EBACE Convention News 05-20-14

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aeronautical eye candy

by David Donald Ultra-long just became ultralonger after Gulfstream president Larry Flynn revealed yesterday a new addition to its successful family in the shape of the G650ER. As its name suggests, the aircraft is an extendedrange version of the G650 business jet. The G650’s already

lengthy range figure of 7,000 nm is extended to a 7,500 nm at a cruise speed of Mach 0.85, which will make it the longestranged business jet in the world when it receives certification.

Alternatively, the ER version can reach out a further 400 nm

Falcon 8x is a go; Serge Dassault takes the first one Dassault executives celebrate the launch of their newest model, the Falcon 8X. Left to right: Laurent Dassault, vice chairman and CEO of Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault; Charles Edelstenne, retired chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation; Loïk Segalen, COO Dassault Aviation; John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet; launch customer Serge Dassault, chairman and CEO Groupe Dassault; and Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO, Dassault Aviation.

For the full story, see page 14.

MARK WAGNER

G650ER stretches legs to add 500 nm of range

DAVID McINTOSH

Starting this morning, the newest and most exciting business aircraft in the world can be found jammed tail-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip inside the EBACE static display area. ­Showgoers can stroll among 55 shining examples of the best that the industry has to offer.

Continued on page 78 u

Europe

Aircraft

Interiors

Avionics

Manufacturers

EBAA Tackles Key Issues

Nextant Arrives With 400XTi

Elegance Available In ACJ319

Tablet Interface Module On Demo

New Engines For Large Aircraft

Fabio Gamba, CEO of the European Business Aviation Association, said one of the most pressing issues facing European business aviation is illegal flights, which amount to about 14 percent of all flights in Europe. Page 6

Nextant Aerospace brought its remanufactured 400XTi to EBACE and is briefing attendees on progress with its newest project, the King Air G90XT, which features new GE H75 engines and Garmin G1000 avionics. Page 18

Airbus Corporate Jets is seeing strong interest in its new Elegance interior for the ACJ319, especially from the Asian market. Buyers can still customize many features, while leaving many design decisions to Airbus. Page 20

UTC Aerospace Systems is offering live demonstrations of its tablet interface module at its EBACE booth. The module connects aircraft data to portable devices such as tablets used as electronic flight bags. Page 28

Large business jets are spurring engine manufacturers to develop business jet engines to serve this burgeoning segment of the market, and GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Snecma all have active new programs. Page 66

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a positive view from the media breakfast

James Holahan, Founding Editor Wilson S. Leach, Managing Director

DAVID McINTOSH

EBAA’s CEO Fabio Gamba (second from right) described “silver linings” and “timid growth,” as he and several other business aviation leaders discussed the state of the industry at the media breakfast yesterday morning. Joining Gamba on the stage were GAMA president Pete Bunce (pictured at podium) and NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.

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Piaggio Aero launches new-look Avanti EVO

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by David Donald

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an optional increased range configuration that pushes the EVO’s reach out to 1,720 nm.

The EVO retains the Avanti’s short-field and steep-approach capability, allowing it to operate from runways of less than 1,000 meters.

The Avanti EVO cuts emissions by 3 percent compared to the older models. Piaggio Aero claims that its CO2 emissions are roughly half that of the Learjet 85 and a quarter that of a heavy aircraft such as the Gulfstream G450.

For the one or two pilots that are seated in the cockpit, the Avanti EVO offers several enhancements, including tablet-supported electronic flight bag and a new landing gear with anti-skid carbon brakes and digital steering.

The aircraft is equipped with a Rockwell Collins Pro Line21 avionics suite.

Internally the Avanti EVO has had a complete makeover, with new seats from Iacobucci

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Piaggio CEO Carlo Logli, left, and chairman Alberto Galassi.

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A new cabin air-conditioning system and new lighting further enhance the passenger experience. An important development is a cut in cabin noise by 20 percent, provided by the adoption of the new propellers.

At the same time, external noise is reduced by 68 percent, further enhancing the EVO’s environmental credentials.

DAVID McINTOSH

Parts Program Launched

no peeking The dark shroud surrounding Bombardier's stand suggests something large and impressive under wraps. Until the announcement later today, passersby can only reflect on what's inside.

Complementing the launch of the Avanti EVO is a new integrated life-cycle program known as Parts Total Care. This is a tailorable offer that allows Avanti EVO customers to cover their spare parts requirements and costs with greater predictability through a competitive rate of $235 per flight-hour.

Parts Total Care is one of a number of service network improvements being introduced.

Piaggio flew a company prototype with the EVO’s redesigned engine nacelles and propellers in spring 2013,

4 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

MARK WAGNER

Yesterday at EBACE Piaggio Aero (Booth 6134) launched the Avanti EVO, a new business version of the twin-turboprop P.180 Avanti that promises additional performance, greater passenger comfort and enhanced safety features. Fitted with Piaggiodesigned winglets, redesigned engine nacelles, a reshaped front wing (canards) and fivebladed scimitar propellers, the Avanti EVO is more eye-catching than ever. However, the aerodynamic refinements have been undertaken to provide significant performance benefits.

With a maximum speed of 402 ktas, the Avanti EVO is the fastest business turboprop available, and its speed performance is in the same category as many light jets. Improved performance allows the EVO to climb 3 percent faster to its ceiling of 41,000 feet and range in standard configuration is increased by 17 percent to 1,470 nm. Piaggio has also introduced

and in the fall began testing the winglets as well. Much of the certification requirements have been achieved with this aircraft, with just a few elements such as the environmental control system remaining for testing on the first production machine.

With a 2014 list price of $7,395,000, the Avanti EVO has already secured three orders.

The first is due for delivery to an existing Avanti II operator in India. The third customer is in the U.S., and Piaggio expects FAA approval to follow closely behind that from EASA. The aircraft may be delivered in time to make its debut at the Orlando, Florida NBAA show in October.

Production of the Avanti will be transferred to a stateof-the-art factory at Villanova d’Albenga, which opens in August. This was constructed thanks to a major investment in the company

by Mubadala, which earlier this month increased its stake to 98.05 percent. o

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EBAA’s Gamba ready for new guard at EU

This year’s conference sessions take a hard look at the major issues f­acing business aviation in Europe, which only now is recovering from the economic downturn. Below is a summary of some of the topics being discussed.

by Nick Klenske

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), which co-hosts EBACE with the U.S. NBAA, plays a central role in fighting for the industry’s interests–with the main focus being on lawmakers in Brussels, where the organization first became known as EBAA in 1984. Some 30 years later the association can boast considerable success in the influence it has had on various issues–from the EU ETS and other taxes and charges, to access to infrastructure such as airports and ATC. EBAA’s mission statement is that “EBAA aims to promote excellence and professionalism among our members to enable them to deliver best-in-class safety and operational efficiency, while representing their interests at all levels in Europe, to ensure the proper recognition of business aviation as a vital part of the aviation infrastructure, supporting local and national economies.”

Ahead of this year’s EBACE, AIN reporter Nick Klenske sat down with EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba to explore the EU regulatory agenda as the European Parliament prepares for Europe-wide elections later this week, which will ultimately mean it needing to form new relationships with incoming politicians.

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

EBACE Opening General Session–Business Aviation: The Fastest Route from B to B (Hall 3 Room V, W)

What is the most pressing regulatory issue on the EBAA’s agenda?

At the top of the list has to be illegal flights and the impact new regulations will have on business aviation. After carefully defining “illegal flights” and clarifying the scope of the definition, what we learned is that 14 percent of all flights are illegal. This translates into a €1.2 billion [$1.8 billion] loss in revenue to the economy.

With this information, EBAA is working with the European Commission to understand what needs to be done to reduce this impact w ­ ithout being too heavy-handed and burdensome. In other words, we favor taking a preventative approach as opposed to a repressive one.

To succeed, we have to tackle this issue at its root: Why do people fly illegally? We believe that more often than not, it is because the legislative environment is crafted in a way that does not allow one to operate in a sustainable way. When one feels their hands are tied and they have no other choice, they cheat or, in this case, operate an illegal flight.

For example, look at runway use. Commercial flights can use only 60 percent of the runway [in performance calculations], whereas noncommercial flights have access to 100 percent. Thus, there is an incentive to go noncommercial [to get larger aircraft into smaller runways], which is obviously illegal if the nature of the flight implies remuneration.

So in areas like this we aim to establish where the incentives to go illegal are and then focus our actions on removing these root causes.

Speaking of your work with the European Commission, how would you describe the relationship between the EU and business aviation?

For one of the first times, business aviation has its own agenda within the EU institutions.

What I mean is we have a Commission that is open to looking at issues like illegal flights from the narrow perspective of business ­aviation, as opposed to aviation in general. This is a ­significant accomplishment.

On this point, is there a risk of “two steps forward, one step back” with the new Commission following this spring’s European elections?

Honestly, I don’t think our work will be affected by a changing of the guards. We talked with the [EC] Vice President, Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas and he showed great interest in the topics we are advocating. We fully expect this interest to be passed on to the next commissioner and his or her team.

With the international community rejecting the EU’s emission trading scheme (ETS), has it fallen off the radar?

As it currently stands, the ETS is a failure.

6 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Continued on page 8 u

DAVID McINTOSH

EBACE Agenda Highlights – Hot-button Subjects

Moderated by: Ed Bolen, NBAA and Fabio Gamba, EBAA Presented by: Frank Brenner, Eurocontrol; André Kudelski, vice chairman of ­Aéroport International de Genève; chairman and CEO, Kudelski Group; and Roland Werner, State Secretary of Transport, Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Emissions Trading–Toward a Global Market-Based Measure: State of Play (Hall 3 Room Q) Moderated by: Andrew Pozniak, Green Aviation Solutions Presented by: Elina Bardram, European Commission; Kurt Edwards, International Business Aviation Council; Jérôme Lesourd, La Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile; Paul Steele, Air Transport Action Group; and Mark Wilson, NetJets Europe This session will review the aftermath of ICAO’s resolution on the development of a global market-based measure, focusing on the revised EU ETS directive.

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Will Business Aviation Profit from the Developing Upturn in the European Economy? (Hall 3 Room R) Moderated by: Kostas Iatrou, Air Transport News Presented by: Pete Bunce, General Aviation Manufacturers Association; Daniel Hall, Ascend Worldwide; David Marsh, Eurocontrol; Charles Schlumberger, World Bank; and Alasdair Whyte, Corporate Jet Investor Specialists analyze macroeconomic indicators to forecast how this will affect business aviation, focusing on the next five years to assess if there will be a return to the strong growth that characterized the first eight years of the millennium.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Business Aviation Around the World (Hall 3 Room R) Moderated by: Kurt Edwards, International Business Aviation Council Presented by: Ali Al Naqbi, Middle East Business Aviation Association; Rui Aquino, Associação Brasileira de Aviação Geral; Marc Bailey, British Business and General ­Aviation Association; David Best, Asian Business Aviation ­Association; Ed Bolen, NBAA; Dannys Famin, EBAA France; Fabio Gamba, EBAA; Peter Gatz*, IBAC; Rohit Kapur, Business Aircraft Operators Association; Kazunobu Sato, Japan Business ­Aviation Association; and Anna Serejkina, Russian United Business Aviation Association Leaders of business aviation associations from every continent will exchange views on this year’s hot topics.

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

A New Fertile Region on Europe’s Doorstep?

The Business Aviation Orient-Express (Hall 3 Room S) Moderated by: Taunya Renson-Martin, MachMedia Presented by: Ekim Alptekin, Turkish American Business Association; Leonid Koshelev, Jet 2000; Mirian Sarishvili, VIP Aviation; and Honeywell Emerging markets are enjoying high levels of growth, but have been historically more volatile. Panelists will study the specific case histories of the Russian ­Federation, Ukraine, Turkey and the Caucasus as possible pointers to the future.

Note: *Denotes speaker invited, but unconfirmed. Information accurate as of press time.

Consult EBACE signage or EBACE.aero for last-minute changes.

Agenda continued on page 8 u

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More mobility for the world

EBACE Agenda Highlights Hot-button Subjects (continued) Wednesday, May 21, 2014 1:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Introducing the New International Standard for Business Aviation Handling (IS-BAH) (Hall 3 Room R) Moderated by: Trevor King, EBAA Expert Presented by: Helena Azevedo, NetJets; Stanley Bugeja, DC Aviation; and Jim Cannon, International Business Aviation Council The IBAC will announce a new industry code of practice (IS-BAH) that will p­ rovide FBOs with a common set of safety, operating and ground-handling ­standards aimed at enhancing the safety, security, efficiency and effectiveness of their operations.

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Airports, Handling, Finance & Insurance: Optimizing the Complete Business Aviation Value Chain (Hall 3 Room R) Moderated by: Guy Broddin, FinServe Aviation Insurance Presented by: Bart Boury, Flyinggroup; Aoife O’Sullivan, Kennedys; Filip Vandeputte, Aviabel; and Terry Yeomans, Rockwell Collins The three Associate Members Advisory Council focus groups and the A ­ irports, Handling and Ground Operations Committee reveal their analyses of aircraft financing and leasing, notably tripartite agreements; understanding the EU VAT; insurance and understanding AVN 67; and airports and handling issues.

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Can Business Aviation Expand to Meet the Needs of New Categories of Passengers? (Hall 3 Room Q)

With this year’s EBACE agenda crowded with topics that include emerging markets, illegal flights, the Single European Sky, the emissions trading scheme and more, doubtless the perennial concern of airport congestion will also find a forum.

EBAA’s Gamba ready for EUs new guard What was originally intended to be a simple and fair tool was transformed into a discriminatory and complex regulation incapable of delivering its intended benefits. That being said, the fact is that operators in Europe will have to cope with this regulation.

EBAA sees this as an opportunity to think “outside the box.” Outside of Europe, we have to face the fact that sooner or later environmental concerns will translate into industry requirements that will impact our sector. Knowing this, we can either do nothing now and then fight for exemptions later, or we can anticipate these changes and take action now.

The latter gives us the opportunity to contribute to the development of these requirements and to create the solutions that cater to our needs.

For example, let’s take providing business aviation with access to major commercial hubs.

The Master Plan assumes this cannot be done without impacting scheduled traffic.

The problem is that those business aviation customers who do want to fly into these hubs aren’t allowed to because they do not have the necessary slots, nor can they due to their unscheduled nature.

What our demonstrations aim to show is that business aviation can, in fact, fly into these hubs without interfering with the current scheduled traffic simply by maximizing the use of existing runways via the granting of new, steeper approaches geared toward business aircraft.

We feel, irrespective of whether the project’s validity is demonstrated or not, this is taking a proactive approach that creates a win-win for all involved: On the one hand the business aviation operator would be able to access key hubs.

On the other hand, the hubs could generate ­additional revenue.

One topic that will impact business aviation is the Single European Sky initiative. Where is EBAA on this issue?

From a business aviation point of view, our concern is that the Single European Sky ­initiative is not being implemented as originally planned. Business aviation is a small voice in a noisy environment, and because of this we aren’t seeing our plans incorporated in the Sesar Joint Undertaking’s Master Plan in a way we feel comfortable with.

What EBAA is doing is taking a p ­ roactive approach and encouraging sector-financed projects. We hope these projects will prove that the Sesar Master Plan leaves business aviation on the outside looking in.

The issue of runway access seems to be a topic that touches on many of EBAA’s key issues?

I personally believe access is crucial. Business aviation’s added value is our flexibility, and access is what allows us to be flexible. Without access, the need for business aviation drastically diminishes, and so does its raison d’être.

To ensure our sector remains viable, we must continue to focus on creating access, both to hubs, as said before, but also to secondary or even tertiary airports, via a generalized use of Cat I approaches, by updating existing runways, by investing in new technology.

Although access may be an issue for tomorrow’s agenda, it is definitely an issue that EBAA is focused on today. o

uContinued from page 6

Can you give us an example?

What we’re essentially doing is identifying, financing and overseeing demonstrations ourselves with the hope of forcing the issue.

If we can show that it works, we’ll be harder to ignore.

8 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Moderated by: Rod Simpson, FlyCorporate Presented by: Christian Hatje, PrivatAir; Clive Jackson, Fly Victor; Richard Koe, WINGX Advance; Hervé Laitat, Abelag; and Brian Pearce, International Air Transport Association This session addresses whether business aviation can sustainably re-establish growth in a still fragile European economy­­–whether through mergers and/or acquisitions, or by opening up new markets and appealing to a wider customer base.

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

360-Degree Analysis on How Best to Enhance Business Aviation Access to Vital European Infrastructure (Hall 3 Room S) Moderated by: Jean-Philippe Ramu, Netjets Presented by: David Bowen, SESAR Joint Undertaking; Gabriel Destremaut, ­European Business Aviation Association; Gian Gherardo Calini, European GNSS Agency; Stephane Marché, Honeywell; and Aline Troadec, Eurocontrol Hear the latest developments and tools business aviation is using to ensure the future access to airports and airspace.

Thursday, May 22, 2014 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Illegal Activities (Hall 3 Room S) Moderated by: Richard Koe, WINGX Advance Presented by: Tatyana Chernyavskaya*, Hunt & Palmer; Andrea Costantini*, ENAC; Kimon Daniilidis, London Executive Aviation; Stefaan Ghijs*, Fly Aeolus; Jeorge Grazina*, European Commission; and Filip Vandeputte*, Aviabel Panelists will address the root causes of illegal flights in Europe–14 percent of the total business aviation movements in Europe–and will discuss potential measures to help eradicate them.

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Skill Shortage: Everything to Worry About? (Hall 3 Room R) Moderated by: Paul Walsh, BART International Presented by: Marc Bailey, British Business and General Aviation Association; EBAA Expert, European Business Aviation Association; Yves Guyot, TAG Aviation Europe; Sid McGuirk, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; and Paul Vroonhof, Panteia Speakers discuss how business aviation can attract and retain the talent and skills required to maintain and operate European fleet of more than 3,000 a­ ircraft.

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 a.m.

Business Aviation as a Career: Your First Step Toward a Bright Future!

(Hall 3 Room S) Moderated by: Belarmino Gonçalves Paradela, European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) Presented by: Markus Blattner, TAG Aviation; Mustafa Cavcar, Anadolu Üniversitesi– Faculty of Aeronautics & Astronautics; Victor Grove, PrivatAir; and Astrid Hustinx, ­Private Pilot, former business jet pilot and retired long-haul captain (Air France) This session aims to encourage current students (pilots, technicians, e­ ngineers and so forth) to consider a long-term career in business aviation by providing them with a vision of the opportunities available.

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 a.m.

Women in Aviation (Hall 3 Room Q) Moderated by: Karin Muller, Sterling Global Logistics Presented by: Margriet Bredewold, Co-Guard GmbH; Tim Kirkwood, AviaNation; Paula Kraft, Tastefully Yours Catering and Aviation Catering Consultants; Giulia Mauri, Women in Aerospace (WIA); Brenda Miles, FlightSafety International; and Kristina Tervo, Wolston Sky How can nonprofit membership organizations such as Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA) and Women in Aerospace (WIA) enhance women’s opportunities and support women in business aviation in expanding their careers?

Note: *Denotes speaker invited, but unconfirmed. Information accurate as of press time.

Consult EBACE signage or EBACE.aero for last-minute changes.

Europe’s executive charter industry consolidates

by Thierry Dubois The recent takeover of France’s Unijet by Belgium’s Luxaviation is just one example of the ongoing consolidation in Europe’s executive charter operator industry. Meanwhile, in France, the Ségur group has gathered some well-known operators and is creating a partnership in Croatia.

At the same time, AirClub, the global corporate jet alliance has begun reaping the benefits of joining forces from several companies all over the continent.

Consolidation such as this is the way to go, according to EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba, who sees the industry as still too fragmented.

Luxembourg-based Luxaviation announced the acquisition of Paris Le Bourget-based Unijet in January. The company sees access to the continent’s first business aviation airport and fleet growth ranking first among the expected benefits.

“We chose Unijet because it has good reputation, has gathered a lot of experience–notably through CEO Dannys Famin– and it is located at Le Bourget,” Luxaviation CEO Patrick Hansen told AIN.

ranging from a Cessna Citation CJ3 to a Falcon 7X. “We are going to quickly grow to 80 aircraft,” Hansen said. This will be via other company acquisitions, aircraft purchases and signing of more management contracts. “We are focusing on midsize and largecabin jets; everything bigger than a Citation Excel,” he added.

Hansen described Luxaviation’s shareholding structure: it comprises himself, an investment fund, associates and employees. “As banks are reluctant to fund such acquisitions, we used our cash to buy Unijet,”

some French owners of business jets wanted Ségur to have their aircraft under management contracts but feared unstable regulation in France, according to Marie-Antoinette Dain, Ségur’s CEO. She also hinted that business jet owners are not well regarded in the country.

With all these companies under one umbrella, “we can offer our customers a full range of high-quality services in aircraft management, carrying passengers, jet and turboprop maintenance, continuing airworthiness management and FBOs,” Dain said. The result is

But what we have been offered so far fits neither our culture nor our plans,” Dain said.

AirClub Alliance

AirClub is the only executive charter operator alliance in Europe (and possibly in the world) and it will soon unveil a ninth member. AirClub was in its infancy until the beginning of this year but then, in January, its online booking system went live. Now, grouped negotiations with suppliers have begun, in the hope of securing bulk discounts.

The eight founding members–ACM Air Charter, Air

Targets Hard To Find

Hansen added that it is difficult to find good acquisition targets–operators that are financially sound and have a not-toosmall fleet. Luxaviation, he said, now counts on increased revenues and other benefits, such as complementarity between the Belgian and French markets.

In fact, Luxaviation took over Unijet through Brussels-based Abelag (Booth 6017), which it bought in 2013. In addition it had taken over Germany’s Fairjets in 2011, and consequently, Hansen said, it now holds four air operator certificates (AOCs).

“Each company is retaining its identity,” he said, which means it will continue to engage in ancillary activities such as FBO services and maintenance shops.

Hansen predicted no job cuts among the 350 employees, as “we need all these experienced people,” he said. Nevertheless, he hopes the consolidation will help negotiations with suppliers.

Luxaviation also relies on the flexibility of an expanded and diversified fleet. It is now comprised of approximately 60 aircraft–15 of which are owned by the group. One third are long-haul business jets. Unijet brought in half a dozen aircraft,

The new online booking system is supposed to give users the same experience as airline ticket booking. Pricing and availability are clearly stated, the spokesman said, and payment can be made with a credit card. The system factors in the aircraft’s schedule, which is constantly updated.

“The customer sees the particular aircraft he is hiring, with its registration,” he pointed out.

The first year or so of AirClub was spent structuring. “We received unsolicited applications but we wanted to put our house in order first,” the spokesman said. The alliance wants to add new members progressively, without creating competition inside the organization and with a consistent level of service.

“Each member operator keeps its culture but a customer should not perceive any difference in the level of service,” the spokesman explained. In addition, a candidate for membership should have a minimum of four or five aircraft. The AOC should be in accordance with EASA or FAA Part 135 regulation, he added. Each application will be vetted by an AirClub team, and an independent audit.

Standards in service quality, technical proficiency and green practices are defined in AirClub’s charter, and each member has a representative on the board of the alliance.

The Way of the Future

The current consolidation among Europe’s executive charter operators is reflected in the graphic above provided by AirClub.

he explained. He expressed confidence that the growth of business aviation in Europe will be “interesting, albeit not dazzling.”

Intricate French Holdings

In France, the Ségur private equity group has consolidated several established players in business aviation. Since 2009, it has taken over FBO Aero Services Handling (now Advanced Air Support), operators Aerovision and Darta and maintenance specialist BCA. Darta has been merged with Aerovision but two additional AOCs can be found in the group: the first is under the Star Services brand, at Le Bourget airport; the second one is Zagreb, Croatia-based Sky Vision.

Under a somewhat tangled structure, some–but not all–of these France-based firms are owned by a holding company called Jet Services. The Croatian offshoot was created because

some synergies such as coordination of maintenance schedules.

“When we took over these companies, they were ailing,” Dain said. Nevertheless, each member of the Ségur group has retained its identity. The group is in a “stabilization” phase but economic conditions make it difficult to thrive, the CEO explained. Indeed, AIN understands the total number of aircraft in the group has stagnated, as Dain mentioned “approximately 12.” They range from a Beechcraft King Air 200 to a Falcon 900EX. Asked about workforce, she said there are 50 employees at Aerovision, 50 at Advanced Air Support and 110 at BCA (spread over three sites–Lyon, Toulouse and Paris). The holding company employs another 10.

Could Ségur enter an alliance? “We are open to discussion on alliances and partnerships in Europe; this would make sense.

Alsie (Booth 6342), Air Hamburg (Booth 5041), FlyingGroup (Booth 5839), GlobeAir, London Executive Aviation, Masterjet and PrivatAir (Booth 1725)–are already benefiting from commercial synergies. In other words, if a member cannot respond to a request favorably, the customer is directed to another member. This has proved to be very effective.

Since October 2012, AirClub member companies boast a fleet of more than 140 aircraft. Their bases are spread over Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Austria, the UK, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, Italy and even West Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Types range from King Airs and Citation Mustangs to ACJs and BBJs. With such a fleet, joint procurement can translate into major savings especially, AirClub’s spokesman said, for fuel, insurance and catering among other things. Talks with suppliers started in April.

EBAA’s Fabio Gamba is happy to see such consolidation. He believes a small size is a negative factor for an operator today. One critical point is the ability to cope with the burden of regulation. But Gamba also emphasized that the industry is badly fragmented. He said that in 2009, there were 800 operators in Europe, 85 percent having three aircraft or fewer.

And the situation has hardly changed, according to Luxaviation’s estimate for 2013.

Some companies have realized they need to grow to survive in weak traffic periods, Gamba said. The 2008 downturn hit hard companies that were too small and not mature, he explained, hence the trend to consolidation.

Comparing the merits of a single company created by mergers and acquisitions versus an alliance, Gamba noted that an alliance is more flexible.

The near future, he predicted, will see a gradual extinction of those that operate just a few aircraft. Meanwhile, the proportion of operators with 20 aircraft or more will increase, he said. o

www.ainonline.com • May 20, 2014 • EBACE Convention News 9

Aerion is seeking an engine supplier now that it has switched to a trijet configuration for the “AS2” supersonic bizjet.

Aerion AS2 performance objectives and specifications Speeds Maximum operating

Mach 1.6

Long-range cruise, supersonic

Mach 1.4

Boomless cruise

Mach 1.1 - 1.2

High-speed subsonic cruise

Mach 0.99

Long-range subsonic Mach 0.95 cruise Approach

<135 kt (250 kph)

Range IFR – 7,500 ft BFL

>5,000 nm (9,260 km)

IFR – 6,000 ft BFL

>4,000 nm (7,408 km)

Weights

by Chad Trautvetter Aerion Corp. (Booth 3634) is redesigning its proposed supersonic business jet (SSBJ) with a larger cabin and more range, reflecting feedback from a recent operators survey. The new aircraft– dubbed AS2, for Aerion supersonic second design–has three engines versus two on its now-scrubbed predecessor. It still retains a supersonic natural laminar-flow wing, which it calls “the key enabling technology behind practical and efficient supersonic and high-subsonic flight.”

Despite the configuration changes, which are being formally announced here at EBACE this week, Aerion anticipates that its supersonic business jet will still be certified in 2021. First flight is expected in late 2018 or early 2019, followed by a 24-month certification program.

