European Business Air News May 2011

E U R O P E A N

BUSINESS AIR NEWS ISSUE 214

Swan’s range is extended by fleet additions Swan Aviation is preparing itself for a busy summer which will see the arrival of two new aircraft and ongoing planning for a high-tech heliport for Istanbul.

The first fleet addition, a Falcon 2000EX EASy, has arrived at its base in Istanbul for registration and is expected to enter service imminently.

Purchased by one of Swan’s customers, it is a 2004 model with eight seats. The second new arrival will be a brand new Hawker 4000 scheduled for delivery in June and will be based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Both of the new aircraft will be available for charter as well as the owners’ business and leisure flights.

Swan’s founder and owner Mehmet Yuksel Hocaoglu expects to be flying further afield in future: “Our customer portfolio changes depending on where the aircraft are based. That also affects the most commonly used routes. So far we have done a great deal of charter/owner flying within the Eurasia/Africa region. With the addition of the Hawker 4000 and Falcon 2000EX it seems our range may go beyond these regions. We will be more than happy to accommodate such requests.”

The current fleet comprises two Hawker 850XPs, one Citation Excel and one Sikorsky S76C++. Hocaoglu offers owners assistance in selecting aircraft types through his other company, Europlane Aviation Services. “But in some cases the aircraft is already chosen,” he says.

“For both of the recently acquired aircraft we were part of the selection process. Both were chosen considering cabin size and range versus price. Maintenance is a factor, not only for ease but availability in the region where it will operate. We tried to melt it all in one pot. But as always, the verdict rests with the buyer.”

Continued on page 4

Business aviation through the eyes of the operations manager

PERSPECTIVES

pages 10-17

Opinion: Growth threatened by misplaced government perceptions page 3 Hot or cold, the AW139 is put to work page 4 Ten million euro hangar is central to FAI growth plans page 6 Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group plans expansion into India page 7 Survey chief pilot tops 10,000 flying hours page 9

SPECIAL FOCUS Spain regional review page 19

MAY 2011

Charter bounces back in Spain

Charter business has practically recovered to its pre-banking crisis level, reports Francisco Sanz, aircraft management director for Spain’s Executive Airlines. The company’s distinctive Hawker 400XP (seen here) is part of a diverse fleet which will be boosted by the purchase of a Gulfstream G650. See our review of business aviation in Spain starting on page 19.

PrivateSky adds Ireland’s first commercial air ambulance Shannon-based Private Sky continues to add aircraft to its managed fleet and is now also operating a specially-equipped Citation II on behalf of Ireland’s first commercial air ambulance service.

Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, TD, officially launched AeroMedevac Ireland on March 22nd. The Citation, appropriately registered EI-MED, has been modified with a state-of-the-art stretcher system including inbuilt oxygen, suction, air compressor and inverter, and will be based at Weston.

Speaking at the launch, AeroMedevac Ireland’s ceo Keith Trower said: “We estimate that approximately 250 cases of aeromedical transportation occur on an annual basis in Ireland and we are seeking to achieve a significant share of the Irish repatriation market. We hope that over time the service we offer will achieve good support from the Irish healthcare industry and undertake Irish repatriations as well as competing for repatriation missions to the UK.” As an approved ambulance provider for Europ Assistance, International SOS and Mapfre

The Citation X will be based in the London area.

Asistencia, the primary source of work will be from international assistance companies. However, non-insured repatriations and aeromedical transfers for public healthcare organisations, including the Health Services Executive in Ireland and the National Health Service in the UK, can also be undertaken. AeroMedevac Ireland will work with private healthcare insurers VHI, Aviva and Quinn to assist with the repatriation of individuals.

Up until now, there has not been a commercial air ambulance service in Ireland with the exception of the Irish Air Corp which provides a medical evacuation service for the HSE, to other countries for specialist medical

care not available in Ireland.

Private Sky’s director of operations Ray Mills says that the Citation II can also be quickly reconfigured to a seven-passenger configuration.

As well as the air ambulance at Weston, Private Sky has aircraft based in London, Berlin, Moscow and Paris.

Other types in the fleet include Challenger 850, Hawker 900XP, Citation XLS, Learjet 60 and Learjet 31A, and these have recently been joined by a Citation X, EI-TEN. “The Citation X is based in the London area, thereby offering the market the option of using this ultra fast, ultra luxurious business jet,” says Mills. “Our market is a mixture of business, entertainment and leisure clients.

“We have three core functions, aircraft management services, executive charter services and aviation consulting services.

Although operating in a difficult economic climate, we have grown consistently in all areas over the last three years.

“We are planning further growth over the next year in all three areas.

On the aircraft management side we Continued on page 3

It’s official: flight numbers grew in 2010 The number of business aviation flights in Europe grew by 5.5 per cent in 2010, according to statistics released by Eurocontrol.

Internal flights within Turkey grew fastest, with German internals, UKSwitzerland and UK-North Atlantic also strong.

Nice, London/Luton, Zurich and Brussels all saw near 15% growth in business aviation flights. Though Italy increased its share overall, its two main airports were relatively weak, so Nice and London Luton pushed ahead of Linate and Ciampino into third and fourth place, respectively, behind Le Bourget and Geneva.

It was the 19-seaters which flew most, lead by the Falcon 2000, Challenger 600 and Falcon 900 all with more than 70 flights a day. The fastest-growing seat class was the sixseater jets. Half of this growth was from the Mustang, with the bulk of the rest of the growth from the Citation CJ3 and Phenom 100.

Eurocontrol sees business aviation continuing to grow for the next couple of years as the market rebuilds itself after the financial crisis, but at lower rates than previously.

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN

The Gulfstream G450Ž is the best business jet in its class. What’s more, the large-cabin, long-range aircraft shares some of the advanced technology of the Gulfstream G550, while also retaining the qualities of the highly successful GIV/GIV-SP series. And that was the best-selling aircraft in its category. Let the journey begin.

To learn more, please contact our regional vice presidents: Northern / Southern Europe: Steve Jones, +44 118 977 0180, steve.jones@gulfstream.com Central / Eastern Europe: Wolfgang Schneider, +49 172 811 1458, wolfgang.schneider@gulfstream.com Central Europe: Rebecca Johnson, +41 78 924 1420, rebecca.johnson@gulfstream.com Visit our booth in Hall 7, #7040.

www.gulfstream.com/g450

MAY 2011 3

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Return to growth threatened by misplaced government perceptions Last year business aviation returned to its position as the fastest growing sector after the low cost carriers, contributing strongly to the overall growth in European air traffic activity. Bouncing back from 2009 with an increase of 5.5%, our sector also demonstrated resilience in the face of the unexpected during the ash crisis, where we were the least affected market segment. Overall, business aviation’s share of IFR flights in Europe climbed from 6.9% in 2009 to 7.3% in 2010. Large business jets were busiest, but for the first time the fastest-growing seat class was the small six-seater jets, including VLJs. But we must be realistic that with economies continuing to be challenged, we cannot expect a rapid return to 2007 activity levels.

Nonetheless, this recovery is reflected in our own business.

EBACE looks set for a very good year,

with exhibitor numbers, booth spaces and hotel bookings all well up on 2010. Indeed, reserved booth spaces are already the highest number ever. Meanwhile at our AGM in March we were able to report that our membership had reached a new record at over 480 members from 62 countries. At the same time we are enhancing membership value, ranging from raising our sector’s profile and credibility with European officials, to giving direct support to our members with safety tools and by influencing the rule making and regulatory processes to reflect the needs of our sector.

One such success was our gaining EASA recognition of the need for specific FTL rules for business aviation. We were also delighted with the many favourable comments we received after our Vienna regional forum, from which

EDITORIAL COMMENT

By Brian Humphries, president European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).

we are now taking forward the agreed actions. We are active, too, in SESAR where we have now brought helicopter interests into the EBAA consortium to ensure their

with the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) and the British Helicopter Association (BHA), to open a dialogue with the UK government better to explain the role of business aviation in connecting communities and businesses not served by the airlines. We will also seek to explain a notable difference from the airlines, in that we will have to buy virtually all our ETS carbon offsets, thereby already meeting our “responsibility for preserving the global environment”, a key stated goal of the new tax.

So, as we approach EBACE 2011, our sector is on the return to health, but there are some serious threats out there that we in EBAA must continue to address convincingly and effectively if we are to ensure that the operating environment in Europe remains fair and affordable to members.

needs are not overlooked.

Far less encouraging was the recently issued consultation by the UK government proposing to impose very high rates of new Air Passenger Duty on the business aviation sector. Especially unfair is that the consultation proposes a flat fee at the highest standard rate on each business aircraft passenger, regardless of the distance to be flown. Because business aviation representatives were omitted from the initial consultations, it seems that UK officials have a very poor understanding of business aviation’s purpose, value (as recognised by the European Parliament and Commission) and exceptionally good environmental performance, including our formal commitment to continuous improvement.

However, now that the consultation is in its second, formal phase, EBAA is working in close collaboration

AirMed shortens trans-Atlantic legs with Learjet Oxford air ambulance specialist AirMed has enhanced the capabilities of its Learjet 35A fleet after receiving an STC for the installation of dual long range navigation equipment and the addition of dual long range communications.

This installation allows unrestricted MNPS operations across the North Atlantic, meaning that AirMed can now fly shorter routes across the North Atlantic including the North Atlantic Tracks (NAT Tracks).

This can have a significant impact on the sector times and can even take out the requirement for refuelling stops, greatly reducing costs. As an example, as long as weather permits, AirMed can now fly non-stop from the east coast of Canada to the UK without the need to undertake the usual tech stop in Iceland, which saves £2,500 on that sector. Other examples would include from the west coast of Africa to South America and the Azores to the east coast of Canada.

ICAO helps operators prepare for volcanic ash

At the launch of AeroMedevac Ireland's Citation II air ambulance are ceo of AMI Keith Trower, ceo of Private Sky Eva O' Keeffe, Irish Minister for Health Dr. James Reilly and Private Sky accountable manager Ray Mills.

PrivateSky adds Ireland’s first commercial air ambulance Continued from page 1

anticipate the addition of six aircraft this year. On the charter sales side we will increase the charter hours on our current fleet significantly. On the aviation consulting side we provide completion oversight, pre purchase inspections, issuances of Airworthiness Review Certificates

PremiAir adds third ‘in demand’ Learjet 45 Since the launch of its Learjet 45 operations PremiAir reports that it has seen a high demand for these aircraft and as a result has added a third of the type to its growing fixed wing fleet. This Learjet 45XR, manufactured in 2009, will be available for charter from May 2011.

Every Learjet 45 operated by PremiAir is fully available for charter and capable of accommodating up to eight passengers in a spacious vip cabin with double club seating. “Seats that recline, track and swivel, fold-down work tables, separate washroom and large baggage compartment make this private jet an excellent choice for business and leisure travellers alike,” the company says.

The Learjet 45 is capable of flying for four hours without a fuel stop, enabling it to transfer passengers directly from London to Moscow. The

(ARC) for each of the types we operate and a complete technical records maintenance for private owners.”

Private Sky has used the last three years to invest in key recruitments, cutting and streamlining non essential overheads and diversifying from aircraft management fee income as a primary source of revenue by growing charter revenue and aviation consulting services.

“There has been a reduction in prices across the industry; Private Sky has been able to maintain our levels of service at these lower prices due to their low cost base which has been instilled since the company’s inception,” continues Mills.

“We look forward to the future with cautious optimism as our business is based on genuinely looking after our clients and ensuring their long-term sustainability.”

Huge stocks Globally-competitive prices Next-day delivery

ICAO has hosted Volcex 11/01, a twoday exercise in April designed to simulate the effects on ATC of the eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano in Iceland.

Around seventy airlines took part, including a number of business aviation operators, as well as navigation services, aviation authorities and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre London (VAAC).

Commenting on the exercise, NetJets Europe said: “It was a beneficial exercise for NetJets Europe to take part in. It simulated a real life volcanic ash incident which should assist aviation operators in being more prepared to react to a potential volcanic ash incident in the future.

The new, centralised flight plan system from Eurocontrol should also develop the way in which the industry can monitor the movements of volcanic ash and, where possible, plan flight routes around the ash cloud to maintain as close to normal flight operations as possible.”

‘plane speaking people

@ Adams Aviation Supply Company Ltd,

Mercury House, Vulcan Way, New Addington, Croydon, Surrey. CR0 9UG Phone: +44(0)1689 842999 Fax: +44(0)1689 808966 E-Mail: pwitherick@adamsaviation.com Web: www.adamsaviation.com

THE BUSINESS CHOICE FOR LONDON The New Terminal Hangar opens in June 2011

PremiAir md David McRobert with the Learjet fleet.

capability to fly from short runways allows it to land at destinations such as Chambrey, and the PremiAir Learjet 45s are also approved to fly in and out of London City Airport.

Tell us your news newsdesk@ebanmagazine.com

Visit us at the EBACE Show on Stand 759 For more information contact Robert Walters business@bigginhillairport.com +44(0) 1959 578 530 bigginhillairport.com

London Biggin Hill Airport CLOSE TO THE HEART OF LONDON

4 MAY 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Seawings supports local Dubai charities

E U R O P E A N

BUSINESS AIR NEWS Publisher: ..........................David Wright Editor: ..................................Rod Smith Sub editor: ..........................Kate Woods Designer: ..............................Chris Carr Advertising manager: ..........Mark Ranger Subscriptions: ..................Janet Edwards Administrator: ......................Hilary Tyler

European Business Air News, 134 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3BQ England.

