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ISSUE 239

AUGUST 2013

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Bookajet combats flat market with Gulfstream IV Complete the form on your mailing sheet to

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Bookajet has weathered the economic storm effectively, marking this feat by investing in a long-range Gulfstream IV. “We are pleased to say we are starting to come out of what has been a very flat and challenging time in Europe,” says Jonathan Clements, pictured with fellow director Chris Rooney, right. More personnel have been added to the company roster and at least six new aircraft added in 2013 alone. “Our service is delivered by an outstanding team of people,” Clements adds. See full story on page 3.

TAG Aviation pioneers paperless cockpit and cuts fuel burn Farnborough-based TAG Aviation has become the first business aviation operator to receive approval from the UK CAA for paperless cockpits, using iPads to replace paper flight deck documents.

TAG is now equipping crews across its managed fleet with iPads which will serve as Class I EFBs and will be loaded with Vistair DocuNet and Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck applications. DocuNet, a cloudbased library publication system, enables crews to download and manage TAG Aviation operational flight deck documents using their iPads. Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck allows crews to access aeronautical arrival and departure information for airports worldwide. It can also be accessed via Class 3 EFB primary flight displays.

“The introduction of paperless technology will ensure that pilots have up-to-date, essential information at their fingertips,” says Russ Allchorne, vp of flight operations Europe. “Flights manuals, manufacturer’s documents and aeronautical flight charts can be updated at the touch of a button instead of the time-

Mark Blois-Brooke, chief pilot at TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd, with his iPad (Class 1 Electronic Flight Bag) in the cockpit of a Dassault Falcon 7X.

consuming and wasteful process of manually updating hard copies.

“At TAG we are committed to identifying ways to pioneer standards in flight operations and wider business aviation practices to

improve efficiency, safety and our environmental footprint.”

TAG is also hoping to save fuel by going paperless; manual flight bags can weigh between 20kg and 30kg, whereas the iPad weighs less than 1kg. Operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information can all now be accessed via the device and the electronic version will save printing costs. TAG has a managed fleet of 140 aircraft and plans to implement the paperless approach in each member of its fleet, including those under Swiss, Spanish, Middle Eastern and Asian AOCs. “This represents a significant step forward for our pilots,” explains chief pilot Mark Blois-Brooke. “The use of Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck electronic charts together with Vistair DocuNet for company manuals ensures that we have up-todate information readily and instantly available. The weight savings are significant too; helping to reduce fuel burn.

“We are proud to be the first UK operator to gain CAA approval for paperless operations.”

Angola’s SonAir hails return of the EC225 African oil and gas helicopter operator SonAir says it has become the first operator to resume passenger transportation flights with the suspended EC225 fleet. Three flights were performed successfully with two EC225s from Luanda to two offshore platforms. The Angola-based operator is the aviation division of Sonangol, Angola’s national oil company.

Its resumption of EC225 rotations for the oil and gas sector marks an important step in the return-to-service status for the full fleet worldwide.

Certain EC225 operations had been affected by the national authority restrictions, particularly for North Sea offshore oil and gas transportation missions. Yet other helicopters of this type have continued flying, with initial safety measures defined by Eurocopter. These aircraft have logged more than 20,000 flight hours since last October without incident.

“The three flights were routine, confirming that the EC225’s service restart is backed by strong safety measures that give confidence to our clients,” says João Andrade, SonAir’s chairman and ceo.

SonAir has a total of 11 EC225s located at its Luanda operating base, of which nine are dedicated to crew-change missions for offshore oil and gas platforms. Its Eurocopter fleet of aircraft also includes four AS332 L2 and three AS365 N3 helicopters.

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2 AUGUST 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

DanCopter celebrates successful first year of Shell contract Danish operator DanCopter has had 42,000 passengers on board along with 740 tonnes of baggage in the first 12 months of its contract with Shell.

DanCopter was awarded the contract in July 2012 having operated in the North Sea since 2003. It is responsible for helicopters carrying passengers and freight to and from Shell platforms in the southern North Sea, and as part of the award it contracted all passenger and freight facilities, check-in, processing, security screening and briefing services to SaxonAir. The handler owns and operates a business aviation centre at Norwich that includes dedicated facilities for private and business aviation, offshore passengers and freight.

The anniversary was marked with a joint open day between DanCopter and SaxonAir for all related staff, organisations and individuals involved in the operation, as well as key local businesses.

Group commercial director for SaxonAir Christopher Mace says: “The offshore industry is a vital part of the UK infrastructure. Our services and dedicated facilities for DanCopter and Shell enable their flights to be processed efficiently and safely. We are very pleased to be working with DanCopter, marking the first anniversary of the Shell operation, and we look forward to many more years of joint cooperation.”

In addition, DanCopter has

At the handover of DanCopter’s fourth EC225 are ceo Jens Anders Jensen, pilots Søren Nielsen and Anders Nørager, technician Erik Jeppesen, Part M postholder Peter Nilén, Tom Elmstrom-Christensen for Maersk operations support helicopters and vessels, manager of Maersk helicopter operations Tom Mortensen, Maersk head of operations support Jesper Ladefoged and Sylvia Browne-Casini of Ostnes Consultante.

received its fourth EC225 helicopter, which will be used for off-shore transport duties including crew change missions to oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. The handover was made at Eurocopter’s production facility in Marignane, France, and was followed by the helicopter’s ferry flight to Esbjerg, Denmark, where it will be

based. DanCopter ceo Jens Anders Jensen comments: “This latest helicopter will provide additional resources as the EC225 returns to service on North Sea transportation missions.

“Safe operations are the top priority for us, and we have confidence in the EC225’s ability to resume its role as a workhorse on our

off-shore oil and gas missions.”

The EC225 can carry up to 19 passengers on heavy-lift missions to platforms located 140-155 miles from the coast. DanCopter believes that the helicopter’s large cabin and ability to contend with winds, waves and icy conditions make it well suited for such challenging service. The EC225 had been

suspended from service by EASA after an extensive investigation into the main gear box shaft failures of helicopters of this type in the North Sea in 2012. However, on July 10 EASA approved the prevention and detection measures developed by Eurocopter for the twin-engine rotorcraft, allowing for a return to service worldwide.

Hansgrohe Group receives 400th Phenom

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German sanitation firm The Hansgrohe Group has taken delivery of Embraer’s 400th Phenom jet, a Phenom 300. The aircraft will be used to transport executives for the 112-year-old company which generated $1.05 billion sales in 2012 and employs more than 3,400 people globally.

“As an advanced manufacturer, we were looking for an aircraft that has the versatility and quality to match the high quality brand we have created at Hansgrohe,” says Albert Kuenstle, flight manager for the Black Forest-based company. “The Phenom 300 is a perfect match. We are honoured to take delivery of the 400th Phenom and join the ranks of other global companies that operate this model.”

Empire grows private jet charter activity amid increased Middle Eastern demand Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group is taking advantage of burgeoning business in the Gulf region. Its charter bookings have risen 12 per cent over the last year and it is said to operate one of the largest managed fleets of business jets in the Middle East, with around 20 jets under management at any one time. Demand has been boosted due to competitive rates which are moving further towards the scale of commercial airlines.

Leisure travel to locations such as the Maldives and Seychelles outside of the peak summer months has been another reason for increased traffic, while top corporate charter destinations include London, Paris, Hong Kong and Mumbai. Per seat rates compare favourably with first class seats on commercial flights.

EAG says it tailors each mission to the specific needs of the corporate executive, management team or business owner it is flying. The aircraft type, routing and destinations, onboard and ground services all provide challenges, and corporate roadshows are often requested, where individuals or management teams fly around the region on multiple stopovers, following an intensive travel itinerary. In this case, charter provides flexibility and convenience and it is often the only viable option.

Paras Dhamecha, executive

Executive director Paras Dhamecha stands in front of a Legacy 600, part of EAG’s managed fleet.

director, says: “Business jet charter declined in the region during the global economic downturn but is now returning strongly. The scale and diversity of our managed fleet – which includes business jets from all the major manufacturers – provides a range of aircraft options for business and leisure charter clients.

“Charter rates are very competitive compared to first class commercial and the benefits are incomparable.”

EAG quotes charter rates of around $2,000 per seat for flights within the Gulf region and around $10,000 for return flights to Europe, although these clearly vary depending on the aircraft type, destination and duration.

AUGUST 2013 3

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Gulfstream IV enhances long range offering for Bookajet

Atlas increases Cessna presence with CJ2+ for JetCologne Atlas Air Service, headquartered in Bremen, Germany, has added a Citation CJ2+ to its managed fleet, which already includes CJ3 and XLS types. The latest aircraft was bought by the investors of the newly-founded company JetCologne, and Atlas is providing operational support until the company is settled in Cologne and is ready to operate on its own AOC. This support has meant that the CJ2+ was in commercial operation within a fortnight, and delays that can sometimes be encountered upon starting a new operation were avoided.

“We formed in April. We are now inside the AOC of Atlas, but as we have another charter company – SilverCloud Air – we might get our AOC via this other company,” says JetCologne ceo Michael Sauer.

“We run business flights and private jet flights for Cologne.

Cologne had a big charter company that went bankrupt and since that time there has been no new jet on the airfield.”

The CJ2+ is said to serve Atlas’ market well, with a range of up to 1,600nm and able to accommodate up to seven passengers. The company says that it is more economical on fuel than a Phenom 100 in similar flight conditions. Atlas is providing maintenance and CAMO support from its Cessna service centre.

Hans Doll, Atlas sales director

The aircraft is equipped with the latest technical specification, with steep approach capability. A satellite phone and in-flight entertainment is on offer in the cabin.

Atlas sales director Hans Doll says that the performance of the CJ2+ has been “perfect” so far, although he does believe that logistical challenges are still to be overcome: “We see Germany with a robust economy.

However, the situation in particular in southern Europe will have effects on our business. General aviation operators are suffering from even more legislative obstacles and bureaucracy.

“Atlas Air Service is diversified and offers a comprehensive package of services to the business aviation market. We are monitoring the market and we have put more emphasis on the pre-owned market and on aircraft management. This is already paying off. We are confident that we have the right approach to be just as successful in future,” he concludes.

Directors Lisa and Malcolm Humphries (foreground) are joined by Dr Terry Martin, medical director, along with some members of the joint Channel Islands contract team.

