PUBLICATIONS
WEDNESDAY 5•18•2011
Vol. 43 No. 10
EBACE Convention News
In the Exhibit Halls
Aircraft
Climate Change
Cabin Electronics
Aircraft Sales
TAG illuminates EBACE with art for art’s sake
All-composite Learjet 85 has deep European roots
Carbon dioxide emissions to become bizav’s main headache
SkyPad sets new standard for WiFi cabin control and IFE
VAT stifles UK imports, says Gama boss
The TAG Group’s indoor “chalet” looks more like an sophisticated art gallery than an aviation tradeshow exhibit. Page 6
Bombardier’s new midsize jet benefits from substantial engineering and manufacturing work done in Belfast and Manchester. Page 10
How well is business aviation meeting the goals of its 2009 “commitment on climate change”? Page 20
Innotech Aviation introduces a wireless in-flight entertainment system that uses an iPad tablet as the system controller. Page 21
Imports of business aircraft into the UK dried up in January after the EC forced implementation of VAT rules for aircraft sales. Page 34
VistaJet throttles up VistaJet put itself back in full-blown growth mode yesterday, placing a major order with Bombardier for 18 jets in a move that will take its fleet to more than 50 aircraft. The $383 million deal signed here at EBACE includes 12 Globals and Challengers and six Learjet 60 XRs. Deliveries should begin next year. Thomas Flohr, founder and chairman of VistaJet, said his company’s current order backlog is valued at $1.3 billion. On order are 10 Global 6000s, six Challenger 605s, 11 Learjet 85s and six Learjet 60 XRs. VistaJet operates only Bombardier aircraft and prior to the financial crisis had been working toward a high-volume business
Continued on page 54 u
MARK WAGNER
by Thierry Dubois
Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier business aircraft, and Thomas Flohr, owner and chairman of VistaJet.
Legacys lift Kazakhstan by Chad Trautvetter In a deal that could be worth up to $207 million, Comlux placed a firm order yesterday at EBACE for three Embraer Legacy 650s, with options for four more.
Importantly, this marks the first acquisition of Embraer business jets by Comlux, which currently operates only offerings from Airbus and Bombardier. The super-midsize Legacy 650s will be based at Comlux Kazakhstan, Fly Comlux’s charter outpost
DAVID McINTOSH
Continued on page 54 u
It seems all the business aviation news for the past few years has been about trying to advance in the face of a relentless economic headwind–directly on the nose. But this week’s EBACE is demonstrating improved conditions for the 12,192 delegates already in attendance.
MARK WAGNER
is the headwind turning ‘round?
Need air transport news? Sign up for AIN Air Transport Perspective on AINonline.com
Comlux placed its first order for Embraer jets yesterday at EBACE, with a firm order for three Legacy 650s and an option for four more. The super-midsize jets will be based in Kazakhstan. At the order signing were (l-r) Comlux president and CEO Richard Gaona, Comlux Kazakhstan COO Irina Pay, Embraer Executive Jets president Ernest Edwards and Fly Comlux CEO Andrea Zanetto.
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“ ” AND OH YEAH This is a plane built with value and efficiency in mind. This is cost-effective, high-speed cruising. This is uncompromising range and unmatched speed. This is the future of your business and the object of your desires. This is the cause of more than a few “Oh yeahs”. This is Learjet. Bombardier, Learjet and Learjet 60 XR are registered trademarks or trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. © 2011 Bombardier Inc. All rights reserved.
Everjets to field a Phenom 300
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DAVID McINOSH
Everjets signed a contract yesterday for an Embraer Phenom 300 executive jet to be placed in charter service. After taking delivery in December, Everjets will serve southern Europe from its base in Portugal. As part of the agreement, Everjets, a division of the Ricon Group, has an option to add a second Phenom 300. “We are pleased to welcome Everjets to our growing Phenom 300 customer base in Europe and support them as they commence operations,” said Colin Steven, Embraer’s vice president of marketing and sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “We are thrilled to present the Phenom 300 to our customers,” commented Everjets CEO Jose Pereira. “The design of the aircraft perfectly suits our objectives and our target audience of multi-cultural, fashion-conscious clients who like to travel in style.” Everjets parent company, the
EBACE
Pedro Silva, president and group executive of newly launched Everjets, seals the deal here at EBACE for a Phenom 300 with Earnest Edwards of Embraer. The new company, a division of the Ricon group, will use the light jet for charter service in southern Europe. Everjets also has an option to acquire a second Phenom 300.
Ricon Group, is an internationally known innovator in the fashion textile and clothing business. It is the force behind a number of elite fashion
brands in the Angolan, Brazilian and Portuguese retail markets, so perhaps it’s not surprising they chose the Brazilian-made jet. –M.P.
Comlux inks co-op deal with Saudia
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Comlux and Saudia Private Aviation have signed an agreement for joint development of charter business opportunities in the Middle East. Comlux Middle East, one of Comlux the Aviation Group’s companies, holds a European air operators certificate and will make its fleet of six Airbus corporate jets (soon to be eight) available for Saudia Private Aviation customers. Saudia Private Aviation, which is part of Saudi Arabian Airlines, operates a Dassault Falcon 7X and Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 400XP. It will soon open an FBO in Jeddah, followed by facilities in Riyadh and Dammam. The agreement will also help Saudia expand its business in Europe. Comlux’s latest fleet addition is an A320ACJ, equipped to carry up to 19 passengers in a three-cabin layout that includes a private lounge/bedroom with a full shower. The Comlux A320ACJ (9H-AWK) is here at the EBACE static display. Comlux will take delivery of a new A319ACJ later this year and another in 2012. “We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with Saudia Private Aviation, which is a key player in the Middle East business aviation market with well-grounded experience of more than 35 years,” said Richard Gaona, CEO and president of Comlux. –M.T.
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Citation luft Cessna’s regional sales manager, Thomas Tatum, left, hands over the keys to another new Citation XLS+. This one goes to German operator EFO Aviation, represented by managing director Simon Ebert (on steps), project manager Jost Hofman, and Floris Helmers, managing director of Air Hamburg, which will operate the twinjet.
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TAG illuminates EBACE with art for art’s sake
MARK WAGNER
At aviation trade shows the term “chalet” is used loosely, the exhibitors’ hospitality structures suggesting little of the sturdiness and warmth of their namesake–the quintessentially Swiss mountain cabin. Here at EBACE 2011, the Geneva-based TAG Group is demonstrating a different approach to its temporary digs (Stand 7020), evident
The TAG collection includes this 1962 Picasso, “Femme au Chapeau Assise.” Best of all, if you like it, it’s for sale.
in touches from the finely furnished and expansive private meeting rooms to the breathtaking art on display, which includes works by Picasso, Chagall, Botero and many other modern masters. “Mansour [Ojjeh] wants to change the look of the chalet to reflect what the TAG Group companies represent,” said TAG Aviation chairman Roger McMullin, referring to the group’s majority owner during a tour of the plush retreat. “He wanted a look of permanence that speaks to his vision of the style and attention to quality of the companies.” Mansour Ojjeh didn’t have to go far to find a curator to assemble artwork that matched his vision. He asked his niece, Tatiana Ojjeh, who is an art expert and had installed the art in TAG’s FBO lounge at Farnborough Airport, to do the job. “I was having lunch with my uncle and I said I wanted to bring art and aviation together,” recounted Ms. Ojjeh, who
MARK WAGNER
by James Wynbrandt
A “look of permanence” was TAG Aviation majority owner Mansour Ojjeh’s goal. To that end, he asked his niece, Tatiana Ojjeh, who founded a company named Artliner, to assemble a stunning collection of art for TAG’s EBACE chalet.
founded a company, Artliner, with precisely that goal. “He said, ‘I want you to create an exhibit for the chalet.’” She agreed and gathered the paintings and sculptures in association with Geneva-based Opera Gallery. The resulting exhibition, “Art in TAG, presented by Opera Gallery in association with Artliner,” showcases more than two dozen carefully chosen masterpieces. The first-floor lounge features American artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. The
second floor meeting rooms spotlight artists and trends representing Latin, contemporary British, classic, avant garde and abstract schools, with works by artists as disparate as Ferdnand Leger, Robert Indiana, Manolo Valdes, Marc Quinn, Sam Francis, Georges Matthieu, Alexander Calder, Joan Miro and Mr. Brainwash, as well as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Fernando Botero. All are available for purchase. “The biggest challenge was persuading everybody that
the works could merge so well together,” said Ms. Ojjeh. From the results, it appears her vision is as forward thinking and focused on quality as her uncle’s. The TAG Group is comprised of TAG Aviation, the aircraft charter, maintenance and management company, TAG Aeronautics, exclusive distributor of Bombardier Aircraft in the Middle East, the Londonarea TAG Farnborough Airport and the TAG Aviation FBO right here in Geneva. o
Public misconception is bizav’s Public Enemy 1 Tackling the negative public perception of business aviation is key to resolving some of the industry’s challenges. This was the message pervading the opening general session for the 11th edition of EBACE. Although the sector is in better shape than it has been for a few years, officials said that public attitudes toward private airplanes are corrosive and affect decision making at the highest levels. Brian Humphries, chairman of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), chaired a panel comprising industry officials, regulators and users. He stressed, “Recognition of our industry’s value is evident at the European level but not in the 27 member states.” He pointed to the UK’s proposals for an air passenger duty tax of £186 ($300) per passenger for each private flight in an aircraft weighing more than 5,700 kg (12,600 pounds) or in a business helicopter.
“This shows a complete lack of understanding,” he said. “Costs damage not only our industry, but customers who are contributing to the economic recovery.” NBAA president Ed Bolen highlighted the new EU emissions trading scheme as a particular bugbear. He urged the business aviation sector to stand up for itself. “It is incumbent on our industry to be aggressive in talking about how we operate,” he said. Maxime Coffin, the head of the general aviation and helicopters mission at the French Civil Aviation Authority, pointed to an airfield and heliport in France that are both under threat thanks to misinformed local pressure groups, who were lobbying equally misinformed members of parliament. He said that the industry is “underestimating the problem of perception.” Britain’s Lord Hesketh cautioned that without business
DAVID McINTOSH
by Liz Moscrop
As part of the EBACE 2011 opening ceremony, participants voiced their opinions on how to soften the negative public view of private flying. Taking part in the event were, left to right, Maxime Coffin, head of general aviation, French Civil Aviation Authority; Brian Humphries, chairman of EBAA; Britain’s Lord Hesketh; Fabio Cavalli, CEO and founder of MondoBiotech; and Ed Bolen, NBAA president.
aviation, economies would struggle. “Companies that do not have the ability to move key personnel are going to fall behind,” he said. “We do have to get the perception issue right.” The last speaker was Fabio Cavalli, CEO and founder of
6 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
MondoBiotech, which specializes in tackling rare diseases. His company uses a Pilatus PC-12 to ferry busy doctors from all over Europe to its Paris headquarters and back to their home bases on the same day. “It is [good] we were a private company when
we started,” he said. “Journalists see private aviation as a visit to St. Tropez; however, in order to stay competitive you have to move fast and use fewer people. All the technology companies in Silicon Valley have at least one, if not two or three planes.” o
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U.S. pilots found guilty of one Amazon midair charge by Chad Trautvetter Brazilian federal judge Murilo Mendes, yesterday, found American pilots Joseph Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino,
whose Embraer Legacy 600 collided with a Gol Airlines Boeing 737-800 over the Amazon in September 2006, guilty of failing
for more than an hour to verify whether or not the Legacy’s transponder was functioning. The judge commuted a sentence of four years and four months to community service to be performed in the U.S., and he also suspended the pair’s pilot licenses. It is yet unknown whether the Brazilian sentence is enforceable in the U.S.
Lepore and Paladino were found innocent of five of the six charges against them, including failing to follow the flight plan, turning off the transponder and not reacting correctly to a communications failure. Additionally, the judge discarded allegations that the TCAS was never on during the flight and that the pilots falsely affirmed that the Legacy was
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authorized to fly RVSM. Pilot-incommand Lepore and copilot Paladino had just taken delivery of the Legacy for their employer–charter operator ExcelAire of Long Island MacArthur Airport, New York– and were ferrying the aircraft to the U.S. when the midair occurred. Judge Murilo issued identical verdicts for Lepore and Paladino, saying the pilots bear equal responsibility for safety. The pilots will appeal the verdict. Murilo will also rule this week on the fate of the two air traffic controllers still charged in the case, one of whom a military court has found guilty of manslaughter, delivering a sentence of 14 months imprisonment. The pilots’ guilty verdict turned on the question of whether a white “TCAS OFF” alert appeared on the Legacy’s panel, and the judge based his ruling largely on an exchange from the cockpit voice recorder: “Dude, you got the TCAS on?” followed by: “Yes, the TCAS is off.” While ATC has primary responsibility for verifying the transponder function, the judge ruled that this does not free the pilots of blame. What worries safety experts about this conviction is the criminalization of accidents. Here at EBACE, AIN spoke with NBAA senior vice president of operations Steve Brown about this concerning trend. “Criminalization has a chilling effect on safety enhancements in the aviation community. We rely on willing participation by those involved in an accident to avoid repeat accidents,” Brown said. “It is no benefit to anyone to criminalize aircraft accidents. We have to preserve the safety culture and science and discipline in accident investigations to result in a positive safety outcome.” Brown said Brazil’s “different” legal system allowed for yesterday’s conviction, even though NTSB and Brazil ANAC accident reports show that the Brazilian air traffic controllers made the errors. All 154 aboard the Gol 737 perished in the accident, while Lepore and Paladino were able to land their crippled Legacy at a Brazilian military airport. Listen to a podcast interview with Brown on this topic at www.ainonline.com/audio. o
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Bombardier’s $17.2 million Learjet 85 program is an international effort, with the Canadian airframer putting its engineering and manufacturing teams in Canada, Europe, Mexico and the U.S. to work on the jet.
All-composite Learjet 85 has deep European roots by Mark Huber Bombardier’s all-composite Lear jet 85 is progressing toward a first flight in 2012 with heavy engineering and manufacturing input from the company’s facilities at Belfast in Northern Ireland and Manchester in the northwest of England. E arly this year, program director Ralph Acs reported that 80 percent of the detailed design drawings had been released for structure and systems installation with the goal of completing them this spring. According to manufacturer, the eight-passenger, 3,000-nm-range aircraft remains on schedule for certification in 2013. “In Manchester, we pulled [an en gineering team] together from the European Community,” explained Acs. It consists of 120 e ngineers making plyby-ply drawings that can be sent electronically directly to Bombardier’s composite factory in Mexico. The $17.2 million Learjet 85 is being brought to market by a global team, using Bombardier’s engineering and manufacturing assets in Canada, Europe, Mexico and the U.S. The Belfast facility will make planks, spars and other parts using resin transfer infusion technology (RTI), the same composite technology tapped for Bombardier’s new single-aisle C Series airliner. Acs said the use of composites on the Learjet 85 will significantly decrease final assembly time because the parts are larger and because of the very design of the parts. For example, the fuselage barrel, from bulkhead to bulkhead, is one part number. Structures such as stringers are integral parts of the composite mold, cutting down the need for fasteners and drilling. The Belfast facility will perform destructive test article validation before the start of large-scale fabrication. The first set of spars is now being packaged for shipment to Bombardier’s Queretaro,
Mexico plant, which will fabricate the wings and the fuselage before they are trucked to Wichita in the U.S. for final aircraft assembly. Belfast also is preparing for composite plank manufacture. “We’re getting organized for the tooling,” Acs said. “Tooling for the planks is significant.” Last year Bombardier completed an 185,000-sq-ft expansion of the Queretaro complex, bringing total space dedicated the Learjet 85 program there to 221,300 sq ft. More than 1,200 employees in Queretaro work on a variety of programs including the Learjet 85, the Q400 turboprop, the CRJ series and the Challenger 605/850. Throughout Bombardier, approximately 1,250 employees are dedicated to the Learjet 85 program. Technology Readiness
Acs said the company’s extensive experience building composite components for existing aircraft would enable it to better make the transition to an all-composite aircraft such as the Learjet 85. He further noted the role of the company’s six-phase “technology readiness program” in keeping things on track. The program covers material selection, process optimization and repairability of components. Effective management of the supply chain will also be critical to the program, he said. There are 41 major companies supplying the Learjet 85 and Acs said he uses a variety of methods to keep the program rolling on time, including peer pressure and pre-testing components before they are installed in the aircraft. “We meet with our suppliers every six months and last September we brought them down to Mexico. There they got up and gave a ‘show-and-tell’ on how well Continued on page 12 u
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Learjet 85 has European roots uContinued from page 10 they were doing–so there is a lot of peer pressure,” Acs said. Installing components in test rigs is another tool Acs and his team use to keep on schedule. “One of the big keys to success
is to exercise the systems before they arrive at the final [assembly] line. Electrical, powerplant, all of this has to be exercised to drive and improve reliability. Entry-into-service reliability at the first flight is the strategy, and around the world we have 63 rigs to commission to support what we are doing. For example, we have an integrated rig at
Rockwell Collins and any LRU [line replaceable unit] that interfaces with that avionics suite has to visit Rockwell Collins and go through integration checks twice. So when that avionics suite [Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion] shows up on our aircraft, I can say the ‘boxes’ have shown they have talked to each other.” Early production all-composite
aircraft traditionally have had overweight issues, and Acs said Bombardier is attacking this through a combination of material and process selection. “We have had very good [weight] correlation with destructive test articles because we weigh them and they correlate within a couple of pounds of the drawing,” he explained. “This level of accuracy
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has a lot to do with the process. Composite plys are pre-impregnated with resin so that variable is controlled. The next step is to make sure we are cutting [the plys] to the exact size. The actual manufacturing process from the design is quite repeatable” thanks to the extensive use of computer technology, he said. In Manchester, Bombardier’s engineers draw parts ply-by-ply in a computer program called Cybersim. The Cybersim drawings are then sent to the Mexico factory where they are uploaded to a system that projects a series of green boxes onto each composite mold, ply-by-ply and layerby-layer, helping to ensure precise ply placement and weight control. The rigidity of composite fuselages can present cabin noise control challenges that require lateral thinking. Conventional metal aircraft can use noise-dampening blankets wedged between fuselage spars and frames. However, the Learjet 85’s fuselage is a single composite section approximately one-inch thick without these structures. While not d ivulging details, Acs said Bombardier already has done acoustic testing on the Learjet 85’s composite panels at European laboratories, while also working to formulate passive technology solutions for the fuselage. Cabin Details Sparse
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Inside the cabin, Bombardier has tapped Lufthansa Technik to provide the cabin management system, but Acs said systems specifics would not be finalized until late into the flight-test program due to the rapid pace of technological change. “We want to make sure the CMS backbone is adaptable. You have to cater to the traditional customer who is familiar with none of that stuff [iPads and so forth] and just wants to use what is on the airplane, but you also have to satisfy the whiz who shows up with the latest toys,” he said. One aspect of the CMS architecture being studied is a combination monitor/touchscreen. Five test aircraft and two structural test articles are scheduled to be used in the certification program. The fourth aircraft will fly with a production interior. While not revealing exact order numbers, Acs said he expects it to be popular with European customers because of its range. “It can get you to Moscow and the Middle East and you can use 5,000foot runways,” he concluded. o
Piaggio celebrates the art and appeal of the Avanti II With a maximum speed of 402 knots, on display at Piaggio Aero’s stand (2143), the P.180 Avanti II, made by Italy’s while an Avanti II is on view in the static Piaggio Aero Industries, is the world’s display area. Meanwhile, Piaggio Aero is using fastest turboprop, while also boasting the largest cabin in its class of midsize jets EBACE as a canvas to paint a picture and twin turboprops. But it’s also known of its global expansion. The company for a stylish airframe and twin pusher introduced new exclusive sales agents design, which has been compared to a for the Avanti II in the UK and Ireland, and in Egypt. Corporate Jet Manwork of art. In fact, an Avanti II recently became agement (CJM), based at Farnborough a canvas for noted artist Mimmo Pal- Airport, will handle sales in the UK and adino, who painted the airframe with Ireland. CJM manages and operates wildly colorful ancestral symbols, a work business aircraft for both private ownhe dubbed “Cacciatore di Stelle,” or Star ers and its own fleet. The appointment will enable Piaggio Hunter, and displayed in Milan. “We are very proud that Master Aero “to expand its sales business in Mimmo Paladino has been inspired by these two important European aviation a Piaggio Aero P.180 aircraft and that he markets,” said Giuliano Felton, the comwould turn it into a unique work of art,” pany’s deputy general manager and chief said Alberto Galassi, CEO of Piaggio commercial officer. “CJM is one of the Aero Industries. “The P.180 is an expres- most competent and dynamic aviation sion of Italian genius in design and engi- businesses, and today’s agreement conneering. That’s why this creation is an firms the commitment of Piaggio Aero unprecedented event.” to further strengthen its position within Here at EBACE, attendees can admire the traditional European markets.” “CJM is extremely proud to be assothe art of both Paladino and Piaggio. A ciated with Piaggio Aero,” said company 1:13 scale model of the painted aircraft is 2011 POWERLINE EBACE_EBACE 2011 4/28/11 3:03 PM Page 1
MARK WAGNER
by James Wynbrandt
Noted artist Mimmo Paladino used the sleek lines of a full size Paggio Avanti II as the canvas for his “Cacciatore di Stelle’ (Star Hunter). This 1:13 scale model of the original is on display at the Piaggio stand.