Telephone: +44 1279 714505 Fax: +44 1279 714519 email: david@ebanmagazine.com www.ebanmagazine.com European Business Air News (USPS 009-091) is published eleven times each year, monthly except January, by Stansted News Limited, 134 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3BQ, England.

Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, N.J. Postmaster: Send address changes to Stansted News Limited c/o Mercury Airfreight International Ltd., 365 Blair Road, Avenel, New Jersey 07001. Company registered in England no.

2224522. Printed by Stones.

ISSN number: 0959-1311.

A Heliportugal AW139 was used recently to support the visit of the UK’s Prince of Wales to Portugal. The aircraft took off from Air Base No 6 Montijo bound for the airfield at Evora. The helicopter later transferred the 13 vip passengers to the helipad in Cascais Marina.

Hot or cold, the AW139 is put to work Russian finance company VTB Leasing has taken delivery of an Agusta Westland AW139 medium twin helicopter which it will use for corporate and passenger transport missions in the Moscow region. The company has regional offices in the Russian Federation and subsidiary companies in Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Cyprus and Ireland.

This is the first delivery of an AW139 sold in Russia, where a total of six of the type have been ordered so far in just two years. Two of them have been purchased by STC Rossiya, the Russian operator responsible for managing the presidential fleet, and are expected to be delivered by early

EBAN is available by postal subscription for eleven issues. Simply send your credit card details and authority for UK£40 within Europe (UK£70 outside Europe) to our subscriptions department, or call +44 (0)1279 714505.

EBAN is sent without charge to qualifying business aviation professionals. Please call the telephone number above to request an application form.

The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to European Business Air News are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher.

Articles appearing in European Business Air News may not be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the publisher.

European Business Air News is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork.

2012. The AW139 was selected after an extensive and in-depth analysis, says Agusta Westland, and it was recognised as the most suitable helicopter for the Russian environment.

VTB Leasing’s AW139 is also the first vvip-configured example featuring the FIPS (Full Icing Protection System), which allows flights in known icing conditions with real all-weather capability, meaning the aircraft will successfully accomplish missions even in the most demanding conditions. Both the helicopter and the icing protection system recently received Russian certification.

Emilio Dalmasso, svp commercial

business unit, Agusta Westland, said: “Achieving operational readiness in the promising Russian market, with its impressive growth potential, is a significant milestone for the type.”

Extensively tested in the most extreme conditions such as those encountered in Canada and in the Middle East, an AW139 accomplished a successful four weeks demonstration tour across Russia in mid 2010.

Meanwhile, the AW139 has found success in hotter regions such as India too, especially for vip/corporate and offshore transport purposes.

Orders for more than 500 have been placed by over 140 customers from around 50 countries.

Lavender spray relaxes DC Aviation passengers

ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE

DC Aviation is now offering its passengers luxurious personal care products from the renowned cosmetic company Molton Brown.

Products for facial and dental care, as well as razor kits, are offered free of charge, along with exclusive fragrances. In future the hand soaps and a lavender spray that creates a relaxing sensation will also be purchased from Hertfordshire where the line of cosmetics is produced.

FOR YOUR

200GT

Swan’s range is extended by fleet additions Continued from page 1

Swan Aviation is a relatively small company, and Hocaoglu believes this provides a competitive advantage.

“We work with very demanding businessmen who will not settle for anything less than perfect. Therefore we have a target number in our fleet.

When we reach that we will stop getting new aircraft to be able to keep focus on our valued customers.”

But for the time being there is still capacity in his fleet. “We are consulting a few businessmen and at least four of them are now ready to be aircraft owners,” he reports.

Aircraft utilisation and the flight demands of his aircraft owners are now growing, so much so that he believes the amount of available charter capacity will fall, but these favourable conditions are only just developing. “Swan was founded in 2007 just before the crisis. But when I think of it now it made us stronger.

Even though it may seem odd to some people, my first priority is my personnel. If they are not happy, how could they make my customers

Multiply the productivity of your 200GT with the Ultimate Performance Package™ from BLR Aerospace.

Developed with support from Hawker Beechcraft, this upgrade delivers game-changing advantages.

Reduces runway length requirements by 23% or more Increases short-field useful load by up to 1,500 pounds Reduces fuel burn by up to 7.75% in climb; increases cruise speed Increases max mach operating speed up to 35 knots Increases range by over 225 nautical miles at max range power

Visit us at EBACE booth 2151.

davemarone4811@BLRaerospace.com BLRaerospace.com/4811 | 425.405.4811

for more information.

Complete details are available at BLRaerospace.com/4811.

Scan with your smartphone

Seawings, the only seaplane tour operator in the Middle East, says it is taking the term ‘corporate social responsibility’ to the next level with the extensive charity work it is involved with in the region.

One such event was the breast cancer awareness golf tournament at the Emirates Golf Club in April.

Breast Cancer Arabia was organised to raise money for research and to promote awareness of this important cause in the Middle East.

Breast cancer campaigner Sharon Rijkmans was looking forward to the event in the hopes that it would shed light on one of the region’s most pressing issues. “We are glad to have Seawings as a first prize and hope that this, among other great prizes, will be incentive enough to get people to attend the event and donate money to our cause,” she said.

Seawings commercial manager Prerna Fogat reports that the company has also sponsored the Jebel Ali Primary School Spring Fayre 2011 and helped raise money for the school’s various charities. Seawings Silver vouchers were donated as prizes to the event.

Fogat believes that being part of such events is “a great joy to Seawings” and plans to continue its efforts in charitable causes. “The opportunity to give back to society warms the heart of every single employee and therefore we will keep helping such causes as long as we can,” she said.

See EBAN at EBACE: Booth 1571 happy? If the customer is happy the shareholders of the company are happy. So we are based on three legs which support each other. Since day one we have focused on one thing, the quality of our job. And it got us here so far.”

Hocaoglu is an ex-air force pilot.

He resigned and started to fly for airlines, and established Europlane Aviation Services in 2001. “I quit flying in 2005 due to a lot office work.

I simply couldn’t be in the air any longer. I still miss it,” he says.

One project generating much paperwork at the moment is a plan to build a heliport together with a major Turkish holding company in Istanbul.

The facility is to include a hangar to accommodate six helicopters, a little bigger than 1,500 sq m, an apron for at least 10 helicopters, a maintenance facility and FBO. The hangar will have offices, workshops, storage rooms, vip lounge and fitness room. “It will be high tech facility with all security and safety measures. Projects are approved, finance is received and we are waiting for approval from the local authorities for construction. We may move in by the end of summer 2011,” says Hocaoglu.

Visit us at EBACE, stand 336

6 MAY 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Martin Mühlmeyer, ceo of FAI rent-a-jet AG, and Siegfried Axtmann, founder and chairman of FAI, in front of a Learjet 45 in the new Hangar 6.

Ten million euro hangar is central to FAI growth plans FAI rent-a-jet has invested €10 million in a new hangar with an associated operations facility and a net area of more than 6,000 square metres at Nuremberg airport.

To coincide with the commissioning of the hangar at the end of April, the airline is also expanding its fleet in May to include a further Global Express.

As a result, FAI rent-a-jet will have a fleet of 20 aircraft and now anticipates annual operating revenue in excess of €50 million for the first time.

“The construction of Hangar 6 is a ‘perfect landing’ for us and a sign of our strong commitment to Nuremberg as the centre of our activities,” FAI founder and chairman Siegfried Axtmann, who as a construction engineer was also responsible for the drafting and planning of the project, said at the opening ceremony. FAI has operated from Nuremberg airport since 1989 using a smaller, rented hangar. “Our new hangar provides us with ideal conditions to meet the rising demand from our customers, notably in the areas of executive charter and aircraft management,” Axtmann adds.

“We are enhancing our fleet to include a second Global Express long-haul jet for high-end vip charter. This

new aircraft and the increasing demand in this area are enabling us to create new employment for ten further staff at Nuremberg.” In all, the airline will then have a workforce of 164 permanent employees, including 30 taken on in the past six months alone.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nuremberg airport managing directors, Karl-Heinz Krüger and Harry Marx, for their outstanding cooperation in the speedy realisation of this project,” says Axtmann.

In future, all 20 FAI jets will be serviced in Hangar 6, comprising 14 Learjets, two Global Express jets, one Bombardier CRJ 200 LR, one Falcon 900 and two Challenger 604s. Six of these aircraft are in use for vip and medevac purposes for various UN peace missions on the African continent.

FAI runs stations in Dakar, Abidjan, Entebbe, Nairobi and El Fasher.

FAI Flight Ambulance International currently has the world’s biggest civil fleet of ambulance jets that are specially equipped for the transportation of emergency patients and are used for this purpose only. “Operating ambulance flights is an adhoc business, often at difficult

The environmentally friendly hangar space Hangar 6, with its associated operations facility, encompasses a total net area of around 6,000 square metres split into 2,500 sq m hangar space, 1,500 sq m workshop and warehouse space and 2,000 sq m office space.

The building is equipped with a 100 kWp solar plant that feeds back more solar

energy into the grid than the ongoing ground operations consume. To date this CO2neutral facility is unique at German airports. Via the deployment of exclusively battery-run aircraft towing vehicles and electric cars for the transportation of persons on the apron, FAI is making a further contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.

destinations”, Axtmann says.

“To fly profitably it is therefore important to plan the stationing of aircraft with exact precision.

Since February, we have had an ambulance Learjet 55 stationed in Dakar serving the region comprising Northwest Africa and the Canary Islands.

As from May, we will be stationing a Learjet 60 at Abu Dhabi Al-Bateen City Airport.”

Every year, the company organises more than 600 ambulance flights for government organisations and insurance companies.

These are supplemented by a number of UN deployments, which the company does not disclose for contractual reasons.

As a further strategic growth area, FAI is planning to use the opening of Hangar 6 to develop its aircraft management activities for owners of business jets. FAI provides aircraft maintenance and management services on the customer’s behalf as well as active onrequest marketing services in the charter market.

€250,000 donated for clinic in Senegal Having completed its own construction project FAI has also provided €250,000 to fund the building of a day care clinic in Senegal.

“Our ambulance flights often take us to locations in dire need and to people lacking basic medical care.

We wholeheartedly feel it is our duty to help, which is why we have supported the construction of the clinic in Kolda. As such, we know that our aid actually reaches the place where the people are who need it most. I would like to express our thanks to our partners managing the local realisation of the project: UNESCO and Hope87,” says Axtmann.

MAY 2011 7

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group plans expansion into India Empire Aviation Group (EAG) has announced plans to start operations in India, with a new branch office opening in Mumbai by mid 2011. The new branch, the company’s first operation outside Dubai, will eventually offer the full range of Empire Aviation Group services in the subcontinent, and will have an initial focus on aircraft sales and management. EAG is an operator of one of the Middle East’s largest managed fleets of business jets.

The announcement was timed to coincide with the inaugural Kerala Aircraft Static Display Show 2011 held in Cochin, India, where the company showed a Hawker 800XP business jet being marketed on behalf of its owner.

According to Steve Hartley, executive director at EAG, this is the

Russian operator chooses low-cost vip interior for 737-500 Transaero Airlines of Russia has ordered a vip interior conversion for a Boeing 737-500, which it expects to have in charter service by the end of the summer.

The operator has commissioned a completions aircraft Miami Aviation Diversified specialist, Services (DAS), with a new fastturnaround approach to vip conversions to do the work. The multimillion dollar contract calls for an 18 passenger vip configuration in the front half of the cabin and 38 mixed seating in the remainder. The vip area will have a private lounge area and a meeting room, all with a high definition IFE system, custom cabinetry with hi-low tables and internet connectivity.

The modification work will be carried out in Miami at Opa Locka airport within 90 days.

For this order, DAS will retain most of the cabin infrastructure such as sidewalls, ceilings and galley. The key enhancement is the removal of the baggage bins in the forward section changing the appearance while still utilising the aircraft PSU’s in a custom valance panel. The outcome gives the appearance of a full vip interior while cutting time and cost.

An example of simple interior design by DAS.

Gary Girard, ceo of DAS, said: “Our new approach to vip interior can we means conversions dramatically cut both the time and the cost of delivering a unique highend solution.”

DAS plans to stock an extensive line of vip components for customers to choose from that can be tailored within 30-60 days and installed. A ‘quick change’ option is available, thus making the aircraft even more flexible to maximise revenue generation.

right time to enter the Indian aviation market, as private jet registrations have continued to rise strongly over the last three years: “Market reports suggest that there are around 130-140 private jets currently based in the market, covering all the major manufacturers.

“The market opportunity is especially attractive for our aircraft management services, in which we take owners’ aircraft onto our mixed fleet and manage, operate and charter them on behalf of the owner.

We believe there is also good potential for new and pre-owned aircraft sales, in a market which is clearly recognising the benefits of private aviation and as the aviation infrastructure develops rapidly to accommodate and support this trend.”