Capital Air Charter wins joint Channel Islands ambulance contract Capital Air Charter has been chosen to provide ambulance services to Jersey and Guernsey, after signing a shared contract with the islands. The deal, which has been approved by the health and social services departments on the two islands, means that Capital will fly critically ill patients to the UK for treatment, saving on cost and ensuring essential flight continuity for at least three years. The move is believed to make logistical sense, based on figures which show that Jersey carried out 346 emergency air transfers, and Guernsey 174, in 2012 alone.

For Jersey the contract is worth $1.5 million and the island is expected to save $65,000 by implementing the new scheme.

Capital already holds the contract here and can therefore utilise existing

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

Regional review of business charter:

infrastructure without requiring new facilities. The operation will continue to be stationed at Aviation Beauport, which is at Jersey airport, and a medical team will travel directly with the patient to the target hospital.

For Guernsey the contract is worth roughly half the amount, but the savings will be considerably more, at around $300,000. Capital will be a new provider for the island but has been able to reassign its Piper Chieftain without needing to invest in new aircraft or infrastructure. The Chieftain will be based in Exeter, with a further Chieftain and King Air 200s providing backup. The approach is slightly different to Jersey, as a UK team is dispatched which then accompanies the patient to the hospital on the return leg.

Capital Air Charter’s Lisa

Humphries says: “We are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious contract and our entire team looks forward to working with Jersey and Guernsey to implement a safe, fast, efficient, cost-effective and flexible patient air transfer service, unrivalled in the British Isles.

“We are already fully equipped because we’ve had the Jersey contract for the last six years and we also have the Isle of Man air ambulance contract. This is a natural progression.

We have been around 22 years now and it’s nice to have been here all this time and still be growing.”

The two islands will use different aircraft to conduct the emergency air transfers and each island is to have a separate service level agreement with the operator, to allow for variations in their respective health systems.

Farnborough, UK-based Bookajet is strengthening its presence in the long-range market by adding another aircraft with transatlantic capability to its fleet. The addition is a Gulfstream IV, featuring 13 executive seats and a rear bedroom, and it will be flown on the operator’s UK AOC. The aircraft is currently operating privately and it is anticipated that it will become available for charter later this year.

The latest acquisition comes on the back of a string of deliveries for Bookajet in recent months: the operator has already added a Global Express XRS based in Moscow, a Citation Sovereign at London Stansted, a Citation Excel and two further Beechcraft Premier 1 light jets.

With the addition of another Global, a 6000, due in the months ahead, Bookajet’s UK managed fleet is now set to reach double figures.

“We are pleased to say we are starting to come out of what has been a very flat and challenging time in Europe,” says director Jonathan Clements. “Charter demand is also picking up – from both the leisure and business markets. And with the arrival of these additional managed aircraft we have added more personnel.”

The firm was established in 2003, introduced AOC operations in 2006, and is now employing almost 50 staff, including flight and cabin crew at various bases in Europe. In addition to its UK bases, Bookajet is present in Italy, France, Russia and the Netherlands. It says it is now the sole commercial operator of the Beechcraft Premier 1 in the UK, and has found that this aircraft works well in a niche market. “We have seen some consolidation among the smaller players which has provided some interesting opportunities,” says Clements.

“Our success in significantly increasing our managed fleet over the past 12 months has been down to offering a professional and fully transparent service, delivered by an outstanding team of people.”

In addition, Bookajet has just promoted Captain Alex Young to director of flight operations.

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4 AUGUST 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Growing EMS demand prompts DRF fleet additions Publisher and editor: .......... David Wright Sub editor: ........................ Kate Woods Reporter: .............................. Tom Ryder Designer: .............................. Chris Carr Advertising manager: .......... Mark Ranger Subscriptions: ................ Janet Edwards Send news submissions to Tom Ryder: newsdesk@ebanmagazine.com or call +44 1279 714506 European Business Air News, 134 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3BQ England.

Telephone: +44 1279 714505 Fax: +44 1279 714519 www.ebanmagazine.com European Business Air News (USPS 009091) is published eleven times each year, monthly except January, by Stansted News Limited, 134 South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3BQ, England.

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DRF Luftrettung cfo Dr Hans JĂśrg Eyrich has revealed that in the months ahead the German air rescue operator will be putting one of the latest generation helicopters into service, an EC145 T2: “This type of helicopter, which is also ideal for night flight operations, is excellently suited for air rescue missions thanks to its performance capability and the Fenestron,â€? he says. “It is particularly useful in night rescue missions because the shrouded tail rotor provides a further measure of safety.â€?

In addition, DRF Luftrettung will put a Learjet 45 into service in the next few weeks. “The modern jet will be used only for worldwide repatriations and it is optimally equipped for the care of intensive care patients,� comments Eyrich.

These additions follow on from the release of DRF’s half-yearly mission statistics, which show that the company has performed 18,714 air rescue missions in the first six months of this year. Rescues

include motorbike accidents, strokes, and the assistance of seriously injured children. It is on duty every day with its helicopters and ambulance aircraft.

Helicopter missions fly from 31 HEMS bases in Germany, Austria and Denmark.

In Germany, DRF was alerted to 17,258 missions during the first six months of the year, while the Danish HEMS base of Ringsted, which is operated by Falck DRF Luftambulance A/S, was alerted 286 times. In the same period the two Austrian rescue helicopters of the ARA-Flugrettungs GmbH, which belongs to DRF Luftrettung, were much in demand, too – the crews in Reutte, Tyrol, and Fresach, Carinthia, performed 893 missions altogether.

In the field of worldwide ambulance flights, DRF Luftrettung together with Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) conducted 277 repatriations under the name of European Air Ambulance. These repatriation flights were coordinated

by the respective alert centres at the airports of Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and Luxembourg. “The half-yearly report shows that air rescue in Germany is gaining more and more importance,� Eyrich says. “In a medical emergency, every minute counts. Our rescue helicopters are used to bringing the emergency physician to the scene of the accident and transporting patients to suitable hospitals. Today, every third emergency patient has to be transported to a hospital by helicopter. “For several years the German health system has been undergoing structural changes, for example a specialisation of clinics. Our helicopter can cover wide distances fast and therefore has a crucial advantage in providing the patients with an optimal treatment, especially in rural areas.�

In total, approximately 700 emergency physicians, 300 paramedics, 160 pilots and 80 technicians are on duty for DRF Luftrettung.

Concierge offers Challenger 300 for charter

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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.

Flyjet’s first officer Maciej Szczepaniak and captain Karol Wiśniewski with the latest fleet addition.

Inaer forms Spain’s first allfemale medical helicopter crew The Malpartida medical base in Cåceres, operated by Inaer Spain, is now the home of Spain’s first allwoman medical helicopter crew. The crew is made up of pilot Beatriz Parera, medic Gloria Palacios and Salobrar Sånchez and Rocio Ramos from the Extramadura Health Service.

The crew uses a Eurocopter EC135. “The gender of the crew doesn’t matter, what matters is the harmony between them and the health professionals, to ensure successful missions like we’ve seen over the past few days,� explains Parera.

Inaer operates a total of 27 medical aircraft in Spain. In 2012 the company completed 8,228 medical emergency missions and treated 6,658 patients.

DRF Luftrettung cfo Dr Hans JĂśrg Eyrich is witnessing the growth of air rescue in Germany.

Flyjet brings in more spacious Phenom Polish operator Flyjet has added a Phenom 100 to its fleet, which will be operated on its AOC. The firm took delivery of the aircraft at the beginning of July and it has already completed more than 40 flight hours. “Completing this many hours has given us great perspective on the model,� says operations executive Pawel Chorzelski. “We strongly advertised this aircraft to all of our customers before it entered the fleet and the plane itself has less than 600 flight hours total time making it look very fresh. We must admit that compared with the Cessna Mustang which we have been using since 2009, this aircraft not only

Extra space aboard the Phenom 100.

gives passengers extra cabin space and a separate lavatory but also possesses greater range. “We can do legs like Warsaw to Nice or Warsaw to Olbia without any fuel stops or even a slight chance of one and with a full passenger

configuration that could rarely have been done using the Mustang.�

The Phenom could be costeffective too: “This aircraft is very well positioned on the market as it beats CJs with the price, giving up to four passengers much more space and a much bigger luggage compartment, which is enormous given the size of the aircraft,� Chorzelski adds.

Flyjet will operate its latest jet on the floating fleet model and hopes to have it positioned all around Europe, not only in Poland.

The operator now runs Beechcraft 90GTX, Cessna Mustang and Learjet 60XR types, with an average fleet age of three years.

Concierge Aviation has taken delivery of a Challenger 300 aircraft to enhance its managed fleet. The aircraft will be based at Bristol and is available for charter. “This delivery was the culmination of a two-and-a-half year project with the owner of the aircraft,� says md Glen Smith. “We completed operational evaluations of several different models to ensure we achieved the best balance of range, performance, cabin space and acquisition price before signing for the 300 at EBACE 2012. Twelve months later Bombardier delivered this high specification aircraft on schedule. The quality of service from the sales and delivery team has been exceptional.�

Smith also speaks of the extended AOC which has been granted: “Our AOC now includes north and south America, Africa and the Far East, offering our clients a far wider range of non-stop destinations. “Our team has worked tirelessly on this project and we will now focus on ensuring we maintain our level of service delivery in this new market.�

Concierge chief pilot Bryan Treadgold adds: “We are hugely impressed with the capability and operation of this aircraft and have seen it consistently meet the published performance figures over a variety of sectors.�

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AUGUST 2013 5

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Vertis gets African marketing project off the ground with Global 6000 Switzerland-based charter sales specialist Vertis Aviation is to add a Bombardier Global 6000 to its marketed aircraft portfolio, starting this month. The ultra-long range aircraft will be positioned primarily in Johannesburg, South Africa, in a move designed to satisfy the growing demand for business jet travel in and around the African continent.

The Global 6000 forms part of an international network strategy for Vertis and will be the company’s first jet actively marketed from an African location. A local flight department will operate the jet and it will be deployed on both inter- and intracontinental missions in order to serve an African client base which is increasingly seeking ultra-long range aircraft.

“We are very excited about the possibilities that this immaculate Global 6000 offers for our international charter clients. With its ultralong range and short-field capabilities it is ideal for work on the African continent which requires aircraft that can cover vast distances,” comments Erica Da Veiga, a partner at Vertis.

