Bartintl 170

170 – OCT 2017

0UR 29th YEAR

PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE

NBAA-BACE 2017 Boasting the Largest Line-Up of Business Aircraft in Las-Vegas FUEL SUPPLIERS Energizing Your Business

UNSTOPPABLE Life without limits. The Gulfstream G280™ has the best-in-class combination of range, speed and airport accessibility.

Experience life at full throttle.

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For your personal consultation, visit gulfstream.com/contacts.

UPFRONT

BUSINESS AVIATION PILOT ETIQUETTE FOLLOWING THE COMPLETE NOSE-DIVE that the airlines went through following the September 11th calamity, today they are experiencing a relative upturn. Of course they achieved this by applying stringent economic measures and prohibitive airfares – which for those like me who regularly cross the Atlantic in the aluminum mailing tube of a scheduled airline translates into food that is fitter to slop the pigs than to be presented to a hungry traveler still smarting from paying a fare that is borderline criminal.

Although the airlines may be entering a recovery phase, the same cannot be said for airline pilots, who found themselves out of work and watching a career they had spent years building implode. During the crisis, high remuneration for senior captains and benefits for airline pilots plunged along with carriers.

But not everything is bad news. The airlines’ rocketing seat prices and deteriorating service is good news for Business Aviation.

Frustrated by the airlines, more and more international businesses are now discovering the benefits of Business Aviation and joining what has traditionally been a US-dominant club. Yet, as more and more people turn to Business Aviation, our sector faces the challenge of trying to keep up. And perhaps nowhere is this challenge greater than with the shortage of business pilots.

Fernand M. Francois Editor and Publisher

But with every challenge comes an opportunity, and here the opportunity is to get airline pilots to see Business Aviation in a new light. Even if the NBAA technically defines any aircraft utilized for business as being a business aircraft, we must recognize that business aircraft have evolved lightyears from the retrofitted DC3 aircraft of yesterday and today boast some of the most cuttingedge jet aircraft, many of which feature cockpits that rival airliners.

Today’s corporate aircraft is a business tool and, as such, the salary and benefits of senior corporate pilots have increased in order to induce and retain good pilots. But is it practical for an airline pilot to make the switch to Business Aviation? Thanks to the sophisticated software developed for flying an airplane, the success or failure of a flight is based on the ability of the pilot to make the right decision at the right moment. The job of the business pilot involves much more than just takeoff, fly and land. The new avionics environment will do almost everything for the business pilot, giving them time to focus on improving the comfort of the passengers. After all, in Business Aviation we do more than transport passengers, we provide a valuable service. As a result, the success of a business flight depends heavily on the relationship between the captain and the copilot, who is much more than a porter.

The luggage service must be arranged with the FBO, who also takes care of the refueling and the ground transportation. But don’t forget to empty the ashtrays, it might not bring you a bigger salary, but it will help you keep your job!

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Mahatma Gandhi

FEATURES Volume XXIX N°4 EDITOR and PUBLISHER Fernand M. Francois ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Kathy Ann Francois ASSISTANT to the PUBLISHER Victoria Coffman EDITOR-in-CHIEF Volker K. Thomalla EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nick Klenske MANAGING EDITOR Busra Ozturk ART DIRECTOR Tanguy Francois PHOTOGRAPHER/WEB DESIGNER Johan Francois SENIOR EDITOR Marc Grangier, Michael R. Grüninger, Captain LeRoy Cook, Steve Nichols CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Aoife O’Sullivan, Giulia Mauri, Anna Naznarova, Louis Smyth, Richard Koe, Derek Bloom, Eugene Gerden, Brian Foley.

34 NBAA-BACE PREVIEW

The global showcase for Business Aviation takes place October 10 - 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Our preview starts with the OEMs offerings.

48 NBAA-BACE PREVIEW: ENGINES

New and updated engine types help business aircraft to fly more efficiently.

52

CONTACT US info@bartintl.com

Steve Nichols takes a close look to what the major suppliers will stage at this year's NBAA-BACE.

57

60 UPGRADES

Marc Grangier has vetted some of the leading providers to help you make the right modification choice.

66 Nick Klenske gives easy tips for finding the best MRO service for a business aircraft.

72 MRO - C CHECK

C check is a major MRO event for every aircraft.

Volker K. Thomalla kept an eye on a Falcon 7X C check.

LAW AIRCRAFT FINANCE

Aoife O'Sullivan takes a look at the shifts and trends of aircraft finance in corporate and private jet acquisitions.

94 FROM THE COCKPIT

Instructors need to know the limits of a safe flight during training sessions, reports Capt. LeRoy Cook.

96 SAFETY SENSE

If an aircraft is damaged during ground ops, the flight crew needs to know it immediately. Hiding any damages endangers the safety of the aircraft. Michael R. Grüninger and Carl C. Norgren look into the faults and risks.

DEPARTMENTS

3 EDITORIAL 6 POINTER 8 QUICK LANE 25 ON THE MOVE 26 BUSINESS NEWS 30 TRANSATLANTIC UPDATE

US MARKET SCRUTINY

Aircraft utilization in the US is growing, again.

Business Aviation authority, Richard Koe, explains the reasons for this progression.

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PREMIER TRANSATLANTIC BUSINESS AVIATION MAGAZINE

AIRCRAFT FUEL

Business aircraft owners and operators need to carefully plan their fuel supply. Nick Klenske offers fuel options available on the market.

82 JET EXPO SHOW REPORT

EBACE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

90

ADS-B

With ADS-B mandatory for business aircraft

by January 2020, time to adapt an aircraft starts to run out, says Nick Klenske.

74 BART International. Premier Transatlantic Business Aviation Magazine. ISSN 0776-7596.

Printed in Belgium, published by SA F&L 20 rue de l'Industrie at B1400 Nivelles, Phone +326 788 3603. Fax +326 788 3623.

BART International is governed by the International copyright laws.

Free Professional subscription available International distribution by ASENDIA USPS 016707 Periodical postage paid Call IMS 1 (800) 428 3003 Responsible Publisher Fernand M. Francois

EAA AIRVENTURE SHOW REPORT

With crowds of over 600,000 and more than 17,000 aircraft movements, this year's EAA AirVenture broke its own records. Our envoy LeRoy Cook picks out some of the highlights.

NBAA-BACE PREVIEW: AVIONICS

MAINTENANCE

ADVERTISING Kathy Ann Francois Marketing Director kafrancois@bartintl.com

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The organizers of Jet Expo 2017 rolled out the red carpet for attendees of the show. BART's special envoy Volker K. Thomalla reports.

MEMBER OF

OUR ADVERTISERS and their Agencies 59 33 81 17 65 13 23 15 85 39 47 7 97 31 2 21

Advent Aircraft Systems (Romeo Oscar, Inc.) Atlas Air Service Avfuel Corporation BendixKing (TMP Government) Blackhawk Modifications, Inc. CAE Dassault Falcon (PUCK L’AGENCE) Duncan Aviation EBACE 2018 EPIC FUELS Flight Safety Foundation FlightSafety International (GRETEMAN GROUP) GCS Safety Solution Geneva Airpark SA Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation HondaJet (MILNER BUTCHER MEDIA GROUP)

OUR COVER

Cessna Citation Latitude (Model 680A) mid-size jet, derived from Cessna's Model 680 Sovereign, was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in June 2015.

11

Honeywell Aerospace Customer Perception (TMP Worldwide) 9 Jet Aviation 93 JetNet LLC 77 Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) 41 NBAA- Schedulers & Dispatchers 2018 43 Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. 53 Rockwell Collins ARINCDirect 49 Rolls-Royce 55 SmartSky Networks (GRETEMAN GROUP) 71 StandardAero 19 Tag Farnborough Airport 100 Textron Aviation (Copp Media Services, Inc.) 99 Universal Avionics System, Corp.

29 Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. 35 West Star Aviation Inc.

AIRBUS ACJNEO: GREATER RANGE, FUEL EFFICIENCY AND SUPERIOR CABIN COMFORT

The Airbus ACJneo offers significant improvements for the corporate operators. Range of the ACJ319neo with eight passengers is 6,750 nm, compared with 6,000 nm for the ACJ319ceo. An ACJ320neo can fly more than 6,000 nm with 25 passengers, compared to a figure of 4,300 nm with eight passengers for the ACJ320ceo.

Both new types could reach Los Angeles or Tokyo non-stop from Geneva.

POINTER

IN SEQUENCE BRIEFING ROOM

Events

Agenda NBAA - BACE Oct 10-12, 2017 Las Vegas, USA

DUBAI AIR SHOW Nov 12-16, 2017 Dubai DWC

SCHEDULERS & DISPATCHERS Feb 6-9, 2018 Long Beach CA, USA

HAI HELI-EXPO Feb 26 - Mar 1, 2018 Las Vegas, USA

AERO Friedrichshafen Apr 18 - 21, 2018 Friedrichshafen, Germany

HIRING YOUR OWN EXECUTIVE SECURITY IN BUSINESS AVIATION EXECUTIVE SECURITY – PERSONAL PROTECTION FOR PASSENGERS AND CREW is often required depending on the type of flight operation and destination. Additional considerations come into play when operating internationally. In most cases, foreign nationals will not be permitted to bring guns or weapons into a country for purposes of executive protection. Alternate protective arrangements are usually necessary, and this involves a certain degree of advance planning and logistics. The following is an overview of what you need to know: EXECUTIVE SECURITY OPTIONS When traveling outside your home country there are many executive security options available.

While an onboard bodyguard may travel with passengers, he/she will seldom be able to obtain permission to carry guns or weapons into international locations. However, aviation security providers will be able to organize additional required executive protection – both armed and unarmed – at international destinations. This can be either for 24/7 security coverage or security coverage only during certain portions of a trip, depending on the operator’s requirements. At times, you may opt to hire executive protection agents at foreign locations who’ll fly with you throughout a particular region. You may, for example, pick up a properly licensed executive security agent in South Africa who’ll stay with you during all of your stops in Africa.

If you’re looking for both executive protection and secure local transport it’s best to hire separate individuals, so that each can concentrate on their one function. If cost is a consideration one person may handle both functions, but when they’re parking the vehicle, for example, they may not have full focus on other executive protection responsibilities.

REQUESTING EXECUTIVE PROTECTION Executive protection requests usually originate from the dispatch or security division of your company. Requests should always be made well in advance of the day of operation. Best case scenario is to have the security company providing executive protection personnel to travel to the requested destination in advance to evaluate any local security issues, confirm best routes between airports and hotels and review adequacy of hotel security.

CREW AND EXECUTIVE PROTECTION While most protection requests are for passengers we’re seeing more and more requests for crew protection – particularly at higher threat or volatile locations where security issues are more likely. At these locations it’s best to ensure that crew have the same levels of protection as passengers. This is because passengers may not be able to depart with the company aircraft if something happens to a crew member. In addition, best practice is to coordinate Plan B options with your security provider – in the event passengers and crew need to get out of a location quickly.

CONCLUSION Employing executive protection services while crew and passengers are in higher risk international destinations helps reduce risk and ensure the safety of all. It’s always best to arrange such security services in advance so proper arrangements can be set up.

If you have any questions about this article or would like assistance arranging your security need, contact Tracie Carwile > traciecarwile@univ-wea.com at Universal Weather and Aviation +1 (713) 944-1622 Stay tuned for Part 2, which covers security specifics when making executive security arrangements.

TRAINING AND VETTING EXECUTIVE SECURITY Always make arrangements for executive security via reputable and vetted security providers. It’s not recommended to make ad hoc local security arrangements at unfamiliar destinations unless your security department is able to vet this in advance. Good security providers will ensure that executive protection personnel have all the security training needed – including defensive training, secure driving and anti-kidnapping techniques. They’ll source personnel locally who may have had military or police training and will have appropriate licenses, including weapons permits.

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FLIGHTSAFETY

ADVANCED TRAINING NEW MASTER-LEVEL COURSES INCREASE SAFETY AND PROFICIENCY

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Trust us to deliver the highest level of professional aviation training available.

FIXED-WING PILOT COURSES Advanced Upset Prevention and Recovery Training Focuses on preventing in-flight loss of control, and recovery from upset if prevention is not possible Advanced Energy Management Teaches the physics of operating aircraft during descent Advanced Rejected Takeoff Go/No-Go Promotes best practices using 18 scenarios that require a decision to continue the takeoff or abort Advanced Crew Resource Management/ Human Factors Line Oriented Flight Training Bolsters proficiency in crew coordination and communication

Aviation professionals from around the world trust us to provide the highest quality training and outstanding service.

More than 1,800 highly experienced professional instructors deliver aircraft- and mission-specific courses, using our comprehensive training systems and advanced-technology flight simulators designed to enhance safety. Trust your training to FlightSafety. You’ll see why so many aviation professionals make the same choice. And have since 1951.

For more information, please contact Steve Gross, Senior Vice President, Commercial 314.785.7815 • sales@flightsafety.com • flightsafety.com • A Berkshire Hathaway company

QUICK LANE STANDARDAERO & AIRBUS ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS FOR ACQUISITION OF VECTOR AEROSPACE StandardAero Aviation Holdings, Inc. and Airbus SE announced that they have entered into exclusive negotiations with respect to an acquisition by StandardAero of Vector Aerospace Holding SAS from Airbus. Vector is a global aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul company, providing responsive, quality support for turbine engines, components, fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. A truly international company, it generated revenues of US$ 704.8 million in 2016 and employs approximately 2,200 people in 22 locations across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Kenya, South Africa, Australia and Singapore.

TEXTRON AVIATION ENHANCES PROVEN CARAVAN PLATFORM WITH GARMIN G1000 NXI

Textron Aviation Inc. has introduced the Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck to the new production of its authoritative Cessna Grand Caravan EX and Cessna Caravan platforms. The company has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for the Garmin G1000 NXi-equipped Caravan platform, allowing deliveries to commence in the US and Europe. “The Cessna Caravan product line continues to lead the modern single-engine utility turboprop segment,� said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing.

DASSAULT DELIVERS 2,500TH FALCON BUSINESS JET

Dassault Aviation recently delivered its 2,500th business jet, marking yet another landmark event in the storied saga of the Falcon line.

The aircraft, a Falcon 900LX, was handed over at the Little Rock Completion Center to a longtime Falcon customer based in the United States. The delivery represents a significant milestone for both the company and the Dassault Falcon line which has lead the industry in performance, comfort, economy and efficiency ever since the first Falcon was delivered in 1965.

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CESSNA DENALI FIRST FULL TEST AIRCRAFT BEGINS One year after unveiling a cabin mockup of its all-new high-performance single-engine turboprop, Textron Aviation Inc. has made significant progress in bringing to market the Cessna Denali.

Manufacturing of the first full airframe test article has begun and the team has started building tooling for production. The clean-sheet Denali is being designed to meet the needs of customers and outperform its competition in capability, cabin experience, ownership costs and pilot interface.

One Jet Aviation One Customer Experience

As president of Jet Aviation in our 50th anniversary year, I’d like to extend sincere thanks on behalf of the entire Jet Aviation team for your business and support over the years. To celebrate this milestone — which we would not be doing without your ongoing trust and loyalty — we launched our ‘One Jet Aviation’ initiative earlier this year. We are investing in One Jet Aviation to ensure consistent global standards and processes across our sites and portfolio of services for the next 50 years, and beyond. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Rob Smith I President, Jet Aviation

Many Advantages Maintenance, Refurbishment, Completions, FBO, Aircraft Management, Flight Support, Charter, Staffing.

www.jetaviation.com

QUICK LANE EMBRAER FLIES FIRST LEGACY 500 ASSEMBLED IN MELBOURNE Embraer announced the maiden flight of its first Legacy 500 midsize business jet assembled at its industrial facilities in Melbourne, Florida, just eight months after the first Legacy 450 mid-light jet assembled in Melbourne took flight. The aircraft performed as expected and all flight test procedures were successfully completed. “We are very pleased with yet another milestone for the Legacy 500 and we look forward to delivering the aircraft in the third quarter,” said Michael Amalfitano, president & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets.

SR TECHNICS REPORTS STRONG PERFORMANCE IN FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR SR Technics, a world leading MRO service provider, announced strong operational performance in H1 2017. Besides significantly expanding its engine capacity with over 90 shop visits during the first six months of the year, the company helped its clients with state-of-the-art cabin upgrades in record time, along with over 60,000-line maintenance events and over 32,000 delivered components. In addition, SR Technics has previously announced the signing of many important contracts, including a twelve-year ICS contract with Philippine Airlines, a five-year component support agreement with Germania and a three-year thrust reversers contract with easyJet.

MTU MAINTENANCE AND AIR BURKINA SIGN EXCLUSIVE CF34-8E ENGINE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT MTU Maintenance, one of the world’s leading providers of services for commercial aero engines, and their new customer Air Burkina have signed an exclusive three-year maintenance agreement. The contract for the airline’s four CF34-8E engines from their E170 aircraft covers maintenance, repair and overhaul, on-site services and guaranteed spare engine leasing availability. Air Burkina is the national airline of Burkina Faso and operates regional flights from the capital Ouagadougou to other countries in Africa.

JET AVIATION EXPANDS SERVICES IN THE CARIBBEAN Jet Aviation marked the expansion of flight services in the Caribbean with the grand opening of a new Fixed Base Operation in San Juan at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport. “Jet Aviation San Juan now delivers industry-best FBO and flight-management services to customers at this increasingly busy destination and one of the most convenient airports for international travel in the region,” said David Paddock, senior vice president and general manager, Jet Aviation Regional Operations USA.

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Technical Support Anywhere You Go

Honeywell delivers responsive and dependable service for your aircraft where and when you need it. Our global network of technical experts is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We are committed to using the latest technology to rapidly solve our customers’ technical issues and ensure their equipment is safe and reliable.

Honeywell’s technical support is everywhere you are, whenever you need us.

Connect with us US/Canada: +1-855-808-6500 International: +1-602-365-6500 Aerotechsupport@Honeywell.com MyAerospace.honeywell.com

©2017 Honeywell International

QUICK LANE RUAG REPAINTS BOMBARDIER GLOBAL EXPRESS XRS WITH UNIQUE AND DETAILED CARBONEUM DESIGN The aircraft painting facility at the RUAG Aviation one-stop shop in Munich has repainted a Bombardier Global Express XRS, on behalf of long-time customer SBK Holding Ltd. The RUAG one-stop shop services optimized the downtime associated with a scheduled 15-month inspection.

SBK Holding Ltd chose a full repaint of their eight-year-old aircraft to express their own dynamic and innovative image. RUAG aircraft painting specialists reproduced a series of handpainted, precise customization graphics highlighting the intricate patterns found in high performance, fibre-reinforced technology materials, such as carbon and honeycomb structures.

HONEYWELL’S NEW FLIGHT PLANNING APP OPTIMIZES ROUTES, IMPROVES SAFETY

ATLAS AIR SERVICE SELLS EMBRAER PHENOM 100 TO AUSTRIA The Austrian company Mustang Charter GmbH from Hörsching near Linz replaced their previous flown Citation Mustang with the Embraer Phenom 100. The Embraer entry-level jet scored numerous awards and boasts the largest cabin of its class. It is easily operable due to the intuitive Prodigy Flight Deck and approved for single-pilot operation.

"The Phenom 100 gives us a leading edge in terms of passenger comfort at similar costs", Andreas Koller, managing director of Mustang Charter GmbH, explains the advantages of the new model.

Honeywell has released its latest flight planning application for the Connected Aircraft, GoDirect Flight Bag Pro, to Business Aviation pilots. Pilots can create and file flight plans for easy reference, calculate and compare aircraft cruise modes to increase performance, and access real-time weather updates to ensure the aircraft arrives at the destination on time.

GoDirect Flight Bag Pro is available via an iPad app, and versions for other tablets are in development. GoDirect Flight Bag Pro’s simple, intuitive interface works on both domestic and international flights. For access to the app, pilots only need an annual subscription to GoDirect Flight Services and an active Honeywell account.

FIRST PC-24 SERIES AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFULLY MARRIED AND NOW STANDING ON OWN “LEGS” Final assembly work on our first PC-24 customer aircraft is proceeding at a swift pace: The fuselage and wings of the first series-built PC-24 were joined together at the head office site on 12 July 2017.

Series production is being accelerated continuously to ensure that prompt deliveries of first customer aircraft can go ahead immediately after certification. This operation, referred to as a “marriage”, requires the highest degree of concentration from the Pilatus builders. Not to mention that the connection has to be solid enough to last for a “business jet lifetime”.

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Welcome to CAE, training partners with a difference. Our flexibility means we’re more able to accommodate your personal schedule or meet your specific training needs. Add-in our highly-skilled and dedicated instructors, plus a network of centers situated in cities with so much more to offer, and we think you’ll find us a better fit all round. Ready for a friendlier, more customtailored training experience? Get it with CAE. Elevate your training experience and work with a team that works with you.

Visit us at NBAA - Booth #C10610.

Your worldwide training partner of choice

QUICK LANE FULLY OUTFITTED GULFSTREAM G600 TEST AIRCRAFT COMPLETES FIRST FLIGHT Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced that the final aircraft in the Gulfstream G600 flight-test program has flown for the first time. Outfitted with a complete interior, the aircraft serves as a cabin testbed to ensure a superior customer experience. The aircraft is the fifth to join the G600 flight-test program since it began on Dec. 17, 2016. The G600 took off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at 3:07 pm. During the 2-hour and 55-minute flight, the aircraft reached an elevation of 51,000 feet/15,545 meters and a speed of Mach 0.85. The aircraft landed back in Savannah at 6:02 pm local time.

DUNCAN AVIATION READY TO INSTALL MORE WINGLETS ON CITATION SOVEREIGN Duncan Aviation, after delivering an industry-first earlier this summer, is ready to install on Citation Sovereign aircraft the FAA-Approved Transitional Winglet from Winglet Technology LLC. A second winglet installation is scheduled to begin in midSeptember. On June 20, 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) certifying the installation of Transitional Winglets on Sovereign aircraft. This winglet upgrade provides Sovereign owners with greater operational flexibility and performance benefits, such as increased speed at altitude, increased range /payload, improved time-to-climb, and more.

CAE GROWS ITS PILOT TRAINING FOOTPRINT IN SOUTH EAST ASIA CAE announced at the 2017 Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS) the expansion of its training footprint in South East Asia, through a collaboration with the Jakarta Aviation Training Centre (JATC). Through this collaboration, CAE will deploy its first-ever owned full-flight simulator (FFS) in Indonesia, supporting the growing pilot training needs of airline customers in the region, such as AirAsia Indonesia. The Airbus A320 FFS will be delivered to JATC’s training facilities near Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport by the end of 2017.

DAHER TO OFFER THE G1000 NXI FLIGHT DECK RETROFIT

Daher announced it will offer avionics kits that upgrade all TBM models equipped with G1000 – which includes TBM 850, TBM 900 and some modernized TBM 700 – to the Garmin G1000 NXi next-generation integrated flight deck configuration. The system change – available through Daher TBM authorized distributors – will replace the flight deck arrangement on G1000-equipped TBM 850s and TBM 900s with Garmin’s successor configuration, the G10000 NXi. This involves a changeout of the two primary flight displays, the multi-function display and the control keypad, along with new software and database installations.

14 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

Aircraf t Delivery ON TIME

Duncan Aviation project managers provide customers with personalized customer service and aircraft project expertise. Each has a minimum of 15 years of technical experience and an average of 25+ years of aviation experience.

VISIT US AT NBAA BOOTH #C9125 www.DuncanAviation.aero Experience. Unlike any other.