EAG’s Mumbai branch will be

staffed by a local team trained at the headquarters in Dubai and the company expects the branch to begin operations with a small initial fleet of managed aircraft based in the market.

“Our clear aim is to emulate the success we have achieved in the Middle East, where we have become one of the region’s largest specialists in the short time since starting operations in 2007,” adds Hartley.

“EAG now manages one of the region’s largest mixed fleets of business jets, currently more than 20 aircraft.

“We believe our aircraft asset management business model, with aircraft management services for owners at its core, will work equally effectively in this exciting emerging market for private aviation.”

Steve Hartley aims to replicate his company’s success in the Middle East.

Two European Training Centers of Excellence

Enhancing Safety by Delivering Superior Training in the Areas That Matter Most

Quality

•

Value

•

Service

•

Technology

More than 1 Million Hours of Training Annually

Training Professionals from 154 Countries

1,400 Highly Qualified Instructors

Outstanding Customer Service

Exceptional Overall Value

eLearning Convenience

Training to Proficiency

When you choose to train with FlightSafety International, you receive much more than just basic instruction. You leverage the unmatched resources of the world’s leading aviation training company. More courses, more instructors, more top-level fully qualified simulators, more training locations. We’re the authorized trainer for the majority of aircraft manufacturers. We deliver training that meets or exceeds regulatory requirements – online, on location and at convenient Training Centers near your aircraft manufacturer or a major service center.

Training Excellence for Your Corner of the World Teams of highly qualified, knowledgeable instructors stand ready to serve you at state-of-the-art centers in London and Paris with training that routinely exceeds regulatory requirements. We offer factory-authorized, JAA and FAA full flight simulator training for a wide range of business and commercial aircraft, replicating the most current specifications and configurations.

London Farnborough • +44 1 252 554 500 • farnborough@flightsafety.com Paris-Le Bourget • +33 1 49 92 19 19 • paris@flightsafety.com In North America, Scott Fera, Vice President Marketing • 718.565.4774 sales@flightsafety.com • flightsafety.com • A Berkshire Hathaway company

Paris-Le Bourget Our recently expanded and enhanced Learning Center in northern France provides factory-authorized pilot and maintenance technician training for virtually the full line of Dassault Falcon business jets, for Citation business aircraft and for Embraer regional aircraft. The center also offers wet/dry lease services for regional airlines and Corporate Aviation Crew Emergency Training.

London Farnborough Our United Kingdom Training Center, one of the newest in the FlightSafety network, delivers factory-authorized training for Citation, Gulfstream, Hawker and King Air business aircraft, Bombardier regional aircraft and Sikorsky helicopters. Designed to meet the region’s current and future training requirements, the center features interactive classrooms, high-tech training devices and accommodates up to 15 full flight simulators.

Programs Tailored to Your Individual Needs

Serving 85% of Fortune 100 Companies*

World Leading Simulator Manufacturer

Online Training Program Management

Flexible and Convenient Scheduling

Integrated Customer Training System

Dedicated to Enhancing Safety Since 1951

*Of those operating business aircraft.

8 MAY 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Arrival of G550 prompts launch of Boutsen design Boutsen Aviation has taken delivery of a new Gulfstream G550 for one of its clients.

Thierry Boutsen, ceo, said: “This G550 was ordered a year ago for one of our clients as part of an acquisition contract. We negotiated the sales agreement, advised our customer in the choice of interior layout and decoration, followed the construction of the aircraft as well as its cabin completion. I have to congratulate the Gulfstream team in Appleton for the fantastic work, we collected an aircraft with absolutely no squawks!”

Daniela Boutsen, vp marketing and interior design, added: “The arrival of the Gulfstream G550 was the perfect moment to officially launch our aircraft interior design department. We had already outfitted

the two Airbus ACJs with the best and finest equipment available for glassware, cutlery, plates, bed linen, plaids plus all the decorative items which make our aircraft the nicest ones in the business. This G550 is the one that triggered the creation of our new department and we look forward to outfitting many more customer aircraft from now on.”

The Gulfstream G550 has joined the two Airbus ACJs that Boutsen Aviation has under its financial and operational control. All three aircraft are now based in Stuttgart, where they are operated by DC Aviation and are available for charter.

Michael Kuhn, ceo of DC Aviation, added: “We are very pleased to add this G550 to our fleet of managed aircraft. The demand for charter in this segment is high.”

Rizon Jet Group ceo Patrick Enz declares the FBO open with newly-appointed managing director of Biggin Hill airport, Jenny Munro.

Rizon Jet opens two-level FBO at Biggin Hill Rizon Jet has opened a brand new two-level FBO and vip lounge at London Biggin Hill airport.

The facility is designed to accentuate the best of Arabic and contemporary European style, sporting fine lines and a light, airy space throughout.

The ground floor level features a mixture of five open and semi-private seating areas and the mezzanine floor offers semi-enclosed lounge areas as well as meeting facilities including a boardroom with video conferencing possibilities, a private office and a children’s corner.

A prayer room completes the set of services offered to its clientele.

Finally, the facility has a dedicated crew briefing area with work stations and a quiet lounge area.

Rizon Jet is affiliated with Oryx Jet, which offers aircraft charter and management from Biggin Hill.

GainJet celebrates five years in style European vip aircraft operator, GainJet Aviation SA, stuck to its Hellenic and Arabian cultural roots to celebrate its fifth anniversary during a fun filled party featuring a cabaret act of four belly dancers.

The party also featured Greek and Arabic cuisine, plenty of traditional Greek Ouzo and Greek folk music.

The guests, who consisted of GainJet staff, partners, clients and friends, are reported to have thoroughly enjoyed the festivities until the early hours of the morning.

Cutting the cake is GainJet's president, Captain Ramsey Shaban.

During the party Captain Ramsey Shaban, the President of GainJet, reminded everyone present that the company began with just one aeroplane. He said: “We are very proud that the company has grown so quickly to a fleet of 14 airframes now and in excess of 100 people.

“We are continuing our policy of expanding our large cabin fleet which is where we see our future expansion. It is very pleasing to see that many of our partner companies and suppliers are still working with us five years after we started”.

MAY 2011 9

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Survey chief pilot tops 10,000 flying hours John Dale, APEM Limited chief pilot, has clocked up 10,000 flying hours – the equivalent of sitting in the cockpit for 24 hours a day for a year and two months. This is a remarkable milestone in any pilot’s career and all at APEM are astounded by his achievement.

John began his career in 1969 in the Royal Air Force, where he was an Air Traffic Control Officer for 12 years, based at various locations throughout the UK and the Middle East. He went on to work at Manchester Airport as an ATC Officer, controlling the tower and approach for a further 24 years. During this time he qualified as a commercial pilot and a flying instructor.

John has been a training captain

Cheers! John Dale raises a glass after 10,000 hours.

and instrument rating examiner since 1992. Establishing JD Aviation in 2002, which trains pilots to become commercial pilots, John subsequently became involved in the early development of APEM's remote sensing division, providing much needed technical advice and support while training managing director Keith Hendry to obtain his PPL. Since 2010, John has been flying regularly for APEM, conducting numerous aerial surveys for offshore wind farm projects, ecological monitoring and river surveys. As chief pilot, John is involved in the training and development of all survey pilots, and charged with overseeing the company’s specialist aerial surveys.

APEM is a water management and aquatic science company, and its remote sensing division flies a Vulcanair P68 Observer 2 twin-engine aircraft fitted with specialist image acquisition equipment – the first aircraft of its kind in the UK. Surveying habitats from the air with high resolution still photography offers benefits over traditional, ground or boat-based surveys. It is a cost effective option and provides a permanent electronic record.

Beechjet expands World Executive charter options World Executive Airways of Lydd, UK, is close to adding a Beechjet 400A to its AOC. The company has been managing the aircraft on behalf of a private owner since last year (see EBAN July 2010).

The Beechjet will line up alongside a Baron and Super King Air 200, and three Piper PA31-350 twins in May, says director Robin Gordon.

WEA is a subsidiary of Atlantic Bridge Aviation, along with LyddAir which operates scheduled flights from Lydd to Le Touquet, Air Share, an entry-level programme for fractional ownership of PA31 chieftain, and The Beech Club, offering A36 Bonanzas and B58 Baron to group members.

Capital woos Manchester business with Sikorsky

SFD rounds up its fleet for a birthday photograph at Stuttgart.

Stuttgarter Flugdienst celebrates 55 years and gains IS-BAO accreditation Stuttgarter Flugdienst (SFD) has recently become an IS-BAO certified operator, adhering to the standards of best practice for private charter operators laid down by the International Business Aviation Council.

“With our practiced selfunderstanding of safety and quality it was just a small challenge to take part in the IS-BAO certification, which we successfully passed,” said managing director Andreas Mundsinger.

During 2011 SFD is celebrating its 55th anniversary. Established in 1956 to provide scenic flights and aerial photography, the company soon developed into an established and growing operator.

“A great number of frequent customers are a sure sign of our dependable service and quality. Our own maintenance department takes care of the complete fleet of 11 aircraft including the latest addition, a 2009-build Citation XLS+,” says Mundsinger.

With a fleet ranging from a King Air 90 to the Embraer Legacy 600, SFD aims to match all requirements regarding costs or comfort, whatever its clients’ preferences are.

“Personal contact with our business partners ensures our success now just like it did right at the beginning. It is an investment in the future of our company,” Mundsinger added.

Oxford airport-based helicopter operator Capital Air Services has expanded its AOC operations to include a brand new Sikorsky S76 C++, to be based at Manchester Barton.

The S76 will shortly move into its own purpose built hanger and joins a diverse rotary fleet which includes the Sikorsky S92, EC155, EC135, Agusta 109 and the AS355 Twin Squirrel.

Michael Hampton, managing director, said: “We were delighted to get involved with this exciting start up in an area where there are very few executive helicopters available for charter. We have high hopes to expand this operation and to give the Manchester and Liverpool business community 45 minute flight time access to the London area.”

Capital Air Services’ helicopters were seen out in force at both the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National meeting at Aintree ensuring horse race goers avoided the inevitable traffic, and Capital is now gearing up for the summer season where both Royal Ascot and The Silverstone F1 Grand Prix are proving very popular.

“We are very fortunate that we have a very young fleet of helicopters which is a great attraction to brokers who want their clients to enjoy immaculate surroundings when they fly,” says Hampton.

The S76C++ can be in the London area in 45 minutes.

10 MAY 2011

UK’s business aviation show takes shape

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Ops manager is the glue that holds a successful flight department together

Around half of the space for this year’s UK Business & General Aviation Day (BGAD11) has been allocated, with aircraft already being committed to the extensive static display.

BGAD11 takes place at Cambridge Airport on Tuesday September 20th, and as always will be hosted by Marshall Aerospace in association with European Business Air News.

This year Marshall Executive Aviation’s own Citation Bravo will take centre stage in the exhibition area.

Operations manager responsibilities Probably ■

Aircraft scheduling

■

Flight planning/clearances

■

Dispatch

■

Crew scheduling

■

Services procurement (handling, catering, transport etc)

■

Customer/passenger liaison

Maybe

Cambridge Airport is now a full-time base for the East Anglian Air Ambulance service with a Eurocopter Bk117. The “Archie Morson Centre” has been equipped courtesy of The Marshall Group and features full operational facilities.

This will be the seventh BGAD since the event was created in 2001, and it remains a unique part of the business aviation calendar, combining exhibition area, static display and seminar programme in a single day. BGAD is also the only business aviation event specifically for the UK market.

For the first time this year, there are three sponsorship packages available – including overall event sponsor, and sponsorship of the delegate bag which is handed out to all visitors on the day.

“The informal atmosphere at BGAD works both for exhibitors and visitors alike,” says organiser Mark Ranger, “and the concentration is on effective networking.”

For full details: www.bgad.aero.

Pascal Magne (left), Falcon 7X captain with a corporate operator, has worked for 40 years with the same company. Also pictured are Brigitte Guyon and captain Alain Laine.

PERSPECTIVES Business aviation through the eyes of the operations manager Ask a group of 20 operations managers what exactly their job entails, and you will almost certainly receive 20 different answers. Sure, some of the key responsibilities are the same for everyone, but otherwise the role reflects the type of aircraft, operations and the structure and culture of the company itself.

For our survey we talked to a cross-section of ops managers of all shapes and sizes, some of them responsible for ground ops and some for aircraft or flight ops, but many for both, and spanning a range of fixed wing and rotary operations.

In larger organisations we found a director of flight operations, who is almost certainly accountable

Visit Cello at EBACE booth 1766

to aviation authorities, as a post holder and who oversees the efforts of managers with specific responsibilities. At the other end of the scale we talked to dedicated multi-tasking individuals taking care of virtually every aspect of flying, short of actually pushing the throttle.

But all of our respondents had at least one thing in common – substantial experience of flight operations and a love of the work.

Ensuring the successful and safe conduct of commercial or private business flying is a responsible job, whatever the circumstances and one which all owners and operators take very seriously. But for AOCholders (licensed to fly for commercial reward) this responsibility is laid down in regulation and must be allocated to at least one named individual.