“This addition marks the beginning of our expansion strategy in Africa which we believe offers great potential for further development.

We’re already seeing a high demand for charters between Brazil and Angola, Lagos and Johannesburg, London and Johannesburg, and anticipate the route map will just become more complex as the continent’s requirements expand.”

The Global 6000 is configured

Luca Madone, Erica Da Veiga and Jeffrey Emmenis – partners of 28 East Group which owns Vertis Aviation.

with 14 seats and the company says it features a contemporary interior and spacious galley, along with a dedicated crew rest area. An onboard communications suite features internet access and Wi-Fi connectivity along with a full IFE system. The aircraft has a range of 6,000nm and a cruise speed of 488kts.

Vertis believes that these attributes

will lead to bookings from heads of state and government officials.

This news follows reports that a Moscow-based Airbus A319 and a Bombardier Global XRS will be added to Vertis’ books from next month as well. The three new aircraft will join the long range charter fleet which Vertis markets on behalf of its operating partners.

Geotech transfers Squirrel and readies it for survey service Geotech Airborne has relocated a Squirrel B3 from its operations in Brazil to South Africa. The Squirrel will be put to work carrying out airborne geophysical surveys.

Geotech Aviation’s South African fleet now comprises six B3s along with two Cessna Caravan 208Bs. The aircraft was already owned by the company and registered in Brazil but has been transported to South Africa and received a new registration. It is now ready for service and will be on contract shortly.

Geotech Airborne’s business development manager Robert Wilson explains the type of operation the Squirrel will be engaged in: “Geotech is the world’s leading airborne geophysical survey company offering helicopter and fixed wing geophysics, data processing and data interpretation. We use these helicopters for active and passive electromagnetism, state-of-the-art gravity, high sensitivity magnetics and radiometric surveys. Geotech is a full service company in helicopter and fixed wing airborne geophysics for both the oil and gas and mining sectors as well as general engineering and environmental sectors.”

However, the transition to life in South Africa for the latest Squirrel hasn’t been without setbacks, explains director of maintenance Craig Siepman: “We had a couple of technical issues which kept it on the ground longer than we anticipated.”

Siepman nonetheless praises the reliability of this helicopter type: “It is a very capable, reliable aircraft and

is also maintenance-friendly.

“The B3 is one helicopter type we use for our surveys. They’re very well suited for the range of environments we work in and have the required power to carry the system and complete surveys safely.”

Siepman also hints that Geotech Aviation will consider offering a wider range of services as it looks to the future: “We have traditionally flown airborne geophysical surveys and our priority will always remain focused on survey.

However, we would like to expand into other markets and offer clients a wider range of services. With a bigger fleet we can allocate aircraft to other projects.”

A B3 Squirrel runs a survey for Geotech.

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6 AUGUST 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

Steady growth sees Aero-Dienst step up to CJ4 at new base Aero-Dienst has taken delivery of a Citation CJ4, expanding its total fleet to 12. The aircraft can accommodate up to seven passengers and will run commercial operations on AeroDienst’s AOC from its new base at Giebelstadt business airport.

Already operational from Nuremberg, both Munich airports and Düsseldorf, the company’s new base is located in the heart of Mainfranken, the gateway to the tourism region known as Franconian wine country, and it has excellent connections to the scientific and business region of Würzburg.

Aero-Dienst says it is offering fast, easy check-in and a full service handling for crew and passengers, describing it as “just the perfect airport for business aviation.”

Besides Learjet 45XR/60, Phenom 300, Falcon 900EX EASy and 7X types the company used a CJ3 previously but is now benefitting from the superior speed and range offered by the latest acquisition, which is the next step up, according to aircraft management supervisor Andreas Strabel: “We have had the aircraft

Aero-Dienst’s CJ4 stationed at its base in Giebelstadt.

since 1st May and it is very reliable.

We have performed lots of hours already and we did a lot of long range flights and there have been no problems up to now.”

Strabel points out the new features aside from the range and speed upgrade: “The CJ4 has a swept wing

design and the outward appearance is nice. It’s a little bit more dynamic than the CJ3. The engines are efficient and it has a bright cabin. Avionics for the pilots are great and there are also data link possibilities. It is very stateof-the-art and has a huge baggage compartment.

Bond signs up to sevenyear ambulance deal

Italian police force receives two AW139s The Italian police force has taken delivery of its first two AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopters on schedule. The helicopters will be operated by the 1st Aviation Unit of the Italian police and based at Pratica di Mare, close to Rome. The delivery forms the first part of an eight-aircraft contract signed last July.

The AW139 was the helicopter of choice for the police force as it is currently undergoing an extensive modernisation programme and believes the specification of the aircraft to be well suited to its demanding mission schedule. This model is already in service with both the Italian Coast Guard, Guardia di Finanza (customs and border protection) and the Italian Air Force.

The police force will be able to take advantage of the existing logistical support in place at these fellow organisations.

An AW139 helicopter, part of the Italian police force’s order of eight.

The number of AW139s in service with Italian government operators now stands at 31, and these helicopters engage in a wide spectrum of roles, covering law enforcement, homeland security, patrol, special operations, search and rescue, government and vvip transport, disaster relief and command and control.

“We have a cabin layout of seven passengers with the sidefacing seat close to the entrance door and in exceptions we have adapted the lavatory seat so we can fit eight passengers. A typical mission though is three to four or even five passengers.”

Strabel also states that AeroDienst is always on the look out for new managed fleet additions from companies that fit with its philosophy: “Our customer base is huge family-owned companies and blue chip companies, so our aircraft are really business tools. We are always looking to expand our activities at these locations and add more locations in the southern and western parts of Germany.

“We are not really in the broker business; our approach is to build up long-term relationships with mostly German companies, and start with them on a single charter flight. Then, after years and once they know the advantages of business jets, they sometimes decide to buy their own jet and then we offer the complete package. We have the service centre here in Nuremberg, for almost all major jet manufacturers.

This is our strategy.

“But we do expand at the rate of one aircraft per year, something like that. It’s not a huge expansion like other companies, but it is a solid operation nonetheless.”

Hervé Laitat, ceo of Abelag.

Name remains the same, as Abelag expands its horizons Belgian operator Abelag is to be incorporated into Luxembourg business aviation group Luxaviation. This year is Luxaviation’s fifth anniversary and it is marking it by integrating Abelag, which employs over 300 people and operates more than 50 aircraft in Benelux, Germany and France. Abelag will keep its name, and has been integrated in the same manner as Fairjets back in 2009.

Abelag brings 50 years of business aviation experience while Luxaviation will give the operator access to its international network, which it is looking to expand by opening an Asian office in Singapore at the end of June. The partnership will make use of synergies in maintenance, training and customer acquisition fields.

Barth Foucart, executive director

of Abelag, says: “At the dawn of our 50th anniversary celebration, the association with Luxaviation paves the way for new opportunities. We will focus on the continuous optimisation of our services as well as the diversification of our activities.”

Ceo Hervé Laitat adds: “By joining Luxaviation, we will continue to offer our clients high quality services while taking profit from the full range of advantages only an international group can provide.”

Abelag was created in 1964 and is headquartered in Brussels with subsidiaries in Kortrijk, Antwerp, Eindhoven and Paris. It employs 45 pilots and its charter fleet includes two Beechcraft 200, three CJ2, two CJ3, one Citation Ultra, three Learjet 45, six Citation XLS, four Falcon 2000EX and two Falcon 7X.

UK-based Bond Air Services has been awarded a seven-year contract by North West Air Ambulance, worth over $15 million, to provide air ambulance support across five counties in north west England.

Bond’s operational bases will be Blackpool airport and City airport Manchester, with aircraft, crew and maintenance support. The service will cover the counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside – an area of more than 5,500 square miles with a population of approximately eight million people.

Bond has operated HEMS for NWAA since the charity was founded in 1999, and this contract renewal strengthens that partnership. NWAA now operates two EC135s provided by Bond, which says it is the largest operator of air ambulance aircraft in the UK. Bond md Chris Greenhill says: “For 14 years Bond has helped the charity provide vital life-saving services for people in the region. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them and enhancing the service we offer.

“We have always enjoyed a close yet formal and professional relationship with the ambulance service as we work together to develop the critical service we provide. This will include looking at increased hours of operation and increased medical capability for the aircraft.

“We currently fly approximately 1,600 missions a year from both bases. Each is allocated two pilots and one engineer, with backup resources available to cover sickness and leave.

A backup air ambulance is provided for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, all of which enables us to provide customers with an average service availability of 98 per cent across our fleet.”

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Greenhill speaks of the additional infrastructure that will be put in place to support the service: “We are currently looking at an option to introduce a third aircraft this year to provide increased support to the region. We are working closely with NWAA to set up forward operating bases, to be used on a daily basis, at certain hospitals within the region.

He adds: “The charity is also reviewing the use of doctors as part of the crew on both aircraft. Currently one of the two aircraft is crewed by a paramedic and doctor.”

The EC135 is particularly suited to its purpose, as Greenhill explains: “The EC135 is the most utilised light twin helicopter for emergency services on a worldwide basis, with its high levels of reliability, spacious cabin, skidded undercarriage, high main rotor and enclosed tail rotor.

The EC135 makes an ideal aircraft for air ambulance and HEMS operations.” He also reveals that the use of the aircraft for night retrievals is one area currently under review.

Looking forward to a continuing partnership: Chris Greenhill of Bond.

AUGUST 2013 7

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

AIRCRAFT NEWS...

Gulfstream releases PlaneBalance app Gulfstream has released its new PlaneBalance application, a weight and calculation tool. The app complements the company’s PlaneBook iPad application, an electronic document management system that has helped pilots and flight crew operate Gulfstream aircraft more effectively since 2011.

“This interactive application can provide weight and balance information and can generate reports about centre of gravity, aircraft configurations, payload weight and fuel,” says Bill Colleran, director of technical publications.

Beechcraft sees deliveries increase Beechcraft Corporation has recorded a 75 per cent increase in second quarter deliveries for 2013 when compared with the second quarter of 2012.

The company delivered 56 units versus 32 in the second quarter of 2012. For the first half of 2013, the company delivered 115 aircraft as compared to 69 in the first half of 2012, an increase of 66 per cent.

Sloane’s deputy chief pilot Gary Spender and chief pilot Jeff James, standing with the GrandNew.