director David Stark. “In today’s ecologically sensitive world, the Piaggio Avanti II is set apart from its competitors with its ability to achieve a high level of performance combined with great comfort, unique style and low emissions, thanks to its unrivaled fuel efficiency.” Cairo-based Alkan Air has been named exclusive sales representative for Egypt. The company, which operates an air taxi service and an authorized Hawker Beechcraft Maintenance Center, also plans to add an Avanti II to its own fleet. “We have always been aware of the Avanti II’s suitability for our market and I am delighted that we now have the
opportunity not only to operate the aircraft but also to help other operators in the region to discover the many benefits of this excellent aircraft,” said Awad Dargham, general manager of Alkan Air. Piaggio Aero believes Alkan Air’s knowledge and experience of the market will enable Piaggio “to efficiently approach this emerging North African market and learn more about the opportunities and benefits to grow its business there,” according to Felton. “We have chosen this company because it is the leader in air services in Egypt, and we appreciate the way they manage this business in their country.” o
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14 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
DAVID McINTOSH
The King Air 250, the latest version of Hawker Beechcraft’s popular turboprop twin, features composite winglets and propellers, along with a ram-air recovery system, which all contribute to better runway performance.
King Air 250 Makes Its EBACE Debut Hawker Beechcraft expects to begin deliveries of the King Air 250 this quarter, following receipt of its type certificate, which Shawn Vick, executive vice president, said is imminent. The twin turboprop, the latest derivative of the popular King Air, is making its European debut here at EBACE 2011. New use of composite technology distinguishes the $5.799 million King Air 250 from its predecessor, the King Air B200GT, which the 250 will replace on the production line. Key features include Boundary Layer Research composite winglets, Hartzell composite props and a Raisbeck ram-air recovery system, which give the new derivative model “significantly better runway performance than single-engine utility turboprops,” according to the company. Here at EBACE, Wichita-based Hawker Beechcraft is introducing these same features as an aftermarket upgrade for already-fielded King Air 200GTs. With the upgrades installed, these will then be called 200GTRs. Hawker Beechcraft introduced the King Air 250 at last year’s NBAA convention in October, and exhibited the model earlier this year at a Sun’n’Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Florida. The company said customer feedback requesting better performance convinced the company to develop the changes. –R.R.P.
It’s a GrandNew day for Turkish operator AgustaWestland (Stand 7010) has sold a GrandNew light twin helicopter to Turkey’s Genel Havacilik. The aircraft will be used for VIP missions and is slated for delivery next month. The order marks the type’s entry into the Turkish market. “We selected the GrandNew as the aircraft of choice in its class to satisfy our requirements to operate in the most demand ing hot and high conditions of Turkey,” said Genel Havacilik CEO Ali Sulyak. According to Agusta West land, the helicopter is the first type-certified light twin to en ter service with a new electronic flight instrument system featur ing synthetic-vision technology. Other pieces of kit on board in clude a helicopter terrain aware ness warning system and global positioning awareness naviga tion software. Agusta has sold 70 of its GrandNew variant worldwide
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and 30 of its other helicop ter types into Turkey. The com pany predicts a rosy future in the country for VIP/corporate trans port and EMS shuttle services. VIP Market Recovery
According to Emilio Dal masso, AgustaWestland’s senior vice president for the commercial business unit, the EMS sector is growing, and VIP market is recov ering, having suffered most dur ing the economic downturn. He said that Agusta has more than a 70-percent share of the light twin market for VIP applications. Dalmasso added that the Fin meccanica company’s AW139 medium twin and the Grand New light twin models are selling well, with 500 AW139s sold so far, more than a third of which are for offshore applications. The GrandNew has logged 300 orders, mostly from the VIP/cor porate and EMS/SAR segments. The European commercial
market accounts for a large por tion of Agusta’s sales of light twins. “Leading operators with large fleets have relevant and diversified businesses across Europe for offshore transport, passenger transport, EMS/SAR and fire fighting,” said Dalmasso. “If including Russia, this is one of the most promising markets for a number of commercial roles.” He added that Russia needs to mod ernize its aging fleets. The helicopter maker is bull ish about the future. Last sum mer it launched the new AW169, which will feature advancements in avionics and airframe design. The light twin is designed to cater to the growing market for multi-role capability in the 4.5ton class segment. The company forecasts a potential market for almost 1,000 of the type over approximately 20 years. Agusta is displaying a VIP configured GrandNew light twin on the static display at EBACE, as well as models from its prod uct range on its stand. –L.M.
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No-fault findings drop under Bombardier program by Matt Thurber Bombardier’s product support operation has spent the past year tackling one of the more difficult problems facing aircraft manufacturers, the no fault found issue. As a result of these
efforts, Bombardier now offers a guarantee that if a part arrives inoperative (dead on arrival), the operator will not have to pay to ship it back to Bombardier or for labor to replace the part.
Components that are returned by operators as defective then tested and found not to have faults have long bedeviled manufacturers, and, said James Hoblyn, Bombardier’s president of
customer services, “that drives a lot of frustration.” The yearlong effort pulled together a multifunctional initiative, he said. On each of the Bombardier business aircraft platforms, the
company identified the top 10 worst performing components. “And we’re working hard to drive down the rate of no fault founds,” Hoblyn said. While Bombardier has made great progress in the no fault found issue, Hoblyn isn’t satisfied. “We still have a lot of components that have high no fault found rates,” he said. “It’s not unusual to have some in the 40to 50-percent range, which is unacceptable.” For the top 10 in each platform (Global, Challenger, Learjet), Bombardier’s goal is to cut that rate to below 25 percent. Part of the problem causing no fault found returns is that so many components contain electronics and software. “As soon as bits and bytes are involved,” Hoblyn said, “they become particularly quirky when coldsoaked.” A lot of problems occur, too, where components interface with each other, and it is often difficult to recreate the exact conditions that existed when the fault occurred. SmartFix Troubleshoots
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18 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
The tools that Bombardier is using to eliminate no fault found problems include its SmartFix Plus troubleshooting system, holding suppliers more accountable and working with customers to communicate more information about the original fault. SmartFix Plus is an online troubleshooting tool accessible by customers, service centers and Bombardier personnel. The tool contains detailed information about components, including drawings, schematics and 3-D views as well as all the issues that can happen and troubleshooting procedures for those issues. “As new issues arise, we update the tool,” Hoblyn said. Bombardier is developing an iPad-accessible version of SmartFix Plus and plans to show what that looks like at its EBACE stand (7011). Holding suppliers accountable involves fixing unreliable components and improving bench testing procedures to more accurately replicate the problem. “By giving them the data [on the problem],” Hoblyn said, “we can embarrass them into action. If a component has a 60-percent no fault found rate, there’s only so much you can do to blame the customer.” Another part of the new guarantee program is that Bombardier won’t charge a restocking fee when it recommends a part to solve an AOG situation and that part turns out not to be needed. o
CO2 emissions to become bizav’s main headache by Thierry Dubois
Manufacturers on Target
Has the sector gotten off to a good start between 2005 and 2010? “I think so,” Ed Smith, GAMA’s senior vice president for international and environmental affairs, told AIN. He said that manufacturers are on target, with their latest new aircraft models offering “significant efficiency improvements.” He added that operators are on target, too, because “operators, for economic and environmental awareness reasons, are
improving their fuel efficiency.” But in Europe, Pedro Vicente Azua, EBAA’s COO, doesn’t quite agree. “Certainly not for the 2005-2008 period–business aviation was growing,” he said. Since then, he believes the downturn has caused a reduction in CO2 emissions. Jeff Gazzard is a board member of the Aviation Environment Federation, a UKbased nongovernmental organization advocating a more significant reduction in the negative environmental impacts of air transport. He expressed doubts about the sheer sincerity of the commitments. “By saying ‘Carbon-neutral growth by 2020,’ the industry means, ‘We’ll not do anything until 2020’; this is another decade of delay,” he told AIN. Fuel, Technology, Best Practices
Smith explained that the improvement in fuel efficiency is measured fleet wide, among all in-service business aircraft. According to the GAMA-IBAC roadmap, in 2050, relative to a “business as usual” scenario, alternative fuels alone will cut CO2 emissions by an expected 40 percent. Technology would be the second pillar, accounting for another 25 percent. Finally, operations and infrastructure would be credited for 14 percent, GAMA and IBAC report. Gazzard challenged the technology pillar. “They’ll have a harder time trying to reach that goal than commercial aviation. In business aviation there is no game-changing engine [like a highbypass-ratio geared turbofan],” he said. This third pillar around operations and infrastructure mainly includes best practices. Smith suggested a number of things such as optimized flight planning, reducing weight, reducing use of APUs on ground and more accurate evaluation of passenger weights, for example. On a longdistance trip, such practices can lead to significant savings in the necessary fuel load. On the air traffic management (ATM) side, which is also part of the third pillar, enhancements hold very limited promises, according to Gazzard. “Business aircraft largely fly short distances, so their routing is already as good as it can be,” he said. He evaluated ATM efficiency as
Dassault Committed To Europe’s Acare Effort Dassault is the only business jet manufacturer having committed, along with the rest of the European aeronautical industry, to 2020 environmental goals set by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) in 2001. One goal is to halve CO2 emissions between 2000 and 2020–measured by passenger mile. However, as business jets are “flying offices” carrying very few passengers, the right metric for them should be fuel burned per
mission per mile, Dassault officials believe. In fact, ACARE’s original goals have since been found to be too ambitious and a recent progress report indicated that only 75 percent of them are expected to be met. This is true for the whole of air transport, not only for business aviation. Dassault has indicated that the efficiency gain between the Falcon 2000EX (certified in 2003) and the Falcon 7X (certified in 2007) is in the 15- to 20-percent range. –T.D.
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Industry groups GAMA and IBAC see biofuel playing a major role in business aviation’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions but other industry stakeholders see this as very optimistic.
already being at 92 or 93 percent. But EBAA has higher hopes for ATM improvements, with Azua counting on future Sesar and NextGen advancements, like continuous-descent approaches. Such procedures avoid the leveling-off phases, which increase fuel burn, and they call for greater precision in satellite guidance. Europe is trailing the U.S. in that regard. The first EGNOS (Europe’s equivalent of the U.S. augmented GPS, Waas) approach was flown in Pau, southwest France, in March. Biofuel Challenge
Alternative fuels may be the most controversial topic. Green lobbyists like Gazzard have long raised the question of, “Do you want to eat or fly?” This refers to the debate about whether it is valid to grow crops to make fuel on land that could be used to grow food to feed people. But this is not the only environmental issue. Landuse change, a process that releases huge quantities of greenhouse gases that need decades to be recouped by biofuel production, is also appearing as a major concern. In addition, the European Commission’s recent SWAFEA study (Sustainable Way for Alternative Fuel and Energy in Aviation) highlighted the challenging business case of building biofuel production facilities. For the “biomassto-liquid” option, the investment would be on the order of €400 billion ($560 billion)–for Europe alone–spread over 40 years. About one quarter of the biofuel produced would go to aviation (not only business aviation). The rest would be for road transport and other uses. This would allow aviation to meet its 2050 target, but at a price that investors would very likely find prohibitive. Depending on circumstances, it could take up to 26 years to break even. Azua admitted that “biofuels are not going to be a game-changer.” Nonetheless, he insisted that research activities must be continued. Smith suggested that the full impact of biofuels is projected to “kick in later, around 2030.” A big benefit of these so-called drop-in fuels (they require no change in the engines) is that they impact an entire fleet overnight, he pointed out. He acknowledged that SWAFEA’s predictions are debatable but argued that the industry has to start with some sort of forecast on the contributions of biofuels. So are bizav lobbyists supporting the European Union’s emission trading scheme (EU ETS)? Despite its profound objections to what it views as the impractical and costly way ETS has been structured, EBAA accepts that it will make a difference. “We are counting on the EU
ROGER BAIN
Where is business aviation with its ambitious long-term goals in cutting CO2 emissions? Back in November 2009, the industry’s main lobbying groups issued a “commitment on climate change” that achieved pledges including an intent to be carbon neutral by 2020. Ahead of this week’s EBACE show, AIN reviewed the stated goals with the U.S. General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) representatives, as well as an environmentalist specializing in aviation. It appears that progress since 2005–the year taken as a starting point– is questionable, and the challenges ahead are mind-boggling. The 2009 document, authored by GAMA and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), also commits the industry to achieving “an improvement in fuel efficiency of an average of two percent per year from today until 2020” and “a reduction in total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 50 percent by 2050 relative to 2005.” On this basis, a business aircraft built in 2050 “will be 45 percent more fuel efficient than one built in 2005,” with the remaining 5 percent cut in CO2 accounted for by operational changes. Around the same time, a practically identical document, called the “business aviation statement on climate change,” was endorsed by a number of other lobbying groups. They include EGAMA (the European equivalent of Gama), EBAA, the U.S. National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) and many of their national counterparts.
ETS for a real reduction in CO2 emissions, as soon as 2012, when aviation is included in the scheme,” Azua explained. In preparation, business aircraft operators have already had to take a hard look at their emissions. “This has made them realize the amount of fuel they burn annually,” Azua said. He pointed out that compared to other sectors of aviation, fuel has a smaller share in business aviation costs. However, Azua made it clear that EBAA is unhappy with the administrative and cost burden associated with ETS, which was conceived mainly with airlines in mind. The costs are disproportionate for business aviation, he said. Smith agreed on that point and added another concern. “We think non-EU operators are [illegally] affected by a regional regulation,” he said. According to the IBAC/GAMA plan, “marketbased measures” like ETS will just play a small interim role in bizav’s CO2 cuts. One especially bold statement in the IBAC/GAMA “commitment” concerns weight. “Business aviation aircraft must be as light as possible,” it declares. But what about the comfortable cabin interiors and higher limits on luggage weight that set business aviation apart from the airline alternative? Azua asserted that “extravagant cabins are visible but, in fact, most business aircraft have relatively simple interiors.” Moreover, he said, “operators do care about weight, as it impacts range.” Smith pointed out that business aircraft are built for a given mission. “Passengers need tables and rotating seats, otherwise these aircraft would not sell,” he said, while insisting that weight does not get overlooked. “Given that business aircraft are productivity tools built for specific missions, they are designed to be as light as possible, as that is a key factor in achieving the efficiencies that the marketplace demands,” he added. But the Aviation Environment Federation’s Gazzard simply described the statement on weight as “meaningless.” o
Measuring Bizav CO2 Emissions As EBAA COO Pedro Vicente Azua n oted, Eurocontrol’s ETS Support Facility is already enabling operators to measure their CO2 emissions. At the global level, IBAC has proposed that the I nternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) d evelop a m etric suitable for business aviation. In the continued absence of an ICAO formula, IBAC is suggesting that the industry could adopt the metric already developed by GAMA. –T.D.