Each AOC holder must have an accountable manager responsible for appointing and overseeing the named post holders required by EUOPS 1.175(i), these being for flight

Raise R aise Your Your Business Business iiQ. Q.

■

Flight quotation

■

Crew training

■

Maintenance management/CAMO

■

Security

■

Safety

operations, ground operations, training and maintenance. In smaller companies some of these roles can be combined.

Operations post holders take on responsibilities such as ensuring that every flight is conducted in accordance with the provisions of the operations manual, and that appropriate ground handling facilities are in place to ensure the safe handling of flights.

Minimum requirements for the post holder for ground operations simply involve demonstrating a thorough knowledge of procedures, but for flight operations these are much more specific. For this the nominated post holder or his deputy should hold a valid ATPL if the AOC includes aeroplanes certificated for a minimum crew of two pilots, or a CPL and instrument rating otherwise.

Ask 20 operations managers what their job entails, and you will receive 20 different answers To bring their knowledge of EUOPS into focus, and prepare for an aviation authority interview, prospective post holders can also undertake specific training. This might cover the latest regulatory issues, safety and quality management techniques, communication and procedures.

8800.553.8638 00.553.8638 +1.315.797.4420 +1.315.797.4420 JETNETiQ.COM JETNETiQ.COM

Unique 46 seat VIP configured Avro Business Jet. London City approved with1350 nm range bespoke on board service.

24/7 availability Europewide. Managed aircraft enquiries welcome.

For further information contact: +44 (0)121 507 8700

www.flycello.com Ground Floor Elmdon Building Birmingham International Airport Birmingham B26 2QN United Kingdom

Introducing JETNET iQ, a premium advisory service for business aviation and business travel intelligence.

MAY 2011 11

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

So, what did we find out in our straw poll of EBAN readers?

For many respondents there was a great deal of talk about teamwork.

Claude Neumeyer reports that Nomad Aviation AG has, in effect, not just one ops manager, but three. The company operations manual defines the roles of managers for flight operations, ground operations and customer care/sales, each one responsible for his specific parts but needing to work in close cooperation with each other for most tasks.

It is rare to get a compliment, you only hear if something went wrong For example, trip planning is the responsibility of both customer care/sales and ground operations.

Crewing is part of the responsibility of flight operations, while maintenance scheduling is initiated from the continuous maintenance manager but thereafter fine-tuned with customer care/sales and ground operations.

Delegation is essential in large operations, such as that of ExecuJet. Says Andreas Pfisterer, European aircraft operations director: “In

“

The biggest challenge? Making sure everyone else has done their job properly

I am the operations manager for Ambrion Ltd, a company based at Luton airport. Ambrion is an aircraft sales and management company and has been around for many years.

We currently operate six aircraft – two Hawker 4000s, two Challenger 605s and two Hawker 800 XPs. All aircraft are operated privately.

Although we have six aircraft, we are a small company which means getting involved in other areas not necessarily to do with aircraft operations. For example, we have several US-registered aircraft and when we acquire a new aircraft I am the person who will sort out the RVSM, MNPS, RNP10 and so on, and securing the aircraft registration.

I do get involved in maintenance scheduling, but it is not my responsibility and I am responsible for crewing. The Challengers are the only aircraft which have regular crew.

Mine is definitely a 24/7 role – there is just me! We have many important service suppliers, each one has an impact on a successful mission. From the start of the

flight, if the handling company hasn’t got the aircraft out of the hangar in time, or the cleaners have not done a good job on the aircraft, or the fuel is late or a car doesn’t meet the passenger on time, it all has a big impact on the day. Our role is to make sure the passengers have a great flight with no hiccups or disappointments.

The biggest challenges? Apart from pilots who think that passengers should arrange their lives around the pilots? On occasions it is finding freelance pilots who are available, although

Europe I am responsible for two different roles. Firstly, I am in charge of looking after our European AOCs which are in Switzerland, UK and Denmark. I coordinate between the different AOCs to ensure that

they are all working together on unified guidelines, which are also in compliance with our worldwide standards.

“Secondly, I am responsible for the Swiss AOC specifically, I therefore

that doesn’t happen very often. I guess making sure that everyone else has done their job properly. No matter how well I do mine, if something goes wrong, I get the ear bending.

I love my job, I started working in aviation over 28 years ago and there has never been a time when I’ve groaned that I have to work. I love aeroplanes, I love the smell of them, the smell of the Jet A1, the noise and bustle of an airport. I get a great deal of satisfaction from flights going well. I love the long complicated trips when they go without a hitch. It’s very rare to get a compliment from anyone – usually the only time I hear from a customer after the flight is if something has gone wrong!

It’s really satisfying if we do get a problem and have to run around like one armed paper hangers and we do find a solution.

I have loved aeroplanes since the age of seven when I was at Biggin Hill air show with my parents and a Lightning did a low pass down the runway. I kind of fell into operating aircraft, I started working for Ambrion and just found my niche.

oversee flight ops, training, ground maintenance ops/dispatch, management, quality and safety. It is my job to ensure that all these departments are running smoothly and that we are complying with all

I would recommend it to a friend – as long as they don’t mind interrupted evenings, not having a weekend and sometimes having to go home from an evening out to sort out a flight. It’s definitely not a 9-5 job with weekends and Bank Holidays off!

No-one is indispensable. It’s not a difficult job, I guess I forget how much I know and have learnt over the years until I talk to someone who doesn’t have a clue how to put a flight together. Many people don’t look at this as a service industry. If we don’t keep our customers happy, they will go elsewhere and everyone will be out of a job.

With the advent of online flight planning, anyone can file a flight plan. Unfortunately, those with no experience don’t know whether the route is sensible or the level correct and they don’t have the knowledge to get out a map and work out the route from scratch. Nor do they know whether a landing permit or overflight clearance is needed, let alone how to get it!

Hope this helps – back to sorting out my flights.

– Jacky Taylor, operations manager, Ambrion Ltd

I receive what I need, when I need it.

Your complete flight support solution throughout Europe and the world.

Visit us at EBACE 2011 Exhibit #7091 to learn how the Universal Experience can work for you.

For more information, contact James Welsh at +44 (0) 1252 526114, e-mail eurosales@univ-wea.com, or visit universalweather.com.

”

legal requirements.”

Pfisterer also keeps a keen eye on maintenance and crewing scheduling. “All final responsibility lies with me as I oversee all these Continued on next page

12 MAY 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Perspectives: the operations manager

Thank you!

departments, however we have line managers that will oversee a specific department. I am generally the main point of contact for our customers so I therefore have regular meetings with all the departments to ensure that I have up-to-date knowledge of all the aircraft that we manage.”

NetJets Europe’s chief pilot and director of flight operations Pascal Lhoest sums up his objectives briefly as “ensuring crew members perform with the highest levels of safety, the aircraft are efficiently operated and all NetJets flight operations are conducted in compliance with all relevant regulations and NetJets policies and procedures.”

This month we were overwhelmed by the response to our Perspectives survey, and there was simply not enough time to call and chat with everyone. Operations managers are clearly eager to talk about their job. So, we are sorry if you were disappointed this time – but we hope to have the chance to speak with you on another occasion.

I am responsible for everything to do with the aircraft Meanwhile other individuals have the all-encompassing remit all to themselves. “I am responsible for everything to do with the aircraft including, but not limited to, crewing, catering, landing and overflight permits, flight plans, passenger transport, hotels, cars, aircraft serviceability and cleaning, liaising direct with passengers and/or their assistants, airline tickets,” says Jacky Taylor of Ambrion at Luton airport.

“Everything to do with getting an aircraft to and from a destination and all bits in the middle.”

Captain Philip Amadeus of Rotormotion agrees. His role is ultimately “the day-to-day running of the company in the absence of the MD. Calculating quotes, putting together the trips once clients have booked, ensuring all flights comply with the CAA requirements, booking

A ramp agent assists Athens Executive Aviation station manager Yiannis Stergiopoulos attending to a Vistajet Global Express.

crew for the flights and being sure their crew duty is not exceeded. In addition anything from assisting in the hangar to dealing with accounts.”

Looking after staff issues is often a significant part of the operations manager’s job. Raul Gomez, Atlas Jets, is fully involved in decisions about the appointment of staff within his area of the business, as well as deciding when the company needs to recruit flight crew members, determining the criteria for selection,

training and coaching. With suitable crew in place he then devises and monitors monthly schedules ensuring the crews’ weekly, monthly and annual rest.

But his is a management role too, being involved in deciding the strategies and objectives of the company, and representing Atlas Jets at national and international agencies in all matters relating to its operations.

Even if crew scheduling is not in

the job description, it is still important to be involved, says Guillaume of Oyonnair, “to make sure the sales team won’t sell the aircraft on those days.”

But most report that aircraft maintenance scheduling and organisation is outside the operations manager’s sphere. A rule proved by the very few exceptions, such as Agrarflug Helilift, where flight operations manager and head of training Robert Rücker is responsible

for CAMO, in addition to the usual roster of crew planning, training, licences, coordination of flights and contracts, maps and all other flight requirements.

Louise Southern, remote sensing operations manager for APEM Ltd, does oversee aircraft maintenance, along with aircraft planning, staff (pilots and camera crew), general base operations, flight scheduling, crew accommodation, transport, expenses, AOC paperwork, CAA liaison, ATC liaison and flight safety, all as part of her accountable manager position.

And when there are problems, you can be sure the buck stops with the ops manager. Daniel Naslonski of FDS OPS is not alone in reporting that answering customer complaints falls to him.

Dmitry Sorokin, chief operations officer of Petroff Air, lists ops trouble shooting as a key activity, as well as the increasingly vital “ops cost reduction.”

This is also on the mind of Liz Tsoukatou, ops coordinator at Athens Executive Aviation, who monitors the punctuality performance of staff and suppliers and controls operations costs.

ANALYSIS SERVICES DRIVEN BY SPECTRO-OIL.COM JET-CARE.COM Please visit the Jet-Care and Spectro teams at EBACE, Geneva, on stand 729

MAY 2011 13

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

“

Some days can be quiet, other days it’s mayhem

I have worked for Air Select Ltd for six years now and thoroughly enjoy it.

Air Select Ltd is an executive management company, currently overseeing the operation of two Falcon 900 EASys, as well as dry lease aircraft as and when required.

Through my role in operations I have also managed a fleet of helicopters, which to be honest, was more challenging than looking after fixed wing. It’s amazing how much careful planning is required in the private sector.

I started off as flight operations coordinator with no experience in flight ops, and then worked my way up to becoming a flight and ground operations manager and post holder. I grew up surrounded by aviation as my stepfather is a pilot and my mother was cabin crew – both now own and run Air Select Ltd. I never thought I would last in

Meet the ops managers of Europe...

Straight from the horse’s mouth, EBAN brings you the thoughts and opinions of a cross-section of operations managers from across Europe.

Manuel Arroja, director of flight operations for Heliavia sa, used his previous skills and experience acquired in the air force to get into the

ops, as I didn’t have a clue, but I’m a quick learner and once the clients trusted me and got to know me, I found it so enjoyable.

I am responsible for communication and coordinating private requests to meet owners/ individual’s needs. I monitor all flight operation activities and manage disruptions, short notice changes and crew allocations.

Flight planning is a major part of this and I am constantly learning.

A part of my main role is to liaise with the engineering department and other key stakeholders.

Crew rostering is an extremely important role, and is somewhat of a challenge at times to ensure their records and passports are up to date etc.

One of my most enjoyable roles is liaising with FBOs worldwide.

Our clients travel worldwide. Some of the nicest people I have met have

Computers and internet outsourcing cannot replace a person acting as operations manager Manuel Arroja

flight operations business. “It is a 24/7 role,” he says, “but I have two more people working with me, as flight dispatchers/flight planners.”

His greatest challenge is trying to satisfy customer expectations, in terms of destinations and scheduling, and complying with the

QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE

been through contacting handlers from all over the globe.

Currently I am the only person in ops, and I see it as a role I am loath to relinquish, therefore I am busy 24/7. I have the phone with me at all times, not great for the social life but hey!

I find some days can be quiet, so I make the most of it, and other days it’s mayhem. On a typical busy day, the aircraft could be flying as many as 7-8 sectors. It is extremely stressful, especially when clients require the aircraft at the same time, but are opposite ends of Europe, but I use my initiative and find ways to cost save on empty legs and positioning to include all our clients needs. It is amazing the amount of categories you need to cover to set up a flight especially at short notice. Organisational and anticipational skills are a must when that phone rings!

international regulations. Also, arranging flights to small airports, and long distance trips without alternates close to the destination.

“I don’t think that computers and internet outsourcing can replace a person acting as operations manager.

The Civil Aviation Authorities need a name to ask for responsibility when something goes wrong.”

Would he recommend this job to a friend? Yes! To meet the post holder requirements it is often the case that a chief pilot is considered to be the operations manager too.

We are aiming to increase our fleet and client base, so will eventually have to employ some extra dedicated ops personnel.

I find my most satisfying part of the job is when I have spent all those hours setting up flights, passenger limos, catering etc, to then see the clients where they need to be and happy from a smooth flight experience.

I would advise anyone who does want to become a part of an operations team to have extremely good customer skills, patience and a good understanding of executive aviation. But the most important skill I have learnt over the years is to be able work under extreme pressure, it is not a job for the faint hearted!