Sloane receives ‘best of the bunch’ GrandNew for EMS missions Sloane Helicopters has added a GrandNew to its emergency medical services fleet. The delivery took place in Italy and the aircraft then flew to Sywell, UK. The helicopter is the latest version of the 109 series and is equipped with a number of advanced features that increase safety and reduce pilot workload. These include a synthetic vision system, a four-axis autopilot, HITS (Highway In The Sky) technology and a helicopter terrain awareness warning system.

These features are said to make the helicopter one of the most technologically advanced in its class.

Sales manager Stephen Mitchell comments: “This air ambulance is the best of the bunch. It can outperform other aircraft in its class and is very fast as well.”

He also speaks highly of the technological features on the GrandNew: “It has enhanced safety because it has a new avionics suite in the cockpit. The four-axis auto pilot is more advanced than the three when

Lana Del Rey flies with Cello to perform at Beirut show Cello Aviation has continued its association with music stars by transporting American vocalist Lana Del Rey to the Lebanon as part of her world tour.

The 27-year-old singer and songwriter was taken by the Birmingham-based carrier to a concert in Beirut using its luxury configured BAE 146. Del Rey had just performed in Athens and was flown to the Lebanon following this show.

Cello’s previous clients have included Coldplay and Jessie J, the latter of which recently flew with Cello to concerts in Gibraltar and Rabat in Morocco.

“Cello has established itself as the chosen carrier with a number of top international music and performing stars,” says Nim Baines, ceo.

“Touring is a huge commitment, with artists travelling extensively and having to give their best day in, day out and so they want to travel with minimum inconvenience and plenty of comfort so that they can arrive at a concert fresh and ready.”

Baines adds: “Our aircraft is big enough to carry performers, their support crew and instruments but also to operate into small airports

Cello ceo Nim Baines with the BAE 146 that flew Lana Del Rey to Beirut.

that often eliminate the need for overland transfers.”

Baines also cites the importance of the on-board experience: “Cello always tries to provide a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. The food is produced using high quality fresh produce whenever possible and the menus are prepared to meet the needs of our passengers. Our crew are experienced at working with celebrities and understand the importance of discretion.”

Cessna’s Sovereign goes all-inclusive

dealing with height. As soon as you get into the hover, you can programme it by pressing a button and it will fly to the height you want it to fly, before flying back down to the hover position. It’s fully automated.”

Mitchell continues: “The GrandNew also offers synthetic vision. Digital synthetic avionics mean that instead of just looking at a blue sky and an orange earth on the artificial horizon, you have actually got the shape of the terrain in front of you.”

DC expands fleet with helicopter and jet additions DC Aviation of Stuttgart, Germany, has increased its fleet with five additional medium range and long range business jets. These include a Gulfstream G550, a Dassault Falcon 900 and a Dassault 7X. The company, which employs over 330 staff, believes it is the largest German business aviation operator and the latest acquisitions strengthen this status.

Michael Kuhn, md, says: “This fleet expansion and the resulting additional capacities put us in a position to respond on a top-notch level to growing charter demand in this segment. At the same time we are, of course, very happy about the trust our clients have in us with regard to aircraft management.”

DC Aviation now has a total of 17 long range jets and 12 medium range or short range jets, and also operates out of Dubai and Zurich.

Having acquired the Swiss provider Jet-Link and its daughter Heli-Link, both headquartered in Zurich, further fleet growth is now expected.

DC has taken on Heli-Link’s Eurocopter EC155B1 as part of the deal, with vip configuration for up to eight passengers.

Cessna has announced a programme covering all scheduled maintenance and parts costs for the Citation Sovereign for the first five years or 1,500 flight hours. The Sovereign Shield programme reduces maintenance-related direct operating costs of model year 2013 Sovereigns. “Buyers can take possession of a 2013 Sovereign with confidence that the maintenance for the next five years is covered,” says Brad Thress, Cessna senior vp, business jets.

Eurocopter develops quieter landings Eurocopter has demonstrated new landing procedures, relying on augmented satellite guidance that can be tailored to more completely comply with the local environmental requirements.

The procedures were validated with an EC155 during flight tests performed as part of the company’s participation in the green rotorcraft integrated technology demon-

strator programme and showed significant reductions in the helicopter’s perceived sound footprint. “These new tests underscore how advanced flight guidance systems can be brought together with the latest navigation technologies to reduce perceived sound,” says Yves Favennec, vp of research at Eurocopter.

Bombardier adds Johannesburg office Bombardier Aerospace is to open a new Regional Support Office and parts depot in Johannesburg, South Africa. The office and depot will anchor regional support capabilities for its business aircraft customers on the continent.

EASy II delivered by RUAG RUAG Aviation has completed its first Dassault EASy II flight deck upgrade. The project was carried out on a Falcon 900EX. “The RUAG Aviation team successfully completed this integration in record time during a standard A/A+ check, significantly minimising the impact on the customer’s operating schedule,” says Bernd Heinrich, general manager of the Geneva facility where work was carried out.

Kitchener to retrofit King Air 200s Kitchener Aero Avionics has developed a complete digital cockpit upgrade for the King Air 200. It also offers the G-1000 upgrade, but says that the new package represents a capable and cost-effective alternative.

The Dual Garmin G600 flight display system with TAWS-B replaces the standard “heavy-iron” avionics suite that originally came with King Air 200s. It is significantly lighter than the OEM avionics package.

Falcon resources available at users’ fingertips Dassault Falcon has launched a customer service app for mobile and tablet users which puts the global resources of the Falcon network at users’ fingertips. It offers instant touch-call features for AOG hotlines, the technical centre, spares, and field service as well as service centre location search and Falcon pilot contacts.

First production M2 rolls out Cessna is celebrating the first production unit of the Citation M2, its newest business jet. The aircraft has exited the company’s manufacturing facility in Independence, Kansas, with deliveries expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2013. “Seeing the M2 roll off the assembly production line was a special moment,” says Lily English, general manager of Cessna’s manufacturing plant. “This is a huge achievement for the whole team, and great news for M2 customers.”

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O P E R AT I O N S N E W S . . .

Menzies opens at Barcelona GAT Menzies Executive has opened a facility at the general aviation terminal at Barcelona airport.

It will provide 24/7 immigration and customs support, crew transportation, hotel reservations and catering coordination. Aircraft services include pushback, luggage handling and lavatory drainage.

Côte d’Azur Airports acquires Saint-Tropez Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur has acquired 99.9 per cent of the shares of AGST, which operates SaintTropez airport. Côte d’Azur is the second busiest French airport for business aviation traffic after Le Bourget, with more than 42,500 movements in 2012.

Duncan earns South African certification Duncan Aviation’s maintenance, repair and overhaul location in Lincoln, Nebraska, has been certified by the South African Civil Aviation Authority as an approved aircraft maintenance organisation.

PATS completes BBJ3 interior PATS Aircraft Systems has redelivered a 737-900ER Boeing Business Jet interior completion project to Middle East based clients who praised the high quality of the aircraft interior: “PATS exhibited an industry-leading level of capability, professionalism and integrity during the entire BBJ3 interior completion. The team was highly

communicative, honest and transparent in every aspect of the work and openly welcomed our team to participate in a teamoriented project environment,” the customer remarks.

FlightSafety builds sim with G1000 FlightSafety International is to design and manufacture the first interchangeable full flight simulator equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics for use in King Air 350 and King Air B200 aircraft training. The simulator will also be used to provide differences training to operators of King Air 300 and King Air C90 series aircraft equipped with G1000 avionics.

Signature adds Dublin de-icing Signature Flight Support Dublin has acquired the assets of Gategroup’s aircraft de-icing business at Dublin airport and will make the service available to business and general aviation.

Air BP implements self-serve system Pilots requiring Avgas fuel at Goodwood aerodrome now have the option to serve themselves through Air BP’s first UK self-serve payment system, without needing to pre-book or wait for assistance at busy times.

The updated system will allow Goodwood’s general aviation customers to use a Goodwood fuel card to uplift Air BP Avgas fuel safely and conveniently.

Celebrating are Katerina Tanaskovic of Euro Jet Tivat, Euro Jet ceo Charlie Bodnar, Tivat airport commercial director Slavka Bauk and Tivat airport director Ranko Bošković.

Euro Jet opens Montenegro lounge Euro Jet Intercontinental has opened a vip crew lounge in the southern Adriatic resort town of Tivat, Montenegro. The lounge opening coincides with Euro Jet’s fifth year anniversary.

The crew lounge includes a fully air conditioned area for crews to relax, along with full computer, printer and Wi-Fi capabilities, cable television, and a variety of complimentary snacks and beverages.

Tivat Airport has made available six parking spots for general aviation.

However, this limits aircraft from staying too long. A good alternative to reposition is the nearby airport of Podgorica, says Euro Jet.

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MotorSport Vision ceo Jonathan Palmer is delighted with his Agusta Grand helicopter.

MSV enjoys speed and space benefits of Grand upgrade for circuit travel MotorSport Vision (MSV ), which owns and operates five motor racing circuits in the UK, reports that it is delighted with its Agusta A109 Grand helicopter, which replaced its AS355N twin Squirrel at the start of the year.

The aircraft enables company ceo and former Formula 1 driver Jonathan Palmer, who is a pilot, to regularly visit each of the circuits which span the country: Brands Hatch in Kent, Snetterton in Norfolk, Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, Oulton Park in Cheshire and central Bedford Autodrome. MSV also owns a King Air B200GT for international travel, although this is not flown by Palmer, who has a rotary background.

“I had the Twin Squirrel for 12 years from new and it’s done a very good job, but I did fancy some extra speed and I had always hankered after a 109,” he says. “I’m absolutely delighted with the 109 Grand, it’s a fantastic aircraft. The speed is outstanding and it will genuinely cruise at 160 knots compared to 125 or 130 on a good day with the Squirrel, which means that I can be at Oulton Park in an hour from my Horsham head office, saving 40 minutes on a round trip compared with the 355.

“It has a very solid feel with heavier and longer control movements than

the more delicate Squirrel and feels like a TGV train pounding along through the skies. To start with I was concerned about losing the big open cabin of the Squirrel, because of reduced cockpit space and not being able to talk to passengers as easily – you’re more isolated in the more

The great thing about the helicopter is that journey times are so predictable business-like 109 cockpit. But actually it suits the aircraft better and I now prefer it that way.