SkyPad sets new standard for WiFi cabin control and IFE by Kirby J. Harrison Innotech Aviation (Stand 1827) is introducing the SkyPad wireless inflight entertainment system, for which it recently awarded California-based Esoteric a contract to supply 35 ship sets for Bombardier and Cessna business jets. According to the completions and interiors specialist, SkyPad is the industry’s first wireless in-flight entertainment and cabin control system integrated with the iPad and Innotech’s I-Ku system through Ku-band Internet. “We have installed SkyPad using the iPad tablet as a system controller, seamlessly integrated with our Innotech I-Ku [pronounced I.Q.] broadband system,” said Innotech president Kirk Rowe. “The SkyPad can be installed as a standalone media system on any aircraft or integrated with any current high-speed satellite system and wireless router.” The entire system, he added, is ready for Cloudbased content delivery via Ku-band and eventually Ka-band Internet. Esoteric founder Alexander Dean was more aesthetically descriptive. “We JA_global_MRO_ad_ConventionNews.qxd wanted to create a whole new experience
in the air, one based on the same level of elegance, simplicity and convenience that our customers are used to on the ground,” he explained. Innotech is back at EBACE with every intention of expanding its place in the European market, of which it already holds a fair share. The Canadian company provides a wide range of MRO and completion and refurbishment services for a range of manufacturer makes and models at its Montreal facilities, but with particular attention to Bombardier’s Challenger and Global business jet families, which are assembled at the OEM’s nearby plant. In fact, Innotech has done cabin completions on more than 150 Challengers. According to Rowe, Innotech has seen its international business increase some 70 percent in recent years, “from Europe, the Middle East and Russia, in particular for the Global Express family.” The expansion provided sufficient motivation for Innotech to open a European office this past December in London, with Peter Rutherford respon5/10/11 10:53 AM Page 4 sible there for sales and service for all
of Europe, Russia and Africa. Tony Rawlinson, Innotech director of sales and marketing, noted that there are some 400 of Bombardier’s Global family in service worldwide, of which 75 are in service in Europe. He added that with the first Global Express deliveries now a decade in the past, those ultra-long-range twinjets are coming due for a 10-year inspection and 10 aircraft based in Europe are scheduled this year for service at Innotech. “There are only a few service centers capable of performing that tenyear inspection,” said Rawlinson, “and at this point, demand is greater than supply. “There are a lot of good reasons for Global owners to come here,” he said, referring to the Montreal center. In addition to a favorable currency exchange rate for European clients, Innotech is located in what he calls “the Global cluster.” Within a stone’s throw are Bombardier’s manufacturing facilities, FlightSafety and CAE training centers, a Rolls-Royce turbofan maintenance and overhaul center, and Messier Dowty, which makes the landing gear assembly for the Global family of aircraft. Rawlinson said Innotech Aviation’s business was up sufficiently in 2010 to encourage construction of a $5 million, 26,000-sq-ft hangar capable of holding two aircraft the size of Bombardier’s new Global 7000. Rowe said in the past year Innotech
Innotech’s SkyPad system uses Apple’s iPad to control the in-flight entertainment system wirelessly.
has increased its green cabin completion work and as the market continues to recover, that will grow from four aircraft a year to five. Also at home, Innotech early this month started a major renovation of its entire reception and customer areas, along with space for owners and operators with airplanes in for maintenance and modification work. Rowe said growth has been steady year-over-year and Innotech has budgeted accordingly. “We’re up about 12 percent. That’s what we expect this year and we’re on budget to achieve that target.” If they do, he concluded, “We’ll be pretty happy.” o
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As part of the GE Pusher Program, Boeing 747-8s destined for VIP use will arrive at completions centers with loaner engines, so the engines do not lose two years sitting on the ground. The aircraft’s engines–with updates–will be added at the end of the completion process at authorized centers such as Greenpoint Interiors.
GE/Boeing to loan engines to ferry green VIP 747-8s by Mark Huber General Electric and Boeing are collaborating on a program to offer their 7478I BBJ/VIP customers optional “loaner” GEnx-2B engines to ferry their aircraft to completion centers. Called the GE Pusher Program, it would use engines from flighttest aircraft for the ferry flights. Those engines would then be removed at the completion center and shipped back to GE. Following aircraft completions, estimated at 18 to 24 months for the 747-8I BBJ, customers would receive new, updated engines from GE at no extra charge. Customers would still have to pay the full $318 million for the green aircraft, but they would not have to purchase the
engines, estimated to cost $15 million each, as early in the aircraft’s build cycle. Initial aircraft engines would come from the flight test or lease pool. Upon completion, customers would receive new engines anticipated to incorporate at least two of the performance improvement packages (PIP) that GE has under way on the GEnx-1B engines that have been developed for the 787 Dreamliner. A GE spokeswoman said those improvements involve changes to the low-pressure turbine and the highpressure compressor. Together, they are expected to result in modest specific fuel consumption improvements.
The GEnx engines already are up to 15 percent more efficient than the GE CF6 series engines that power the 747400, she said. While no formal PIP is under way for the Dash 2B engines, it is widely believed that they eventually will incorporate the Dash 1B PIPs. Substantial Savings
A Boeing spokeswoman said that, to date, five of the eight signed 747-8I BBJ customers have opted for the engine pusher program, which would provide them with the advantages of not having to maintain the engines while airplanes sit at completion centers, along with the benefit of receiving “the latest configuration engine” when the airplane is placed into service. Kevin Roundhill, Boeing regional product manager, said the program has the potential to save customers “a lot of money.” While he did not quantify the amount, he said the savings would be “substantial.”
The program will not, however, speed the completion process, according to Rob Tomenendal, vice president of Gore Design Completions, one of seven factory-authorized 747-8I completion centers. “We don’t mess with the airplane in terms of systems,” he said. “When the airplane shows up, we pickle the engines in accordance with manufacturer instructions so it is not an issue for us.” However, he did agree that the program offers obvious benefits. “From the customer standpoint, knowing that the airplane is going to be in completion for 18 to 24 months, that’s a lot of time to come off the engines for not doing anything. From Boeing and the customer’s perspective, knowing that they are getting virtually brand-new engines prior to taking delivery of the airplane out of completion is a big deal.” A Boeing spokeswoman said the company and GE are looking at expanding the program “to the rest of our VIP airplanes” eventually, but it is “only for the 747-8s so far.” The first 747-8I is expected to arrive at a completion center late this year or early next, following aircraft certification. Boeing unveiled the aircraft February 13 and flew it for the first time five weeks later. Jet Aviation and L3 have announced firm completion contracts for the aircraft, while rival completions houses Lufthansa Technik and AMAC Aerospace have announced customer letters of commitment/intent for a combined six aircraft. o
Avfuel touts upgraded services for its international customers by Curt Epstein Global fuel supplier Avfuel has come to EBACE to demonstrate the recent upgrades to its offerings for international flight departments. The U.S.-based company is debuting a new exhibit (Stand 7001) that highlights its capabilities in the realms of contract fuel, flight planning, aviation insurance and other areas. For its contract fuel program, Avfuel is introducing an enhanced customizable billing process tailored to individual customer needs, along with expedited invoicing and faster price quotes. The automated system provides customers with a secure environment for obtaining fuel with no volume or uplift minimums. “Avfuel’s contract fuel administration takes place entirely in-house and is not given over to third-party handlers at any point,” said Marci Ammerman, the company’s director of marketing. “This means that our customers
can call or email Avfuel and connect directly with the architects of our products in minutes.” With 600 Avfuel-branded dealers and more than 2,000 fueling locations worldwide offering the company’s contract fuel, the program has become the standard for flight departments seeking competitively priced aviation fuel anywhere, said Ammerman. The company has also made improvements to its Avplan flight planning and trip support division. Five recent staff additions will contribute approximately 100 years of industry experience, and upgrades to proprietary Avplan customer information system (ACIS) are aimed at keeping pilots better informed during each leg of the flight. The ACIS database has been augmented to allow for the storage of more information in terms of destinations and
22 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
customer information. The customer database management system allows users to store their preferences in dozens of categories such as destinations, ground services and hotels. “With Avplan’s breakthrough system, flight planners enjoy real-time, direct access to aircraft and trip data, allowing for changes to be applied with unprecedented speed and accuracy,” Ammerman said. Joining Avfuel this year as co-exhibitors
AvFuel is here in Geneva to showcase its contract fuel, flight-planning and aviation insurance services.
at EBACE are several Avfuel-branded FBOs from the U.S., including Banyan Air Service, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Fargo Jet Center, Fargo, North Dakota; Clay Lacy Aviation, Seattle, Washington; and Duncan Aviation with locations in Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan. o
ASM adds its second Indian charter office by Bill Carey Dubai-based Aviation Services Management (ASM) recently opened a new branch in Mumbai, the company’s second in India, to accommodate an increasing number of high-net-worth individuals taking advantage of corporate jet travel. The operation is staffed by a team of six sales representatives. ASM (Stand 857) opened a branch in Goa, India, in 2006. Then in December 2010, ASM and Abu Dhabi-based aircraft management and charter operator Royal Jet announced a joint venture serving the Indian market. ASM now provides charter sales and marketing in India for Royal Jet, which operates six Boeing Business Jets as well as Gulfstream G300 and GIV, Embraer Lineage 1000 and Learjet 60 aircraft. “We’ve opened this [Mumbai] branch to serve better the 20-plus clients we have in India, and beyond,” said Vito Gomes, ASM founder and managing director. “We’re also looking into many JA_global_MRO_ad_ConventionNews.qxd other areas where we can provide better
services for our clients, such as logistics and operations support.” Gomes founded ASM in 1998 in the British Virgin Islands. The company specializes in flight support services, operations consultancy, charter brokerage, aircraft management, flight planning and government and regulatory compliance. About 45 percent of its business is reselling fuel. Despite the global recession, ASM reported $165 million in turnover last year, a 20-percent increase in its business over 2009. The company now employs 40 people at locations in Dubai and the nearby emirate of Sharjah, as well as in the UK, Goa and Mumbai. The company’s expansion in India anticipates further growth in the business aviation sector. According to ASM, the country’s corporate jet fleet currently stands at 450 (although only 136 of these are registered in India), and is projected to rise to 1,200 aircraft by 2020. Operations in the wider Southeast Asia region now account for nearly half of ASM’s business, as well as in China, Africa and Sri Lanka. In a statement last month, Gomes dismissed “rumors” of ASM being sold to another flight support group. “This news to me,” he said. “We have no partners and I don’t envisage the ownership structure changing, although we are looking to acquire aviation businesses 5/10/11 10:54 AM Page 5 that provide synergies with our one-stop operation.” o
JetNet unveils iQ and CRM to boost industry knowledge by Curt Epstein Business aviation data provider JetNet is marking a decade of consecutive EBACE show appearances by demonstrating two new products here this week (Stand 232). Introduced earlier this year, the company’s JetNet iQ advisory service is available to customers on a membersonly basis and consists of three main components aimed at increasing clients’ industry awareness. JetNet iQ Reports is an analytical business aviation reference that includes quarterly state-of-the-industry analysis, customer comments and demand forecasts, while JetNet iQ Consulting will provide members with customized research on a per-project basis. JetNet iQ Summits will organize networking conferences featuring detailed analysis and discussion of the program’s latest surveys and forecasts. The first such invitation-only event is scheduled to take place in June in New York City. The company also is presenting its JetNet Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), a customer management tool that was designed specifically for
the entire aviation industry, with utility ranging from aircraft dealers and brokers to financiers, insurers, FBOs, service providers and airport managers. The system will provide subscribers with access to JetNet’s worldwide database of aircraft, along with their owners and operators, while allowing users to append and organize their own industry prospects, contact names and addresses and notes. According to JetNet, since each subscriber’s CRM is hosted separately, users can add their own database to the system without fear of sharing proprietary information. Since it is Web-based, the program, maintained and hosted by database software firm Aero Web Tech, works equally well on Macintosh or PC platforms, the company noted. “These new services are a direct result of feedback from our subscribers and our colleagues in the aircraft industry,” said Paul Cardarelli, JetNet’s director of sales and marketing. “Our mission is to give them the tools they want and need, so engaging them in regular dialog is crucial.” o
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www.ainonline.com • May 18, 2011 • EBACE Convention News 23
When Bombardier acquired Canadair in 1986, it took over production of the Challenger 600.
On silver anniversary, Bombardier looks ahead by Ian Goold Asked at the 1986 Farn borough airshow what market share Canadair wanted for the Challenger corporate jet, Donald Lowe said simply, “We want our third.” Lowe was chief execu tive designate at the governmentowned aircraft company that Canadian mass-transit manufac turer Bombardier had agreed to acquire just three weeks earlier. Although it seems only the day before yesterday that Bom
aircraft market alongside the competing Dassault Falcon 50 and the Gulfstream GIII designs. Analysis of shipment statistics for the past 13 years, the second half of Bombardier’s time in the industry, shows that in head-tohead competition against con temporaries Cessna, Dassault, Embraer and Hawker Beechcraft, the company has held its place in the market. During 1998-2010, Bombardier accounted for just
Bombardier’s Global 5000, certified in 2004, is one of 28 new-airplane programs the company announced since 1989.
bardier entered aerospace, in fact 25 years have passed. Dur ing that period the company has built a formidable portfolio by buying airframing companies de Havilland Canada (in 1992), Learjet (1990) and Northern Ireland’s Short Brothers (1989) and carving out rich niches in the business aircraft, regional airliner and amphibious utility aircraft markets. Lowe’s aspiration was not a prescient reference to fractional ownership: he wanted the Chal lenger program that came with the Canadair territory to take its place in the long-range business
over 21 percent of more than 10,000 worldwide business jet deliveries, according to the U.S. General Aviation Manufactur ers Association (which does not break down the value of those shipments). Earlier this month, Bom bardier Aerospace had not yet announced how it plans to cel ebrate its quarter-century in the business, although the formal anniversary of the Canadair pur chase is not until December 23. In the 25 years since it bought into the industry, the Bombardier group has established an aero space business that in its most
recent year (the 12 months to Jan. 31, 2011) generated revenues of $8.6 billion, compared with $9.4 billion in 2009-10. Earnings before interest and taxes are put at $448 million (5.2 percent of revenues) compared with $473 million (5.1 percent) a year ear lier. Bombardier Aerospace fis cal-year-end backlog was $16.6 billion, down only slightly on 2009-10’s $16.7 billion. Bombardier Aerospace re ported 201 orders (after ac counting for 66 cancellations) in fiscal year 2011, compared to just 11 orders (with 202 cancel lations) a year earlier. Deliveries totaled 244 aircraft compared with 302 in the previous fiscal year. “We seem to have turned the corner with business jet or ders picking up substantially in the fourth quarter,” said Pierre Beaudoin, president and chief executive of the Bombardier parent company and grand son of founder Joseph-Ar mand Bombardier. “To further strengthen our product-lead ership position, we continued to make progress on the devel opment of new products with in our business- and commer cial-aircraft segments, both of which have healthy long-term growth prospects.” Bombardier, which claims to be the “world’s third-largest civil aircraft manufacturer,” employs about 30,000 people worldwide. “Since 1989, we have launched 28 successful new aircraft pro grams. Our production sites are situated in Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom (Northern Ire land) and Mexico. We have a robust network of maintenance
24 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
service centers, authorized ser vice facilities, distribution cen ters, depots for spare parts and sales and marketing offices worldwide,” said Beaudoin. Looking back, the Cana dian manufacturer sees the value of continued investment in the business. “Over the past years, we have taken significant steps to strengthen our opera tions and invest in our future programs,” said Bombardier Aerospace president and chief operating officer Guy Hachey.
“By meeting the challenges of today and setting our sights on the future, we believe we are cre ating a loyal customer base for our products and services, and will emerge from this difficult [global financial crisis] environ ment a stronger and more effi cient company. “With a comprehensive port folio of products, we believe our fundamentals are strong in the long term for both the busi ness- and commercial-aircraft markets. The aviation industry is cyclic by nature and Bombar dier’s long history of success is attributable to our ability to face each challenge head-on, focus on the things we can control and put our plans into action,” con cluded Hachey. Current business aircraft products are based on three dis tinct families of corporate, longrange and executive jet designs: the Challenger 300, 605 and 850; the Global Express XRS, Global 5000, 7000 and 8000; and the Learjet 40XR, 45XR, 60XR and the in-development Learjet 85. In fiscal year 2011, Bombar dier delivered 143 business air craft and Lowe would have been proud. That part of the com pany remains “market leader, with a share of 32 percent based on revenues.” Bombardier has its one third. o
Lufthansa, Panasonic team on cabin electronics Lufthansa Technik and Pan asonic Avionics have formed a 50-50 joint venture in executive/ VIP cabin electronics, and the new stand-alone company–IDair (Innovation Design for the Air)– is making its trade show debut at EBACE 2011 (Stand 167). “It’s our big bang,” said IDair CEO Andrew Muirhead of the EBACE introduction. “The independent company was founded in April and we are now open for business.” According to Muirhead, IDair will be taking the crème de la crème–electronically speak ing–from Lufthansa’s business jet products and Panasonic’s X series commercial in-flight enter tainment system. The marriage will create a one-stop cabin man agement and in-flight enter tainment shop for owners and operators of single-aisle and
twin-aisle airliners converted to executive/VIP use. Components will include digital distribu tion, high-definition media play back, iPod and iPhone controls, remote maintenance, high-speed connectivity, ipTV, media and game libraries “and much more.” The backbone of the IDair system is a combination of the Panasonic eX2 with components from Lufthansa Technik’s net worked, integrated cabin equip ment system known as “nice.” “We thought it was quite doable to marry VIP and com mercial, and the result will pro vide scalable solutions from the Boeing Business Jet up through the Airbus A380,” explained Muirhead. IDair will also provide highly customized cabin elec tronics solutions for the airline industry. –K.J.H.