– Elizabeth (‘Beth’) Wächter, flight and ground operations manager, Air Select

”

“To be operations manager you must meet certain mandatory requirements such as being a pilot, captain and flight instructor as well as other non-mandatory requirements such as having pedagogical knowledge, experience in the office,

What prevails is a good working atmosphere Raul Gomez

yet strong character in order to help understand what needs are to be met,” says Raul Gomez, chief pilot at Atlas Jets.

Gomez believe that computers and the internet are the best tool he has, far from being a sometime substitute for the operations manager. The company manuals, flight documentation, all training programmes, all aircraft maintenance programmes and aircraft navigations systems database, are all updated through computers and the internet. “Plus someone has to sign the papers, right?”

He reports that the biggest challenge of day-to-day operations is summarised in the phrase “safety and excellence in service” and the best part of the job is the feeling of achievement once a mission is finished successfully.

“Our company is small now and it really does not take much effort to perform the functions of operations, plus we are a team of friends where what prevails is a good working atmosphere and fellowship, so obviously we recommend this job to a friend!”

When there are problems, the buck stops with the ops manager FDS OPS is an outsourced ops department for owners of business aircrafts and airlines, and employs 20 licensed dispatchers.

Operations manager Daniel Naslonski was previously a shift supervisor before promotion to ops manager. “I think the most crucial Continued on next page

UNITED KINGDOM Palace Gate Odiham Hampshire, RG29 1NP UK

SWITZERLAND Rinaustrasse 452 CH-4303 Kaiseraugst Switzerland

USA 3 Saddle Road Cedar Knolls NJ 07927 USA

t. +44 (0) 1256 704000 f. +44 (0) 1256 704006 e. enquiries@spectro-oil.com

t. +41 (0) 61 815 90 20 f. +41 (0) 61 815 90 21 e. enquiries@spectro-oil.com

t. +1 973 292 9597 f. +1 973 292 3030 e. enquiries@jet-care.com

14 MAY 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Andreas Pfisterer, European aircraft operations director, ExecuJet

Q&A session Is it a 24/7 role, or are you able to delegate to your ops team?

service as they are choosing us to care for their aircraft. Every day is different though, which is what makes the job so interesting.

Yes and yes! It is an incredibly busy and demanding position and I am of course available 24 hours a day if necessary. However I do have a very good team in place that can handle the day-to-day business. It is important for me to stay in regular contact with all of the departments which I do on a daily basis. We also have an excellent 24-hour dispatch team that is always around to handle any customer requests.

What is the most satisfying part of the job?

A happy customer is definitely the most satisfying part of the job. If I receive a letter of appreciation or a happy call from a customer then you know that all the hard work is worthwhile. We also hope that if we provide a good enough service then the customer may recommend us to a friend.

If we successfully close a project, like signing a new aircraft to the fleet, then this is also satisfying.

Internally it is satisfying to see your team growing and working together.

It is essential that we all work as a team in operations to deliver the best service to our clients, and when you see this happening you feel very proud to be part of it.

What are the biggest challenges to overcome on a day-to-day basis?

One of the biggest day-to-day challenges is to satisfy everyone’s needs, both externally and internally. It is essential that I set priorities in order to get the most pressing issues resolved first and then work my way through everything else! It is a given that the customer comes first so sometimes internal issues have to wait slightly longer but I try and balance this as much as I can. I am also a pilot so I

We plan according to the highest standards and safety rules Daniel Naslonski

try and juggle this along with the day-to-day running of the business.

If a new aircraft is joining the fleet Perspectives: the operations manager

aspect for me is that my team always achieves the goals given by our clients. We plan according to the highest standards and safety rules, and I am proud of it,” he says.

“I will recommend my job to any person who likes dynamic work, and can be ready all the time

then this will often take priority over everything else, it is important for us to offer our customers an excellent to give support.”

JetNetherlands ground operations manager Michiel Bliekendaal has been in the airline business for some time now, but four years ago a colleague moved to work at JetNetherlands. “After one month he invited me to have a look,” he says, and the rest is history.

t.

c ire

.D e l ib

x

Fle . fe

Sa

Business jets are an indispensable tool in today’s internationally operating business world.

Our number one priority is to give our customers utmost flexibility and personal freedom as to when, where and how they want to fly.

Stuttgarter Flugdienst GmbH General Aviation Airport Stuttgart D-70629 Stuttgart Fon +49 (0)711- 490022-22 info@sfd.eu www.sfd.eu

How did you come to be an operations manager?

I originally started off as a pilot for

“Actually it is indeed a 24/7 role. Of course I am able to delegate to the ops team, but I’m also part of this team and we all work in a day-by-day roster to cover the 24/7 period.”

It is all about overcoming difficulties Michiel Bliekendaal

Changes to flight schedules provide the greatest challenges: “Sometimes it is hard to cope with them. But also requests to fly to small airports where calculations have to be made to figure out whether or not a flight is possible. Obtaining permits can be interesting too.

“In the operations department it is all about overcoming difficulties. It doesn’t matter if it is a flight from Amsterdam to Melbourne or a flight from Amsterdam to Paris. There will always be a challenge. But the highlights would be the ambulance or transplant flights.

“These flights mean you could literally save somebody’s life by just doing what you’re good at. Isn’t that wonderful?

“To know that with a small team of enthusiastic people, we make things happen. If the crew and the clients are satisfied, we are too.”

So is this a job to recommend to a friend? “If that person doesn’t mind being available 24/7, during holidays, on a day out with the family.

Definitely, yes!”

For a single aircraft corporate operation, the job of operations manager will almost inevitably fall to the chief pilot. This is the case for Pascal Magne, Falcon 7X captain and

> No runway slot restrictions and 24/7 capability. 1965m/6447ft runway with full Air Traffic Control and airport services. Full navigational aids, approach radar and communications > State-of-the-art FBO providing executive passenger lounges and crew facilities. Customs, Immigration and Special Branch as required

EGSC - CBG

> Pre-book and guarantee your aircraft parking slot + 44 (0) 1 223 373214

enquiries@cambridgeairport.com

cambridgeairport.com

Is it a job you would recommend to a friend?

Of course! As I have said the job is very challenging and is very time consuming, but the return for me is worth it. I also get to work in aviation which, at the end of the day, is also a hobby for me. It takes time, energy and commitment but it is a fantastic job with fantastic people – so yes, I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

A happy customer is definitely the most satisfying part of the job

Major Event Services PART OF THE MARSHALL GROUP

Swissair. I did this job for 10 years.

During that time I was also working as deputy training manager for Swissair for the last five years. After Swissair I moved to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation as an inspector for certifications and supervision of AOCs, that’s where I first got in touch with ExecuJet. I joined ExecuJet eight years ago as the flight ops and training manager before becoming the general manager for Switzerland. Two years ago I become the operations director for Europe as well as continuing as gm and as a pilot.

corporate operator, who reports that he does the job of chief pilot and operations manager as well as organising the travel arrangements, including hotac and charter helicopters for passengers.

He is the captain of a corporate Falcon 7X, and has worked for 40 years with the same company. At the start of his career, he says, flight plans were filed by hand, and there was no operational support for him in France. “I did my job, and it was easy as all my flights remained in the European area,” he says.

Flight plans used to be filed by hand Pascal Magne

Then the jet era arrived and long range trips, along with the overflight and landing permits and credits needed to complete these flights.

“We have one aircraft and we are two pilots with one flight attendant, flying 350 hours a year. My colleague, and also captain and friend for 21 years, is in charge of the maintenance. He was a mechanic at Dassault before I hired him.

“We both started on a Falcon 10 (single pilot), then the 900EX, before acquiring the new toy. I’m 64 and I guess the time to retire isn’t far away!”

At the very large fleet end of the spectrum, organising flight and ground operations inevitably falls to a large team of people.

NetJets has an advanced rostering team which produces crew members’ rosters up to two months in advance.

For daily operations, crewing of aircraft is performed by the

MAY 2011 15

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

“

Security officer role is growing in significance

At Oryx Jet, my role as the ground operations manager involves lots of communication with maintenance, flight operations and commercial. My ultimate aim is to ensure all of our aircraft operations are being planned efficiently to ensure on-time departures and the provision of a quality customer experience during the flight and finally a seamless arrival with no delays for the passengers.

The role of GOM is responsible for a coordinated operational control service to achieve a safe and efficient aircraft operation. I will manage the crewing manager, operations controllers and assistants while they carry out flight planning and crew rostering duties.

I will personally do all of the quality control checks and operations staff training. An additional area that has grown in significance is the security officer role that I cover, to fulfil this task I have attained an Aviation Security Manager’s qualification from the Department for Transport, I will carry out risk assessments on all of our operation and I am in the process of implementing a company security training plan and procedures. The

scheduling department. A dedicated maintenance department looks after all technical matters.

We continuously train to give our pilots the right support Pascal Lhoest

NetJets is in operation 24/7 and all critical roles are supported on that basis. “As director of flight operations, I have to be available at a moment’s notice,” says chief pilot Pascal Lhoest. “Every post holder has a nominated deputy to which they can delegate such duties should they not be available.” For Lhoest the most satisfying part of his job is being able to deliver anytime anywhere, while keeping excellent safety and customer service

The most difficult time was 9/11 as I was based in New York standards. “We operate to over 5,000 airports worldwide and we continuously train to ensure we give our pilots the right support to operate anywhere we fly.”

“I have a passion for aviation,” he says,

internet is helping a lot with fuel releases and handling requests, it would be wonderful if one day all over flight permits could be secured this way.

Prior to my current position I have worked in operations for various airlines and business aviation operators for 22 years, I now have 10 years in management roles. It is very much a problem solving role and most satisfaction comes from good decisions.

Looking back over my career, the most difficult time was 9/11 as I was based in New York with Atlas Air and we had about 30 cargo 747s operating. We had to get 20 of them down quickly all over the US, at the same time I could see smoke from downtown which was 30 miles away.

The highlight was being based in Lusaka, Zambia, for two years as ops director at Zambian Airways. It was a pleasure to improve and expand the airline.

It included an appearance on a very popular Zambian TV chat show talking about the airline, a wonderful moment for an ops person.

– Keith Moody, ground operations manager, Oryx Jet

”

“and have worked for over 20 years in the field.

My previous role at NetJets was as director of training and standards and I was asked to step into this position as chief pilot and director of flight operations this year.”

Is it a role he could recommend to a friend?

“Anytime!”

The requirements of an ops manager are heavily dependent on the type of aircraft and operations with which they work. Those working for government organisations often find an additional layer of bureaucracy and regulation, designed to protect the public interest.

Akif Turna is the helicopter operations manager for the State Airports Authority (DHMI) in Turkey. DHMI is a government organisation and governmental rules apply to everyone in the organisation.

I am not authorised to have a contract with one service provider Akif Turna

“I am responsible for everything, including coordination with all related parties, assigning the crews for flight missions and coordination, as well as performing any other administrative tasks resulting from governmental mechanism,” he says. It is not a 24/7 role Continued on next page

16 MAY 2011

“

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Why I love being an operations manager

I am the operations manager for DragonFly Executive Air Charter. I have worked for the company for almost five years, initially as an ops assistant and for over four years as operations manager.

I am principally responsible for booking charters that we undertake throughout the UK and Europe, and am in day-to-day charge of operations. The position includes quoting, booking and scheduling private charter flights and all that is involved with such flights, such as arranging landing and handling at destination airports, finding crew accommodation down-route, supervising the provision of onboard catering and dealing with any specific requirements such as surface transport for passengers.

It is a very varied role, and as DragonFly is a relatively small company, operating three Beech King Air 200 / B200 turboprop aircraft, some of the duties I undertake, such as flight planning and the invoicing of the charters, overlap with those of flight crew and accounts. When flights are booked, I allocate crew from the duty roster for which I am also responsible.

In carrying out my role I am assisted by a full-time ops assistant.

I liaise closely with the base captain, who is primarily responsible for the aircraft, in order to arrange scheduled maintenance of the aircraft and work with our training captain to ensure aircraft availability for initial and recurrent flight crew training.

We always fly the King Air with two fully type-rated crew and the

Perspectives: the operations manager

because the helicopter mission profile does not require this.

“I am not authorised to have a

first officers are also required to be conversant with ops and to assist with flight preparations when necessary, subject to their other duties.

The job is a 24-hour role, shared between myself and the ops team.

The office is manned between the hours of 0900 and 1730 weekdays, and an on-call mobile is manned 24/7 out of office hours, I am responsible for organising urgent medical transplant flights carrying either medical teams or unaccompanied organs. The majority of these charters take place during the late evening or early hours and there is a great satisfaction from knowing that the team’s efforts are helping to improve or save the life of someone else.

The majority of the charters we undertake originate from charter brokers, although we also have a number of regular clients who book flights directly with us. Our clients comprise business men, high net worth individuals and showbiz and sporting celebrities, many of whom are household names. The message we are always keen to get across is that private air travel is not the exclusive province of the rich and famous but is a cost-effective business tool for all those who value their time and wish to avoid the delay and hassle of traveling by other means.