“The message from many of today’s long-range business jet operators is very clear,” said Aerion CEO Doug Nichols. “They want a supersonic jet sooner rather than later; a cabin comparable in comfort to today’s long-range jets; a range of 5,000 nm or better; and they are willing to pay more than $100 million for such an aircraft. That is the supersonic jet we are now working to deliver.”

Inside, the aircraft’s larger cabin has a cross-section dimension nearly identical to that of the Gulfstream G550, sharing the same 6-foot 2-inch height although the AS2’s width is just one inch narrower, at 7 feet 3 inches. The 30-footlong cabin, which is 17 feet shorter than the G550’s, will feature a two-lounge layout, galley and both forward and aft lavatories, plus a baggage compartment that is accessible in flight.

Outside, the AS2’s fuselage is 160 feet long, some 25 feet longer than the originally conceived SSBJ, and it has a wingspan of 70 feet.

Maximum takeoff weight is 115,000 pounds, up from the original aircraft’s 90,000 pounds. While the minimum

projected range is 4,750 nm, Aerion is aiming for 5,300 nm. This is up from the original SSBJ’s projected 4,000-nm range.

According to Aerion, the AS2’s balanced field length is 7,500 feet at mtow.

However, this can be lowered to 6,000 feet at takeoff weights below 100,000 pounds to allow for operations at airports with shorter runways or weight restrictions while retaining a transatlantic range of 4,000 nm. This would permit the AS2 to operate from Teterboro Airport, which has a 100,000-pound mtow restriction, as well as other major business aviation hubs with 5,000- to 6,000-foot runways.

As with the smaller, original Aerion SBJ, the AS2 will have two cruise “sweet spots,” where range and efficiency are at a maximum–one at about Mach 0.95, for efficient cruise where supersonic flight is prohibited; and one at about Mach 1.4.

At both speeds, total operating cost will be comparable to current ultra-longrange business jet offerings, Aerion said.

The AS2’s maximum speed is Mach 1.6, the same as its predecessor.

Engine Choice

Its trijet configuration yields better runway performance and a lower noise profile, which is “especially important with Stage 5 noise requirements looming,” Nichols told AIN. The company is currently in discussions with “leading engine suppliers” to find the optimum core engine for adaptation to supersonic requirements. The selected engine core will be in the 15,000-pound-thrust range– a list that includes the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW800, GE Passport and RollsRoyce BR710. Aerion plans to announce the winning engine at the NBAA Convention in October.

The requirement to adapt a current engine core for the AS2 and to structure a joint collaboration among several industrial participants has prompted Aerion to

12 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

115,000 lb (52,163 kg)

BOW

49,800 lb (22,588 kg)

Exterior

Dimensions

Interior

Aerion SSBJ becomes trijet, range goal set for 5,000+ nm

sponsor and self-fund the full-scale development program. “For program partici­ pants, we can take the financial risk largely off the table,” said Nichols. “We intend to make this program happen and to maximize our return on investment.

By assuming financial sponsorship of the program, we can accelerate commercialization of Aerion’s technology and intellectual property, and make practical and efficient supersonic flight a reality in just a few years.”

While discussions with potential OEM partners continues, Aerion is going forward with the advanced design of the AS2, with detailed design slated to be completed in the middle of next year. It is also continuing testing and recently concluded a series of low-speed windtunnel tests at the University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory that assessed various high-lift flap configurations. Aerion will also do further windtunnel tests on other configurations over month or so.

According to Nichols, Aerion plans to conduct another round of natural laminar-flow wing robustness testing on NASA’s F-15B testbed this summer or fall, depending on aircraft availability. To date, Aerion has invested more than $100 million to develop proprietary enabling technologies and optimization design tools to enable development of an SSBJ, it said.

Meanwhile, Aerion has put a pause on new orders for its SSBJ because of the configuration change and the price increase. Even though the price has escalated to more than $100 million, Nichols noted, “This really isn’t more than the $93 million CPI-adjusted price for the original SSBJ, meaning customers get more range and cabin space for a few million more.”

Customers with deposits on the original SSBJ have the option of converting their order to the AS2 or obtaining a refund. Nichols told AIN that the majority of deposit holders already contacted are opting to go with the AS2. “Aerion is absolutely committed to making the supersonic business jet a reality,” said Nichols. “We have every intention of having the first SSBJ to market. We will get there first.” o

Mtow

Length

160 ft/ 49m

Height

26 ft/ 8m

Width/wingspan

70 ft/ 21m

Wing area

1,350 sq ft (125 sq m)

Height (max)

6 ft 2 in (1.9 m)

Width (max)

7 ft 3 in (2.2 m)

Cabin length

30 ft (9.1m)

European Commission Begins Crafting Rules on Drones The European Commission proposed new guidelines last month designed to harmonize rules and regulations that dictate the operation of unmanned aerial systems, which the EC designates as remotely piloted aircraft systems. Potential European operators are eager to put unmanned vehicles into service as soon as possible. The proposed new European guidelines will look at safety, security, privacy, data protection and insurance liability issues.

EC vice president Siim Kallas, commissioner for mobility and transport, said, “If ever there was a right time to do this, and to do this at a European level, it is now.” Much like the guidelines the FAA has in mind, the standards that the European Aviation Safety Agency is expected to create will demand a level of safety equivalent to that of manned aviation operations. Data collection and privacy, under the watchful eyes of the EC, must comply with the applicable data protection rules and must monitor the collection and processing of personal data. Because drone flights within Europe will quickly cross national borders, the EASA will develop necessary protections for information streams, as well as specific legal obligations for all players that will be enforced by national authorities. ­–R.P.M.

OUR SIGHTS ARE SET HIGHER B USIN ESSAIRCR AF T. BOM BARDIE R .COM

Bombardier, Learjet, Challenger and Global are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. © 2014 Bombardier Inc. All rights reserved.

The increased cabin volume gives the Falcon 8X room for a three-lounge cabin.

Dassault CEO Sees Market Going Back To Normal…Slowly Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation’s chairman and CEO, said late in April that he found the business jet market “a little bit slow.” He would like to see a more active market, especially in the U.S. “But step-by-step we are back on the right track, in terms of orders,” he added. AIN understands that Falcon salespeople have found the first four months of 2014 tougher than expected.

Nevertheless, Dassault has recently celebrated the final assembly of the 250th Falcon 7X, seven years after the first delivery. The 7X is the fastest selling Falcon ever, according to its manufacturer. Usually quiet when it comes to naming customers, Dassault officials seem proud to mention Elon Musk, the famous entrepreneur who heads Tesla Motors and SpaceX, as a Falcon 7X owner.

Separately, China is keeping very active, as it is now the second market for the type. Most customers there are entrepreneurs. “In the People’s Republic of China, state-run companies are [now] prohibited from owning or even chartering a business jet,” another Dassault official explained.

Dassault delivered a total of 77 Falcons last year and expects to deliver around 70 this year. –T.D.

by Thierry Dubois Only seven months after having unveiled the Falcon 5X, a cleansheet design, Dassault Aviation (Booth 6634, Static Display) is here taking the wraps off the Falcon 8X, a significant upgrade over the existing Falcon 7X. A longer cabin will offer more layout possibilities, while a greater range, at 6,450 nm (a 500-nm increase), is making more city pairs possible between Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The Falcon 8X, which reportedly is selling for around $58 million (10 percent more than the Falcon 7X), is positioned as an addition at the top of the French manufacturer’s range. It has the Dassault Falcon 8X by the numbers

Mtow:

73,000 lb

Wingspan:

86.2 feet

Cabin length:

42.6 feet

Range:

6,450 nm

longest cabin in the Falcon family: an extra 3.6 feet more than the Falcon 7X, bringing its total length to 42.6 feet, with a cabin volume measuring 1,765 cu ft.

While the increased length looks inconsequential, O ­ livier Villa, senior vice president civil aircraft, explained that it changes a lot: It allows installation of a large aft lavatory including a shower, a compliant crew rest area in the front section and a comfortable three-lounge cabin in between, he said. The stretch is a response to feedback from current Falcon 7X customers, Villa said. Three floor layouts are available (with 30 possible combinations), depending mainly on the lengththe customer specifies for thegalley/crew rest area.

Windows have been added as well, with the total number likely to vary between 30 and 34, although the expected standard is 32–including four in the galley and crew rest area. The lavatory

The first Falcon 8X wing is being readied at Dassault’s Bordeaux factory.

second HUD will be an option.

Falcon 7X-rated pilots will be offered a differences course in order to add the 8X to their ratings.

Ultra-long-range Class

Another need expressed by 7X customers, the 6,450-nm range ushers the Falcon 8X into the ultra-long-range category. It opens new city pairs for a Falcon– for example, Beijing and Shanghai are within reach from Los Angeles. Also, the 8X can fly nonstop from New York to Dubai, while Hong Kong to Johannesburg is possible as well. The better capability from Asian locations should help sales, hopes Dassault.

A 6,450-nm flight profile could start at sea level (ISA conditions) with a 5,900-foot balanced field length and, after 14 hours at Mach 0.80, a 2,150-foot landing distance– with eight passengers and three crewmembers and NBAA IFR reserves. Dassault engineers have managed to keep a 106knot landing speed, very similar to the 7X’s 104 knots. Cruise speeds remain unchanged.

Dassault is assembling the first 8X fuselage (still codenamed M1000) in Biarritz.

14 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

The greater range has been made possible by a 3,000-pound increase in fuel capacity. The additional fuel can be found mainly in fuselage tanks and, to a lesser extent, in the wing. To enable the longer cabin, two fuselage plugs have been added in the front and aft sections, and reinforced landing gear represents another structural modification.

The wing, which is more flexible, has been optimized for a better lift-to-drag ratio. New winglets further reduce the induced drag (the drag caused by wingtip vortices). The aircraft has been made less stable, which is good for aerodynamics as the horizontal stabilizer–with a different rigging angle–becomes a smaller source of drag. The relative instability is easily controlled with the DFCS, a Dassault engineer pointed out.

The wing has been made lighter, as well. As a result of the experience gathered on the Falcon 7X wing, design engineers were able to reduce wing weight by approximately 600 pounds. “This structural optimization offsets the added weight Continued on page 16 u

PHOTOS: THIERRY DUBOLS

Newest Falcon model adds range and space

window can be equipped with an electrochromatic dimming system. Dassault claims the cabin is one of the brightest on the market. The ratio of window surface per passenger cabin surface is 0.16, equal to that of the Gulfstream G650, said the French company, although large-cabin Gulfstreams have much larger windows.

Other features include a 3,900foot cabin altitude at FL410 and the same “whisper quiet” noise level as in the Falcon 7X. In the cockpit, the pilots will find fly-by-wire controls and accompanying sidesticks. Dassault’s digital flight control system (DFCS) has been optimized, while the weather radar will be the Honeywell RDR4000. A “new generation” of flight management system will equip the 8X, part of the EASy 3 man-machine interface that Dassault has developed inhouse. The company also will incorporate the head-up display (HUD) developed for the Falcon 5X. An industry first, it will merge EVS and SVS (infrared and synthetic) vision; a

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Falcon 8X uContinued from page 14

from the longer fuselage,” Villa pointed out. The wing area remains unchanged.

PW307D Powerplant

Pratt & Whitney Canada has developed a new PW307

version, the PW307D, for the Falcon 8X trijet. The PW307D provides 6,725 pounds of thrust at sea level, at ISA+17C conditions. This represents a 5-percent increase over the 7X’s PW307A. At the same time, specific fuel consumption has been cut thanks to improved fan seals, impeller clearances and exhaust mixer, as well as a new Fadec.

Engine certification is expected in March next year with preproduction engines due to be delivered to Dassault shortly. The three PW307Ds that will power the 8X on its first flight have already flown on Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Boeing 747 flying testbed.

Manufacturing of the first Falcon 8X airframe is well under

The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D will power the Falcon 8X.

way. AIN was shown the first complete fuselage at the Biarritz factory and the first wing at Dassault’s Bordeaux Martignas production facility. The latter subassembly is to be delivered to the final assembly line, in Bordeaux Mérignac, in June.

Ground testing of the first complete aircraft will begin next fall.

Mid-2016 Certification

The 8X’s first flight is planned for the first quarter of 2015 and certification is expected by mid2016, with deliveries beginning in the second half of that year.

Asked about the proximity to the development of the Falcon 5X (due to fly before mid-2015 and enter service in the first half of 2017), Villa said this was not a strategic decision. “It came as a consequence of progress in preliminary designs; that’s the way it happened and we could do it,” he said. The two ­development programs running in parallel are an unprecedented investment for the company, he noted.

Direct operating costs (DOC) are estimated at $4,075 per hour, using the Conklin & de Decker method. This compares favorably to the Gulfstream G550 and Bombardier Global 6000, Villa said. A key factor in the costs is maintenance; the previous basic two-month interval is not necessary, so time between inspections becomes 800 hours flight time or one year, whichever occurs first.

The dispatch rate at entry into service is targeted to equal the average of the mature Falcon fleet, at 99.7 percent.

Over six years, at 600 flight hours per year, Dassault claims the Falcon 8X will be much cheaper to own than its competitors. The OEM’s calculations result in $22 million, $30.5 million and $33 million, respectively, for the 8X, the G550 and the Global 6000. A higher resale value accounts for part of the difference, said the company.

Sales expectations are high, as Dassault plans to ramp up production to 33 per year. o

16 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Nextant pulling for its ‘as new’ 400XTi Nextant Aerospace’s 400XTi offers the quietest cabin in its class. The interior has also been redesigned to give more room than that of the original Beechjet 400.

Nextant Unveils Finance Plan Nextant Aerospace lifted the lid this week on a new financing plan that targets the $2-10 million aircraft market. This has been underserved in recent years as banks have veered away from smaller-value financing, citing that legal and other fees remain similar regardless of the asset value. This in turn means those fees consume a greater proportion of the finance required, leaving a greater exposure to risk. Furthermore, banks have also been cautious to lend outside of the U.S. and European markets. Combined, these factors have hindered sales of aircraft in that price bracket.

Nextant Finance aims to remove some of that logjam by offering a range of flexible financing packages for customers wishing to acquire the 400XTi and G90XT. Terms are available from two to 20 years, and a variety of lease types are available. Fixed or floating rates are offered, with fully amortizing or balloon payments.

Sean McGeough, Nextant president, remarked: “This will allow more customers around the world to realize the vast benefits of Nextant remanufactured aircraft to their businesses. Nextant Finance is ideal for commercial fleet operators who have strong cash flows but lack the kind of balance sheet many banks require.” –D.D.

response to the 400XTi has been strong, and for now there is no perceived need for further improvement. “We’re very pleased with what we’ve done so far,” affirmed Nextant president Sean McGeough.

Meanwhile, the company is now extremely busy with the development of the G90XT, which applies the Nextant remanufacturing concept to the Beechcraft King Air C90. The potential market is vast, with

MARK WAGNER

Nextant Aerospace comes to EBACE with its “as-new” 400XTi remanufactured business jet to promote the aircraft and to highlight developments with its next product, the G90XT. Based on the Hawker Beechjet 400A/XP, the 400XTi is a zero-lifed machine that has been remanufactured with new engines, avionics, cabin and aerodynamic improvements to match or exceed its new-build competitors in terms of performance and cabin comfort, yet at around half the price.

Nextant’s 400XTi has gained considerable traction in the marketplace, and the company has now delivered 42 aircraft to eight countries. By the end of the summer 400XTis will be operating in five European countries. Nextant has achieved around 20 percent penetration of the Beechjet fleet and is pursuing further sales in many parts of the world.

Production is currently running at 24 aircraft per year, although it could rise to more than 40 if required. Market

DAVID McINTOSH

by David Donald

business aviation prospects are looking up A recurrent theme, expressed in countless conversations here at EBACE, is that the business of business aviation is poised for an upturn. For those who have endured years of lean times, the “better days” can’t come too soon.

That bodes well for sales of premium jets such as this Dassault Falcon 7X.

18 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

An important element of the forthcoming G90XT is the General Electric H75 turboprop, produced in the company’s Prague plant.

around 1,500 such aircraft operating around the globe. Key changes include General Electric H75 engines, Garmin G1000 avionics and cabin/aerodynamic modifications.

Nextant has taken delivery of the King Air C90 that will serve as the prototype for the G90XT, flying it for the first time last week. The aircraft is going to Seattle, Washington, initially for flight tests to establish baseline figures for the aircraft. Next month the two H75 turboprops will be installed, the powerplants having already been received from General Electric’s Prague factory.

After initial engine tests additional elements will be added, including the new avionics suite, cabin interior and aerodynamic refinements.

They will be approved as an STC amendment. By around the end of July, possibly in time for the EAA AirVenture show at Oshkosh, Nextant hopes to have proved the performance benefits offered by the G90XT. At that point the company will open the orderbook for the aircraft, which has already been the subject of great interest since its launch last October, according to Nextant. First deliveries are scheduled for the end of this year.

Initial G90XT deliveries will come from the company’s facility in Cleveland, Ohio. However, the worldwide potential of the G90XT is considerable, and Nextant is in discussions with various companies that could undertake the remanufacturing work in various parts of the world, based on Nextant-supplied kits.

For the time being the company is focused on its 400XTi and in bringing the G90XT to market. An announcement regarding further remanufacturing projects in other market segments could be made around the turn of the year.

Suggestions as to what that platform might be have been received by Nextant from companies in several countries. “There is lots of interest coming in from other companies,” reported McGeough.

“The remanufacture business could be very good for other parts of the world.” o

It’s easy to see which Falcon owners have long-range plans.

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triumphant trijet The three-engine configuration is a Dassault Falcon legacy. Starting with the Falcon 50, the design concept has grown along with market requirements through the Falcon 900 model (like this one), then the 7X, and soon to reappear on the just-announced 8X.

New Safe Flight ICD uses optical technology

by James Wynbrandt

DAVID McINTOSH

White Plains, N.Y.-based Safe Flight Instrument (Booth 5251) introduced at EBACE 2014 its new Icing Conditions Detector (ICD). The patented optical ICD provides an alert that icing conditions exist before ice can accrete on the aircraft. Comprised of a single line replaceable unit, the system is ideal for operations in all modes of flight, according to Safe Flight.

Meanwhile Safe Flight also announced that Canadian manufacturer Viking Air selected the company’s angle of attack (AoA) system as standard equipment for the Viking Series 400 Twin Otter twin turboprop. The fully qualified and TSO’d AoA system is comprised of a lift transducer, computer and speed indexer.

The speed indexer provides the pilot heads-up guidance to approach AoA and the computer provides Arinc outputs to drive low airspeed awareness and AoA displays on the primary flight display.

The lift transducer is a heated leading-edge sensor and is flight into known icing-capable. Any factor that affects angle of attack is accounted for in the system, including flap and gear changes, wind gusts, ground effect and weight differences. The system provides instantaneous stall trend and AoA information such as best short field approach and best climb angles, aiding pilots of utility aircraft, such as the Series 400 Twin Otter, during backcountry and unimproved runway operations. o

Airbus brings Elegance to European customers

by Curt Epstein At the ABACE show in Shanghai last month, Airbus Corporate Jets introduced a new model of its ACJ319 aimed at easing the buying process for its customers, and in its press conference yesterday, the Toulousebased manufacturer debuted the design to the European market.

The derivative, known as the

Benoit Defforge was recently named president of Airbus Corporate Jets.

ACJ319 Elegance, has received strong interest from the Asian market after its launch, according to the company.

The new concept relieves the customer of some of the nearly endless design decisions in a new modular cabin that still allows them to choose from a wide range of lounge, office, dining and conference configurations.

While the airframer acknowledges that some of its customers appreciate the challenge of making all the decisions required to completely outfit an aircraft, such as would be required for the fully customizable version of the 319, there are others that don’t want to invest the time and effort. “There are some that want simplicity, speed and savings,” David Velupillai, the company’s marketing director, told AIN. Based on its research, Airbus (Booth 6613) realized that most customers basically want the same features in their aircraft, so its modular system will help them quickly narrow down what they are seeking.

“The ACJ319 Elegance has a fixed front and back, you get a bedroom and a bathroom at the back and at the front you’ve got a galley, two bathrooms and a crew rest,” Velupillai said. “Then you as a customer choose what you put in the middle.” Despite the modular approach, there remains vast scope for personal customization in the three remaining cabin zones, including choices of colors. An additional benefit easing the planning process is that the weight and center of gravity calculations for the modules will have already been

Gaining much of its simplicity through modular design, the Elegance interior still affords great opportunity for individual expression.

done. “It’s simpler, quicker but still giving the customer essentially what they want,” Velupillai noted. Another benefit to the modular interior will be simplifying future upgrades and allowing easy changes by new owners in case the jet is sold.

Other design changes on the Elegance include wider, circular window surrounds to allow more natural light and reduce shadows, a cabin-length domed ceiling and transversal lighting strips, which along with the repositioning of air ducts to the ceiling allowed the manufacturer to dispense with side valance panels, thus adding several extra inches to the cabin interior width.

20 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

As for pricing of the Elegance, there will be a savings potential for customers, according to Benoit Defforge, who was recently named president of Airbus Corporate Jets. “The fully customized cabin on the 319 is around $85 to $90 million, so what we are targeting at the time is to go in between $75 to $80 [million], depending on the options that you have on the aircraft” he said. The Elegance will slot between the A318 Elite and the fully customizable A319 in Airbus’s product lineup.

All the aircraft will be completed by Airbus Corporate Jet Center (ACJC), the manufacturer’s cabin outfitting and

maintenance subsidiary in Toulouse, France, which developed the concept. The company is now prepared to begin taking orders. According to Defforge, who continues in his role as head of ACJC, the first aircraft will take 20 months from order to completion, while the company aims towards a target of 16 months for future deliveries.

Airbus has sold 170 of its corporate jets worldwide, including the K5 Aviation ACJ319 on display here at the show, which features seating for 19 passengers. Its cabin contains several lounges, including one that transforms into a bedroom complete with ensuite bathroom. o

At CAE, safe operations are our number one priority, as demonstrated by our world-class flight training. But your other needs are also important.

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Visit us at EBACE booth 3846.

Honeywell survey shows operators behind on mandates

by Charles Alcock

22 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

centers, airlines and other groups. Individually, 22.5 percent of respondents were owner/operators.

“We were hoping to find out the level of understanding in the industry among operators [about the various mandates],” said Honeywell senior technical sales manager Dan Stockfisch. “Our understanding was that interest in the mandates has been gaining momentum but it’s clear that some operators are still not getting it [the need to comply].”

The survey results indicated to Honeywell that not as many operators as it had hoped are seeking to meet the

Source: Honeywell

Significant numbers of business aircraft operators have made little or no progress in complying with key avionics mandates, according to new research commissioned by Honeywell Aerospace with data gathered from AIN readers.

The survey identified the mandates for ADS-B out, FANS/PM-CPDLC datalink capability and FANS-1/A (North Atlantic region) as the most pressing concerns. It also asked operators to indicate the level of readiness for eight different mandates, which also included TCAS 7.1, cockpit voice recorder/datalink recording, underwater locating device, flight data recorder and Single European Sky datalink service/Link 2000.

In the case of FANS-1/ A+, 38.4 percent said that they “haven’t given it much thought.” For FANS/PMCPDLC, this percentage was 31.3 percent and for ADS-B it was 10.6 percent.

Between 19 and 27 percent said they are “thinking about preparing” for these mandates, with an even spread of the rest either indicating that “compliance is planned or budgeted,” “compliance is a work in progress” or “compliance is complete.”

The next FANS 1/A deadline is for phase 2A in the first quarter of 2015.

Under proposed mandates, phase 2B, which will cover the entire North Atlantic region between FL350 and FL 390, takes effect Dec. 7, 2017, followed by phase 2C covering the entire region above FL290 as of Jan. 30, 2020.

For Eurocontrol’s PMCPDLC mandate, retrofitted equipment is required

by Feb. 5, 2015. Under the a proposed mandate, only compliant and exempt aircraft will be able to fly above FL 285 as of early 2017.

The European Aviation Safety Agency’s deadline for forward fitting of ADS-B out capability in new aircraft falls in early 2015, while the retrofit deadline is at the end of 2017. FAA requires the equipment to be fitted on existing and new aircraft by Jan. 1, 2020.

Of the 365 responses received, 52.1 percent came from corporate flight department staff and 30.4 percent of respondents were flight department managers. Of the rest, 17.5 percent were aircraft owner/operators, 15.9 percent were with management/charter companies and the remainder coming from service

mandated requirements ahead of the final deadlines. “The problem with waiting is that we then see a mad rush at the end to get equipped,” Stockfisch told AIN. “But the other issue is that operators aren’t gaining the advantage of using the new equipment. With ADS-B they get preferential treatment [in terms of air traffic management], saving fuel and time. The same is true of FANS.” Honeywell sales teams are actively engaging with operators on mandate preparedness, offering assistance with factors such as provisional budget figures for installing equipment.

The company is preparing a dedicated new website to summarize information about mandates, including the timeline for implementation. o

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Interior options for the TBM 900 include leather seats with adjustable backrests and folding armrests, leather upper side panels and gold or brushed stainless trimming of individual fresh-air vents and reading light ring. Shown here is the Moorea sand interior.

TBM 900 D-FRAS was the seventh of the upgraded turboprop single to be delivered when it was handed over to Rheinland Air Service last month.

Redesigned TBM 900 sports winglets, five-blade propeller

by Chad Trautvetter Daher-Socata’s TBM 900 is making its EBACE debut this week here in Geneva, just two months after the upgraded turboprop single was unveiled at the manufacturer’s factory in Tarbes, France. The aircraft at the EBACE static display, registered as D-FRAS, was the seventh TBM 900 to be delivered when it was handed over to Rheinland Air Service on April 10.

As of late last month, nine TBM 900s had been delivered and the backlog for the rest of 2014 stands at 38, meaning 47 of the new turboprops will be shipped this year. Derived from the TBM 850, itself a variant of the original TBM 700, the new version offers better efficiency and performance without an increase in fuel consumption or engine power, according to the

company. The aircraft received both FAA and EASA approval before it was even publicly unveiled on March 12.

Winglets, a new tail-cone and a five-blade composite propeller with redesigned spinner distinguish the TBM 900 externally from its predecessors. From the nose to the firewall the aircraft has been redesigned to improve engine airflow circulation, through use of a banana-shaped air intake, carbon-fiber cowlings and new exhaust stacks.

The new aircraft retains the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66D engine found on the TBM 850, as well as its Garmin G1000 avionics suite.

Daher-Socata (Booth 6540) said customers have been “very happy” with the 850’s Garmin glass cockpit, so it decided to retain the system in the 900.

A new tail-cone and a five-blade composite propeller with redesigned spinner distinguish the TBM 900 externally from its predecessors. Its redesign also includes a banana-shaped air intake, carbon-fiber cowlings and new exhaust stacks.

However, the cockpit does include several “enhanced human-machine interface features,” notably an ergonomic control yoke and revised cockpit center pedestal that incorporates single-lever power control.

Other new features include a revamped electrical system with a 300-amp starter generator, which provides a semi-automatic start-up, and 100-amp standby alternator. In addition, the TBM 900 has lower cabin noise levels than its predecessor, an automated pressurization system and new-design seats.