QUICK LANE CESSNA 421B GOLDEN EAGLE GARMIN AVIONICS PACKAGE INSTALLATION Southeast Aerospace has recently completed a multifaceted Cessna 421B Garmin Avionics package installation. The Garmin Avionics package included the installation of a GTN-750 and GNC-255A for radio communication. The intercom system was wired for a 4 passenger ICS. Music inputs were placed on the aircraft instrument panel and one at the VIP seat for music input via a customer personal device. The GTN-750 was interfaced to the new system 55X and G600 EFIS. The dual transponders were interfaced to the GTN-750 for control. The GTX-345 was panel mounted but able to be controlled via its face plate or the GTN-750.

KICKAPOO DOWNTOWN AIRPORT SELECTS EPIC FUELS AS NEW AVIATION FUEL SUPPLIER Kickapoo Downtown Airport, serving the general aviation needs of Wichita Falls and North Texas, has selected EPIC Fuels as its new fuel supplier after an extensive review of suppliers revealed EPIC as best suited to meet the needs of the growing airport.

Approximately 80 aircraft including small jets and helicopters are housed and maintained at Kickapoo on a permanent basis. The area surrounding Kickapoo Airport and nearby Sheppard Air Force Base is host to a great variety of aviation activities.

BLACKHAWK MODIFICATIONS OBTAINS CERTIFICATION OF XP67A ENGINE + KING AIR UPGRADE Blackhawk Modifications announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified its new highpower XP67A Engine+ Upgrade for the King Air 350. The certification process, which included 172 flight hours over 132 flights, was completed in just 14 months, according to company President and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Allmon. “The certification process was nearly as impressive as the finished product,” Allmon said. “We couldn’t be happier with this aircraft, and operators seem to feel the same way because we’ve already booked almost a dozen orders.”

DUNCAN CJ3 PRO LINE FUSION® INTEGRATED AVIONICS UPGRADE PROGRAM IN FULL SWING Since Duncan Aviation delivered the first Citation CJ3 aircraft equipped with the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion® integrated avionics upgrade in April, the company has been working to complete the flight deck upgrade for other excited CJ3 owners.

Two additional CJ3 aircraft received the upgrade at Duncan Aviation this summer and a fourth just delivered ahead of schedule. Duncan Aviation has 17 additional CJ3 aircraft scheduled for the upgrade over the next 18 months, and will be performing the installations at its main facilities in Battle Creek, Michigan, and Lincoln, Nebraska, and at select satellite avionics locations in 2018.

16 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

Connectivity.

Everywhere you go.

Pilots and passengers will appreciate the affordable, global inflight connectivity provided by AeroWave™ from BendixKing.

Crews will now have inflight access to the internet and their favorite apps. Passengers will enjoy the ability to send and receive emails or text messages, check the weather, make phone calls and more. AeroWave’s low-cost connectivity service plan is based on prepaid hours of use and has nothing to do with data usage. Airtime is only $40 USD per hour, and it works at any altitude. It’s that simple.

Don’t leave your favorite apps behind. Find out how to get globally connected today.

Voice

Global Weather

Email

Flight Tracking

Text

To learn more, call 1.855.250.7027, contact your local BendixKing dealer or visit aerospace.honeywell.com/AeroWave ©2017 Honeywell International

QUICK LANE HONDAJET RANKS AS MOST-DELIVERED JET IN ITS CATEGORY DURING FIRST HALF OF 2017

Honda Aircraft Company announced that the HondaJet was the mostdelivered jet in its category for the first half of 2017, as reported by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

Honda Aircraft delivered 24 aircraft to customers in the US, Canada, Mexico, and countries in Europe during the first six months of 2017.

The company is steadily ramping up production to meet customer demand, and is currently manufacturing the aircraft at a rate of about four per month at its world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. “Our customers are extremely pleased with the performance, comfort and superior fit and finish of the HondaJet. The HondaJet is very high tech, sporty aircraft and it is like a flying, high precision sports car,” said Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino.

“We want to create new value in Business Aviation and I hope to see many more HondaJets flying all over the world.”

FLIGHTSAFETY ACADEMY INTRODUCES NEW PREPARATION PROGRAM

FlightSafety International announces a new Integrated Growth and Achievement Preparation Program for students entering the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida.

“Our new Integrated Growth and Achievement Preparation Program is designed to be taken by FlightSafety Academy students just prior to the start of their formal pilot training,” said Nancy Ritter, Manager of FlightSafety Academy. “This unique new initiative will help to prepare those entering the Academy for the rigors of training and the disciplines required for a career as a professional pilot.”

JSSI COMMITTED TO LATIN AMERICAN MARKET UNIVERSAL AVIATION UK NOW IS-BAH ACCREDITED Universal Aviation UK, based at London-Stansted International Airport (EGSS) has passed an International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) audit and is now an official IS-BAH accredited location. Universal Aviation, the ground support division of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., has more than 40 locations in 20 countries.

“This is an extremely proud day for Universal Aviation, and is official recognition of our efforts is reducing our clients’ operating risk and stress when on the ground,” explained Sean Raftery, Managing Director, Universal Aviation UK and Ireland.

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Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading independent provider of maintenance programs to the Business Aviation industry, has introduced Airframe Parts-Only coverage for the Sikorsky S-76C, S-76C+, S-76C++ and S-76D helicopter models. Operators and owners of these models can now bundle the existing JSSI Engine Program with the new Airframe Parts-Only Program for an exclusive JSSI Tip-toTail experience. “Our commitment remains focused on growing our service offerings for the helicopter market, as well as building on and forming new relationships within the Latin American Business Aviation community,” stated Ray Weiser, Senior Director Helicopter Services at JSSI.

A REFLECTION OF EXCELLENCE

Please come and visit us on stand C8917 at NBAA.

TAG Farnborough Airport Design and people working beautifully together The purpose-built airport for BUSINESS, for PRIVACY, for LONDON tagfarnborough.com

QUICK LANE UNIVERSAL AVIONICS UNILINK® RECEIVES FIRST EUROPEAN DLS CAPABLE APPROVAL Universal Avionics announces EASA Supplemental Type Certification (ESTC) No. 10063034 for a UniLink UL-801 Aeronautical Telecommunications Network Baseline 1 (ATN B1) upgrade on a Bombardier CL-600-2B16 (601-3A Variant) to comply with the 05 February 2020 European Data Link Services (DLS) Mandate. ESTC was awarded to Avionics Integration & Engineering Corporation AG and marks the first European DLS capable approval for the Universal Avionics UniLink UL-800/801 Communications Management Unit (CMU).

"Data link is a cornerstone of the Single European Sky (SES) and the FAA's NextGen initiatives and will continue to improve safety and efficiency for operators," said Carey Miller, Universal Avionics Director of Corporate Programs and Business Development. "Our UniLink UL-800/801 now has the capability to meet the data link requirements around the globe," he added. "When combined with our SBAS-FMS, our customers can meet the North Atlantic FANS and ADS-B Out mandates while benefiting from precision GPS approach (LPV in U.S. and APV in Europe) capability as well."

AIR BP’S STERLING PILOT SCHOLARSHIP GAINS MOMENTUM

MSH ON TRACK The program development at Marenco Swiss Helicopters has made another step forward with the rollout of the prototype three (P3) last summer. Two prototypes will be used for test flights: the prototype 2 and now also the new P3, close to the serial version. Both prototypes will contribute to achieving a quicker progress to the Type Certificate. “Currently there are 12 fixed purchase contracts and more than 100 international purchasing commitments,” said Andreas Löwenstein, MSH CEO.

Air BP has awarded this year’s Sterling Pilot Scholarship to 17 year old Hertfordshire student, Robert Norris, who becomes the third awardee since the scholarship was launched in 2015.

The scholarship, which is valued at around £10,000, aims to assist aspiring UK pilots with little or no experience of flying to achieve a Private Pilot’s License. On his selection as this year’s Air BP Sterling Pilot Scholar, Robert said: “The Sterling Pilot Scholarship is an opportunity for young people who are considering training to be a pilot but whose choices have been restricted by the lack of access to student loans.”

CHICAGO JET GROUP RECEIVES EASA APPROVALS FOR STCS WITH UNIVERSAL AVIONICS RETROFIT FANS SOLUTION Universal Avionics and Chicago Jet Group announce EASA approvals for multiple retrofit Future Air Navigation System (FANS) Supplemental Type Certifications (STC), including: Boeing 767-200; Challenger 600, 601 and 604; Dassault Falcon 2000; Dassault Falcon 2000EX; Dassault Falcon 900 and 900EX; Dassault Mystere Falcon 50 and 50EX; Gulfstream G100 Astra and SPX; Gulfstream GII and GIII; Gulfstream GIV; Gulfstream GV. These significant approvals offer Europeanbased operators access to STC solutions that haven’t been available to them until now.

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HondaJet.com

Changing aviation one achievement at a time.

7

QUICK LANE COMLUX SIGNS ITS FIRST ACJ320 NEO CABIN COMPLETION

Comlux Completion signed a VIP interior completion for an ACJ320 neo aircraft. The aircraft is to be delivered green by Airbus in September 2019 and is scheduled to take approximately 10 months to complete within Comlux’ Indianapolis facilities.

This Airbus Corporate Jet completion is for a private customer based in Asia. The four design firms – Alberto Pinto Design, DesignQ, Unique Aircraft, Winch Design – partnering with Comlux for the future neo and MAX cabin products, have been invited to submit their design concepts for Comlux’s customer.

ENVOY AIR SELECTS UNIVERSAL AVIONICS FMS FOR WAAS UPGRADE Envoy Air has selected Universal Avionics SBAS-FMS for the regional airline’s WAAS upgrade program on their fleet of Embraer EMB-140 and EMB145 aircraft. The upgrade includes dual UNS-1Lw FMSs, providing Envoy with a navigation source for ADS-B Out and the latest in capabilities and operational efficiencies. With the latest hardware and software technology, Envoy can now take advantage of improved navigation performance, along with increased reliability, and improved database capability.

SR TECHNICS RECEIVES ISO 14001:2015 CERTIFICATION

DART H145 EMERGENCY FLOAT SYSTEM NOW FAA & EASA APPROVED DART Aerospace has received FAA & EASA approvals for the redesigned H145 emergency float system. Now certified for Sea State 6, the float system boasts longer maintenance intervals, weight savings and is compatible with OEM fixed provisions.

DART offers an exclusive patented float design with integrated liferafts. The safety benefits of this system architecture compared to in-cabin rafts include: improved access to the liferaft in emergency situations and faster liferaft deployment following a water landing.

SR Technics, a world leading MRO service provider, announced that its Zurich and Geneva operations have received ISO 14001:2015 certification for its environmental management system and was recertified under OHSAS 18001:2007 for occupational safety and health. The certifications establish that the company meets high global standards in both areas. While SR Technics was already certified for environmental management under ISO 14001:2004, the newly revised standard puts additional emphasis on risk-based approaches and on the entire life cycle of the products and services that the company offers.

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In nature, the falcon is a fierce fighter. In business, the Falcon 8X is just as powerful and agile. Every inch reflects its military DNA, with lean and mean aerodynamics and advanced Digital Flight Controls to get you to places others can’t. Nothing flies like a Falcon because no other jet is built like one. Fierce. Fast. Agile. Falcon 8X.

QUICK LANE EMBRAER LISTED ON DOW JONES SUSTAINABILITY INDEX FOR 8TH YEAR For the eighth consecutive year, Embraer has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World Universe 2017/2018). Based on the analysis of several sustainability metrics, the DJSI lists companies that stand out for their economic, social and environmental performance. Embraer's overall score of 75 points was worth the second place in the Aerospace & Defense segment. Compared to 2016, the company maintained the leadership in its sector in the criteria Supply Chain Management and Innovation Management.

ROLLS-ROYCE SETS NEW AEROSPACE RECORD WITH ULTRAFAN POWER GEARBOX Rolls-Royce announced that it has set a new record for the world's most powerful aerospace gearbox, just months after testing began. Speaking at the International Society for Air Breathing Engines (ISABE) conference in Manchester, UK, Paul Stein, Chief Technology Officer at Rolls-Royce, confirmed that the Power Gearbox had successfully reached 70,000 horsepower while on test at Rolls-Royce's dedicated facility in Dahlewitz, Germany. The Power Gearbox will play a central role in the company's next-generation UltraFan engine, helping to deliver improved efficiency over a wide range of thrusts.

Testing of the first demonstrator gearbox began on a specifically designed rig in May and having proven that the Power Gearbox is capable of managing the equivalent power of around 400 family cars at full throttle, testing will now focus on lower power functions such as endurance and reliability.

AVFUEL ON TOP OF FUELING NEEDS AS NATURAL DISASTERS RAVAGE US In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and in anticipation for Hurricane Irma - in addition to the numerous wildfires throughout the western portion of the country - Avfuel's logistics and supply departments were hard at work keeping FBOs supplied with fuel. This is crucial for the affected regions in evacuation, search and rescue and relief efforts. Operating around the clock, the team's ultimate goal was to provide reliable fuel supply and efficient communication while prioritizing the safety of all parties involved. "When it comes to natural disasters, we are proactive in getting ahead of the event and our customers' fuel needs," said Ben Spence, Avfuel's logistics manager.

ATP FLIGHT SCHOOL TO REACH OVER 200 PIPER TRAINERS IN 2018 Piper Aircraft, Inc. has announced an order for 10 additional Archer TXs from ATP Flight School. The order comes as part of an original agreement made in April of 2013 for up to 100 aircraft to the flight school. ATP, America’s largest flight school, specializes in airline pilot training and pilot career development. The school initially agreed to purchase a fleet of 15 Piper Archer TX singleengine, piston-powered advanced training aircraft for delivery in late 2013; however, as airline pilot training demand grew, the school expanded its agreement to include an option for 85 additional Archers, bringing the total to 100 single engine trainers.

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ON THE MOVE PEOPLE West Star Aviation recently announced Bob O’Leary has been named Embraer Business Development Manager. O’Leary is now located at the ALN facility and focuses on all Embraer models including Phenom 100/300, Legacy 450, 500, 600/650 and Lineage aircraft. “We are confident that Bob’s knowledge of Embraer operations and practices will continue to give Lineage customers a viable place to do business,” said Rodger Renaud, president, West Star Aviation.

Also at West Star Aviation, Jason Cohen has been promoted to technical sales manager, Challenger/Global aircraft.

Cohen began his career with West Star Aviation in 2011 as Customer Support Manager for Bombardier and has 28 years of experience within the aviation industry. In his new role, Cohen works at West Star’s Grand Junction, CO location overseeing Challenger and Global maintenance sales.

FlightSafety International announces that Tom Montgomery has been promoted to assistant manager of the company’s Learning Center in Savannah, Georgia. Montgomery has close to 6,000 hours in a wide variety of military and commercial aircraft. FlightSafety International also announced the promotion of Mark Gris to assistant manager of the company’s Learning Center in Toronto, Ontario. “We congratulate Mark on his well-deserved promotion,” said Daniel MacLellan, senior vice president, Operations.

Duncan Aviation announced the addition of Susie Corn to the Turbine Engine Service Sales team. In this role, she focuses on developing business relationships and introducing potential customers in the South Central Region, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, to Duncan Aviation’s Engine Services.

Meridian announced that Carlos Rodriguez has been

Reporting to Michael Amalfitano, president & CEO of Embraer Executive Jets, Friedrich is responsible for the direct management of the global sales organization for new and pre-flown aircraft as well as the oversight of relationships with customers and industry collaborators.

At TAG Aviation, Steve Bull has been appointed customer support director for TAG

financing of current and new projects and ensuring that the business and its reporting systems are optimized.

Blackhawk Composites, Inc., sister company to Blackhawk Modifications, announced that Steve Ell has joined the team in the position of Manager of Engineering and Production.

Matt Shieman, company chairman, commented: "Steve's industry expertise and leader-

Steve Bull

Steve Ell

Aviation's Farnborough Maintenance Services Centre (TFMS). In his role, Bull will be responsible for all aspects of customer support interface and will oversee TFMS' dealership agreements. Bull brings over 20 years' experience gained working in Sales and Customer Support functions within the Commercial and Business Aviation industry.

Air BP announced the appointment of Matt Elliott as chief commercial officer. Elliott is now based at Air BP’s global headquarters in Sunbury on Thames, UK. He is responsible for Air BP’s global sales and marketing strategy, global supply strategy and also lead Air BP’s digital and low carbon commercial agenda.

He reports directly to Air BP CEO, Jon Platt.

London Biggin Hill Airport, the only dedicated Business Aviation airport within the capital, appointed Gary Chapman as its new chief financial officer.

As a key member of the Board, Chapman takes responsibility for asset management, the

ship skills will have an immediate impact on expanding the company's capability and productivity in supporting our growing customer base."

Flying Colours Corp. has confirmed the appointment of Trevor Knox as director of Maintenance. Based at the company’s Peterborough headquarters, Knox is responsible for administering and managing all day-to-day operations relating to maintenance activities that Flying Colours undertakes at the facility. In addition, Knox will be responsible for further developing the capabilities of the growing maintenance team.

Quest Aircraft, meanwhile, hired Jonathan Payne as senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. Payne comes to Quest with a background strong in dealer relationships, sales and market development.

“Jonathan has a wealth of management experience that makes him a valuable addition to the Quest team,” said Quest CEO Rob Wells.

Carlos Rodriguez named general manager of Meridian Hayward. In his new role, he is responsible for overseeing and managing the daily operations of the facility, developing the customer base by communicating the intrinsic value of Hayward Executive Airport in the Bay Area and assuring the service experience reflects Meridian’s high-quality standards.

Jan Nowacki begins his new task as COO at MSH Marenco Swiss Helicopter. Nowacki comments: “In my new task, together with a small and very dynamic team, I will be responsible for the planning and implementation of the series production of the SKYe SH09.

We are producing a very competitive helicopter with high quality and security.”

E m b r a e r announced that Stephen Friedrich has been appointed chief commercial officer for the company’s executive aviation business unit.

Stephen Friedrich

BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017 - 25

AMSTAT RELEASES LATEST BUSINESS AIRCRAFT RESALE MARKET UPDATE REPORT AMSTAT HAS RELEASED LATEST Business Aircraft Market Update Report showing transaction growth and inventory contraction in most market segments during the first half of 2017. According to AMSTAT, there have been further encouraging signs coming from the business aircraft resale market. Overall, Business Jet Resale Retail Transactions were up 8.4% during the first half of 2017 versus the same period in 2016.

Of note were the Medium Jets, where transaction activity during this period was up 16.7% over 2016. Heavy Jet transactions were up 3.8% and Light Jets rose 4.4%.

Transactions in Turbine Helicopters overall were up 6.5% in the first half of 2016 versus the same period in 2017. The Single Engine market saw a 9.9% year over year improvement. Not all markets performed as well.

Turboprops saw transaction activity in the first half of 2017 fall 0.5% versus 2016 and the Multi Engine Helicopters saw a 1.5% decline.

In many market segments, inventory levels are at or are close to their lowest (as a percentage of active fleet) points in some time.

10.7% of active Business Jets are for sale.

This is the lowest percentage in this group since January 2008. Furthermore, 9.3% of Heavy Jets, 10.6% of Medium Jets and 5.6% of Single Engine Turbine Helicopters are currently for sale – all the lowest levels in these segments since 2008. The turboprop inventory is at 8.3% which is below a year ago and its’ lowest since the start of 2015.

By contrast, the percentage of Light Jets for sale is currently 11.7%, down from April this year but up from 11.5% a year ago. Multi Engine Helicopter inventories have remained largely unchanged year over year.

Despite better transaction results and contracting inventories, Average Asking Prices in most market segments continue to see downward pressure. All segments saw year over year declines in Average Asking Prices and most have experienced the same year to date. Heavy Jets are down 5.5% over a year ago, Medium Jets are down 7.6%, Light Jets are down 5.1%, turboprops are down 2.5% and Multi and Single Engine Helicopters are down 0.6%.

$

26 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

JETNET RELEASES FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2017 RESULTS

Key worldwide trends across all aircraft market segments were studied, comparing June 2017 to June 2016. “Fleet For Sale” percentages for all sectors were down in the June comparisons. June 2017 was the lowest “For Sale” percentage (10.8%) for business jets that we have seen since the great recession began.

TRENDS: Generally, across all six aircraft sectors reported, inventories are down, and average days on the market improved to 15 fewer days before selling.

Business jets are showing a good start in the first six months of 2017, with a 5.6% increase in pre-owned sale transactions, but are taking more time to sell (12 days) than last year. Business turboprops decreased by 11.1% in sale transactions, while taking less time to sell (6 days).

Turbine helicopters saw a slight increase in YTD sale transactions, up 0.3%. While piston helicopters showed double digit decline of 17.3% in sale transactions, comparing June 2017 to June 2016.

For the first six months of 2017 there were a total of 4,206 aircraft and helicopters sold, with business jets (1,299) and commercial jets (1,001) leading all types and accounting for 55% of the total. The number of sale

Worlwide Trends

JETNET LLC, the leading provider of corporate aviation information, has released June 2017 and the first six months of 2017 results for the pre-owned business jet, business turboprop, helicopter, and commercial airliner markets.

transactions across all market sectors – at 4,101 – increased by 2.6% compared to the first six months of 2016. Only business jets and turbine helicopters showed increases in sale transactions compared to the other market sectors.

ELBIT SYSTEMS REPORTS SECOND QUARTER OF 2017 RESULTS

Jet & Turboprops

Business jets and business turboprops were compared for the months of June from 2013 to 2017 for the US vs. Non-US aircraft in operation, for sale, and percentage for sale.

The general trend is that the number of inoperation business jets, which has grown by 2,215, has almost doubled compared to business turboprops, which have grown 1,212 since 2013. The number for sale and percentage for sale have declined since 2013.

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JSSI: GLOBAL BUSINESS FLIGHT ACTIVITY CONTINUES GROWTH IN 2017

JET SUPPORT SERVICES, INC. (JSSI), the world’s leading independent provider of maintenance support and financial services to the Business Aviation industry, has released its Business Aviation Index for the second quarter of 2017. The latest report indicates continued growth in Business Aviation flight activity worldwide, which follows the steady growth reported in the first quarter of 2017. Average utilization of aircraft

in the second quarter of 2017 reached levels not seen since 2008, according to the index.

Key findings in the second-quarter 2017 report include: ❍ Overall flight hours have increased 5.2 percent since the first quarter of 2017 and increased 8.5 percent this year, when compared with the second quarter of 2016.

Average aircraft utilization of 28.70 hours in the second quarter of 2017 represents the highest level since flight hours averaged over 30 hours in late 2008. ❍ When broken down by industry, the largest increases since the first quarter of 2017 were seen in the construction sector, with a 15.6 percent increase; followed by the power and energy sector, with a 12.6 percent increase. The largest decrease was in the manufacturing sector, with a 7.6 percent reduction in flight activity. ❍ In regional flight activity, the two largest increases in flight hours since the first quarter of 2017 were Africa, with a 9 percent increase, and Europe, with an 18.2 percent increase. The largest decrease was the AsiaPacific region, with a 16.2 percent drop in flight activity. ❍ In year-over-year comparisons, the second quarter of 2017 was strong across almost all regions. Only Asia-Pacific reported a reduction in aircraft utilization, with a 1.3 percent decrease in activity. Africa was the strongest region in this period, with a 34.5 percent increase in flight hours. ❍ Flight activity in North America remained modest in the second quarter of 2017, with a slight decrease of 0.4 percent reported quarter-over-quarter and an overall year-over-year increase of 8 percent. A consistently strong business environment in North America continues to maintain a relatively level trend in flight hours.