GE plans TechX run in 2013; touts benefits of fan blisk by Thierry Dubois Engine manufacturer GE Aviation (Stand 358) is busy developing new powerplants at both ends of the business aviation spectrum–the 2,095-poundthrust HF120 turbofan for light jets and the 16,500-pound-thrust TechX for large-cabin, ultra-long-range aircraft. The company also is offering upgrades for lighter maintenance for older 9,000-pound-class CF34s. Bombardier has selected GE as engine supplier for its new Global 7000 and 8000 ultra-long-range business jets. The aircraft and associated engine program announcements at the 2010 NBAA convention were followed in March by a major order from NetJets for the new Globals. The fractional ownership giant plans to buy at least 20 Global 7000s and 8000s. So the TechX is set to become GE’s main engine program in the business aviation sector over the coming years. On a new Global, a pair of TechXs will each provide 16,500 pounds of takeoff thrust (at ISA+ 20-degree C conditions). “It is capable of more for climb JA_global_MRO_ad_ConventionNews.qxd and cruise,” Shawn O’Day, GE’s director
of marketing for business and general aviation, told AIN. Whether the engine is fitted on a Global 7000 or 8000 will make no difference in terms of either hardware or software. One notable feature of the engine is the 52-inch-diameter fan bladed disk (blisk). In a conventional design, blades are separate parts held by a slotted disk or pinned holes. This design permits air to leak between blade platforms causing lost performance. Moreover, blades shift back and forth in their slot or on their pin causing wear and vibration. In a blisk, the blades and disk are one piece. This eliminates leaks, wear and vibration, O’Day said. In addition, the inner (hub) diameter can be made smaller, allowing for a greater airflow within the same fan outer diameter. But what about maintenance for the 18-blade metal blisk, since obviously you cannot replace a single blade? “In case of a dent, you can blend a blade to a serviceable limit,” O’Day explained. The company 10:55 is also AM devising 5/10/11 Pagea 6procedure for on-wing replacement of the entire blisk.
This will be the first time a fan blisk is used in a civil engine. GE already builds fan blisks for military engines such as the F110 and F414 that power the F-16 and the F/A-18, respectively. Downstream of the fan, the TechX will have a three-stage booster (low-pressure compressor), a 10-stage highpressure (HP) compressor, a TAPS II combustor (see below), a two-stage HP turbine and a four-stage lowpressure (LP) turbine. “We have a very high pressure ratio in the HP compressor,” said O’Day, without giving a precise number. The HP compressor has been designed using third-generation, three-dimensional aerodynamic computation. Leap-X Core
The core engine uses the same technology as that of the Leap-X, which is sized for commercial single-aisle aircraft. “It is scaled down,” O’Day said. A first core, dubbed eCore 1, was tested until November 2009. A second, eCore 2, “is the next iteration in compressor and HP turbine aerodynamics and TAPS combustor operation,” he explained. It is to be tested beginning in the middle of this year. The HP turbine now has two stages instead of one and features advanced clearance control. As for combustor technology, TAPS
stands for “twin annular pre-swirl,” a technology supposed to provide a lean burn and low emissions. TAPS I is the standard on the Boeing 787’s GEnx, and TAPS II will be the TechX’s standard. It will play a key role in the expected 50-percent margin to CAEP6 standards on all pollutant emissions. Compared to “current engines in the field,” which AIN understands to be the Rolls-Royce BR710s that power the Global GE TechX Express XRS, GE plans an 8-percent improvement in specific fuel consumption. The design will be finalized early next year, according to GE’s current schedule and the first full TechX engine will begin testing in 2013. Certification and first flight are pegged for 2014. The engine certification process will involve six to eight engines. Entry into service is then slated for 2016. The TechX will be delivered to Bombardier as an integrated propulsion system. Nexcelle is supplying the nacelle and thrust reversers. The nacelle features a slim-line design and outward opening cowls “for reduced weight and more accessibility.” In the light-jets sector, keeping the HF120 turbofan program on time again is proving to be a challenge. Asked whether engine certification was still planned for
Continued on next page u
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Rising costs could drive bizav away from UK Rising regulatory and admin- but one element. “This will drive istrative costs could drive busi- operators to [base aircraft in] ness aircraft away from the Europe, where [cost-plus chargUK, according to the British ing] does not happen.” Business and General Aviation Bailey said CAA internal Association (BBGA). One sig- cross-funding would not be nificant source of additional available in two or three years’ expense could come time. As a result, he if the UK Civil Aviafears that the move tion Authority (CAA) could disadvantage has to fully recover British business aviits costs from those ation and he said it regulators, as is the BBGA wants expected. But there to see the impact of is also the prospect the change reduced, of new taxes, such as if not eliminated. the extension of airThe disadvantage line passenger duty stems from the fact (APD) to business that other European BBGA chief executive and private aircraft. states do not require Guy Lachlan Nonetheless, the their aviation regBBGA welcomes a more con- ulators to recover their costs structive relationship between directly from the industry. the UK industry and its main A 20-year UK Future Airregulator as the CAA embarks space Strategy is another proon a business-process re-engi- posal to which the business and neering (BPR) exercise that general aviation community includes an end to cross-subsidi- needs to respond. “This is still zation in the way it accounts for in full consultancy mode, so we industry fees. Unlike other Euro- have not yet [established] a forpean national aviation author- mal position,” said Bailey. “The ities, the UK organization is CAA is being open; it’s not [haprequired to more than cover pening] behind closed doors, so its overhead costs from ser- we welcome the openness” vice charges, explained BBGA’s Bizav Subset recently appointed chief operating officer Marc Bailey. In outlining strategic plans, In March, CAA non-executive Hutton was careful to identify chairman Dame Deirdre Hutton business aviation as part of the told the BBGA annual confer- larger general aviation industry ence that under a new strategic that the CAA oversees. In this plan the authority would “be context, does the BBGA fear more transparent, more stream- loss of identity for business airlined, will work more closely craft operators? Bailey said that, with industry, and be more user- as laid out, the plan seems to friendly.” BBGA chief execu- treat general aviation as “a sective Guy Lachlan has praised the ondary part of [civil] aviation, agency for its “deliberate, outgo- with business aviation as a subing, and inclusive” approach to set,” a situation he attributed to the new plan. The industry lobby the industry’s failure “to comgroup has responded formally to municate our message.” He said proposals, but had received little UK tax and customs authorifeedback from BBGA members ties suffer a similar lack of per(or fellow UK aviation industry spective. “We need to educate associations) by mid-April. them more so that they underRecognizing the new attitude stand. The message needs to get to industry, Bailey acknowl- in there a little stronger.” edged “a step change” in CAA Plans to modify Britain’s operating procedures “The bot- controlled airspace during the tom line is that [the authority] 2012 summer Olympic Games is trying to engage industry for in London is another example BPR, looking to change its pro- of the industry’s needs not being cesses and make savings within understood, according to Baiits structure,” he said. ley, who fears the CAA might According to Bailey, the impli- have been intimidated by govcation of ending internal CAA ernment security concerns. Concross-subsidization is that extra sultation on temporary airspace money would have to come from proposals ends this month. GA, of which business aviation is Under the temporary airspace
DAVID McINOSH
by Ian Goold
Operators of G-registered aircraft could soon be facing even higher regulatory and administrative costs.
proposals, Bailey cited potential over commercial passengers. The UKBA, created from problems for the flight-training sector, most especially for former Customs & Excise companies operating at air- and Immigration government fields in the London area. “For departments, wants to enhance two months, some [operators] GAR arrangements from midwill be shut out of their nor- 2011 and points to GA’s inhermal business,” unless the pro- ent scope for security risks posed changes are modified. given “around 4,000 known “There will be no solo [flights], [UK] landing sites [and] obviall [cross-country] flights will ous potential for illegal flights anywhere.” Planned have to be ‘planned’ and all aircraft must enhancement includes automatic passenger‘squawk’ [a transpondata checking against der identity code],” security and criminal explained Bailey. As records, with immeplanned, in some diate notification of cases there would be matches. Bailey said no means for genthe required notificaeral aircraft based tion puts business-airclose to the Britcraft passengers at ish capital to reach a disadvantage comuncontrolled airBBGA COO Marc Bailey pared with executives space beyond Lontraveling on commercial flights. don’s metropolitan area. The UKBA says compliance Meanwhile, the BBGA continues to oppose UK Bor- with notification requirements der Agency (UKBA) plans to would “normally mean no delay improve the General Aviation on arrival.” Indeed, no change Reporting (GAR) system under is planned to notice periods for which business-aircraft opera- inbound flights from European tors provide notice of inbound Union (EU) countries, the Comand outbound international mon Travel Area (Ireland, the flights for security and counter- Isle of Man and the Channel terrorism purposes. The opera- Islands) and non-EU countries, tors fear local procedural delays some of those periods also applycould negate the time private ing to UK outbound flights. travelers otherwise might save Another area in which Britain’s
business aviation industry fears it could lose privileges is travel tax, currently paid by commercial airline passengers but from which business aircraft passengers are exempt. The UK government may extend APD to cover business aircraft travelers, with a consultation process due to end on June 17, with a final decision anticipated in the fall. Industry representatives infer from an initial consultation paper that aircraft with a takeoff weight of less than 5.7 metric tons (about 12,600 pounds) and business aircraft performing roles such as emergency medical services might remain exempt. A current “not carried for reward” APD-exemption privilege might be withdrawn, allowing the UK government to tax individual travelers on noncommercial business aircraft flights. Bailey said banded fees could be as high as £186 (about $300) per passenger, a rate equivalent to first-class, longhaul charges paid on commercial airline flights. The BBGA believes commercial business aircraft operations should be subject to an appropriate APD charge, but insists that the levy should be proportionate and reflect actual services provided and distances traveled. o
GE TechX run planned for 2013
allow such an upgrade, which does not call for any hardware or software change. GE technicians just check that the configuration is the right one. The engines in question all feature a more durable solid steel. According to Bill Hoernschmeyer, GE’s general manager for corporate aviation sales, these three dozen engines were built at the end of the -3A2 production line and so are close to the later -3A1 and -3B standards. Hoernschmeyer promised significant savings with the upgrade priced at $150,000 per engine. For instance, the upgraded engines would likely avoid extensive maintenance tasks, such as a hot section inspection or an engine overhaul at a cost of around $500,000 and $1.3 million, respectively, per engine. o
uContinued from preceding page this year, a GE Honda Aero Engines spokesperson stopped short of giving a firm commitment. “The team is still working toward completion of all certification testing/reports in 2011,” he said. Two conforming engines have been flying on the HondaJet F1 aircraft. “The flight-test crew/ team have been very pleased with the performance of the engines,” the spokesperson said. He added that no issues have been found that necessitated a design change. The 2,095-pound engine features a wide-chord, compoundswept front fan and a two-stage
26 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
booster (LP compressor). The single-stage compressor is made of a high-temperature titanium impeller “for maximum engine pressure ratio and stall-free performance,” according to GE Honda. The combustor is in a reverse-flow configuration, with single-stage air-blast fuel nozzles. The HP turbine has one stage, while the LP turbine has two. The HP and LP spools are counter rotating. The bypass ratio stands at 2.9. As for maintenance, the company is pledging a 5,000hour time between overhaul. GE also keeps in mind its older customers. The company can convert certain CF34-3A2 engines to a task-oriented (oncondition) maintenance plan without a shop visit. Some 36 engines in the Challenger 601 fleet have the right hardware to
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Falcon 7X operational credits stem from second-gen EVS by Thierry Dubois The Dassault Falcon 7X is among the first business jets to benefit from the better quality of LCD imaging for the enhanced-vision system (EVS) that the manufacturer is now offering as an option on its head-up display (HUD). The system allows crews flying the largecabin trijet to see more clearly at night and in foggy conditions. In many cases, they even get operational credit, which means they can land in weather conditions that would be prohibitive for non-equipped aircraft. In short, they can get Category 2 minimums at a Category 1 airport. However, the EVS is not a cure-all against bad weather. Dassault received U.S. FAA certification for its new EVS in October last year, three months after approval was granted by the European Aviation Safety Agency. EASA calls the system an EVS, while the FAA calls it an enhanced flight vision system (EFVS). “It is the second EVS generation,” Dominique Chenevier, a Dassault test pilot, told AIN. The Falcon 2000 and 900 models already had a HUD EVS option available; however, they do not have an LCD display and do not offer operational credits. The new system took four years to develop. CMC Electronics is supplying the cooled infrared sensor, which “sees” wavelengths between 1.2 and 5 microns. Airport lights emit wavelengths at approximately 1.5 microns and runway markings are visible at around 4.5 microns. Rockwell Collins (Stand 7036) is in charge of the head-up display system– computer, projector and combiner. Dassault’s engineers have collaborated with their counterparts to develop a tailored product for the sensor and the HUD, and as is common with Dassault product development, pilot input was decisive. Operational Credit
The new EVS is approved as a situational awareness aid for all the approaches for which the 7X is certified. However, the EVS is not approved for steep approaches–those having a glideslope angle greater than 4.5 degrees. Using the EVS, the Falcon 7X crews can descend below the published approach minimums down to a height of 100 feet above the runway, compared to the usual 200- to 350-foot DHs, depending on the airport’s landing aids. At the usual DH, the pilot must see the runway with the EVS, otherwise he has to go around. He or she must keep the runway in sight through the EVS until the 100-foot DH is reached, at which point he/she must see it with natural vision. In other words, on an airport fitted with a relatively modest Category 1 instrument landing system (ILS), the Falcon 7X can land as if it were a Category 2.
These operational credits are still valid on some non-precision approaches, such as those without an ILS. For European operators, the Falcon 7X’s EVS also gives an operational credit in runway visual range (RVR). “The crew can begin the approach with an RVR reduced by about one third below published minimums,” said Arnaud Paulmier, a Falcon customer support engineer. Proliferating in Bizjets
Use of the EVS is becoming more widespread on business jets than on airliners because business aircraft more
the EVS, we were able to perform a southbound approach and then circle to land on Runway 36 (northbound). The crew could not see as well as if it had been a clear day, but mountains, obstacles and the runway were easy to see. The procedure is normally prohibited at night because it involves visual flight at 900 feet above the city, but we were permitted to do so because the flight was in the “test” category. “You do not fly in the EVS image; rather, the system comforts the pilot who uses landing aids like an ILS,” Chenevier explained. This is the “equivalent visual operations” concept, he said. If the additional information supplied by the EVS is consistent with the primary guidance when reaching minimums, the crew can carry on. Our night pattern went a little bit beyond this principle, as it really was a visual flight. The EVS image is superimposed on the HUD’s combiner with conventional HUD
pilot sometimes had to choose between image and symbology. However, Dassault’s pilots and engineers make it clear that the new system does have limitations because of the nature of IR technology. For example, the EVS can “see” through “young” fog–fog made of small droplets, but more mature fog, with larger droplets, cannot be tamed. This also is true of heavy rain. Moreover, the system cannot “see” through clouds. This can be a benefit, however, in that the crew can better see towering clouds at night and thus anticipate turbulence. Paulmier noted that compared to seeing with the human eye, the EVS performs best in snow. In short, the EVS is not an all-weather system–a factor that, in the late 1990s, deterred Dassault from following rival Gulfstream, which was then pioneering EVS use on business jets.
symbology. It includes, for example, the velocity vector that shows the direction of the aircraft’s flightpath. The EVS’s field of view is 28 degrees in width and 26 degrees in height. An obvious requirement is that the EVS image must be perfectly overlaid with the real view, which was a major challenge for design engineers. In terms of image quality, LCD technology provides a brighter display. The difference appears most evident during the day, with the display more easily readable. LCD technology enables one to see both the EVS image and the symbology, whatever the light conditions. The previous-generation EVS used cathode ray-tube HUDs, and the
EVS training for Falcon 7X pilots is a one-day session, and among the challenges, Paulmier said, is that the simulated EVS image is often “too beautiful.” This is one reason the French manufacturer believes in educating pilots about how to use the EVS, because while the system does improve safety, expectations should not be too high. For example, pilots must be taught how to take advantage of the EVS, while avoiding a “fascination” effect. Crew coordination must be maintained, Paulmier said. Procedurally, the pilot in the left seat flies the aircraft using the HUD, whereas the right-seat pilot monitors the approach using head-down information. Paulmier explained that “specific procedures have been developed to ensure maximum crew coordination during the approach.” For example, he said, during an EVS approach when the left-seat pilot detects the approach lights or runway in the EVS, he or she calls out “EVS lights.” As the pilot flying, when reaching the minimums he will decide and announce whether to land or discontinue the approach. Further along in the approach, the first crewmember who sees the runway announces it. The crew then makes the final decision to land. To get accustomed to the system, Dassault recommends flying with it in normal operations before using it for operational credits. “We also try to give our customers as much feedback as we can from our experience in development flights,” Paulmier said. One limitation is the installation location. The HUD is installed in front of the left seat and the copilot has only a head-down EVS, which begs the question as to why the manufacturer would not offer dual EVSs on a pair of HUDs. This may be the next step, but two obstacles will have to be overcome. First, the price of the option–$455,000 for a singleHUD EVS–is probably too high. Second, to comply with the required level of redundancy, the entire avionics architecture would have to be reviewed. o
Training Challenges
The Falcon 7X’s enhanced-vision system gives operational credits, meaning the crew can get Category 2 minimums on a Category 1 airport, but because it is an infrared system, it cannot see through all kinds of fog.
often land at airfields that have lower category instrument landing systems or even no precision guidance for approaches. Dassault has delivered a dozen Falcon 7Xs with this infrared system since November 2010. Some 80 percent of the aircraft delivered before then–about 80– will undergo retrofit. Clearly, the EVS option is very popular with operators. However, crews still have to be persuaded to use it, a spokesman said. According to Dassault, a notable proportion of EVS units on the Falcon 900s and 2000s stayed in the “off” position. Therefore, it concluded, not only do pilots have to be trained to use EVS, they also need to be encouraged to do so. Dassault is convinced that once they are used to it, pilots will not want to revert to their previous way of flying. Test Flight
AIN was aboard an EVS demo flight in March, at night from the Istres flight-test center in southeast France to Chambéry. The latter airport is surrounded by hilly terrain, a populated area and a lake. With
00 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com 28
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Jeppesen is delivering more chart products online and via devices like the iPad using its Mobile TC app.