Compared with its predecessor, the TBM 900’s top cruise speed has increased by 10 knots, to 330 knots at FL280, and maximum range with a 45-minute

reserve has been extended from 1,585 nm to 1,730 nm with five passengers thanks to a fuel consumption reduction to 37 gph.

Since the TBM 900 can use all of the available 850 shp of engine power on takeoff, compared with 700 shp on the TBM 850, the aircraft’s ground roll is reduced by 460 feet, to 2,380 feet, at sea level.

Meanwhile, an improved climb rate enables the turboprop to reach its 31,000-foot ceiling in 18 minutes 45 seconds, about two minutes quicker than in the TBM 850.

Developed in Secret

The TBM 900 was developed on the quiet during a three-year development program that included 200 hours of flight-testing. In fact, it was so secretive that customers were told of the new aircraft only three weeks before the official unveiling, and those who placed orders did so without seeing the aircraft. Despite being given only basic performance data and the selling price ($3.7 million), the company took orders for 40 TBM 900s before the public ­unveiling in Tarbes.

First delivery to launch customer Larry Glazer of Rochester, New York, who owns real-estate developer Buckingham Properties and is president of the TBM Owners and Pilots Association, took place on March 20 during the TBM 900’s formal U.S. debut at an event in Polk City, Florida.

Glazer has logged more than 5,000 hours in TBMs over the past 20 years, starting with TBM 700 S/N 9 in 1994 and then upgrading to a non-glass cockpit TBM 850 in 2008.

And the company apparently has plans for growth beyond the TBM 900. Patrick Daher, CEO of Socata’s parent company Daher, revealed at the March 20 event that Daher-Socata is “looking to acquire additional manufacturing capabilities in the U.S.” Asked by AIN to elaborate, he said that the company wants to buy an existing aerostructures company within the next year. Daher noted that “all options are on the table,” adding that the only constraint at this point is that the acquisition “would need to be a good fit for Daher-Socata.” o

The TBM 900’s cockpit includes several enhanced human-machine interface features–an ergonomic control yoke and redesigned cockpit center pedestal that incorporates single-lever power control. The upgraded turboprop single retains the Garmin G1000 avionics suite installed in its predecessor TBM 850.

24 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

OEMs 1Q ’14 results somewhat encouraging

Phenom 300

by Chad Trautvetter The world’s leading business jet manufacturers posted financial results for the first quarter of 2014 in the weeks leading up to this year’s EBACE show.

Overall, the latest numbers are somewhat encouraging in the context of the industry’s slow recovery but there are significant variations in the details. Here AIN provides a summary of the main conclusions.

Bombardier Aerospace: Bizjet Deliveries Up, Backlog Grows

Bombardier Aerospace’s firstquarter revenues declined yearover-year by 8.6 percent, to $2.1 billion, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer reported earlier this month. Bombardier executives attributed the lower quarterly revenue in part to the sale of its Flexjet fractional ownership business last year and lower sales of pre-owned aircraft.

Meanwhile, its order backlog for both commercial and business aircraft grew to a record $38.5 billion, 40 percent of which is for aircraft under development.

The company delivered 43 business jets in the quarter, compared with 39 during the first quarter last year. This comprises 17 Global 5000/6000s, 14 Challenger 300s, six Challenger

605s and six Learjets. The business aircraft division received net orders for 46 aircraft after cancellations for nine, compared with net orders for 27 last year, for a corresponding bookto-bill ratio of 1.1:1.

Dassault Falcon: Deliveries Up, but Revenues Down

Dassault delivered nine Falcons in the first quarter, one more than it did in the same period a year ago, the company announced late last month. Still, revenues at Dassault Falcon fell year-over-year by €14 million ($19.35 million), to €397 million ($548.6 million), which equates to 68 percent of net revenues at parent Dassault Aviation.

During the quarter, Dassault booked orders for 12 Falcons, compared with 14 Falcons in the year-ago period. It logged €537 million ($742.1 million) in sales during the first quarter, versus €656 million ($906.6 million) in the same time frame last year.

Embraer: Phenom 300 Delivery Surge Driving Growth

Embraer’s revenues in the first quarter rose by $157 million, to $1.242 billion, while profits climbed from $30 million in the first quarter of 2013

Gulfstream G650

to $110.6 million in the same period this year, thanks to a 66.7-percent increase in business jet deliveries and higher defense sales. At its Executive Jets division, first-quarter revenue soared to $267.4 million, up from $175.3 million a year ago.

Embraer delivered 20 executive jets (17 light and three large) in the quarter, compared with 12 (eight light, four

Bombardier Global 6000

Cessna Citation XLS

Dassault Falcon 7X

Beechcraft King Air

large) in the same period last year. Meanwhile, its firm-order backlog for airliners and business jets grew to $19.2 billion, its highest since the second quarter of 2009.

Gulfstream Aerospace: Large-cabin Jets Soar

General Dynamics aerospace division, which includes Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet

Aviation, saw first-quarter revenues climb 19.5 percent yearover-year, to $2.125 billion, while profits soared 30.3 percent, to $404 million, from the same period last year. Aerospace backlog ended the quarter at $14.946 billion, down from $15.622 billion at the end of last year, meaning the bookto-bill ratio was less than 1:1.

“Given that the Gulfstream G650 has a four-year backlog, it’s hard to achieve a 1:1 book-to-build ratio,” General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic said during a quarterly investor conference call late last month. She noted that 60 percent of the order intake during the quarter was for the G450 and G550.

Gulfstream delivered 39 completed aircraft during the first quarter, including 33 largecabin and six midsize jets; this is a 34.5-percent increase from a year ago, when the company shipped 29 completed jets (25 large-cabin and four midsize). Novakovic said demand for new Gulfstreams “remains strong” and noted that pricing is “holding up nicely.”

Textron Aviation: Cessna and Beechcraft Rising

First-quarter revenues at Textron Aviation, which includes Cessna and Beechcraft, were up $77 million, to $785 ­ million, thanks to the mid-March acquisition of Beechcraft, higher jet deliveries and higher aftermarket sales but offset by fewer ­pre-owned sales and falling revenue at CitationAir. The division recorded a profit of $14 ­million in the quarter versus a loss of $8 million a year ago, helped by firmer pricing and higher jet volumes.

Textron Aviation delivered 35 Cessna Citations during the quarter, up from 32 jets in the same period last year, and eight King Airs during the last two weeks of March when Beechcraft was officially under the Textron wing. (A total of 22 King Airs were delivered in the first quarter, compared with 34 a year ago.) Backlog at Textron Aviation as of March 29 was $1.5 billion, up from $1 billion at the end of last year, attributable to the addition of Beechcraft’s $534 million backlog. o

www.ainonline.com • May 20, 2014 • EBACE Convention News 25

Your local partner with global reach A SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT PREPARED FOR UAS BY AIN PUBLICATIONS • EBACE 2014

For trip-support company, it’s about who you know The capabilities of UAS International Trip Support, a provider of global trip support services for flight operators, VIPs, and government officials, span all the trip requirements for private and business aviation. This includes pre-trip planning and estimation, through en route clearances, to a wide range of after-landing services. Last year, UAS, which has continental headquarters in Houston, Johannesburg, and Dubai, launched an ambitious investment program to back up its strategic goal of providing comprehensive 24/7 trip support under the motto, “Your local partner with global reach.”

The majority of UAS’s more than 1,400 clients operate business and private aircraft, but the company also serves commercial carriers at destinations where it does not have its own station.

With offices in several key nations in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, and China and a worldwide network of partner FBOs and fuel suppliers, UAS is a truly global company. In fact, it is the dominant flight-services provider in Africa and China, according to Mohammed Husary, C ­o-Founder & Executive President.

Much of the traffic that the company handles into and out

of Africa and the Middle East comes from Europe and the U.S., as does a good deal of business from China. In anticipation of increasing activity in Africa, UAS opened its newest regional headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, earlier this year.

Number One in Africa “To better support your business, commercial and VIP flight activities across Africa, UAS has set up a continental headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, and regional offices in Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya. This is in addition to their existing network of UAS on-site airport supervisors stationed in various African countries.

“Part of our growth plan is to have airport supervisors stationed in every country in Africa.

UAS Continental Headquarters Americas Headquarters 2000 West Loop South, Suite 1500 Houston, TX 77027 USA Tel: +1-281-724- 5400 Fax: +1-281-724-5410 Email: hou@uas.aerowww

Africa Headquarters Postnet Suite #112, Pvt Bag X21 Johannesburg , 2021, South Africa Tel: + 27 11 514 0755 Fax: + 27 11 514 0545 Email: jnb@uas.aero

Middle East Headquarters UAS Building, DAFZA, P.O.Box 54482, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 299 6633 Fax: +971 4 299 6777 Email: dxb@uas.aero

We can proudly say that we are almost there,” Husary said.

“Through our existing network, we can currently supervise flights in any country in Africa. However, soon we will become the first International Trip Support Company with its own supervisors in every African country and can rely on our own trained UAS staff to get the job done.” This strategy will ensure that UAS clients receive the same superior level of service no matter where they go in Africa.

“Our European clients can expect end-to-end support from UAS. Our regional staff in Europe will provide the support and trip management solution for European customers’ trips when they are traveling regionally, and will partner with our staff in Africa to provide local

Training the Next Generation of UAS Employees To deliver the VIP experience that clients expect from UAS, the company’s executives know that the people who work with their clients are critical. In Africa, “African employees are crucial to our success,” said Mohammed Husary, UAS Co-founder and Executive President. So the company initiated a training and development program for its African staff.

In February and March this year UAS flew 20 staff members from its offices in Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya, to its headquarters in Dubai. It also brought in an instructor from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to conduct a weeklong, 40-hour course on “Station Ground Handling Management.” The course covered how to provide ground handling in accordance with the IATA manual, increase the efficiency of the stations as service providers and build a sustainable relationship between UAS groundhandling managers and the company’s airline and other customers. UAS anticipates that this “investment in training will generate ripple effects that should help increase service and safety standards across Africa.” The company also plans to repeat this training when it hires more staff for its new Africa Regional Office in Johannesburg and airport supervisors across Africa. n

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT PREPARED FOR UAS BY AIN PUBLICATIONS • EBACE 2014

ground handling agents you can trust to have quality equipment; fuel agents, who are reliable and transparent with their pricing; and so on. It took us a long time to get to the point where we have refined our network and know the right people to get any job done, at any time.”

Meeting the Challenge Mohammed Al Husary, UAS Co-founder & Executive President

support for clients on more complex international operations to Africa. From departure to arrival, we have our clients covered every step of the way.”

In its strategic plan to provide local support in every African country, UAS hopes to bridge the service gap between Europe and Africa, and create improved opportunities for business aviation in these regions. Growth in business aviation [in Africa] will be fueled by the lack of commercial airline connections to support the amount of business activity on the continent,” he said.

“Distances between major cities, and poor ground transportation infrastructure will also fuel growth. The long-term prospects for business aviation are solid and we expect the industry to reach new heights in Africa in the next 20 years.”

Roman Stampoulis, UAS Senior Operations Manager, elaborated, “We have been providing trip support services for almost 15 years, and that’s given us time to forge relationships with suppliers and aviation authorities worldwide. In a place like Africa, everything is about whom you know. Unless you know the right people, it’s really hard to get the job done.

The ‘right people’ means the aviation authorities you can contact for last-minute permits or to verify requirements first-hand as information becomes available;

The UAS representatives in Europe work with the company’s staff in Africa, Asia and the Americas to ensure that their clients get local support when flying into and out of these regions.

“We have representatives in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and two in the UK,” said Jay Ammar Husary, Senior Director Operations & Sales, who oversees the company’s day-to-day operations. “For our clients who have international operations and need support from Europe to any other location worldwide– we’ve got them covered. We also invest in the local communities through sponsorships of events or community sports teams.”

UAS also helps the world community. “In December 2013, European operators reached out to UAS for safe evacuation of citizens from South Sudan,” Jay Ammar Husary related. “We arranged over 15 evacuation flights from Juba to EU countries. We deployed security to escort foreign nationals, secured vehicles for transportation and full aircraft security to ensure that everyone got home safely.

We help in any kind of situation, and have done [humanitarian operations] in Libya and the Philippines as well.”

Stampoulis said, “European clients are used to a high level of service and, unfortunately, service levels are not standardized in this industry. Something as simple as catering can become an issue.” While it is easy to get catering for a private aircraft

from a five-star hotel or private chef in Europe, this can be a challenge when traveling within Africa. “We investigate what type of catering is available at the airport. Is it VIP- or airlinestyle?” Stampoulis explained.

“Then we decide if it’s better to obtain catering from a hotel or the airport,” he said. “We need to ensure that our passengers’ dietary restrictions are met, which means sometimes we have our own representative in the kitchen with the chef, making a customized meal just for our customers. Walking into a restaurant kitchen is not a common occurrence. You have to be known in the local community and you need someone who speaks the language and can relay the urgency of the situation. It’s incredible how something as simple as catering

No matter the lead time, no matter the complexity of the request, we work overtime to get the job done! We have you covered!

Jay Husary, UAS Senior Director Operations and Sales

The Owners and the History of UAS International Trip Support UAS International Trip Support was founded in 2000 by four aviation enthusiasts with a vision to expand their Middle-East operations to a global enterprise providing international trip support services to places no one had serviced before.

Omar and Mohammed Husary, brothers from a family of pioneers in aviation, met Mamoun Milli, a long-time advocate of business aviation. Mike had already acquired some 15 years of aviation experience and in 2000, Milli and the Husary brothers, teamed up with Mohsen Felo, a businessman and entrepreneur, to establish UAS International Trip Support.

Six months after its establishment, UAS was acknowledged as the “fastest growing aviation company in the Aviation Industry” by the Institute of Transport Management. Within three years, the company was doing so well that the four equal co-owners decided to establish the company’s Middle-East headquarters in Dubai and start operating globally. In 2010, UAS started to aggressively pursue its growth plans by opening offices worldwide. Two years later, UAS was recognized as one of “5 Companies to Watch in 2013” by Aviation Business magazine. The company opened its headquarters for the Americas in Houston, Texas, in October 2013 and within a year launched its African headquarters in Johannesburg, and a regional office in Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya. Each of UAS’s headquarters–Houston, Johannesburg and Dubai –has an in-house operations center.

Today UAS has regional headquarters in strategic cities worldwide, and is fully equipped to service any location across the globe, including the most challenging and remote stations. n

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT PREPARED FOR UAS BY AIN PUBLICATIONS • EBACE 2014

can become so complicated.”

UAS has an entire department dedicated to providing one-on-one consultative services, working closely with clients in providing a pre-flight report outlining the details of the flight operation, weather briefing, fuel and travel scheduling, and ultimately a full-trip cost estimate. “I think this is the primary reason our clients enjoy a seamless travel experience with us,” said Katarina Kondulova, Manager Trip Planning–Client Relations.

“We want our clients to be able to analyze their trip and costs upfront and make an informed decision.”

She said this is particularly relevant for their European clients. “They have high expectations, whether it’s about catering, VIP lounge preferences, hotel accommodations and so on.” It’s also important to set realistic expectations. “It is better to under-promise and over-deliver than vice versa,” said Kondulova. “In Africa a lot of the services are basic. By having a thorough pre-flight consultation, we know exactly

Customers Speak Out “UAS has always managed to obtain landing and over-flight permits, handling and fuel confirmations for our flights to Africa. Even if we make the request with 48-hour notice, and it is outside CAA operating hours, they still manage to get us our permits and confirmation. Their turnaround time is noteworthy.”

Commercial Director, White Airways

UAS opened its new African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, in March. ­Wynand Meyer (third from the right), shown here with his key employees, is the ­company’s newly appointed Regional Director, Africa.

what our client expects. Then we start negotiating through our network of local agents and representatives, finding a compromise that can meet the client’s expectation or surpass it.”

Why Local Staff Is Important in Africa Trip planning problems can occur frequently in Africa.

Stampoulis recalled a situation in which a client requested flight support service with another trip support provider, who had failed to arrange parking for the

How UAS Helps Clients Overcome Unusual Operating Challenges “We think outside the box to get the job done,” said Jay Ammar Husary, UAS Senior Director Operations & Sales. “We invest in training and education with our staff in Africa so they and our agents can deliver the service and safety that our European clients expect. We go the extra mile by consulting with the client to prior to any commitment. By doing so we minimize the risk of running into challenges in Africa.”

Husary said they look at their customers’ requirements and ­discuss things like: • Can we operate to that airport considering your aircraft and airport/runway specification?

• Can we provide alternative fuel stops in the event that there is a shortage?

• Is this really the most optimal route possible?

• Can we make this flight shorter to save on fuel?

• Are there better tech-stop options that will save money or provide better ground handling?

• What foreseeable issues may arise and how can they be remedied in advance?

client’s aircraft and provided outdated information on parking restrictions in Uganda. “I cannot express to you how often this happens due to the communication infrastructure,” Stampoulis said. As it happened, the client contacted UAS. “Using our knowledge, local resources and existing relationship with the authorities, we were able to resolve this issue within two hours,” he said. “We learned the hard way a long time ago, and we never take published information at face value. We go the extra mile and speak with the civil aviation authority to ensure that the information we have is the latest updated regulation.” UAS also handles large groups, which create their own set of problems.

“During one pre-trip consultation, we realized that the destination airport in South Africa did not have passenger stairs for the type of aircraft that would be used for the flight,” Kondulova recalled. “We had to source the required equipment from another airport, allocate staff to move it and position it at the destination airport. Our client would have been delayed for hours had he landed and those passenger stairs were not available.” o

“I cannot say enough good things about the incredible support that we get from UAS. You managed to get four over-flight permits on short notice for our private flight to India– incredible work, thank you so much. We understand that such efforts involved the after-hours process of agents proceeding to the homes of officials to secure such permits and are extremely grateful for such efforts.”

BBJ Lead Pilot

“Since the very beginning of our cooperation with UAS it has been evident that our partner has a winning mix of skills and capabilities: wide expertise, modern tools, honest, personalized approach to the business and strong worldwide presence. In today’s environment, where lead-in time for the flight programs we operate are tight and flexibility is crucial, it is easy to say that UAS usually delivers services surpassing the most optimistic scenarios. There are very few companies in service providers arena that follow and understand the changes aviation business is going through–UAS is certainly one of them.”

General Manager, Comlux Aviation

“We would like to thank you all for the hard work and planning you carried out for our ferry flight from South Africa to Algeria. The trip was an absolute pleasure due to your expertise. At every stop the handlers were prompt, efficient and friendly, even to the point of sourcing us tools. The accommodation was also fantastic. It really made our job easy and enjoyable, under what could have been very difficult circumstances. Thank you all once again.”

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING INSERT PREPARED FOR UAS BY AIN PUBLICATIONS • ABACE EBACE 2014

Captain & Crew

What Is Covered Under CorporateCare?

Rolls-Royce investing heavily in worldwide support services

by Ian Sheppard With sales of the aircraft it powers powers the Cessna Citation X and the going so well, Rolls-Royce (Booth 5855) Embraer Legacy family; and the Tay has been working hard to enhance its 611-8/8C, which powers smaller and earsupport offering, from the network of lier Gulstream models.

“CorporateCare is a comprehensive authorized service centers to its AOG fixed-wing engine program for new and support and parts stocks.

AIN spoke with Steve Friedrich, in-service engines that completely transfers the risk of maintenance R-R’s vice president sales and from the operators and aligns marketing, civil small and the interests of the manufacmedium engines, just before turer and the operator,” said EBACE. He has been workFriedrich. There are more than ing to strengthen the UK man1,500 aircraft worldwide in the ufacturer’s CorporateCare program and more than 70 package, which was launched percent of aircraft are signed in 2002 and built on the powerup for CorporateCare. by-the hour support concept Helping to make the propioneered by the company in Steve Friedrich gram a must-have is contin1962 for the Viper engine that uous expansion of what is included. powered the Hawker-Siddeley HS125.

Over the past 10 years two aspects “We’re enhancing service delivery, growin particular have developed–one being ing the service center network from nine engine health monitoring and another at the start of 2012 to 54 by the end of being global support. The main engines 2013 and we’ll have more than 70 by it supports these days are: the BR725 2015”–all third-party companies that that powers the fast-selling Gulfstream are company-authorized service cenG650 (and the BR710 on other long- ters. “Our growth is global,” said Friedrange Gulfstreams); the AE3007, which rich. “We’re also making sure we have

Under its CorporateCare program, Rolls-Royce provides the following coverage for AE3007, BR710/725 and Tay 611-8/8c engines: • All regular scheduled shop visit costs (labor and materials); • Unscheduled shop visit costs for non-FOD events; • Loaner engines during scheduled or unscheduled shop visits; • Removal and reinstallation labor for operator and loaner engines; • Transportation to and from overhaul shop for operator and loaner engines; • Inclusion of all airworthiness directives; • Inclusion of all recommended service bulletins at shop visit;

people geographically dispersed and spare parts pre-positioned.”

Another thing Rolls has done in response to customer feedback is enhance the support desk service it offers so it is not just a “tactical help desk,” but an operator service desk, available 24/7/365. “We have also pre-positioned spare engines around the world and our lease engine pool continues to grow,” said Friedrich.

Rolls-Royce’s upgraded support desk involves a large control room and, while it has been focused mainly on airline operators (its Trent engines), the business aviation community is now getting similar treatment. Friedrich said, “We’ve improved protocols and efficiency, with accountability and communications with our teams globally.

• Annual training course at Rolls-Royce U.S. facility for one individual; • Annual technical publications revision service; • Engine trend monitoring service; • Spare parts; • Worldwide recovery of engine suffering an unscheduled event (excluding FOD); • Line replaceable unit repair/exchange service including removal and repair labor; • Scheduled borescope inspection labor; • Line maintenance labor for A and C checks (BR725 only); • Alternative lift (BR725 only).

“We’ve improved AOG response times and recently opened a new parts distribution center in Los Angeles for BR710 and BR725 parts–and we’re opening more throughout the world,” he added.

In conclusion, Friedrich said, “We think that we’ve been very adept at listening to our customer base and providing for their needs–but we will continue to look at enhancements,” noting that even those not in CorporateCare get the same level of service–“they just pay more for it.” Ultimately, this can hit residual values too, as Friedrich confirmed: “Several brokers, consultants and appraisers out there have told us you’d be crazy not to have CorporateCare.” When it comes to $60 million aircraft, you’d think it was a no-brainer. o

HALL 5 – BOOTH 2025 Aero-Dienst GmbH & Co. KG | Nuremberg | Germany | www.aero-dienst.de

1 26RZ_AZ_AIN_254x165_4c_160414e.indd EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

22.04.14 08:40

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Global 5000 aircraft image provided courtesy of Bombardier inc.

New UTC module delivers aircraft data to mobile devices

UTC Aerospace Systems’ electronic flight bag (EFB) family, which includes the SmartDisplay G700 series, tablet interface module (TIM) and aircraft interface device (AID).

by Matt Thurber EBACE attendees are invited to bring their mobile devices to the UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) stand (Booth 3829) for a live demonstration of the company’s ­tablet interface module (TIM). The demo emulates a real flight by piping in simulated flight data through the TIM, which is mounted both in a UTC VIP seat and in a typical flight deck configuration. Visitors can plug their mobile device into the TIM’s USB interface to see how their apps

UTC Aerospace Systems’ tablet interface module (TIM) installed on a Boeing 737NG wirelessly connected to Apple iPad operating Jeppesen’s Mobile FliteDeck Pro application.

display the live flight data and also stick around for a free battery top-off courtesy of UTAS. “We encourage people to come to the booth and connect to the system,” said Bill Baumgarten, UTAS subject matter expert for EFB solutions.

UTAS is a long-established manufacturer of FAA- and EASA-certified electronic flight bags (EFBs), but after the advent of Apple’s iPad and the rapid growth of mobile devices, the market for EFBs shifted. In the business jet segment, Baumgarten said, the adoption rate of tablets is near 100 percent, while commercial airlines tend to favor certified EFBs, at a ratio of about 80 percent EFBs to 20 percent tablets. To serve the needs of the tablet-toting market, UTAS developed a new product line–the TIM–which connects tablets to aircraft systems data.

“We wanted a way of converting that tablet from just an e-reader into something that was useful,” he said.

The TIM is about the size of a deck of cards, and three users can hook up to each TIM, one via USB and two via Bluetooth. To deliver aircraft data to the TIM, UTAS offers the aircraft interface device (AID), which is usually mounted in the electronics bay. One AID, about the size of two iPads stacked together and weighing less than 2.5 pounds, can support up to six TIMs and it connects to the TIMs via Ethernet cable.

The AID gathers information from aircraft systems and makes it available to the TIM or provides it directly to a certified EFB installed in the aircraft. This can include precise position from onboard GPS, FMS and air-data

information, data from aircraft systems and even maintenance data that can be used for troubleshooting problems.

The certified AID acts as a firewall between aircraft systems and devices like the TIM and prevents any device from gaining unauthorized access to the aircraft’s networks and systems. The TIM has onboard storage and can record systems data–and thus acts as a low cost quick-access recorder for flight operational quality assurance programs. The AID has up to 16 Arinc 429 inputs, one each RSS422/485 and RSS232 inputs and 16 discrete inputs. The AID also offers storage in CompactFlash solidstate format.

Real-time Data Transfer

The AID can also connect to onboard communications systems such as ACARS and satcom and can be equipped with GSM (cellular) and Wi-Fi capability.

Thus the AID can be set up to automatically or manually send aircraft data while airborne in real-time for maintenance or flight-tracking purposes, or flight log and

Pilatus opens the PC-24 sales pipeline Today marks the official launch of aircraft purchase agreements for the Pilatus PC-24 twinjet, which was unveiled at EBACE 2013 on May 21 last year. The company is officially signing agreements with launch customers here at its EBACE display, where visitors can get a taste of the PC-24’s interior in the full-scale mockup of the new jet.

The $8.9 million (2017 economic terms) PC-24 will offer a new category to the business aviation market, according to Pilatus, which labels the PC-24 as a “super versatile jet.”

The flat-floor cabin seats six to eight passengers in a large ­volume of 501 cu ft. Range is 1,950 nm (NBAA IFR reserves, 100-nm alternate) and high-speed cruise speed is 425 ktas at FL300. Extra versatility comes from the PC-24’s large cargo door and ability to land on ­unimproved runways.

Rollout of the first PC-24 is scheduled for August 1 at the Pilatus factory in Stans, Switzerland, with first flight planned by the end of this year and certification and entry into service in early 2017. –M.T.

28 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

other data can be transmitted via GSM or Wi-Fi once on the ground.

For passengers using a TIM mounted in the cabin or in a seat, the module provides device charging via USB and options such as control of the seat, local heating and cooling as well as a hookup to the AID for displaying aircraft position on the passenger’s device and communication with the flight crew. “Some customers have asked for a TIM in the cabin for cabin crew using handheld devices,” said Baumgarten. There are also applications for the military and for helicopter operators.

UTAS has received supplemental type certificates (STCs) for installation of the AID and TIM in a variety of aircraft, including Airbus and Boeing models and regional jets. The first business jet installation is under way on a UTAS Global Express, and the company plans to seek approved model list certification for multiple business jets and commercial transports, which will lower the cost of installation.

The advantage of installing the AID is that it can deliver data to both EFBs and TIMs, so an operator could, for example, start with an AID and TIM then add a UTAS SmartDisplay EFB later for an end-to-end certified system. “It’s a nice range of solutions depending on what the customer wants today or in the future,” Baumgarten said. “Some are happy with just the iPad, and we fully embrace that.”