“When you are doing nearly three miles a minute, particularly around southern England with several London CTAs and CTRs to transit, timely radio transmissions are crucial and you don’t want to be too involved in conversation with the passengers because you’ll inevitably miss a transmission, to everyone’s frustration. So actually it’s quite nice to be separated and just get on with the business end of flying.”

Palmer explains that the fuel

economy of the new aircraft is comparable with the previous one: “The 109 Grand, in terms of miles per litre, actually burns about the same as the Squirrel. With another 70kg of usable fuel that means about 365nm VFR range – about 35nm more than the 355N. Payload with full fuel is slightly less, though the power margin at max weight is much more, so MTOW helipad departures are more relaxing.

“The longer cabin of the 109 Grand makes for a much more spacious passenger environment and I occasionally have some very vip passengers so I can be comfortable they will be too. It’s also nice never having to wonder how I’m going to fit baggage in – the bay is huge.

“I’ve done about 200 hours in the last six months so it’s working fairly hard, but it has run like clockwork so far and I’ve had nothing let me down – yet!”

The Agusta allows Palmer to spread his time efficiently between his multiple business locations: “The ability to travel circuit to circuit quickly and effortlessly means I can visit more. Over a weekend I’ll usually visit two or three circuits and even just an hour at one is enough to get a pretty good idea of how it’s going. I’ll gauge the crowd from the parked cars

MJET enhances managed fleet with A319CJ, Global 6000 and G200 Austrian heavy and ultra long range jet operator MJET has added three aircraft to its managed fleet.

The additions, comprising an Airbus A319CJ, a Global 6000 and a Gulfstream G200, all belong to private owners but will be managed by MJET. The A319CJ – which has 5,935nm range – was recently delivered from a Swissbased completion centre and will run private operations. It features extra fuel tanks in the cargo hold and built-in airstairs. The Global 6000 will be flown under the operator’s AOC. Dan Rusu, asset manager, says of the A319CJ: “MJET is proud of being

MJET takes delivery of a brand new Global 6000 in Montreal, Canada.

one of the members of the prestigious ACJ operators’ family.

“Although it is the first Airbus in our fleet, we have wide experience in operating bizliners. The new ACJ includes all the amenities essential

to the perfect travel experience and offers to our client all the advantages of efficient, intercontinental flight.”

As for the Global, Rusu is impressed with what it offers: “The 6000 entered into service last year and is an updated Global XRS. The difference is the new Vision avionics, based on Rockwell Proline Fusion.

MJET as a company is focused on large and long range jets so it fits in with our company philosophy and is an obvious addition.”

Further fleet additions are expected says Rusu: “We will have more news soon and will be adding another aircraft in the fourth quarter.”

AUGUST 2013 9

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

as I’m flying in, then I’ll have a wander round and see what’s happening on the ground. I’ll meet some of the competitors, the organisers, see if our restaurant food is up to scratch and get a feeling for how the event is going. I can then, for example, leave a car race meeting at Oulton Park and in 35 minutes be across to Cadwell Park near Humberside to check on a British superbike event.”

It is not only the time saving that Palmer values: “Apart from being about four times faster than driving, the great thing about the helicopter is that journey times are so predictable – within a couple of minutes in the hour. And it’s enjoyable; flying transforms one of the most tedious times of life – driving on the public road – into one of the most pleasurable!”

For European travel MSV’s King Air is usually used. “We’ve got some overseas projects on and I usually use our B200GT for those, though it’s surprising how far you can go into Europe and the 109 be faster overall – about 400 miles I reckon.

I have always loved controlling anything with an engine “General aviation is to my mind an essential part of running a business like ours. We are also very fortunate in the UK to have very practical regulations regarding landing.

Outside a built-up area you can land a helicopter pretty much anywhere if you’ve got the land owner’s permission, which isn’t the case in Holland or Germany at all.”

The MSV chief executive began flying in his motor racing days, despite being frightened of flying as a child and avoiding planes – a trip to Paul Ricard in France to test an F1 Lotus cured that. “On my return I thought flying was great, popped down to my local airfield at Shoreham and helicopters really caught my eye.

A lovely guy called Dennis Kenyon spotted me looking wistful, took me up for a flight and a year later in 1983 I became his new Skyline company’s first pupil at High Wycombe.”

The Agusta 109S is the sixth helicopter Palmer has owned, after an Enstrom F28A, a couple of JetRangers, a single Squirrel and then the twin. He believes that there is a link between racing driving and operating aircraft and that this comes down to more than simply a love of machines: “It is a great challenge – as my mate Mark Webber is enjoying now, learning with Al Gwilt in an AS350B2.

Helicopters are wonderful and fascinating machines and I’ve always

loved controlling anything with an engine, whether it’s cars, motorcycles, boats or aircraft.

“I enjoy the multi-dimensional challenge of flying helicopters, from the control co-ordination to the navigation and radio work too. I find that, by and large, air traffic controllers are a great bunch. They have a highly pressurised job much of the time, particularly around the London airports, but are very helpful if they have confidence in you.

“There are continual challenges every time you take off, climb, cruise, descend and land, there is a pride in trying to make it as smooth as possible. There is also considerable grace and elegance about a wellflown helicopter. They are still to my mind the most amazing machines – the ability to go straight up and then go precisely from A to B and drop down again is still a wonderful thing.”

Palmer’s major foray into rotary came when he purchased a Bell JetRanger in 1987 while he was racing with Tyrrell in Formula One. He has been flying ever since, obtaining his CPL and IR in 2001 to make best use of his new IFR AS355N and now has around 7,000 hours, usually flying at least five days a week in the 109 Grand.

He is keen to praise fellow operators and his maintenance team at Sloane in Northampton: “There are some terrific people in the helicopter world I deal with. Starspeed at Fairoaks are a great bunch and I’ve known the team there for a long time – Ian Field used to do all my 355 LPCs. Pete Barnes did some flying with me about a week before he tragically died – Al Gwilt was scheduled to do my 109 rating flight test that day. Pete was a good friend – he actually flew the air ambulance that took my son Jolyon to The London hospital six years ago, with major internal injuries. His death was a massive shock to those in the close IFR twin heli charter business.”

Palmer loves his new aircraft.

“Agusta 109s in general are good looking helicopters and while I am biased of course, I think G-MSVI looks great after Edmonson at Thruxton did a fabulous job with my traditional blue livery. I maintain it on the most intensive programme and check every 30 days or 50 hours. I have another engineer, Jack Shram from EBG, to check every week or two at my hangar in West Sussex.

“I am always fastidious about maintenance, mainly for safety reasons, but partly too because I know from experience that if you can have an engineer look at an aircraft every couple of weeks, at least if anything is starting to wear they can flag it up and parts can be ordered ahead, to minimise time out of service – time out which just paralyses my lifestyle.”

Maleth-Aero makes Multiflight’s 737 available for charter Maleth-Aero of Malta is to manage and operate a vip-configured Boeing 737 for Multiflight of the UK. The 300-series aircraft can accommodate up to 60 passengers, has a 5.5 hour range and can hold up to five tonnes of cargo. It can also be configured to a 48-seat layout with 16 club four seats and 32 rear cabin seats, as an alternative to the 60 vip seats. Maleth-Aero says that its fleet continues to expand and operates worldwide, with this latest aircraft operating on its AOC since the start of July.

Maleth-Aero ceo Michael O’Brien says: “We are delighted to have brought this aircraft into our fleet.

The 737 is a popular aircraft and

comes with an experienced crew. The range, flexibility and cargo capacity are excellent and will give us the ability to operate across Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia.”

Multiflight finance director Miles Beecham adds: “Choosing Maleth was simple. Their approach to the market is well respected and they really made Multiflight feel part of the family. It took them only six weeks to have the aircraft approved and on their AOC and we look forward to developing an excellent working relationship with them.”

The first charter booking was made by an undisclosed Head of State, with great interest expected throughout the summer months.

Dassault Falcon 900 Airbus ACJ321

Boeing BBJ Bombardier 5000

Gulfstream G550

Long range charter sector rides high despite the challenging world economy tanks giving it a range of 5,000nm,” he says. He is happy with the quick onsite support on offer but once again comments that Airbus does not seem to be as dedicated to business aviation as traditional business jet OEMs. Lener says that the most desirable upgrade is high speed internet in the ACJ319.

ME & MY AIRCRAFT Long range and large business aircraft Our ‘Me and My Aircraft’ reader survey and review continues, and this month the spotlight falls on the long range and large business aircraft sector. We decided to include business aircraft with a range in excess of 3,500nm and/or a cabin of 2,500 square feet, although opinions do vary on the meaning of ‘long range’.

In this report we talk to some owners and operators about the aircraft they fly, their strengths and failings. We asked about maintenance support, dispatch reliability, operating capabilities and value for money as well as more generally for the best and worst aspects of the aircraft, and most desirable upgrades.

Only EBAN readers who we have been able to verify as confirmed current users of a particular aircraft type are given access to the relevant survey forms.

AIRBUS: ACJ318 AND ACJ319 The airliner heritage of the ACJ318 makes it a very robust aircraft, and operators who use it are pleased with its performance. Martin Lener of Tyrolean Jet Services comments that the aircraft has a great dispatch reliability and that, due to the high number of A320 series deliveries, the aircraft type is very well engineered.

BOEING: B727, B737, B757 AND BBJ A Global Express XRS, operated by ACM.

Lener also praises the range capability, as this aircraft has proper range for non-stop flights across the Atlantic, with extensive baggage capacity of 12.7 cubic metres.

He says that it is a very efficient aircraft that offers 20 per cent more cabin height and 65 per cent more cabin width when compared with a G550, and this doesn’t come at significant additional cost. It has a 5.5 degree steep approach capability allowing it to land at such runways as London City, and also benefits from excellent worldwide customer support due to the number of A320 series in the skies. Lener does, however, feel that the customer support at Airbus for the ACJ in particular could be improved. His most desirable upgrade is Additional Centre Tank modification (ACT).

Héloïse Faury of Global Jet is also satisfied with its ACJ318. She believes it is very good value for money and has good maintenance support.

Tyrolean also operates an ACJ319 and Martin Lener is equally impressed with its capability. “This aircraft benefits from continuing innovation and runs very well, balanced with three additional centre

Despite the greater age of the aircraft, Abdul Latif of Al-Anwa Establishment is happy with the overall performance of his B727-200.