Paper charts give way to digital in the cockpit by Matt Thurber Evidence that Jeppesen is moving rapidly toward a world cluttered with less paper can be seen in airline terminals all over the world. Many airline pilots have been freed of the burden of dragging around their own bulging chart cases full of approach plates and en route charts and regulations, thanks to Jeppesen’s Airside service, which facilitates the delivery of charts to aircraft instead of to pilots. At the other extreme are pilots who are not using paper approach plates at all, but pulling up Jepp charts on electronic devices in cockpits, from electronic flight bags (EFBs) and now to Apple iPads, which the U.S. FAA has approved for in-flight duty. While Jeppesen hopes eventually to eliminate printing of paper documents, most airlines still use paper, and the transition to electronic charts will take longer. Hence, said Rick Ellerbrock, Jeppesen’s chief strategist for aviation, Airside
Jeppesen’s Mobile TC has its own brightness control, allowing users to make adjustments much faster.
30 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
Services remains “part of the paper-toless-paper-to-electronic transformation.” Here at EBACE, Jeppesen (Stand 1339) is focusing on how its technology can help business aviation customers– from the company’s flight and trip planning services to deliver more chart products online and via devices like the iPad using Jeppesen’s Mobile TC app. Currently, Mobile TC provides viewing of Jeppesen’s worldwide approach chart database, and this year the company will add en route charts to the iPad, according to Ellerbrock. As part of the move to displaying en route charts, Jeppesen plans to make both approach plates and en route charts geo-referenced, which means that the iPad will be able to show ownship position of the aircraft in which the iPad is being used. This requires a 3G iPad with the built-in GPS or coupling of an external GPS to the iPad, which usually works better in aircraft with heated windshields. The Jeppesen Mobile TC iPad app simplifies the transition to electronic documents with innovative ergonomic design features that make using the iPad almost transparent for pilots. Approach charts fill the screen and are easily readable, but pilots can zoom in or out with the standard iPad pinch movement. Details on the charts remain sharp at high zoom levels because Jeppesen’s graphics are all vector-based, which enables graphical elements to be sharp at any size. When viewing an approach chart for a particular runway at an airport, a “scrubber” feature at the bottom of the page allows the user to switch to a different approach chart at that airport. Moving the scrubber left or right instantly pulls up the next or previous chart in sequence. Pilots can select airports as favorites for faster recall, but finding any chart is as
simple as typing in the airport’s code in the search box. For operators seeking regulatory approval to use iPads in the cockpit, Jeppesen is assisting with rapid decompression test data, which is available for both the original iPad and the iPad 2. Jeppesen can either provide the data directly to the regulators or allow the operator to include the data in a package requested by the regulator, according to Ellerbrock. “We’re partnering with our customers, finding out their needs and the most efficient way to help the process.” Jeppesen is also assisting by creating training materials that operators can incorporate, “which helps refine and speed up the process towards authorization,” he said. Jeppesen does not recommend testing every iPad under rapid decompression conditions, however, because the test subjects the unit to environmental pressures that are not typical, according to Ellerbrock. “The best practice is to do the rapid decompression test on a representative unit, and that covers the entire class of that unit. You don’t know if you compromised the components by subjecting it to the test. We do a class representative test and pull that unit out of circulation and put it in the archives so it can be looked at.”
integrate between functions in ways that weren’t possible.” This will include, he explained, better information management, decision-making and awareness, and making flight more cost-effective. One example will be realtime Notam activity as it affects the flight route. Another is giving pilots a better awareness of weather so they can make
intelligent reroute decisions much earlier, instead of making drastic last-minute maneuvers. “It goes beyond the traditional flight case information,” he said. “We’re talking about real-time integration with the flight department, connected with and communicating to the cockpit. In the commercial market we’re looking at crew and
fleet management and disruption management and recovery. And there is an aspect of what we’re doing that involves interfaces with other systems on the airplane. You’re going to see capabilities that are unique.” Paper remains popular and won’t disappear soon from Jeppesen’s product mix. However, Jeppesen prints far fewer
sheets of paper now, from a peak of 2.5 billion per year five years ago to about one billion today. “When we look on the horizon,” said Ellerbrock, “as aggressive as digital [is moving], we still see paper. There will always be users who want paper; it’s a great solution, and we will support it as long as there’s a market for it.” o
Interference Testing
Operators will also have to conduct interference testing, but that will have to be done with the aircraft flown by that operator. Jeppesen is working on an industry standard checklist for this testing to make the process easier, but the testing still needs to be done on an airplane-byairplane basis. Electronic flight bags and newer devices like the iPad and Android-based tablets are part of what is driving Jeppesen to more electronic distribution of its charting products, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. “Our general strategy is that we are facilitating and encouraging the move to a digital content world,” said Ellerbrock, “not just for charts but all the elements pilots deal with on an airplane. Once we’re in the digital world, we can
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Avidyne autopilots offer digital retrofit solutions by Matt Thurber Avionics manufacturer Avidyne is displaying its full line of cockpit displays and flight control systems as well as its R9 integrated flight deck at this year’s EBACE show (Stand 1951). New for the company is the announcement that it is working with Aspen Avionics on an interface between the Avidyne DFC90 digital autopilot and Aspen’s Evolution retrofit cockpit displays. The Aspen Evolution interface for Avidyne’s DFC90 is to be certified later this year, with pricing for the Aspen interface to be announced soon. Evolution displays include an integrated air data and attitude heading and reference system (ADAHRS), so the combination of the Aspen display and the Avidyne DFC90 autopilot delivers an all-digital solution for avionics retrofits. The DFC90 is a slide-in replacement for the S-Tec 55X auto pilot system in Cirrus airplanes
equipped with Avidyne Entegra flight displays. DFC90 features include improved stability, indicated airspeed hold, straight-andlevel button for one-touch unusual attitude recovery and Avidyne’s new flight envelope protection and alerting system. Avidyne received FAA technical standard order (TSO) and supplemental type certification (STC) for its DFC100 digital flight control system in February. The STC covers installation in the Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft. The company’s DFC100 adds new features for Entegra-equipped airplanes, including redundant attitude inputs provided by both flight displays, full FMS integration allowing coupled Vnav (vertical navigation) descents, approaches and missed approaches and full-time envelope alerting, which works even when the autopilot and flight director are not engaged, according
Avidyne’s DFC100 adds redundancies to the Entegra Release 9 integrated flight deck installed in the Cirrus SR20 and 22.
to the company. The DFC100 also includes the straight-andlevel button. The DFC100 offers many features not available in more sophisticated aircraft and is a “turbine-class autopilot system,” according to Avidyne, with flight director, altitude, airspeed and vertical speed hold, Vnav and navigation capabilities for
EASA Grants Approval for Avidyne’s EX600 MFD The European Aviation Safety Agency has approved Avidyne’s EX600 multi-function display (MFD) under a technical standard order issued in April. The displays incorporate the company’s latest map panning, CMax approach charts and worldwide airport diagrams, as well as European datalink graphical weather. The approval means the situational awareness system can now be installed on European-registered fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
According to Avidyne, it is the only MFD manufacturer supporting the display of EASA-certified European VFR charts. The EX600 incorporates a 5.8inch diagonal, 640-by-480 VGA display, for which Avidyne has developed what it believes to be a user-friendly interface for pilots. Pilots can more readily access and display critical flight data via the unit’s map-panning keys and QuickPan function. QuickPan allows the pilot to quickly toggle between the present
Avidyne’s EX600 multi-function display now provides European datalink graphical weather, such as this presentation of Hamburg, Germany.
position of the aircraft and a pannedto position, such as the destination airport, by pushing just one button. The display can show Jeppesen’s CMax electronic approach charts and more than 6,000 worldwide airport diagrams for no additional charge, as well as support all European VFR charts for 2,200 airports in 29 countries. The EX600 can interface with 20 different radar models and so can serve as a replacement display for many outdated and unrepairable cathode-ray-tube radar displays. Additionally, the display is claimed to have the widest range of sensor interfaces in a retrofit MFD, including TAS600-series traffic advisory capability and TWX670 tactical lightning detection. Avidyne’s multi-link capability allows the MFD to show both broadcast datalink in the continental U.S. through MLB700 and worldwide datalink through the MLX770 datalink transceiver. Optional interfaces for TAWS, EGPWS and HTAWS also are available. Pricing for the EX600 starts at $9,990 and runs up to $16,990 with additional options. Existing EX500 customers can upgrade to the EX600 display from $6,495. –M.T.
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localizer/glideslope, Lnav/Vnav and Lnav+V. The autopilot’s full-time envelope alerting system warns pilots of underspeed, overspeed or excessive bank conditions via aural and text alerts even with the autopilot off. When the autopilot is engaged, the protection system not only provides alerts but it also actively intervenes and prevents the airplane from stalling or flying too fast. The DFC90 flight control system offers both these capabilities, but the DFC100 also offers full-time envelope alerting, which works all the time, not only when the flight director is engaged. Envelope Protection
With the autopilot engaged, both the DFC90 and -100 use the roll and pitch servos to keep the airplane within the flight envelope. During an IFR approach descent at reduced power, for example, if the autopilot is used to level the airplane when nearing the final approach fix, the pilot might forget to advance the power. The airspeed will decay and when the autopilot’s parameters are exceeded, it will normally turn off, leaving control to the pilot, who suddenly has to figure out what’s wrong. With envelope protection, the autopilot’s aural and visual “underspeed” warning will alert the pilot and the system will also lower the pitch attitude to maintain a 20-percent margin above stall speed, according to Avidyne. If the airplane is turning, the system will also reduce the bank angle to help maintain the 20-percent margin. Flight envelope protection can also help a pilot survive
an oxygen system failure. If a pilot is flying at high altitude in a turbocharged airplane and suffers from hypoxia due to oxygen system failure, the Avidyne autopilot will maintain altitude until the engine runs out of gas. Then, instead of allowing the airplane to stall after the autopilot exceeds limits and turns off, the envelope protection system will lower the nose to maintain the 20-percent stall margin, allowing the airplane to descend to a lower altitude where, hopefully, the pilot will wake up, switch to a tank with fuel and restart the engine or make an emergency landing. Other unique DFC100 features include the Vnav mode, which automatically starts descent at the computed top of descent point and climbs to and levels off at the target altitude during a missed approach. The DFC100 also works with the R9’s FMSVectors feature. This allows the autopilot to follow the dashed magenta vectors line on the HSI display, after the HDG button is pushed on the autopilot, and then automatically intercept nav legs or approach procedures (when the magenta line is drawn to intercept the leg or procedure). Other Avidyne products include the dual-antenna TAS600 active traffic advisory system, MLB700 broadcast datalink, MLX770 worldwide datalink and TWX670 tactical weather detection system. o
VAT stifles imports, says UK charter firm by Charles Alcock Imports of business aircraft into the UK have ground to a halt since tax authorities there scrapped its zero-VAT rating in January, according to Gama Aviation CEO Marwan Khalek. The change was forced on the
UK by the European Commission with the intent of harmonizing VAT rules for aircraft sales, but the outcome has been a confusing muddle in which no one seems sure how VAT should now be applied.
Khalek, who is also chairman of the British Business and General Aviation Association, has been pressing HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) to clarify how the rules now apply and to ensure that the UK is, in fact, in alignment with the VAT regime in other European Union (EU) countries. “The VAT issue is a nightmare and the HMRC couldn’t have made a worse job of this if it had tried,” he told AIN. At the heart of the confusion
A Bombardier Challenger 850 is the latest aircraft to join Gama Aviation’s fleet in the UAE. The company moved into the Middle East market in 2007 and already has a Challenger 604 and Embraer Legacy 600 based in the Arabian Gulf region.
Cessna selects Aircell for optional satcom by Matt Thurber Cessna Aircraft has selected Aircell’s Aviator 300 satcom system as optional equipment for the Citation XLS+, Sovereign and Citation X starting with 2012 models. Broomfield, Colorado-based Aircell is a master distributor for Thrane & Thrane’s SwiftBroadband products, including the Aviator 200, 300 and 350 systems, and is displaying the full range of Aircell inflight connectivity products here at EBACE (Stand 1735). The Aviator 300 works on Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband satellite network, providing email and light Internet access at up to 332 kbps with global coverage. The Aviator 300 for the Cessna models is integrated with Aircell’s Access cabin system, which adds two Iridium satellite voice channels and an in-cabin wireless access point. Voice calls can be made on integrated cabin handsets. The
Aviator 300’s Internet capability includes sending and receiving email with attachments and access to the Web and corporate VPNs using WiFi-enabled laptop computers, tablets, electronic flight bags and smartphones. Wichita, Kansas-based Cessna is also offering Aircell’s ATG 4000 high-speed Gogo Biz Internet service for the XLS+, Sovereign and Citation X. Gogo Biz works in the continental U.S. and parts of Alaska and delivers speeds roughly the same as home Internet access. “The demand for in-flight connectivity continues to increase rapidly,” said Mark Paolucci, Cessna senior vice president of sales and marketing. “It’s quickly becoming a vital element of the travel experience.” In the European business aviation market, demand for
in-flight connectivity has been growing rapidly during recent months, according to Aircell. “We’re fielding more inquiries, giving more proposals and performing more installations,” said Florent Feltrin, regional sales director southwestern Europe for Aircell dealer Jet Aviation. Aircell’s Aviator 200 has added a number of aftermarket certifications recently, including the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200, Citation CJ1 and Bombardier Challenger series. Certification programs are also under way for additional airframes, including Falcon 2000EX/LX, Embraer Legacy, King Air 350, Citation XLS, Gulfstream IV and Douglas DC-8. The Aviator 200 uses a small-gain antenna, making it easier to install and certify. The system offers global email, light Internet and voice service, all for about $60,000. In other news, the company will soon begin shipping its Aircell Smartphone, which runs on the Android platform. It claims the new device makes placing airborne calls as easy and convenient as calling on the ground. o
34 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
is how the key VAT exemption is interpreted, namely whether an operator can be categorized as “an airline.” UK aircraft management and charter operators like Gama say they can’t get a straight answer from HMRC on this and Khalek said that the uncertainty is having a “paralyzing” effect. For example, Gama has a management client who recently acquired a new aircraft. It was delivered after the January 1 deadline for the VAT rule change and so tax would have applied at the current 20-percent rate. Instead, the owner, who is not resident in the European Union for tax purposes, put the new jet on the Cayman Islands register with the right for it to have temporary admission to the EU. The only drawback of this arrangement is that the aircraft now cannot be made available for charter and Gama had been counting on having a couple of hundred hours of charter capacity from it. From Khalek’s perspective, UK officials have “gold-plated” the VAT tax rules–choosing to interpret them as literally as possible in a way that causes maximum disadvantage to owners and operators. The UK industry believes that tax rules, as with many aviation regulations, are implemented more flexibly in other EU states. Despite his annoyance over this latest setback to the industry, Khalek takes comfort from what he sees as signs of recovery in the market. In addition to its UK base, Gama (Stand 354) also has operations in the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates. “The recovery is continuing and the picture is pretty much the same in all regions,” said Khalek. “The level of inquiries [for charter] is increasing and even though profit margins are still under severe pressure, the volume [of flight activity] has picked up.” According to Khalek, the
aircraft management sector now is more stable in that fewer owners want to dispose of their aircraft. “Most of those who were looking to sell were doing so not so much to sell the asset but to stop the running costs from hemorrhaging,” he explained. “But as the resale market is recovering slowly so is the business and things are picking up now that owners once again have more need to use their aircraft.” Fleet Expansion
Despite the UK tax situation, a Dassault Falcon 2000 is joining Gama’s Farnborough-based fleet this month and the company is also handling the delivery of a Cessna Citation for another client. Its footprint in the Arabian Gulf also is increasing, with the recent addition of a new Bombardier Challenger 850–the first of its type to be registered in the UAE. Gama aslo has just added a Citation CJ2+, a Global XRS and a Dassault Falcon 2000 to take its fleet size above 80. Khalek remarked that the continuing political insecurity and violence in some parts of the Middle East and North Africa may actually stimulate interest in using private aircraft. “Business aviation has always had blips as a result of adversity, but this does tend to demonstrate the versatility of this mode of transport,” he commented. Having diverse activities, spanning management, charter, maintenance and consultancy, has been crucial to Gama’s resilience in tough trading conditions. The group’s Lees Avionics subsidiary at Farnborough has been expanding its maintenance capability over the past year. It recently won a major contract from Babcock to upgrade the cockpits of 93 Grob 115E training aircraft for the UK Ministry of Defence. o
Jet Aviation upgrades Asian FBO Jet Aviation (Stand 7060) is upgrading and expanding its facilities in Asia to meet growing demand for service in the region. The company recently refurbished its Singapore FBO and maintenance facility, upgrading the customer lounge, bathrooms, meeting room and pilot lounge. The facility upgrade also includes security enhancements, such as a perimeter fence and closed-circuit cameras. The company has plans to add a 65,600-sq-ft maintenance hangar. Construction is
scheduled to begin in the fall, with the hangar expected to be operational in January 2013. “The decision for significant investment in Singapore was made in direct response to clear signs of further growth in the Asian market,” said Christof Späth, senior vice president of MRO and FBO services for Jet Aviation EMEA and Asia. –A.Y.