Another advantage for the AID/EFB installation is that the EFB offers cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI), which can combine traffic information from TCAS, ADS-B in and TIS-B on a single display. CDTI runs on applications developed by ACSS and Honeywell, according to Baumgarten, although UTAS wrote the middleware software that facilitates CDTI functionality and runs on the AID and EFB. UTAS systems are installed on some United Airlines and American Airlines airplanes that are currently participating in FAA NextGen trials, including in-trail procedure “ADS-B-enabled climbs and descents through altitudes where current non-ADS-B separation standards would prevent desirable altitude changes,” according to UTAS. o

Bahrain Airshow logs $2.1B in sales

by Peter Shaw-Smith After the third running of the Bahrain International Airshow this past January was hailed as a success by its organizers, preparations are already being made for the next event

in 2016. Hopes are high that it can surpass commercial deals of around $2.1 billion–the 2014 figure that was more than double that of 2012.

Organizers the Ministry of

Transportation and the Royal Bahraini Air Force, together with Farnborough International Ltd., said more than 100 international and domestic companies attended the show, as well

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The 2014 Bahrain International Airshow static display attracted 89 aircraft and some 50,000 visitors.

as 29 military delegations from 18 countries and 106 civil aviation officials from 17 countries.

Some 89 aircraft participated in the static display and a total of 106 aircraft took part in the show. Roughly 30,000 visitors attended the trade show and there were more than 20,000 ­visitors to the public event.

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30 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

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Major deals signed at the show included the sale of 16 Bombardier CSeries CS300 jets to new airline Saudi Gulf, which is owned by the local Al Qahtani Group and is expected to be the country’s fourth domestic carrier, plus a new agreement regarding the construction of Khartoum International Airport, Sudan.

Day three of the airshow saw a visit from King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and his personal representative and head of the BIAS organizing committee, Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.

Speaking about the deals at the end-of-show press conference, the Minister of Transportation and acting chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, said, “It’s been a successful three days here at the Bahrain International Airshow…We are delighted that regional and international companies are choosing Bahrain to make their announcements and conduct their business. We hope to build on this for future airshows, as the event plays a key role in supporting our attributes as a hub for business in the region.”

Dates for the Bahrain International Airshow 2016 have been confirmed as January 21 to 23. It will again take place at the Sakhir Air Base, in a purpose-built venue adjacent to the Bahraini Royal Family’s private runway. The venue will offer fivestar, invitation-only chalets. o

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JCB Aero EXPANDS ITS HORIZONS, BRINGS FRENCH FLAIR TO INTERIORS As it pushes to expand in Europe and at its new Arkansas facility, JCB Aero is here at EBACE exhibiting custom-finished furniture with metal accents and, to demonstrate its growing capabilities, a mockup of the front section of a business jet, comprising a galley and a lounge.

In recent deliveries, Auch, France-based JCB (Booth 6350) counts its first two sets of furniture for Dassault Falcon 7Xs. “We designed the furniture on specification, manufactured it in our Auch workshop and installed it at Dassault’s Mérignac factory,” sales director Pierre Mandelli told AIN. He said there are more on order and he stressed that JCB performs only some of the completions done in Mérignac, which represent a fraction of Falcon completions (most are done in Little Rock, Arkansas).

Mandelli estimates JCB will supply furniture for three or four Falcon 7Xs per year and he hopes the company will be selected to work on Dassault’s upcoming Falcon M1000 (now designated Falcon 8X).

Recent refurbishment projects have included providing furnishings for a VIP Boeing 747 lounge, toilet and bedroom on behalf of a Swiss completion center, whose customer was a Middle-Eastern owner, Mandelli said.

Separately, Embraer’s service center at Paris Le Bourget airport has tasked JCB with revarnishing the furniture of a Legacy 600.

This year, JCB will refurbish an entire Boeing 757 cabin, configured as a 50-seat corporate shuttle. “We will replace all soft materials, from nose to tail,” Mandelli explained. The

aircraft’s downtime in Auch is estimated at three months, and will follow two-and-a-half months of engineering.

JCB also provides furnishings for rotorcraft and is supplying Airbus Helicopters with lining panels for the EC175’s cabin, in offshore configuration. The panels are fitted with lighting and noise-dampening material. They are designed for easy installation so that it just takes two hours for two technicians to plug them into an EC175, Mandelli said.

In related news, JCB has established a spinoff company in the U.S., called Beaudet Aviation. Located in Arkansas, the company expects it will be the same size as the Auch facility in three years. JCB Aero currently employs 150 in France (including 20 temporary staff) and 20 in the U.S. –T.D.

One of JCB Aero’s special skills is creating wood furniture with metal inclusions, such as this table (left) and these partition walls (right).

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AgustaWestland enjoys steady growth in Europe

by Matt Thurber

Daniele Romiti,CEO of AgustaWestland, has been pleased with European orders.

including orders from offshore, VIP/corporate and parapublic operators. In Europe, about 250 AgustaWestland helicopters are in corporate service and that number is closer to 300 when previous versions of the A109 and license-produced versions are included.

Sales activity in Europe has been highest in the light-twin segment. Nearly 70 percent of orders were for the AW109 Power and Grand/Grand New models. The AW139 intermediate helicopter stands at about 50 orders. “We are sure the AW169 will experience a steady growth as approximately 30 percent of sales for all commercial applications for the type have already been got in Europe,” a company spokesman said. While VIP/corporate applications are the most popular use of the A109 Power and Grand/Grand New models, operators are also flying these

models in law enforcement and aeromedical operations. “Swiss SAR service provider Rega with its fleet of Da Vinci helicopters is a clear example of this,” the spokesman told AIN. New Models, New Roles

The newest A109 version, the A109 Trekker, will extend the utility capabilities of the light-twin even further. And European operators have also found growing applications for the AW139 for VIP/corporate, offshore and public utility operations. Meanwhile, AgustaWestland expects that the AW189 super-medium helicopter will be attractive for VIP customers needing longer range and a larger cabin.

“This would further expand the more significant presence it has already achieved for offshore and SAR operations,” said the spokesman.

In Europe, AgustaWestland (Booth 6629) is seeing growth in both the commercial and military markets. The AW189 is being delivered for the UK SAR program, in a shift from a militarybased service to civilian operation.

Norway has selected the AW101 for its SAR requirement.

Meanwhile leasing companies are playing a growing part in ordering AgustaWestland helicopters for a variety of roles.

Also important for the European market are customer support and training activities.

AgustaWestland has expanded training capabilities at its training academy in Sesto Calende, Italy. In Zurich, a new GrandNew full-flight simulator is operating under an agreement with Swiss Aviation Training.

And in Zaventem, Belgium the company opened a new repair and overhaul facility.

Possibly AgustaWestland’s most challenging product, the AW609 tiltrotor continues to make progress, with prototype number three currently being assembled. The first two proto­types have exceeded 1,000 hours of flight testing and also achieved completion of flight envelope expansion trials during 2013 and this year. A major campaign also completed during the flight testing was autorotation trials. According to the spokesman, “The concurrent industrialization phase of

MARK WAGNER

AgustaWestland arrived at EBACE 2014 with a GrandNew light-twin-engine helicopter and also brought a scale mockup of the exclusive VIP interior in the new AW169 lightintermediate twin. The GrandNew has secured more than 330 orders by 200-plus customers in nearly 40 countries.

AgustaWestland’s presence in the European market, which accounts for about 60 percent of the Italian company’s total annual revenue, has been strengthened in particular by new-generation helicopters such as the AW169, AW139 and AW189. That chunk of revenue is comprised of both civil and military business and includes several “crucial contracts” signed between 2013 and 2014, according to the company,

AgustaWestland has done well in Europe with its light twin AW109 models, such as this Grand New on display at EBACE 2014.

the AW609 is also taking shape across the AgustaWestland network and associated supply chain, with new equipment and tooling being acquired to guarantee existing orders can start to be fulfilled immediately after FAA type certification. The AW609 will be important for the unprecedented contribution it can give to reshape the way the whole rotorcraft community means vertical lift in the

civil market. And we’re investigating into new generation of tiltrotor concepts as ideal solutions for European programs in the framework of the Clean Sky 2 initiative.”

At the AgustaWestland display, the AW169 interior, shown here in mockup form, was “developed in the framework of the ‘Flydeas for the City’ initiative launched in Milan earlier this spring,” according to

Blackhawk, JSSI team on PT6A upgrade plan

by R. Randall Padfield If you own or operate a King Air 90 or 200, a Piper Cheyenne I, II or IIXL or a Cessna Conquest I, Caravan 208 or 208B, you now can obtain upgraded Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engines that are also covered by an hourly cost maintenance program.

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI, Booth 606) and Blackhawk Modifications (Booth 2237) have entered a strategic alliance that gives JSSI customers that are operating these airplanes the opportunity to obtain new PT6A upgrades from Blackhawk at prices competitive with an overhaul of the engine.

Conversely, Blackhawk’s existing and future customers can now be covered by JSSI’s engine maintenance program.

Blackhawk’s engine upgrades offer new-engine reliability, current-generation build specifications with latest service bulletin status, higher available horsepower, improved cruise speeds

and more efficient fuel consumption at higher available altitudes. “There comes a time in the maintenance history of a turboprop aircraft that upgrading to new engines can be a wiser choice than overhauling existing ones,” said Kevin Thomas, senior vice president of business development and strategic planning at JSSI. “The expected benefits of improved performance and reliability available with PT6A new-engine upgrades from Blackhawk provide an attractive option for many of our PT6A hourly cost maintenance program customers.”

Jim Allmon, Blackhawk’s president and CEO, said, “Many of our PT6A new-engine customers are already existing JSSI customers or have expressed strong interest in becoming one. That’s why Blackhawk is so enthusiastic about this new JSSI/Blackhawk agreement.” Blackhawk Modifications will complete its 500th engine conversion in 2014.

AgustaWestland. The interior and special paint scheme were designed by the Lanzavecchia+Wai Design Studio, which based its design on concepts culled from various nations and “design sectors not strictly related to aerospace.” The result is a four-seat interior incorporating advanced materials and an optimization of the available internal space and flight experience, the com­ pany noted. o Separately, JSSI is recognizing longstanding customers as part of its celebration of 25 years in business. Here at EBACE 2014 it is honoring Dannys Famin, chairman and CEO of Unijet, headquartered in Le Bourget, France.

“Shortly after JSSI was launched in the U.S. in 1989, there was great interest in our program coverage throughout Europe,” recalled Neil Book, JSSI president and CEO. “Unijet was one of the very first JSSI customers in Europe, and its aircrafts’ engines are still enrolled on our program after more than 20 years.”

Famin, an active business aviation advocate in Europe, is a member of the board of governors for the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).

He will be recognized as the longest-active European customer at JSSI’s EBACE booth tomorrow afternoon.

JSSI global headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois, while its European headquarters is located in Farnborough, UK. It also has regional offices in Hong Kong, Dubai and Rio de Janeiro. o

www.ainonline.com • May 20, 2014 • EBACE Convention News 33

EU ETS is a ‘failure’ rather than a solution

by Nick Klenske

Business Aviation

Business aviation has always been opposed to the EU ETS, with the NBAA going so far as to label it an “onerous and unnecessary tax that severely harms the industry and limits the economic benefits it provides.”

This is not to say the sector is opposed to the regulation’s fundamental goal of reducing aircraft emissions. According to the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the sector has a long track record of improving fuel efficiency–delivering a 40-percent improvement over the past 40 years. As a result, business aviation’s current global carbon emissions are estimated at 2 percent of all aviation related emissions and a mere .04 percent of all man-made carbon emissions worldwide.

Even with these telling numbers, industry associations are not willing to stop because the industry gets scant recognition for its technical achievements.

Instead, they have committed to reaching carbon-neutral growth by 2020, improving fuel efficiency by an average of 2 percent per year through 2020 and reducing total carbon emissions by 2050 to half of what they were in 2005.

So what’s the issue?

“As it currently stands, the EU ETS is a failure,” EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba told AIN.

“What was originally intended to be a simple and fair tool was transformed into a discriminatory and complex regulation incapable of delivering its intended benefits.”

Anti-ETS Bill

Initially slated to go into effect in November 2012, under the weight of increasing international pressure, European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard announced a one-year freeze of its application to flights originating outside European airspace.

Although a welcomed reprise, the delay did little to quiet international furor. Just days later the U.S. House of Representatives passed its antiETS bill, subsequently signed by President Obama on Nov. 27, 2012. The bill specifically barred all U.S. airlines from participating in the EU ETS. Soon after, China, Russia and India followed the U.S. lead by passing similar measures of their own.

A year later, in October 2013, during its 38th Triennial Assembly, ICAO met with the intent to issue its own international aviation emissions policy. The measure, which was accepted by 185 member states, included such key points as calling on all global

What It Means for Bizav

In reaction to the ICAO developments, the European Commission did issue some amendments to the ETS, including limiting its scope to the segments of international flights taking place within European airspace, exemptions for small

operators and changes to the monitoring, reporting and verification requirements.

In March this year, the European Parliament voted 458 to 120 in favor of postponing until 2017 the date of the EU ETS application to long-haul flights originating or arriving in the EU (even though a prior vote by the European Parliament’s Environmental Committee rejected the postponement). In effect, at least with respect to how the EU ETS applies to international operators, the issue is now solely in the hands of ICAO. That being said, as the international aviation community patiently awaits the ICAO proposal, as of January 1, the EU ETS went into effect for European operators. However, the EBAA is quick to note the revised regulation provides some very positive benefits for those affected. Perhaps most notable of these benefits is the acceptance of Eurocontrol’s ETS support facility calculations without the need for additional verification by a third party.

“The EBAA has been a proponent of a simplified means of compliance with the scheme whereby the business aviation fleet can be fully accountable for its emissions, but with a proportionate system of monitoring, reporting and verification,” said Gabriel Destremaut, EBAA’s manager of political affairs. “The ETS support facility is an efficient tool to estimate fuel consumption that has been approved by the European Commission.”

The ETS support facility is a comprehensive integrated solution with individual flight database records. It is designed for ETS follow-up and compliance in order to support aircraft operators, verifiers, service companies acting on behalf of aircraft operators and ETS competent authorities. It includes the small emitter’s tool, which is Eurocontrol’s fuel consumption and carbon dioxide estimation tool.

Destremaut notes that all information supplied to the support facility by users is considered verified–a significant improvement from the previous and cumbersome obligation for small emitters to use the services of a recognized verifier.

The revised regulation also includes new exemptions for noncommercial operators with a total maximum annual emission of 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. The exemption runs through Dec. 31, 2020.

“It should be noted that aircraft operators will benefit from the exemption only if they emit less than 1,000 tons of CO2 based on the full scope of the EU ETS,” said Destremaut. “However, in practice, this means an estimated 2,000 business aviation operators are now exempt.” o To learn more about the EU ETS during your visit to EBACE, be sure to join the session Emissions Trading–Toward a Global Market-Based Measure: State of Play, scheduled today from 2:15 to 3:45 in Hall 3, Room Q. –Ed.

business as usual Set-up for EBACE barely caused a ripple in the usual traffic here in Geneva. An easyJet flight departs in the background as cleaners polish the Special Missions King Air demonstrator on the static display line.

34 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

DAVID McINTOSH

Although the intentions were good, rolling out the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) to international aviation has backfired spectacularly. The program is a cornerstone of the European Union’s policy to combat climate change and the key tool for reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective manner.

ETS operates as a “cap-andtrade” plan in which it allocates a total amount of certain greenhouse gases that can be admitted by a particular sector–with the cap being gradually reduced over time so as to lower total emissions. Under this cap, companies can receive or buy emission allowances that they can trade with each other.

At the close of a year, a company must surrender enough allowances to cover all its emissions. Failure to do so subjects them to hefty fines.

governments to focus on accelerating technological development (including sustainable alternative fuels), infrastructure modernization and more efficient operational procedures as a proactive approach to achieving long-term carbon emission reductions. The ICAO measure also calls for the use of market-based mechanisms to provide incentives for emission reductions. Of particular interest to business aviation was the measure’s aim to incorporate potential exemptions for small operators.

At the time, NBAA’s Ed Bolen said of the measures: “Although far from perfect and certainly not everything the business aviation community has worked for, it promotes an international dialogue that is focused on simple, more workable measures for addressing aircraft emissions–measures that can be built around various types and sizes of operators.”

The meeting concluded with the establishment of working groups, whose work product will be proposed for adoption in 2016 during the ICAO’s next triennial meeting. If adopted, the measures will be implemented by 2020.

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‘Biggin on the Bump’ aims to increase traffic

by Ian Goold In a recent re-branding, London Biggin Hill Airport hopes “business,” “travel” and “community” will become perceived values of its operations, according to business development director Robert Walters. A new logo, adorning EBACE Booth 5146, depicts an executive jet silhouette against the background of a Royal Air Force roundel “as a nod” to the airfield’s fame as a Battle of Britain aerodrome in 1940.

Today, more than 60 businesses are housed at Biggin Hill, which claims an unrivaled choice of transport modes–road, rail, or air–for business customers flying into the UK capital city (with London Heliport approximately six minutes away).

The airfield competes for traffic with Farnborough, Luton and Stansted airports–all four are marketed with the “London” prefix (as indeed are the much further afield Oxford and Southend Airports), although only Biggin Hill is inside the city’s M25 orbital motorway.

The rebranding is accompanied by back-office development of business plans to make Biggin “the business airport for London,” said managing director Will Curtis, who was appointed last year after a career in business-aircraft management and charter in the UK, Switzerland and the Gulf with operators such as Goldair, Rizon Jet and Perfect Aviation.

The airport also has introduced customer-service management to integrate executivehandling activity with related passenger and terminal operations. Courtesy and service are seen as key ways to attract regular London business-aircraft operators from competing airports.

“Good” and “not so good” monthly performances in the first quarter of the year have yielded a 3-percent increase in Biggin Hill aircraft movements over 2013’s first three months, according to Walters, who reports a much larger 10-percent growth in heavier aircraft weighing more than 20,000 kg (44,100 pounds).

“The mid-size [sector] is not performing as well [and there are also] inconsistent traffic flows that are very hard to predict,” he said.

Nevertheless, the airport is seeing “strong” demand for hangar space, with five contracts signed in a recent sixweek period. Walters suggests that the arrival of long-range Gulfstream G650s at Biggin Hill has helped to expand the range of available destinations.

Among airport tenants, global network Signature Flight Support recently acquired the Biggin Hill fixed-base operation assets of Jets, which continues to provide aircraft maintenance services and is about to launch an AOG (aircraft-onground) engineering team. There are two other FBOs at Biggin Hill:

Continued investment in facilities at London Biggin Hill Airport includes planned installation of an all-weather GPS precision approach to enhance accessibility. This could increase traffic by as much as 10 percent, according to business development director Robert Walters (pictured right).

the in-house BQH handling unit, which handles almost 60 percent of flights, and Rizon Jet. Additional companies include helicopter operator Castle Air, which this month became an AgustaWestland AW139 authorized service center, and RAS Completions, which is approved for Gulfstream painting and refurbishment work. Walters said he hopes resident MRO companies can attract maintenanceapproval authorization from Embraer and Gulfstream. Base maintenance is already available for certain Dassault Falcon and Bombardier Global Express and Challenger models.

Continued investment in facilities includes planned installation of an all-weather GPS precision approach to Runway 3, which the airport hopes to see in place by year-end. Officials believe the enhanced accessibility could

increase traffic by as much as 10 percent. “We need to lay the foundation for future investment to make the airport as safe and accessible as possible,” said Walters.

As part of Biggin Hill’s strategic development plan, the airport this month launched a customerrelationship management program to enable crew and passengers to comment on facilities and services, while a new Wi-Fi system accessible in the terminal and on the ramp is to be extended later this year to cover the whole airport and capture feedback from all customers and tenants.

Biggin Hill believes it is the first UK business aviation airport to integrate safety- and qualitymanagement systems alongside customer services introduced to comply with European Aviation Safety Agency requirements.

Work also has recommenced on plans to erect a 76-room

airport hotel, for which planning permission was obtained five years ago. The airport is looking for hotel operator and funding partners. Finally, with Oxford and another unspecified airport, Biggin Hill has successfully petitioned for judicial review of UK government plans to permit expanded business-aircraft operations at RAF Northolt, a military airfield near London that is not subject to civil-aviation safety requirements. o

tall tails

DAVID McINTOSH

A wide mix of aircraft classes and types is what business aviation is all about. From widebodies to light pistons, all have their significant roles.

Business jets deliver top performance under the best and worst weather conditions. In return, they receive pampered treatment on the ground, such as this crew installing engine inlet covers on the EBACE static display line.

36 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

MARK WAGNER

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Jetcraft sales soar after ExecuJet broker team added

by Matt Thurber After acquiring ExecuJet Aviation’s aircraft brokerage operation last year, Jetcraft (Static Display) has become a worldwide business-aircraft sales, acquisition and trading company with nearly $1 billion in listed aircraft and a large

team of brokers spread around key global markets.

“We were a small friendly little brokerage,” said Andrew Hoy, Jetcraft senior vice president-EMEA and former ExecuJet Aircraft Trading managing

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director. “We started as a joint-venture then got married on the first of February”–which was when the two companies’ brokerage organizations were formally integrated.

With six ExecuJet team members moving to Jetcraft, the combined brokerage now employs 20 senior sales executives and 20 sales, technical and marketing support staff based in 19 offices on six continents.

The ExecuJet team sold about 20 aircraft per year, Hoy said, and the target for the Jetcraft team is to close and deliver two aircraft per week. “We’re part of a much bigger network,” he said. “We’re not too far away [from the target] now, we’re close to that number.”

Hoy is encouraged to see sales pick- Jetcraft’s Avionics Systems recently received an ing up in stronger markets such as the STC for aftermarket installation of Elbit-Kollsman’s AT-HUD advanced technology head-up display (above) U.S. and Europe. “Right now I see and EVS-II infrared camera in a Challenger 604. the U.S. as the strongest economy for buying business jets. The wave of con- range map, which graphically depicts typfidence in the U.S. is going to come to ical NBAA IFR range performance for Europe next year.” While sales in China various aircraft types. Selecting the airare dropping off, he added, they are craft type, departure point and destinabuilding elsewhere, such as the Mid- tion outputs a map that shows how far dle East and Africa. “I see a very strong the chosen aircraft can fly with a typical passenger load and whether that desopportunity. People need airplanes.”

European executives, he said, are fly- tination is achievable. The JetRange map ing more and traveling worldwide to is also available via Jetcraft’s iPhone/iPad app, which mirrors the aircraft take advantage of business listings and other information opportunities. “By buying the on the company’s website.

ExecuJet team, Jetcraft is in a Jetcraft’s Avionics Sysstrong position to take share tems division pioneered afterin Europe next year,” he said. market installation of an Here at EBACE, Jetcraft enhanced flight vision system has three aircraft available (EFVS) in a business jet with for sale on the static disthe installation of Elbit-Kollsplay, including a Gulfstream man’s AT-HUD advanced G450 and Bombardier Chaltechnology head-up display lenger 850. Jetcraft doesn’t and EVS-II infrared camera specialize in only larger busiin a Challenger 604. ness jets, however. “We have Andrew Hoy The EFVS received FAA PC-12s to helicopters to BBJs Jetcraft senior v-p EMEA supplemental type certifiand ACJs,” Hoy said, “a bit of everything.” Pre-owned G550s and cation last year, allowing the EFVSGlobal jets are proliferating because equipped 604 to descend below decision owners are trading them for new G650s height in low-visibility conditions under and Global 6000s, he said, while add- the parameters of FAR 91.175. The sysing that while older jets (especially Chal- tem was installed by West Star Avialenger 601s) are getting hard to sell, the tion, which was chosen by Jetcraft to be market for GIVs remains strong. “We a HUD Vision Access sales and instalclosed two GIVs [a month] ago; people lation center. The next platforms for HUD Vision Access certification are are still buying GIVs.” Visitors to the Jetcraft chalet in the the Challenger 605 and CRJ200, and static display area can also try out the Jetcraft is seeking candidate aircraft for o company’s new JetRange interactive these STC programs.

Here at EBACE, Jetcraft has three aircraft on display for sale, including a Gulfstream G450 and Bombardier Challenger 850.

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Rockwell Collins shows cabin retrofits

by Matt Thurber Rockwell Collins unveiled two key cabin systems programs at its EBACE press conference yesterday, including expansion of the capabilities of the Tailwind 550 Direct

Broadcast Satellite TV system and introduction of a Venue HD (high-definition) retrofit for Bombardier Global jets.

The Tailwind 550 upgrade involves replacement of the

fuselage-mounted antenna with a new antenna system that improves coverage and reliability.

“Right now [coverage] is predominately in North America, but limited in Europe and the Rockwell Collins has developed a new Venue HD cabin system retrofit for Bombardier Global XRS and 5000 models.

Middle East,” said Greg Irmen, Rockwell Collins v-p and general manager, flight controls and information systems. The new antenna, a drop-in replacement for the existing one, enables improved connection to satellites over Europe and the Middle East and live streaming of highdefinition MPEG-4 content in those regions.

The new Tailwind 550 antenna is priced at about $740,000 for retrofit and forward-fit installations.

Cabin System

Also in the cabin retrofit arena, Rockwell Collins is offering its Venue-based high-definition (HD) cabin system to operators of Bombardier Global XRS and 5000 models equipped with the Rockwell Collins cabin electronic system (CES). The new Venue HD system will be available for these jets starting in mid-2015, and EBACE attendees can view a demonstration of Venue HD mounted in a cabin/ seating mockup at the Rockwell Collins exhibit (Booth 6129).

Venue HD runs on a fiberoptic backbone, which facilitates installation in all sizes of aircraft.

“It’s much lighter than copper,” Irmen said, “and has high bandwidth and is scalable because of the Ethernet aspects of fiber.”

Installation of the Venue HD upgrade is also easier because Rockwell Collins knows all of the details of the CES system that is being replaced.

For operators of smaller jets and turboprops, Rockwell Collins is offering the combined Airshow 500 and Skybox content distribution device as a solution for delivering real-time flight information and entertainment and business content to passenger devices. The list price for Airshow 500 is $15,000, and Skybox prices range from $25,000 to $35,000.

According to Rockwell Collins, “Skybox is the first airworthy solution to securely stream digital rights management Hollywood-protected content both to cabin displays and to Apple devices brought on board.” o

40 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

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Universal’s recently refurbished FBO at Paris Le Bourget offers pilots a comfortable lounge to relax in. Passengers get the same attention, but they pass through the facility very quickly.

Universal updates FBO facility in crowded Le Bourget market

by Guillaume Lecompte-Boinet Universal Aviation last month inaugurated its newly refurbished FBO at Paris Le Bourget Airport. The extensive program of improvements includes fully remodeled crew and passenger lounges, business center, meeting rooms and private screening areas. Ramp space has also been increased with the addition of 130,182 sq ft (12,094 sq m) of parking space, taking the total area to 323,000 sq ft (30,000 sq m).

The new look was developed by interior designer Adriana Hoyos, who chose

In the main reception area there is a bar and large television screen.