One of the biggest challenges we face occurs on the fortunately rare occasions when an aircraft “goes tech”. Our primary concern is to not let the client down and we do contract with only one service provider. Whenever some need arises, I am required to ask some providers for a quotation,” he says.

everything we can either by deploying another aircraft from our fleet, or sub-chartering another operator, in order to complete the charter. Our operations team Nomad Aviation AG fulfills its requirements for post holders by always ensuring that a post holder or deputy for each of the divisions is permanently on-call. The company confirms that flight operations post holders are drawn from the ranks of pilots, with additional studies and training. Ground operations and customer care/sales post holders are drawn more widely from pilots, dispatchers and/or university educated individuals, again with additional studies and training.

It is a fascinating, special job Claude Neumeyer

Your FBO Network in Italy

• LIML - Milan Linate ph. +39 02 7020 8179 lin@skyservices.it

• LIRA - Rome Ciampino ph. +39 06 7934 0051 lira@skyservices.it

• LIMC - Milan Malpensa ph. +39 02 5858 3584 mxp@skyservices.it

• LIRN - Naples Capodichino ph. +39 081 231 1048 nap@skyservices.it

• LIPZ - Venice Tessera ph. +39 041 862 7070 vce@skyservices.it

• LIRI - Amalfi Coast Salerno ph. +39 081 231 1048 qsr@skyservices.it (supervision)

Own facilities, equipment and staff at each location

HEAD OFFICE via Guantai Nuovi 16 - 80133 Naples - Italy - ph. +39.081.552.2421 - fax +39.081.551.3439 info@skyservices.it - www.skyservices.it

Co-principal Claude Neumeyer says that the biggest challenges are in obtaining on-time permissions, airport and airway slots, especially ones that are in tune with each other.

But successful selling, planning, initiation and completion of a flight with satisfied stakeholders, meeting every requirement and expectation, can be very satisfying.

“It is a fascinating, special job for people who are willing to take the additional steps to fulfill a flexible, hard working profession which

urgently notify crew, change landing and handling requests for the replacement aircraft, organise flight plans and liaise with the brokers, aiming to minimise delay and

disappointment to the client, and get the replacement aircraft to the destination as quickly as possible.

One of the most satisfying parts of the job is when a charter has been completed and I receive a thank you from the client or broker for a job well done. Knowing that we have provided a good service from the initial phone call through to the conclusion of the charter – the quote, the paperwork, the flight, to the aircraft landing back at base – and that the effort we have all put in is appreciated, is most satisfying.

I also get a great buzz from the commercial side of the business, by setting targets for hours flown, charters booked or revenue achieved and assisting and encouraging the team to achieve those targets.

Having had other jobs in varied accounting roles, I initially took this job as a change, without any prior experience in the aviation industry, and have never looked back! I accepted very early on that it is more than a nine-to-five role, and embraced it. I progressed rapidly within the company, moving up from operations assistant to operations manager. It is more than a job to me and I love it! I definitely would recommend it to others but only to those who possess the commitment and flexibility and skills to deal with the challenges that arise in this demanding but highly satisfying business.

– Tracy Evans, operations manager, DragonFly Executive Air Charter

There is a satisfaction from knowing that the team’s efforts are helping to save the life of someone else exceeds regular working times and hours,” he says.

Having worked for Aero Services Executive and Global Jet Luxembourg, 29-year-old Guillaume, operations manager oyonnair, then had the rare opportunity to build an operations department exactly how he wanted it. “After many years as a flight dispatcher, I managed to supervise a team of flight dispatchers and a company decided to create their own operations department. I was the one chosen to create it. It is a great satisfaction to see now after a year that, from nothing, I managed to create a 24/7 operations department,” he says.

It is more difficult to deal with humans Guillaume

His biggest challenge day-to-day is human resources. “For me,” he

”

says, “it is more difficult to deal with humans (crew and ground staff ) than getting all the permits, fuel and flight plans!”

But urgent flights provide the job satisfaction, when “everyone does their best to be able to fly an aircraft to the other side of the planet with two hours notice prior to departure.”

Would he recommend the job to a friend? “No, to an enemy maybe! It is stressful and there are many other jobs that pay better and let people have more free time. I think I’m doing it because I’m young, and don’t have kids or a partner.”

“I have been the operations manager for 20 years in this company,” says Robert Rücker, flight operations manager and head of training at Agrarflug Helilift. He applied for the job after 12 years of flight experience and finds that, although it is a full-time job, some tasks can be done by a deputy. The most satisfying aspect of the job is to

MAY 2011 17

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

train all staff involved to ensure the company flies free of accidents.

It is difficult to follow all the changes with CAA Robert Rücker

“At the moment I would not recommend this job to a friend, because it is difficult to follow all the changes with CAA and other parties.

Changes come up every day, and we have to produce only paper,” he says.

Helicopter operations have their own specific set of challenges.

Weather problems are the biggest of these, according to Captain Philip Amadeus at Rotormotion.

“Passengers do not understand that we have no control on weather.” he says. The number of scheduled maintenance checks required on helicopters can also make scheduling a problem for companies whose main business is ad-hoc charter.

greatest challenges for Liz Tsoukatou, ops co-ordinator at Athens Executive Aviation, but she always enjoys “the warm handshake of a satisfied customer.”

She reports having the support of a dedicated team and ranks caterers and fuellers as the most crucial suppliers. Recommend to a friend? Definitely! ■

Filton airfield to be closed

Of course there are all manner of companies providing services to support the struggling ops manager. In this unscientific straw poll of our feature’s respondents we list just a few...

■

■

Philip Amadeus

However, it is all made worthwhile, says Amadeus, when a flight is booked that may be difficult and the passengers email with thanks for the great service. Special events provide the most exciting periods, when all the fleet are booked and flying. “It is usually so busy in the office that everyone is buzzing!”

Amadeus worked his way up through the ranks to ops manager, starting as a handling agent years ago, but it is not a job he would recommend to a friend. “There can be a lot of stress involved and usually the buck stops here,” he says.

Last minute requests are often the

requirements for managing carbon emissions set by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) guidelines.

The partnership allows operators to integrate a web-based application, the ETS Aviation Footprinter, with Jeppesen’s International Trip Planning services.

Who you gonna call?

■

Passengers do not understand that we have no control on weather

INDUSTRY NEWS...

■

Heliavia – Jeppesen, for charts, nav data and FliteStar flight planning software; and Primeslot for overflight and landing permits.

Atlas Jets – FlightSafety International, as training partner for pilots and engineers.

FDS OPS – Leon Software for communication between departments; Jeppesen for FliteStar and Jetplanner; Navtech; PPS and Eurocontrol systems like CHMI. Pascale Magne – Originally Jeppesen; now Air Routing (Rockwell Collins) for Eastern and Far East areas, and Arinc Direct software for US and European countries. Baseops for the next trip to Hong Kong.

■

Petroff Air – SITA, AFTN, Jeppesen, Jetex and WFS.

■

ExecuJet – Jeppesen for operations manuals and record keeping, and Jetplan.

Raisbeck chalks up 3,000 There is now at least one Raisbeck Engineering upgrade on 50 percent of the 6,000 King Airs in operation, the company has announced.

“In the three decades since we introduced our products to the King Air market, the economics and productivity of our systems have demonstrated such impressive results that they continue to advance within the fleet,” said James Raisbeck, ceo.

The 3,000th upgraded aircraft was the Royal Flying Doctor King Air 300, pictured above.

Second Hawker 400XPR takes off Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support is accelerating development of the Hawker 400XPR by adding a second aircraft to the test programme. This will be used primarily to develop and certify various avionics upgrade options.

“This additional aircraft allows us to engineer the programme’s

optional avionics upgrade concurrently with the Williams International FJ44-4A engine integration,” said Christi Tannahill, Hawker Beechcraft vice president, GCS. The Hawker 400XPR threedisplay avionics system is expected to certify this summer.

Twenty years fly by for CJ Cessna Aircraft has observed the 20th anniversary of the maiden flight of the CitationJet prototype.

On April 29, 1991, pilots Bob Leonard and Bob Carnahan took off from Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport, reached an altitude of 10,000 feet and checked handling and trim characteristics, engine response and more.

Jeppesen provides ETS solution Jeppesen and ETS Aviation have teamed to provide a solution to monitor, record, analyse and report flight data within European airspace, in order to comply with regulatory

Filton airfield is to close on December 31st, 2012.

Andrew Cheesman, director of BAE Systems (Aviation Services) Ltd, said: “This decision has been taken following a long review of the airfield’s commercial and economic viability. We remain in discussion with South Gloucestershire District Council to agree future plans.”

Pre-owned market gains momentum JetBrokers Europe is experiencing increased demand for midsize preowned business jets.

Tim Barber, md, comments: “The global pre-owned business jet inventory has fallen somewhat in the past 12 months and as economic recovery strengthens, we expect to see even greater activity in the preowned market. Buyers are definitely starting to return, are more optimistic and more ready to commit.”

European Aircraft Sales named as Piper dealer Piper Aircraft has named European Aircraft Sales ApS, Denmark, as the company’s sales representative for the Baltic and Scandinavian regions, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

FEARLESS . BRAVE . ON THE GO . FBO

BEIRUT’S LEADING FBO

18 MAY 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

GlobeAir brings more Mustangs on line

CHARTER BROKER NEWS...

Execflyer offers risk management Execflyer Air Charter has partnered with Pinnacle Risk Management, a provider of close protection, evacuation and risk management services. Pinnacle, headed up by Matt Croucher GC, draws on experience from Special Forces, RM Commandos and the secret service.

Steven Moth, director of Execflyer, commented: “Working with Pinnacle has been a real eyeopener to say the least. These guys are trained to overcome any hurdle in sometimes very challenging environments.”

Air Planner rebranded as Air Partner Ops24 Air Partner’s global flight support division Air Planner has been rebranded and renamed Air Partner Ops24. Concurrent with the name change, Air Partner’s ACMI wet lease service has now been incorporated into the Ops24 function. Wet leases generally last from one month to two years and involve the provision of an aircraft, its crew, maintenance services and insurance.

Renamed Private Jet Charter unveils plans Private Jet Charter, renamed from International Air Charter following its 20th anniversary, has announced aggressive plans to expand its market share and to

The Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) annual spring luncheon was a great success again, with a sell-out attendance at Carpenters’ Hall in London on April 7th. £4,000 was raised for the chosen charity, Help for Heroes, and guest speaker Warren Hazelby, who was a senior engineering officer with British Airways on the Concorde fleet, kindly donated his fee as well.

BACA chairman Dick Gilbert told guests that membership was at its highest ever, with companies, particularly brokers, involved in the air charter market, joining from around the world. A signed copy of ‘The Hero Inside’ book can be obtained for £9.99, all profits to Help for Heroes, from www.gillshaw.co.uk.

open new offices in Moscow and Florida in 2011.

The company has also set up a presence in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to cater to the rising demand for charter flights from passengers in the Kingdom. Chief executive Hugh Courtenay (pictured) says Saudi Arabia accounts for 50 per cent of air charter business in the Middle East.

“Businessmen there make 10-15 charter trips a year on average. This certainly demands a strong presence in such a vibrant private jet market.”

Courtenay adds: “KSA clients have started to recognise the strategic benefits of charter jet services, particularly in terms of convenience and time savings and this has encouraged us to make these new investments.”

Wings 24 taps into aviation fuel sales Global flight support specialist Wings 24 Ltd has diversified into the aviation fuel sales market, having signed agreements to purchase fuel in bulk directly from major suppliers and resell to airlines across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

As a subsidiary of the Chapman Freeborn Group – which arranges over 6,000 aircraft charters a year – the service will allow airlines to tap into Wings 24’s volume buying power and benefit from highly competitive fuel prices.

Launched last year, Wings 24 provides ACMI sub-charter and outsourced flight support, including permit acquisition and aircraft fuelling services.

PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS IN AIR CHARTER BROKERAGE

WWW.BACA.ORG.UK

THE BALTIC AIR CHARTER ASSOCIATION

Cessna Citation Authorised Sales Representative

www.timleacockaircraft.com +44 (0)1258 818181

As EBAN goes to press, Austria-based GlobeAir has almost doubled its Citation fleet up to 11 Mustangs for commercial use.

“For months my team has been working very hard to get everything done and to make the five new aircraft fit for the AOC,” says ceo Bernhard Fragner. “We have doubled nearly everything: team, crew, sales network, maintenance support and everything else, like the IT system.”

“Within Europe GlobeAir now holds a 26-30% market share of commercial movements within our peer group of very light jets (Mustang, Phenom 100, Eclipse, CJ1+),” he adds.

GlobeAir will be at the EBACE show in Geneva to promote its expanded fleet, but also to announce that it believes it is the first operator to be certified by Wyvern and IS-BAO. The five additional aircraft are pre-owned, and were manufactured during 2009 and 2010. “We flew them all together with take-offs in sequence every three minutes for the delivery to Linz airport,” said company cmo Mauro De Rosa.

The aircraft will not have fixed bases, in common with the rest of the fleet, rather remaining wherever most

recently flown. The availability of a larger fleet is now expected to reduce ferry legs still further, and consequentially costs and prices.

Founded in 2007, GlobeAir has been one of the world’s fastest growing light jet operating companies. By 2010 it was already the fifth busiest among the world’s all-Citation fleets.