Sojourn offers an eclectic mix of business aviation services by Matt Thurber Since former Hawker Beechcraft president of commercial sales Brad Hatt formed Sojourn Aviation last year, the company has quickly moved into diverse areas of business. That diversity has helped Sojourn Aviation prosper during the economic downturn, Hatt told AIN. Sojourn Aviation focuses on four main businesses: consulting for aircraft companies; buying and selling used aircraft; brokering aircraft and helping buyers make acquisitions; and distributing aircraft like the Nextant 400XT and Quest Kodiak, as well as buying a selling airplanes for fractional-share companies Flight Options and NetJets. In launching Sojourn Aviation, Hatt teamed with Directional Aviation Capital principal Kenn Ricci, who heads Nextant Aerospace and Flight Options. Activity has been greatest in the buying and selling of used aircraft, Hatt said, because of continuing low prices. “We’ve done the most business in the last six months, a little over 20 transactions in the last 120 days. The opportunity is quite good, although you have
helping Flight Options and NetJets sell airplanes that are leaving the fleets. “We’re working to tap into those same worldwide connections to sell the airplanes,” Hatt said. While these airplanes have logged more than typical average flight times, he added, they cost less and have been well maintained by factory authoto be careful that you’re buying the air- rized service centers. A number have been sold in Latin America and Africa, and craft right.” Hatt credits his extensive network of others in Europe and India. Hatt noted contacts around the world with help- that these are not worn-out 30-yearing Sojourn make sales. This also helped old jets but fairly young airplanes being persuade Quest Aircraft to hire Sojourn bought by increasingly sophisticated buyers. “They do their hometo set up and manage the work,” he said. international distribution Sojourn is the exclunetwork for the Kodiak sinsive international distribgle-engine turboprop. “It’s utor for Nextant’s 400XT, a great airplane,” he said, an upgrade of the Hawker “and a great little comBeechcraft 400 series with pany, but they’ve focused new Williams Internaon selling to missionaries tional FJ44-3AP engines, and bush applications verRockwell Collins Pro Line sus into more of the main21 avionics and other stream general aviation improvements. Sojourn will market. [The Kodiak] has also help Nextant obtain tremendous capabilities international certifications. because of the STOL [feaNextant flew the first protures] and cargo/payload- Former Hawker Beechcraft exec range ability, and it’s a very Brad Hatt has been busy with his duction 400XT here to EBACE, where it is on rugged, versatile aircraft. new company Sojourn Aviation. static display. “It’s taken People don’t know a lot about it, and we’re working to expand the what was a four-passenger, 1,200-nautical-mile airplane and made it a 2,000-naubrand awareness.” o In the fractional market, Sojourn is tical-mile airplane,” he said.
Czech jet operator targets Med coast Prague-based executive jet operator Grossmann Jet Service is to base a sixseat Cessna Citation II in Cannes, France, from early July. This marks the first foray out of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region for the charter and aircraft management company. “We are seeing increased demand from our clients for trips to the Mediterranean, for business and leisure,” said CEO Dagmar Grossmann. “We will also be marketing the aircraft in Montenegro, Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast– the new hot spots for high-net-worth individuals who want quick access to their yachts.” Grossmann Jet also operates an Embraer Legacy 600 and Hawker 900XP, and offers innovative ideas for passenger pleasure. For example, all three of its aircraft are fitted with special egg cookers and waffle makers, as well as more conventional comforts, such as iPads. –L.M.
Experts have known about Altitude Radiation Exposure for the past 50 years Pilots and flight crews have known for some time that a significant amount of cosmic radiation exposure is abundantly present in their work environment. What scientific research has discovered is that this measurable increase in radiation exposure over the years is prone to causing cancers. The average cosmic ray dose exposure for cabin crews is about 227 mrem’s per year based on 575hrs per year. Over a 20 year period this represents about 4540 mrem’s of exposure which puts you and flight crew at a high risk of contracting cancer over time
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The AIMS kits can be custom fitted for any aircraft type configuration If only choosing the Anti-Radiation option only the headliners are affected.
Radiation References
www.ainonline.com • May 18, 2011 • EBACE Convention News 35
As it waits for economic conditions that are more conducive to the full launch of its proposed supersonic business jet, Aerion is pushing makers of subsonic aircraft to tap the aerodynamic benefits of natural laminar flow.
then. The design can incorporate any amount of sweep but if the objective is the minimum amount of drag at some particular cruise Mach number, then the solution might turn out to be a slightly less swept and slightly thinner wing profile.”
Aerion to subsonic set:
Go with the (natural laminar) flow by Nigel Moll
are “eminently achievable in high-subsonic and supersonic The past couple of years in terms of the propulsion sys- airplanes,” he said. have not been the best of times tem.” Tracy emphasized that the “We have almost two for a would-be developer to sign task is “nothing as elaborate as decades of working with techdeals with industrial partners required to go supersonic,” but it niques for rapidly predicting the and customer-users for a new has to be done as a unified air- location of transition [the point supersonic business jet (SSBJ), plane. Boeing, he noted, is look- where smooth laminar flow disbut Aerion has been hanging ing at “laminarizing” engine rupts into the otherwise ubiquiin there and is now seeking to nacelles for its commercial trans- tous turbulent-flow boundary make subsonic aircraft aerody- ports; Dassault is talking about a layer] on a three-dimensional laminar-flow horizontal tail, and wing surface. What we have are namically slicker. “As a result of our discus- Tracy believes “all those things user-friendly codes for predicting the transition location over sions with potential OEM part- can be done.” Designers search high and low an entire wing surface so it can ners over the SSBJ, a number of OEMs have raised interest in for a small decrease in drag and it’s be used as part of an optimizaapplying natural laminar flow hard to come by. “Laminar flow is tion process, including shapes [NLF] technology to subsonic out there, and it’s available more for drag minimization. We also bring an understanding aircraft,” Aerion vice of surface imperfections chairman Brian Barents that are tolerable and not told AIN. “Our Aerion tolerable in areas where SSBJ design has two sweet you are maintaining lamspots–one at Mach 0.96 to inar flow, so we can pro0.97 and the other at Mach vide the criteria needed 1.5. There is a lot of interfor setting the manufacest in subsonic efficiency turing specs.” gains, and this might be a Tracy regards composgood avenue for us to pursue and establish relationites as a better material ships with OEMs.” To this than metal for achieving end, Aerion has formed these levels of manufacAerion vice chairman Aerion chief Brian Barents Aerion Technologies and turing accuracy because technology officer Dr. Richard Tracy “we will pursue this in parof their lower density and allel with further development or less for free. It doesn’t involve the way they’re made. “The complex gadgets. It’s just a matter skins tend to be thicker and of the SSBJ,” said Barents. Will NLF require a clean- of designing for the right pressure therefore stiffer and less prone sheet design or could the tech- distributions,” said Tracy. to wrinkling and buckling, nology be applied to rewinged but metal surfaces can also be Pressure Gradients versions of the business jets we’re totally compatible with NLF,” already familiar with? “The easy As Tracy describes it, NLF he said. answer is, ‘it depends’,” replied is achieved by designing for a Bearing in mind that the Aerion chief technology officer combination of pressure gra- NLF Aerion SSBJ design looks Dr. Richard Tracy. dients both chordwise and not unlike an F-104 Starfighter, “If one is looking at a Mach spanwise that are conducive with its long fuselage, short0.75 or 0.80 airplane, then it can to maintaining what nature span straight wings and straight be done with rewinging or wing starts with–laminar flow–and empennage surfaces, would a modifications. If the intent is to finishing it off with a manu- clean-sheet subsonic NLF busitake advantage of efficiency gains facturing approach that can ness jet resemble today’s designs? or speed increases or just simply allow the finished structure “NLF is uncomfortable with to operate at 0.85 or 0.90, this to maintain that flow. Both moderate to high sweep, certainly definitely requires an integrated the correct pressure distri- beyond 20 to 25 degrees,” noted design both in terms of fuselage- bution and suitable manu- Tracy. “The amount of laminar wing integration and, frankly, factured surface condition flow starts to become limited
00 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 36 17, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
more range for a given amount of fuel or 10 percent less fuel to fly a given range. “If a certain range is the primary target, you can apply this increased efficiency to carrying a little less fuel and having slightly smaller engines, and now you’re into this virtuous circle when the NLF vs non-NLF Bizjet gross weight goes down and the As regards an NLF design gains start multiplying.” According to Aerion CFO versus a non-NLF business jet, Tracy anticipates gains in range Doug Nichols, the company is or speed or fuel load of 10 per- “adequately financed to undercent–a big number in the context take operations for infrastrucof efficiency gains. “Yes, it is a ture going forward,” with strong backers who big number. For the believe in the comtechnical conditions pany. There have of a high-subsonic been no changes in or low-supersonic board membership, design, it turns out and “we have the that the skin friction same financial comper unit area that’s plexion this year covered by lamias last, with about nar flow is about 10 20 people working percent of what it full-time-equivawould be if you had lent–a number that turbulent flow there, has remained staso parts of the wing Aerion CFO Doug Nichols ble over the years,” and tail surfaces can virtually go away in terms Nichols said. “Robert Bass [Aerion’s bilof contributing to skin friction. There is essentially a 90-per- lionaire founder and chairman] is cent drop in skin friction, and still not only financially involved this can be applied to empen- but also intellectually commitnage surfaces too unless they are ted to the technology and ultimately the success of the SSBJ sharply swept,” Tracy said. Tracy regards a 10-percent program,” said Barents. “We have efficiency gain as a realistic had to live with this prevailing expectation and “probably not economic environment but we the upper limit for a clean-sheet are still encouraged and optimisdesign–especially one seek- tic about the ultimate success of ing more range and fuel effi- the program.” Projected price of ciency over speed.” The gains the SSBJ remains at $80 million o would equate to 10 percent in 2007 dollars.
UK’s Hangar 8 expands fleet, service offerings Six months on from its successful share flotation on London’s AIM stock market, UK-based aircraft management and charter group Hangar 8 is expanding into Africa through a joint venture with Nigerian operator Triton. Meanwhile, at its Oxford headquarters, Hangar 8 has applied for Part 145 maintenance approval so as to be able to provide line support for its 28-jet fleet, which consists of 13 different types. One of the most recent additions to the fleet is the first Embraer Lineage large-cabin jet to be registered in Europe and the first to be available for charter outside the Middle East. “We’re optimistic about how the market is going and
how charter revenues are building up,” commented chief operating officer Keiron Blay. Hangar 8 also has developed its own iPad application. Here at the EBACE show (Stand 2027), the company is giving away iPads to visitors who are lucky in its draw. The company was formed in 2002 and already has aircraft based at various airports in the UK, as well in Nice, Dubai, Mumbai and the Russian cities of Moscow, Krasnodar and Sochi. Its goal is to have aircraft positioned within 90 minutes’ flying time of any customer in the world, outside the Americas and Australasia. –C.A.
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Daher-Socata considers joining the jet-age corps by Jeff Apter Why is a successful French turboprop manufacturer with just one aircraft in its current-production family evaluating a new business jet? The surprise at 100-year-old Socata was compounded when, at the end of last August, Stéphane Mayer, France’s “Mr. Turboprop,” returned to the company as CEO of Daher-Socata’s aerospace division. He had had a successful stint with the company between 2004 and 2007, followed by three years as CEO of French-Italian regional airliner manufacturer ATR. Daher-Socata (Stand 1439) has suffered from the recent economic crisis that has affected all general aviation manufacturers. Its 36 deliveries in 2009 represented a 40-percent decline in demand for the TBM 850 turboprop single, mostly due to order deferrals. The 69 deliveries anticipated for 2009 had been revised downward to 53, and the final tally dropped to 36. The company also suffered a 20-percent decline in the aerostructures activity that accounted for what had been 50 percent of Daher-Socata’s revenues–the remaining income being split fairly equally between TBM manufacturing and aftersales support. Aerostructures activity includes building composite structures, fluid distribution and cabin insulation products for commercial and business aircraft, and civil and military helicopters. Major clients include Eurocopter, Dassault and Airbus, for which it is supplying the A350XWB landing gear doors.
The collapse in 2009 came on the heels of a record 60 deliveries in 2008. “The downturn was not easy, but we managed to adapt and there were no layoffs,” Mayer told AIN. In 2010, TBM deliveries recovered marginally to 38 aircraft –Socata’s fourth best year ever. It is forecasting around 40 deliveries for this year. “The target of 40 deliveries this year is not as much as we would like. We have flexibility on our assembly line in Tarbes and plan to increase production to around 50 aircraft from 2012-13.” As much as 70 percent of TBM sales go to the U.S., 20 percent to Europe and 10 percent to South America and the Asia-Pacific region. Jet Age Beckons
Late last year, Daher-Socata seized an opportunity that might lead to its entry into the light business jet market. It acquired the two remaining prototypes of Grob Aerospace’s moribund Grob SPn program. It is now test flying them to determine whether the design could form the foundation for a program that the French airframer is calling NT9. It previously used the codename NTx to describe possible jet and turboprop options. Grob introduced the SPn at the Paris Air Show in June 2005 as a would-be jet successor to Hawker Beechcraft’s ubiquitous King Air twin turboprop family, so in this respect it could prove to be a complement for the TBM turboprop singles. The Germany-based company had to abandon the program
Turboprop manufacturer Daher-Socata is considering developing a business jet in addition to its single-turboprop TBM 850. The company announced plans for a new aircraft–then codenamed the NTx–in October 2008 but had not determined whether it would be a jet or a turboprop. Declining demand for the turboprop TBM 850 could have renewed the company’s interest in adding a jet to its line.
after its main financial backer pulled out in August 2008. Had it been developed, the aircraft would have entered service by now, since it had attracted more than 100 firm orders at a price of approximately $7.7 million. The twin-engine jet that Daher-Socata now has in mind will be larger than the TBM 850. It will have a greater useful load, more payload, a more spacious cabin and would be suitable for multiple roles–just as the SPn had been. Though it may take the SPn as a starting point, Mayer said Daher-Socata’s jet will be a new design. Still to be determined is whether the company would stick with the SPn’s Williams FJ44 engines or select a new powerplant, such as a turbofan offered by Pratt & Whitney Canada, which makes the PT6A66D turbofans for the TBM 850. The French company’s goal will be to get the new aircraft to market ahead of products being planned by rivals Piaggio Aero Industries of Italy and Switzerland’s Pilatus. The second phase of DaherSocata’s plans would involve
Daher-Socata acquired the two Grob SPn prototypes last year. Daher might use the SPn as the initial platform for its entry into the light jet market. Before Grob suspended the utility jet program in 2008, it had secured orders for approximately 100 copies of the aircraft.
38 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
TBM 850 by the Numbers Engine
1,825-shp PWC PT6A-66D
Speeds: Cruise (max)
320 ktas at 26,000 feet
Cruise at long-range settings
252 ktas
Performance: Range
1,585 nm
Range at max cruise speed
1,410 nm
Takeoff distance
2,840 feet
Landing distance
2,430 feet
Time to climb to 26,000 feet
15 minutes
Certified ceiling
31,000 feet (20-min climb)
Weights: Takeoff (max)
7,394 pounds
Payload (max)
1,443 pounds
Payload with full fuel (max)
931 pounds
Cabin: Width
1.21 meters/3.9 feet
Length
4.05 meters/13.29 feet
Height
1.22 meters/4 feet
Volume
3.5 cu m/123.6 cu feet
resolving financing, partnerships and industrial strategy. According to Mayer, any possible program launch likely wouldn’t come until the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013. New production facilities could be built at Socata’s plant in Tarbes. “We already had a number of turboprop and jet options and came across a good opportunity that could fit in with our plans,” Mayer said. “It happened to be for a business jet, and we are evaluating it.” He stressed last month that no decision on the launch of a new jet program has been taken. In any case, he said, the company will continue to improve the TBM 850, which it upgraded in January 2008 with the installation of the Garmin 1000 avionics suite including synthetic-vision system. Socata claims the TBM
850 is the world’s fastest singleengine turboprop, with a maximum cruising speed of 320 ktas at 26,000 feet. Mayer told AIN that the expansion of Daher-Socata’s aerospace business is a priority for the group’s new major shareholder. Before French family-run holding company Daher completed a deal for 70 percent of Socata from EADS (which retains a 30-percent stake) in February 2009, Socata’s revenue was derived equally from aerostructures and the TBM family. o AINonline iPhone App NOW AVAILABLE
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Androids, iPads, big screens mounted by Flight Display by Matt Thurber Flight Display Systems (Stand 668) is breaking new ground with large displays mounted in VIP aircraft cabins. The company’s largest display is the 52-inch widescreen LCD, which retails for $25,414. Display sizes will likely grow
A
even larger, and Flight Display Systems has bid on installing a 72-inch LCD in a customer aircraft, but that unit is not formally part of the company’s current product menu. Another area where Flight Displays
YEAR
OF
INNOVATION F E AT U
Systems sees growing interest is mounting systems for Apple iPads, both in the cabin and the cockpit. Its FDARM-IPD mount sells for $2,533 and allows for viewing an iPad in portrait or landscape mode in a cabin setting. Features of the iPad arm mount include power supply for the iPad, easy removability when not in use and no wiring changes needed when used with a Flight Display Systems base mount. Pilots want to use their iPads for display of charts in the cockpit, and Flight Display Systems now offers a yoke mounting system. Gulfstream jets are the first aircraft for which the new yoke mount is available. The installation uses a standard Gulfstream yoke fitting that slots into the back of the iPad mount. The mount, once installed, rotates horizontally or vertically and locks into either position. The iPad is held securely by a padded clamp so it can’t fall out of the mounting system. The mount includes
Flight Display’s FDARM-IPD mount, above, allows an iPad to be viewed in portrait or landscape mode in a cabin setting. The FDiPD-MD iPod docking station, below, can be mounted vertically or horizontally in a sidewall and allows the iPod to play audio and video throughout the aircraft.