The layout of the FBO remains simple and functional because Universal’s main objective remains that passengers should spend minimal time in the FBO but while they are there should be able to enjoy some comfort and peace. “We a silver motif for most of the redec- want to give our customers a luxury exorated areas with the aim of creat- perience but above all they want to get ing an ambiance of calm and luxury. to their aircraft quickly,” said Sandrine “She was inspired by our FBO at Lon- Jackson, Universal’s managing director don Stansted,” said Universal Aviation’s for France. senior international vice president JonaThe FBO now features a single posithan Howells. facility conducting PleaseThe do Stansted not delete rule was border.tion It isforpart of the adpassenger design. and bagmodernized in 2012 as part of a rolling gage security checks, which is intended Half page (horizontal) 10” x 6.5” program of upgrades for the U.S.-based to simplify this process. On this basis, it group’s FBO chain. should take no longer than three minThe 1,219-sq-ft (120 sq m) main build- utes for passengers to board their airing incorporates four waiting rooms for craft. Universal handles around 6,000 passengers, with separate space for crew. movements each year at Le Bourget

and, with each aircraft carrying two or three passengers, this means between 15,000 and 18,000 passengers passing through the FBO each year.

In addition to passenger and crew rest areas, Universal’s Le Bourget location, which it has occupied for 25 years, also includes a flight operations center.

Seven years ago, Universal (Booth 6534) added a 32,292-sq-ft (3,000 sq m) hangar. Between this covered space and the large ramp area, the FBO can accommodate all sizes of private aircraft, up to airliner widebody models such as the Airbus A330/340 and the Boeing 777. More than a third of the ramp space is dedicated to widebody aircraft.

Universal’s redevelopment of its Le Bourget facility, which employs 32 people, is a direct response to the increasingly

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42 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

L U X U R Y

I N T E R I O R S

Continued on next page u

Airops update links with PrivateFly

by Curt Epstein Airops Software has just released an upgraded version of its online charter price quoting tool, which is fully integrated with global booking platform PrivateFly, allowing operators to provide automatic charter quotes. “We are delighted to offer our registered operators this enhanced new business tool,” said Jonathan Tregoiing, general manager of Airops Software.

“The alignment of both technologies makes excellent business sense for all concerned and we look forward to rolling this out.”

With the new system, Airops’ users have the ability to respond automatically to live flight requests received from PrivateFly. The quote is generated within the operator’s own system, based on aircraft availability and location, and once approved, is submitted to PrivateFly and the end customer.

“The enhanced integration with Airops gives their registered aircraft operators a more efficient way to market their availability to our clients,” said PrivateFly CEO

Adam Twidell. “Ultimately this delivers a faster response to the end user, which we know results in more charter bookings.”

Airops currently provides scheduling and quoting software

for 15 prominent charter operators, including London Executive Aviation. Current users of the system should contact the Gama Aviation subsidiary (Booth 806) to switch on the automatic quoting capability. o

L to r: George Galanopoulos, managing director of London Executive Aviation, an Airops user; with Daniel Tee, managing director of Airops; and PrivateFly CEO Adam Twidell, celebrate the cooperation between Airops and PrivateFly.

Universal updates Le Bourget FBO uContinued from preceding page

tough competition it faces from other FBOs in challenging market conditions. Despite the fact that the airport saw a 3.9-percent drop in overall traffic in 2013, it still has no fewer than seven FBOs. “That’s a lot; perhaps even too many,” commented Howells.

The goal for Universal is to offer the same level of service in the French capital as it does at its other 47 sites throughout 19 countries worldwide. The company also now employs a representative responsible for supporting operators using airports in the south of France, including Cannes, Marseille and Le Castellet.

The Houston, Texas-based Universal Weather & Aviation group, which was founded in 1959 and also includes flightplanning and trip-support operations, is aiming to be one of the largest business aviation service providers in the world.

Annual revenues currently stand at around $1 billion, and Howells told AIN the group is well placed financially to withstand the onslaught of a highly competitive FBO marketplace. o www.ainonline.com • May 20, 2014 • EBACE Convention News 43

Comlux bolsters quality to set its services apart

by Charles Alcock Business aviation services group Comlux (Booth 5152) has strengthened its management team as it seeks to further differentiate itself from competitors in both the completions and refurbishment and aircraft management sectors. The Zurich, Switzerland-based group’s president and CEO, Richard Gaona, told AIN that Comlux will not be following the cost-cutting approach apparently favored by some competitors.

On July 1, VIP aircraft veteran Arnaud Martin will join the Comlux board as executive vice president. He was formerly vice president of programs with Airbus Corporate Jets and led a team that delivered more than 120 VIP Airbuses, ranging in size from the ACJ318 to the ACJ380. His experience in overseeing cabin-outfitting projects is expected to be a boost to the Comlux America VIP

Completion and Services Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In March, Jim Soleo was appointed as the new CEO of Comlux America, which also provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services. He has succeeded David Edinger, who has been appointed as executive vice president of Comlux Management and is a group board member.

Gaona acknowledged that the market for widebody VIP aircraft completions has tightened with the reduced volume of new deliveries for both the ACJ and Boeing Business Jets families. He predicted that one or more completions houses might exit the business, leaving a more sustainable base of demand for those surviving.

Comlux hoped to secure at least one more ACJ or BBJ completion contract in the build up to this year’s show. It is also

Comlux’s interior design team takes a highly personalized and detailed approach to completions projects.

pursuing completions projects for an A340, with Airbus eager to market VIP use for the four-engine widebody. Another new line of business it is pursuing keenly is the chance to refurbish the cabins of the aging ACJ and BBJ fleets that are now approaching heavy maintenance checks.

Commenting on Airbus’s recent move to introduce a simplified array of completions packages for customers under its new

Elegance program, Gaona predicted that the VIP market will not react well to what he characterized as a low-cost option.

“Comlux doesn’t want to do this,” he told AIN. “We have never seen a VIP customer buying something based on standard options.”

Comlux America’s engineering department has developed, manufactured, certified and integrated a lighter air-conditioning system. The new equipment

is both quieter and lighter than existing systems.

Here at the EBACE show, the Comlux Creatives cabin design division is introducing its new Five Senses Concept for developing custom-made interiors. The five elements for this approach are definition, concept, material, detail and completion, with the aim being to more fully understand exactly what each customer wants in their aircraft. o

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Czech-based handler ramps up its expansion

by Charles Alcock Ground support group Euro Jet Intercontinental (Booth 129) celebrated its fifth anniversary at the EBACE show last year and the past 12 months have seen it stepping up its expansion with new facilities in the east of Europe to respond to rising levels of traffic. Here at this year’s event, the Czech Republic-based group is launching a new smartphone application to allow its staff to provide realtime reporting to customers.

Since May 2013, Euro Jet has opened new crew lounges in the Czech capital Prague, the Montenegrin resort of Tivat and most recently in Constanta, Romania. The company also has forged a new partnership to provide handling and flight support in Turkey.

“Euro Jet is not content to keep things status quo,” said director of global sales and marketing Gareth Danker. “As anyone in aviation knows, it is a very dynamic industry. A serious aviation company must constantly be growing its operation and always taking it to a new level.”

The new lounges have been designed as “comfort zones” for business aircraft crew, with options for conveniently keeping on top of their work or getting some rest. “As we enter our sixth year, I can only be excited for what lies ahead,” said Danker. “More stations, more staff, more lounge development and more concepts that will only enhance the private aviation experience.”

The new lounge in Constanta opened in early April.

The coastal city is best known as a summer resort, but it is now seeing growing U.S. military traffic after the government designated it as a major transit point for troop movements. The new lounges are run by full-time staff and feature couches, televisions, computer workstations and refreshments.

Immigration clearance and fueling are conveniently available, as are catering services.

“We are very fortunate to work with a team of dedicated aviation professionals that make up the airport management and staff at Constanta Airport,” said Euro Jet CEO

Euro Jet has introduced a new smartphone application to allow its staff to keep clients constantly updated on all aspects of a groundsupport operation.

Charlie Bodnar. “We are grateful for this opportunity.”

The new Euro Jet smartphone application is used by the group’s agents to keep customers completely informed, up to the minute, on the status of their aircraft, crew and passengers. All information is kept confidential.

“What makes the smartphone application unique is that it is continuously updated while the aircraft is parking, the door opening, the passengers deplaning and so on,” explained Danker.

Euro Jet has a fully-staffed presence in 32 countries at more than 195 airports throughout Europe and Asia. The 210-strong team can provide ground support, flight and landing permits, fuel, catering, credit, hotel reservations and ground transportation. o

Split Scimitars gain ground

by David Donald Since Aviation Partners first flew its revolutionary Split Scimitar Winglet (SSW) on a Boeing BBJ in 2012, the aerodynamic modification has been certified by both the FAA and EASA for the 737-800/BBJ 2 version. Now the company is expecting the SSW to be certificated for the other members of the BBJ family before the end of the year.

API (Booth 5917) has developed and implemented the SSW through its joint venture with Boeing (APB, Aviation Partners Boeing). The SSW is a retrofit of the existing BBJ blended winglet, adding a scimitar-tipped ventral strake. The top of the existing dorsal strake is also refined with a scimitarshaped tip. The retrofit entails some structural strengthening, but overall span is not increased.

based on the 737-800. API is aiming to get supplemental type certificates for the other two BBJ family members in the coming months. BBJ 3 clearance would likely be achieved through the SSW application to the 737-900, on which the aircraft is based.

BBJ 1 clearance may demand more testing, as the shortest BBJ version is based on a hybrid of a 737-700 fuselage with 737800 wings.

In the meantime, API continues to provide its HighMach Blended Winglets for the Dassault Falcon 50, 900 and 2000. Nearly 300 aircraft are now flying with the winglets, including both retrofitted machines and new-build LX/LXS/S models. Retrofits can be undertaken at a number of authorized installers, such

DAVID McINTOSH

API’s split-scimitar winglets significantly improve the range capability of the Boeing BBJ.

no doubts about where we are With the Jura Mountains dominating the background, a PIlatus PC-12 in the foreground and a Swiss airliner taxiing by in between, there can be no question where we are. Geneva is the perennial host to the EBACE show.

In terms of benefits the SSW provides a drag reduction (and thus range improvement) of around 2.5 to 3 percent over the current blended winglet. This corresponds to a typical range increase of more than 200 nm.

“The [SSW] range benefit is compelling, given the missions many BBJ owners undertake,” said Gary Dunn, v-p of sales and marketing. “The upgrade will essentially give a BBJ with seven aux[iliary] tanks the range of an eight-aux tank airplane.”

Currently the SSW is only cleared for the BBJ 2, which is

as Dassault Falcon Service (Le Bourget, France), TAG Aviation (Geneva) and a number of U.S.-based companies (Dassault Aircraft Services, Duncan Aviation, StandardAero and West Star Aviation).

The Dassault Falcon business has been a highly successful program for API. “In just five years since the first winglet STC for a Falcon was received, almost 40 percent of the in-service Falcon 2000 series fleet and approximately 20 percent of the 900 fleet is now sporting blended winglets,” reported Dunn. o

www.ainonline.com • May 20, 2014 • EBACE Convention News 45

Europe’s bizav accident rate shows dramatic improvement

by Gordon Gilbert substantial damage from a runway excursion after landing. The three occupants onboard the aircraft were not injured. And on Dec. 10, 2013, a Gulfstream G550 touched down about 100 feet short of the threshold of a

Accidents and incidents involving business jet operations in Europe fell dramatically last year compared to 2012.

According to data gathered by AIN, there were five total mishaps last year versus nine in 2012. Three accidents caused 10

Business Jet Accidents/Incidents Europe 2013 vs 2012 Total

Private

Charter

Other*

Accident/Incident

2013

2012

2013

2012

2013

2012

2013

2012

Nonfatal mishaps

4

6

4

6

0

0

0

0

Fatal accidents

1

3

1

1

0

0

0

2

Total accidents

5

9

5

7

0

0

0

2

Fatalities

2

10

2

5

0

0

0

5

All data preliminary. *For example: air ambulance, aerial survey/photo, ferry/positioning, training, testing, government (non-military).

Sources: FAA, NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, AIN research

fatalities in 2012 whereas there was one fatal crash last year that killed two persons. To date there has been one major business jet accident this year–On February 12, the four people aboard were killed when their Cessna Citation I crashed on approach to an airport in Germany during marginal VFR conditions.

Interestingly, all but one of the 14 accidents and incidents in 2012 and 2013 occurred to aircraft flying as private operations. The single exception was a Jan. 21, 2013 government flight of a Gulfstream GIV with the Swedish prime minister on board that had to return to the Swedish airport of departure 30 minutes after takeoff when the landing gear could not be retracted.

The other three nonfatal accidents last year also happened during approach or departure. On Jan. 30, 2013, during the takeoff roll from a Berlin airport, a Dassault Falcon 7X encountered a steering problem. As the crew aborted the takeoff, the jet skidded off the runway into the grass, incurring minor damage but no injuries to the three persons aboard.

Also in Germany, on Feb. 15, 2013, an Embraer Phenom 100 sustained

runway in London, colliding with the ILS antenna and localizer array, damaging the aircraft’s undercarriage doors.

Again, there were no injuries.

In the only fatal accident of a business jet in Europe last year, the pilot and a passenger in the cockpit right seat were killed, and a passenger was seriously injured, in the crash of a Beech Premier in France on March 4, 2013. Several witnesses stated seeing the airplane, after rotation, in a high nose-up pitch attitude and a low rate of climb. Three seconds after rotation the “Bank Angle” warning, indicating excessive bank, and then the stall warning, was recorded several times on the CVR. Several witnesses saw the airplane turn sharply to the right and then to the left.

Some 15 seconds after rotation and about 1,600 feet from the threshold, the aircraft crashed to the ground, tearing off the landing gear and the left wing before hitting several obstacles and catching fire.

a Falcon 7X was damaged by a lightning strike when flying over France.

Two of three fatal accidents occurring in 2012 happened while the aircraft were on positioning or ferry flights. On July 13, 2012, all three occupants were killed in the crash of a Gulfstream GIV on a ferry flight in France. After the jet landed it ran off the left side of the runway into trees and broke in two. A photo from the crash scene shows the thrust reversers were deployed.

On Aug. 2, 2012, a Cessna Citation 500 on a positioning flight within Spain was destroyed when it crashed about a mile short of the runway killing both Unknown pilots. The crew had been cleared for an ILS 2013 2012 approach. Visibility at 0 0 the time was reported as 0 0 three miles in mist with a few clouds at 600 feet agl.

0 0 Marginal visibility 0 0 was also present at the time of the third fatal accident of 2012. On March 1, a Cessna Citation X that crashed on final at a German airport killed all five persons on board.

According to officials, the airplane was approaching the runway when the crew switched from IFR to VFR. Shortly afterward the jet struck trees, came down in a

wooded area and caught fire. Touchdown zone visual range was more than 6,500 feet.

Visibility was 2.5 miles in mist with a few clouds at 800 feet agl.

Illegal Flight

A Learjet 24D that was severely damaged in a Sept. 15, 2012 crash near a Denmark airport was probably the most curious nonfatal accident in Europe of both that year as well as 2013. The airplane stalled and crash-landed in a field short of the runway after the engines flamed out due to fuel starvation. Both pilots were seriously injured. Investigators said that both wing fuel tanks and wingtip tanks were empty. Although the fuselage tank contained 42.3 gallons of fuel, the cross-flow valves that enable the engines to use the fuel from the fuselage tank were found in the closed position.

What’s more, the investigators discovered that neither of the pilots possessed valid airman certificates and the aircraft’s registration certificate had been canceled in 2009. These revelations brought up the question that if the aircraft had not crashed, would it and its crew ever have gotten busted for flying illegally–and how many others are there flying illegally?

Official investigations remain ongoing into all of the 2013 and 2012 accidents described here. o

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Not your grandfather’s design, this interior is for a younger customer base.

SR Technics redefines narrowbody interiors

by Ian Sheppard compared to previous designs is a large entrance area, which leads into the galley. In addition, the cabin’s relatively symmetrical design with wide walkway allows passengers to traverse the interior easily–with an increasing level of privacy as they approach the bedroom and the restroom at the back. There are sliding doors at various points, depending on whatever partition is required. The bedroom is not traditional, either, with no permanent bed–only styles that transform from other furniture.

To aid in later modifications and to help with resale value of aircraft, the company has taken a modular approach, which also means there is commonality among some units, which brings costs down by as much as 20 percent and will ultimately allow completion time to be reduced from eight months to six months or less compared to a typical narrowbody completion time of 12 months, said Jan. In addition, the larger entrance and wider design, as well as the standardized units, means later configuration changes can be viable, whereas they are often too costly and, therefore, not viable in current VIP cabins, particularly for older aircraft.

Despite a level of standardization, the cabin is available in three broad styles: Classic, Elegant and Modern.

SR Technics also adds modularity to its innovative, next-gen look.

Urs Kunzelmann, vice president SR Technics VIP Aircraft Services, told AIN the company started to ramp up its VIP business in 2010, handing over its first aircraft–an Airbus widebody VIP completion–in late 2011. Since then it has been drawing up plans to become a specialist in a niche area that it can create as an innovator.

Kunzelmann said that because VIP completions is not SR Technics’s main business it is able to offer a more relaxed approach providing greater attention to detail in that arena, while its main MRO business can be a real attraction for clients looking for maintenance support following the completion.

The Mubadala-owned company has a worldwide maintenance

DAVID McINTOSH

VIP cabins for narrowbody airliners have stuck to traditional approaches with little thought for the practicalities of aircraft. This is the basis upon which SR Technics (Booth 2425) set out to redefine the approach to cabin design based on what it sees as a changing customer base, with younger generations of travelers who are more casual and more tech-savvy.

“Eighteen months of research…sees the introduction of an innovative design package that transforms the way cabins are currently completed and managed,” said the company when it revealed the new package on April 29, with SR Technics specialists giving journalists a full preview at its Zurich headquarters. The official launch is happening here at EBACE this week.

“The aviation industry has been conservative in the modernization of private aircraft [cabin] design,” said Eric Jan, SR Technics head of VIP interior design. “From the organization of space to construction of the interior, VIP aircraft have traditionally been set up in a standard layout…It’s time to rethink narrowbody interiors…

We are therefore rewriting the rules of VIP completions.”

Central to the new design approach is making the galley part of the VIP area, usable by both passengers and crew.

Another striking difference

network; its main client is Swiss International Airlines (others include Qatar Airways, Finnair and all easyJet heavy checks at its MRO hangar in Malta).

Part of its preparation to handle completions work has involved the segregation of SR Technics’s original hangar, so its VIP clients can be assured of discretion. For example, only a limited number of employees working on the project directly will have access to the aircraft. AIN was shown this hangar and the vast facilities that SR Technics has at its disposal at its Zurich base, where heavy maintenance checks and engine strip-downs for various airliner types are its bread and butter.

The VIP hangar can accommodate two narrowbody aircraft comfortably and a maximum of three, said Kunzelmann.

The company has invested in a number of specialized machines for creating VIP interiors, especially for seats and cabins (for example, working with veneers).

Michael Gringmuth, sales director VIP, explained that SR Technics’s approach begins with the fundamentals so users and aircraft owners get the best value, and, he said, it is different from the approach Airbus unveiled at ABACE in Shanghai in April with its “Elegance” cabin. He said the “Elegance” cabin is simply modules that can be chosen in various combinations but still result in a traditional cabin.

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48 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Presenting the heavyweight design manual for the new offering, Jan said, “It’s not a concept–it’s already a solution,” adding that customers can sign

up now and start to define their cabin as soon as they wish.

“Today we want to redefine the narrowbody private aircraft, take the best that exists and make it better,” said Jan. “With proper interior design starting with space distribution; you need an extremely clear and simple route between the front and back; it’s the same as a house, yacht or whatever.

“We also searched for a new shell system to surround the cabin with a new way to filter the light, shading and filtering and providing ventilation,” he added.

The company has found this, he explained, and incorporated it into the design to maximize the use of daylight. “This is a key in our solution,” he said. Another key is a multi-function fullheight cabinet that can be fitted at various points, providing features such as desks and screens and sliding doors/curtains. There are only four elements that comprise the basic building blocks of the interior setup: two- and three-place divans, seats, storage units and tables.

What the owner is left with is “a simple, upgradable, affordable product that is a very good investment,” he said. But Jan admits that this is something that will really work only for narrowbodies, and that “it is important to realize that this is for a new kind of customer” that is seen emerging around the world.” SR Technics research has shown it clearly that “There is a big discrepancy between what the market is offering and what the customers now want,” said Jan. And it is perfectly suited to Boeing’s 737 BBJ or Airbus’s A320 family of ACJs, he concluded. o

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UAS expands global-support network in Africa and looks beyond to China

by Charles Alcock Trip support specialist UAS is continuing its ambitious plans to expand its global service network with the opening in March of a new regional headquarters for Africa located in Johannesburg, South Africa. Then at last month’s Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition in Shanghai, China, UAS cofounder and executive president Mohammed Husary confirmed plans to open a regional headquarters in China next year.

The new Africa headquarters is led by Wynand Meyer, the Dubai-based group’s newly appointed director of business development for Africa, who has joined UAS from Boeing’s flightplanning subsidiary Jeppesen, where he oversaw its groundhandling network for Africa, the Middle East and India. With an

initial staff of 17 people, it is part of a major investment that UAS is making in Africa, where it intends to open further new offices and increase local representation.

During the Nigerian Business Aviation Conference in late March UAS confirmed the opening of a new regional office at the West African country’s capital Lagos.

Then at the Marrakech Air Show held in Morocco last month the company announced the opening of another regional office in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The Lagos office is opening with four employees, including a regional manager, two operations specialists and a business development manager, while in Nairobi there will be a regional manager and a pair of operations specialists.

“These regional offices will provide additional support for

activities across Western and Central Africa, Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean,” explained Meyer. “We really want to make sure that we have local support for our clients, and that every single client can have a local UAS representative who can oversee the quality, safety and on-time delivery of requested services, which can mean physically going to the airports and ensuring the job gets done.”

UAS (Booth 2834) already has airport-based supervisors in African countries such as Ethiopia, Mali and Burundi. “These airport supervisors and our regional staff are able to diagnose any foreseeable issues and remedy them in advance,” added Meyer. “The benefit of having a local presence at an airport is that we are constantly informed

Dubai-based trip support group UAS has expanded its global network by opening a new regional headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

European court strikes down German charter regulation

by Curt Epstein After a five-year fight for justice, Vienna, Austria-based aviation services provider International Jet Management (IJM) has prevailed against German authorities in a precedent-setting ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The ECJ, Europe’s highest court, was asked by a German court whether fines against IJM and others by German authorities were contrary to European law. The result that they are will almost certainly mean that IJM wins its longrunning battle over non-discrimination.

At issue was a German regulation that forced foreign operators of inbound flights from a non-EU country departure point

to apply for permission three days before arrival, as well as provide proof that no Germany-based competitor would make that flight. In absence of such evidence, which often could not be gathered in the suggested time frame, even if the flight provider wanted to do so, the authorities would impose fines against the operator if the flight were conducted. “We guarantee our customers that we will be ready for departure within two hours after they book a flight,” said Robert Schmölzer, IJM’s managing director, “This is precisely what makes business jets attractive to the customers.”

In the presence of such regulations IJM, which operates many such charter

50 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Heading the Africa-based staff of trip-support specialist UAS is Wynand Meyer, regional director (third from right), flanked by (l to r) operations supervisors Cyrus Kikuyu, Kenya; Jared Musyoka, Kenya; and James Claassens, South Africa; with managerEast Africa Fred Kiige; supervisor-South Africa Nadia Hancock; supervisor-Nigeria Soji Awosika; regional manager-West and Central Africa Abdul Oricha; and operations supervisor-South Africa Lloyd Warden.

in real time of delays, equipment or fuel shortages, gate changes and any minor or major deviation from the trip plan. In such scenarios we will have the opportunity to mitigate and resolve complications without compromising the service experience– benefiting our clients, passengers and crewmembers.”

The company is also training local employees to meet the needs of aircraft operators. This will include the International Air Transport Association’s groundhandling management course, and UAS also has created a scholarship program to fund training in countries such as Ethiopia.

“In the future, we are looking to expand our network of airport supervisors and build physical offices at the airports,” Meyer told AIN. “We want to be where the action is. This is the second phase of market development in Africa.”

According to Meyer, lack of infrastructure–reliable communications and electrical supplies in particular–is a common cause of operational difficulty

flights from locations including Moscow and Ankara, was eventually served with fines of up to €2,200 ($3,000) per flight for failure to comply with the permission process for inbound flights. “For us, this authorization requirement presented an obvious discrimination against competitors from Germany, prohibiting us from exercising our traffic rights,” said Schmölzer. “It is unacceptable that the activities of a service provider that is established in another member state and legally provides similar services there are prevented or rendered less attractive by such restrictions.”

In 2009, IJM launched a protest against the penalties, and in 2011 the High Regional Court of Braunschweig referred the case to the ECJ, the highest court in the European Union in matters of European Union law, for a preliminary ruling. During the proceedings, representatives from seven EU member governments issued statements, demonstrating the breadth of the case.

in Africa. Other difficulties are created by a lack of clear and open access to key information, such as Notams. “The only way to minimize our risk and the impact to the client, as well as manage any issues in a timely manner, is to have a local presence on the ground,” said Meyer.

UAS supported approximately 7,000 flights into and within Africa last year. “Growth in business aviation [in Africa] will be fueled by the lack of airline connections to support the amount of business activity on the continent,” said company co-founder and executive president Mohammed Husary.

“Distances between major cities and poor ground transportation infrastructure will also fuel bizav growth. The longterm prospects for business aviation are solid; we expect the industry to reach new heights in Africa in the next 20 years.” He identified economic factors such as privatization of state-owned companies and a growth in the number of wealthy Africans as key drivers of fleet growth. o

On March 18, the court ruled that EU law supercedes the German regulations requiring authorization for an established business in another member state to provide services in Germany.

In its arguments, the court established that the authorization requirement was established to protect German companies and did not recognize an operating license granted under EU legislation by another member state–and therefore the fines imposed on IJM and others were not justified under its interpretation of article 18 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which is a prohibition of discrimination on the basis of nationality.

“This is a huge success that benefits not only our company, but all European air carriers flying into Germany from a non-EU country,” said Schmölzer. “This is another important and right step toward the liberalization of European air traffic.” o

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Approval for new Legacys to complete Embraer jet family

by Guillaume Lecompte-Boinet The impending service entry of Embraer’s Legacy 450s and 500s is set to complete the Brazilian manufacturer’s product portfolio–a sort of bridge of options connecting the Phenom 100 and 300 light jets with the larger Legacy 650 and Lineage 1000 models. During a pre-EBACE press visit to its São José dos Campos headquarters last month AIN found Embraer’s management in a confident mood, despite the fact that the overall fortunes of the business aviation market still seem somewhat mixed.

Embraer Executive Jets (EEJ) now boasts an installed based of some 739 aircraft in operation worldwide. The company’s president and CEO Marco Tulio pointed out that this total has increased fivefold since the financial crisis that started in 2008 and last year it boasted annual revenues of $1.65 billion.

“Our growth has made some victims,” said Tulio, referring to market share he says has been won largely at the expense of U.S. rivals Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft (now trading jointly as Textron Aviation). Embraer claims a worldwide business aviation market share of 17.6 percent, up from just 3.3 percent in 2008.

Here at the EBACE show this week Embraer has a range of news announcements to make relating to its products and programs–mainly about its new Legacy 450 and 500 models but also about its Phenom family and the Lineage 1000 at the top end of its product range.

Legacy 450/500

The Legacy 450 and 500 models share 95 percent common design and systems.

Four prototypes of the Legacy 500 are in flight test and have already completed

The front office of the Legacy 500, the company’s first fully fly-by-wire aircraft, features a Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck. At the time of the first flight the company said, “It is hard to overstate the importance of fly-by-wire techonology. Fly by wire does for business aviation what GPS has done for navigation.”

more than 1,330 flight hours representing 88 percent of the test campaign (see box below). “We are on track for a Legacy 500 entry into service in the first half of 2014, and first half of 2015 for the Legacy 450,” said Tulio.

To achieve maximum maturity on systems and avionics before entry into service, Embraer installed an iron bird at

its Eugenio di Melo facility a few miles from São José dos Campos, where all systems are tested together. A complete Legacy 500 cockpit with fly-by-wire control system and all cabin electrical systems is deployed at full scale, and is used to record parameters at more than 800 test points in the operating/flight

Continued on page 54 u

LEGACY 500 flight experience:

Spacious new Legacy makes a great first impression AIN had the opportunity to fly in Embraer’s Legacy 500 test aircraft (serial number 4) on April 8 at the manufacturer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The first-ever press flight in the type had to be granted special authorization from the Brazilian aviation authority ANAC as it previously was restricted to Embraer’s flight-test team.

What was most impressive during the flight was the spaciousness of the 1,165-cu-ft (33 cu m) cabin. Measuring 6 feet high (1.82 m) and 6 feet 10 inches wide (2.08 m), the cabin in the new model offers almost as much space as a larger, more expensive super-midsized jet, said Embraer Executive Jets senior manager product strategy Augusto Salgado.

The test aircraft is on display at this week’s EBACE show, but with only five of the six leather passenger seats as one seat is still assigned to a flight engineer and various bits of test instrumentation. There’s also an optional divan on the left side of the cabin.

Aircraft 004 is still part of the flight test program, which includes three other airplanes. The Legacy 500 is due to enter service in mid-year.

The seat this AIN reporter occupied on the demonstration flight, and the one in front of it, could recline fully to form a bed. The takeoff run seemed a lot shorter than the stated 4,600 feet (1,400 m), although there was only 799 gallons of fuel on board and the large baggage compartment (150 cu ft; 4.23 cu m) was empty.

The climb at an impressive 25 degrees took the aircraft to 15,000 feet in a few minutes. Ground speed at this altitude was between 287 and 296 knots and fuel consumption was between 105 and 115 gallons per hour.

In the cabin, the noise level was very low and the pressurization at 6,000 feet cabin altitude, less than that of most Legacy 500 competitors, was appreciated.

The $20 million aircraft offers the latest generation of in-flight entertainment with Honeywell’s Ovation Select Cabin Connection suite. This system has fully integrated audio (surround sound) and video (HD) and is equipped with two Blu-Ray players, and a touchscreen-controlled cabin management system. Like many business jets on the

market, connectivity is via Inmarsat, Aircell or Iridium services.

The flight was very smooth thanks to the fully fly-by-wire flight control system, which AIN also saw under development on Embraer’s iron-bird testbed. Despite it being a fine day with little turbulence, the pilot was able to demonstrate the advantages afforded by having such a system. “It is definitely easier to fly,” said the chief pilot.

Landing after the 45-minute flight, we had burned 610 kg of fuel (198.9 gallons), so a little bit less than the 703 kilos (229.3 gallons) claimed by Embraer’s website for a four-passenger/two-crew, 300-nm, 46-minute flight. –G. L-B.

PHOTOS: GUILLAUME LECOMPTE-BOINET

On AIN’s 45-minute flight in Embraer’s new Legacy 500, the aircraft burned 198.9 gallons of fuel, a little bit less than the 229.3 gallons indicated on the OEM’s website.

Right, the seat this AIN reporter occupied on the demonstration flight, and the one in front of it, could recline fully to form a bed.

52 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

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Embraer line-up uContinued from page 52

envelope. This took more than 21,000 system hours in total, with the program being finished by the end of April.

According to Tulio, the delivery of the first Legacy 500 will come shortly after certification, with three to six Legacy 500s being delivered this year.

Embraer has taken a huge step forward with the Legacy 450/500 in terms

with an enhanced-vision system: the Rockwell Collins EVS3000. This is capable of detecting all types of runway lighting (including LED) without the need for a cooler unit, thus making it lighter and requiring less power than alternative systems.

Cabin Interiors

Embraer Executive Jets has evolved its cabins since the first designs developed for it by BMW DesignWorks USA in 2006-2007. “The BMW concept was

Embraer announced several product enhancements to its Legacy 450/500 last year. Changes were based on customer input to make the cabin of the 500 (above) more comfortable.

The smaller Phenom 100, right, also got a makeover to give customers more interior options.

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of it being the first fully flyby-wire aircraft (with every control surface FBW controlled) to be offered by the manufacturer. The company admits that it was not easy, although the main issues were “more caused by creating documents for certification–which was new for us– than [producing the] fly-by-wire software,” said Augusto Salgado da Rocha, senior manager product strategy and sales engineering. He added that the Legacy 450 and 500 are “the only aircraft below $52 million to offer this technology.” The Legacy 450 list price is $16.57 million, while the Legacy 500 costs almost $20 million.

Equipped with the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck, there is also an option for the E2VS system to be fitted in the Legacy 450/500 to combine a compact head-up display

To enhance the performance of the Phenom 100, on the -E version Embraer is offering a spoiler to reduce speed on approach and increase drag on landing.

nice in pictures, but less so in reality,” admitted senior manager product strategy Augusto Salgado. He added that a brand-new concept, with a more conventional design, is being presented here at EBACE 2014.

Focus groups spent many hours in the mock-up to test and improve the new cabin design, Salgado explained.

Seat forms have been redesigned to be more practical and comfortable, and tables have been designed to allow passengers to simultaneously have their

Continued on page 56 u

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Legacy 450/500 complete line-up uContinued from page 54

meal and work from a laptop.

Storage for magazines has been added as well as an in-flight entertainment system control unit for the Honeywell Ovation Select cabin connection suite.

EEJ is highlighting the 6-foot 10-inch by 6-foot crosssection of the cabin, which it says is the largest in the midsize market segment, as well as the flat floor, which allows more flexibility in designing layouts.

“The Legacy 450/500 offers a 6,000-foot cabin altitude at [up to] 45,000 feet, a best in class,” claimed Salgado.

Embraer chose the Honeywell Primus Elite, which brings XM graphical weather, video display and Jeppesen electronic charts, for the cockpit of the Legacy 650.

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Only the new Bombardier Learjet 85 (which competes with the Legacy 500) and the Cessna Latitude (a Legacy 450 rival) can do the same. Meanwhile, EEJ said the Legacy 450’s cabin comfort has been improved by adding four inches of legroom, and its range has been increased from 2,300 nm to 2,500 nm.

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At the top end of Embraer’s business jet family is the $53 million Lineage 1000E, which is derived from its Embraer 190 regional jet. It is being presented for the first time here at EBACE in its upgraded “E” form (signifying extended range and enhanced interior).

The 1000E’s cabin is longer and thinner than that of the Airbus ACJ, but with almost the same volume (2,472 cu ft, or 70 cu m) with five zones, according to Embraer. The aircraft offers a range of up to 4,600 nm, increased from the previous incarnation of the Lineage at 4,400 nm. To achieve this result, Embraer’s engineers have optimized certain areas of the forward fuselage and reduced weight. The aircraft can fly from Teterboro (New York) to Los Angeles with eight passengers.

Pilots now have at their disposal a new autoland system that allows the aircraft to approach, touch down and roll for five seconds on the autopilot. The system is designed to reduce the number of hard landings in difficult conditions.

Embraer is hoping that such enhancements, along with the new EV2S offering, will be a catalyst for increased sales activity; in 2013 it delivered only four of the type, which is the average delivery number since the Lineage’s 2009 entry-into-service.

When AIN visited Embraer’s São José dos Campos facilities in April, a new Lineage 1000E was being rolled off the assembly line for delivery to China’s Minsheng

56 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Continued on page 58 u

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As the first touchscreen-controlled glass suite for crew-flown business jets, Garmin G5000™ is not only a revolution in the cockpit – but it’s also your access point for the best in compliance solutions for airspace modernization programs throughout Europe and around the globe: Performance Based Navigation (PBN).

P-RNAV. APV approach capability. ADS-B. Mode-S EHS. 8.33 kHz Comm spacing. TCAS II Change 7.1. Link 2000+ controller/pilot datalinks. And the list goes on. With its growth-oriented architecture, G5000 will support and integrate all these emerging technologies as they become available, and essential, for ATC operations going forward. Garmin G5000. It’s the future you can start flying now.

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Embraer line-up uContinued from page 56

Financial Leasing Corp., the second example of the jet for this customer. New features include electric doors, automatic tables, new finishing options (veneer and

stone floor), new bedroom and seats, noise-reduction package and toe-kick lights–all part of an enhanced cabin experience designed by Austrian company List.

Entertainment has also been revisited to bring the latest-generation devices such as wireless iPad and touchscreen controls

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The light jet family from EEJ, consisting of the Phenom 100 and 300, also comes to EBACE with some enhancements. The Phenom 100E sports a 3-foot 7-inch (1.09 meters) “Oval Lite” crosssection, which offers passengers more space for their legs and arms. Listed at $4.16 million, the Phenom 100E now has 11 new interior options (increased from six) with veneer and new premium seats with full movement (swivel, forward and laterally), as with the Phenom 300’s seats.

However, Embraer is not offering existing Phenom operators the chance to retrofit the cabins with the 11 options.

New multi-function spoilers are being offered as an option for the Phenom 100E, for speed reduction in approach and increased drag on landing. Also, a new refreshment center is offered in lieu

of the standard wardrobe, and a new stowage compartment is located in the lavatory, on top of the existing cabinet.

Regarding the $8.95 million Phenom 300, enhancements are more to the cockpit that to the cabin interior. Since last October, Embraer has offered Garmin’s Prodigy Touch flight deck as an option.

“The Phenom 300 is the first aircraft to fly this avionics suite. We recently delivered the first airplane,” said Salgado. With 60 units delivered in 2013, the Phenom 300 was one of Embraer’s best-selling aircraft.

Last but by no means least is the Legacy 600/650, which also has come to Geneva with a few cabin enhancements.

“The Legacy 600/650-size cabin is one of the most important advantages of this aircraft,” noted Salgado. It is thinner than most of its competitors but longer than the Dassault Falcon 2000LX or Bombardier’s Challenger 605 (other twozone jets), and it is some 9 percent longer than the Gulfstream G450 (three-zone).

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The latest interior enhancements include restyled seats, with improved swivel capability, while natural stone flooring is now available. Galleys have been redesigned to offer more storage area.

The Legacy 600/650 aircraft are equipped with Honeywell’s Ovation Select cabin suite, including individual touchscreen controls and iPad app to wirelessly control the CMS (this has now been certificated by Brazil’s ANAC authority, the FAA and EASA).

Customers now receive a fully configured iPad with their aircraft, and apps for iPhone and Android are to follow. The in-flight phone system has worldwide coverage via Iridium and has been improved with one cordless phone in the VIP zone and one corded phone at the conference table. With the correct subscriptions, passengers can have worldwide access to e-mail, Internet (up to 432 kbps) and, of course, Wi-Fi. There is nothing very new in the cockpit, which is equipped with Honeywell Primus Elite avionics. o

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Qatar Executive gears up to open new FBO in Doha

by Peter Shaw-Smith Private charter operator Qatar Executive is set to open a new FBO at Doha’s Hamad International Airport shortly, having already moved its headquarters there. The company plans to strengthen its core Middle East, Far East and African markets next year, its new head, executive vice president David Edwards, told AIN. “Our main objectives are to continue to strengthen the business here in the Middle East, as well as pushing our services out into the Asian and African markets this coming year. Our success will be measured in the growth of our business in those regions,” Edwards said.

“Aside from our core charter operation, we are also focusing on the expansion of Qatar Executive’s successful and diverse product portfolio, which includes aircraft management, large airline charter, maintenance and a full range of FBO services at Doha International Airport and shortly at the new Hamad International Airport,” he said.

Qatar Executive (Booth 415) announced the addition of a Bombardier Global 5000 Vision to its fleet in October. That delivery brought its fleet to a total of seven business jets, including three Global 5000s and three Challenger 605s.

“The new Bombardier Global 5000 Vision…has proven to be highly popular among our business and leisure travelers alike, who are looking for maximum travel flexibility and refined tailor-made service,” said Edwards.

“With its extended range, our Global 5000 Vision delivers our customers to their final destination faster than any other aircraft in this class…a special dampening system also significantly reduces the cabin interior noise for maximum cabin comfort.”

Edwards also said Africa’s importance is increasing. “All of the growth markets around the world are interesting for us, with Africa being no exception. Private jets are growing in demand, especially in… areas where the number of high-net-worth individuals is rising, and where business in remote areas is prompting the increase in the amount of corporate travel.

“We frequently serve business travelers, who use our private-jet services for multiple-stop journeys throughout Africa, where airline infrastructure is less consistent. As a result we’re able to maximize the time they spend on the road visiting factories, production sites, suppliers and customers,” he said.

“We also cater to clients who travel to the Seychelles or Mauritius for luxury vacations or South Africa and Namibia for exotic safaris,” said Edwards. “As the African continent is still very much

underserved and lacking in business aviation infrastructure, there is certainly great potential for new FBOs. At present we are however focused on our home base in Doha, and the opening of our new FBO facility.”

Parent company Qatar Airways, one of the Gulf’s top three airlines, set up Qatar Executive, its all-Bombardier corporate jet subsidiary in 2009.

Fueled by a positive economic climate, demand for private jet travel has significantly increased throughout the Gulf, and with Qatar as home base, the airline is well positioned, and committed, to the Middle East market, Edwards said.

Qatar Executive’s growth paved the way for future fleet expansion and investment into the new FBO facility.

“We have already moved our headquarters to the new airport and will relocate our maintenance activities, including our Bombardier authorized service facility, from our current home at Doha International Airport with the airport’s planned opening,” he said.

“Aside from growth in the Middle East, we are focusing on new markets in the Far East, particularly in China and Southeast Asia. [We are] always looking at opportunities to grow [our] business [to meet] market demands. The underlying strategy is to operate a young and modern fleet and to offer our customers the best available product in the sky.” o

Whether you plan to manage, charter or maintain an aircraft, TAG Aviation masters the complexity of business aviation.

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60 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Victor is targeting Q3 for New York opening and most trusted brand–so the benchmark is to look at NetJets, though we’ve got a very different model. Within the next two years we want to be more well known than NetJets.”

The second part is using scalable technology that can be multi-country and multi-language. To this end Victor is developing a new system including a new mobile device app, said Jackson. “[At EBACE] we’ll be doing some previews of our new platform and app; it’s a whole new customer experience.” This will come to market within the next four weeks,” he added.

Customer Service

Clive Jackson, CEO of London-based online broker Victor, attributes his success to transparency and a clear view of the aircraft operators for the end user.

Speaking with AIN just before EBACE, Jackson said the London-based company now has offices in Moscow and Frankfurt, with the next step being the U.S. market. “The big push for us now is to go to New York in Q3,” said Jackson. “We have started doing flights to, from and within the U.S. already and have some U.S. operators.”

In fact, he said, the company has had “numerous approaches” from operators keen to be included on the Victor system.

The company is now working on what he described as “a very exciting deal announcement on what we are doing in the U.S.– it’ll be big news in about one month’s time.”

A central part of Victor’s philosophy is transparency, so its web-based booking system provides full information on the operator, even serving to promote the operators.

“Our ambitions are threefold,” said Jackson. “One, we want to become the best-known

Third is customer service.

“First and foremost we’re providing the best service for private aircraft charter,” said Jackson.

And although the operators and aircraft on Victor’s system are available through other brokers, Victor’s transparent approach and focus on quality of operators and its own customer service is what sets it apart, Jackson said. “The issue in the industry at the moment is the vagaries of, for example, empty legs if the aircraft doesn’t actually fly when the charterer changes their mind.

“People ask all the time why we are different from other brokers. It’s because we are marketing the operators and their aircraft as well as ourselves,” he said. Victor is also different from the likes of Avinode, which is a B2B service. “Our space is the business-to-consumer one,” said Jackson.

Much of Victor’s recent growth has come from corporate customers, after two to three years of growth driven by, he said, “private individuals, entrepreneurs and multiple-company owners. The past nine months we’ve been seeing corporates and travel management companies, they all love the transparency.” Jackson predicts “massive growth” for Victor as it adopts smarter technology, linking into scheduling systems and bringing in a much wider audience. And his message to operators? “We will continue to expand the fleet and operators–it’s free to list and we’ll deliver for you.”

Jackson concluded by saying, “EBACE is ideal for meeting these people, it’s a great event for bringing people together.” o

sunglasses are required equipment A bright, well-polished leading edge can be blindingly beautiful to look at. White gloves and stylish eye protection are part of the equipment used by aircraft cleaners in the hours leading up to opening day here at EBACE.

Teal Group: light jet sales are still ‘stuck in first gear’

by Thierry Dubois The business aviation market’s shift towards larger aircraft continues and the impact on the industry is growing, according to Teal Group’s latest annual business jet overview.

“Last year saw a welcome but largely meaningless upturn, with an impressive 16.3 percent increase in deliveries by value.

But all of this growth came from very large cabin jets, particularly Gulfstream’s G650. All the smaller segments remained firmly stuck in first gear,” said vice president of analysis Richard Aboulafia.

During the 2008-2012 decline, the top half of the market–jets costing $26 million and more– actually grew slightly in value, he added, while the bottom half suffered a catastrophic 56 percent drop. “The growth we saw in 2013 means that market bifurcation has gone into overdrive,” Aboulafia explained.

Looking at the next 10 years, the aviation market guru does not see the bottom half–rather a bottom third now–going back to its record 2008 level. For the overall market, enough positive signs such as lower used jet availability support a prediction for growth. However, it will be modest, he said.

One problem has been overcapacity. The five legacy OEMs were joined by Embraer, with Honda arriving soon as a niche player.

This dynamic has forced Hawker

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out of the market for new jets.

By contrast, production of several high-dollar jets, including the Gulfstream G650, is still trending upward. Moreover, Dassault last fall unveiled a much larger and more expensive aircraft than expected, the Falcon 5X. Aboulafia estimated this was “undoubtedly the correct decision.”

The annual overview also includes a focus on China.

Fewer than 400 business jets

were registered in the country in early 2014, compared with well over 10,000 in the U.S. But this is up from fewer than 150 in early 2011. The economic drivers are clearly there for China. However, some impediments should not be ignored, such as slowly relaxing airspace regulation and the lack of maintenance centers and FBOs. The Teal Group forecasts production of a total 13,030 business aircraft worth $325.6 billion over the next 10 years (2014-2023). By value, 63 percent of them will be in the larger categories. The last 10 years saw production of 11,398 business aircraft worth $234.6 billion. o

DAVID McINTOSH

Clive Jackson, serial tech entrepreneur and CEO of Victor, will be speaking on the panel at a seminar tomorrow afternoon entitled “Can business aviation expand to meet the expectations of a new category of passengers?” at a time when his own company has grown to do just that.

Launched in 2011, the charter and empty-leg/per-seat sales site Flyvictor.com can now be used to access availability from more than 100 aircraft operators representing a total fleet that already exceeds 800 aircraft worldwide.

DAVID McINTOSH

by Ian Sheppard

you can practically hear the drum roll Pilatus’s exciting PC24 twinjet is poised for its rollout in August. The Swiss manufacturer is targeting operations from unimproved fields.

shimmering reflections

Around two years ago ExecuJet established an FBO operation at Cambridge International Airport, leasing the premises from airport owner Marshall Aviation Services.

While that business has grown significantly, ExecuJet identified Cambridge as an ideal location for handling its planning and support business and consequently moved a large portion of that activity to a location alongside the Cambridge FBO. The Cambridge team currently supports about 80 of ExecuJet’s overall managed fleet of around 180 aircraft operating in Europe, the Middle East, Malaysia and Australia. This week the company has announced that it is to expand the Cambridge activity

Gerrit Basson, COO for ExecuJet Aviation Group (Booth 5629), commented that, “We see our customers benefiting from our global services approach, by being supported globally at a true 24/7 support center where best industry practices can readily be adopted because of the scale of ExecuJet’s operations worldwide.”

Operational for two years, the Cambridge FBO has seen 20 percent year-on-year growth and is set for further expansion.

Around 3,000 flights passed through the FBO last year. Marshall has opened a smart passenger terminal close by that is used for customs/immigration clearances and also some commercial flights. The relationship between landlord and tenant is good for

MARK WAGNER

by David Donald

Weather for the set-up here at EBACE was spectacular. With bright sunshine and crisp, clean air, photos also capture the reflected images of the other aircraft on the ramp.

In February Eclipse Aerospace earned FAA certification for the Eclipse 550–a heavily updated variant of the original Eclipse 500 VLJ.

DAVID DONALD

ExecuJet has a large hangar adjoining the FBO. A window looks out on the hangar from the crew rest area.

to provide a centralized services department for the company’s global managed fleet.

Heading the new organization is John Brutnell, formerly operations director for ExecuJet Europe and now aircraft operations director for ExecuJet’s Aviation Group. He will also manage the Europe flight operations department. “We thought we could be more efficient here in expanding our back-office business,” he told AIN. “Cost was an important factor; Switzerland is very expensive.” From the Cambridge office ExecuJet offers a 24-hour, 365-days-peryear dispatch team that handles all support functions, such as permits, ground handling, trip support, oversight, pilot training and administration.

both. “It’s like a joint venture,” said Brutnell. “We’re happy to be here, and Cambridge needed a big FBO brand. We both want the same thing. We both want to drive up traffic.”

Ideal Location

Cambridge provides good opportunities for that growth.

The racecourse at Newmarket and the stables that have built up around it are a growing factor in the increasing traffic, while the airport is around an hour’s drive from the east side of London and the city’s commercial district. An AOC has recently been granted for a helicopter service to London using Airbus Helicopters EC155s, and ExecuJet now offers a shortnotice, 25-minute shuttle service

times,” said Brutnell. “It speaks volumes for our service levels.”

As the market cautiously recovers, there are still some issues. Banks are more cautious about aircraft management by small companies and they have moved towards larger ones, with asset management having become an important element. ExecuJet is one of the larger companies that gets recommended to owners.

In five years ExecuJet aims to be “more integrated. One global powerful management company,” said Brutnell. “Aircraft management needs to be done properly. It’s not a game,” he added. “That is what ultimately delivers safety and value to the customer.” o

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Eclipse and Jeppesen Streamline E-chart Updates Eclipse Aerospace has partnered with Boeing Digital Aviation subsidiary Jeppesen (Booth 3234) on a new web-based E-chart and navigation data delivery system for subscribers. The digital download will end the physical shipping of disk media to customers and ease update tasks for users that will no longer have to manually enter data into their avionics systems.

“This secure web-based delivery system automates the data-update process and eliminates potential errors that can occur from entering data manually,” said Scott Reagan, director of Jeppesen OEM client management.” Teaming with Eclipse to enhance data delivery for Eclipse E-chart customers will increase overall efficiency for operators.”

According to the companies, such efficiencies will allow pilots to focus their attention on other flight preparation tasks.

“Eclipse is committed to delivering a robust system to our customers that is both incredibly advanced and remarkably simple to use,” noted Ken Ross, the airframer’s president of global sales and service. “Our partnership with Jeppesen is another example of how Eclipse strives to increase efficiencies in the Eclipse jet everywhere we see the opportunity.”

Current Eclipse E-chart subscribers can download their updated data by logging in on Jeppesen’s website. Eclipse began deliveries of the new-build 550 in March, and the New Mexico-based manufacturer has brought one of the twinjets here to EBACE for attendees to examine in the static display.

–C.E.

DAVID McINTOSH

ExecuJet adds activity to Cambridge location

to The London Heliport at Battersea. Cambridge airport itself has no slot constraints and no time restrictions.

To the north, east and northwest there is a considerable distance to the next bizav-friendly airport, giving Cambridge a wide catchment area. The city itself, and its world-famous university, is also growing fast as a high-tech business hub and has recently welcomed several multinational companies that have identified the space for cost-effective expansion as a reason to relocate important parts of their businesses to Cambridge. The terminal and FBO infrastructure at the airport can easily handle corporate shuttle requirements.

ExecuJet is among many companies seeing the overall market coming back this year. Positioned primarily at the heavier-aircraft end of the market and with a solid global brand, the company has fared better than many in recent years. “We have retained our customers through difficult

news clips z Amstat Highlights Updated Services

z Haitec Launches a New VIP Maintenance Subsidiary in Germany Maintenance specialist Haitec (Booth 5113) is at EBACE 2014 launching a subsidiary for business aircraft, Haitec VIP Maintenance, based at Erfurt airport in Germany. “We have a hangar with 4,300 square meters (46,000 sq ft) dedicated to our VIP customers,” said Brett Dutton, senior v-p for VIP Maintenance at Haitec.

The company already has an EASA Part 145 approval for the Gulfstream G550 and nearly all types of Boeing and Airbus aircraft. “We also have approvals from Russia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bermuda and Azerbaijan,” he said.

“We are preparing further approvals on the Gulfstream G450, Bombardier Global and Challenger series and Cessna Citation jets,” he added.

Besides the standard line and base maintenance, Haitec VIP Maintenance will perform interior design and cabin refurbishment.

z CRS Jet Spares To Reward Loyal Customers Florida-based business aviation aftermarket parts provider CRS Jet Spares (Booth 3243) is revamping its reward program, based on gift cards, for “increased accessibility and increased options for customers.” CRS Jet Spares specializes in Learjet, Hawker, Gulfstream, Beechjet, Falcon, Astra, Challenger and Global Express support.

“We wanted to express our gratitude in an easy access, organized manner that all would appreciate,” said CEO Armando Leighton.

Here at EBACE, the company is running a raffle giveaway, and one lucky EBACE attendee will win a Lenovo Yoga tablet. The drawing will take place at CRS’s booth on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. Players must be present to win.

z Garmin Releases European Terminal Charts Garmin (Booth 6055) has released European terminal charts, including instrument approach charts, SIDs, STARs and airport diagrams as part of the European FliteCharts database. The electronic offer includes the geo-referencing feature, which overlays the aircraft position onto the map.

For the initial release, European FliteCharts cover Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. The new European FliteCharts are compatible with Garmin portables capable of displaying terminal charts, including the GPSMAP 695/696 and aera 795/796, as well as the G3X, G3X Touch and select certified avionics, including the GTN series, G500, G600, G1000, G2000, G3000 and G5000. For a single purchase, the cost is $124.95.

meeting the challengers Bombardier is here at EBACE in force, with its Challenger 300 and 605 models on display, among many other products.

DAVID McINTOSH

Tinton Falls, New Jersey-based Amstat (Booth 4238), which provides market research about business aircraft to the aviation sales and marketing community, is here at EBACE showing the latest version of its Amstat Premier Online and new Connect Online service, in addition to its existing Amstat StatPak and Premier Mobile.

Both Premier Online and Connect Online are the result of “an extensive, ground-up rethink of how a business aircraft research service should work,” according to the U.S.-based company.

“Our design team added tools that will help sales and marketing teams achieve their goals,” said Andrew Young, general manager of Amstat. “Customers are enjoying new capabilities, such as sharing notes and edits with their colleagues, customizing results lists, saving and scheduling reports, adding their own data fields and customizing printouts.”

Amstat offers potential clients a free, short-term trial subscription to all of its services with no obligation. “We encourage any aviation sales professional who hasn’t taken a look at these revolutionary new services to feel free to do so at EBACE or by contacting us directly,” said Young.

ViaSat forming alliances to help end users connect

by Charles Alcock ViaSat is extending the availability of its cabin and cockpit connectivity solutions for business aircraft through new partnerships with other communications systems providers. Here at the EBACE show this week, the California-based company is announcing the integration of its VMT-1500 satellite connectivity system and Yonder Internet service with ICG’s new cabin router and NxtLink series transceivers to connect aircraft via the Iridium satellite network.

In a separate new alliance, ViaSat and Satcom Direct have agreed to integrate Yonder with Satcom Direct’s new Satcom Direct Router (SDR).

With demand for high-performance inflight connectivity rising among business aircraft users, operators, completions centers and OEMs can find it hard to make sense of the various options and ensure that they are delivering the best available technology in a costeffective way. The task of ensuring sufficient connectivity for the various cockpit communications, inflight entertainment and cabin management functions is now being handled by more complex IP networks, and this is a new phenomenon in aviation.

“What we are looking to do is to take some of the guesswork out of integrating and installing networks and reducing the risk that once installed it will [not] work,” explained ViaSat Global

Satcom business development lead Steve Sivitz.

The Yonder Internet service is already installed on 400 private and government aircraft worldwide and uses the compact and lightweight VMT-1500 Ku-band terminal. The equipment can also connect on the ground and is available through

ViaSat’s VMT-1500 satellite connectivity system gives users unrestricted access to the company’s Yonder Internet service.

all phases of flight, with no service limits below 10,000 feet.

In addition to cabin and cockpit communications functions, the combination of ICG’s FANSover-Iridium system and its eRouter can handle the datalink requirements needed to fly using CPDLC and ADS-C on transoceanic sectors. ICG currently has around 750 NxtLink satcom transceivers installed worldwide.

Under the new agreement with Satcom Direct, ViaSat’s Yonder service will be integrated with the new SDR, which is Satcom Direct’s first hardware

product. The router can manage all aircraft voice and data systems, allowing multiple systems to operate simultaneously without additional wireless access points and allowing for separate guest or VVIP networks.

According to Satcom Direct, the new equipment provides higher bandwidth to the cabin through advanced compression and acceleration technology.

“With so many devices needing connection to the aircraft networks, it is hard to keep up with all the system requirements, and a lot of [existing] aircraft networks are not being well designed,” Sivitz told AIN. “So we are collaborating [with ICG and Satcom Direct] to integrate the systems components and provide a reference design [for the networks] that will give the operator a high probability of a successful installation and assured levels of performance.”

The extended partnerships with Satcom Direct and ICG are not exclusive in that ViaSat is ­eager to work as a neutral partner with other system providers. Satcom Direct is one of three existing Yonder resellers, with the other two being Arinc Direct and Satcom1. Yonder is based on fixed monthly fees that allow operators to accurately budget for the service.

According to Sivitz, ViaSat (Booth 5243) seeks to differentiate itself from other communications providers by ensuring that the end user is assured a consistently good experience, regardless of the device they use to connect. Also important, in his view, is providing access to different applications and services and providing upgrades and fixes for bugs. o

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Production HondaJet is one green machine

by R. Randall Padfield Progress on the HondaJet continues toward the model’s planned certification in the first quarter of next year, Honda Aircraft (Booth 6559) announced at EBACE 2014 on Monday.

The first production HondaJet (S/N 11) is now in final assembly in the company’s manufacturing facility on Piedmont Triad International (PTI) Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The first flight of S/N 11, now ready for ground tests, is expected this summer. FAA type certification of the HondaJet is planned for the first quarter of next year, with EASA certification to follow in about six months. The first HondaJet prototype made its first flight from PTI in December 2003.

The first set of GE Honda Aero Engines HF120 production turbofans, which were recently delivered to Honda Aircraft, are installed on HondaJet S/N 11. This aircraft also sports a new exterior color scheme that Honda Aircraft describes as a “deep pearl green with a gold stripe.” Other exterior colors offered for the innovative twinjet, which seats up to five passengers in the cabin and includes an enclosed lavatory, are blue, yellow, red and silver.

Asked what his main priorities are for Honda Aircraft, Michimasa Fujino, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft, told AIN, “The first milestone is to get type certification. The second is to deliver the first aircraft after FAA certification is granted. Also, we want to increase deliveries of aircraft according to our ramp-up plan. So our suppliers and the assembly [process] have to be sufficient to support an efficient ramp up.” The company reports orders for more than 100 aircraft, but has not yet announced a launch customer. About twothirds of the orders are from North America with the rest European. Current price of the HondaJet is $4.5 million.

Nine HondaJets are now under assembly, with four of them already mated to their wings and empennages. The company’s goal is to have the assembly line at full capacity (10 aircraft) in June. The production build-up is in line with Honda Aircraft’s objective to have six airplanes ready for delivery immediately after the type certificate is awarded.

Fujino expects 50 to 55 aircraft to be delivered in the first 12 months after deliveries begin.

He said the goal is to maintain a

two-year order backlog and that it will take three years to ramp up to the production facility’s capacity of 80 aircraft per year.

Honda Aircraft, which has already engaged more than 100 suppliers, also announced at EBACE that Fokker Aerostructures will supply the empennage for the HondaJet. TIA in December 2013

In December last year the FAA issued the first type inspection authorization (TIA) for the HondaJet and also certified the company’s customer service facility as a Part 145 repair station. Issuance of the TIA means that an aircraft meets type design requirements and is ready for FAA pilots to begin certification flight testing. The HondaJet began TIA flights in January.

TIA flight testing conducted to date includes stall speed, stall characteristics and the stall warning system; wheels, tires and brake control system; flap actuation and speed-brake operation; hydraulic system checks; and inflight fire suppression. Water ingestion, cold-weather and low-level lightning testing have also been completed. Meanwhile, two HondaJet prototype aircraft have undergone more than 2,000 cycles of fullscale fatigue testing, equivalent to more than five years of typical use by a business aircraft operator, on a structural test rig.

Another Honda Aircraft milestone is to make sure customer

Honda Aircraft announced at EBACE 2014 that the first production HondaJet is expected to make its maiden flight this summer. It is shown here sporting a new “deep pearl green” paint scheme, which is now offered to customers along with blue, yellow, red and silver.

HondaJet Specifications Max cruise speed 420 ktas Max cruise altitude FL430 Rate of climb 3,990 ft/min NBAA IFR Range with four occupants 1,180 nm Takeoff distance <4,000 feet Landing distance <3,000 feet Height 14.9 feet Wing span 39.76 feet Length 42.62 feet Price $4.5 million

service is ready, “meaning distribution, parts and service are in place before we deliver the first aircraft,” Fujino said. In addition, “we need to have pilots training in the flight simulator.”

FlightSafety International is providing the level D full flight simulator and is working with Honda Aircraft to develop flight and maintenance training curriculums. Maintenance training classes are due to begin later this year. Delivery of the simulator to Honda Aircraft and flight training are expected before the model’s entry into service.

MARK WAGNER

Delay Opportunity

Piston Packin’ Beechcraft The iconic Beechcraft Baron light twin is one of the extended Textron Aviation family of aircraft on display here at EBACE. Its new scimitar propeller helps frame the King Air turboprop twin in the near background.

64 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Regarding delays in the development and eventual certification (granted in December 2013) of the HF120 engine, Fujino said, “We didn’t just wait [for the engine]; we used the time to improve the aircraft and interior and to optimize our assembly lines. Honda Aero provided engine data to us, which we incorporated into our [static, research and development] flight simulator and checked. The engine is meeting our expectations on performance. Further testing will be at various altitudes and speeds to validate the flight manual. So far we have not found any big deficiencies in performance, but the final checks will be made in flight test.”

In the selection of the location for Honda Aircraft, Fujino

said he considered the future business jet market. “I wanted a geographic location for support of the market, which is mainly in North America and Europe for the next 10 years. I had read that Wichita was chosen by many aviation companies [in the 20th century], because it is in the center of the United States. So, [based on that philosophy of central location], Greensboro is a good place for support and parts distribution for both the United States and Europe–better than Wichita and Los Angeles.”

Honda Aircraft’s 133-acre “campus” on Piedmont Triad International Airport now includes the company’s research and development center, administration building, manufacturing facility and customer service center, and currently employs nearly 1,000 people, with ample room for more. GE Honda Aero Engines is based at Burlington Alamance Regional Airport, also in North Carolina, about 35 miles east of PTI. HondaJet dealers are in place in the northwest, southwest, midwest and southeast regions of the U.S., Mexico and northern, southern and central Europe.

“Our goal is to have everything ready before the first delivery,” Fujino said. “We are committed to deliver the best ownership experience from day one.” o

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The GE Passport started running last summer. Certification is expected next year.

In-development large bizjets spur new engine development

by Thierry Dubois Most activity in business jet engine research and development is taking place for business aircraft at the top end of the size range. Snecma (Booth 5515) is developing the Silvercrest for the Dassault Falcon 5X, while Pratt & Whitney Canada (Booth 3834) has readied a new variant of the PW307 for the newly revealed Falcon 8X. The Québec-based manufacturer is also running the PW800, a demonstrator in the 10,000- to 20,000-lb-thrust range. GE (Booth 5551) is working on its Passport engine for Bombardier’s Global 7000 and 8000. Only Honeywell (Booth 6622) looks relatively quiet, as its HTF7500E is closing in on certification, while Rolls-Royce (Booth 5855), which is producing engines for supermidsize to ultra-long-range jets but has no development ongoing, is thinking of the next generation.

Snecma says its Silvercrest is on time for certification next year. The 11,450-lbthrust engine (at sea level, ISA+20C) is to power the Falcon 5X. A 11,000-lbthrust rated version is to equip the Cessna Longitude.

As of early May, a Gulfstream II had been modified as a flying test bed for the Silvercrest but still had to make its maiden flight. The modification, performed by Texas-based Sky Aerospace

Technology (in the same group as Sierra Industries), apparently has taken longer than expected, as the first flight was postponed several times last year.

Snecma intends to obtain a permit to fly the modified aircraft in the U.S., with one of its original Rolls-Royce Speys and one Silvercrest. After a first series of flights in the U.S., it will be refitted with its two Speys and ferried to France. After the transatlantic flight, the Silvercrest will again replace one of the Speys. An extensive flight test program will then take place at Snecma’s development center in Istres, starting this summer.

“We don’t need flight tests for certification but we want to reassure our airframers by operating the engine in realistic conditions,” program general manager Laurence Finet said. Finet also said the company finds such flight tests useful, too, because some differences exist with ground testing; for example, flight testing allows aircraft attitude to be factored in.

A total of seven Silvercrest engines are involved in the ground-test program. Tests have started recently in an altitude simulation chamber. Still on the to-do list are bird and ice ingestion, as well as endurance testing. Emissions and noise have not been measured yet but Finet expressed her confidence, as initial trials on the core engine had given encouraging results. Compared

Snecma’s 11,450-pound-thrust Silvercrest, which is to power the Falcon 5X, is on time for certification next year.

66 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

to exiting engines in this class, Snecma targets a 15-percent cut in fuel burn, a 50-percent margin below the CAEP6 NOx emission standard and a noise level 20 EPNdB below Stage 4.

The French engine manufacturer is also gearing up for production. The assembly line is up and running, and it is planning to deliver the first engines to Dassault in the second half of this year. Snecma is responsible for the integrated powerplant system, including the nacelle, thrust reversers and mounting systems. Final assembly takes place in Villaroche, just south of Paris, and podding will happen in Toulouse.

PW800 Demonstrator

Rival manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada started running a full PW800 engine demonstrator late last year, company vice president of business aviation and military programs Michael Perodeau told AIN. He confirmed that the demonstration effort has progressed according to plan but gave little detail.

The engine maker is “preparing itself for the eventuality of a program launch” in the 10,000- to 20,000-pound-thrust range, said Perodeau. Pratt & Whitney Canada would thus be able to develop an engine in “36 months, notionally, from program launch.”

The PW800 uses a core of the PW1000G geared turbofan series. “Using a common core gives us a head start, as PW1000G engines will be in service with airlines before the PW800 is certified,” he noted. This should translate into durability and reliability, thanks to the experience these flight hours will bring.

For the PW800, Pratt & Whitney Canada targets a two-digit percent improvement over in-service engines in both fuel burn and emissions. The PW800 schedule revealed last year calls for flight-tests this year.

Perodeau would not disclose the precise thrust of the demonstrator. It is “not pertinent,” he said, as the technology is scalable within the 10,000- to 20,000pound range. Three core sizes are already available in the PW1000G family, and PW800 designers had to choose just one.

The PW800 was to power the Cessna Citation Columbus before that business jet was cancelled in July 2009. Perodeau explained that Pratt & Whitney Canada is now waiting for an opportunity to

arise–either a new-generation aircraft or an upgrade program. The PW800 could suit business jets from the large-cabin to the ultra-long-range aircraft segments.

Pratt & Whitney Canada is also developing a PW307 version, the PW307D, for the Falcon 8X trijet. The PW307D provides 6,725 pounds of thrust at sea level, ISA+17C conditions. This represents a 5-percent increase over the 7X’s PW307A. Specific fuel consumption has been cut thanks to improved fan seals, impeller clearances and exhaust mixer, as well as a new Fadec.

Engine certification is expected in March next year with reproduction engines due to be delivered to Dassault shortly. The three PW307Ds that will power the 8X on its first flight have already flown on Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Boeing 747 flying testbed.

Passport

Since the last EBACE, GE ran the first full Passport, which is the 16,500-pound-thrust engine for Bombardier’s Global 7000 and Global 8000.

The first ground test took place on June 24, 2013, and the first campaign finished last August, completing all test objectives, according to Judd Tressler, director of Bombardier programs for GE. “Also in 2013, we conducted engine crosswind tests and two fan blade-out rig tests, successfully demonstrating fan blade-integrated disk [blisk] capability and composite fan-case containment characteristics,” she said. Other completed fan rig tests include bird ingestion and a fan efficiency demonstration.

Ground testing in an altitude chamber was completed in February. It demonstrated engine performance and operability from sea level up to 51,000 feet. “We’re finishing engine icing tests at our Winnipeg icing facility–those tests began in March,” Tressler said.

GE has built four full Passport engines and has another four, plus a dedicated core module, currently in the assembly process. For the development program, GE plans to run a total of nine engines with multiple builds of each.

By entry into service, they will have run more than 4,000 hours and 8,000 cycles. “To date, we’ve completed multiple tests totaling approximately 400 hours, 100 cycles and 200 starts,”

Continued on page 68 u

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Engine development uContinued from page 66

Tressler added. Based on the test results, the engine is said to be matching or exceeding pretest expectations. Therefore, Tressler and her team expect certification to take place on time, in 2015.

This summer, flight-testing is scheduled to begin aboard GE’s new 747 flying test bed in Victorville, California.

That activity will include performance, air start and above-idle transient testing.

Other certification tests such as hailstorm and water ingestion will begin later this year. GE is targeting an 8-percent reduction in specific fuel consumption.

A smaller engine in GE’s range, the 2,095-pound GE Honda HF120 (the joint-venture engine company is exhibiting at EBACE in Booth 2218) was certified in December last year. “We are now in full production mode at GE’s Lynn facility and significant planning activity is under way to enable smooth transitioning to the Honda Aero Inc. facility in Burlington, North Carolina,” said Terry Sharp, president of GE Honda Aero Engines. The HF120 powers the HondaJet very light jet.

Asked about in-development engines, a Honeywell spokesperson answered that the company, “…does not have anything new or in the pipeline or significant updates it can share at this time.” Its

latest business-jet engine development is the 6,000-pound-thrust HTF7500E for the new Embraer Legacy 450 mid-light and Legacy 500 midsize jets, for which it is expecting certification in June.

Rolls-Royce Eyes on the Future

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is preparing technologies for the next generation of business jet turbofans, and the design engineers’ motto seems to be “smaller, faster, leaner.” As one of the main drivers is reducing fuel burn, the engine maker’s specialists in Dahlewitz, Germany, are endeavoring to make the core engine more compact. A smaller core greatly aids design of a lighter engine. At the heart of the next generation of engines will be a new high-pressure (HP) spool nearly half the size of those in today’s engines. Nevertheless, it will feature a pressure ratio of about 23:1, much greater than the 16:1 currently on a Rolls-Royce business-jet engine (and thus increasing efficiency).

The compressor will have 10 stages and the turbine will have two.

However, smaller blades create a challenge–the need to prevent air leaks. If blades are inserted into disk slots, there are still gaps, and as there already are gaps between each blade, during each run they can slightly reposition themselves and, therefore, tip clearance can slightly vary. The smaller the blades, the more difficult it is to have a good command of

clearances. As a solution, RollsRoyce is developing blisks for all compressor stages, rather than for just a few.

Rotors in future HP systems, being smaller for a given airflow, could spin at more than 26,000 rpm. This is far in excess of the rotation speeds found in large civil engines. So designing the rotors for the lowest vibrations possible becomes increasingly important. Again, blisks are a solution.

In the low-pressure spool, more compression is also needed. Just as GE is doing on the Passport engine, RollsRoyce is pursuing a blisk fan concept.

Manufacturing the blades and disk as one unit will allow a greater airflow and higher pressure ratios.

Meanwhile, in combustion, the UK company is targeting lean burn for the long term. Lean burn combustion means burning the fuel in an excess of air to significantly reduce the formation of NOx. The operation of the system is based on premixing the fuel and air inside the fuel injector prior to entering the combustor. The injectors use fuel staging, with a pilot and a main fuel injector. The pilot maintains combustion stability at low power conditions, while the main injector reduces NOx emissions at high power

From the Falcon 7X’s PW307A (shown), Pratt & Whitney Canada has developed a more powerful version, the PW307D.

conditions. However, design engineers see major challenges in the complexity of a fuel-staged system and the integration of controls.

However, all this progress has to be achieved within strict cost limits. Corporate jets are flown less intensively than airliners and, for the owner, the balance between acquisition and maintenance costs is different. In other words, the pressure on reducing the purchasing price is even more intense with business jet engines. Rolls-Royce is thus looking for cheaper materials and, for example, is developing a new, lower-cost alloy for HP turbine disks–a high-strength nickel alloy called “Allvac 718 plus.”

With no replacement in sight for the venerable gas turbine, continuous improvement remains the name of the game. o

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68 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

TrueNorth unit offers FANS capability

by Matt Thurber TrueNorth Avionics is on track to receive the first FAA technical standard order (TSO) certification for its new FANS 1/A-capable Simphone- data link unit (DLU), which enables FANS-over-Iridium communication over oceanic routes. The new DLU has already achieved RTCA DO-178B level-D software certification, and the TSO is expected shortly.

The Canadian company’s solution has been selected for a fleet of head-of-state Airbus jets equipped with Esterline CMC FMSs and the DLU is available for installation in all types of aircraft that need to add FANS (future air navigation system) communications capability for expeditious routing on oceanic flight tracks.

TrueNorth (Booth 4441) paved the way for development of the DLU when it began selling its Iridium-based ACARS/AFIS interface in 2007. “When we developed that we had the mindset that someday we would be able to do FANS,” said TrueNorth CEO Mark van Berkel. “But back in 2006/2007 there was no TSO, no standard and loosely based MOPS [minimum operational performance standards].

We decided to build an architecture that could one day meet that requirement. This is now the fulfillment of that vision.”

What this means is that for business jets already equipped with TrueNorth’s Iridium-based ACARS/AFIS interface, the upgrade path to DLU capability needed for FANS 1/A is a simple software change. The unit just needs to be sent to TrueNorth for a firmware upgrade, then it is ready for a FANS package.

Full FANS 1/A capability, including controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC), will require a supplemental type certificate (STC), but having the DLU already capable is a big step toward meeting FANS requirements. The STC will also need to include an FMS capable of the texting-style messaging needed for FANS/CPDLC and a cockpit voice recorder that can store FANS messages, but the DLU also offers Arinc 429 interfaces, which allow it to work with many different types of FMSs. In addition to the Airbus upgrades, van Berkel said, “We’ve got another couple of STC projects on the go and we will announce these over the next few months aviation.”

The TrueNorth DLU is a standalone system designed strictly for the cockpit and thus has a single dedicated Iridium channel. “When it comes to separation between the cockpit

and the cabin, it’s important not to intermingle software,” he explained.

The retail price for the new DLU is $26,630, which will include certification to TSO C159a. o

TrueNorth’s FANS 1/A-capable data link unit has achieved RTCA DO-178B level-D software certification and is on track to earn a TSO.

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www.ainonline.com • May 20, 2014 • EBACE Convention News 69

Gulfstream is riding high on the wings of prosperity

by Chad Trautvetter Gulfstream Aerospace continues to build on its momentum of last year with deliveries of 39 completed aircraft during the first quarter, a 34.5-percent increase on Q1 2013. This is on the back of a total of 144 deliveries last year, a 53.2-percent rise from the company’s performance for 2012.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream’s $7.354 billion in billings reported to GAMA last year bested that of Bombardier by more than $1 billion and alone accounted for nearly one third of the combined 2013 billings from the 31 aircraft manufacturers that report delivery and billing data to GAMA. And there appears to be no stopping this growth, as Gulfstream billings in the first quarter climbed to $2.054 billion, up from $1.508 billion in the same span last year.

It is no secret that the primary driver of this momentum is Gulfstream’s flagship G650, deliveries of which started in December 2012. The $65 million business jet is in such high demand that its backlog extends four years and the handful of G650s placed on the pre-owned market not only have been snapped up quickly by buyers, but also have commanded premiums of approximately $7 million over the new aircraft price.

“This is currently the only business jet with a premium in the used market that I’m aware of,” Teal Group aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia told AIN. “Gulfstream has a five-year head start over Bombardier’s Global 7000, which won’t enter the market until 2017.

It’s almost unheard of for anyone to have this kind of market all to themselves for this long.”

Beyond its robust market demand, the G650 has also brought Gulfstream (Booth 5129) into the 21st Century in terms of aircraft manufacturing, increasing production efficiency and, correspondingly,

profit margins. When it launched the new airplane in 2008, the U.S. manufacturer wanted the G650 to represent a model for more efficient production, as well as easier maintainability.

According to Joe Lombardo, executive vice president of the aerospace business group at Gulfstream parent company General Dynamics, “The G650 is built using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques.” He said that well before any metal was ever cut, the effort began with computerized 3-D modeling to reduce the parts count by half over its other large-cabin models, and to improve maintainability.

The end result was aircraft that had no fit problems during the build process, starting with the very first test aircraft.

“We normally have problems with the wing-to-body attachments on new aircraft models because the tolerances are so tight,” Lombardo said. “But we were pleasantly surprised during the first test G650’s wing mating since all the holes lined up perfectly. It took our build team only an hour to complete the first G650 wing mate.”

Manufacturing Advances

Regarding manufacturing efficiencies, Lombardo cited metal bonding as one of the key technology drivers to reduce production time and costs. “With bonded panels,” he noted, “we limit the amount of fasteners used. This speeds up the production process greatly.” The G650 also has a lot of single-piece parts milled from billets, keeping the parts count down.

Other production-line technologies being used on the G650 include automated riveting machines and wheeled tooling that travels with the subassemblies as the aircraft comes together down the production line. In fact, the overhead crane in the factory is used only once on

The Gulfstream G650 production plant in Savannah, Georgia, has brought 21st Century manufacturing techniques to the company. Technologies used at the plant include automated riveting machines, wheeled tooling that moves with the subassemblies as the aircraft go down the line and paperless tracking systems.

The plant is also eerily quiet, much like modern automotive plants.

70 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

The Gulfstream G450/550 plant harks back to how aircraft were made in the 1950s and 1960s. When filled with workers, the facility is somewhat cramped, work areas are littered with paper forms and manuals and noise from rivet guns echo throughout–a complete contrast to the newer G650 production facility.

each G650 during the production process–during the fuselage to wing mate.

What Gulfstream has done exceeds General Dynamics’ initial expectations.

G650 production is currently tracked

by JetNet iQ managing director Rollie Vincent at 44 aircraft per year, which is already 11 aircraft more than General Dynamics executives believed was the maximum output back in 2009. Without specifying the current G650 output, a Gulfstream spokesman told AIN that the plant is currently not running at its fullest capacity, meaning production could still be increased.

During AIN’s recent tour of Gulfstream’s Savannah campus, the differences between the adjacent G650 and G450/G550 production facilities was literally like that between night and day. The 200,000-sq-ft G650 facility was extremely quiet and had relatively few workers on the floor putting aircraft together on the parallel production lines. Workspaces were spacious and devoid of paper, replaced by clusters of computers that workers used for reference and documentation during the production process.

Next door at the G450/550 plant, the sounds of rivet guns echoing throughout nearly drowned out the voice of the spokesman next to me, who noted, “This is exactly how aircraft back in the 1950s and 1960s were built.” The factory floor was bustling with employees, while cramped workspaces were littered with engineering drawings, whiteboards and various papers.

In spite of this outdated manufacturing process, demand for the G450 and G550 remains strong. In fact, General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic said last month that 60 percent of Gulfstream’s order intake during the first quarter was for the G450 and G550.

And in the fourth quarter of 2013, China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing placed a 60-­aircraft order with Gulfstream estimated at about $3 billion, the bulk of which is for G450s and G550s.

But there is trouble looming on the horizon for the legacy large-cabin

Gulfstreams. The $45 million Dassault Falcon 5X, announced in October at the NBAA Convention, took direct aim at the G450. The 5X, which is expected to enter service in 2017, offers a range of 5,200 nm, 700 nm more than the G450, and a 98.4-inch cabin cross section that largely matches that of the G650, Gulfstream’s widest jet. Striking another blow, Dassault launched a Falcon 7X derivative (8X) here at EBACE that similarly challenges the G550.

“But don’t think for a minute that Gulfstream is idly sitting by,” business aviation analyst Brian Foley told AIN. “Gulfstream has plans to respond to Dassault, but it’s a balancing act as to when you make an announcement. Too soon, and you hurt sales of your existing products; too late, and it appears you’re hastily reacting to the market.”

In this case, Foley believes Gulfstream made a good choice to wait to see what Dassault came out with first. “Then Gulfstream can tweak its new products to be even better than these competitors,” he said, adding that he expects Gulfstream to announce its G450 and G550 successors “after EBACE and as late as NBAA” this year.

J.P. Morgan aerospace analyst Joseph Nadol III also believes that Gulfstream will “soon announce a major product transition from the G450/550 to a new family derived from the G650.” The new-product announcements are “likely in the second half,” he said, adding that he believes deliveries of the new models will begin in 2016.

Foley also anticipates that any such G450 and G550 successors to be based on the G650, allowing for a “Lego-like platform” for Gulfstream. “I also expect future Gulfstreams to share systems and production methods with the G650,” he said–further bringing the company into the 21st Century. o

CAE invests to improve the training experience

by Charles Alcock A combination of growth from new business aviation markets such as the Middle East and Asia and recovery in the more mature markets of Europe and North America has inspired flight-training provider CAE to triple investments in facilities. Half of all investment is going into new simulators. The group has been adding these at a rate of two to four each year and expects to install another 25 new units at its worldwide locations over the next five years.