The company reports that it has been investing a lot of resources on safety and quality audits.

It was approved by Wyvern in December, and achieved IS-BAO best practice accreditation, thanks to the help of flight operations manager Georg Bernhofer.

The new Mustangs were delivered together at three minute intervals.

Zero-fuel aircraft team plans first international flight Solar Impulse, the first aeroplane designed to fly day and night without requiring fuel and without producing carbon emissions, is to make its first international flight, from Payerne in Switzerland to Brussels.

The prototype has been ready for take-off since May 2nd and will depart as soon as the weather permits. Confirmation of the impending flight will be communicated 24 hours in advance via www.solarimpulse.com and the flight can be followed live online.

Having to be in Brussels by May 23rd at the latest represents an additional source of pressure for flight director Raymond Clerc, who will have to find a favourable weather window at a time of year that often has unpredictable conditions. A mission as challenging as this requires contributions from a whole team of specialists, including meteorological experts, notably route-planner Luc Trullemans, air traffic controllers, engineers and IT specialists.

The aircraft will be displayed in Brussels from May 23rd to 29th and

will then attempt to fly on to Paris Le Bourget, to appear at the Paris Air Show from June 20th.

Quite apart from its symbolic significance, the first international flight is also a big technical challenge for the Solar Impulse team. To operate in environments as complex as the international air traffic network and the taxiways of Brussels, the 14th biggest European airport, means anticipating and studying every possible eventuality, so as to be able to react quickly if unexpected circumstances arise.

Because of the aircraft’s categorisation as experimental, special authorisations requiring lengthy procedures, had to be obtained from the civil aviation authorities in each of the countries overflown.

“Flying Solar Impulse through European airspace to land at an international airport is an incredible challenge, and success depends on the support we receive from all the authorities concerned,” stressed ceo André Borschberg.

MAY 2011 19

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Boost in long range demand leads business aviation in Spain out of the doldrums

SPAIN REGIONAL REVIEW

year. The company aims to be the main executive aviation maintenance centre in southern Europe.

José Ramón Barriocanal, formerly general manager of Gestair Private Aviation, has been appointed general manager of the aviation business unit which comprises Gestair Private Aviation (private jets and FBO), Gestair Commercial Aviation (airlines and cargo) and Corjet Maintenance.

Executive Airlines

The Gestair FBO in Madrid, one of 10 Spanish locations served by the company.

Despite a decline in overall aircraft numbers in Spain, the largest operators are in the mood for expansion once again. Gestair has added more long range capacity, while Executive Airlines has placed an order for a Gulfstream G650.

Meanwhile our snapshot of the country’s business aviation market reveals that, at the lighter end of the jet charter spectrum, Sur Aviation is aiming to fly its two Mustangs under its own AOC later this year, and Jet Ready has consolidated with its three Eclipse operation.

Aeronova, which has always concentrated on air freight, is turning its attention increasingly to passenger charter, developing a web portal for customer quotations and continuing expansion abroad.

maintaining the highest standards of assistance. We have become a preferred provider for visiting sports stars and fans alike.”

Business aviation in Spain by the numbers

Gestair Private Jets has maintained its fleet through the world financial crisis and has recently added a Gulfstream 550 and a Global Express XRS, bringing its ultra long range fleet to seven units.

“In the past few years, a lot has been written about the global economic downturn which has hit Spain especially, and in particular the Spanish business aviation sector, which has led to a considerable decrease in the business aircraft fleet of this country,” says the company’s corporate brand manager Dominik Wittenbeck. “Nevertheless, and as the economies in other parts of Europe are recovering more quickly, we’re pleased to see a significant increase in international passenger, aircraft and crew assistance.

“In this respect the traffic increase related to major sports events like football or Formula 1 has turned us into specialists in coping with high passenger volumes while

P L A NNING

Continued on next page

N AV IG AT ION

Jeppesen.com/solutions32

Major business aviation airports* 1.Barcelona 2. Valencia 3. Malaga 4. Madrid Torrejon 5. Palma de Mallorca

LEBL LEVC LEMG LETO LEPA

BCN VLC AGP TOJ PMIL

* ranked by the number of handler, charter, maintenance, sales and training organisations based at each.

Leading fixed-wing charter operators**

Gestair

T R A INING

new joint-venture between the Gestair Group and Iberia Maintenance, and held its first board of directors meeting in February this

42 business aviation airports

106 business charter operators

One of six Gulfstream G200s operated

by Executive Airlines.

Aside from its flying activities, Gestair sees potential in a major expansion of its maintenance activities. Corjet Maintenance is a

An extensive fleet ranging from the Citation CJ1 through mid-range types up to the Gulfstream G550, and based at Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, puts Executive Airlines in a good position to assess the state of business aviation in Spain across all sectors. “Nowadays, we have practically recovered the charter level previous to the crisis,” says marketing director Francisco Sanz.

“New clients come for the quality of service, it is simply because we try to do our best in order to do our work well, with good aircraft, good pilots’ service, good catering and handling.

It is simple to attract new clients, there are no special secrets.

“Our company has purchased a Gulfstream G650, which is going to be, with no doubt, the best aircraft in the world. We have also incorporated a G200 this year, which offers an

1. Gestair Private Jets 2. Executive Airlines 3. TAS Aviacion 4. Aeronova 5. Mayoral Executive Jet

Leading helicopter charter operators** 1. Inaer Helicopteros 2. Faasa Aviation 3. Hispanica de Aviacion 4. Heliswiss Iberica

Your complete source for an integrated navigation solution is Jeppesen. Get your charts how and where you want them. Paper. Electronic. Online. Powered by the most comprehensive airport database. Whether you seek to optimize your operations or save through bundling solutions, look to the partner you can count on.

A TOTAL NAVIGATION SOLUTION FOR ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE TO NAVIGATE.

** ranked by number of aircraft for charter

aircraft 19 business maintenance organisations Leading maintenance companies*** 1. Corjet Maintenance 2. Sporavia 3. Inaer Helicopteros 4. Hispacopter 5. Eurocopter Espana

Leading TRTO training companies*** 1. Inaer 2. Gestair Airline Training 3. Calima Instruccion 4. Zorex Air Transport 5. Aeronova *** ranked by number of aircraft types covered

business aircraft on EC 711 the Spanish register Data extracted from the Handbook of Business Aviation in Europe, and the EBAN reader roster.

V i s i t Jeppe s en a t E B A CE boo t h 13 3 9 .

20 MAY 2011

SPAIN REGIONAL REVIEW

Continued from preceding page

extraordinary cabin for passengers – perhaps this is the most comfortable interior aircraft in its segment,” he reports.

Sanz believes that the most important difficulties are now slots and the restricted hours at some airports, especially at Torrejón in Madrid. There are also unexpected problems with slots at weekends at airports like Farnborough. “This obliges us to operate to Luton or Biggin Hill, which does not present any inconvenience,” he says.

“Regrettably, the facilities for business aviation in Spain depend on the airport. They are excellent in Barcelona or Valencia for instance, where we have two FBOs, but on the contrary, at the civil/military base of Torrejón in Madrid, the Spanish Air Force do not allow appropriate building work.

“Nevertheless, our clients are 90% foreigners, therefore the Spanish facilities, which should of course be improved, are not so critical, but it is a governmental matter to grant construction permits.”

Sur Aviation At this time Sur Aviation operates two fully owned Citation Mustangs under the AOC of another Spanish operator.

“By summer we expect to have our own AOC approved,” said managing director Diego Moser.

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Major handlers jockey for the best Spanish locations Business aircraft handling in Spain is undergoing major changes and in the process delivering some of the best services to aircraft owners to be found anywhere in Europe.

The high standards are evidenced

by EBAN’s own annual survey of aircraft operator opinions, in which Mallorcair has been a regular overall winner, but was this year overtaken

by Aerea Aviacion of Malaga.

FBO chains looking to expand are taking Spain very seriously. A year ago Ocean Sky took over three existing facilities, including offices, owned by Aviation Handling Assistance, at Ibiza, Valencia and Mahon (Menorca).

Three more Spanish locations were to be added later. Since then Execujet has purchased the assets of the former Assistair FBO in Valencia and this became its fourth European location.

Established Spanish companies have also been on the expansion trail.

Euraservices SL, for example, opened an FBO office at Valencia in April.

Meanwhile Gestair (pictured) is “always analysing possibilities to expand our network, nationally as well as internationally.” And General Aviation Services, currently serving Madrid Barajas, Torrejón, Málaga “We work all around Europe, mainly in France, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. 90% of our clients are air taxi brokers, our service is fully

and most recently Barcelona, is also studying opening new bases, “depending on the market.”

And there are new entrants too, such as BrokairFBO which has just started services in Tenerife and

is planning to expand to Gran Canaria soon.

Aerea Aviacion also has eyes for business beyond its home base. “We are planning future collaborations with partners in the Canary Islands

focused on them, we have their brands shown on our aircrafts.

“We started in February 2010 with one Citation Mustang that is logging

these days 850 total flight hours. We are focused on high utilisation and our pricing is lower as a result.”

Heliair Marbella When Heliair Marbella’s Eurocopter EC135 is not transporting passengers, dazzling tourists with panoramic

and in Madrid,” FBO manager Yolanda Avalos told EBAN. In Malaga the company handled 1,020 aircraft movements in 2010, and now plans to add an additional vip lounge with more capacity. views of the Costa del Sol, or acting as a camera ship, then it is probably flying medical missions as part of Helicopteros Sanitarios extensive clinical services.

Diversity is important for the Malaga-based operator, which is delighted with the EC135 it

Looking to buy a

pre-owned business aircraft?

Aircraft Shopper Online The Aircraft Market in Real Time

®

www.ASO.com

ASO has worldwide for sale listings of business jets and turbo-props that will meet every mission profile. With thousands of listings, ASO.com is the most up to date and comprehensive online marketplace for pre-owned business aircraft. With powerful search capabilities, customized aircraft email alerts and enhanced buying tools, ASO is the best place to find your next aircraft. Spend less time searching and more time choosing the business aircraft that’s right for you.

Buyers use ASO For more information call +1-732-704-9561 or visit us at www.aso.com

A

MAY 2011 21

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

acquired in 2008. “It is performing fantastically,” says managing director Ana Pérez.

SPAIN REGIONAL REVIEW

Jet Ready A year ago Valencia-based air taxi operator JetReady and Eclipse Aerospace achieved the first EASA certification for the Eclipse 500 VLJ, and announced long-term plans for a large air taxi fleet of the aircraft.

So far three aircraft have joined the company, and these are now based in Madrid, Valencia and Vigo.

According to Ignacio Garcia, Jet Ready managing director (see EBAN December 2010): “Spain is a good base due to the difficult or nonexistent connections from a lot of cities with cities in central Europe.

These difficulties mean businessmen have to lose productivity and stay overnight if they attend meetings in the morning in most European cities.

The appeal is based on the affordable price of the Eclipse combined with the avoidance of wasting time at airports and hotels.”

Atlas Executive Air With a Hawker 750 based in Malaga, Atlas Executive Air provides a full management service to business aircraft owners including maintenance management. It aims to extend support services to include line maintenance in the future.

Paolo Vassar, commercial director, believes that the biggest issue currently facing all operators is the high price of fuel. “That could soon affect our own pricing,” he says.

Heliair Marbella’s ‘fantastic’ EC135.

Aeronova Traditionally a freight operator, Aeronova is now endeavouring to increase market share for its passenger charter product and has developed a new web page capable of providing accurate price quotes to the public, reports marketing director Marco Serusi.

This system has been custom built

Comprehensive Spanish data online free-of-charge The 2010/11 EBAN Handbook of Business Aviation in Europe is out now, and gives details of many more Spanish charter operators.

It also lists business aviation facilities and services including airports, FBOs and maintenance centres.

The details can be accessed online through a search of aircraft operated or the airport bases. For more information please visit www.handbook.aero

Sur Aviation managing director Diego Moser (left) and post holder operations Captain Juan Pablo Codina, are focused on high aircraft utilisation.

and there are now plans to expand it to allow its customers to log in to their personal accounts and manage their

bookings and quotations.

Aeronova is also developing a local representation system in the most

important markets. It has recently appointed a UK and Irish representative, Northpoint Aviation

Services, for its local passenger operations and has additionally based a 14-seat executive configured passenger aircraft at Birmingham International Airport. This aircraft and the other locally positioned QC aircraft represent an enhanced and niche passenger offering in the UK and Netherlands (see EBAN February 2011).

Aeronova was founded in 1996 by a group of local pilots, who saw an opportunity for business in the air freight market. They started with a Piper Navajo and later purchased their first Fairchild Metro.

Eventually the company was acquired by a local business group, the Grupo Suñer, who helped the company develop to its current fleet Continued on next page

22 MAY 2011

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Increasing flights spur Lancelot to plan expansion to the UK

SPAIN REGIONAL REVIEW Continued from preceding page

of five Metro III aircraft, plus a further vip Metro III. Grupo Suñer is a holding company based in Valencia with a stake in more than twenty companies and a consolidated annual income of nearly €300 million. Although the origins of the Suñer family’s business date back to the 1920s, the current Grupo Suñer was only created in the early ’90s, with the objective of continuing the work of Luis Suñer, the head of the family and creator of, amongst others, the legendary ice cream company Avidesa. Two of the original pilots are still with the company working as commercial and training directors.