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Elbit Systems Ltd., the international high technology company, reported its consolidated results for the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

Revenues in the second quarter of 2017 were $818.3 million, as compared to $804.5 million in the second quarter of 2016.

Non-GAAP gross profit amounted to $248.3 million (30.4% of revenues) in the second quarter of 2017, as compared to $244.0 million (30.3% of revenues) in the second quarter of 2016. GAAP gross profit in the second quarter of 2017 was $242.3 million (29.6% of revenues), as compared to $236.1 million (29.4% of revenues) in the second quarter of 2016.

Marketing and selling expenses net were $66.3 million (8.1% of revenues) in the second quarter of 2017, as compared to $60.3 million (7.5% of revenues) in the second quarter of 2016. The increase in marketing and selling expenses in the second quarter of 2017 was mainly related to the mix of countries and types of marketing activities for projects in which we invest our marketing efforts.

General and administrative expenses net were $33.6 million (4.1% of revenues) in the second quarter of 2017, as compared to $38.7 million (4.8% of revenues) in the second quarter of 2016. The decrease in general and administrative expenses in the second quarter of 2017 resulted from revaluation of liabilities related to assets and activities acquired in prior years.

Financial expenses net were $6.8 million in the second quarter of 2017, as compared to $5.5 million in the second quarter of 2016.

The company’s backlog of orders for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 totaled $7,329 million, as compared to $6,818 million as of June 30, 2016. Approximately 72% of the current backlog is attributable to orders from outside Israel.

Approximately 57% of the current backlog is scheduled to be performed during 2017 and 2018.

Operating cash flow provided in the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $2.7 million, as compared to $14.2 million used in the six months ended June 30, 2016.

$ BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017 - 27

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES TO ACQUIRE ROCKWELL COLLINS FOR $30 BILLION

United Technologies Corp. and Rockwell Collins, Inc. have reached a definitive agreement under which United Technologies will acquire Rockwell Collins for $140.00 per share, in cash and UTC stock.

“This acquisition adds tremendous capabilities to our aerospace businesses and strengthens our complementary offerings of technologically advanced aerospace systems,” said UTC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg Hayes. “Together, Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems will enhance customer value in a rapidly evolving aerospace industry by making aircraft more intelligent and more connected.”

“The integrated companies’ expertise in developing electrical, mechanical and software solutions will allow us to deliver more innovative products and services and provide greater value to our customers and shareowners,” Hayes continued. “This combination will also create new opportunities for the talented employees of both companies to advance innovation in a growing and dynamic industry.

Importantly, UTC and Rockwell Collins share cultures of mutual trust and respect, accountability and teamwork that will allow us to work together to achieve our common goals.”

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“We are extremely pleased to announce this compelling transaction with UTC which is a testament to the value we have created for Rockwell Collins’ employees, customers and shareowners,” said Kelly Ortberg, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rockwell Collins.

“The combination will enable us to compete more effectively for future business through continued investments in innovation, world-class integrated product offerings and the ability to retain the top talent in the industry. We look forward to the next chapter in Rockwell Collins’ long and proud history, as part of UTC.” Under the terms of the agreement, each Rockwell Collins shareowner will receive $93.33 per share in cash and $46.67 in shares of UTC common stock, subject to a 7.5 percent collar centered on UTC’s August 22, 2017 closing share price of $115.69. UTC expects to fund the cash portion of the transaction consideration through debt issuances and cash on hand, and the company is committed to taking actions to maintain strong investment grade credit ratings. The transaction is projected to close by the third quarter of 2018, subject to approval by Rockwell Collins’ shareowners, as well as other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals.

The purchase price implies a total equity value of $23 billion and a total transaction value of $30 billion, including Rockwell Collins’ net debt.

On a pro-forma 2017 basis, UTC is expected to have global sales of approximately $67 to $68 billion following the transaction, based on estimated results.

UTC expects the combination will be accretive to adjusted earnings per share after the first full year following closing and generate an estimated $500+ million of run-rate pre-tax cost synergies by year four.

Upon completion of the transaction, Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems will be integrated to create a new business unit named Collins Aerospace Systems. Kelly Ortberg will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer with Dave Gitlin serving as President and Chief Operating Officer.

“We have demonstrated we can successfully integrate large acquisitions into our business and I have full confidence that the team has the capability to do it again,” Hayes said. “Once we have completed the integration of Rockwell Collins and made progress towards reducing leverage back to historical levels, we will have an opportunity to explore a full range of strategic options for UTC.” UTC also reaffirmed its expectations for 2017 sales of approximately $58.5 to $59.5 billion and adjusted earnings in the range of $6.45 to $6.60 per share.

United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. By combining a passion for science with precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable solutions the world needs.

Rockwell Collins is a leader in aviation and high-integrity solutions for commercial and military customers around the world.

Every day we help pilots safely and reliably navigate to the far corners of the earth; keep warfighters aware and informed in battle; deliver millions of messages for airlines and airports; and help passengers stay connected and comfortable throughout their journey.

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TRANSATLANTIC EUROPE ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH

From the Desk of EBAA CEO Brandon Mitchener EU AIR TAXI TUSSLE OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO POINT TO BIZAV BENEFITS WHILE THE RECENT BROUHAHA over Juncker’s use of a private jet raises cackles in the popular press and pundit-sphere, it is also an opportunity to point out the real benefits of efficient, point to point business air travel.

Headlines and publicity-hungry politicians may scream about European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spending some €25,000 on a private plane to Rome back in 2016. But, upon closer examination, it clearly makes economic and policy sense. As the Commission has pointed out, the private plane was chartered because there was "no viable commercial plane available that would fit the president's agenda".

What is more, it was used to take an eightperson EU delegation at a cost of €2927 cost per person for the flight, which was within EU rules, and allowed these officials to work while en route. Sure, almost €3000 per person may not be a cheap flight, but if the alternative is going to mean the loss of half a day or even day of that senior official’s time, then the value quickly becomes apparent.

I pointed this out in my message in the previous issue of this periodical, when I cited the €2840 in average productivity gains per passenger per trip using Business 30 - BART:SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

Aviation and the two hours’ average time saved per trip over the fastest commercial service within Europe. These are not insignificant figures, especially considering the opportunity cost of a senior official or executive losing valuable hours in transit.

This is why our association is working hard to improve the way our industry communicates the key benefits of Business Aviation, including productivity gains, time efficiency, security, and accessibility. These are precisely the reasons why the Commission President, along with so many other officials and business leaders, rely on Business Aviation.

Our challenge is to get people unfamiliar with the role and benefits of Business Aviation to understand that it is not a frivolous luxury. Rather, it is a specialized travel solution that enables people to get business done effectively and efficiently, creating opportunities and enabling economic growth along the way.

This is the message that the EU Commission has responded with – but it needs to do so more consistently and more often. It is a message that our industry needs to embrace and spread far and wide.

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/EUROPE

INDUSTRY STUDY WARNS OF LOOMING SKILLS SHORTAGE IN BUSINESS AVIATION

Is there a critical skills shortage looming in the business aviation sector? A recentlypublished study by Korn Ferry Hay Group finds that the industry needs to be prepared for such a shortage and already to begin taking remedial action. Korn Ferry Hay Group undertook the study with the support of Booz Allen Hamilton on behalf of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).

“This study is an advance warning that we need to raise awareness among our members and in the wider industry and find ways to attract more talent to the sector,” says EBAA CEO Brandon Mitchener. “This includes developing a compelling brand proposition for the sector, concerted talent marketing activities, initiatives to attract more women and a sector-wide information plan.”

The study investigates whether there are current skills shortages within the European Business Aviation sector and examines the likelihood of future workforce shortages. It assesses the workforce situation on a regional basis, including a comparative study of Europe, North America and Asia. In addition, the study gauges the attractiveness of a career in Business Aviation to students and graduates and appraises the validity of proposed solutions to workforce shortages within the sector.

The study findings concluded that there was little awareness of workforce shortages within Business Aviation, that there is evidence of increased demand for highly

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A five-star residence for your jet.

www.geneva-airpark.ch skilled aviation professionals and that regional differences in demand for skilled aviation professionals will rapidly increase.

Technological developments, such as digitization, new production methods and types of materials, and increased automation, present a mixed picture. Certain developments will mean fewer people are needed, while some jobs will require additional people and different skillsets. For example, more IT jobs will need to be filled moving forward, whereas people with those skills are relatively scarce in Business Aviation.

Regulations present a mixed picture as well, in that some countries are more rigorous when

it comes to implementing EU EASA standards and others exploit perceived loopholes. EBAA should continue to advocate less burdensome regulations for the sector. The growing importance of security issues means more people may need to be employed in these areas.

“Our consultants suggest a comprehensive strategy consisting of a number of initiatives to be taken in order to positively influence the workforce supply side of the problem, starting by making the industry wake up to the looming labour shortage,” says Christian Weiss, project director for Korn Ferry Hay Group.

✈

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TRANSATLANTIC U.S.A. ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH NBAA-BACE 2017 TO FEATURE DISCUSSIONS ON VARIETY OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATING CONCERNS

From the Desk of NBAA President & CEO Ed Bolen BUSINESS AVIATION IS TRULY a global industry, and issues affecting one country or region often reverberate far beyond international borders. Matters of interest and concern throughout the international Business Aviation community will be at the forefront of discussions during NBAA's annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) coming to Las Vegas, NV from Oct. 10-12, with several scheduled events addressing the wide variety of challenges affecting operations around the world.

For example, the NBAA International Operations Committee will host two sessions at NBAA-BACE, including an interactive panel discussion of the committee's Top 10 hot topics for 2018 and strategies for operators to minimize their exposure to threats around the globe. A separate session, new this year to NBAA-BACE, will address the difficult issue of operating in countries where local customs may run afoul of established international anti-corruption laws and policies.

Other sessions throughout NBAA-BACE will feature topics of interest to Business Aviation operations across the globe,

32 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017

/U.S.A. TRANSATLANTIC among the featured presenters during the Second Day General Session on Oct. 11 that will also include presentation of the National Aviation Hall of Fame's annual Combs-Gates Award recognizing efforts to preserve aviation history.

Returning to NBAA-BACE will be the Innovation Zone, featuring several education sessions on the latest hot topics of interest to those in the Business Aviation industry, all hosted in a dedicated space on the LVCC exhibit floor. College and university students are also invited to sit down with Business Aviation professionals to learn about career paths at Careers in Business Aviation Day on Oct. 12.

NBAA-BACE may be held in the United States, but the event has increasingly served as a focal point for our industry around the globe. On behalf of the more than 11,000 members of NBAA, I invite the BART International audience to join us in Las Vegas this October and experience the size and scope of our vibrant, international industry.

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products and services offered by more than 1,100 exhibitors and discuss the latest issues affecting our industry.

As with past editions of NBAA-BACE, this year’s gathering in Las Vegas will again feature a comprehensive lineup of fixed-wing business aircraft on display at nearby Henderson Executive Airport (HND) from storied manufacturers including Dassault Falcon, Embraer, Textron Aviation and Gulfstream. Additionally, more than a dozen light business aircraft and rotorcraft will be displayed at the indoor static display on the LVCC exhibit floor, including an expanded display highlighting the many diverse applications for helicopters within Business Aviation.

NBAA-BACE will also host an impressive roster of influential featured speakers. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen will welcome several distinguished aviation leaders to the event's Opening General Session on Tuesday, Oct. 10 to discuss the current state of the industry, while astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly will be

+

including discussions about the emerging market for supersonic business aircraft; mitigating risks from onboard lithium-ion batteries, and other inflight safety concerns; the ongoing growth of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations; and methods for the industry to meet ongoing personnel, security and technological challenges.

Business Aviation safety is a key factor at many NBAA events, and will again be at the forefront of two wellreceived safety programs returning to NBAA-BACE this year. Taking place Monday, Oct. 9, the Single-Pilot Safety Standdown will showcase the most effective safety strategies for singlepilot operators, while the National Safety Forum on Thursday, Oct. 12 will offer a variety of perspectives on today's most pressing safety issues across the industry.

More than 27,000 industry leaders are expected to come to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) for NBAABACE, where they will have the opportunity to examine the latest

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NBAA-BACE: WHERE BIZAV GETS DONE NBAA-BACE is Business Aviation’s global showcase event. This year the event returns to Las Vegas, where 1,100 exhibitors will show off their products and services. And all of this will happen as the industry continues to show signs of recovery.

While Europe is experiencing its longest growth period in terms of business aircraft movements since 2008, the US leads demand for new aircraft.

As a result, expect to see many new aircraft types on display in Vegas, writes Volker K. Thomalla

A

PARAMOUNT

Now, as ever, North America represents the dominant market for Business Aviation.

ccording to BART International’s exclusive 2017 Global Fleet Report, the US market continues to dominate.

The total business aircraft fleet in North America grew by 2.9 percent, from 19,894 units in 2015 to 20,477 units at the end of 2016. Last year was also the first year that the US-based turbine fleet surpassed the 20,000 mark – a figure that includes 12,782 jets and 7,695 turboprop aircraft – making the US home to over 55 percent of the global fleet.

And the good news is set to continue. The region is expected to take 65 percent of all new business aircraft in the next 10 years, representing about a 4 percent increase compared to last

34 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

year. Most of key indicators for when people buy a business aircraft are heading in the right direction: Aircraft financing is available and interest rates remain low. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the US is also growing. In the third quarter of 2016, it reached 3.5 percent, up from 1.4 percent in the second quarter.

Coming on the heels of this positive forecast is NBAA-BACE 2017 – Business Aviation’s annual exhibition of business aircraft and related products and services. There’s no other Business Aviation focused event that matches it in terms of number of exhibitors, number of aircraft or number of visitors. But NBAA-BACE is much more than just a marketplace. It is also the largest networking platform for Business Aviation professionals.

People come to the show to meet existing business partners and friends, to make new contacts, to build new business partnerships, to expand their personal network and to learn about the latest issues affecting the industry.

In other words, NBAA-BACE is where Business Aviation gets done.

To make the most of your show, BART has put together our annual show preview containing the latest news about the company’s that drive our industry.

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NBAA-BACE PREVIEW the cabin altitude will never exceed 5,000 ft. The Hemisphere will be the first Cessna aircraft powered by Safran-built engines.

The Hemisphere will incorporate a full fly-by-wire flight control system, which enhances safety and reduces pilot workload.

The manufacturer has finished most of the wind tunnel tests, which took place in the United Kingdom, Toulouse and Cologne. A fly-by-wire testbed will help the company to speed up development of the flight control system and to test the integraTextron Aviation Textron Aviation boasts Business Aviation’s largest line-up of aircraft – and it shows no signs of slowing done. The company has a lot of new programs in the works, including the Super-Midsize Cessna Citation Longitude. Powered by two Honeywell HTF7700L turbofans, the Longitude has a range of 3,500 nautical miles and features an impressive 1,600 lbs full fuel payload. Its 6-foot tall, flat floor cabin offers seating for up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat. The baggage compartment is accessible in flight.

TRENDY

Citation Hemisphere (top).

Citation Longitude (center).

Textron delivers its 2,000th CJ family aircraft (below).

The latest in cabin technology allows passengers to manage their environment and entertainment from any mobile device, while high-speed internet maximizes in-flight productivity. The jet is equipped with a Garmin G5000 flight deck with fully integrated auto-throttles and will be the first aircraft with the new Garmin GHD 2100 Head-up Display.

The Longitude’s flight test campaign is approaching the finish line.

Five aircraft are busily accumulating flight test hours. The first production Citation Longitude was rolled out of

36 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

the final assembly hall in mid-June.

Textron expects the Longitude to enter the market by the end of this year.

Textron is also developing an even larger business jet, the Cessna Citation Hemisphere. The cleansheet design aircraft will be Cessna’s flagship, featuring a range of 4,500 nautical miles and featuring the widest cabin in its class. Textron showed a mock-up of the cabin at last year’s NBAA, as well as at EBACE this year. To enhance the comfort of its up to 12 passengers,

tion of critical components well before first flight, which is expected in 2019.

As to its in-service lineup, Textron is ramping up production of the midsize Citation Latitude, which entered service in 2015. Sixteen units were delivered in 2015, followed by 42 in 2016.

In the first two quarters of 2017, Cessna has handed over 23 Latitudes to customers. Textron Aviation CEO and President Scott Ernest said that the Latitude fleet has accumulated 28,000 flight hours. “I couldn’t be happier with the feedback we’re getting on the aircraft,” he says.

Textron leads the light-jet market segment, too. It has delivered over 7,000 business jets, including 2,000 units of its Cessna CJ family. The overall Citation fleet has amassed over 35 million flight hours, of which five million were flown in CJs. The 2,000th CJ was handed over to a customer in early June at Textron’s headquarter in Wichita, Kansas. The CJ family includes the current production models Citation M2, Citation CJ3+ and Citation CJ4.

Gulfstream Change is in the air at Gulfstream Aerospace as the company works to rejuvenate its portfolio. Last year, the company announced it will no longer offer the G150, its smallest business jet. The last G150 – of a 120 unit production run – should be delivered to a customer this summer. The company is also replacing its super large G450 with the G500 in 2018, providing a seamless production transition between the two types.

The G500, powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PurePower PW800 program is due to the work we did before the flying even started – the strategic planning, the research, the lab development – combined with the success we’ve had in the G500 program. Thanks to our concurrent flight-test programs, we can apply lessons learned from the more mature G500 program to the G600, resulting in a more streamlined certification effort.”

The fifth G600 test aircraft will be transformed into a fully outfitted production aircraft. During flight test, it will be used to validate interior elements and ensure the successful inteturbofans, has been flying since August 2016. Gulfstream has put five aircraft into the flight test and certification program – including the first production, fully outfitted aircraft.

The company expects certification later this year and plans to start deliveries during the last quarter of 2017.

The G500 can fly 5,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 or 3,800 nm at Mach 0.90. It proved its capabilities earlier this year when one of the test aircraft flew 4,808 nautical miles across the US in 10 hours and 6 minutes.

The G500 cabin can seat up to 19 passengers and features three living areas. The cabin management and environmental system can be controlled through mobile touchscreen devices. The sound levels in the cabin should set new benchmarks, while the lowest cabin altitude and 100 percent fresh air in the cabin will boost mental awareness and reduce fatigue while on board. High-speed internet connectivity is guaranteed by various satellite communications systems, including Jet ConneX, the high-speed broadband Ka-band service.

The G500’s larger sibling, the G600, is following in the G500’s footsteps. In late June, the fourth G600 aircraft completed its maiden flight just over six weeks after the third aircraft. During its first flight, the aircraft climbed to a maximum altitude of 51,000 ft and reached a maximum airspeed of Mach 0.925. “To have four first flights and fly more than 570 hours in less than six months is a remarkable achievement,” says Gulfstream Senior Vice President of Programs, Engineering and Test Dan Nale. “The rapid maturity of this

gration of aircraft systems with the passenger experience. The company is on schedule to receive FAA type certification in 2018, with customer deliveries scheduled for later in the year.

Gulfstream’s legacy programs, including the G550, are also doing quite well. In late July, the company delivered a milestone 550th G550 to a customer. “This delivery affirms the continued demand for the G550, one of the most dependable and soughtafter aircraft in the world today,” says Gulfstream President Mark Burns.

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FAMILY

Gulfstream G500 (top) and G600 (center).

The company delivered its 550th G550 in July.

NBAA-BACE PREVIEW Powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710 C4-11 turbofans, the G550 has the longest range of any business jet in its class. It can easily carry up to 19 passengers between the world’s business capitals and can fly eight passengers and four crew 6,750 nautical miles nonstop. The aircraft has amassed more than 50 city-pair speed records during its more than 10 years in service, including London to Tokyo in just over 11 hours and Beijing to New York in just under 14. their results will be critical for meeting the 5X entry into service in 2020.”

The 5X will have a maximum NBAA IFR range of about 5,200 nm, which positions the type between the Dassault Falcon 7X (5,950 nm) and the Falcon 900LX (4,750 nm). It will be Dassault’s longest range twinjet.

As to the company’s 6,450 nm flagship Falcon 8X, which was certified less than a year ago, is already in operation in nearly all key markets around the world, including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India and, soon, China. The Falcon 8X is certified for operations at

HISTORIC

Falcon 5X (top) and 8X (center).

Falcon 900LX business jet (below).

Dassault Aviation French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation had experienced some tough years recently, with declining sales of new aircraft and declining deliveries of its civil aircraft as well. Yet 2017 seems to be a turning point, with increasing activities in the pre-owned market as well as new aircraft sales starting to improve. The highlight of this year – so far – was the first flight of its new ultra-wide body Falcon 5X, the twinjet with the industry’s widest and tallest cabin.

The 5X program has been delayed by four years due to problems with Safran’s Silvercrest turbofan engine.

However, things are looking up, with the Falcon 5X taking to the air on July 5 in Bordeaux-Mérignac in southwest France, piloted by Philippe Deleume and Philippe Rebourg. The company says the first flight is part of a preliminary flight test and that the fullfledged flight test campaign with the final version of the Safran Silvercrest engine is scheduled to begin next year.

38 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

“We’re committed to limiting the consequences of the four year engine development delay as much as possible and the short preliminary flight test campaign is part of this effort,” says Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier.

“We will closely monitor the validation tests on the modified Silvercrest, which are scheduled by Safran in the few coming months, as

London City Airport, too, making Dassault Aviation the only Business Aviation manufacturer whose full range can operate from this demanding airport. “The feedback on our new flagship has been universally positive around the world, especially regarding cabin noise levels, which makes it the quietest aircraft in its class,” says Dassault Falcon Jet President and CEO John Rosanvallon.

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NBAA-BACE PREVIEW The manufacturer celebrated delivery of its 2,500th Falcon in late July.

“Over the half century it has been in operation, the Falcon fleet has amassed an amazing 17.8 million hours of flight time with some 1,230 operators in 90 countries around the world,” says Trappier. “Moreover, of the 2,500 Falcons delivered to date, more than 2,100 are still flying – which is a clear testimony to the high quality and robustness of our Falcon aircraft and the dedication of those that support them.” impressively short period of time,” says Embraer Executive Jets President and CEO Michael Amalfitano. “We are committed to delivering the most value to our customers, with superior products that offer a unique combination of comfort, performance and operating costs, coupled with an unmatched experience throughout their journey, including the best customer support in the industry.”

With over 670 customers flying 1,100 aircraft in more than 70 countries, Embraer’s Business Aviation division has accumulated a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent since 2002, when the first executive jet model was delivered. In 2016, Embraer’s market share represented 18 percent of the industry’s global deliveries.

MILESTONE

Legacy 500 (top). Embraer celebrated delivery of its 1100th business jet (center).

Legacy 450 (below).

The first Falcon was delivered in 1965. Since then, the jets have led the way in introducing new technologies to Business Aviation: the first supercritical wing, the first Head-up display (HUD), first digital flight controls and first Product Life Cycle Management modeling system. Most recently, Dassault introduced FalconEye, the first HUD with a combined enhanced and synthetic vision system.

But Dassault is not resting on its laurels. At EBACE, Trappier made reference to the fact that the comp any i s b u sy p r e p a r i n g f o r t he future by adding another aircraft ty p e t o i t s p o r t f o l i o . “ We ha v e already begun work on an initial new aircraft program,” he said, without giving away any details.

“We hope to be in a position to freeze the specs and decide on the definition of this new model by the end of the year.”

40 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

Embraer The story of Embraer’s Executive Jet Division is a case study of success.

Founded only a little more than a decade ago, in May this year the company delivered its 1,100th business jet.