Rob Lewis, vice president and general manager of CAE’s global Business Aviation, Helicopter and Maintenance Training division, told AIN that the company also has been seeking to improve the overall training experience for operators and their flight crew. This has involved enhancements to the training centers to ensure greater continuity with customers’ own working environments at their bases. CAE (Booth 3846) has also been focusing on changes in training

requirements and is seeking to help operators manage these more efficiently with improved processes and new software.

In its Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) region, CAE has training centers in Burgess Hill, near London, Amsterdam and Dubai. At Shanghai, the company has the only business aircraft full-flight simulator installed in Mainland China. These facilities have a combined total of 21 simulators.

According to Lewis, CAE’s business aviation training in EMEA grew by about 20 percent

Rob Lewis, v-p and general manager CAE’s Business Aviation, Helicopter and Maintenance Training division.

CAE’s Business Aviation Simulator Network Across EMEA Region Location Amsterdam

Burgess Hill (London, UK)

OEM

Simulators

Bombardier

Challenger 300 Challenger 604 Global 6000/5000 Vision

Bombardier

Global Express/5000/XR Learjet 40/40XR Learjet 45/45XR

Cessna

Citation I/II/V Citation XLS Citation Excel

Dassault

Falcon 7X Falcon 7X EASy Falcon 900EX EASy/2000EX EASy Falcon 900EX EASy II Falcon 2000EX EASy II

Embraer

Phenom100/300

Gulfstream

Gulfstream G350/G450/G500/G550 (second quarter 2014)

Airbus

Corporate Jet

Boeing Business Jet

BBJ

Bombardier

Challenger 604 Challenger 605 Global Express/5000/XRS

Dassault

Falcon 7X Falcon 900EX EASy/2000EX EASy

Gulfstream

G300/400 G350/G450/G500/G550 GIV GV

Hawker

Beechcraft Hawker 700 Hawker 750 Hawker 800 Hawker 800XP Hawker 800XPi/850XP Hawker 900XP/1000

Dubai

last year in terms of both revenues and training activity rates.

Although market growth rates were higher outside Europe itself, CAE has seen some European clients adding aircraft and crew lately. In particular, he said that the market has been buoyed by strong deliveries of larger aircraft, which require more crew to operate.

“Since around a year-anda-half ago we’ve been running our business aviation training segment as a global [rather than regional] business, allowing us to focus more on overall customer needs,” said Lewis.

“The growth has stabilized and we are bullish about the future so we have decided to increase investment in infrastructure around the world.”

Better Training Tools

In CAE’s view, the flighttraining industry as a whole is somewhat behind other sectors in customer service standards.

It is seeking to introduce better tools for activities such as scheduling training and providing the necessary records.

The company recently implemented a new electronic records system that keeps track of all of its clients’ special training requirements and more efficiently gets updated training records back to the operators.

“Not being able to quickly and easily keep track of records is frustrating for operators,” said Lewis.

The new system already is handling about half of all training records at CAE’s U.S.

Amsterdam is the location for one of three CAE training centers serving Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The other two are in the UK and Dubai.

facilities and about 10 percent of the records in Europe. Its use is now being expanded.

“The main differentiator [with other training providers] is how easy it is to customize training programs with us,” said Lewis. “Operators can easily add training to cover things such as the LCY [London City Airport] approach or extra CRM [crew resource management]. There is more emphasis [by regulators] these days on AOC holders fully owning their own training.”

At CAE’s Burgess Hill facility it has done some remodeling so that the working environment is closer to that of an FBO, where most of its customers spend their days. The company is improving customer lounges and providing additional services such as travel planning. Classrooms also are being updated with new

CAE’s latest 7000XR simulator technology helps operators to conduct more evidence-based training.

72 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

interactive flat-screen displays and more modern courseware.

“There is not a lot of scope for differentiating the actual delivery of training because most of what is required is specified by authorities such as EASA,” explained Lewis. “We have about 15 percent that we can play with by adding additional training topics above the regulatory minimum. But the mode of training delivery can make a real difference.”

Quality Analysis

One aspect of CAE’s new 7000XR simulator technology is that it can meet the new requirement for simulator operations quality analysis (SOQA).

“It means operators can look at how training sessions went in more detail and leads to more evidence-based training techniques,” explained Lewis.

“Some large EMEA operators are starting to talk about how to incorporate evidence-based training into their training programs but we haven’t seen anything implemented yet.”

In June, CAE will be deploying a new Gulfstream G350/450/500/550 simulator at the Burgess Hill center, which is close to London Gatwick Airport. Then in July it will install a new simulator for the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter at a customer location in Oslo, Norway. In January 2015, it plans to add a Bombardier Global Vision to its Dubai facility. Another Global Vision-equipped simulator was deployed in Amsterdam last January.

Meanwhile, CAE’s latest Simfinity classroom technology is allowing pilots to learn many basic elements of their training without having to consume valuable time in full-flight simulators. The Simfinity software allows these devices to be used to shadow the training provided in the simulators. o

Performance improvements coming soon for Falcon 7Xs

by Thierry Dubois Dassault is planning various improvements to the Falcon 7X that are to be available later this year, both for retrofit and for new production aircraft. The France-based manufacturer is also leveraging fleet experience to have its customers make the most of their aircraft.

The fuel system is being modified to reduce refueling time considerably.

Whereas filling from 50 percent to 100 percent capacity currently takes about 40 minutes, according to a new service bulletin, a new level controller and fuel probe allow this to be achieved in around 20 minutes, according to Damien Farret, Falcon 7X customer service specialist.

Another innovation this year, also aimed at increasing operational availability, relates maintenance intervals. The basic check, which used to take place every two months, is now planned every 300 flight hours. In addition, the time between two A-checks will be extended in 2015.

The first C-check of a Falcon 7X is expected to occur relatively soon, as it is scheduled eight years after the 2007 entry into service. To be prepared for the first

customer C-check, Dassault is shortly to perform one on a company-owned 7X. In troubleshooting, support engineers have determined that, since entry into service, the main cause for delayed or cancelled flights has been initialization–the automatic sequence when the aircraft is powered up. “Messages can appear– sometimes false alarms–signaling a problem,” but the causes are tricky to find as a number of systems interact, said Farret.

Hence, an action plan has been developed.

As of February, fixes were available for 55 percent of the identified issues, according to Farret. Most other items are addressed temporarily by the “pilot assist list,” he said. Finally, new fixes will be validated by year-end for another 30 percent of the problems, thanks to a new avionics software load.

Special Runways

Some customers have special requests relating to the airports they want to use.

For example, in response to one owner’s desire to fly to and from a very challenging runway–Gstaad Saanen in

Switzerland–Dassault qualified the 7X for the 3,570 feet of landing distance available at that airport. A video of the landing will be used for training purposes with other customers.

In other instances, Dassault’s pilots have to convince a customer of the aircraft’s capabilities. As David Sebaoun, Falcon 7X operations manager recounted, the owner of a 7X operated in India was not sure about the long-range capability of his jet, which was usually operated for less than 10 hours. The airframer offered a demonstration flight with the owner’s operations department and a Dassault crew and the customer accepted.

The flight took seven passengers and accompanying luggage from Seletar-Singapore to Zurich in Switzerland. Flight time was just over 13 hours and air distance 5,867 nm. Dassault pilots shared best practices for flight planning and flight management.

Other customers have reported flights that push the 7X’s stated 5,950 nm range, such as Germany to São Paulo (5,975 nm of air distance), Beijing to St. Louis (6,000 nm) and Brussels to Singapore (5,986 nm).

Separately, a flight test campaign will take place this summer in Tibet to certify the 7X for 15,000-foot altitude airports. A Falcon 7X has even landed on a grooved ice runway in Antarctica.

A well-equipped Falcon 7X sells for $52.8 million. o

Falcon 7X Fleet Statistics Aircraft in service: 218 Average annual flight hours: 400 Average flight duration: 2hr 25min Types of operations: private - 59 percent commercial - 36 percent government - 5 percent NBAA dispatch reliability: 99.5 percent

Falcon 7X Dassault pilots say EASy II avionics are even more error-proof than their predecessor.

www.ainonline.com • May 20, 2014 • EBACE Convention News 73

Marshall looks to bizav for growth

by David Donald Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group is one of the oldest and most respected names in aerospace through its long history, consisting primarily of military work. While it has been involved in business aviation for many years, and has 40 years’ experience in performing MRO work on Cessna Citations, the group is now dramatically expanding its footprint in the sector.

Through the newly created Marshall Aerospace Services (MAS) division, led by managing director Steve Jones, the group has added new capabilities to its portfolio. It now offers a full spectrum of services for business aviation from buying, through support and operation, to selling: “We are an end-to-end provider in the business aviation sector,” asserted James Dillon-Godfray, MAS v-p business development.

“We take all the hassle of owning a business aircraft away from the individual or corporation.”

In just a short time, initial growth has been spectacular.

Revenues have grown from £15 million in 2012/13 to £60 million this year, and the goal is to continue this rate of growth over the next few years.

Increased revenues from MAS are part of a group strategy to aim ultimately for more than 50 percent of its business to come from nonmilitary streams. Civil/business aviation is already up to 25 percent from 18 percent in just a year, with the focus on becoming more service-orientated.

“We’ve gone from an entity that has ‘been in business aviation’ for a long time, mainly in Citation MRO, and now we’re in the top five business aviation organizations in Europe,” remarked Dillon-Godfray. “And that has happened in a year.”

Engineering Expertise

Marshall’s reputation has been built on its engineering capabilities, and while major conversion work lies outside the remit of MAS, the ability of the group to undertake such work has considerable synergy with the business aviation world.

The company has experience of green completions, having already performed such work on six Bombardier Globals and has undertaken head-of-state VVIP conversions.

“It’s a marketplace where there are a lot of opportunities,”

Dillon-Godfray explained. “Many of the other players are full, and we have the space.” As the group owns Cambridge Airport, and has extensive workshop and hangarage facilities available, it can easily accommodate urgent jobs. “We’ve got the elbow room here to be more flexible at short notice,” he added.

Marshall’s facilities can accommodate aircraft up to Boeing 747 size, and indeed a 747 is scheduled to arrive at the Cambridge facility for a VVIP conversion later this year. Marshall (Booth 5642) has in-house cabinetry and trim workshops, and from its military work the company also has the expertise to install special requirements such as defensive countermea-

& Whitney engines that power Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft.

A key feature of Broughton is its design capability, which has seen the center create a range of STCs for business aircraft.

Recently the center designed a Garmin 1000 flight deck refit for the King Air 200, and then sold the STC back to Beechcraft.

At the same time, the facility is able to apply major upgrades designed by the OEM, such as Hawker’s 800XPR update.

MAS is looking to extend its MRO work to other OEMs beyond the Cessna, Hawker and Beechcraft stables, with Broughton opening a new stateof-the-art paintshop that can handle aircraft up to the Falcon 2000 in size. The center offers

In acquiring the Broughton works, Marshall not only bought access into the lucrative Hawker and Beechcraft world, but also gained a design and engineering facility highly experienced in special-mission modifications, such as that applied to this King Air.

sures. Additional facilities are also due to open in the next two years, including a new paintshop for widebody aircraft that is due to begin operation later this year.

Broughton Expansion

Marshall Cambridge has been the traditional location for MRO work but last September MAS acquired the 100,000sq-ft Hawker Beechcraft facility at Broughton, Cheshire. As the spiritual “home” of the HS125/ Hawker jet family, Broughton brings with it 50 years of experience in supporting the family, as well as Beechcraft aircraft such as the popular King Air. From both Broughton and Cambridge facilities, MAS provides MRO support as an authorized service center for Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker aircraft throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. A range of services is undertaken, including major repairs thanks to the retention of the original jigs. Broughton is also an ASC for the Honeywell and Pratt

a unique design capability for special-mission conversions for smaller aircraft.

Meanwhile, Marshall is also extending its MRO support to the Bombardier Global range, initially offered to the wider retail market. Its long-standing Citation MRO business has expanded, including support for the NetJets fleet. An increase in Citation activity has necessitated a move to a 60,000-sq-ft workshop, double the size of that used previously. For nearly a year MAS has also operated 24-hour AOG support for Cessna and Hawker types in Europe.

FlairJet

One of the first steps to building Marshall’s business aviation portfolio was the acquisition of Oxford-based charter/ management company FlairJet. Marshall Executive Aviation already had a Citation 550 and 560 available for charter, while FlairJet had a Phenom 100, with another added last November. The Phenoms operate from Bari, Italy, and Oxford.

74 EBACE Convention News • May 20, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

As of last July, the four aircraft were operating together under FlairJet’s worldwide AOC, and a renewed accent on commercial operations has already brought rewards for the two Citations, which are based at Luton Airport, north of London. Compared with 2012 figures, usage in 2013 was up 65 percent for the 550 Bravo and 58 percent for the 650 XLS. Recent developments for the fleet include the approval of P-Rnav operations for the Citation XLS and Phenom 100, allowing those aircraft to operate into Amsterdam, as well as to take advantage of favorable arrival and departure routings. Moreover, the Citation XLS has been granted MNPS (minimum navigation performance specification) approval, allowing it to fly oceanic at over 28,000 feet. This has eased operations to Iceland.

looking at both taking on more aircraft under management, and also at acquisitions.

According to Jones, FlairJet also “suffers from having only small aircraft.” To that end, FlairJet is seeking to add larger and longer-range aircraft to its portfolio, particularly with the ability to offer transoceanic capability.

Expanding Outlook

Another sector in which Marshall has grown considerably in recent times is aircraft sales and brokerage. This is divided into two areas: new aircraft and preowned, and both have shown promising results.

JETability is the brand name of the MAS’s used aircraft business, which brokers sales and also guides customers through the buying process. The business started in November 2012 and in its first year notched up 10 sales. This year the business has already placed a

Marshall Executive Aviation’s two Citations have been operating under FlairJet’s AOC since last July and have seen an increase in charter use. However, the company is looking for more and larger aircraft to increase business long term.

FlairJet is to introduce a Phenom 300 to the fleet this year. The division offers acceptance and delivery services for this type of aircraft, and with around 30 processed so far has more experience in this field than anyone outside the U.S. Furthermore, FlairJet has instigated a training program for the Phenom 300 in partnership with NetJets as the latter rolls out its fleet, which could total 125 aircraft if all options are exercised.

While FlairJet has advanced under Marshall’s guidance, it needs to grow considerably to pry customers away from other customers, who often follow their personal acquaintances when chartering aircraft or placing them for management. “We need to break through the ‘club’ mentality of some customers, and the perception that we are a small company,” Marshall’s Steve Jones told AIN. “Having four aircraft is no use to us. We have to get to 20. If we can’t get there in two years we’ll probably have to get out of it,” he admitted. To achieve its aim MAS is

Cessna CJ2+, AgustaWestland A109E Power and an Airbus Helicopters AS355N. The company hopes that a Hawker 850XP sold late last year can provide the springboard into the larger-aircraft market.

In terms of new sales, MAS is now the exclusive sales distributor for Beechcraft aircraft in the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia–and since last October three King Airs have been sold. MAS has five full-time sales staff at Cambridge, and a similar number at a newly opened office in Oslo, Norway.

Overall, MAS is cautiously optimistic about the revival of business aviation in Europe. “The market seems to be looking up, its more ‘buzzy,’” said DillonGodfray, “but the uptake is slow.”

“There is also some housekeeping going on,” added Jones. “The less profitable businesses are folding–they either don’t have the cash for reinvestment, or they’re holding on too long. We’re regularly getting approaches from companies asking us to buy them.” o

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Lux version of EC135 designed for custom fit

by Thierry Dubois Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter) is here exhibiting the Hermès luxury version of its EC135, and is soliciting new possibilities for customization. The helicopter manufacturer (Booth 6613) is seeing a steady market in private and business aviation, with a combined 150 helicopters sold in the world last year by rotorcraft OEMs. Company design engineers are now working on the VIP version of the EC175, with hinged doors and an escalator for passengers.

The EC135 Hermès is now based on the new T3/P3 variant, which sports new engines for improved performance. “We have worked with Hermès to allow more customization than in the version we introduced in 2007,” said Frédéric Lemos, senior vice president, private and business aviation market development. The original configuration and equipment could not be tweaked.

“Now we offer to develop, with each customer, a totally unique helicopter,” Lemos said.

Hermès offers to create a specific interior, including personalization of leather color and adaptation of the furniture. The paint scheme, too, may be customized. However, there is only one option for some equipment such as the minibar and in-flight entertainment. “Otherwise the delivery lead time would be too long,” Lemos explained.

The EC135 Hermès sells in the €5 to €6 million ($7 to $8.4 million) price range, depending on options and economic conditions. Airbus Helicopters may also consider customer requests for a Hermès interior on other helicopters.

Asked about sales expectations, Lemos said achieving a large number of sales is not the objective. “This is a very exclusive high-end product so we don’t necessarily want to sell more than one per year,” he said. He rather sees it as a way to position the manufacturer in the VIP helicopter market,

with clear differentiation. However, while Airbus Helicopters has so far sold five EC135 Hermès, it originally had hoped to sell “several dozen.”

Another special version of a light twin, the EC145 MercedesBenz Style, was introduced in 2010 and seven examples have been sold since.

Frédéric Lemos, Airbus Helicopters’ senior v-p, private and business aviation market development, explained that the global market for private and business helicopters in 2013 was stable, at about 150 units. This breaks down into 76 light singles (from the size of an AS350 Ecureuil), 48 light twins (such as EC135s, Bell 429s and so forth), 21 medium twins (like the EC155 and Sikorsky S-76) and a handful of heavy twins–for example, the Super Puma. The very light segment

is excluded from the picture but Lemos admitted the Robinson R66 sells much better than the EC120, which has “a different price point and very different technology positioning.”

Airbus Helicopters claims to have achieved a 36.5-percent market share over the past five years. In units sold, this represents 433 helicopters over the 2009-2013 period, with 76 sales last year.

Completions Offerings

The company offers two levels of completion. One is called “Stylence” and is a relatively standard executive cabin interior that also provides some degree of flexibility (to change the seat configuration, for instance). Lemos described it as “trendy sport chic.” It is available on Airbus’s light singles and light twins. The other

is the VIP offer, available starting with the EC135, allowing for much greater customization.

“Passengers tend to bring more personal electronic devices on board so there is a growing demand for power points instead of fixed displays,” said Lemos. Interior designers also try to bring more ergonomics into the cabin–for example, practical coat hooks and side pockets to hold sunglasses, cell phones and so forth.

By 2016, Airbus Helicopters intends to offer wireless headsets for passengers. It also is involved in studies with suppliers, especially with regard to interference and recharging issues. While today’s cabin acoustics make conversations possible, background noise on a 45-minute flight is tolerated more with a noise-cancellation headset, said Lemos. o

Customized, VIP EC175 The VIP version of Airbus Helicopters’ EC175 is expected to offer customized interiors and a fresh approach to cabin noise. “We want to establish a new standard in helicopter cabin quietude,” said Lemos, where passengers will be comfortable without headsets on flights of up to one-and-a-half hours. The hinged doors (as opposed to the standard version’s sliding doors) help, as they allow thicker interior door side ledges to be fitted.

Other features on the VIP EC175 will be passenger escalators, a new cabin management system and electro-chromatic windows.

So far Airbus has sold two examples (to two customers) and it is planning to deliver one in January 2016 and the other later that year. The VIP and executive variants of the EC175, created by Pegasus Design, were introduced last year at EBACE. –T.D.

Multi-faceted Alpha Star plies VIP services in Saudi Arabia

Alpha Star ordered two ATR72-600s at the Dubai Aishow last fall. They will join its current fleet of six: five Airbus models and one ATR42-600.

by Peter Shaw-Smith Alpha Star Aviation Services, the newest player in the Saudi private aviation market, provides flight operations, technical support, VIP flight-support services and administration, with a focus on air ambulance flights.

The company’s aircraft management portfolio numbers six aircraft: one Airbus ACJ318, one A319, two A320s–one an ACJ320 Prestige–an A340 and an ATR 42-600. It also signed an agreement for two ATR 72-600s, one firm and one option, at the Dubai Airshow last year. The first is expected to join the fleet later this year.

Multi-faceted Alpha Star (Booth

2016), which was established in 2010, is involved in aircraft acquisitions, acceptance and delivery services and completion management.

The company is considering entering the FBO market in Saudi Arabia.

This would increase competition among the four current operators: Jet Aviation, ExecuJet-NasJet, Arabasco and Saudia Private Aviation.

Alpha Star’s new CEO, Salim Al Muzaini, is based in Riyadh and is assisted by deputy CEO Wajdi Al Idrissi, former CEO of Saudia Private Aviation.

In related news, Alpha Star signed an agreement with AFI KLM

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Engineering and Maintenance (E&M) in November, covering component support services for its A320 family and A340 aircraft. “Under the terms of the contract, AFI KLM E&M will provide Alpha Star Aviation Services with repair services and access to a

spares pool,” AFI KLM E&M said.

“Since its inception in 2010, Alpha Star Aviation Services has often availed itself of AFI KLM E&M’s maintenance services and, in particular, its overhaul services for CFM56-5B engines and APUs,” the company said. o

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Scott Ernest, who joined Textron and took over as CEO of the company’s Cessna subsidiary in May 2011, presided over one of the largest manufacturer mergers in aviation history earlier this year, the integration of Cessna and Beechcraft. In March Textron bought Beechcraft for $1.4 billion and placed the Cessna and Beechcraft brands under the newly formed Textron Aviation, headed by Ernest as president and CEO. At EBACE 2014, Textron Aviation is debuting as the parent of the integrated Cessna and Beechcraft brands, with nine aircraft on display. These include the recently certified Citation M2 and Sovereign+, plus the CJ4, XLS+ and Grand Caravan EX and Beechcraft Baron G58, King Air C90GTx and 250 and special mission King Air 350ER. Ernest, a mechanical engineer who spent 29 years at GE Aviation, told AIN, “I just thoroughly enjoy this job. I wake up extremely excited every day.

Having the opportunity to work with the team and the enthusiasm they bring to bear on customer support, it’s fun, and this is a wonderful opportunity.”

While some indications show improving circumstances for business aviation, Ernest remains cautious. “The indicators are coming in the right direction,” he said. “The used

[inventory] is starting to shrink on our products. They overbuilt in the 2006 to 2008 timeframe then went through some pretty tough winters, but it’s starting to shake itself out. I never knew what it was like when it was really good, but I feel people are interested in talking to us about our products. It helps to have new products. I just spent a whole week on the road talking to new customers [who say they are] going to buy new aircraft this year. That’s a good sign.”

G650ER stretches legs by 500 nm

using its extra fuel capacity to fly faster. Over the same distance the G650ER can carry a 4,000-pound payload, considerably more than is possible with the G650. Maximum operating speed is Mach 0.925. The only real performance penalty for the G650ER is an increase in balanced field length at maximum weight, up 500 feet to around 6,360 feet.

Surprisingly little modification work is needed to turn a G650 into a G650ER. In the original design of the aircraft sufficient space was left in the wings to add extra tankage for 4,000 pounds more fuel, without having to resort to auxiliary tanks in the fuselage. Despite maximum ramp weight rising from 100,000 to 104,000 pounds, Gulfstream had already built in adequate structural margins in the G650 to handle the ER’s weight increase. The engines

uContinued from page 1

beyond the baseline G650 to fly 6,400 nm at Mach 0.9.

Such performance opens up yet more attractive city-pairings.

Gulfstream has already flown a demonstrator of the G650ER, and in one flight it covered the 7,494-nm ground distance from Hong Kong to New York in just 14 hours 7 minutes, flying at Mach 0.865. The demonstrator also flew nonstop from Los Angeles to Melbourne, and with the G650ER northern Australia will be attainable in a single flight for the first time from western Europe.

Increased range can also be traded for extra speed and payload. Compared to the G650, the ER can cover a 7,000-nm sector in 30 fewer minutes by

Smooth Integration

Meanwhile, Ernest is confident that the integration of Beechcraft and Cessna is well underway. “We had teams that were formed across each of the key categories, and they did a really good job pulling together best practices and synergy opportunities.” The combined companies are organized across product lines, with one executive leading all product support activities, one in charge of turboprops (King Air and Caravan) and one in charge of jets. Within the two companies’ service center networks, mechanics are being cross-trained to work on Cessna, Hawker and Beechcraft models so customers can bring their airplane to any of the now Textronowned maintenance facilities.

Each business leader for these product categories has

DAVID McINTOSH

by Matt Thurber

Textron Aviation brought nine airplanes to EBACE 2014 in its debut following the integration of Cessna and Beechcraft.

Wheels Up Plans European Service In 2015 Membership-based charter broker Wheels Up plans to start service in Europe in the first half of next year, company founder Kenny Dichter said today at EBACE 2014. He added that GAMA Aviation will operate the flights for European Wheels Up customers.

Wheels Up (Booth 2807) currently operates in three zones in the U.S., the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest. Besides Europe, targeted future expansion includes Northern California, Chicago and Dallas.

Dichter also said Wheels Up will be the exclusive sales agent in the U.S. for two Bombardier Global 5000s operated by Jet Aviation Flight Services. This follows an expansion of the partnership in

remain the same Rolls-Royce BR725 turbofans, but the fuel quantity measuring and flight management systems have to be tweaked through software to cater for the extra tankage and performance changes.

March, which makes large-cabin aircraft in Jet Aviation’s fleet available to Wheels Up members through a guaranteed availability, guaranteed pricing program.

By year-end, Wheels Up expects to make four to five Global 5000s available as part of an expected 42-aircraft fleet, which is currently at 22 airplanes.

The company is also marketing 10 factory refurbished Cessna Citation XLSs, the first two of which are scheduled to be delivered on Thursday. Like its fleet of new King Air 350is, Wheels Up’s XLSs will be operated by Gama Aviation.

Dichter said Wheels Up expects to have 500 members by the end of June, 1,200 by year-end and 2,500 by the end of 2015.

–C.T.

Although Gulfstream opened the orderbook for the G650ER here at EBACE, it still has to gain FAA approval for the type.

This is expected later this year, in time for initial deliveries in the first quarter of 2015. EASA

approval should follow in 2016.

As well as new-build aircraft, the ER configuration is available as a retrofit option for existing customers. Downtime for the work to be performed is less than a week. o

MARK WAGNER

Textron Aviation brings the family to EBACE

been tasked with looking ahead five to seven years, Ernest explained, “to [decide] what that product family needs to look like, what type of investment to make and the payback for that investment. It’s a focused effort to make sure we’re allocating investment dollars to have the right returns and the most customer satisfaction. Beech hasn’t had the opportunity to have that investment focus because of the nature of its financial condition.” Cessna expertise can help, he added, in that, “We definitely know how to invest in and certify products. That’s how you stay in this business.”

Further aiding future growth is that the Beechcraft acquisition adds factory capacity to Textron Aviation, including two full assembly bays at the Beechcraft buildings. “It’s a great opportunity as we look at new products,” he said. “We won’t have to invest in any infrastructure.” o

Gulfstream’s Mark Burns, president of product support; Scott Neal, vice president of worldwide sales and marketing; and president Larry Flynn officially unveil the G650ER yesterday at EBACE.

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