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Cabin Power Solutions System Features & Benefits: • Customizable outlets with many styles & features • Compact & lightweight one-to-one 200W inverter system • 3500W frequency converter configurable for power use & CMS integration • Scalable systems • Built-in safety features
a power supply that drops the aircraft’s 28-volt power to the iPad’s 5-volt needs. The iPad yoke mount costs $2,994 and will be available to fit other aircraft types; it is available at a lower price without the power supply. iPod Docking Station
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40 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
Also available from Flight D isplay Systems, and priced at $3,947, is the FDiPD-MD iPod docking station that can be mounted vertically or h orizontally and can be supplied with power and connections allowing the iPod to play audio and video throughout the aircraft. The iPod cable adapter costs less at $1,063 and is mounted inside a sidewall or cabinet. It provides the same functionality as the docking station but without the iPod mounting capability. For aircraft needing a cabin management system upgrade, the U.S. company’s low-cost ($25,000) Club CMS provides a moving map with worldwide database, two seven-inch displays, four OLED switch panels that can control up to 12 audio sources, plugs for a headphone jack, a volume control, optional DVD player and iPod adapter. While the Club CMS is targeted at smaller aircraft like
turboprops and light jets, it is expandable. The Club CMS is going to be standard equipment in the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. A new Flight Display Systems DVD player includes USB and SD card slots and RCA jack connections. To cut down on the cabin wiring, a new three-channel wireless 900 MHz transmitter and larger more comfortable three-channel wireless headset are now available. The Select CMS designed for larger aircraft now has Bluetooth Androidbased controls, which mirror the switchpanels in the aircraft. For ease of CMS design, Flight Display Systems developed its SelectCMS Web site to help clients to understand and be involved in the process. Flight Display Systems sales for 2010 were up more than 35 percent and the recovery appears to be gathering momentum, a spokesman said. For the first quarter of 2011, sales were up more than 100 percent over the same period last year. o
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Bombardier’s Schiphol center expands services
VVIP 747-8 project spurs expansion at Amac center
A year after the grand-opening celebration for its Schiphol Service Center in Amsterdam, Bombardier Aerospace (Stand 7011) is adding more capacity to the wholly owned facility. The company is growing the staff at Schiphol by 30 percent and adding shifts this year to provide more flexibility for customers to schedule light and heavy maintenance tasks. Maintenance for the Challenger 850 is also being added as is expanded expertise in interior refurbishment for the entire Bombardier business jet fleet. “The market overall has recovered nicely in the last six months,” said James Hoblyn, Bombardier’s president of customer services. “We see it certainly in the emerging economies in Europe as you go east and south.” Bombardier plans to continue investing in the European marketplace on top of recent expansion of investments in parts distribution, simulators and personnel. “We’ve added a number of different people on the ground,” he said. Rapid Response
Bombardier’s AOG support is targeted for growth, too, and the mobile response team, based in Belfast, is slated to add two more maintenance technicians by July, bringing the total to eight. The mobile team sup-
ports customers in Europe and the CIS, operators of more than 580 Bombardier business jets. During the past six months, Montreal-based Bombardier added a regional support office in Dubai and a PartsExpress aircraft to serve the Middle East and parts of Asia and Africa; established new authorized service facility relationships in China and Latin America, and inaugurated a parts satisfaction guarantee program. Bombardier now has 52 authorized service facilities and AOG line maintenance facilities in 26 countries. o
DAVID McINTOSH
by Matt Thurber
‘gentlemen, start your imaginations’ Freestream Aircraft has consigned its latest BBJ completion project to Lufthansa Technik. Signing the contract here at EBACE are, left to right, Dr. Hans Schmitz, Lufthansa Technik senior vice president of VIP executive jet solutions; Walter Heerdt, Lufthansa Technik senior vice president of marketing and sales; and Alireza Ittihadieh, CEO of Freestream Aircraft. The custom interior will be designed by Marc Newson of MNAerospace in London. n
CAE Signs Training Agreement with International Jet Austria’s International Jet Management (IJM) and CAE signed a four-year training agreement on Tuesday at here at EBACE. Under the contract, more than 100 IJM pilots will train at CAE facilities in the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. on a number of aircraft. IJM provides aircraft management, charter and sales. Montreal, Quebec-based CAE also announced here its plans to double the number of training locations over the next two years, adding facilities in Amsterdam, Mexico City, São Paulo and an undisclosed location in Asia. Pictured at the CAE stand (1051) are Robert Stevenson, CAE head of sales Europe; Jan van Engelen, CAE vice president Europe and Africa; Jeff Roberts, CAE’s group president, civil simulation products, training and services; Helga Wallner, IJM training manager; Felix Feller, IJM CEO; Robert Schmölzer, IJM managing director; Svend Torrild Thomsen, CAE regional sales manager; and Bill Dolny, CAE vice president business aviation sales. –R.R.P.
Amac Aerospace (Stand 1079) has decided to expand its business aircraft maintenance and completion activity into the widebody VVIP segment. The Basel, Switzerland-based company has signed a contract for the completion of a VVIP Boeing 747-8 cabin interior and is building an 88,000-sq-ft hangar and preparing to hire more staff. The 747-8 work has been ordered by “a Middle Eastern head of state.” The aircraft is to arrive in Basel in July 2012 and be completed by March 2014, when delivery to the customer is anticipated. Amac’s third hangar, like its second, will be able to accommodate one Boeing 747-8, one A330 and two narrowbodies at a time. The expansion will increase the company’s workforce by an expected 150 jobs over the next 20 months, adding to the some 100 jobs it has created at its Basel facility over the last 12 months. Amac is “preparing its application for the 747 series” but already has EASA approval for 777 maintenance. Meanwhile, the company’s aircraft management division, based at Zurich Airport, has grown its fleet to 12 business aircraft, ranging from two Pilatus PC-12 turboprops to an Airbus A320. –T.D.
DAVID McINTOSH
Signature-Aviapartner can ease fuel flow woes at Nice
eye-catching icon At its stand, Aerion displays one of the many wind-tunnel models of its proposed supersonic business jet in polished metal. The extreme area-rule configuration is clearly visible–part of the aerodynamic strategy for minimizing the impact of the sonic boom. Aerion vice chairman Brian Barents, left, holds court in the background.
42 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
Signature Flight Support (Stand 7030) and Aviapartner have launched a dedicated intoplane refueling service at NiceCôte d’Azur Airport. “Fueling at Nice airport can often be challenging due to the high traffic volumes, particularly during the peak summer season,” said Joe Gibney, Signature Flight Support vice president and managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Customers want the security and convenience of immediate fueling, and by having our own dedicated fueling equipment we will meet that customer need.” Two years ago at EBACE, Orlando, Florida-based Signature and Brussels-based Aviapartner formed their initial commercial agreement at Nice
Airport. At last year’s show, the companies announced their new dedicated general aviation terminal at the French airport. The FBO–which has a VIP lounge, dedicated pilot lounge and a business center–can provide ground handling for all business and general aviation aircraft, as well as flight planning, crew accommodations coordination, crew transportation and catering. In other news at Signature, the FBO chain tapped Brad Drew as vice president of sales for its global operations. He will be based at Signature’s headquarters in Orlando. Additionally, Signature yesterday joined the Twitterverse, sending its first Tweet here at EBACE. Twitter users can follow Signature at @ SignatureFBO. –C.T.
news clips z Socata Adds Aviastec to Marketing Team Spain’s Aviastec has joined Daher-Socata’s sales network. The Oviedo-based company will market the TBM850 in Spain and Portugal. Aviastec also has a maintenance facility at Madrid Cuatro Vientos airport. In Argentina, Socata delivered the first multi-mission version of the TBM850, to the country’s airport security police. TBM700 owners can upgrade their cockpits to the Garmin 1000 suite. The first two modified aircraft have been delivered. One of them is military (as part of a 26-aircraft contract with the French Ministry of Defense) and the one other is civil. The STC is FAAand EASA-approved. Socata is celebrating 100 years of continuous aircraft production since the founding of its predecessor company, Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier (see page 38).
z Wyvern’s ‘Wingman’ Audit Goes Global Wyvern, the Avinode group’s aviation safety auditing arm, has announced a global expansion of its review standard. Over the last few months the firm has rebranded its audit, which is now called “Wingman,” and will promote operators who have been through the process. Wyvern set up its Audit Standard almost 20 years ago using its own safety professionals and a customer advisory board comprised of the world’s top corporate flight departments. In June it is due to publish the latest update focused on global operations with particular attention to safety management systems (SMS). Wyvern also recently teamed with Lufthansa Flight Training Services in a move that means it now has auditors in every regulatory jurisdiction in the world. Avinode (Stand 843) has just appointed Dr. Oliver King as managing director of its Avinode Marketplace division, taking over from Avinode founder Per Marthinsson, who has moved to Miami, Florida, to assume his new role as managing director of Marketplace America.
z Nexus Partners with Argus for Middle East Offering Middle East flight operations support provider Nexus has teamed with Argus International, an aviation safety management company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, to bring Argus’s services to the Middle East and North Africa. Nexus, which is a subsidiary of the MAZ Aviation Group, announced two new flight operations centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain in December. “Aviation safety and security within the region are of our utmost importance,” said Nexus president and CEO Abdullah Al-Sayed. “This new initiative as we work in conjunction with a global leader Argus International will certainly enhance and develop the services we provide to our clients and further demonstrate our commitment to the safety of our clients.” Argus is equally bullish about the alliance. Joe Moeggenberg, president, added: “As this is our first venture into the region we are looking forward to working with Nexus to ensure we are providing the same level of support and expertise to local operators as we are to our North American operators.” Nexus also recently launched a joint venture with FlightSafety International to provide training for aircraft dispatchers in the Middle East. The Nexus set-up further includes a satellite concierge operation in Egypt and plans for an additional one in Hyderabad, India. It also has a partnership to provide security support for its customers through FAM Security International.
z Greenpoint Picks Facility for Aeroloft Completion Boeing Business Jet completion center Greenpoint Technologies (Stand 651) has selected Boeing’s Global Transport & Executive Systems (GTES) facility in Wichita, Kansas, to install its new 747-8 Aeroloft interior. Kirkland, Washington-based Greenpoint and GTES have partnered for 10 years in supporting modifications of head-of-state aircraft interiors. The Aeroloft interior, now in production phase, is accessed by a spiral staircase and provides eight private sleeping berths located between doors four and five above the main deck. GTES is a Boeing commercial derivative business headquartered in Wichita, with domestic operations in Oklahoma City and the Puget Sound area in the state of Washington.
Jet Aviation program tracks emissions data by James Wyndbrandt Business aircraft owners and operators struggling to comply with the European Union’s new emissions trading system (EU ETS) regulations have a new potential solution in a compliance management service that Baselbased Jet Aviation (Stand 7060) is touting at EBACE. The EU ETS initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by creating an emissions market. All aircraft operators flying into or out of any airport within the EU must now participate in the trading system, or face monetary penalties or suspension of flight permission within the EU.
“We already have more than 45 subscribers to our EU ETS service and some EU member states are even recommending Jet Aviation to aircraft operators requiring assistance.” Mobile Web Site
Also at EBACE, Jet Aviation announced the launch of a service that can help manage aircraft anywhere in the world: a new mobile Web site.
A compressed version of its main website, the site is accessible from all smartphones and mobile telephones with Internet access, and includes features such as Charter Quick Quote, FBO Pre-Arrival Form and maintenance contact information. “This new mobile Web site was developed to ensure we best meet the needs of our mobile customers around the world,” said Heinz Aebi, senior vice president group marketing and communications. “As a measure of our strong customer focus, it reinforces our commitment to building relationships through the highest quality standards in service delivery.” o
Supports
Jet Aviation’s EU ETS compliance service supports all procedural requirements of the ETS, from monitoring flight data and calculating CO2 emissions to managing production of the annual report and acquiring CO2 emission permits. “We introduced our new EU ETS management service to ensure continuous provision of the highest quality services to meet our management clients’ needs and expectations,” said Mario Ruettimann, manager EU ETS Services.
Simply understanding the EU’s emissions trading system can be a tall order, let alone ensuring compliance. Jet Aviation has a program to take the worry out of going green.
Full-service UK firm fills owners’ every need UK operator PremiAir is at EBACE (Stand 843) showcasing its private jet and executive helicopter management and charter services. The company also provides maintenance for both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft and operates a Hawker Beechcraft service center at Oxford Airport. PremiAir currently operates three Learjet 45s and a Premier I; it will be adding a Hawker 750 in the coming months. In addition, it has plans to add large-cabin jets such as the Challenger and Global to its fleet. The relatively new charter operation has been growing steadily and “we’re now well ahead of our 2011 plan,” said group managing director David McRobert. The UK company also
44 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
manages and operates the heliport at Battersea, the only licensed commercial heliport in London. Last year, the site was upgraded and now includes a five-star hotel. Olympic Demand
Looking ahead to the 2012 London Olympics, PremiAir expects the heliport–and its executive helicopter fleet–to be in high demand. In fact, said McRobert, “Our Sikorsky S-76 fleet is already booked heavily for ‘exclusive use’ clients during the period of the Olympics, and many of the big fleet jet operators are now booking helicopter transfers into the London heliport at popular times, recognizing that availability may soon be an issue.” According to McRobert, 2011 has brought improving
levels of business right across the group. In addition to growing charter demand, the PremiAir Global aircraft sales business also is picking up after several very slow years. PremiAir is looking to further strengthen the maintenance side of its business and will soon have FAA approval for its London Biggin Hill base. It has just recruited Mike Preston as its new director of engineering. He will oversee plans to add new aircraft types to its Part 145 certificate and eventually to win further manufacturer service center approvals. The company also wants to grow its Part 21 services, coverage tasks such as avionics upgrades and the installation of inflight entertainment systems. –A.Y.
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Dassault offers extensive support for worldwide Falcon fleet by Thomas Stocker Dassault entered the world corporate jet market in 1963 with the launch of the highly successful Falcon 20 midsize twin. The OEM’s current lineup includes the widebody series 900, 2000 and 7X, and a new super-midsize jet announced for 2016. Today, the French manufacturer supports a fleet of some 1,900 corporate and special-mission jets on four continents. This year, Dassault organized 13 regional seminars for its operators in eight countries around the world. AIN attended the European 2011 seminar in Geneva in early April. All of the regional one-day seminars are composed of a morning presentation, followed in the afternoon by roundtable meetings where operators can discuss specific problems of their aircraft with manufacturer’s representatives. Supporting a diversified fleet of almost 2,000 aircraft in today’s world of increasingly dense regulations is not an easy task, but Dassault conveys a clear message to the operators of its jets built since the sixties: all will be supported, for many years to come, anywhere in the world.
As a consequence of that philosophy, Dassault is expanding its support and training network into areas beyond Europe and North America, where most Falcons are traditionally based. For general customer service, Dassault quoted as focus points for 2011 implementation of operator advisory board recommendations, improved dispatch reliability and fast response to aircraft-on-ground (AOG) situations. The French manufacturer has set up a 20-member advisory board, which proved very useful for systematic feedback from customers. In addition to operators from the U.S. and Europe, the board includes members from Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and India. The mainstay of Dassault’s support organization are five factory-owned service centers–one in Paris, three in the U.S. and one in São Paulo, plus a worldwide network of factory-approved contractor service centers. The manufacturer also maintains three field service tech centers in Paris and the U.S., which in turn support locally based field technical reps and customer service
Maintenance technicians undergo practical training at Dassault’s Mérignac plant.
managers at 17 locations in the U.S., three in Europe and one each in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing. All are available 24 hours, seven days a week. For AOG situations, the network can be reached over just two phone numbers worldwide, one in Europe and one in the U.S. This is complemented by a worldwide net of spare stock centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Two additional spare parts locations are planned in Moscow and Beijing. These facilities also have specialized tooling available to maintenance shops.
Overall, Dassault now maintains $700 million worth of spares in these facilities. In case of an AOG situation, parts are ready for shipment within two hours after the initial contact. AOG Solutions
Customer support is to be further strengthened by a series of innovations announced at the seminar. They include the Falcon Link and the Falcon Broadcast, which are designed to speed up resolution of AOG situations by simplifying failure diagnostics and anticipate shipment of spares as needed.
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Falcon Link replaces phone calls by audio/video conference links via laptops and email with the customer home base, the Dassault customer support network, independent service centers, spare depots and others as required. Falcon Broadcast is a similar scheme but is optimized for EASy avionics of the Falcon 7X, 900 and 2000 series. This system is also designed to work from aircraft in flight. Falcon Link will become available within the second half of 2011 for newly delivered aircraft and in early 2012 for in-service aircraft. Falcon Broadcast will be field-tested until the third quarter of 2011 and become available during the fourth quarter. Flight Data Monitoring is a new service offered by Dassault for all Falcon operators in partnership with CAE Flightscape and Ruag Aviation. It provides systematic analysis of flight data and proposes remedies in case of unexplained events, such as unstable approaches or erratic attitudes. Results of analysis are made available to other Dassault operators and the system can also establish statistics to monitor fleet-wide frequency of events. FDM is widely used by airlines but new for business aviation. Yearly subscriptions to Falcon operators will be offered at around $5,000 starting in the second quarter of this year.
AND EXPERIENCE
Information on pilot and maintenance training possibilities is also part of the seminars. Innovations in pilot training include three additional flight simulators –one 7X simulator at Flight Safety International in Dallas, Texas, and one at CAE Dubai, plus a convertible F900, F2000EX EASy simulator, also at CAE Dubai. As for maintenance training, Dassault has obtained certification from the French DGAC to extend to the Falcon 900 and 2000 series its practical training scheme set up for the Falcon 7X in 2007. The 10-day training cycle puts trainees in realistic working conditions at Dassault’s assembly plants in Mérignac or Istres. Practical Training
Dassault experts and technicians guide the trainees to perform real-life maintenance tasks on green aircraft. To complement to their theoretical training, participants are prepared to carry out work in the field after completion of the practical training. In early April, more than 220 technicians from Dassault authorized service centers and owner-operators had completed the training program in France. The manufacturer is now seeking EASA Part 147 approval for the training scheme and plans to duplicate the program at its U.S. facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2012. Dassault is committed to implementing
all upcoming rule and regulation changes for the entire fleet of Falcons, including older models. Upcoming changes include EASA implementing rules; controller pilot datalink communication (CPDLC) to become mandatory for all aircraft flying over FL 285 in European airspace in early 2015; ADS-B; and the improved collision-avoidance system TCAS 7.1 to become mandatory in Europe in March 2014. The manufacturer will also seek operational certification for its paperless electronic flight bag for all aircraft equipped with the EASy flight deck by the end of this year. Falcon 7X, 900, 2000, 50 and 10 series aircraft registered in EASA countries are certified for the steep-approach into London City Airport. The 7X is also FAAapproved for London City, and Dassault hopes to obtain FAA clearance for the 900LX and EX series this year. N-registered F2000 EX and LX are expected to receive London City clearance sometime next year.
jets tend to be less affluent than owners of newer aircraft, a look at the original Falcon 20 fleet shows that the majority of the 303 aircraft still flying have not reached the original life limit of 20,000 landings or 30,000 hours total flight time. Dassault and the certification authorities have extended that limitation to 40,000 landings or 60,000 hours, providing these midsize twins with a service life of at least another 15 years. In addition to the airframe manufacturer, main vendors are also committed to keep the Falcon 20s going, including General Electric, supplier of the original CF700 turbofan. A considerable number of F20s have been re-engined with more recent Garrett/Honeywell TFE731-5 turbofans, taking the designation of Falcon 20-5. In addition to useful operator information, the Dassault seminars offer an impressive insight into the complexities involved in keeping a diversified fleet in the air. o
Narrowbody Support
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Support of Dassault’s narrowbody fleet, which totals 1,092 aircraft delivered between 1963 and 2008–864 of which are still in service–requires upgrades to cope with new rules, maintenance and training, as well as readily available spares, just as the more recent widebody fleet. While the operators of these older
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Frakes stacks solve soot problem by Matt Thurber Owners and operators of Hawker Beechcraft King Airs enjoy the solid reliable performance offered by the venerable turboprops, but there is one King Air characteristic
that probably isn’t appreciated, their propensity to turn nacelles brown with exhaust stains. Long-time EBACE exhibitor Frakes Aviation (Stand 434) has a solution: aerodynamically
optimized retrofit exhaust stacks that route turbine tinges away, leaving nacelles clean and shiny. Frakes Aviation has been manufacturing King Air exhaust stacks for more than 40 years,
and its products are available for most King Air models, from the 100 through 300 series. Basically, any King Air powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT620A engine or higher can use Frakes exhaust stacks, according to Joe Frakes, who founded the company with his father. The exhaust stacks are manufactured under FAA-approved parts
Specialists
manufacturer approval regulations and installed under an FAA supplemental type certificate, and they are also EASA-approved. “About 1,300 King Airs are flying with our stacks,” Frakes said. The company also makes exhaust stacks for OEMs, including for Quest for the PT6-powered Kodiak and kit manufacturers Epic Aircraft and Lancair, and aftermarket PT6 modification companies such as Rocket Engineering, StandardAero and Blackhawk Modifications. Stainless Steel
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The Frakes exhaust stacks are made of stainless steel, which is easier to work with than the Inconel used by Hawker Beechcraft, according to the company. Stainless steel is also easier to polish, and most customers opt for the polished stacks. The company also offers exhaust stacks in a matte finish produced by glass bead blasting. The warranty period for Frakes King Air stacks is seven years, with no flight-hour limitations. If the operator is based in the U.S., the company prefers to have stacks sent back to its facility in Cleburne, Texas, for repair or replacement if unrepairable. For operators outside the U.S., Frakes will evaluate the condition of the stack using digital photos then authorize a local repair or replacement. In 2010, the company didn’t have to replace any stacks under warranty, and in 2009, only one. Secret Sauce
• Leading supplier of turn-key galleys and cabinetry, mechanical components and systems. • Design, engineering, certification, fabrication and installation services. • Proprietary, state of the art solid-modeling processes and methodologies. • New state of the art 40,000 sq ft facility. • www.cabininnovations.com Contact us at EBACE 2011: Frank Nelson frankn@jormac.com Cell: 727.560.9854
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00 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com 48
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Frakes is careful not to reveal the secret sauce that helps his exhaust stacks avoid depositing soot on nacelles and airframes. “Most operators of King Airs say we reduce stains by about 90 percent,” he said. One customer was washing the airplane every day after flying for two to three hours, but after installing the Frakes stacks, shifted to washing the airplane once a week. And this wasn’t to remove soot but accumulated bugs, according to Frakes. While Europe is a smaller market for Frakes Aviation’s exhaust stacks, it is worth marketing to European King Air operators, especially the maintenance shops that install the company’s products, he explained. Frakes Aviation has been a consistent exhibitor at EBACE every year since 2003 and has also branched into shows in Australia, Brazil and Singapore and made visits to South Africa. “We are trying to work the export markets,” Frakes concluded. “A lot of it is built on long-term relationships.” o
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toasting a decade-and-a-half of bbj success
Dassault taps jet aviation in hong kong
How fast they grow up. Toasting the 15th birthday of the Boeing Business Jets division are, left to right, sales directors Carlos Horan and Arnie Schumacher; marketing director Charles Colburn; director of revenue management Jeremy Griffin; president Stephen Taylor (holding knife); director of operations Tracy Valentine; and chief pilot Rene Gonzalez.
Dassault Falcon senior v-p of customer service Frank Youngkin, center, celebrates the naming of Jet Aviation Hong Kong as an approved Falcon line service center. Youngkin is flanked by Jet Aviation’s Group CEO, Peter Edwards, left, and Christof Spath, senior v-p of MRO and FBOs for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
DhabiJet is new face of Al Bateen Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi took a step toward its goal of becoming “the best business aviation airport in the world” in the words of general manager Steve Jones, with the introduction of its branded FBO, DhabiJet, at EBACE yesterday. Converted from a military field to a dedicated business and general aviation facility, Al Bateen Airport (Stand 336) is
owned by the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), and $50 million has been spent on the transition so far. Mohammed Al Bulooki, vice president of the airport, noted that the past three years of development have focused on safety and certification, and with Phase 1 complete, “Phase 2 is the service.” Pauline Smith, formerly of Harrods Aviation, has been named senior FBO manager.
Housed in the existing executive terminal, DhabiJet aims to provide a “onestop shop” for business aircraft and passengers. Work has already commenced on an operations center and a crew facility with lounge, showers and other amenities. DhabiJet’s goals include providing the fastest possible “door-to-door” transit time for passengers and crew, full on-site support for immigration and customs and a full range of competitively priced FBO services. Jones did not rule out having
other providers establish FBOs on the airport in the future, but said that ADAC preferred to develop a homegrown capability initially, bringing Arabian hospitality to the FBO arena. “We really believe this FBO will take us to the next level,” Jones said. –J.W.
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50 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
King Air 200GT is next in line for the upgrade parade
unveiled the Hawker 400XPR and Hawker 800XPR upgrade programs for operators and the Hawker 400XP and Hawker 800XP, respectively. o
by James Wynbrandt to leverage retrofittable technologies to capture upgrade business from existing customers. The company previously
Hawker Beechcraft v-p of Global Customer Support Christi Tannahill, right, announced the King Air 200GTR upgrade. Chairman Bill Boisture, left, and executive v-p Shawn Vick listen.
DAVID McINTOSH
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) announced the King Air 200GTR upgrade program for existing King Air 200GT turboprop owners and operators at EBACE yesterday. The upgrades will increase the performance and resale value of King Air 200GT, according to the company. The King Air 200GTR package incorporates BLR Aerospace composite winglets, a Raisbeck Engineering ram-air recovery system and Hartzell four-blade composite propellers. Christi Tannahill, HBC vice president Global Customer Support (GCS), called the upgrade “consistent with our ongoing commitment to satisfy customer requests by working with them to maintain the highest levels of efficiency and productivity for their current aircraft.” At maximum gross takeoff weight, the upgrade will reduce sea level take off over a 50-foot obstacle to 2,111 feet, a 400-foot reduction over the performance of a King Air B200GT. At a 5,000-foot elevation at 25 degrees C, the King Air 200GTR’s takeoff distance over a 50-foot obstacle is 3,094 feet, 700 feet shorter than the B200GT’s. The upgrade also offers a slight increase in climb performance, high-speed cruise and range for King Air B200GT. The improved takeoff performance allows access to more than 1,100 airports previously unavailable to King Air 200GT operators, Tanahill said. About 120 King Air 200GTs are currently flying, and the company “will continue to look at other models” of the King Air 200 according to Tannahill, with an eye to making the upgrade program available to them. Certification and availability of the upgrade is expected by the end of June. The cost is $350,000 (U.S.) and installation requires four weeks. The upgrades can be performed at any of HBC’s 10 authorized service centers in the U.S. and its Chester, UK authorized service center. Tannahill invited attendees who want to learn more about the program to visit the GCS area of the HBC stand (7070). This is the third aftermarket upgrade program for its aircraft that HBC has introduced in the last year as part of its strategy
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www.ainonline.com • May 18, 2011 • EBACE Convention News 51
BAE and Design Q co-op on ABJ Elegante’s interior decor BAE Systems (Stand 751) and design consultancy Design Q have unveiled their latest interior concept for the Avro Business Jet: the ABJ Elegante. Designed with “space and grandeur” in mind, the ABJ Elegante is the fourth of five interiors commissioned by BAE Systems Regional Aircraft from Design
Q targeted at different VIP aircraft market segments. “A fully converted ABJ of this level of quality can be put on the ramp” for between $12 million and $15 million, the company said. BAE reports 24 ABJs–executive and VIP versions of its BAe 146 and Avro RJ regional jets–in service or under Design Q developed a fluid design that “makes a big statement,” but also demonstrates the flexibility of interior possibilities for BAE’s executive BAe 146s.
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conversion. The company has 110 BAe 146s and Avro RJs on its leasing portfolio, most on lease to airlines. The first two interiors–ABJ Explorer One and Explorer Four–were introduced at EBACE 2010; the third–ABJ Fusion– was unveiled at the NBAA convention last October. The Elegante interior seeks to maximize cabin space with a fluid layout that guides passengers through the cabin. There is a large galley at the front of the aircraft that can be segregated from the main cabin and a forward lounge with two large sofas and an offset dining table in the aft section with a 46-inch video display screen. The aft section accommodates an additional lounge and office that can be quickly converted into a private bedroom. The aft bathroom/dressing room stretches the width of the aircraft, with a full height wardrobe. The new interior was designed to “tease the imagination and demonstrate the versatility of the cabin,” said Chris Sedgwick, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft technical sales executive. “With this [interior] we want to make a big statement as you walk into the aircraft,” said Gary Doy, director of Design Q. “This is a very interesting and viable interior. It will be interesting to see if someone takes it up and buys one.” –B.C.
Spain’s Gestair and Iberia launch Corjet mx shop Spanish business aviation group Gestair (Stand 450) and the country’s flag carrier Iberia have joined in a 50-50 joint venture to create Corjet Maintenance. Corjet specializes in maintenance of business jets, as well as providing logistics and parts support. Gestair started the company two years ago and Iberia joined as a partner in December last year, and the partners believe they will soon be achieving revenues of almost $15 million per year. Corjet Maintenance, based at MadridBarajas Airport, has a staff of 59. Gestair claims a 41-percent share of the business aircraft management market in Spain. –R.R.P.
52 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
For its first edition in 1909, the International Paris Air Show brought together aviation industry pioneers from all over the world. More than 100 years later, the International Paris Air Show remains the aviation and space industry’s premier event, with 2,000 exhibiting companies, more than 200 high-level official delegations and some 140,000 professional visitors from all over the world. It continues to stand out as the foremost event for the industry’s leaders and key-players. It offers the world’s best opportunities for meeting people, gathering information, discovering new products and doing business. Find out why and book now on our website.
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Creation - Design Photo credits: Fotolia - A. Ernoult - Sunlight image (C. Verrier - Hans - Mokrani)
Where aerospace leaders get down to business
news clips
VistaJet Unveils Global XRS with Tail art by retna
MARK WAGNER
Airbus announced that Comlux America has been appointed an Airbus cabin outfitter in the U.S., following a detailed audit of the Indianapolis, Indiana-based company. The addition of Comlux America to the Airbus-approved VIP cabin outfitting network brings the list of approved outfitters to nine. Comlux plans to complete three to four jets per year, and its first VVIP Airbus ACJ is an ACJ320 that is being shown here at the EBACE static display. The 19-passenger ACJ320 is fitted with three cabin areas, including a center private lounge with full lavatory and shower. The lounge’s divan can be converted into a queen-size bed. “Growing the Airbusapproved VIP cabin outfitting network by adding companies, At the announcement appointing such as Comlux America, Comlux America as an Airbus cabin helps us provide an efficient outfitter were, left to right, Christophe Pelet, head of Comlux transactions; solution to increasing Scott Meyer, v-p of operations Comlux customer demand for America; Ettore Rodaro, president of turnkey solutions, as well as Comlux America; Arnaud Martin, v-p, and Gregory Coston, senior procurement facilitating faster access to manager, Airbus Corporate Jet and VIP completion slots,” said Klaus program; and Fabienne Fioroni, Airbus Richter, Airbus executive vice cabin procurement manager. president of procurement.
z Jet Aviation Signs BBJ2 Completions Contract Another Boeing BBJ2 is slated for completion at Jet Aviation Basel, following the signing of a new contract with an undisclosed client. Jet Aviation (Stand 7060), founded in Switzerland in 1967 and now a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has completed more than 30 wide- and narrowbody jets during the past 15 years. “Interest in customized completions of both widebody and narrowbody aircraft continues to be high,” said Eugen Hartl, vice president of sales, market development and customer service for the completions business unit. Due for re-delivery this year are a Boeing 747-400 and 757-200 and two Airbus A340s and one A319.
z ABS Jets and Avcon Jet To Open Embraer Line Maintenance Station in Kiev Prague, Czech Republic-based ABS Jets (Stand 775) has announced the creation of a joint venture with Vienna, Austria-based Avcon Jet to open an Embraer line maintenance station at Kiev Borispol airport in Ukraine. The agreement also covers warranty work. Both companies are Embraer sales representatives, and both operate Legacy 600s–five and four, respectively. The station will service the partners’ fleets and be open to third-party operators. Avcon Jet operates 30 aircraft “all over Europe, specifically in Ukraine and Russia.” It is the appointed Embraer sales rep for southeast Europe. Avcon Jet CEO Alexander Vagacs claims the company is the largest business jet operator in Ukraine. He told AIN that the maintenance station is to start with the Legacy 600 and then expand to other Embraer models.
z ExecuJet, Bilen Join Forces for Istanbul FBO ExecuJet Middle East (Stand 242) and Bilen Air Services have signed a “strategic partnership agreement” to develop an FBO at Istanbul Ataturk airport. The building, currently operated by Bilen, will undergo a full refurbishment over the next few months. It already offers crew facilities, passenger lounges, a private hangar and ramp parking. It can provide services such as technical assistance, flight and landing authorization, flight plans and weather reports. The cooperation will combine ExecuJet’s experience as a major FBO operator and Bilen’s local knowledge and focus on traditional Turkish hospitality.
PHOTOS: DAVID McINTOSH
z Comlux America Now an Approved Airbus Outfitter
VistaJet is introducing new cabin interiors, above, into its 30-plus-strong fleet. with new silverware and china by Christofle and Italian-produced cashmere soft furnishings. In-flight snacks are now provided by London’s Harvey Nichols. On Monday, VistaJet unveiled this unusual tail painting on one of its Bombardier Global XRS business jets–a work of art by U.S. street artist Retna (far right). Joining him on the ramp here at EBACE are, left to right, creative art consultant Andy Valmorbida, Bombardier president Steve Ridolfi and VistaJet founder and chairman Thomas Floh.
VistaJet throttles up uContinued from page 1 plan that would see its fleet rise above 100 aircraft. Between this month and November, it is due to take three more of the previously ordered Challengers and a pair of Global Express jets. Flohr pointed out 75 percent of the operator’s flights now originate from or go to “fast-growth markets,” such as Brazil, Russia, India, Nigeria, China and the Middle East, instead of 25 percent four years ago. Hence, the need for ultralong-range, fast jets. “With the Global 6000, you can fly from London to Abuja, Nigeria, and back on the same day,” he said. Most international flights are in the five- to nine-hour bracket, he added. [The Global 6000 is the renamed Global XRS featuring the Global Vision cockpit.–Ed.] While 2011 is “off to a good start,” Flohr said 2010 saw a 25-percent increase in revenues over the previous year. He added some 20,000 passengers traveled aboard VistaJet aircraft last year. He said this is the result of a strategy “centered on [the passenger’s] actual requirements, rather than a perceived desire for abstract ownership.” VistaJet offers various contract options, including 100hour and 200-hour programs with guaranteed availability and a fixed hourly rate. “We take the asset risk,” Flohr insisted. The company also offers conventional on-demand charter
54 EBACE Convention News • May 18, 2011 • www.ainonline.com
flights. The Swiss-based operator aims to keep a fleet of young aircraft, with an average age of less than two years and no individual aircraft more than three years old. “The first quarter of this year has been blockbuster for us,” Flohr told AIN. “The world crisis is far behind and we are fully booked and flying longer ranges. Focusing on the top of the market has paid off.” Since around October of last year, VistaJet has seen flight
bookings increase by as much as 30 to 40 percent. According to Flohr, charter rates at the top end of the market are returning to pre-crisis levels. “But our success is due to a combination of top-quality service and rates, and the fact that we can provide guaranteed availability,” he said. “We now see the market being polarized between fractional ownership and us. What the rest [that is, traditional charter operators] are doing is a completely different business model.” o
CAE signs training pact with International Jet Management Austria’s International Jet Management (IJM) and CAE signed a four-year training agreement on Tuesday at here at EBACE. Under the contract, more than 100 IJM pilots will train at CAE facilities in the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. on a number of aircraft. IJM
provides aircraft management, charter and sales. Montreal, Quebec-based CAE also announced here its plans to double the number of training locations over the next two years, adding facilities in Amsterdam, Mexico City, São Paulo and an undisclosed location in Asia. o
Legacys lift Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan sits neatly between two key emerging markets–Russia and China–making it a good base for a charter operator. Kazakhstan is also the world’s ninth-largest country and, thanks to its abundant natural resources, could soon emerge as one of the wealthiest countries in Asia, she said. According to Pay, Comlux Kazakhstan employs 70 people and, besides charter, can also provide aircraft dispatch, ground handling and flight operations services. o
uContinued from page 1 in the former Soviet republic. Embraer is to deliver the first aircraft in December, with the remaining two Legacys to be handed over early next year. Comlux Kazakhstan currently has four aircraft that it uses for charter–two Bombardier Challenger 605s and two Challenger 805s. The division’s COO, Irina Pay, noted that
THIS IS NOT AN AIRCRAFT.
It’s my handshake in Helsinki. It’s my deal in Dublin. It’s a hardworking factory back home counting on me to make it happen. Your business aircraft is how you stay ahead in an unforgiving world and help your company succeed. We are dedicated to keeping it flying, increasing your aircraft availability and reducing your operating costs. Discover how our comprehensive approach to Business Aviation Services can help you attain a higher level of success. Visit our website at www.standardaero.com. AVIONICS
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TIME TO RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS INTRODUCING THE NEW 3,350 NM FALCON 2000S Finally, a large-cabin aircraft with the airfield agility and efficiency of a smaller jet at a midsize price. This is the one you’ve been waiting for. The new Falcon 2000S has it all. Unparalleled comfort. Unrivalled performance. And unbeatable value.
Raise your expectations. Visit falconjet.com/2000S.