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ME & MY AIRCRAFT Long range and large business aircraft Continued from previous page

Andrew Hallak of GainJet operates a vip 737-400 and is delighted with Boeing’s “vast network” of maintenance support.

Getting spare parts is not an issue and Hallak remarks: “The aircraft has proven to be reliable and has served our operation well – we have been able to depend on the vip B737 to get the job done.”

The aircraft currently has a sixhour flight range but this will be increased to intercontinental range of eight hours once the auxiliary fuel tanks are added. Hallak continues: “The large baggage hold capacity, about 5.7 tonnes, is a very favourable feature, especially with sports teams and music bands. But its reliability is the best thing. The operation cost is high but that is only to be expected.” In terms of upgrading he would like to be able to accommodate all 68 passengers in vip seating.

Ejaz Syed of Arabasco used to operate a B737-200 and had stated that his most desirable upgrade would be another 737. Several months down the line his wishes have been fulfilled and the company now operates a 737500 with vip configuration. Syed says that the best thing about the aircraft is its dispatch reliability, although he still feels there is room for improved avionics. Hashem Jamalallail, also of Arabasco, is equally happy with the performance of its aircraft. He believes that despite the high operation cost there is more cabin space available and this is a great advantage.

GainJet operates a B-757 and Andrew Hallak says that the aircraft offers a combination of “capacity, luxury and range.” It accommodates up to 62 passengers in all-vip seating and also features a bedroom and an en-suite. The baggage compartment is vast, with capacity up to 10 tonnes,

Gainjet’s vip Boeing 757-200, with its crew standing before it.

and the aircraft has a range of up to nine-and-a-half hours. Hallak says that the aircraft is ideal for the operation it serves and is an ideal product for the clientele who tend to charter it. It has proven to be a good investment, due to its reliability and versatility, combined with the company’s service and experience. Hallak concludes that the vip airliner market is a tricky one, and that beyond having the right product, as it has found in its vip B757, it requires years of experience to serve this market.

The Boeing Business Jet series has proved popular with operators. One EBAN reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, holds the capacity and cabin configuration potential of the aircraft in high regard. They did feel that the BBJ would benefit from Wi-Fi and satcom technologies, however.

You get what you pay for, so [the G550] is good value for money DASSAULT: FALCON 7X AND FALCON 900 The Falcon 7X is widely used, and captain Eduard Meisel of Jetalliance is very satisfied overall with the aircraft. He says that TAG at Geneva provides a good service centre while pointing out that the centre at Paris is “not so good.” He continues: “The aircraft has good range and a calm, quiet cabin with low fuel consumption. We see no need for an upgrade; it is perfect as it is.”

Kimon Daniilidis of Interjet, Greece, also uses a Falcon 7X and says

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that the best thing about the aircraft is its cost-efficiency. Daniilidis does, however, state that an improved baggage compartment and greater range are most desired.

One anonymous user says that they were very satisfied with the maintenance support offered for the 7X, and says that the aircraft is good for short runways with no EROPS or ETOPS issues. They do, however, believe that the reliability of the Global is far superior.

Nuno Neto of Vinair has enjoyed “excellent” product support from the Dassault team. He does comment that there had been “too many small problems” regarding the dispatch reliability though. He nonetheless believes the aircraft has impressive performance, flexibility and flying capability, despite some software problems. EASy II installation is the most desired upgrade.

Ejaz Syed responded to our survey last year to say that he is pleased with the dispatch reliability, operating capability and value of his Falcon 900.

However, he is unhappy with the maintenance support on offer: “It is getting increasingly difficult to

maintain the Falcon due to the high price of spares and the near monopoly Dassault have on this.” He says that the aircraft has developed “uncanny types of corrosion” and would prefer to go for something in the Bombardier group or the Brazilian market.

Another user declares himself very satisfied with the dispatch reliability of his Falcon 900EX Classic, which stands at over 99 per cent. He describes the short field capability as “astounding” and says that performance is very good, even when met with 150kt headwinds. He enjoys having no ETOPS restrictions and says his aircraft is “very fuel efficient.” Flying characteristics are “very nice” and he speaks of a typical response from a pilot flying the aircraft, which is that it is “nothing like a Falcon.” Due to its straight leg landing gear it is a challenge to perform a ‘greaser’ landing, and the contributor feels that the aircraft is improved by having winglets.

An anonymous user provided feedback for their 900EX EASy and felt happy overall with its performance, describing it as an aircraft with a good

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The interior of Global Jet's Global Express XRS.

AUGUST 2013 11

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

deal of flexibility. The user does comment that there was a lot of noise in the cabin and that the aircraft would be enhanced by installing more effective noise cancellation.

Hashem Jamalallail of Arabasco comments that the company’s Falcon 900 performs well and he is particularly impressed with its range.

However, he did state that there are not enough MROs in Arabasco’s area of operation.

BOMBARDIER: GLOBAL 5000 AND GLOBAL EXPRESS Victor Ivan of Tiriac Air operates a Global 5000 and is happy with the speed, range and comfort of the aircraft. He feels the aircraft would benefit from a Vision flightdeck.

Stephane Leporq of Bouygues Service Transport Air operates the same aircraft type and is happy on all fronts with what it offers, despite experiencing some electronic bugs.

The Global Express has proved an extremely popular aircraft with operators, and ACM’s Jonas Kraft is keen to point out that the dispatch reliability of his XRS and Global 6000 is “much better than the Falcon 7X.” ACM performs its own maintenance from Baden-Baden and is able to run an efficient operation by doing so.

Kraft affirms that the Globals are a “very good brand with great reliability and they have the best cabin in this class of aircraft.” He does feel occasionally let down by the support of Bombardier.

Martin Lener of Tyrolean also experienced issues with its Global Express when it first entered service, saying: “It has suffered from a serious spare parts supply problem.” This was back in 2003 and since then the aircraft has been trouble-free.

Lener is very happy with the Pininfarina interior of his Global Express with XRS compliant cabin.

He explains that operations are helped by having in-house maintenance provider Tyrolean Jet Services on hand for regular checks.

He believes that the cabin in the aircraft is of the highest quality and will only be surpassed by the G650. The aircraft has a “state-ofthe-art concept” and is working very well for the company. Increased cabin pressure modification is one alteration Lener believes would be desirable.

GULFSTREAM: G-550 Gulfstream’s business jet range has always carried with it a reputation for luxury, and its operators demand the highest standards in reliability and performance. One anonymous user is very satisfied in all areas with his G-550 and praises the maintenance support of AMAC Aerospace in Basel, which gives “outstanding customer support.”

JFI owner donates Sinatra’s Gulfstream JFI Jets owner and Long Island resident Arik Kislin is donating his Gulfstream II business jet to Wilson Technological Center at Republic airport in Farmingdale, New York.

The Gulfstream, once owned by Frank Sinatra, will have an active retirement as a training jet for future aviation mechanics in the Western Suffolk BOCES aviation maintenance technology programme at Wilson Tech’s campus.

The 1968 model G-II accommodates 12 passengers and has a range of over 3,000 miles. Its two Rolls Royce engines power the aircraft to a cruise altitude of 45,000 feet and a speed of 520 miles per hour. The aircraft was designed and engineered by Grumman Aircraft in nearby Bethpage, New York.

“This jet will provide both high school and adult students with more opportunities for hands-on learning about jet instrumentation and engines,” says Dr Michael Mensch, coo for Western Suffolk BOCES. “We are extremely grateful to have this jet with such a historic past added to our aviation maintenance technology programme.”

Karen Bowden, principal of Wilson Tech’s Republic airport campus, adds: “This donation will certainly help students prepare for They enjoy good support from the tech ops at Gulfstream and say that assistance is always at hand in AOG situations. They feel that the comfort, range and speed of the aircraft are its strongest attributes, while expressing concern at the cost of Gulfstream and Rolls Royce parts, which they describe as “very expensive.” The feedback provided hinted at a desire for the display unit to be upgraded to DU-885s, however this is perceived to be costly.

SMC Aviation’s Kjell Nordbaek operates a G550 and is very happy with its range and performance. He believes the aircraft is very good value for money, but does remark that its last visit to the Savannah service centre was not a positive one.

Andrew Hallak has received consistently good support for GainJet’s Gulfstream fleet; the company has taken delivery of 14 Gulfstreams since 2006 and Hallak comments: “Wherever we have required support, it usually has been readily available and reliable.”

He sums up his thoughts on the G550 as follows: “This is an excellent

Arik Kislin, who owns JFI Jets, pictured with students of aviation maintenance technology at Wilson Technological Centre's Republic Airport campus.

their Federal Aviation Administration exams, helping them to earn FAA licenses in airframe and power-plant for greater job opportunities.”

Kislin owned the aircraft for seven years and operated it all over the world. Prior to that, the aircraft was owned for a time by singing icon Frank Sinatra and subsequently by actor Harrison Ford, an accomplished aviator himself.

“I love this aircraft and truly

The large baggage hold capacity [of the 737] is a very favourable feature aircraft, designed to offer a very high degree of performance. It’s proven to be reliable and is one of the most superior performance executive jets available. This is the reason we have taken delivery of two of them in our history.” Hallak singles out the 13.5 hour range as one of the aircraft’s most appealing aspects and believes that, despite the high price tag, “you get what you pay for, so it is good value for money.” A combination of comfort and convenience make it a very attractive aircraft to offer to clients, he says.

Michal Pazourek comments that ABS Jets also operates a G550 and is equally happy with the results. “This aircraft has good operational reliability over a long period of time, even under extreme climatic

hate to see her grounded, but after 44 years of service her time has come,” Kislin says. “I am pleased to know she will continue to be of service to the Wilson Center and the people of Long Island as an educational tool and a proud reminder of the aviation heritage of this region.”

JFI Jets is a worldwide provider of aircraft management and charter services with fixed base operations and part 145 certified repair centre.

Me & My Aircraft throughout 2013

THK Gökçen receives first five HEMS EC135s THK Gökçen Aviation of Ankara has taken delivery of five EC135s to provide medical airlift duties throughout Turkey. The helicopters will start operations in August.

The operator is the commercial company of the Turkish Aeronautical Association THK, and the delivery of this first batch takes place only three months after the selection of Eurocopter as the preferred manufacturer. THK Gökçen and Saran Holding will deploy a fleet of 17 EC135s to deliver helicopter medical emergency services in the framework of a five-year contract with the Turkish Ministry of Health. The remaining helicopters will be delivered in spring 2014.

“Turkey is a growing helicopter market and we are glad the EC135 continues to accompany the project of the Turkish Ministry of Health.

With THK Gökçen we have gained an excellent partner to strengthen our footprint in this strategically important country,” says Olivier Lambert, Eurocopter’s senior vp for sales and customer relations.

THK says that the EC135 combines a wide, unobstructed cabin with excellent performance, range and payload capacity – along with capabilities for low noise operations.

The helicopter’s oversized sliding side doors and rear clamshell doors enable fast loading and unloading of patients, with additional safety during ground operations due to the shrouded Fenestron tail rotor.

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ADRIATIC REGIONAL REVIEW

w w w. c h a r t e r b r o k e r. a e r o Air Partner launches private jet card Air Partner has launched ‘The Performance Card’, targeted at the business travel market. It is said to have enhanced value for users flying day-return flights from a regular base airport, offering transparent fixed pricing and guaranteed availability when prepurchasing flight time. Simon Wheatley, UK manager for private jets, says: “We have launched the Performance Card in line with a growth in the private aviation market among business users. It is a unique offering, catering for a specific niche market that will grow in parallel with a strengthening economic recovery.�

In addition, Air Partner has appointed Grahame Chilton as a non-executive director. Chairman Richard Everitt says: “Grahame brings a wealth of global business experience which will be invaluable to the company.�

Air Partner confirms that in the wake of tensions in Egypt, it has flown major oil company personnel out of the country in an evacuation operation.

Skytime Jets director James Shotton believes the Wyvern system offers customers peace of mind.

Skytime adopts Wvyern safety programme Skytime Jets is now a certified Wyvern broker. The company can now offer a comprehensive safety programme to its customers through Wyvern’s safety suite of tools. Skytime will have access to an expanded database of audited operators through the Wyvern Report, allowing them to survey an operator before brokering. This report can then be sent to the charter client, providing customers with safety and quality assurance.

PrivateJets adds DSG to collaborators PrivateJets.co.uk is celebrating 15 years of private jet charter by partnering with Digital Sports Group. DSG is responsible for

sports media outlets such as football.co.uk, sport.co.uk, golf.co.uk and flydays.co.uk, and its online reach will introduce an audience of over 11 million a month to PrivateJets. DSG will be the firm’s preferred partner for golf syndicate days.

The system also allows visitors to arrange multi-leg flights, as well as informing them of adverse weather conditions that may affect their journey.

This partnership is not the first that the company has embarked on: an exclusive alliance has already been formed with La Nava, a shooting range and resort in the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain, and also with The Yacht Concierge.

Lux-Jet offers jet share scheme Lux-Jet, based at London Luton with a CJ2, says it is offering passengers affordable rates on private jet seats, through its jet share venture.

Destinations include Cannes, Ibiza and Palma, with booking available online. Customers can arrive 15 minutes before the departure time with access to the vip terminal and lounge. The aircraft are flown under the operator’s AOC certificate.

Md Scott Nicholas says: “My aim is to establish a really simple business that offers people private jet share with prices comparable to business class fares.� “What’s fantastic about the private jet sharing experience is you may find yourself sharing the jet with other like-minded individuals, whether it’s a couple on their dream honeymoon, a celebrity DJ or someone spending a weekend on a yacht or the golf course. You never know what chance encounter or introduction a Lux-Jet flight may provide.�

Busy office for ACS amid Egypt tensions Air Charter Service reports that its Dubai office has been arranging potential evacuations in case tensions in Egypt continue to worsen. The company has received an increasing number of enquiries and has already contracted aircraft to be placed on standby at Cairo airport.

Justin Bowman, deputy md of ACS, comments: “We have been getting a large amount of calls from worried companies. We are also receiving requests to fly to Cyprus and other surrounding countries to escape the troubles in Egypt.�

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Accountable manager and director of Eudora Let, Zoran Matic.

Local challenges remain as Adriatic operators see opportunities overseas From north to south, spread along the east coast of the Adriatic Sea are the relatively small countries of Slovenia, Croatia, BosniaHerzegovina, Montenegro and Albania. Our feature focuses on the first two, where business aviation is most active.

Slovenia Slovenia became a member of the EU in 2004, and adopted the Euro in 2007. It is mountainous and a haven for skiers and hikers, but also has industries in car parts, chemicals, electronics, textiles and furniture.

There are four airports suitable for business aviation, and a handful of business air charter operators.

In the past year Elit’Avia has hired a new coo, Puja Mahajan, and is also in the process of setting up an AOC in Malta. It has taken on a Challenger 605 in Slovenia which it acquired from Africa, and this takes the total number of aircraft of the model operated by Elit’Avia to six. Michel Coulomb, ceo, says: “The company is involved in a lot of projects and these are ongoing. The Challenger 605 addition makes this fleet one of the biggest in Europe. “We are doing both aircraft management and charter. We are chartering mostly to the Russian market and Europe. We’ve got a Global 6000 as well under Slovenian AOC based in Russia. We have extended our sales department and now have sales people in Slovenia, Russia, Paris and in Atlanta.�

Coulomb summarises the success of the company over the last 12 months: “Elit’Avia is actually doing quite well in 2013. We are very happy with the direction we have taken with Russia and Africa, and so it’s actually a growing company and is quite stable financially too. “In Slovenia we don’t actually have any competitors. There is a small management company but it’s a different business... there’s no competition there. Competition comes more from the rest of Europe – UK, Austria, Malta. I think that we are well-known for the quality of work that we are doing.�

He singles out a couple of staff members for special mention: “Our accountable manager and flight ops

We are very happy with the direction we have taken with Russia and Africa manager Tomaz Pretzl has brought great value into the company. The new coo Puja Mahajan, coming from Bombardier, is going to be a big asset for the company too.�

Elit’Avia has also been proactive in widening its horizons across continents. More news comes from west Africa, where it has opened an office in Accra, Ghana, in order to serve a growing demand for business aviation in the region. The office in Ghana is currently managing four business aircraft and aims to expand its west African fleet. These managed aircraft comprise two Bombardier Global 6000s and a Global XRS in Nigeria, plus a Dassault Falcon 2000 in Ghana itself. Management of these aircraft is a blend of exclusive client use and charter availability.

The company manages a fleet of Globals, Challengers, Falcons and has past experience managing Gulfstream G550s and G450s. By further developing its presence in west Africa, the operator is looking to stand out from the crowd in serving this emerging market. It expects to take delivery of a Gulfstream G550 and a Falcon 7X by the end of the year, which will nearly double the size of its regional fleet.

One of the aircraft under management is on long-term lease by a Fortune 100 company. In this case, Elit’Avia provides aircraft maintenance and crew placement. “We have been active in west Africa for about 18 months,� says Coulomb. “Personally, I had the opportunity to live in Lagos from 1992 to 1997 and believe that this unique experience has been invaluable to our regional growth.

West Africa has not traditionally been well served by business aviation management companies, which is remarkable considering that Nigeria had more new aircraft orders than South Africa last year. “Our west African clients value safety, security, comfort and direct

access to destinations within the continent, which may otherwise be difficult to access efficiently using a commercial aviation service. Internationally, we are seeing growth traffic between the region and destinations including Moscow and Paris. As the economies of west African nations continue to grow, we are contributing to an overall elevation of business aviation service standards. Based on our regional experience and industry knowledge, we are uniquely positioned to serve this region and look forward to sharing in its growth,�

Coulomb concludes.

Since the beginning of 2012, Janez let has operated a Beech 200 Super King Air, having gone from an all piston fleet to a mixture of turboprop and piston. Company ceo Matej Cerar is very happy with the diversity of the aircraft, as it is able to perform longer range flights with eight passengers in addition to undertaking short flights and using short runways in the Mediterranean islands. Cerar does however feel that the company has suffered poor maintenance support, which has made the aircraft more expensive to operate than some light jets.

Janez let is expanding its low cost air taxi operation, which will provide a service between local airline hubs and remote holiday destinations at competitive rates. Despite economic challenges it has managed to increase its activity in the past year, with Cerar attributing this to “maintaining customer service at a competitive price.� Its ability to perform missions at short notice has seen bookings from high profile clients, he says: “Our dispatch and customer support team deserves a lot of credit in this area.�

Future plans consist of providing high quality aviation at lower prices as well as lower cost personal short range taxi flights. It is also hoped that European aviation authorities will reconsider their stringent regulations. “Small business aviation is an important part of a successful economy and we hope the authorities will stop implementing laws which destroy new generation small aviation, otherwise our industry will keep shrinking,� Cerar concludes.

Flycom specialises in preventative and scheduled maintenance services

AUGUST 2013 13

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

in the air for high and medium voltage overhead lines. Using the latest equipment and technology it offers a service to detect and analyse defects in the equipment supply and transmission of electricity.

It uses helicopters which are specifically tailored to its operations.

The AS350 B2 has room for five passengers, the EC120B has four seats available and it also has a smaller Schweizer 300C. Missions include thermovision and infrared recording, which Flycom has conducted overseas in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and elsewhere in Europe. It also runs a korona or ultraviolet imaging camera which can detect the beginnings of a power failure, either on the ground or with power lines in the RTP station.

Passenger operations are also offered, and the operator can provide panoramic flights with impressive views, flights for special occasions such as weddings or birthday surprises, along with business travel.

Croatia With a population twice the size of Slovenia, Croatia became the 28th member of the EU on July 1st this year, and expects to join the Schengen agreement by 2015. This may improve the country’s economic outlook, which has seen decline in recent years. Unemployment has become a major issue for Croatia.

Its mountains and in particular its beaches attract many visitors, and it has 1,246 islands and islets, of which just 48 are permanently inhabited, along its large coastline. Business aviation has access to no fewer than 14 airports.

Tim Air has enjoyed a successful first year as an on-demand charter operator and is based in Zagreb. It runs passenger and cargo operations, including organ transplant transport, and its range encompasses the Croatian coastline as well as neighbouring countries. Tim Air has a Piper Cheyenne II in service but it is also able to provide a Cheyenne IIIA and a Citation CJ2+ through its partner companies. It is now looking to run ambulance missions in addition to charter services as it looks to the future. A steady growth in Croatia’s tourism sector has boosted business and this is set to continue.

Eudora Let, based in Vodice, has also suffered at the hands of industry regulation, with accountable manager Zoran Matic confirming: “We are still in stagnation in Croatia.”

Matic believes that business in the aviation industry is going down: “This is because of government policy; taxes and policies towards the European Union and outside the European Union.

Croatian government policy, especially when it comes to investment in Croatia, is prohibitive,” he says. Despite the struggles to survive in the business he praises the work of the staff in his

If you want some credit it’s always a problem. Banks are cautious because they had a crisis company, who are putting great effort into maintaining the survival of the business. Eudora Let is said to be the first commercial helicopter operator in Croatia and operates a Piper Aztec and a Eurocopter Alouette II on its AOC from Resnik airport.

Jung Sky is a Croatian carrier which is now three-and-a-half years old. It has been flying its Citation Jet for two years after starting out with a Cessna 172. Last year the company clocked up over 650 hours using its CJ. Founder and owner Kresimir Jung says that he is “very satisfied” with the quantity of requests and the number of flying hours and flights that the company has received. He also says that this year Jung Sky has taken on many new customers: “Each year we fly about 600 hours on average, and we have many strong clients who are very well-known in Croatia; very strong in a financial way. In the whole of Europe we have some brokers which are our partners and we fly customers all around Europe.”

Jung adds that the company is now looking to invest in a CJ2, and says that under normal operations he doesn’t foresee many challenges: “We are satisfied with this system and how it is working. We are very experienced in this type of operation and we deal

Michel Coulomb, ceo of Elit’Avia, says the company has enjoyed a busy year.

with companies who have a lot of experience as well.”

Financial institutions can still pose problems however: “It’s very difficult to get financing and so on – that’s the biggest problem. If you want to get some credit it’s always a problem in the last few years because banks have a big amount of money but they don’t give it out. They are very cautious because they had a crisis.

“But we have financing for this aircraft and we are now in a good direction to have another one. We will get it but it will take a lot of time, a lot of documentation and a lot of work to get there,” Jung adds. The founder

says that Jung Sky doesn’t often fly unusual operations, after it was forced to cut down organ transportation: “We’ve made about 15 flights for organs, but we don’t tend to fly them any more because the Croatian medical system is very poor.

They don’t do this transportation any more so that’s the reason why we stopped such flights.

“Most of the normal flights we do are very similar to each other and I cannot say we have many special situations. We fly to many airports all around Europe, to London City, to Innsbruck and to some other airports which you need special approval to fly to. We have businessmen as clients for the whole year and during the summer season we have mostly touristic flights. Recently we flew with four Chinese passengers to Tivat in Montenegro. We have people fly from all around the world: Americans, Ukrainians, Russians and so on.”

Delic Air is an owner-operated company, licensed to carry passengers and freight on routes not normally served by scheduled air services.

The company was established back in 1996 and owner Nenad Delic says that this year has been steady, with no developments of note: “We have four aircraft, same as last year. Our hours have decreased a little bit, let’s say 25 per cent, but we are satisfied nonetheless.

“We operate two Piper Cheyenne, for taxi and sightseeing.

“The last 12 months have still been absolutely successful, because in this 20-25 per cent was a lot of companies who have gone bankrupt – they had been flying and never paid.

Without these companies we are still

ADRIATIC REGIONAL REVIEW flying well though. We now have a stable financial situation with everybody paying.”

Delic, like many other operators in the region, lists the problems of running a business such as his in Croatia: “At this moment the greatest challenge will be working next year here. There are new taxes and new government fees, so it’s not easy. We have old clients who are very satisfied flying with us, and if we keep these clients without any problem that will be very good and will secure us until next year. These are our plans.”

Winair, headquartered in Varaždin, is a member of the T7 Group and says it was the first Croatian company to be established for the development of general aviation. Its primary activity is the organisation of flights with jet aircraft. It believes it is the first company in Croatia with entirely new small and medium range aircraft.

With a motto of ‘time is life,’ Winair looks to understand the needs of its customers and prioritises speed, flexibility of travel organisation, business comfort and the possibility of landing in airports of all categories.

This increases time efficiency and productivity in flights to more than 500 destinations.

It has recently created ‘The Winair Project’ with a view to increasing interest for the development of general aviation, and primarily business aviation, in Croatia. ■

Comprehensive data for the Adriatic online free-of-charge The 2013/14 Handbook of Business Aviation, Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa Edition, was published in May, and gives details of many more Adriatic 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

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14 AUGUST 2013

EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

BGAD seminars shine a light on vital topics BGAD Cambridge takes place on Tuesday 17th September at Cambridge Airport.

Visitors will network with around 60 exhibiting companies, see an estimated 20 aircraft on static display and attend a first class seminar programme.

EBAN readers in the UK will find an invitation with this issue of the magazine. Anyone can register to attend the free seminars on the BGAD web site, www.bgad.aero

MORNING SESSION 11:00-12:30 ■ Taxation by another name – the introduction of ETS, APD and two more new charges being considered for our sector

■

The changing buying habits of the business aviation customer Panel lead: Carol Cork, PrivateFly Panel: Phil Brockwell, Centreline Air Charter Bernard Fragner, GlobeAir James Leach, Air Charter Service

Lead: Marc Bailey, BBGA • Border Force cost recovery • Full fuel duty relief used in air ■ Business aviation – do we need to navigation and navigation within manage the perception of our sector?

EU waters Panel lead: Brian Humphries, EBAA • The Court of Justice of European Union and its ruling that the Panel: exemption should only apply to Alex Berry, Chapman Freeborn commercial airlines.

Julian Burrell, Vertis Aviation Richard Koe, WingX

AFTERNOON SESSION 14:00-15:30 ■

CAA update for business aviation sector

■

Lead:

Carol Leach, AQMS, and Marc Bailey, BBGA • National skills council for aviation services • GTAs and current developments • Accreditation of qualifications to support professional licences • Development of national occupational standards to support the new skills of continued airworthiness • Skills shortages for SMEs and micros

Jacky Mills, CAA • Describe the work of the BASP • Significant Seven areas applicable to business aviation.

• The SARG organisation ■

Flight data monitoring – the CASE project and benefits for your SMS

Lead: Malcolm Rusby and CASE team

Training for our sector

Leads:

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Christopher Mace, group commercial director of SaxonAir’s parent company Klyne Aviation, with a company-owned Hawker 900.

Reaching out to local business brings more charter business, says SaxonAir Norwich-based air charter operator SaxonAir reports that its business has increased significantly since it began a campaign to promote business aviation to local businesses. Now it plans to build on this success by cooperating with the one-day business aviation event BGAD to continue this advocacy throughout East Anglia.

The company has seen a record increase in air charter use during the first six months’ trading of 2013. Fixed wing charter hours for the first half of the year increased by over 65 per cent against the same first six months of 2012, with helicopter charter hours at its Norwich base up by 41 per cent in the same period.

Christopher Mace, group commercial director, believes this positive news is a further sign of increased business activity from the UK as companies see the value in optimising travel time for key staff away from the office environment and family life.

SaxonAir’s campaign promotes private air charter to the business community and highlights the time saving benefits, flexibility and potential boost in productivity that can be gained by using the service.

“Air charter is not necessarily about living a luxury lifestyle, being served champagne and caviar on-board,” advises Mace. “The majority of our

clients are, in fact, businesses that appreciate that air charter enables them to make the very best use of time with pre-cleared check-ins, the ability to undertake work on-board in private and secure surroundings as well as landing at private airports closer to their destination not served by the airlines.

“There is no substitute for meeting face to face,” he adds. “A major contract could be in the balance, presentations to be given or multiple sites to visit. These are many of the reasons when our business clients use the service as part of their overall transport solutions. The increased use of our aircraft in the first half of this year is down to a better understanding of air charter, our staff’s commitment to customer service and the varied, modern aircraft fleet that we can offer.”

This surge in interest is timely, ahead of the Business and General Aviation Day, BGAD 13, which will be held on Tuesday 17th September at Cambridge airport. SaxonAir will be exhibiting on the day, alongside more than 60 other business aviation organisations. Seminars will also be delivered in an alliance between the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) and the Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA), which between them represent operators,

suppliers and brokers. Visitors will also be able to see inside the cabins of various business aircraft on display, such as the King Air 200 and Phenom 300. Meanwhile, PrivateFly will be running a ten-pin bowling challenge especially for BGAD. Mace emphasises how crucial the day can be in generating business for companies like SaxonAir: “There is a great focus for BGAD to present itself to the local business region in terms of advocacy for air charter. It is also a good opportunity for us to see the brokers. We like the fact that it is on a single day as well.

“Last year we brought the Hawker 900 on static display and it was one of the first opportunities we had to show the aircraft off to a lot of the brokers.

We were busy all day with people continually going in and out of the aircraft. Most of the major brokers were there and it was a good opportunity just to catch up with everybody. This time I’m hoping to continue in that vein in terms of the industry but also hope that we will have some potential clients and businesses from the region who will be able to attend. It gives us an opportunity to put ourselves in front of them so they can understand more about the values of air charter.”

Full details about BGAD can be found at www.bgad.aero

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The reference book for long range business jet owners and operators worldwide.

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EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

AUGUST 2013 15

Free job ads on EBAN web site

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

Honeywell MKVII EGPWS, Honeywell TCAS II w/Change 7, w/ski tube.

Recently Permaguard. Recently refreshed interior. Fresh phase 1-5.

Zero engine option. Tel: +1 403 291 9027 John Hopkinson & Associates.

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Aircraft for sale Special packages are available for

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You can now place job advertisements free of charge on the EBAN web site – part of our extensive web portal which receives around 25,000 unique visitors every month.

These text adverts are cross referenced to information on your company from the Handbook of Business

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To find out more about this new service, or to book a position to appear in EBAN magazine, please contact Tricia Rotheram on +44 (0) 1279 714516 email tricia@ebanmagazine.com

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Value and integrity are more than skin deep.

Sun. Wind. Water. Dirt. Flight’s elements are harsh. Paint service from Hawker Beechcraft Services are your best line of defense. No matter what model aircraft you own, we can accommodate you at our industry-leading facility with next-generation equipment that allows us to service three mid-size business aircraft simultaneously.

It’s beauty and value—all maintained by paint professionals that are equal parts artisans and engineers. It’s why we’re Europe’s foremost service center and why you should trust your aircraft with us.

Visit HawkerBeechcraftServices.com or contact Hawker Beechcraft Services, Chester (EGNR)

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