Aeronova began as a cargo-only operator and has now expanded its operations to the passenger

Jet Ready Eclipses: Competing on price.

charter market. At present, charter cargo operations represent 80% of its business.

All of the company’s aircraft are in a quick change configuration and can be converted from passenger to cargo at any of the company’s bases in Spain, the Netherlands and the UK. The company has a policy of noreturn-to-base of its aircraft, ensuring that its aircraft only use the bases for changing configurations, thereby improving efficiency and reducing empty legs.

To ensure a constant supply of well-qualified pilots, Aeronova have developed an in-house training scheme. This is aimed at ensuring the

The Executive Airlines vip lounge at Barcelona.

quality of the training for the company’s home grown pilots, as well as functioning as an semi-

independent business unit fulfilling the training needs of other companies and individuals.

EBACE2011

BUSINESS AVIATION – LINKING COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES

MAY 17, 18, 19, 2011 | GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

EBACE is the perfect venue for Companies who want to showcase the essential role business aviation plays in supporting jobs, mobility and economic opportunity in Europe.

This premier business aviation event will feature Exhibits, an incredible Static Display of Aircraft, Education Sessions and Maintenance & Operations Sessions (M&Os) – all located at the magnificent Geneva Palexpo and Geneva International Airport.

For more information visit:

www.ebace.aero

Since 2006 Spain has had its own home-grown business aviation flight support company, Lancelot Flight Service, and this now claims to take care of the operations of a large proportion of Spanish corporate and charter operators.

“As far as our experience goes, we believe that we are now over the deep crisis that our sector suffered in the last two years, says administrator Fernando Baiget. “We have an ample view of our 25+ small air operators, and even though there are differences in performance among our clients, we see an increasing number of flights. In fact, we feel corporate/air taxi aviation is picking up in our country.

Three new operators have started in 2010 and we are constantly requested for information for new projects.

“This makes us very confident about our product and we believe that it would be equally successful in other countries. The half-British partnership of our company makes the UK an obvious market to jump into and this year we are starting our marketing effort towards it.”

Promoting itself as an outsourced operations department, the company reports that its average price, providing full operations service, is around €54 a flight. The main operations office is located in Palma de Mallorca, but some tasks are also performed in Madrid and Valencia.

The company employs today six full-time dispatchers, and during the summer months there will be two more, as needed. All members of the dispatch team are given annual recurrent training covering flight planning and performance, ETOPS/EROPS, weight and balance, rules and regulations, special dispatch techniques, aircraft performance and cold weather operations.

Lancelot’s main flight planning tool is Air Support’s PPS. “We find this program to be very effective once thoroughly understood and more flexible than others in the market. We have a very good cooperation with its creators, and it gives us very good results,” says Baiget.

Since March 2007 Lancelot says it has processed more than 15,000 flights for 45 different clients with 92 aircraft, without any incident. It does not normally provide operations to occasional clients. All customers sign at least a one-year service contract.

There are challenges for the future in Spain. Says Baiget: “With increasing interest and activity in our sector, the Spanish civil aviation authority has decided to look more closely on these small/medium charter operators, and started a series of very strict inspections through the State Agency for Air Safety (AESA).

Maybe this sector had been neglected for some time and now the stricter surveillance has created some degree of alarm among the operators. This also affects us by having to document our procedures in a much more detailed way, and also by being under closer scrutiny from AESA.” Partly because of these more detailed audits, Lancelot is now in the process of obtaining ISO9000 certification, and is studying the possibility of a certification under ISBAO, even if only for operations. “We should have something by this summer,” Baiget says. ■

MAY 2011 23

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Aircraft for sale Special packages are available for advertising aircraft for sale in EBAN and on our web site (www.ebanmagazine.com).

Picture adverts (40 words of text plus colour picture) cost £75 each. You can also choose our new display advertising option for larger inventories.

exquisitely detailed “high level BBJ” interior, VVIP since new. 7,600 hrs TTAF. Tour the aircraft at www.wentworth.aero Contact Wendy Bierwirth, Tel: +1 301 869 4600 Wentworth & Affiliates, Inc.. Web: www.wentworth.aero. Email: Sales@Wentworth.aero

BOEING

Valsan Super27-100REW

Super 27-200REW S/N 22825: 5,200 hrs. 3,100 cycles. 2 year new interior & paint. VVIP since new. Fresh C inspection and engines. Aggressive pricing.

Tour the aircraft at www.wentworth.aero.

Contact Wendy Bierwirth, Tel: +1 301 869 4600 Wentworth & Affiliates, Inc.. Web: www.wentworth.aero. Email: Sales@Wentworth.aero

S/N 20533 : VVIP SNEW. 11,300 hrs/5,200 landings. EFIS. Fresh C check and L.G. overhaul. 4100+ NM range potential. -200 Wing, LG, tanks, pressurization. Tour the aircraft at www.wentworth.aero Contact Wendy Bierwirth, Tel: +1 301 869 4600 Wentworth & Affiliates, Inc.. Web: www.wentworth.aero. Email: Sales@Wentworth.aero

BOMBARDIER

1998, M-EMLI, M-EMLI. S/N 5383, 5,551 TTAF, 2,452 ldgs. Two owners since new.

Engines enrolled on OnPoint. Smart Parts+.

Requirements: type rating, basis in Cascais-Portugal, missions to Europe.

OUR NEXT ISSUE: JUNE 2011 FINAL BOOKING DATE: MAY 31st

For application, CV and Cover Letter to

joaobravo@sodarca.pt

Hawker 800B 1993, EASA Certified, 12, 24 and 48 month inspections completed,1 6 year X Rays completed, fresh ARC, new PFD displays, new FMS, interior 10/10, paint – 10 /10.

Available for viewing at Biggin Hill. Contact Paul Forster, Tel: +44(0)1959 579950 Global Flight Solutions. Email: info@gflts.com

SIKORSKY

broking opportunities Hunt&Palmer is seeking enthusiastic, self motivated people to join our exceptional aircraft broking team at our UK head office.

These are key positions within the organisation and we welcome applications from both experienced brokers and those looking for an exciting new career. You will have proven commercial experience gained in either an aviation or travel related environment and have a strong focus on sales and business development.

Full details may be found on our website www.huntandpalmer.com/recruitment.php

S-76C+ 2001, This helicopter will be showing at EBACE on the Helicopter Static Display (HSD-3) outside Hall 6Sale or lease. 5/8place VIP deluxe executive ‘Cocoon’ Iiterior.

EGPWS/TCAS 1/CVR/FDR/Mode S/UNS1D, Blaupunkt cabin entertainment system. Emergency floats/Arnav 100 ELT. Optional rear facing divan. Single pilot IFR equipped. No damage history, TTSN – 1295.4. Aircraft available for immediate delivery. Steve Ayling, tel: +44 1276 855 340 Lynton Aviation Aircraft Sales. Web: www.lyntonaviation.com. Email: sayling@lyntonaviation.com

Competitive remuneration package available including salary, pension and benefits.

Applications with full CV to careers@huntandpalmer.com Closing date 20th May 2011 No agencies please

® air charter and travel connections

ha

c

S/N 22687 known as “Apollo”. There’s no other Valsan Super27-200REW like it. New

Job advertisements can be placed at a cost of UK£50 per single column centimetre, the minimum depth being five centimetres. Job opportunity advertisements are also included on the EBAN web site free-of-charge.

of air

Challenger 604 Valsan Super 27-200REW

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT

Bravojets is searching an available captain certificated for Embraer Phenom 100 for immediate hiring.

WE HELP AVIATION SALES PROFESSIONALS GENERATE DEALS

2005 Agusta A109S Grand SERIAL NUMBER: 22004 REGISTRATION NUMBER: M-YHOP

OFFERS IN EXCESS OF

Euro 2.5m

AMSTAT PROVIDES INDUSTRY LEADING CORPORATE AIRCRAFT MARKET & FLEET DATA Pool Aviation NW ltd is pleased to coordinate the immediate sale of this immaculate Agusta 109S Grand Helicopter, located in Blackpool, North West England (EGNH, BLK) it has a low time and an impeccable history. To allow the delivery of a new machine the owner instructs that the machine to be sold by way of bid tender (Please see www.agusta109sforsale.co.uk) or to the first genuine buyer who offers a price in excess of Euro 2.5m.

2005 Agusta A109S Grand

Jets

AIRFRAME

Turbine Helicopters

1091 with recent 1100 and 3/6 month inspections complete.

AVIONICS AC System, LCD EADI & EHSI, Standby ADI, Gyrocompass C14 Honeywell, Vertical Gyro (No.1) System 46060 Flightline, Vertical Gyro (No.2) Electronics VG 208 JET, AFCS 3 Axis Duplex SP 711 Honeywell, ADF KR 87 King, Transponder (Mode S) KT 73 King, 1 VHF-COM/NAV/GPS GNS 530 Garmin, 2 VHF-COM/NAV/GPS GNS 430 Garmin, Pilot / Co-pilot Contr. Panel AA 95 896TSO NAT, Mode Controller AA 31 002 NAT, Audio Cabin Control AA 82 060 NAT DME KDM 706A King, Marker Beacon KMR 675 King Flight Director + Auto Trim FZ 702 Honeywell.

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT Supplied to its current owner from new in the UK in 2005, this machine has been cared for to a remarkable standard with maintenance carried out to the highest of standards with no expense spared. It is offered for sale with all necessary SB/AD complied with and with operational, crew and training support if required worldwide, along with delivery and registration capability internationally.

Turboprops

Single/Dual Pilot IFR, MFD Moving Map KMD550, Radar Altimeter AA-300, ELT C406-3HM Artex, Strobe Lights, Two PW 207C engines with FADEC, 960 SHP TOP Main Gear Box, Aluminium Alloy Mainframe, Retractable tricycle landing gear Fully articulated 4 bladed M.R. Hub, Semi-rigid 2 bladed T.R. Hub, Composite Main & Tail Rotor blades, Pilot/Co-pilot Shoulder Harness with Inertia Reel, Pilot/Co-pilot Headsets, 1.40 mt. Wide Passengers Cabin Sliding Doors, 152 US Gall. Crash resistant Fuel system, Barometric Encoding Altimeter, Air speed indicator, IVSI, Magnetic indicator, L. C. Integrated Display System (I.D.S.), Fuel Drain Electrical Valves, Quick Disconnecting Chip Detectors, First Aid Kit, Cabin Fire Extinguisher, Dual controls, Rotor brake, 450 W Rotating Landing light, Windshield wipers (Pilot/Co-pilot), Wiper Switch on Cyclic Grip, Engine compartment Fire extinguisher, Airframe hour meter, Vibration Absorber.

In a suite of comprehensive services to meet every business need

Using a globally focused, multi-lingual research team, and a unique combination of live data and portability, AMSTAT provides the most timely and accurate market information available.

More importantly, AMSTAT provides the tools needed to convert that information into effective marketing

programs

and

valuable

sales

opportunities – turning knowledge into revenue.

INTERIOR VVIP Seating with 6 pax / Central Refreshment/Service Console (Interchangeable) finished in Beige soft leather with walnut cappings and Gold Fittings

EXTERIOR

VISIT US AT EBACE 2011 BOOTH # 1139

All Over Anthracite metallic with Gold Stripes and Highlights, Factory Original with No Damage History.

Information that moves you forward

POOL AVIATION (NW) LTD. Established 1973 Blackpool, Great Britain Phone: +447831121612 Alternate Phone: +441253407600 Email: simon.menzies@poolaviation.com

US 1 877 426 7828 I Int’l +1 732 530 6400 I www.amstatcorp.com

25

e nce

Contact Mark Ranger on: +44 (0)1279 714509 mark@ebanmagazine.com

Career opportunities

years rt e ri n g e x c

e ll

Marketplace

JAR Ops 1. New paint 2006 and interior refurb 2010. Swift Broadband. EFB’s. A beautiful aircraft. Tel: +1 (202) 559-9325 Loudoun Aviation, Inc (USA). Web: loudounaviation.com.

Beechcraft KING AIR C90GTx

Creature Comforts

:< 98%< 9.<80 0.<20>,<30<6= 8*<)>(,<>.52:<7<%.07><79.-.74>< 9>+ <>+0<.78%0<786<17:2=76<>=<37>-+<3:<&5,:</5.=1078<>.7 02 <8006,*< 2>+=5%+<3:<&=:,< =526< ><98<7< 0.:<29%+>< 0>'<>+0: <711.0-97>0<>+0<0 >.7<,17-0<>+7><=82:<>+0< 98%< 9.<722= ,*

VERSATILITY, DEPENDABILITY AND CABIN SIZE THAT VLJS CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MATCH As a leading beauty industry entrepreneur, David Gold relies on the ability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

<

* * < ASIA-PACIFIC * * <<UNITED STATES & THE AMERICAS * * * < SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PERFORMANCE DATA IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO FLIGHT TESTING. ©2011 HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. HAWKER AND BEECHCRAFT ARE TRADEMARKS OF HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION.