aircraft was running amuck; unlike CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) or most accidents from resulting from mechanical failures, the pilot did not have control of the plane at impact.

More so than assigning a neat category to the mishap, we need to focus on the ways to maintain and regain, flight control to prevent such an accident.

Armchair analysis leads us to wonder “why did the crew allow the aircraft to depart controlled flight, and why didn’t they take charge of the situation?”

Obviously, if the pilot flying had understood more of what the aircraft was telling him, he wouldn’t have ridden it to the ground, out of control. Proper response only takes place if recognition triggers action.

And so, before we smugly wrap ourselves in a blanket of “I wouldn’t have done that”, it’s important to understand the difficulties of maintaining control when spatial disorientation and equipment loss intervene. The crew of Air France 447, out over the dark South Atlantic ocean in 2009 when their pitot/static system became inoperative, struggled to regain control from what they thought was an overspeed condition, when in fact the Airbus A330 was stalling. In the out-of-control interval from FL350 to sea level, nothing in the sophisticated cockpit made sense to

them. There might have gone us, under similar circumstances.

Preventing a LOC accident requires assessment and training. Assessment means that we become aware that something is amiss, triggering us to apply solutions learned from past experience and training. A loss of one engine’s thrust during a takeoff situation, as with the ill-fated King Air 200’s crash at Wichita, Kansas in 2014, can easily result in loss of control, given the difficulty of recognizing an engine failure and managing a badly-flying airplane close to the ground. That the aircraft was not climbing away under control, but instead turned and descended into a FlightSafety International simulator learning center, obviously meant control was lost, and it was never regained before the tragic accident occurred. The King Air pilot correctly assessed the loss of the left engine, but did not act in time, with only 120 feet of altitude available.

Recognizing an abnormal condition early on is critical to assessment, but action can only interrupt the accident chain if the assessment continues to resolution. Not long ago, I picked up an airplane from maintenance to ferry it back to home base. Its fuel status was uncertain, given the length of time the aircraft had been in the shop, but a half-hour of flight would suffice to bring us home, and the gauges showed adequate reserve fuel for the short hop.

As we climbed out, the left wing’s fuel level continued to show a reassuring figure, while the right side dropped noticeably, as expected. The abnormality did not resolve after leveling off, and I was no longer comfortable with my departure assessment. Rather than continue with uncertain fuel, we divert-

ed to an airport half-way along our route. When the left tank was topped off it held more than the placarded usable capacity, even though its optimistic fuel sender was still sending the same information to the gauge upon landing as it had at departure. Added repairs had to be effected before we returned the aircraft to full flight status.

Dealing with a possible loss of control was averted by acting before the engine quit.

Flying Without a Pilot The LOC-I accident category was initially based on stall/spin causes, but was broadened to include any event wherein the aircraft was not under human or automatic flight control. An unrecovered upset condition from a wake turbulence encounter could be categorized as in-flight loss of control, and a departure from controlled engine-out flight below Vmc could be another LOC-I event. Clear air turbulence and convective weather encounters can also precipitate LOC-I. And there are any number of distracting factors that might lead pilots into loss of control while they are preoccupied with other matters, such as ice buildup, oxygen deprivation, an avionics malfunction or ATC rerouting – or suddenly running out of fuel.

However we got there, our job as pilots is to regain control with minimal stress and strain on the aircraft.

Multiple alarms and warning lights may be going off; their significance can be an aid to assessment, or a distraction from the basic task of flying the airplane. Assessing the situation is crucial, but unless ground contact is imminent one should take time to consider all indications. Checklists may need to be brought up, but in critical situations

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HAZARD

Pilots can lose control after encountering turbulence from wake or weather.

FROM THE COCKPIT after exiting the spin. We also see an inadvertent pitch-up into a climb, rather than stabilizing in level flight, resulting from the high airspeed following recovery.

regaining control is the first priority, followed by running the checklist.

In LOC circumstances, it’s important to revert to basic attitude control, supplemented by thrust management. If attitude and performance indications conflict, perhaps from an instrumentation or sensor failure, use alternative attitude references to eliminate a fault in the primary presentation, or employ reversionary modes. Basic flying should mean the wings are level and the nose is on or just below the horizon. Traditional jet aircraft stall recovery focused on adding maximum thrust and letting the aircraft accelerate out of the underspeed condition; we now hasten the recovery by lowering the nose to get the wing’s angle of attack back into working range. If there’s any doubt about the veracity of the airspeed reference, as with a frozen pitot, check the trend on the groundspeed readout, or simply observe the airplane’s response to normal control inputs, which will be lacking in a stall.

EQUATION

In aviation, if you set a certain power setting and attitude, you will get the performance you want.

The Basic Formula for Flight Always remember the E=mc2 of aviation; power + attitude = performance.

For every desired flight condition, there is a power required and an attitude to be maintained. When dealing with loss of control, establish and hold these two inputs until stabilized flight is regained. Disconnect any automatic flight controls and fly manually into a safe flight regime, then reapply automation incrementally, watching for signs of a runaway servo or failed instrument.

In teaching stall recovery, the most frequent mistake I observe is a tooearly return to level flight. Unloading the wing by forward yoke or stick movement removes the aerodynamic

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indications of a stall, and perhaps restores straight flight as the wings tend to become level. However, yanking the nose back up before airspeed rebuilds, which can take a few seconds, reloads the wing as the airplane pulls out of the descent. At that point, the stall indication, or even a full stall, recurs, leading to even more altitude loss and workload. The quickest way to regain straight-and-level flight is to break the stall and keep the airplane moving away from the critical Alpha condition.

A stall that departs into a rotating mode, or spin, usually results from delayed stall recovery inputs. If a wing drops at the stall, the opposite wing is obviously still producing lift and the autorotation of a spin is set up. The airplane’s nose will drop precipitously, far below the horizon, if in a normal center or gravity range, and that is actually a good thing, leading the way to recovery if proper control inputs are made.

Despite the nose-low attitude, the wing’s angle of attack is still in a stalled range, requiring an illogical forward movement of the yoke or stick for recovery. Anti-spin rudder application should precede this action, held until rotation stops, but it is the lowering of angle of attack that brings the airplane back into normal controlled flight. Due to the extreme diving pitch attitude encountered in a developed spin, reducing power to idle is necessary to reduce recovery stress.

Spin recovery errors usually observed include a reflexive anti-spin aileron input, which aggravates the spin rather than aiding recovery; ailerons should be held neutral until out of the spin and its underlying stall.

Another frequent error is allowing a dangerously excessive speed build-up

Steer Clear of the Stall Rather than allowing a stall and/or spin to develop, it is better to avoid loss of control in the first place, by proactive application of attitude and power inputs, or to regain control early on. As military and aerobatic trained pilots know, a stall cannot occur if the wing is carrying little or no G-load. This “unloading” of the wing requires forward yoke or stick movement, and if adequate power or sacrificial altitude is available, airspeed will build to permit a return to straight and level flight. If encountering turbulence or any upsetting condition that takes the airplane out of controlled flight, basic recovery technique is to keep the wing unloaded or lightly loaded, roll the shortest way to wings level, and adjust power as required.

When There’s Little To Work With Loss of control situations are easier to deal with in daytime visual meteorological conditions. Having to regain control without a visible horizon, in the dark or in cloud, requires reliance on often-confusing instrument indications, compounded by spatial disorientation. If there’s a distraction from a fault in the aircraft or demands from ATC, it can easily overpower the pilot’s ability to cope. If two pilots are available, one should devote his or her efforts to keeping the aircraft in stable flight while the non-flying pilot handles troubleshooting or ATC duties. If single-pilot, use any automation that’s available, but bear in mind the autopilot’s modes may be compromised if it’s being used beyond its upset limits or there’s an instrument failure that’s causing the control problem. Without help, do the most important thing first; fly the airplane.

As the name implies, loss of control means that aircraft control was once available, before it was lost, and therefore it is possible to regain control, given early intervention, some available altitude and a bit of luck.

One can improve the luck component with training for LOC-I, by assessing and taking charge while there’s still time.

✈

THE DOCKET

TOWARDS A GREEN FINANCE FOR BUSINESS AVIATION

The growing awareness of the urgency to address climate change calls for a better alignment of the financial system. Giulia Mauri presents an overview of worldwide efforts on sustainable finance in the bizav sector

I

IMMINENT

Back to the Future’s vision of garbagefueled cars is indeed slowly taking shape.

n 1985, Dr. Emmett L. Brown (also known as ‘Doc’) built a time machine from a retrofitted DeLorean car. The first journey that took Doc and his friend Marty McFly to 1955 was fuelled by a plutonium nuclear reactor, but the last flight of the first Back to the Future’s film trilogy was fuelled by garbage. The energy source was a ‘Mr. Fusion generator’ that came straight from the future and that could turn garbage into fuel.

The vision of the director and cowriter of the Back to the Future trilogy, Robert Zemeckis, was to have a

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future free of carbon emissions. A future where the world could re-use its waste to fuel its flying cars.

It seems now, many years after the predictions of science-fiction, that the future envisaged by Robert Zemeckis (or at least a part of it) is slowly becoming a reality and Business Aviation is playing a unique role in this development.

Sustainability as a New Global Conscience Mankind has always dreamt of flying and gaining the freedom to travel wherever it wants and whenever it wants. Business Aviation, as opposed to commercial aviation, delivers on that promise of freedom and flexibility. However, that promise alone no longer seems sufficient.

Indeed, through the years, and in particular in the past couple of years, younger generations have become even more active environmentally.

The simple message of millions of teenagers worldwide is that action must be taken now to address climate change and that we should all be concerned about the future of our planet.

This movement and the wider environmental initiatives have created an awareness amongst all sectors of business and civil society that requires each economic operator,

government or individual to be actively involved in protecting the environment and a global conscience has now emerged that places “sustainability” front and center.

Although Business Aviation has been involved in climate change discussions for many years, the results of investments made in the past are only now starting to become visible and the focus of the industry is clearly moving towards sustainability.

What is the Industry Doing?

In the last two years, many different initiatives were undertaken at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) to raise awareness and to promote sustainability in Business Aviation.

One of the main developments in this sector appears to be the development, promotion and use of sustainable aviation jet fuels (SAJF) which are non-petroleum-based fuels made from processed renewable waste such as cooking oil.

Once certified as ‘Jet-A1 fuel’, SAJF may be used together with normal fuel; the combination helps to reduce CO2 emissions. The development and promotion of SAJF is not only driven by governments and trade associations, but also by fuel

companies such as Air BP, Avfuel and Shell Aviation. All of these companies are investing in R&D projects to lead the transition of the Business Aviation industry to low carbon emission fuels.

In addition to the promotion of SAJF, other parts of the industry have invested in the development of electric aircraft. Nearly all of the major aerospace companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell and Safran have been working on projects to develop electric flights and many different startups are looking at the market for electric aircraft.

In addition to the efforts of the industrial players, whether in relation to the production of fuel-alternatives or the development of electric aircraft, associations have also been active. Through the initiatives of GAMA and IBAC, the industry has formalized its sustainability goals.

The Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change (BACCC) aims to achieve carbon neutral growth for the industry. In order to reach that goal, the BACCC promotes a global approach based on the use of SAJF, but also the use of new technologies, the improvement of the infrastructures as well as operational improvements.

The Financial Sector One important sector which is often overlooked when sustainability is discussed is the financial sector.

Banks and financial institutions are a fundamental part of the industry.

They provide funds and financing to the Business Aviation community and they are, therefore, involved in the developments and trends of the industry as a whole.

Notwithstanding the efforts of the industry to lower its CO2 emissions and to communicate such commitment to the public, the aviation sector is perceived globally by the new generations as being a highly polluting industry. More and more individuals are prepared to cut back on flying for environmental reasons and the fight against industries perceived as polluting has become ever more vocal.

Sustainability has, therefore, become one of the items that banks have to consider when they finance new assets. CrĂŠdit Suisse for example has adopted a specific Statement on Sustainability and they have a Sustainability Management Plan whereby new investments and financings are evaluated also from a sustainability point of view.

BNP Paribas is equally engaged in a sustainable finance, meaning that they carry out a long term assess-

ment of the ethical impact of the institution’s investments. In addition, Bank of America has recently mobilized new investments through its Environmental Business Initiative to increase the bank’s investments in low-carbon business initiatives.

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INITIATIVE

Credit Suisse Asset Management is integrating environmental factors into its investment process.

THE DOCKET

These trends show that financial institutions that are active in sectors often viewed as polluting are now considering the impact of their investments on their sustainability goals.

For Business Aviation this means that, in the current global context, financial institutions and banks should be able to internally and externally promote investments in Business Aviation by showing that the sector is working to reduce its CO 2 emissions or is making major inroads in offsetting its emissions by investing in projects that lower CO2 emissions.

COACTION

Giulia Mauri says the industry and the financial sector should cooperate for sustainability.

A New Cooperation Among all the great projects that the Business Aviation industry is developing for the promotion of a greener industry, none seems to directly involve the financial sector.

Banks and financial institutions should always be involved in the industry’s programs to reduce emissions and their voice should be heard.

This would help them become knowledgeable about the industry’s sustainability’s initiatives and to use that information to demonstrate how aviation fits within the institutions’ sustainability goals.

We have had the chance to discuss this topic with people responsible for the financing of private jets. They all agree that banks and financial institutions should be much more involved in the industry’s sustainability projects. They all suggested ideas that could help them to defend their investments in Business Aviation and thus show that the industry is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and is taking measures to improve its sustainability.

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One idea that has been discussed and where the Business Aviation community could take forward an industry-led approach (rather than a regulatory or state-imposed approach) concerns a common certification system. This would allow all business jet operators to participate in a commonly agreed incentive system. Operators, in cooperation with fuel providers, and possibly assisted by industry associations, could certify on behalf of the industry what reduction of CO2 emissions has been achieved and how. For example, a reduction of CO2 emissions could be measured by showing that all consumed fuel has been SAJF or that a large part of the CO2 emissions have been offset by investing in CO2 reduction programs.

A similar system already exists on the macro-political scene. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is one of the flexible mechanisms introduced by the Kyoto Protocol.

Under the CDM, emissions-reduction projects can earn certified emission reduction credits that may be used to meet a country’s emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

A similar mechanism, which could allow operators to off-set their greenhouse gas emissions in excess of the targets agreed by the industry with credits earned by financing emission-reduction projects (preaccredited by the industry) could be used by banks and financial institutions to show that the industry is doing its part and that financing business aviation is in compliance with the financial institutions’ sustainability goals.

Another idea would be for industry associations to help create an independent organization which could then grant ‘green labels’ to operators that demonstrate their commitment to reducing CO2 emissions. Green labels could be granted, for example, to operators who are part of the ISBAO certification, or that could show that their company is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality with concrete actions.

There are likely to be many different projects, but in order to do so, banks and financial institutions should be involved and heard and a new cooperation between the industry and the financial sector should be launched so as to achieve a common goal: environmental sustainability of the industry.

✈

Attorney Giulia Mauri is a partner at Pierstone Brussels. She has more than 20 years’ experience in advising national and international clients on all aspects of aviation and transportrelated transactions, including assetfinance and leasing, regulatory issues, carrier’s liability and litigation matters. She also acts as a mediator and is the co-founder of Mediation4Aviation, a mediation platform dedicated to the aviation industry. Giulia co-chairs the European and Legal Affairs Committee of the European Business Aviation Association and is an active member of the Industry Affairs Group of the European Regions Airline Association. www.pierstone.com/team/giulia-mauri; giulia.mauri@pierstone.com; +32 02 899 23 62.

The Air Law Firm

The Air Law Firm LLP is a boutique aviation law practice providing international legal services to the aviation industry. Our practice model sets us apart: we offer a bespoke and focused service from an agile and responsive team who can react quickly to the changing demands of your business environment.

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We have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the global aviation industry including the operational, regulatory, commercial and insurance sectors.

We are international lawyers, qualified in various jurisdictions and are independantly recognised as leading experts in our fields.

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SAFETY SENSE

COLLIDING WITH A GLIDER: IFR IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE

While uncommon, mid-air collisions are disastrous and often fatal when they occur.

Michael R. Grüninger and Capt. Andreas Grauer analyze contributory factors and key strategies for avoiding such collision

F

FATAL

One of the most hazardous consequences of a loss of separation between aircraft is mid-air collision.

riday, 12th February 1999, was a chilly day in the south of France.

Strong northerly winds were blowing and generating waves. Glider pilots love such waves as they provide them with a constant and reliable updraft to reach height and stay in the air for many hours.

Using this opportunity, the pilots of a Grob 103 glider, F-CGXB, let themselves be towed out of Saint Martin de Londres airfield towards the Pic Saint Loup. From there, the G103 continued to the lee-side of the Seranne Mountain where the laminar flow was strong above 6000 ft. The glider entered the flow and slowly progressed in the direction of NorthNortheast.

Just 7 minutes later, at 14:59, Air France flight number AF 755x0, an Air France Airbus 320 registered as F-GJVG, took off from Paris Orly Airport with destination Montpellier.

The first officer was pilot flying and the commander pilot monitoring.

Montpellier Méditerranée Airport is located south of the area where the

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glider was enjoying the steady laminar flow. Still at Flight Level (FL) 290 and preparing for the approach, the pilot monitoring of the AF flight listened to Montpellier ATIS “Hotel”, which warned of glider activity in the approach sector.

At 15:31, ACC Marseille authorized the A320 to descend to FL 120.

At 15:36, Montpellier Approach cleared the A320 to further descend to FL 80 on course to the Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-Directional Range (VOR) Montpellier Méditerranée (FJR) on a magnetic heading of 136°. The A320 approached FL 80 three minutes later at 15:39.

The A320 now flew in Airspace Class G. The Airway G6 was located 7 nm to the east of the position of AF 7550.

One minute later, at 15:40, the A320 commander observed a glider flying below them on the left. Soon after, the copilot, announces that he has another glider in sight right in front.

Descending through FL 85, the commander took control of the aircraft, disconnected the autopilot and executed an immediate escape maneuver to the right. One minute later the A320 was cleared to descend to altitude 5000 ft. The commander notified ATC about the airprox.

At this stage, the crew of the A320 was not sure whether they had collided with the glider or not.

At the same time the pilots of the G 103 felt a hard hit. Alerted and worried about the hit, they looked around and saw an A320 in descent performing a right turn. The situation was clear to them immediately.

The sailplane pilots considered abandoning the glider and jumping to safety by using their parachutes.

However, they carefully tested the remaining functionality of the glider and found that with due care a safe return to the airfield might be possible. By avoiding abrupt maneuvers and high aerodynamic stress, the pilots landed the G 103 safely.

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SAFETY SENSE Once on the ground, the pilots saw that the upper left horizontal stabilizer was severely damaged.

The A320 also landed safely. But the pilots had doubts whether they had in fact collided with the glider or just barely missed it. During taxi to the gate, the commander informed ATC about his doubts. ATC confirmed the collision and informed the commander that the glider had landed safely and that no personal injuries were reported.

Once the Airbus was parked, an inspection of the wings revealed that the leading edge of the left wing was damaged.

Separation by ATC Separation of air traffic, and the methods of separation, is the key to the organization of the airspace system. Understanding these separation concepts is crucial for pilots. Pilots should never feel to be protected by ATC separation, when in fact they are not.

In 1990, ICAO adopted the current airspace classification scheme. It introduced seven airspace classes.

Classes A to E are so-called controlled airspaces. Classes F and G are uncontrolled airspaces.

However, controlled airspace doesn’t necessarily imply that ATC is responsible for or ensures separation between aircraft.

In general, the classes are defined in terms of flight rules and interactions between aircraft and ATC. For ICAO airspaces the responsibility for avoiding other aircraft is either assigned to ATC or to the aircraft commander, depending on the airspace class.

In Class E airspace, ATC separates IFR from IFR traffic, but not from VFR traffic. In Class G airspace, no separation is provided by ATC. Flying IFR through Various Classes of Airspace It is difficult for a pilot to constantly be aware of the classes of airspace crossed while preparing for an approach and looking outside in compliance with the “see and avoid” rule.

The mid-air collision between the Grob 103 glider and the Air France A320 is a good example for the difficulty of pilots to constantly be aware of the types of airspace they cross.

82 - BART: DECEMBER - 2019

The glider was in wave flight at FL 80 and the A320 on arrival to Montpellier Airport. The Airspace Class at the moment of the mid-air collision was Class G. The A320 successively crossed various Airspace Classes in fast sequence: ❍ From cruise to initial descent: Class A controlled airspace ❍ Descending below FL 195: Class D controlled airspace ❍ Passing FL 115: Class G uncontrolled airspace ❍ The mid-air collision occurred at FL 80 in this class G airspace. Class G airspace is Uncontrolled Airspace. In class G airspace, operations may be conducted under IFR or VFR. ATC has no authority, but VFR minima are to be known by pilots. Traffic Information may be given by ATC as far as is practical in respect of other flights. ❍ Minutes after the collision: Class D controlled airspace ❍ Descending through 5700 ft: Class E controlled airspace ❍ At about 4900 ft: Class D, destination airport ❍ Then the A320 flew until landing in this Class D controlled airspace.

Problems with separation between VFR and IFR traffic often occur on charter flights and scheduled services to smaller airports.

The problem is even bigger in Business Aviation where passengers charter a business jet specifically because it enables them to fly directly to small airfields, as close as possible to their destination, which sometimes does not even have any instrument facilities. Due to the great difference in speeds and the fact that gliders and very light aircraft are sometimes difficult to spot in the air, maintaining visual separation is a challenge.

See and Avoid “See and Avoid” is recognized as a method for avoiding collision when weather conditions permit and require that pilots should actively search for potentially conflicting traffic, especially when operating in airspace where all traffic is not operating under the instructions of ATC. The operator could include awareness training of airspace classes in their route and aerodrome competence training. Such training might provide pilots a clear picture of the airspace

classes they are going to cross on their routes and identify the implications for collision avoidance.

In the unmanned aircraft world, see and avoid is replaced by detect and avoid. This is an automated system, where airborne sensors detect obstacles and other flying objects and automatically initiate an escape maneuver.

Of course, this is not possible in manned aircraft operation.

Detection is also provided in manned aircraft, by a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). TCAS detection would have worked at least in those cases, where conflicting aircraft are all equipped with a TCAS or another compatible collision avoidance system.

At the time of this serious incident, commercial aircraft were not yet required to be equipped with Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems.

“See and Avoid” is rarely described in detail in the Operating Procedures of most operators since they operate mainly in controlled airspace.

Air Traffic Control (ATC), Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) broadcasts and/or Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) often provide information about VFR traffic in the vicinity.

It is important that the pilots are aware of their responsibility for collision avoidance, when flying in uncontrolled airspace and in Class E controlled airspace, where ATC does not separate IFR from VFR traffic.

Fortunately, this particular mid-air collision between such unequal aircraft did not result in harm to persons.

✈

Michael R. Grüninger is Managing Director of Great Circle Services (GCS) Safety Solutions and Capt.

Andreas Grauer is the Deputy Managing Director of GCS. 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 interim and start-up management, training and auditing (IS-BAO, IOSA, EASA), 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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