The milestone aircraft was a Phenom 300, which has been the world’s bestselling business jet for the past four years. “Embraer scored the four-digit mark in business jet deliveries in an

Despite this success, the Brazilian manufacturer is in the process of changing the way it produces its aircraft. Since 2011, it has been increasing its industrial footprint in the United States. It built a world class manufacturing and assembling facility in Melbourne, Florida, and transferred the final assembly of its smallest aircraft types from São José dos Campos in Brazil to Florida.

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NBAA-BACE PREVIEW In July, the company announced the maiden flight of its first Legacy 500 midsize jet assembled in Melbourne, just eight months after the first Legacy 450 mid-light jet assembled in Melbourne took flight.

“We are very pleased with yet another milestone for the Legacy 500 and we look forward to delivering the aircraft in the third quarter,” says Amalfitano.

“This flight also marks a key milestone for our Melbourne operations, where we expanded our production facility and doubled our footprint.”

Bombardier, the program is progressing as planned and has surpassed the 500-hour milestone in mid-July 2017.

FTV2 and FTV3 joined the program in March and May, respectively.

“The three flight test vehicles have been meeting all performance and reliability expectations for this stage in the flight test program, and the pace of testing will continue to accelerate, with the two remaining FTVs progressing well towards their respective first flights,” says Bombardier Senior Vice President of the Global 7000 and Global 8000 Programs Michel Ouellette. “The aircraft’s high degree of maturity is very encouraging as we continue to push the limits of every aspect of this game-changing aircraft’s performance.”

FLAGSHIP

Bombardier delivered its 100th Learjet 75 in June (top).

The company’s focus is on its new Global 8000 (center) and 7000 (below) program.

The Legacy 500 is the fourth business jet model to be assembled at the Melbourne facility, where the Legacy 450 is also produced, alongside the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 light jets. The Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 are also manufactured at Embraer’s production facilities in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Since starting the operation of its Florida facility, Embraer has delivered 250 Phenom and Legacy jets, valued at about $2 billion, from Melbourne to customers across the US and to countries as close as Mexico and Canada and as far as China and Australia.

Bombardier At Bombardier, the focus is on its new flagship program, the 7,400 nm Global 7000. The first three flight test vehicles (FTV) have entered the flight test campaign, which takes place at Bombardier’s Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kansas. In

42 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

November 2016, the company began flight testing the Global 7000 with the maiden flight of FTV. FTV1 came close to surpassing the speed of sound, reaching Mach 0.995 during a test flight in March 2017 – the largest business jet to operate so close to the sound barrier. According to

With more than 500 flight test hours already logged, the program’s development and certification schedule is on track. “Our confidence level is high as we accumulate more flight hours and push towards entry-intoservice in the second half of 2018,” adds Ouellette.

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MATURITY

Series production of PC-24 is now underway (left).

The PC-12 has undergone many changes of configuration since its first appearance (right).

While progressing in the flight test program, Bombardier is starting to produce the first customer aircraft in its facility in Toronto. Four Global 7000 ultra long-range business jets were in final assembly as of early August.

Bombardier expects the Global 7000 to redefine the business aircraft experience. The aircraft has four distinct living spaces, plus a dedicated crew rest area. Its cutting-edge cabin entertainment system, coupled with fast connection speeds via Ka-band satellite communications, provides passen-

ago with the introduction of the firstever business jet, the Learjet 23.

Bombardier acquired Learjet in 1990, introducing the Learjet 45 in 1997, the first new clean sheet design since the Lear 23. After stopping the Learjet 60 production in 2013, Learjet was facing ever-declining sales and delivery numbers. According to GAMA’s Aircraft Shipment report for the first six months of 2017, only eight Learjet 75 have been delivered.

With the order book slowly drying out, there’s a big question mark behind the future of the Learjet.

light jet has some unique features, one of them being the huge cargo door in the rear of the aircraft’s fuselage. Customers have demanded this feature, which they have come to know and like from their use of the turboprop single Pilatus PC-12.

Final assembly work on the first PC24 customer aircraft is proceeding well. The fuselage and wings of the first series-built PC-24 were joined together in Stans in mid-July this year. The process of attaching the wings to the fuselage (called ‘marriage’) demands accuracy to within a hundredth of a millimeter. “We are excited to witness the fuselage-wing mating of the first production PC-24,” says PlaneSense President and CEO George Antoniadis, who travelled to the US to witness the marriage. “We are proud to see the PC-24 sporting the PlaneSense colors, the culmination of years of preparation.”

According to Antoniadis, the jet’s large cabin and exceptionally versatile performance are features greatly anticipated by PlaneSense’s fractional owners. “Its revolutionary design and manufacturing pedigree will set it apart in day-to-day operations, allowing PlaneSense to further exceed our

gers with an office-like environment, or to even stream high-definition content. The advanced wing design on the jet was conceived to optimize speed, range and control and ensure an exceptionally smooth ride. At a speed of Mach 0.85, the Global 7000 can fly eight passengers nonstop from London to Singapore.

Despite the good news coming from Bombardier’s flagship Global 7000, the company can’t hide the challenges it faces with the Learjet brand.

In early June, Bombardier celebrated delivery of the 3,000th Learjet. The aircraft was also the 100th Learjet 75 to be delivered. “The 3,000th Learjet aircraft represents a very special moment in the iconic legacy of Learjet, and is a testament to the success of the product,” says Bombardier Business Aircraft General Manager of Learjet Programs and Wichita Site Tonya Sudduth.

Every Learjet aircraft has been assembled at Bombardier’s multifaceted facility in Wichita. The visionary Learjet lineage began over 50 years

Pilatus Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft joined the business jet manufacturers club with its PC-24 Super Versatile Jet. Three test aircraft are involved in the flight test and certification program, which is taking place in Switzerland and the US. Pilatus has taken a very cautious approach to the jet, voluntarily closing its order book after having booked over 80 orders within one day. It will only be opened again after Pilatus can guarantee all calculated performance specs. The

commitment to operational excellence and superior service,” he adds.

“This is another very important and significant milestone in the PC-24’s development program,” says Pilatus Vice President of the PC-24 Program André Zimmermann. “We are now looking forward with great anticipation and tremendous pride to the very first customer handover later this year when PlaneSense will take delivery of their PC-24 and we witness the entry into service of our Super Versatile Jet.”

44 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

The very first PC-24 will go to the US fractional aircraft ownership business immediately after certification, scheduled during the 4th quarter of 2017. PlaneSense has ordered six PC-24 so far. The production of the next aircraft is being continuously accelerated to ensure that prompt deliveries of the first customer aircraft can go ahead immediately after certification.

Honda Aircraft Company So far, 2017 has been good to the Honda Aircraft Company.

According to the latest report put out by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the HondaJet was the most-delivered jet in its category for the first half of the year. The company delivered 24 jets to customers in the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe. And don’t expect them to slow down any time soon. To meet customer demand, Honda is steadily ramping up production at its Greensboro, North Carolina headquarters, where it is manufacturing the aircraft at a rate of about four per month.

The HondaJet is the world’s most advanced light jet. Its distinctive design incorporates advanced technologies and concepts, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration.

According to the company, the aircraft is the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, most fuel-efficient and most comfortable business jet in its class. The jet has quickly gained a solid foothold in the market, being especially popular with corporate executives, business owners, corporate flight departments, charter companies and aviation enthusiasts.

According to Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino, the objective of the aircraft is to create a new level of value in Business Aviation, and he is confident that soon we will see many HondaJets flying all over the world.

“Our customers are extremely pleased with the performance, comfort and superior fit and finish of the HondaJet,” says Fujino. “The HondaJet is a very high tech, sporty aircraft, making it like flying a highprecision sports car.”

Aerion It seems there is no longer a question of if there will be a supersonic business jet, but when. The Aerion Corporation has been developing the AS2 supersonic business jet for some time now. The company received some tailwind this year when GE Aviation was chosen as the jet’s engine supplier. But the site selection process for Aerion’s facilities, which should have been finished last year, are still going on. Meanwhile, new research work by NASA indicates that the sonic boom can be sup-

pressed to no more than a slight rumble. NASA has achieved a significant milestone in its effort to make supersonic passenger jet travel over land a real possibility by completing the preliminary design review of its Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) aircraft design. QueSST is the initial design stage of NASA’s planned Low Boom Flight Demonstration experimental airplane. Experts from the agency, together with Lockheed Martin, have concluded that the QueSST design is capable of fulfilling

the aircraft’s objective of flying at supersonic speeds without the disruptive boom.

The Turboprop Market The turboprop market remains quite stable, with a slight decline in deliveries in the first six months of 2017 from 234 in 2016 to 232. Textron Aviation’s King Air twin turboprop family is still going strong. The manufacturer has delivered 31 units of the three types in the family (King Air C90GTx, King Air 250 and King Air 350i/ER). The largest

BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017 - 45

FUTURE

Honda Aircraft Company CEO Michimasa Fujino (top).

The world’s most advanced light jet HondaJet (center).

The AS2 supersonic jet (below).

NBAA-BACE PREVIEW Piper Aircraft had a good start with its two turboprop types, the Piper M500 and Piper M500, with 15 M600 and four M500 delivered to customers. During EBACE, EASA officials handed the certification over to Piper President Simon Caldecott, who stated happily that this was the fifth certification the Piper M600 had received from authorities around the world in less than a year. Piper had delivered 39 aircraft when, on July 21, the company issued a Service Bulletin grounding all affected M600 until further notice. The reason for customer of this type is Wheels Up, a membership-based private aviation company, which has ordered over 100 King Airs.

In April, Daher introduced the Daher TBM 910. The new version in the TBM aircraft family is being produced in parallel with the TBM 930. While the latter is equipped with Garmin’s G3000 avionics suite, the TBM 910 comes with the new Garmin G1000 NXi. The market response to the aircraft is positive, with customers of existing TBM aircraft expressing interest in retrofitting their aircraft with the new and much more powerful G1000 NXi suite.

Recently, the company announced it will offer avionics kits to upgrade all TBM models equipped with G1000 – which includes TBM 850, TBM 900 and some TBM 700 – to the Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck. The system change, which will be available through Daher TBM authorized distributors, involves a change of the two primary flight displays (PFD), the multi-function display (MFD) and the control keypad, along with new software and database installations. The Garmin G1000 NXi retrofit kits will be available starting January 2018. this dramatic measure is that the M600 features aft wing spars that are designed by Piper and fabricated by a supplier. It was discovered that the supplier may have delivered aft wing spars that do not conform to Piper’s type design specifications. These nonconforming aft spars may have been installed on some of the affected aircraft. Piper is working tirelessly to solve the problem and return the aircraft to the air as soon as possible.

SELECTION

Wheels Up’s King Air (top left).

TBM 910 (top right). TBM 930 featuring Garmin G3000 (right below) and Piper M series (left below).

✈

46 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

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NBAA-BACE PREVIEW

ENGINE MANUFACTURING: VIVE LA REVOLUTION! Engine manufacturers are under constant pressure to increase efficiency and to reduce fuel consumption. By redesigning existing engine types and applying new manufacturing technologies, the resulting models are setting new standards in terms of weight, reliability, emissions and noise. Volker K. Thomalla reports

E

PREFERRED

The PurePower PW800 engine has been selected by Gulfstream for its new business jet family.

ngines are the most important and most expensive subsystems of any aircraft. As the reliability of today’s engines is legendary, to accomplish a quantum leap in performance without sacrificing this reliability will require new technology. As such, all major engine manufacturers are working on new designs that can only be realized using the most modern design methods and such manufacturing techniques as additive manufacturing.

Make no mistake, the revolution in engine technology is in full swing.

The next generation of Business Aviation engines will be as reliable as today’s engines, but much more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Here BART takes a look at what is set to come.

48 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) P&WC has every reason to celebrate in 2017. In April, the company manufactured its 100,000th engine and the total fleet has amassed over 800 million flight hours – including 84 million flight hours on business aircraft. In its rich history, P&WC has produced 70 different engine models, with its PT6 turboprop engine alone being used on 128 different applications.

The company is building on this experience as it prepares for the future, developing new methods to integrate advanced manufacturing and production techniques into its operation. The company’s newest turbofan engine is the PW800 PurePower, which powers the Gulfstream G500 and G600 (currently in flight test). The engine is in the 10,000 to 20,000 lb thrust class and was certified in February 2015. The engine will enter into service with the G500 later this year, followed by the G600 a year later. Due to its TALON X combustor and other components, it exceeds future emission limits by a wide margin. It is exceptionally fuel efficient and is designed to run on biofuel, should the need arise. The engine will also satisfy ICAO’s CORSIA environmental goals.

But hardware isn’t the only thing that Pratt & Whitney Canada offers.

This year, the company rolled out a new Oil Analysis Technology with the PW306A engine. It is also available for multiple PT6A engine models, along with the small PW617 turbofan engine, which powers the Embraer Phenom 100. “Our Oil Analysis Technology gives us high visibility into the health and efficient operation of the engine without intrusive inspections, which is key to maintenance predictability and enhancing aircraft availability,” says P&WC Vice President of Customer Service Michel Toutant. “When we can identify potential maintenance events at an early stage, they can be addressed proactively or avoided entirely.”

The highly sensitive prognostic solution detects tiny metal traces within engine oil, enabling one to identify deterioration of specific components well before a potential event occurs. “We can detect failures up to 300 hours before something happens,” adds P&WC President John Saabas.

To date, more than 5,000 engines have enrolled in the trial, which continues to advance on other engine models.

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NBAA-BACE PREVIEW An advanced Engine Health Monitoring System (EHM), a new ultra-low emissions combustor and the use of new, temperature resistant materials should help the engine manufacturer reach its ambitious environmental goals.

Rolls-Royce is also working in parallel on an Advance3 demonstrator for future air transport engines, and the technologies and materials developed there could soon find their way into a new business jet engine.

Honeywell Aerospace Honeywell Aerospace is expanding the number of applications for its HTF7000 turbofan series. The latest application is the Cessna Citation Longitude, which is in flight testing

TURBOFAN

Rolls-Royce’s CTi fan system on the advanced low pressure system engine demonstrator (left).

The Honeywell HTF7000 (right).

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce has a very structured approach to innovation. As early as 2014, the company launched a strategy to explore future technologies and demonstrate their maturity.

Within the next three years, the company aims to have a number of technologies ready that will enable them to react quicker to market demand.

An example of this ambition is Advance2, a technology demonstrator for a new engine family in the 10,00020,000 lb thrust class that should be running this summer at Rolls-Royce’s facility in Dahlewitz, Germany. The demo engine, which is based on the BR725 heritage, offers an improved fan and core technology. Advance2 does not represent a single engine or a future product but new technologies, including a new engine architecture that could be used for the next generation of business jet engines.

Some of the Advance2 components have already been tested or are currently in testing. The composite fan case has proven itself on a test rig and has survived the extremely demanding but mandatory fan blade off testing.

Having a mature technology is one thing, but having a manufacturing process ready when it’s needed is another thing altogether. Therefore, Rolls-Royce is testing and qualifying new manufacturing techniques like additive layer manufacturing. One area where this technology could be used is the combustion chamber.

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The benchmarks for the next generation of engines is set quite high: specific fuel consumption (SFC) should be reduced by 10%, reliability should stand at 99.995%, and the bypass ratio will be 6.5:1. The fan will be made of titanium, but it will be a blisk fan, meaning the fan blades and disk are a single part, thus reducing maintenance cost.

The fan containment system will be built with new, lightweight materials, while the low-pressure turbine (LPT) will be optimized for low noise. The high-pressure compressor (HPC) will feature 10 stages, each equipped with blisks, while the shroudless high pressure turbine (HPT) will have two stages.

right now. The entry into service for the new Super Midsize jet is expected to occur after certification later this year. The engine features a dispatch reliability of 99.9%.

Safran The French engine manufacturer Safran Aircraft Engines has seen its share of problems with engine developments and testing. Its Silvercrest turbofan was chosen by Dassault Aviation to power the new widebody Falcon 5X. But during flight tests with the engine, engineers ran into trouble, which required a re-design of the engine casing. The 5X program schedule had to be rescheduled and is now running four years behind. But

pressure ratio and 10% more power at altitude, with 20% less mission fuel burn than today’s engines.

all problems seem to be solved and Safran is set to hand over the first new Silvercrest turbofan to Dassault later this year. The first flight of the Falcon 5X took place in July using a preliminary set of engines. They will be replaced later this year with the latest Silvercrest version.

Meanwhile, Textron Aviation announced that it has chosen Safran’s Silvercrest to power its new flagship, Citation Hemisphere, which is due for first flight in 2019.

Certification of the engine is expected to occur in 2018. Safran says that the Silvercrest engine offers a 15% better fuel efficiency than any other powerplant in the 12,000+ lb thrust category.

GE Aviation GE Aviation is revolutionizing the way aircraft engines are built. The company is developing an advanced turboprop engine (ATP) in the 850 to 1650 shp class, which will be used on the new Cessna Denali turboprop single. The manufacturer is also investing heavily in a new manufacturing center in the Czech Republic that will produce the ATP. “It will be the engine with the most 3D printed parts in aviation history,” says GE Aviation Vice President and General Manager of Business and General Aviation and Integrated Systems Brad D. Mottier.

The parts count of the engine will be dramatically reduced from 855 to only 12. The engine features a 16:1 overall

Williams International Williams International has announced that its compact FJ44-4AQPM turbofan has been awarded with the type certification from the FAA in July and from EASA on August 4, 2017. The engine is rated for 3,435 lbs take-off thrust and powers the Pilatus PC-24, which is looking at certification by the end of this year. This specific engine has some new features. For example, it is the company’s first engine model to be certified as a complete integrated module that includes a number of elements traditionally designed and provided to airframe manufacturer by other suppliers.

The FJ44-4A-QPM is equipped with an advanced drag reducing, heated inlet and a proprietary passive thrust vectoring exhaust nozzle called EXACT. It provides significant performance benefit to the aircraft over a traditional OEM supplied nozzle.

Standard on this engine model is the Quiet Power Mode system, which eliminates the need for a separate auxiliary power unit (APU) because one of the PC-24’s engines will act as APU while on the ground. Electrical power and air conditioning are provided without the main engines running.

Engine TBO is 5,000 hours, with an on-wing hot-section inspection at 2,500 hours.

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ADVANCED

The Falcon 5X made its first flight using Silvercrest (top left). GE Aviation’s new ATP engine (top right).

Pilatus chose FJ44-4A-QPM to power its PC-24 (below).

AVIONICS

IT’S SHOWTIME FOR AVIONICS SUPPLIERS IN LAS VEGAS

What have the major suppliers got up their sleeves at this year’s NBAA-BACE? Steve Nichols takes a close look

N

BAA-BACE Las Vegas describes itself as the premier event and annual meeting place for the Business Aviation community.

Visitors looking for avionics equipment and expertise at this year’s event shouldn’t be disappointed.

BizjetMobile is the leading global supplier of Bluetooth Smart connectivity solutions for business jets.

Its flagship product CHiiMP Smart broke new ground in 2016 as the world’s first Bluetooth Smart inflight connectivity solution. In May, it announced City Jet Inc. as the second fleet operator in North America to select its CHiiMP Smart solution.

City Jet Inc.’s selection of CHiiMP Smart follows fleet installations from Emergency Airlift in North America and Jetfly in Europe after they committed their respective fleets to the Bluetooth-based platform.

INNOVATION

Garmin’s new G1000 (left).

Esterline CMC Electronics PilotView AIS Server Bis (right).

Esterline Avionics Systems (N1504) will be showcasing its market-leading advanced displays and innovative CMC Electronics brand avionics systems.

The company’s portfolio of costeffective GPS solutions on display this year are available now and are fully compliant for ADS-B Out, SBAS LPV and GBAS.

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Its latest CMC Electronics PilotView Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), including the Tablet EFB, and the PilotView secure connectivity solution (Aircraft Information Server) will be demonstrated at the company’s stand, as will the CMA-6800 LCD upgrade display solution.

The company will also be promoting its SureSight Enhanced Vision System sensors and capabilities.

Flying Colours (N5908) will be talking about its upgrades and modernization programs. It specializes in all midto large-sized business aircraft, including the Bombardier Global Express and Challenger families, Dassault Falcon, Beechcraft/Hawker and Gulfstream models.

It is an Authorized Service Facility for Bombardier and a Bombardier Preferred Completion Center.

Flying Colours recently handed over the first Canadian registered aircraft to have the Rockwell Collins network’s Future Airspace Navigation System (FANS) 1/A upgrade installed in combination with Flying Colours ADS-B solution.

It also recently completed its first installation of a Honeywell JetWave Ka-Band satellite inflight connectivity system for Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX system, launched last year.

Garmin (C12412, IS_6) says it will be promoting its new G1000 NXi upgrade for King Air aircraft. This is the successor to the ever-popular G1000 integrated flight deck, boasting a modernized flight display design with significant performance enhancements.

The G1000 NXi features wireless cockpit connectivity, including wireless aviation database updates using Garmin Flight Stream, enhanced situational awareness with SurfaceWatch, visual approaches, map overlay on the HSI and more. It also incorporates contemporary animations, modernized design for improved readability and new LED back-lighting.

Deliveries are expected to begin in February 2018.

Garmin is also promoting its G5000 modernization program for the Citation Excel/XLS. The STC is targeted for approval in late 2018 and will be available from select Garmin dealers, as well as Textron Aviation Service Centers.

Gogo Business Aviation (C11838, SD05) will be highlighting its recently-launched Gogo AVANCE platform of services and its network enhancements, including the Gogo Biz 4G air to ground (ATG) and satellite network solutions.

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AVIONICS

Gogo AVANCE is an innovative approach that combines Gogo’s advanced hardware and software technology into a fully integrated, aviation-grade inflight connectivity and entertainment platform.

AVANCE is at the heart of Gogo’s new suite of platform-based products: Beginning with its Smart Cabin systems – SCS Elite and SCE Media, which launched in July – and the Gogo AVANCE L5 hardware (formerly known as the Gogo Biz 4G LRU), which operates using Gogo’s 4G network for faster speeds.

SCS Elite is a compact smart cabin system that gives passengers a single interface for whatever they want to do: browse the internet, make and receive phone calls, access the cabin management system, or access moving maps, movies, TV and news.

CONNECTION

Gogo 4G (left).

JetWave Tail antenna for Business Aviation (right).

Honeywell (N5100) says its focus this year is on keeping operators informed and in control of their inflight connectivity service to improve the flight experience.

From new inflight connectivity offerings to the latest GoDirect services, Honeywell says it is committed to giving operators access to the most upto-date information and reliable connectivity. This way, they can improve flight planning capabilities and comfort while enhancing safety and cost savings.

Honeywell makes the JetWave hardware for Inmarsat’s Ka-band Jet ConneX inflight connectivity service, including both fuselage and tailmount antennas.

The company says it will be showing NBAA attendees how the power of real-time information can help manage operators’ connectivity service.

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It is also debuting Flight Bag Pro, a new global flight planning and electronic flight bag iPad app.

Using this app, flight crews can create and file flight plans, calculate and compare aircraft cruise modes for optimal performance, access up-tothe-minute weather updates and airspace information, view airport approach plates, and more.

Inmarsat (N2112) will be sharing the latest developments for Jet ConneX, its Business Aviation Wi-Fi solution.

The company says Jet ConneX is the only truly global, high-speed Wi-Fi option available for business jets today, covering 100 percent of major airline routes. This has been an extremely successful year for Jet ConneX, proving to be popular and under increasing demand.

The solution has now achieved close to 100 percent uptake with Gulfstream G650 private jet customers and is also available to more business customers this year.

All of the major private jet manufacturers are now offering Jet ConneX as a line-fit option. STCs have been achieved for: Gulfstream G650, G500, G600 and GIV; Bombardier Global 5000 and 6000, and Challenger 650, 605 and 604; Dassault 7x, 8x and F900; Boeing 777, 767, 757, 747 and 737; and Airbus 319, 320, 330 and 340.

From early 2018, Jet ConneX will also be line-fit on Embraer Lineage 1000E executive jets.

The solution is available to more Boeing Business Jet customers following the type approval of Lufthansa Technik’s Two-In-One-Solution radome for Boeing Business Jet 3 aircraft in May.

The radome had previously been approved for Boeing Business Jets 1 and 2.

The solution accommodates two antennas in one radome, using an innovative space-saving tail-mounted assembly that reduces drag and noise, and users benefit from reduced installation and operational costs.

Jeppesen (C10910) recently announced that its essential flight data is now available within ForeFlight Mobile.

ForeFlight Mobile now includes the ability to display Jeppesen’s worldwide charting library. Customers can purchase standard Jeppesen charts for use inside the app through a simple e-commerce experience on foreflight.com.

Customers are able to choose up to 13 regions and coverage depending upon where they fly.

ForeFlight Mobile also recently added Jeppesen’s global navigation information (NavData), terrain and obstacle data.

A new integrated version of Jeppesen’s FliteDeck Pro for large scale operators will also be available in early 2018.

Rockwell Collins (N4500, SD25) will also have a large presence at NBAA. It says one big item of interest relates to its Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics upgrade for the Bombardier Challenger 604 that was recently announced at EBACE. At NBAA, it will have a Challenger 604 on static display in the Nextant Aerospace booth at Henderson airport. The aircraft will have the Pro Line Fusion upgrade installed for visitors to see. The upgrade replaces the factory-installed CRT displays with

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AVIONICS The compact router is the smallest form factor on the market capable of delivering LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology to small to mid-size aircraft. With the single hub, owners and operators can now benefit from faster data speeds, high-speed wireless internet, and improved connectivity stability.

Measuring approximately 17cm x 14.7cm x 2.5cm and weighing just 725g, the individual SATCOM router incorporates an 802.11ac Wi-Fi access point supporting data transfer rates of up to 867 Mbps.

three 14.1-inch widescreen displays which feature advanced graphics, configurable windows and touchscreen interfaces.

This upgrade brings a whole new set of beneficial options to the Challenger 604 aircraft, including a fully loaded package of baseline equipment for operation in modernizing global airspace – ADS-B mandate compliance, SBAS-capable GNSS, localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches, radius-to-fix (RF) legs and more. It also has synthetic vision as a standard feature and optional FANS and Link 2000+ EASA mandate compliance.

Rockwell Collins says it will also be talking to customers about equipping for ADS-B Out as the mandates are fast approaching. As part of that discussion, we’ll be sharing the benefits of the Pro Line 21 upgrade packages that are available to bring them additional benefits beyond ADS-B Out compliance.

ENHANCED

Satcom Direct’s SD Wifi Hub (top).

Universal Avionics InSight Display System (below).

Satcom Direct (SD) (C11420, SD09) will be promoting its array of products for the Business Aviation market. This year SD is bringing big connectivity to small to mid-range business aircraft with the launch of its LTE Hub.

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For business aircraft operating regional missions, where data access for internet and cell phone utilization is essential, customers will now benefit from new functionality and applications.

The LTE Hub can also interface with SD Pro, the digital dashboard that provides real time information to support and manage flight operations and maintenance. In addition, ARINC 429 inputs can enable on-screen moving maps.

The latest LTE Hub extends the SD router family which already includes the Satcom Direct Router (SDR) and SDR Gateway (previously known as the Optelity Pro from TrueNorth) both of which provide nose-to-tail connectivity for mid to large-size jets.

Both these routers can be augmented by the SD WiFi Hub which supports cabin network capability by eliminating gaps in cabin coverage.

Universal Avionics (N2821, SD10) says it will be focusing on NextGen, data link, and ADS-B Out, educating attendees on the benefits of data link and Data Comm, CPDLC and CPDLC DCL. It wants to show visitors how its products fit in the NextGen roadmap

in its entirety, and how its FMS is the foundation to these emerging technologies.

It will also be showcasing its new InSight Display System.

InSight has received FAA TSO and is now available to aircraft operators.

It says the new, modern, and integrated flight deck solution is a flexible option for both new aircraft platforms and retrofit upgrades.

The system features embedded synthetic vision with advanced mapping capability, electronic charts, radio control, and broadcast weather. It is loaded with industry-leading features such as custom user profiles, highresolution terrain with ice and water features, runways, and special use airspace; adding value to almost any flight deck.

It has an open architecture and the ability to support multiple interfaces, pus system configuration options are available for 3- or 4- 10.4” (diagonal) EFI-1040 displays.

When integrated with Universal Avionics’ SBAS-FMS and UniLink UL800/801 Communications Management Unit, InSight also provides a path to meet future mandates and requirements like PBN, CPDLC, FANS 1/A+, Data Comm, ATN B1, and more.

Universal Avionics has also received an FAA STC for the installation of InSight on the Cessna Citation VII platform. The company is offering the STC at no cost to its authorized dealers and integrators performing the installation.

ViaSat (C7818) will be focused on the availability of ViaSat-2 for large cabin business jet use. It says passengers want the comforts of home and the performance of their office when flying for business – and that includes having a fast, reliable internet connection even at 35,000 feet.

It says it is bringing a fast, highquality, consistent global in-flight internet service to passengers by using the most advanced satellite system (which leverages the highest capacity Ka-band satellite network – ViaSat-1, ViaSat-2 and starting in 2019/2020 timeframe: ViaSat-3) to deliver a really great internet experience to passengers.

✈

ADS-B ACCORDING TO A RECENT report

by Duncan Aviation, an astonishing 73 percent of all active US-registered business aircraft have not yet complied with the upcoming Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) deadline. Sure, January 1, 2020 – when the ADS-B Out mandate draws to a close – may seem like a long way off, and although there’s some truth to excelling under pressure, in this case it definitely doesn’t pay to procrastinate.

Why? Because of that 73 percent.

Broken down, 73 percent is the equivalent of a little over 10,000 business jets who still do not yet have ADS-B Out capability. If all of these jets wait until the last minute, there will be a significant capacity crunch on the part of avionics and MRO service providers. According to Duncan, the risk is that come January 1, 2020, more than 2,000 business aircraft could find themselves grounded for non-compliance. “At the current rate of ADS-B adoption, about 4,760 aircraft will still need ADS-B when the mandate goes into effect,” says Duncan Aviation Vice President of Parts Sales, Avionics and Satellites Mark Cote. “Those aircraft, for all intents and purposes, will be grounded.”

Cote adds that, for the entire US business aircraft fleet to become compliant on time, 320 aircraft will need to be updated every month from now until the 2020 deadline. That’s more than twice the number currently being upgraded on a monthly basis – and a big source of concern. “The FAA has stated several times that the mandate deadline will not change,” he says. “With limited labor and hangar capacity, operators need to plan ahead to ensure their business aircraft will be able to continue to meet its mission and company needs.”

Now That We Have Your Attention Before you freak out too much, let’s take a deep breath and first make sure your aircraft falls within that 73 percent. To start, let’s recap what ADS-B is.

According to AviationManuals, a leading provider of manual development services and Safety Management System (SMS) software for business aviation flight departments, aircraft management

THE ADS-B CLOCK IS TICKING – WHAT’S KEEPING YOU FROM UPGRADING?

By January 1, 2020, you must be equipped with ADS-B Out to fly in most controlled airspace. That’s the FAA’s deadline, but what’s your deadline for adapting your aircraft to ADS-B? Here is a quick refresher on ADS-B by Nick Klenske

companies and independent owner/operators, ADS-B is a satellitebased aircraft monitoring system set to replace today’s radar-based system.

The system uses the aircraft’s GPS to determine positioning information, and then sends this information to ATC. Whereas radar is only able to update an aircraft’s position once every three to 12 seconds, with ADSB this happens every second. This transmission of data from the avionics to ATC is called ADS-B Out. If you tend to operate outside the US, there’s a good chance you could already be ADS-B compliant. “This is because many countries already require ADS-B approvals from an operators’ civil aviation authority,” says AviationManuals CEO Mark Baier. “For example, today ADS-B is mandated in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, India and Australia. However, as this list is regularly changing, it is highly recommended to always check with your safety management professional before leaving on any international trip.”

Even if the above doesn’t apply to you, it’s still not time to stress out.

First, you need to ensure that the 2020 deadline actually applies to you.

According to the FAA, the regulation applies to: ❍ Class A, B and C airspace ❍ All airspace at and above 10,000 feet MSL over the 48 contiguous US and the District of Columbia ❍ Within 30 nautical miles of airports in 14 CFR sec. 91.225, from the surface up to 10,000 feet MSL ❍ Class E airspace over the Gulf of Mexico from the US coastline out to 12 nautical miles, at and above 3,000 feet MSL. No Sweat… Yet Do you fall into one of these categories? If so, then you must be ADS-B compliant by January 1, 2020. But wait, stop hyperventilating and put the paper bag down for a minute. If you have a new aircraft, chances are it is already ADS-B equipped. However, if you’re flying a ‘legacy aircraft’, then maybe it’s time to pick that paper bag back up again because there’s really no time to waste – equipping an aircraft with ADS-B capability can be a time-consuming process, often taking several weeks to add or swap out avionics.

Luckily, the NBAA has some helpful advice. According to them, one can save considerable time by having initial

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CHOICE

As the 2020 deadline nears, options and capabilities for equipping with ADS-B are getting better.

ADS-B

work toward supporting a future ADSB installation done the next time the aircraft is in for regularly scheduled maintenance, painting or a refurbishment. With the groundwork already done, one can already secure a spot with their maintenance provider to complete the ADS-B upgrade – essentially jumping to the front of the line.

UPGRADING

Canadianregistered Challenger 604 receives FANS 1/A and ADS-B Out upgrade at Flying Colours.

Who You Gonna Call?

The clocks ticking, so it’s time to contact a service provider today. With 27 Avionics Satellite Shops and workaway stations located at busy airports around the United States, Duncan Aviation is a solid option ADS-B upgrades. The company notes that it has the capacity and labor resources and has developed a slot program that helps customers who may not be ready to upgrade immediately but want guaranteed hangar space and labor resources in the coming year.

The program allocates two spots per Satellite Shop per month for ADS-B upgrades. This program holds a confirmed date, labor and hangar space for one aircraft, and owner/operators can call now to reserve the spots for 2018 and 2019 and through the rest of 2017, where space is available.

“We’ve touched dozens of aircraft in the past few months, including Challenger 300s, G-150s, Citation 560XLs, a Pilatus PC-12, Falcon 900EXes, a couple of Challenger 601s, and a couple of G-200s; our techs have demonstrated experience with ADS-B installations,” says Duncan Aviation Manager of Satellite Operations Matt Nelson. “We’re proud of the way our avionics installation teams have stepped up and of the work and dedication of our avionics bench in Lincoln, Nebraska.”

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Outside of Rockwell Collins, the manufacturer of TDR-94/TDR-94D transponder units, Duncan Aviation is the only service provider authorized to perform ADS-B upgrades on the TDR94/TDR-94D units to bring them into compliance with the mandate. Duncan Aviation offers a one-day turnaround for these units and has multiple shifts and benches to work them. Duncan Aviation also has ACSS NXT-700 transponders in stock. The ACSS NXT-700 Mode S transponder can help many legacy aircraft operators meet the mandate.

Another option is Flying Colours.

Earlier this year, the company secured approval from the Transport Canada Civil Aviation department to install ADS-B OUT technology on Canadian registered Bombardier Challenger 600-2B16 (604 and 605) and 300 airframes. This approval, which complements its existing FAA certification, has been installed on a number of Challenger aircraft. It is expected to receive validation from Europe’s EASA in the near future.

“We are well aware that the deadline for this mandate is coming up fast, and we want to be able to support as many of our clients as possible in complying with the regulations. Our US facility is already handling regular installations and with this approval we can increase the number of aircraft we put through the Peterborough workshops,” says Flying Colours Executive Vice President Sean Gillespie.

In August of this year, the company announced that it had redelivered the first Canadian registered aircraft to have the Rockwell Collins network’s Future Airspace Navigation System (FANS) 1/A upgrade installed in combination with Flying Colours ADS-B

solution. The FANS 1/A system, which is available through Rockwell Collins dealers, will improve operating costs, while the addition of the soon to be mandatory ADS-B Out technology will help maintain asset value.

This is the first time that a Canadian registered Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft had this particular FANS 1/A solution and the Flying Colours’ ADSB Out solution installed during a single upgrade at the Flying Colours, Bombardier Authorized Service Facility in Peterborough. The private owner requested the system’s modernization as part of a scheduled 48-month maintenance inspection with the full range of enhancements being completed in just under two months.

To date, the Flying Colours developed ADS-B Out STC for the Challenger 605/604 and Challenger 300 models has been installed on more than 20 aircraft.

Also in preparation of the looming ADS-B deadline, Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) has teamed up with Constant Aviation to offer aircraft owners and operators a new upgrade program. The collaboration helps JSSI clients meet the compliance deadlines for both ADS-B and FANS1/A avionics upgrades.

The special upgrade program is now available to JSSI Airframe Program clients. JSSI will work closely with clients and Constant Aviation to schedule the appropriate ADS-B and FANS1/A upgrades and, in an effort to maximize efficiency, will also schedule any upcoming maintenance inspections that may be due at the time.

“By working with the highly skilled technical team at Constant Aviation, we can secure a convenient slot for this required upgrade, at a preferred rate, well before the deadline,” says JSSI Manager of Program Development Donald Ridge.

“Constant has reserved a dedicated line specifically for JSSI clients looking to complete this upgrade,” says Constant Aviation Vice President Sales and Business Development Jay Rizzo.

Of course these are just a few of the many options available. Many of the companies featured in our MRO overview (see p. 66) also offer ADS-B upgrade options. The main thing is to pick up the phone and make an appointment today!

✈

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UPGRADES

PERFECTING PERFECTION

F

LAUNCH

Blackhawk’s XP140-powered Cessna Caravan (left).

Raisbeck Engineering unveils new Composite 5-Blade Swept Propeller (right).

or many operators, upgrading an older aircraft just makes sense. But don’t take our word for it, just ask Elliott Aviation Senior Appraiser Jim Becker. According to him, there are several reasons why an owner/buyer may choose to invest in a decades-old airplane. In some cases, it’s an operator who has owned their aircraft for many years.

“Their aircraft is a known entity to him, he knows its maintenance and operational history and are comfortable with the aircraft’s performance and operating costs,” says Becker.

“He usually doesn’t have a foreseeable change in his typical flight mission, and by keeping his older jet, he doesn’t need to re-train his flight crew on a different aircraft type.”

Another reason is to get better performance than the original OEM aircraft through improved aerodynamic devices, new engines or upgraded avionics. The economic factor must also be taken into consideration. “If an operator can have better performance with their current aircraft than with a new off-theshelf aircraft, and at a fraction of its sales price, one can understand why this isn’t a hard decision,” adds Becker.

The hard decisions, however, come when deciding who to pick to perform the modifications - the OEM? A third party?

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Even if you have the perfect aircraft, modifications can make it even better. To help you make the right modification choice, Marc Grangier has vetted some of the leading providers

According to Textron Aviation, when two upgrade packages look the same on paper and even on the delivered aircraft, it’s important to verify that they return the same value. Engines and avionics from different service providers can deliver different performances. For companies that work independent from the aircraft manufacturer, such modifications as winglets or paint may offer little more than aesthetic value as their designers don’t have the knowledge and intellectual property to deliver the full intended benefits of the modification. On the other hand, the OEM and its partners can create interior and exterior upgrades that are designed and tested to add to the aircraft’s performance, efficiency, integrity, longevity and resale value.

Therefore, one must make sure that each upgrade is optimized to add value. To help you make the right modification choice, BART has vetted some of the leading providers: Advent Aircraft Systems Advent Aircraft Systems’ principal product line is the patented Advent eABS anti-skid braking system for light turbine aircraft equipped with either un-boosted or power brakes. The Advent eABS product line utilizes GPS/digital technology to meet requirements for both new aircraft in development and the retrofit market.

The Advent eABS is currently certified

for the Eclipse EA500/550, King Air B300 and B200.

According to Advent Aircraft Systems Managing Director Ken Goldsmith, there are numerous aircraft in backlog from Advent dealers, representing over 134 aircraft. “When installed, the STC enables improved braking in all runway conditions without the risk of flat spotted or blown tires,” he says.

“Furthermore, it gives one the ability to confidently apply the brakes immediately after touchdown or in situations where hard braking is desired, such as a rejected takeoff.”

Last May, the company added the Pilatus PC-12 to its growing list of aircraft STC’d for its eABS anti-skid braking system. The STC applies to all models of PC-12, provided the aircraft is equipped with a WAAS enabled GPS, such as the Honeywell Apex, Garmin or IS&S WAAS GPS products. The eABS is lightweight (27 pounds installed) and comes with all required installation hardware. Downtime is minimal and requires no changes to the existing PC-12 brake system.

So why isn’t Pilatus installing the system on all its aircraft? According to Advent Vice President of Marketing and Sales Thomas D. Grunbeck Pilatus can, if they decide, install the system at the factory. “They are well aware of the system, installation and technology based on discussions we have had with them for some time,” he says.

Aviation Partners As Aviation Partners grows its in-service retrofit programs, it is enjoying increasing interest in its various winglet upgrades. The company offers its Split Scimitar Winglet (SSW) retrofit for the Boeing BBJ, along with its Blended Winglet retrofit for the Dassault Falcon 900, 2000 and 50 families, as well as the Hawker 800 series.

“The last few months have seen a marked increase in inquiries, and commitments for our various business jet winglet products,” says Aviation Partners Vice President of Sales and Marketing Gary Dunn.

The company’s first ‘High-Mach’ Blended Winglets, designed and certified in collaboration with Dassault Falcon Jet, are now flying on approximately 50 percent of all Falcon 2000 series and 30 percent of all 900 series aircraft in service. API Blended Winglets are also standard equipment on Dassault’s 2000LX/LXS/S and 900LX models, and are available for retrofit to any in-service 2000, 900 and 50 series aircraft. In addition to the improvements in climb performance, range increase, and fuel burn reduction at cruise, the Blended Winglets provide a more modern aesthetic and increased residual value.

“With High-Mach Blended Winglets, your Falcon will fly faster at any given fuel burn,” says Dunn. “In fact, you can cruise at .80M for approximately the same fuel burn as the standard airplane cruising at LRC. In addition, you will climb faster to cruising altitude, step climbs will be reduced or eliminated for most trips, and optimum cruising altitude will be up to 1,500 feet higher - which could free you from traffic and weather for more direct ATC routing.”

Blackhawk Modifications Last July, Blackhawk Modifications and Metal Innovations announced that they were teaming up to revitalize aging Cessna Caravans with the Caravan Reset Program. This program allows Cessna Caravan operators to reset their aircraft to like-new standards for a fraction of the cost of a new airplane.

Following several years of development, Metal Innovations is now offering a pending FAA approved STC for the comprehensive Caravan reset. The new Cessna 208 Special Inspection

Document (SID) Reset program provides operators with a cost-effective solution to mitigate costly downtime brought on by the substantial inspection schedule associated with aging aircraft. Coupled with the Metal Innovations Cessna 208 SID Reset STC, the new 867 SHP Blackhawk XP140 Engine+Upgrade delivers like new performance across the flight envelope. The PT6A-140 is the same engine that is installed on the production Caravan EX model.

Last summer, Blackhawk Modifications also celebrated completion of certification flight-testing for its newest STC project: the XP67A Engine+ Upgrade for the King Air 350.

At FL280, ISA+ 20°C day, max cruise, 13,000 pounds, the Blackhawk XP67A Engine+ Upgrade delivers 332 ktas versus 292 ktas for a stock King Air 350 – for a cruise speed increase of 40 ktas.

Under the same conditions, the

Blackhawk XP67A Engine+ Upgrade climbs from sea level to FL350 in just 18 minutes, versus 45 minutes for the stock King Air 350.

As if this all wasn’t impressive enough, Blackhawk has further plans in the works. Early next year the company will equip and certify a King Air 300 with the XP67A Engine+ Upgrade, which includes two factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PT6A-67A engines and new 5-blade composite propeller assemblies and spinners from MT Propeller.

Raisbeck Engineering Raisbeck Engineering recently launched a new Composite 5-blade Swept Propeller for the King Air 350, in collaboration with Hartzell Propeller.

Utilizing Swept Blade technology as an

integral part of its design, together the two companies have developed and certified an advanced Structural Composite 5-blade Swept Propeller made of carbon fiber. STC approval is expected before the end of the year, with production by Hartzell immediately following.

This new propeller maximizes thrust, thus increasing performance while reducing noise. Other benefits include: unlimited blade life, reduced maintenance costs with six years/4,000 hours TBO, three years/3,000-hour warranty, increased takeoff acceleration and better landing deceleration and accel-stop.

The Composite 5-blade Swept Propeller provides a total weight savings of 47 pounds compared to the current OEM propeller installed on the King Air 350.

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ACHIEVEMENT

RUAG Aviation and Piaggio Aerospace complete first retrofit Magnaghi Aeronautica landing gear upgrade (top).

Bombardier CRJ 200 (below).

UPGRADES while fuel burn and capital cost are up to 30 and 40 percent lower respectively. Based on airline proven technology, operators will also enjoy exceptional reliability, along with a well-established worldwide aftermarket and support infrastructure.

Bombardier is currently working with several completion companies to convert its out of production commercial airliners, among which include MET, FlyingColours, Comlux, Capital Aviation and JetCorp.

Finnoff Aviation Products Finnoff Aviation Products was founded for the development, certification and sales of products designed to enhance the performance of the Pilatus PC-12. Today, it offers the installation

MODIFIED

Jet Aviation Medevac conversions for Legacy in Basel (left).

Honeywell Primus Elite system DU875 LCD Citation Elite X (right).

Jet Aviation As the global air ambulance market is presently growing at a rate of approximately 10 percent per year, many business jet operators are eyeing this new market. One of those companies is Jet Aviation. Known worldwide for its completion and refurbishment works on large business aircraft, the company has developed an STC to modify, among others, Embraer Legacy 600s and 650s for medevac use.

Recently, the Jet Aviation Basel facility was awarded two medical evacuation conversions: A Legacy 600 was converted for a customer in Asia and a Legacy 650 for a customer in the Middle East. Jet Aviation’s STC ensures short reconfiguration cycle periods and extreme flexibility in the operation of these aircraft. Both will serve as medevac and VIP charter aircraft as, thanks to Jet Aviation’s modifications, they can be converted from VIP charter aircraft to medical evacuation aircraft within just a few hours.

As VIP charter aircraft, the two Legacy’s will each accommodate up to fourteen passengers. When converted for medical evacuation, the Legacy 650 will present four patient stretchers and loading systems, while the Legacy 600 will support two.

As an Authorized Service Center for Embraer Legacy 600 and 650 aircraft, Jet Aviation’s facility in Basel is approved to provide these aircraft with full maintenance, refurbishment, modification and upgrades (RMU), including warranty and AOG support.

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Bombardier/Asset Management Group For the Bombardier Asset Management Group, remarketing and converting old regional aircraft into business jets makes sense. Established in 1994 to address the need for fleet replacement of older regional aircraft, the company’s focus is the management and remarketing of Bombardier’s previously owned commercial aircraft portfolio, specifically the CRJ Series and Q-Series/Dash 8 product lines.

For AMG, used CRJ200’s are ideal for corporate conversions, offering a compelling mix of the latest generation of design, efficient fuel burn, and ultra large cabin size. Operators can enjoy the luxury of an ultra large-cabin aircraft with six-hour non-stop range, all for the capital and operating costs of a small to mid-size cabin business jet. A converted CRJ offers over 30 percent more usable cabin space than a comparable new super-large business jet,

of a new Pratt & Whitney engine, an IS&S Cockpit/IP Flat Panel Display System, or a five-bladed MT Propeller.

Thanks to the installation of the latest P&W PT6A-67P engine, speed is increased by up to 15-20 kt and climb rate is also improved. To improve performance even further, Finnoff Aviation offers the installation of a new five-bladed MT Propeller to replace the PC-12’s original four-bladed propeller.

RUAG Aviation/Piaggio Aerospace RUAG Aviation and Piaggio Aerospace recently completed the very first installation in retrofit of a Magnaghi landing gear upgrade on a customer Piaggio P.180 Avanti II. The new upgrade replaces the aircraft’s existing landing gear with Magnaghi landing gear – incorporating a digitally controlled steering system. This is the same landing gear system as fitted to the Avanti EVO, the latest generation of the P.180. The Magnaghi landing

gear system improves ground handling, reduces pilot workload and cuts maintenance costs thanks to a 15,000cycle/15-year overhaul interval, compared with the 6,000-cycle/12-year schedule of the current landing gear.

In addition, a proximity sensor system for NLG and MLG positioning increases reliability and further reduces the need for maintenance.

Honeywell Many Learjet 45 or 40s still have cathode ray tube displays (CRT). To upgrade their cockpit with new liquid crystal display (LCD) flat panels, Honeywell is offering to install its Primus Elite DU-875 LCD flat panels through its Honeywell Protection Plan/HAPP, a maintenance program

offering full coverage for all Honeywell avionics at more than 600 authorized sales and service centers worldwide.

With HAPP, customers can avoid unplanned maintenance costs, downtime, and unnecessary stress – all with no-charge loaners and 24/7 AOG emergency service.

The Primus Elite LCD was specifically developed as a CRT form/fit/function upgrade. It enhances pilot decision-making while reducing crew workload through the use of an upgraded user interface where the available graphical information is displayed in the pilot’s primary field of view. In addition to operational crew benefits, the upgrade offers significant opportunity for the operator to reduce cost of ownership through increased display reliability, reduced weight, and support for paperless terminal charts and maps. Even if the old CRTs are still functioning, yet their operator wants to

replace them for new DU-875s, Honeywell is offering a trade-in credit.

Universal Avionics Universal Avionics and Chicago Jet Group have received EASA approvals for multiple retrofit Future Air Navigation System (FANS) STCs, including for the Challenger 600, 601, and 604; Dassault Falcon 2000, 2000EX, 900, 900EX, 50 and 50EX, and the Gulfstream G100, GII, GIII, GIV and GV. According to Universal Avionics, these approvals offer European-based operators access to STC solutions that haven’t been available to them until now.

The retrofit installations include Universal Avionics FANS solution, featuring the company’s UniLink UL-

800/801 Communications Management Unit, SBAS-Flight Management System, and Cockpit Voice Recorder. Universal Avionics FANS solution also includes CPDLC and ADS-C functionality, along with provisions for ADS-B Out and European CPDLC initiatives (ATN B1 CPDLC). Earlier this year, Pro Star Aviation received FAA approval for the amendment to STC ST00158BO, which adds upgraded single or dual Universal Avionics Flight Management Systems (FMS) for Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS)-capability. The newly amended STC applies to Cessna Citation 550, 550 Bravo, 560, 560XL and 560XLS series aircraft.

Flying Colours The Flying Colours Corp. avionics team recently completed its first installation of the Honeywell JetWave KaBand satellite communications system.

Work on attaching the LRU’s, radome

and tail mounted antenna was finished at the company’s Peterborough, Ontario facility in July, making it one of the first Bombardier Aerospace Authorized Service Facilities to fit the system. The connectivity upgrade was part of a wider Bombardier Global Express aircraft cabin refurbishment project, which was completed at the end of July. The installation of the highspeed data delivery system will ensure that the undisclosed Global customer can enjoy the same level of avionics and connectivity as purchasers of brand new Bombardier Global aircraft.

The avionics upgrade forms just one part of a major overhaul for the Global Express aircraft, which included a prebuy review, maintenance inspections, full interior and exterior refurbish-

ment, IFE upgrades and a floor plan modification.

Earlier this year, Flying Colours completed the world’s first executive jet refurbishment incorporating pre-engineered cabin components manufactured by Austria-based INAIRVATION. The 2003 Bombardier Classic Global Express underwent a complete internal and external overhaul at the Flying Colours Peterborough, Ontario facility.

INAIRVATION supplied pre-engineered side ledges with the Lufthansa Technik nice® HD Cabin Management and Inflight Entertainment system (CMS/IFE) already incorporated. In addition, a completely new Gogo ATG 5000 high-speed data system was also installed to improve existing cabin connectivity.

StandardAero As mentioned in the last edition of BART, StandardAero recently achieved another STC for the first Honeywell

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EQUIPMENT

Universal Avionics SBASFMS Family over Cessna 560 XL (left).

StandardAero JetWave on Falcon 900 (right).

UPGRADES – in particular during turbulence.

With dimensions of just 287 x 570 x 269 millimeters (ARINC size 4 and installation variants) and a weight of just 13.5 kilograms, the platform fits into any aircraft galley.

CATERING

Lufthansa Technik’s Induction Cooking Platform allows to freshly prepare gourmet dishes on board.

JetWave Ka band global high-speed broadband connectivity solution available today for Gulfstream G-IV operators. In November of last year, StandardAero received a similar STC for a JetWave system for Falcon 900/B/C/EXs. The company completed its first STC for this Gulfstream GIV installation last June, and the system included an exclusive high-performance Ka radome, available through its partnership with the experts at Communications & Power Industries (CPI) LLC’s Radant Technologies Division. The STC, which includes a radome and installation kit, is available on the market today.

StandardAero continues to work with leading Ka band technology partners to provide operators advanced internet technology programs to enhance connectivity for domestic and international aircraft operators. JetWave is the exclusive hardware that connects business jets to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) Ka band satellite network, providing Jet ConneX service to the cabin.

StandardAero’s new radome design can accommodate either the AMT-700 or AMT-50 antenna along with the JetWave antenna.

“We are excited to make this technology available to G-IV operators and expect a very positive response from the community,” says StandardAero President of Business Aviation Marc McGowan. “We look forward to making additional announcements with this technology in the very near future.”

Daher/Garmin Daher is now offering avionics kits to upgrade all TBM models equipped with G1000 – including the TBM 850, TBM 900 and some modernized TBM 700 – to the Garmin G1000 NXi next-

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generation integrated flight deck configuration. The system change will replace the flight deck arrangement on G1000-equipped TBM 850s and TBM 900s with Garmin’s successor configuration, the G10000 NXi. This involves a change-out of the two primary flight displays, the multi-function display and the control keypad, along with new software and database installations. The upgrade kits will be available beginning January 2018.

The company says it expects to see a large share of the 347 TBM 850/TBM 900s currently equipped with the G1000 version being converted to the new system.

Lufthansa Technik Last July, Lufthansa Technik started tests with the requirements of the European Technical Standard Order (ETSO) for their Induction Cooking Platform, bringing the option of preparing fresh food on board within reach. Simultaneously, Lufthansa Technik is planning to create a service bulletin for the installation of the Induction Cooking Platform, with a prime focus on ease of installation.

The Induction Cooking Platform offers several advantages for preparing fresh food on board. Depending on the customer’s catering requirements, the on-board chef can use a pan, toaster or pot to prepare a culinary masterpiece. The multiple capabilities ensure effective workflows to meet the minimal workspace available in typical aircraft galleys.

Cooking smells are eliminated with the integrated fume hood and odor filter system. A smart pot containment system both covers and holds the applications securely in place during all phases of preparation and cooking

DART Aerospace DART Aerospace announced its partnership with Bell Helicopter on the design and development of an emergency flotation system (EFS) STC for the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter. This system, which will be co-marketed by both Bell Helicopter and DART, should be certified by Transport Canada in early 2018 and, shortly thereafter, applications will be submitted to other foreign aviation authorities, including the FAA and EASA. Earlier this year, the company released the market’s first utility basket STC designed for the Robinson R66 Turbine helicopter. Built from corrosion-resistant stainless steel and featuring a simple, safety improving, self-locking handle that assures lid closure and secures cargo during flight, this new heli-utility basket is now FAA and EASA approved.

According to DART Aerospace, it is the first R66 cargo expansion solution on the market and is perfect for carrying golfing gear, skis and snowboards, hunting equipment, and tools.

“Modifying an existing aircraft gives its owners and operators the opportunity to refurbish their aircraft to likenew conditions for a fraction of the cost of a brand-new aircraft,” says Blackhawk President and CEO Jim Allmon. “Not only does it give the owner an impressive return on investment, it also provides the operator with impressive performance that is the same or better than factory-new aircraft.”

Considering the trend of conversions and upgrades, there’s no doubt that there is a significant market ahead. For Jet Maintenance Solutions CEO Darius Saluga, another too obvious to ignore trend is the need for modifications driven by passengers who demand faster and more reliable cabin connectivity and personalized entertainment systems – not to mention of course improved performance, which indeed remains top-of-mind.

✈

MRO PROVIDERS

FINDING THE RIGHT MRO FOR YOU

Keeping your aircraft in top working condition is critically dependent on the quality of chosen maintenance, repair and overhaul activities.

Nick Klenske gives easy tips for finding the best aircraft MRO service

W

OVERHAUL

StandardAero’s MRO program for CF34 engines (left).

Jet Aviation’s Vienna facility (right).

hen it comes to today’s complex and technologically advanced business aircraft, chances are sooner than later you will be seeking the services of a third-party maintenance provider. But with so many providers on the market doing so many different things, finding the right MRO service provider for your needs can become a daunting task.

So where do you begin?

A good place to start is to ask around to other operators of your aircraft type. Try to understand how their overall experience was. Also, be sure to compare recent and past experiences as the industry changes fast.

Some shops that were once considered top-notch may have lost some of their best talent – and with them some of their edge.

When you do talk to a potential MRO, you will want to check how upto-date their qualifications are. What factory ratings and approvals do they hold? How is their relationship with the factory? (It never hurts to ask this same question to the factory too).

How many authorizations do they maintain with the FAA, EASA and others? A good rule of thumb is that if they ask you for a copy of your manuals – head for the door. A good MRO has the documentation to support the work it’s authorized to perform.

Of course there’s also the issue of price and timing. When talking to colleagues, ask how closely the final bill matched the price the MRO originally quoted. Was the project completed on time? After all, taking an aircraft out of service is always inconvenient for the owner, so getting it back within the expected time frame and cost is crucial.

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Ask any lawyer and they’ll likely tell you to always get everything in writing. Same goes for choosing your MRO. Have all proposed work detailed in writing before things get started. Also, ensure that the documentation makes clear how changes or add-ons will be handled – we all know that ‘things’ always tend to come up after you get started, but how these things are handled can make or break the deal. Nobody ever balks at a bill containing additional fees if they know about them along the way. Also, be sure to sign for these additional fees as the work progresses, it helps keep the relationship and the overall experience professional.

Don’t forget to look at how the shop is set up to handle your particular project. When your aircraft components come apart, are they tagged, stored and cared for? You wouldn’t be the first to have something taken out that gets damaged or lost through neglect or improper treatment and planning.

A good MRO always tags, wraps and stores all components in a logical, secure and organized manner.

Last but not least, you’ll want to find out what work is done on-site and what may involve outside contractors. For example, avionics could involve running concurrent work schedules. The same goes for engine overhaul and interior updates or repairs. Ask who the additional service providers are and get an understanding of how everyone works together. At the end of the day, all the components need to be ready to go back together in the right place and time – and this only happen when all the teams work in sync.

The MRO Shortlist Armed with information like this, you are now more than ready to make a confident decision about your MRO. But to help you streamline your choice, BART has shortlisted some of the industry’s leading providers here.

StandardAero According to StandardAero, your aircraft is more than just metal and wiring. Knowing this, it has assembled a team to provide complete, comprehensive services for many of

the most popular types of business aircraft. The company’s comprehensive MRO service includes everything from engines, APUs, airframes and avionics to interior refurbishments and paint. StandardAero is a Factory Authorized Service Center for Bombardier Challenger, Learjet and Global Express, as well as Dassault Falcon and Embraer Legacy aircraft, with STC Organization Designation Authorization for engineering services and STC development.

With an emphasis on turbine engine overhauls, StandardAero is a

Jet Aviation Swiss-based Jet Aviation has established itself as a global MRO juggernaut, providing services to largecabin aircraft from hubs in Basel, Dubai, Singapore and St. Louis – complemented by other maintenance bases in EMEA, Asia and North America. The company’s maintenance facilities are approved by all major manufacturers and rated as jet aircraft repair stations by aviation authorities worldwide. In other words, whatever your aircraft type or size and whether it needs a routine inspection, unscheduled or heavy

Honeywell Authorized Service Center for the TFE731, a GE authorized CF34 service provider, and the sole US-based Rolls Royce Authorized Maintenance Facility for the AE3007.

The company’s service offering looks set to become even more robust. In July, StandardAero Aviation Holdings, Inc. and Airbus SE announced that the two have entered into exclusive negotiations with respect to the acquisition of Vector Aerospace Holding SAS by StandardAero from Airbus. Vector is a global MRO company providing responsive, quality support for turbine engines, components, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. A truly international company, it employs approximately 2,200 people in 22 locations across Canada, the US, UK, France, Kenya, South Africa, Australia and Singapore.

Although the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, if finalized it would position StandardAero as one of the world’s largest MRO providers.

maintenance or even structural repair – Jet Aviation is ready to deliver with minimal downtime. The company also boast a 24-hour AOG team of technicians capable of being immediately dispatched to a grounded aircraft.

In order to better serve its growing Asian clientele, earlier this year the company announced that several of its Asia MRO facilities had gained important approvals from the civil aviation authorities to support Gulfstream G650, Boeing B737 and Airbus ACJ A319/20/21 aircraft registered in Singapore, Malaysia-registered Gulfstream G650 and Taiwan-registered Gulfstream G550/G650 aircraft.

“There is a lot of Business Aviation activity in Asia, particularly by large, long-range aircraft, and extending these approvals to all of our sites in Asia will greatly benefit our customers in the region,” says John Riggir, Vice President and General Manager of Jet Aviation’s MRO and FBO facility in Singapore. “Our maintenance facility in Singapore will remain our major Asia Pacific Service Hub, supporting heavy maintenance and large refur-

bishment projects, while our facilities in Hong Kong and Macau will provide immediate access to necessary maintenance services near China, the region’s largest market.”

Duncan Aviation Duncan Aviation offers a plethora of services, including major and minor airframe inspections, engine maintenance, major retrofits for cabin and cockpit systems, full paint, and interior services. The company also has a team of international aircraft component solution experts available around the clock, 365 days of the year. These experts can handle any aircraft system problem with immediate exchanges, retables, loaners or avionics/instrument/accessory repairs and overhauls.

Duncan operates complete service facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska and Battle Creek, Michigan, with additional locations in Provo, Utah and more than 20 other facilities strategically located throughout the US. (For more information on Duncan Aviation, please see our feature on ADS-B, p. 57).

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WORKSHOP

West Star’s newly-acquired landing gear facility in Grand Junction (top).

Duncan Aviation’s Battle Creek location (left). TAG Aviation facility (right).

MRO PROVIDERS

SPEED FUELS RAPID RESPONSE TEAMS

Not long ago, a Vector Aerospace customer was stranded in Tanzania and maintenance was required before the aircraft could be considered airworthy.

Rather than using local labor, the owner called Vector and a technician was immediately dispatched from the US to the East African nation.

“We were prepared to ship the part and talk them through the job, but the operator wouldn’t do that,” says Vector Aerospace Vice President of Global Operation John Seidl. “We had somebody on a plane for 27 hours to do a 15-minute job. It probably cost $7,000 for $400 worth of work.”

While the case might be an extreme example, it shows a growing trend in MRO sector — rapid response teams. A whole network of infrastructure has been created to dispatch technicians around the world. As a result, more and more maintenance work is being done at remote locations rather than at a centralized service center.

The idea of rapid response teams has been around since the 1970s, during the early days of Business Aviation. However, it has only been within the last several years that OEMs and MRO service providers have devoted significant resources to rapid response teams. Regional airlines started the trend in the early 1990s, and Business Aviation soon followed. The change was partially due to factors within the Business Aviation industry. Many corporate flight departments decreased their maintenance staff and began looking to outside organizations for more MRO services. As well, MRO companies and OEMs realized that a lot of unplanned maintenance could be done out in the field rather than at the service center.

“It was a competitive opportunity to get more business,” says Duncan Aviation’s James Prater. “When you get a major event, we want to be there to offer that service.”

A rapid response team benefits the owner and operator in a variety of ways. First, it is cheaper for a truck and technician to be dispatched to an airplane hangar where the plane is parked. It cost tens of thousands of dollars to run a business aircraft, and a rapid response team cuts down on those costs.

Also, it is more convenient. An owner or operator can wait for the technician to arrive and does not have to worry about where to take the plane for maintenance.

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West Star Aviation West Star Aviation’s full-service locations work with a network of satellite locations to provide easy access to one-stop, quality maintenance services no matter where you fly. The company specializes in the repair and maintenance of airframes, windows and engines, along with major modifications, avionics installation and repair, interior refurbishment, surplus avionics sales, accessory services, paint and parts.

The most recent addition to this service is the company’s dedicated landing gear facility, located in Grand Junction, Colorado. The re-designed 20,000 sq. ft. facility, which West Star acquired in February 2017, allows the company to continue supporting Challenger, Hawker and Embraer Phenom landing gear overhaul and repair. “With this facility, we have expanded our market and continue with our proven success for landing gear overhaul,” says West Star Aviation Director of Landing Gear and Accessory Programs Steve Goede.

Flying Colours Since its founding in 1989, Flying Colours has quickly established itself as a global leader in all aspects of aircraft completions and maintenance.

As a Bombardier Authorized Service facility and GE Aviation approved service center, the company is capable of handling all scheduled and lastminute requirements from its Peterborough, Ontario or St. Louis, Missouri facilities. The company owns STCs on a range of modifications and upgrades, including: Lear 60, Challenger 300, Challenger 604/605/850, CRJ200 interior and fuel systems, Global Express and Falcon 900 – to name only a few. (For more information on Flying Colours, please see our feature on ADS-B, p.

57).

TAG Aviation Group TAG Aviation boasts two heavy maintenance centers, along with a comprehensive network of approved MRO Line Stations in Europe, Asia and Africa. TAG Maintenance Services is approved by all main aircraft manufactures and has certification to work on over 50 aircraft types.

The company offers airframes, avionics, troubleshooting and ramp services, as well as 10 specialist work-

shops for paint, interior refurbishment and non-destructive testing – making it a leading one-stop-shop for aircraft maintenance.

Earlier this year, TAG Aviation announced the expansion of its Mobile Repair Team (MRT) operations via a new collaboration with Finland-based Polar Aviation.

Through the partnership, an MRT can be dispatched to clients within hours of any reported AOG issues anywhere in Europe – including Russia. “This collaboration means a far wider reach of our MRT capabilities,” says TAG Aviation Europe Vice President Maintenance Sales Philippe Rabier. “TAG is now able to serve clients from north to south and east to west, swiftly deploying qualified experts to attend any unforeseen AOG situation with the same technical capabilities, authorization and quality systems that we employ in our repair centers.”

“Wherever in the world maintenance or repair is required, clients can be assured that mobile staff are able to quickly respond to their specific needs, ensuring greater flexibility and turnaround time,” adds Rabier.

Aero-Dienst Aero-Dienst likes to say that your jet is their job. With their impressive track record in maintaining, operating, selling and managing a wide range of aircraft, this slogan seems right on the mark. Last spring, the company expanded its capabilities with its Maintenance Line Station in Vienna being named an Authorized Service Center for the Falcon 900EX, EX EASy, DX and LX variants, as well as the 2000EX EASy, DX, LX, LXS and S variants.

“The certification of our Vienna Line Station as an Authorized Service Center is a sign of special appreciation from one of our most important partners,” says Aero-Dienst Dassault Maintenance Manager Florian Heinzelmann. “At the same time, we are very pleased to be able to provide our European Falcon customers with an even larger service network, with Vienna serving as a gateway to Eastern Europe.”

As a result, the Line Station, which is based at Vienna Airport, has taken over both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance services, as well as repair services under warranty and

FalconCare. The workload also involves other maintenance work, retrofitting, modifications, upgrades and the 24/7 AOG service, which includes a Mobile GO Team. This range of services is further supplemented by Aero-Dienst’s own battery and tire shop. The Center is recognized by EASA Part 145, FAA Part 145, Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Nigeria, Russia/CIS, Turkey and Ukraine.

RUAG Aviation RUAG is a leading supplier, support provider and integrator of systems and components for aircraft worldwide. Servicing aircraft and helicopters throughout their entire life cycle, the company’s core competencies include maintenance, repair and overhaul services, upgrades and the development, manufacturing and integration of subsystems. RUAG is an authorized service center for such OEMs as Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Bombardier, Cirrus, Cessna, Diamond, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Leonardo, Piaggio, Sikorsky, Piper and Mooney, as well as a service center for 328 Support Services, Hawker Beechcraft, Viking and MD Helicopters.

Earlier this year, the company completed its first C-check on a Dassault Falcon 7X – RUAG’s first heavy maintenance event for the aircraft. “This was a milestone for us and we are proud of our team’s performance,” says RUAG Geneva Site General Manager David Ricklin. “Customer satisfaction was high, as the inspection progressed according to plan, remained within budget and ensured on-time aircraft availability.”

The heavy maintenance event posed several challenges to the RUAG team,

as it ran concurrently with two Cchecks for two Dassault Falcon 2000 aircraft. To overcome these challenges, new processes were defined, new SAP workflows triggered and contractors were integrated within the existing team of RUAG specialists. Together, the three maintenance events totaled over 19,000 hours, requiring the team to opt for double shifts in order to accommodate the breadth of work and guarantee ontime delivery.

SR Technics A global MRO service provider, SR Technics offers its customers comprehensive and fully customized solutions for the technical support and management of their aircraft fleets, engines and components.

Headquartered at Zurich Airport, the company provides services via its extensive network of international operations in Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East.

This summer, the company’s Zurich and Geneva operations received ISO 14001:2015 certification for its environmental management system and was recertified under OHSAS

18001:2007 for occupational safety and health. These certifications establish that SR Technics meets high global standards in both areas.

“As a company, we are focused on developing our operations while continuously improving the safety, quality and health of our employees,” says SR Technics Vice President for Safety and Quality Zeljko Raisic. “These recent certifications are additional proof that SR Technics is delivering the highest quality MRO services while taking care of the environment and the safety of its employees.”

In addition to these certifications, the company’s quality management system is also certified under ISO 9110 and ISO 9120. Together, these certifications demonstrate the company’s ethical and responsible approach towards its employees, environment and business operations.

Luxaviation Group / ExecuJet All of the Luxaviation Group’s maintenance facilities are committed to providing the highest level of service excellence. This commitment is built from ExecuJet’s (part of the Luxaviation Group) long-standing

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SPECIALIZED

Core competencies of RUAG Aviation (left top), ExecuJet (top right) and Comlux (below) include MRO services and refurbishments.

MRO PROVIDERS SPARE A MINUTE FOR THE PARTS!

Because there would be no maintenance without the spare parts – and batteries.

The Concorde Battery Cooperation is a manufacturer of premium quality lead-acid batteries for aircraft.

Most recently, the company received TSO-C173a authorization for its RG24-15, RG24-15M and RG2416 13.6 Ah family of sealed lead acid batteries. This authorization confirms that the batteries meet the Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) as set forth by the FAA and the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) in DO293A. Since 1982, CRS Jet Spares has been providing the Business Aviation community with a cost effective, high-quality alternative to OEM parts programs. The company provides sales, exchange, spares provisions and managed repair options for all Gulfstream, Global Express, Astra, Falcon, Hawker, Lear, Beechjet and Challenger series aircraft.

As a certified distributor, manufacturer and MRO provider, GlobalParts.aero sets its focus on aircraft parts and the people who need them. Evolving from distribution to offering comprehensive manufacturing and MRO services, the company is committed to carrying a comprehensive inventory of aviation spares and being the single source for all aviation component needs. As to the former, the company boast an inventory of over 90,000 parts, and to the later it can manufacture both one-off and large quantity parts.

Last but not least, with over 40 years of market experience, AAS is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of aircraft components and spare parts for several brands. Based in Germany, the company keeps nearly 30,000 various products on hand, ranging from screws to premium-quality exchange components.

Thanks to it’s wide-spread industry network and efficient logistics, AAS can also procure non-stock items on short notice.

HARDWARE

JetSupport’s EASA & FAA Part 145 approved base maintenance station.

reputation for unmatched expertise in MRO services. Within the new group structure, ExecuJet offers its service portfolio to Group clients and manages all Group MRO services.

Specializing in servicing airframes, avionics and engines, ExecuJet’s air-

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craft technicians are certified for a wide range of business jets, including Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream and Hawker – along with a range of turboprops.

The company offers maintenance services in Beijing, Berlin, Cape Town, Dubai, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, Melbourne, New Delhi, Perth, Sydney, Tianjin and Wellington.

To better serve the growing demand in Asia, last spring the company signed a service level agreement with HK Bellawings/Jet Limited, a Hong Kong based aircraft management company, to provide aircraft maintenance services for its managed aircraft fleet. “The signing of this service level agreement is a testament to ExecuJet’s expertise and capability in the market,” says ExecuJet Malaysia General Manager Ivan Lim. “It represents the trust and the confidence our clients have in our brand and the people behind our brand.”

Comlux Aviation Launched 30 years ago, Comlux’s MRO services, located at Indianapolis International Airport, has extensive capabilities to perform maintenance, refurbishment and upgrades on many types of VIP aircraft. The company specializes in wide-body and long range aircraft, with approvals to work on Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer and Gulfstream aircraft.

Speaking of big aircraft, Boeing Business Jets has signed an agreement with Comlux America that designates the company as an authorized warranty repair facility and service center, providing BBJ operators

another service option in the US. The contract allows Comlux to perform warranty work on the BBJ on behalf of Boeing. In addition, Comlux will provide other MRO services as required.

In addition to the BBJ capabilities, Comlux is an authorized Airbus ACJ Maintenance Center, Bombardier Authorized Service Facility and FAA Approved Gulfstream Repair Station.

JetSupport Netherlands-based JetSupport is a Part-145 certified maintenance organization specializing in Business Aviation and Special Mission operations. In July of this year, the company extended its 145 approvals to include the Falcon 2000 and Citation Jet 3 and 4. As a result, JetSupport’s MRO is now able to provide maintenance activities for all Cessna CJseries and Falcon 2000, Falcon 50/900 and 7X series aircraft.

The company also recently completed an ADS-B out upgrade on a Cessna Citation, incorporating the Rockwell Collins transponders and use of a Universal FMS unit. The aircraft is now compliant with the DO260B EASA mandate. (To learn more about ADS-B, see pg. 57).

Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services is the maintenance specialist for Bombardier Business Aircraft.

Jointly owned by Lufthansa Technik, Bombardier Aerospace and ExecuJet, the company leverages the know-how of these three industry leaders under the umbrella of a single MRO company.

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Airframes Completions & Paint

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Associated Air Center

Mobile Service Teams

At StandardAero, we know that you need more than an MRO provider - you need a trusted service partner. Business aviation, airline, military, helicopter, components, energy and VIP completion customers from around the world have relied on StandardAero for customized maintenance solutions for over 100 years. Capabilities that are supported by a global service network of 20 primary facilities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Singapore and Australia, plus over 50 sales and field service locations.

Visit www.standardaero.com today and discover the benefits of a trusted service partnership.

Š Copyright StandardAero 2017. All Rights Reserved.

MRO

C CHECK: ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS The first Dassault Falcon 7Xs are due for a C check, and Aero-Dienst in Nuremberg is one of the first maintenance facilities capable of providing this major inspection.

Volker K. Thomalla recently visited the company to get an inside look at the amount of work that goes into this maintenance event

D

ROUTINE

C-checks are performed on the Falcon 7X every eight years or 4,000 cycles, whichever comes first.

assault Aviation’s former flagship, the ultra-long-range Falcon 7X, entered into service in June 2007. At the time, it was a technological milestone, being the first business jet featuring a full digital fly-by-wire system and the first ever Dassault Falcon production jet with winglets. Since then, Dassault has delivered more than 270 aircraft of this type and the fleet has amassed over half a million flight hours.

Today, the first Falcon 7X are due for an intensive maintenance inspection. Called the C check, this maintenance inspection is mandatory after eight years in service or 4,000 cycles.

Not only is Aero-Dienst performing its C check on a Falcon 7X, it’s actually performing two C checks on two aircraft of the same operator.

In 2009, Aero-Dienst became one of the first independent maintenance providers to be appointed by Dassault as an Authorized Service Center (ASC) for the Falcon 7X. According to Aero-Dienst Manager of Dassault Maintenance Florian Heinzelmann, it takes roughly 10 weeks to perform a C check, depending on the findings and the

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required time to eventually repair or replace parts of the aircraft. “All access panels are opened during a C check”, he says. “All parts are visually inspected and, where necessary, inspected with different methods like nondestructive testing (NDT) or ultrasonic testing.”

Heinzelmann says the company has a very good partnership with Dassault. “During these first 7X C checks, Dassault employees are frequently here in Nuremberg to watch how we’re doing certain things,” he says.

“This is a very good motivation for us.”

Taking it Apart and Putting it Back Together During the C check, the wing-fuselage fairing, which is made of composites, is removed. All moving wing parts like ailerons, flaps and slats, are also taken off in order to thoroughly inspect them from all sides. The antenna fairing on top of the empennage is opened and inspected. Inside, the complete cabin interior, including the cabin floor, is taken out of the aircraft to better inspect the aircraft

structure, the wiring and the tubing underneath the floor.

In the cockpit, the crew seats, flooring and all displays are removed from their frames in the flight deck. Even the overhead panels and cockpit windows are not spared. Essentially everything but the wiring itself is removed.

To minimize downtime, AeroDienst implements all mandatory Service Bulletins for the aircraft during the C check.

At the time of BART International’s visit, technicians were inspecting the fuel tanks of one of the Falcon 7Xs. This is a very demanding task because the mechanics can only enter the fuel tanks through a comparatively small access panel. Even if the tank was de-fueled early in the process and has been vented ever since, the specialists must wear protective clothing and masks. Special attention is given to corrosion or traces of contamination by bacteria. At peak times, 15 specialists can be seen working at a given time on the aircraft.

As the maintenance manuals were written before the entry into service nearly a decade ago, sometimes their

requirements are out-of-date. As a result, Aero-Dienst regularly makes suggestions on alternative methods of inspection if a better or more efficient method is available. These changes have already led to considerable savings during C checks.

After everything is inspected, repaired, cleaned, updated or replaced, the technicians start putting everything together in reverse sequence. All parts are placed in the correct order on trolleys and carts and brought to the aircraft in time for assembly. When

everything is in place, the aircraft is ready for a series of tests, including a test flight that finishes the C check. Then, the aircraft is handed over to its operator and is good for the next eight years or 4,000 cycles in service.

A Busy Year Aero-Dienst is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary next year. The company offers a whole range of services, from CAMO to standard maintenance, avionics updates and engine maintenance. It has three major MRO

product lines: Classics, which looks after Learjet, Hawker, Beechcraft and Dornier types; Bombardier, which specializes in Global and Challenger business jets; and Dassault which services all Falcon models with the exception of the Falcon 10, 20 and 50.

As to engines, recently the company’s engine maintenance shop completed its 250 th Major Periodic Inspection (MPI) on a Honeywell TFE731 – all of which have taken place within the span of a decade. And GE Aviation has extended Aero-Dienst’s Authorized Service Center Network Agreement for the CF34 turbofan.

The maintenance division of AeroDienst has 200 employees, including 20 specialists in the avionics department.

“We’re flexible because of our size”, says Heinzelmann. “We can dispatch our highly qualified employees to where they are needed, including AOG situations, something that smaller companies with less employees cannot do.”

And if that wasn’t enough, the company also operates its own fleet of executive and ambulance aircraft – all of which fly 800 hours on average per year – meaning Aero-Dienst also has the experience and knowledge of an operator.

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MISSION

Aero-Dienst takes on scheduled and unscheduled maintenance as well as repair services under warranty.

US MARKET ANALYSIS

GROWTH IN AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY MAY SIGNAL A NEW KIND OF MARKET As we approach the first NBAA of the Trump era, Richard Koe expects the further consolidation and digitization of aircraft inventory to spur a lot more growth in charter activity

T

BACKBONE

Business Aviation plays a critical role in driving economic growth, jobs and investment across the US.

he Business Aviation industry continues to ride a rollercoaster of changing expectations in 2017. Twelve months ago, the outlook looked pretty grim, with aircraft sales and activity wilting under the uncertainty of the US presidential outcome, Brexit and gyrations in the global energy markets. The outcome of the US election, with promises of big spending programs and tax cuts, the dissipation of European political risks and the stabilization in the oil price then provided reassurance. Business Aviation industry surveys showed a strong recovery in sentiment, and brokers reported a surge in preowned sales in the first quarter of 2017. But new aircraft sales in the first half of 2017 showed no improvement, and the latest industry surveys show enthusiasm sagging in the US market. As we approach NBAA, it’s difficult to tell whether we have another false start or a real up-cycle.

The macroeconomic context – and it’s often been the broader picture which has signposted the industry’s fortunes in the past – serves optimists and pessimists alike. The optimists can look to continued GDP growth in the US, now an 8-year streak, which many expect to sustain another two years and beat the record decadelong cycle from the 1990s. Should Trump implement his policy promises in terms of infrastructure spending and supply-side stimulus, not least tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans,

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that would directly boost the industry.

The European market, meanwhile, should reap the benefits of ‘upside surprise’ this year, with the muchfeared threat of populist governments receding and the Eurozone economies growing faster than expected.

The pessimists are more concerned about the medium-term outlook. The US economy’s growth cycle is pretty weak in terms of wage-growth, investment and productivity, and the Trump-Bump has faded as the president’s legislative program gets stuck in Congress. The probability of recession is small, but if the US Fed raises interest rates too fast that could change. And all bets are off if trade protectionism and tariffs translate into a trade war, especially if it’s with China, whose savers are propping up more than $1 trillion of the US debt pile. Meanwhile there is no shortage of geopolitical risk, with North Korea the most proximate. No one is in doubt that a cross-border conflict would rapidly escalate and notwithstanding the international consequences, the instant damage to capital and currency markets would be calamitous.

From inside the industry, the mixed macro climate is clouded by the more immediate concerns of falling residual values for pre-owned aircraft, reflecting a supply glut of aircraft through which the industry has waded for much of the last decade.

Slowly and haltingly, the proportion of the fleet for sale has come down towards the long-term ‘healthy’ ratio of around 10 percent. But the substantial growth in the absolute number of business jets for sale make it very difficult for OEMs to sell in new aircraft. Spoilt for choice in terms of variety of near-new jets, buyers have also seen drops of more than 25 percent in the larger cabins over the last 3 years. Despite this, transactions are still slow – just up on last year but with an average closing time of around a year. Most prospective aircraft purchasers are also aircraft sellers looking to trade up, so the bargain price is illusory.

The most encouraging news out of the industry this year has been aircraft utilization. Whereas the longrunning GDP growth, and associated equity markets and corporate profits, have so far failed to stimulate more aircraft sales, the economic upcycle does correlate to more flight activity.

As shown in Chart 1, the most recent Quarter, April-June 2017, saw a 6 percent increase in YOY Business Aviation departures. Unlike the European market, stagnant ever since the recession (until this year), there has been some tepid growth in activity in the US the last few years.

Cumulatively, activity in North America has increased more than 40 percent since 2009, more or less in line with the expansion of the fleet.

But this year the pace of activity growth has quickened.

What’s interesting about this growth is that it’s not evenly spread.

As shown by Chart 2, the growth in activity in the last 3 months is coming from Part-135 charter operations. This is not out of the blue; the last several years has seen Part-135 outpace private and fractional activity and it’s no coincidence to see the same pattern in Europe. The direct cause is that an increasing share of the active fleet is on a commercial certificate. The impulse is coming from a user market which is risk-

Chart 1: Change in Business Aviation flight activity, Q2-2017, North America

Chart 2: Change in activity by mission type, Q2-2017, North America

averse towards ownership options, or may simply be chartering whilst tied up with interminable negotiations to buy a new aircraft. The charter supply side has also been stimulating demand. New operators have come into play, digital platforms have added transparency, and consolidation has brought efficiency savings.

Flight activity trends are also widely differing by aircraft type. Sales of large cabin aircraft have been most under pressure recently, as reflected in accelerated depreciation and deteriorating surveys of customer outlook Chart 3: Change in activity by aircraft segment, Q2-2017, North America

Chart 4: Growth in King Air 350 and PC-12 activity, YTD-2017, North America

for this segment, but when it comes to activity, the large cabin aircraft have seen strong growth, as shown in Chart 3. Partly this reflects the lagged effect of stronger sales for super-mid large aircraft up until 2014, particularly as these aircraft characterize the fleets of North America’s busiest operators such as NetJets, XOJet, Flexjet, Gama Aviation and VistaJet. A number of these operators have just completed fleet rejuvenation programs, putting a further dent in OEM forecasts for the next few years ahead.

The other aircraft segment showing strong growth in activity is turboprops, flights increasing by 15 percent YOY in Q1-2017. The turboprop has always been an essential tool of Business Aviation in North

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UPWARD

This year, the pace of Business Aviation flight activity growth has significantly quickened.

US MARKET ANALYSIS

ENTERPRISE

The Wheels Up King Air 350i is available exclusively in fleet format through its partner Textron Aviation.

America, flying more than 30 percent of all sectors. The King Air 200 platform is the most widely distributed, the Pilatus PC-12 the most popular, but the King Air 350 is seeing some of the fastest growth in utilization, due in no small part to the success of Wheels Up, which now deploys more than 70 units in the fleet. Combined, PC-12 and King Air 350 have operated 181,000 departures in 2017 YTD, from 2,855 airports, and as shown in Chart 4, these aircraft platforms have a cumulative growth rate of 19 percent compared to 2016, with YOY growth easily exceeding 20 percent during May and June.

As Wheels Up comes up for its 3rd birthday, the distinctive hallmark of its success if not so much the aircraft but its successful promotion of a membership brand. Marketing itself as more than just another charter operator, Wheels Up is using a spectrum of products, from entry-level aircraft-sharing and empty leg deals to full aircraft charter, in an attempt to become a onestop hub for any user outside the ownership ladder. JetSmarter has made a similar bid, acting exclusively as a broker rather than aircraft operator, and pitching a cheaper subscription price to accelerate its membership. As reflected in the proliferation of its city shuttles, JetSmarter has clearly succeeded in attracting users. For example, Orlando-Fort Lauderdale flights are up 40 percent this year.

Charter brokerage has clearly benefited from the resurgence in charter demand, with Avinode reporting more than 100 percent growth in requests for its US business in the

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last year. Whilst available and under-used inventory is so ample, brokers can exploit a buyers’ market. New US market entrants like Stratajet, Victor and PrivateFly are getting traction by importing online brokerage platforms that have done well in Europe. US-based Stellar Labs has been mounting its own online alternative. There’s little doubt that digital platforms are facilitating the customer’s options in browsing and booking flights, and going well beyond that in linking up the supply chain from operations to service delivery.

In terms of flight activity, the question is whether the recent growth in charter demand is a short-term blip, responding to a temporary phase of stronger business confidence and record-breaking stock markets, or signals a significant change in the market. The flatline trend in Private Flight activity suggests some owners may be switching to chartering ad hoc. The broader growth of charter may also show that innovative suppliers have found ways to introduce notions of the ‘sharing economy’ to private aviation. This appears to be bringing in new Business Aviation users, from outside the traditionally very wealthy. That said, newcomers are a febrile market. If the US economy stutters, the one-off customers will immediately disappear as they did in 2009.

What looks more sustainable is the emergence of the membership model, championed by Wheels Up, and with most other leading operators following suit with similar programs announced this year. It now looks like there will be a land-grab to become the preferred one-stop hub for ‘subscriber’ customers to access any flavour of access to Business Aviation, short of actually owning a piece of it. This could be bad news for OEM sales, which rely on demand for new stock rather than smarter allocation of under-utilized assets. For now, they can still rely on the wealthiest customer to require full ownership, especially in emerging markets where the charter fleet is limited. Higher utilization is also shifting the OEMs’ attention to potentially higher revenues in the after-market.

Approaching the first NBAA of the Trump era, the Business Aviation appears to be at a critical juncture.

The industry has largely failed to respond to several years of growth in the economy. Such was the overcapacity sold into the market in the first decade of the 21 st century, it will take several years for new aircraft sales to recover. But in the meantime, the comeback in aircraft utilization reflects significant innovation on the supply side, with operators and brokers hauling a grossly under-utilized inventory into the digital age of product marketing and distribution. We may not see an exact replica of Uber, nor a meaningful ‘democratization’ of Business Aviation, but we can realistically expect the further consolidation and digitization of aircraft inventory to spur a lot more growth in charter activity.

✈

Richard Koe is joint Managing Director of WINGX, a provider of Business Aviation data, tools and technology. Together with partner, Christoph Kohler, Richard has developed WINGX into one of the industry’s foremost suppliers of business intelligence. The aim of WINGX is to equip anyone with a vested interest in the industry with immediately accessible, transparent and actionable insights into all aspects of the Business Aviation market globally.

As well as managing WINGX, Richard is a regular speaker, panelist and moderator at industry conferences worldwide, writes on a wide range of Business Aviation issues and works closely with regional regulators and industry associations.

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FUEL

FUELING THE BUSINESS Given the significant contribution of fuel to direct operating cost, business aircraft owners and operators need to carefully plan their fuel supply.

Nick Klenske offers fuel options available on the market

shop around,” says Kossick.

“Similarly, fueling an Embraer Legacy for a flight from Paris to Dubai could cost about $2,800 less.”

Although price is key, Kossick is quick to note that it’s not the only thing to consider in fuel selection.

“Operators are normally on the clock, expected to deliver the time-savings for which passengers and owners pay handsomely,” he says.

“Consequently, there are many more things to factor in, such as quality compliance and whether the fuel will be where you need it, when you need it.” He says it’s good to pay a low price, but less so if you have to taxi for half an hour at an airport to locate it. “Ultimately, it comes down to trust, so it’s worth developing strong relationships with suppliers, teaching them your priorities, expectations and ways of working,” he adds. “In return, suppliers should always deliver the best possible fuel at the most reasonable rates, while also ensuring your fuel is delivered as smoothly as possible.”

Carefully considering how you pay is also essential if you want to buy fuel cost-effectively. Many options now exist, but some require careful

L

SERVICES

Worldwide EPIC Aviation Fueling Charge Card (left).

Air BP operates in over 600 locations in 45 countries (right).

ike it or not, if we want to fly, we have to fill the tanks. For the business aircraft operator, this is not quite as simple as taxiing up to the pumps and handing over the Visa or Mastercard. Instead, you will quickly discover that how you refuel can save you (or cost you) hundreds of dollars – particularly if you are flying a large jet with tanks capable of taking 25,000 lbs of Jet-A in one session.

One trend in the fuel sector is the effect that lower oil prices is having ‘on the pump’. With fuel representing the largest cost for air operators, any change in oil output or price has a direct effect on an operator’s profit margins. It is therefore essential that operators take stock of how they buy fuel to make sure costs are properly under control.

According to Flighworx Aviation Fuel Manager James Kossick, the first thing to do is shop around for the best prices. “Operators have become much better in this regard, but many still fail to plan ahead and thus miss out on valuable savings,” he says.

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“Rather than simply taking what’s first offered at a destination, you should be scanning the market beforehand.” He says that most airports and airfields can be served by multiple vendors, and their prices can vary widely – and saving a few cents per barrel can create major economies on a large uplift. “For example, flying a Bombardier Global Express from San Francisco to New York JFK could cost $1,200 less if you

consideration as there may be a sting in the tail. “We generally advise against paying with a credit card, as the fee to the card issuer can be very large when refueling an aircraft,” says Kossick. “Furthermore, if you’re flying to various destinations and need several fuel stops, you run the risk of maxing out your credit limit.”

Larger operators tend to use fuel card schemes, where they are charged to a credit account dedicated to fuel

expenditure. These schemes generally work well for operators, bringing such advantages as negotiated rates, policy compliance by crews and convenience.

However, there is always the possibility that your chosen card may not be accepted at a destination, with the potential for additional stress and nonnegotiated prices being foisted on the crew. For this reason, many see ‘fuel release’ payment schemes as offering the best of all worlds: competing local fuel suppliers are contacted in advance to check pricing, availability and other practical considerations, bringing certainty; the price is agreed and paid, locking in savings; and the crew merely needs to present a voucher for the fueling to commence, giving them convenience.

Last but not least, Kossick advises to keep in mind that if something can go wrong, it likely will. “It has been known for operators to place fuel orders and arrive at the agreed location, only to discover that the fuel they ordered is contaminated, has been stored in the wrong conditions or has escaped through a hole in the barrel,” he says. “Should there be an issue of any kind, whether it’s technical or related to payment, having a

and Chevron. On the other hand, there are the independent fuel suppliers, who bulk-buy fuel and take margins to deliver the most competitive and ever-moving prices. Companies such as Avfuel World Fuel Services and EPIC Fuels offer contracts which, if skillfully used by flight schedulers, can yield substantial savings. Here we look at just a few of the fuel options available today:

back-up plan will pay you dividends and protect you from paying extortionate emergency prices.

Your best bet: Always have a second option on standby should there be a problem that you weren’t expecting.

The result is the Target Neutral program. Target Neutral helps customers calculate the total emissions associated with their travel and then offset them with a carbon credit or payment that supports Target Neutral projects. “We want to make sure our customers know they’re having a positive effect on the environment, as well as providing a social and economic benefit, so we only buy the best-in-class carbon credits,” says

Finding the Fuel for You Competition is fierce among the many companies that offer fueling services. On the one hand, there are the OEMs, such as BP, Shell, Total

Air BP On the OEM side, Air BP operates a global network covering over 600 locations in 45 countries, giving it the capability to serve fuel clients in the most difficult locations around the world. Today, the company is focused on renewable energy and reducing carbon footprints for customers. “At Air BP, we’ve been asking ourselves one question that forms our decision-making: How can airports and operators reduce their carbon footprint?” says Air BP Sales and Marketing Excellence Project Manager Miguel Moreno. “While creating a carbon footprint is unavoidable, we can help customers reduce their footprint and offset it with carbon credits.”

Moreno. “More so, because Target Neutral is non-profit, it’s cheaper for customers and they can rest assured that all of their money goes directly to supporting low carbon development projects that actually make a difference.”

Air BP continues to have its sights set on growth. “We’re expanding rapidly, and not just in airports, but also with operators,” says Moreno.

“Our customers include commercial airlines, aircraft operators, helicopter operators, business jet operators, private pilots, the military, FBOs, aviation authorities – and more.”

With this growth, Air BP continues to make deals with FBOs and flight planning companies. Most recently, the company took over the management and operation of fuel services at Cape Town International in South Africa. The operation is managed through the Cape Town Airport Fueling Services joint venture, with a team of 45 employees.

Shell Aviation Shell Aviation traces its roots back to the 20th century, when Royal Dutch Shell was formed through the merger of Royal Dutch and Shell Transport.

Given that long history, Shell Aviation has participated in many aviation milestones. “In 1909, we supplied fuel for the first cross-channel flight between England and France,” says Shell Aviation Vice President Global Aviation Anne Anderson. “In 1919, we fueled the first transatlantic flight, and in 2009, the world’s first commercial passenger flight powered by fuel made from natural gas by Shell was flown by Qatar Airways from London Gatwick to Doha.”

This distinguished history has allowed Shell Aviation to grow and become a prominent name in the aviation fuel business. The company has products at 900 airports in approximately 40 countries around the world. Shell supplies fuel to both the business and commercial aviation markets, with its products refueling an estimated 7,000 aircraft each day. The company has regional businesses in the North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Besides fuel, Shell Aviation also supplies lubricants, greases and fluids under the AeroShell brand.

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DEMAND

Shell Aviation supplies fuel to an estimated 7,000 aircraft each day.

FUEL

According to Anderson, Shell Aviation separates itself in a number of ways from other fuel suppliers. For example, the company has a huge laboratory and testing infrastructure to develop and improve aviation fuel products. “We have a dedicated team of aviation scientists at a specialist aviation research facility within Shell Technology Center Houston,” Anderson says. “They work on fuel quality, alternative fuels and lubricants. We also have highly trained technical experts providing local support to ensure on-site safety and efficient refueling.”

These services give Shell Aviation a competitive advantage in the aviation fuel business, says Anderson, who adds that the company is dedicated to providing the best products and services to its customers. “We have dedicated teams of account managers and technical support staff with the knowledge and operating experience needed to respond quickly to any situation our customers face.”

GLOBAL

Avfuel (left) and World Fuel Services are leading fuel suppliers with over 3,000 worldwide locations each.

Avfuel According to Avfuel Vice President of Marketing Marci Ammerman, “fuel is fuel, plain and simple – meaning you have to be able to offer more than just fuel to provide real value to a customer.” This thought encapsulates the strategy behind Avfuel’s success – offer more. In Avfuel’s case, that includes supplying fuel and services to FBOs, flight departments, helicopters, major and regional airlines, freight and cargo companies and military operations – as well as trip support and a robust pilot incentive program.

Ammerman says Avfuel’s variety of programs and services working in

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conjunction help set the company apart, not to mention its global network. The Avfuel branded FBO network includes more than 650 dealers, and the Avfuel Contract Fuel network has more than 3,000 locations around the world – with more being added every day. “We can provide customers with fuel or services no matter where they fly,” she says.

Avfuel rewards loyal customers through Avfuel Contract Fuel, the company’s jet fuel savings program, and the AVTRIP pilot incentive program where pilots are rewarded for purchasing fuel and services within the Avfuel branded dealer network.

“At Avfuel, we continually keep our eyes and ears open to determine what it is that our customers want most and how we can either develop or adapt products and services to meet those needs,” says Ammerman.

To help customers take full advantage of their network and rewards, the company launched Avplan Trip Support, which provides assistance with permits and airspace restrictions, customized weather, and established relationships with ground handlers around the world. Ammerman says Avplan is a natural evolution of the company. “We are arranging fuel all over the world, so it made sense to add flight planning to our portfolio,” she explains.

Though Avfuel has expanded its services beyond just supplying fuel, it is still a strong player in the fuel market.

Since its founding in 1970, the company has been a leading supplier of global aviation fuels, and continues to be involved in every step of the value chain as fuel moves from the refiner to the wing of each aircraft.

World Fuel World Fuel Services provides aviation fuel solutions to help maximize your efficiency and bottom line. With 3,500 global service locations, including 2,900 airports, the company has established itself as an integral part of the aviation fuel supply chain.

Last year, TAG Farnborough joined the World Fuel Services Network of FBOs. As a member of the network, companies such as TAG can leverage World Fuel Services’ bulk jet fuel supply and technical support of local professionals. Furthermore, as a member, companies have access to World Fuel’s comprehensive business and general aviation FBO solutions designed to foster their business’ success and help them better serve their customers with world class offerings. From training to credit card processing and marketing support, World Fuel Services Network FBOs are provided with customized services by World Fuel Services’ team of dedicated industry professionals.

EPIC Fuels EPIC Fuels is a global supplier of fuels and services to FBOs, commercial airlines, airports, ground fueling operators and government agencies around the world. Its largest customers include Fortune 500 flight departments, top-tier FBOs, major airlines, charter and cargo operators, as well as all branches of the US military. In addition, the company offers the EPIC Card, an aviation fuel card for retail or contract fuel purchases and ancillary services. The EPIC Card is accepted both in and out of network, at over 8,000 locations worldwide.

Closing Thoughts Regardless of whether you go with an OEM or an independent, one needs to understand the strengths of each supplier. Some may have the upper hand in the US domestic supply, while others may be strong overseas – so it is wise to have arrangements with several companies.

Just remember, however you obtain your fuel, it is undoubtedly a buyer’s market – but the buyer needs to beware!

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Expect more from your fuel supplier. | | | |

Trip Support Training Insurance Loyalty Rewards

JET EXPO REPORT

ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET IN RUSSIA On September 7, the organizers of Jet Expo in Moscow once again rolled out the red carpet for Business Aviation at Vnukovo-3. This year’s edition, the 12th annual, was also the last, as next year it will be replaced by a new format.

Volker K. Thomalla reports deliveries to customers in Russia and the CIS are anticipated in the coming months. Likewise, the company also expects Russia to be a strong market for its brand new Falcon 5X twinjet, which began a preliminary flight test campaign in July. Of particular interest to Russian customers is the jet’s ability to fly nonstop from Moscow to New York or Hong Kong.

Bombardier also made a big splash at Jet Expo 2017. Seeing a market of roughly 400 business jets in the region in the coming 1- years, the company brought a Challenger 605 and two Global 6000s to Moscow.

The second Global 6000 was at the show in conjunction with Vista Jet,

A IMPRESSIVE

Gulfstream (top), Bombardier (center) and Dassault Falcon (below) made a splash with their aircraft at the show.

lthough the number of exhibitors at Jet Expo 2017 was on par with last year, the number of aircraft on the static display was down. But that doesn’t mean there was a shortage of highlights happening. For example, Dassault’s Falcon 8X made its debut appearance at Jet Expo and was clearly one of the highlights of the show.

Dassault sees Russia and the surrounding area as a major market for the newest addition to the Dassault Falcon family, which received its Russian certification in May this year.

The first of these ultra long-range trijets have already been delivered to Russian customers, and additional

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who was promoting its executive charter services. The company is positioning its service as an “asset free alternative” for buying an aircraft.

Gulfstream sent three demonstrator aircraft to Moscow: a super midsize G280, one ultra-long range G550 and one G650ER. Gulfstream aircraft remain very popular with customers in the region, although not all are actually registered in Russia.

According to the company, there is particularly strong interest in the region for Gulfstream’s new G500 The Local Contribution Missing from this year’s static display were the ACJs and BBJs. Instead, filling in this empty space was a Tupolev Tu-134AK from Kosmos Airlines. The aircraft has logged only 4,000 hours (out of a structural life of about 40,000 hours) and is currently available for charter. It is equipped with a 30-passenger cabin featuring four different cabin zones: one executive compartment, one comparable to a business and the G600 jets. “We now have 10 aircraft flying in our concurrent Gulfstream G500 and G600 flighttest programs,” says Gulfstream President Mark Burns. “That’s a remarkable achievement and reflects the priority we place on adhering to a long-term strategy, investing in research and development, leveraging our ground-based labs and ensuring consistent and steady progress in aircraft development.” The latest G600 – the first with a full interior – took to the air for the first time on August 23, just two weeks prior to Jet Expo. Gulfstream anticipates receiving FAA type certification for the jet in 2018, with customer deliveries starting later that year.

Although Embraer brought a Phenom 300 and a Legacy 450 to the show, it says its large cabin Legacy 600 and 650 are the most popular with Russian customers. The aircraft are frequently chartered for trips to and from western Europe.

Meanwhile, Textron Aviation was represented by Eastunion and Jettransfer, their Russian dealers.

Both had a considerable presence at the show, although they was a noticeable lack of any Textron jets

on display (although Jettransfer, who is also a dealer for Bell Helicopter, had a remarkable Bell 407GX from a Russian customer at its booth).

Speaking of helicopters, Italian helicopter manufacturer Leonardo had its AW109 and AW139 on display. The latter type is manufactured by HeliVert in Russia, a joint venture of Leonardo and Russian Helicopters.

And last but not least, Pilatus Aircraft had the sole turboprop on display. The company says there is considerable interest in Russia for its versatile PC-12 NG, of which the 1,500 th unit was handed over to its buyer in June.

class cabin on a commercial airliner, and two outfitted like an airline’s economy comfort class.

Kosmos Airlines operates the Kosmos Terminal at Vnukovo and uses its two Tu-134 mainly for transporting employees of the Russian space industry from Moscow to Baikonur in Kazakhstan. It also charters the aircraft to third parties when it isn’t being used for official purposes.

The aircraft has a limited range of 1,940 nautical miles (3,600 kilometres), but proved to be very reliable during its service with Russian airlines. Aeroflot withdrew the type from service in 2008.

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LINE UP

Legacy 450 (top), Bell 401 GX (center), Leonardo Helicopters AW109 on static display (below).

JET EXPO REPORT and has plans to expand services to St. Petersburg soon. But don’t expect it to stop there. The company is also set to enter the Russian Executive charter market in the foreseeable future as it looks to add widebody business jets to its AOC. Service Sector Remains Strong Service companies and suppliers like Rockwell Collins, Satcom Direct, ABS Jets, Lufthansa Bombardier and VTS all used Jet Expo as an opportunity to showcase their latest products and services. Other exhibitors included airThe Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) presented one of its two Sukhoi Superjet 100 during the event. The aircraft is designed to transport up to 19 passengers (compared to the 98 passengers that the airline version can transport). The interior, designed

by Russian company Vemina Aviaprestige, includes two work zones for meetings plus a passenger cabin with business class like seats.

The cabin interior can also be quickly converted for medevac missions as needed.

DISPLAY

PC-12 NG (top).

Sukhoi Superjet 100 (center).

Tupolev Tu-134 (below).

New Realities, New Companies Russian Business Aviation has seen a significant drop in movements in the last three years, but it seems to have adopted to the new realities.

There are now new companies being founded and existing business aircraft operators are renewing their fleets.

For example, Sirius Aero from Moscow is undergoing a fleet renewal program that started with the purchase of a Bombardier Challenger 601. The privately-owned company is currently in the process of adding no less than six new jets within the next

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six months. To help win new customers for its expanding service offerings, the company had its Challenger 601 proudly on display at Jet Expo.

Aviation Technologies, Investment & Services (Aviatis), another Russian company, was a first-time exhibitor at Jet Expo. The company, which earned its AOC earlier this year, has a fleet of seven helicopters (two Leonardo AW109SP, two AW139, two Airbus Helicopters EC155 and an Mil Mi-8). Aviatis offers shuttle services from Moscow’s Sheremetjevo airport and two other airports in the region,

ports and FBO operators, such as Jet Aviation, Pulkovo 3 – the center for Business Aviation in St. Petersburg – the Domodedovo Business Aviation Center and the Italian ground handling organization Italy FBO. Russian start-up GetJet presented its web-based search engine, which it says acts as a match maker between business aircraft charter companies and travelers requiring business jet transportation. GetJet wants to reduce the number of empty legs and introduce new customers to Business Aviation by offering the (empty) flights with a large discount.

End of an Era The final curtain of Jet Expo fell with the closure of this year’s 12th and final edition on September 9th. In 2018, the show will be replaced by the Russian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (RUBACE), which will take place from September 12 to September 18, 2018. It will be organized by Vnukovo3 and will be located at the same spot as Jet Expo.

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GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN EUROPE The European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2018) will feature 13,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors and 60 aircraft on static display. Don’t miss this important opportunity to gain brand recognition and be seen as an industry leader at Europe’s premier business aviation event.

SUMBIT YOUR APPLICATION TODAY: www.ebace.aero/2018

OSHKOSH REPORT

THE BIGGEST OSHKOSH SHOW EVER

T VIBRANT

The EAA AirVenture, the biggest airshow on the planet, attracted upwards of a half-million attendees this year.

he EAA AirVenture aviation exposition, held for one week every summer in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has long been known for superlatives. It is, quite simply, the biggest airshow on the planet, attracting upwards of a half-million people to an airport in the US mid-section.

While it is difficult to place an exact number on the attendees, pre-registration was up by 12 percent over the record 2016 figures, and the hosting Experimental Aircraft Association claims final overall attendance was up by 5 percent, totaling an estimated 590,000, but probably well in excess of 600,000.

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With crowds of over 600,000 and more than 17,000 aircraft movements, this year’s EAA AirVenture broke its own records. LeRoy Cook picks out some of the highlights

The scale of the AirVenture show is difficult to imagine without walking the three-kilometer flight line. Suffice it to say, it is huge and teaming with visitors, from dawn to dusk. During the 10 days covered by the Special Flight Rules surrounding the event, 17,223 aircraft operations were logged at the Oshkosh airport, an average of 123 operations per open hour. It’s estimated that 5 percent of the US aircraft fleet visits the area during AirVenture.

‘Oshkosh’, as EAA AirVenture is colloquially known, is not an aviation industry show for commercial purposes, but rather a mecca for aviation

enthusiasts. However, that doesn’t mean business isn’t done at the show.

Individuals and institutions come to AirVenture with a shopping list, knowing that every aspect of flight will be represented and the associated exhibitors will be on hand. Some 881 exhibit spaces were filled at the 2017 show, including displays by such business-aviation manufacturers as Daher, Embraer, HondaJet, One Aviation, Piper, Pilatus and Textron Aviation. Powerplant builders GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Williams International were on hand, and every significant avionics supplier showed its wares.

A record 2,527 international visitors were registered (no doubt there are many unregistered foreign attendees on the grounds), from some 80 countries. Everyone makes a supreme effort to get to Oshkosh, perhaps once in a lifetime or as a frequent goal. Given the size of the small host city, camping on the grounds is often a necessary living style; about 40,000 persons occupied 11,600 campsites, ranging from underwing tents to lavish recreational vehicles.

The Attractions What was there to see? While some came just to check out the latest in goods and services for the general aviation market, the spectacular flying displays and rare historic aircraft also attracted a faithful following. EAA AirVenture is not a military show per se, but it is a favorite venue for the historic warbird community, and it is strongly supported by the US military, which usually sends one or more display aircraft. This year, the US Navy’s Blue Angels jet team made a rare appearance late in the week; the relatively small confines of the show and the airport’s proximity to businesses and housing required considerable effort to facilitate their performance. Not to be outdone, the Air Force sent a B-1B and B-52H bomber for display.

Dubbed ‘the year of the bombers’ by warbird aficionados, Oshkosh 2017 saw the only pair of flying Boeing B-29 Superforts, ‘Fifi’ from the Commemorative Air Force and ‘Doc’ from the Friends of Doc restoration team. In addition, nearly every available North America B-25

Mitchell was on hand, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the US’s retaliatory ‘Doolittle Raid’ against Japan, with a total of 13 B-25s reenacting the carrier-launched strike on Tokyo. The Raid’s sole remaining crewmember, Lt. Col. Dick Cole, 101 years young, attended the festivities, along with 103 year-old Gene Engledow, who had been a civilian employee in California tasked with installing extra fuel tanks in the Raiders’ planes.

The only flying Douglas A-20J Havoc attack bomber was at the show, designed before the US entry into World War II; it garnered a Grand Champion World War II Warbird award. A chubby Vietnamera Fairchild C-123 Provider transport was also on display, but perhaps the most significant piece of flying history at the show was the Douglas C-47 ‘That’s All, Brother’, which is being restored across the field at Basler Turbo Conversions.

The old veteran was found to have actually led the Normandy invasion with a load of a paratroops in 1944, so plans are going forward to have it ready to fly back to France for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day in 2019.

Other notable remembrances marked by extra activities at the show were the 90 th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s New York to Paris flight, the 80 th anniversary of the Piper J-3 Cub, the 70 th birthday of Cessna’s 195 Businessliner, and the 50 th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing program. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin space-tourist project was on display, featuring a much-used New Shepard launch vehicle and a capsule mockup.

The Newest Aircraft New airplanes were scarce, but they were there if one looked diligently.

The Stratos 714 single-engine Very Light Jet made an appearance, a sleek composite design seating four to six.

It is reportedly capable of 400-knot speed, 1,500 nmi range and a 41,000foot max altitude; while the prototype is flying on a P&W JT-15D, production versions will use the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E engine.

Certification is contingent upon acquiring investors.

Cirrus Aircraft was on hand with its in-production Vision personal jet, powered by a single Williams International FJ33-5A engine. In partnership with Sporty’s pilot shop, a Vision Jet delivery position was being auctioned throughout the week of AirVenture, with the final winning bid of $2,615,000 US raising $687,000 US for three charities, over and above the aircraft’s list price.

One Aviation showed its Eclipse 550 Very Light Jet, and announced a name change for the former ‘Project Canada’ follow-on aircraft, to be called the Eclipse 700. Larger and more capable than the 550, the Eclipse 700 is to be powered by Williams FJ-33 engines and carry a Garmin G3000 avionics suite. The 700’s cabin mockup at One Aviation’s display attracted a steady flow of viewers.

Textron Aviation returned with the Cessna Denali SETP (single-engine turboprop) cabin mockup. At the show, the company announced the start of construction of the Denali production prototype, expected to fly sometime in 2018. Textron’s other major announcement was the incorporation of the ubiquitous Garmin

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DISPLAY

More than 10,000 aircraft sat on the tarmac at the show (left).

Cessna Denali (right).

OSHKOSH REPORT while a section of the aft wing spar is checked for sub-standard specs, triggered by a flawed part that was found in production.

Embraer Executive Jets proudly noted the 10 th Anniversary of the Phenom 100’s first flight, with the latest Phenom 100 EV at its display. Of the nearly 800 Phenoms flying, 350 are of the entry-level Phenom 100; over one million hours have been logged by the Phenom fleet.

EAA AirVenture is always a showplace for innovation, stemming from its origins as a gathering of home-

ATTRACTION

Daher aircraft (left) and Citation Latitude (right) were among the most-visited ones.

G1000NXi avionics suite into its Caravan turboprop lineup.

Italian manufacturer VulcanAir showed its V1.0 four-seat single, aimed at the Cessna Skyhawk market with a price of $259,000, about 100K less than Textron’s stalwart. For that, one gets a 180-hp Lycoming IO-360 engine and constant-speed prop, a Garmin G500 EFIS with ADS-B standard, and a three-door cabin for ease of entry. First announced at AERO in 2014, the V1.0 is now supposed to be certified by the end 2017.

Fellow Italian builder Tecnam was displaying its P2006T Twin Mark II high-wing twin, featuring the addition of Garmin G1000NXi avionics.

Tecnam also announced the completion of the fuselage for the Serial #2 P2012 Traveler feeder airliner, which is to seat 11 and be powered by 375hp turbocharged Lycoming engines.

Pilatus displayed a venerable PC-6 Turbo Porter STOL utility plane at its stand, along with the latest PC-12NG. This year, Pilatus’s theme was “the most wanted single”, clearly noting the over 1,500 PC-12s that have been delivered.

Honda Aircraft attracted major interest at its display adjacent to the AirVenture flightline. The company announced that it had just received FLYING Magazine’s Flying Innovation Award for 2017, bestowed at the show for the cutting-edge HondaJet’s breakthrough Over-TheWing-Engine-Mount design.

Daher was showing its TBM 910 for the first time, featuring the Garmin G1000NXi panel that has replaced the TBM 900’s straight-G1000 suite.

According to Nicolas Chabbert, Senior VP of Daher’s Aviation Business Unit, orders have been split

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almost exactly 50/50 between the G3000-equipped TBM 930 and the TBM 910. Those upgrading from older TBMs tend to stick with the G1000NXi, while new TBM buyers go with the G3000 avionics seen in light jets. In either case, Daher’s strong commitment to safety is reflected in overspeed and underspeed protection, upset protection, angle-of-attack and stick-shaker features, and AmSafe airbag shoulder harness for the crew seats. Existing TBM owners can upgrade to the G1000NXi for $59,995 US. A total of 60 TBMs flew into AirVenture, including eight from Europe and one from Brazil.

Piper Aircraft reported a 25 percent increase in revenues for the first-half of 2017, versus the same period of 2016. With the strong delivery and order record to date, Piper expects to see increased interest in the M600 turboprop for European commercial SE turbine operation, as soon as additional certification is completed. Piper is to be commended for its painful, but abundantly-cautious, issuance of a service bulletin in late July, temporarily grounding the 38-plane M600 fleet

builders. Mostly recently, proponents of electrically-powered aircraft have shown their latest achievements at Oshkosh; this year, Aero Electric Aircraft Corp. had its Sun Flyer prototype on display and was preparing to seek certification for it as the Sun Flyer 2. More significantly, AEAC announced its plans to build a Sun Flyer 4 four-place electric airplane, projected to have an 800-lb useful load and four-hour endurance.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was on hand with its eSpirit of St. Louis, an HK-36 Dimona II motorglider converted to electric power. It’s slated for research into the commercial viability of electric flight.

Modifications and Support Significant new modifications and upgrades were announced at the show. Blackhawk’s conversion of the King Air 350’s PT6A-60A powerplants to the –67A variant results in an airplane capable of cruising at 300 knots under nearly all conditions, according to Blackhawk’s VP of Engineering Bob Kromer. The upgraded KA350 will reach FL300 in 20 minutes and

pick up 25 to 35 knots more speed, with the increased power reserve of the –67A engines. Blackhawk was also offering the PT6A-135 modification for the Cessna 425 Conquest I, gaining about 40 knots by replacing the 425’s PT6A-112s.

Raisbeck Engineering and Hartzell Propeller jointly announced impending certification of new five-blade structural composite propellers for the King Air 350. The 106-inch diameter swept-blade props are lighter, quieter and result in increased take-off, climb and cruise performance.

pumps. Particular attention was being paid to the Airworthiness Directive on Southwind gasoline-fired cabin heaters, some of which are approaching 70 years of age and will not pass the required pressure decay test.

HET offers relief through replacement or overhaul.

“By taking advantage of the aerodynamic effect of blade sweep, the strength of lightweight structural composites and robotic manufacturing technologies, Raisbeck and Hartzell have greatly improved performance across the board in all flight phases,” said Hartzell Propeller Executive Vice President JJ Frigge.

Raisbeck Engineering Vice President of Sales and Marketing Lynn Thomas said: “This lighter prop provides improved single-engine climb performance, unlimited life blades, increased takeoff acceleration, and is quieter. We are already receiving widespread interest from King Air 350 owners and operators in this high performance aftermarket modification.”

The ‘other’ Hartzell, Hartzell Engine Technologies, headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, was also at the show, with President Mike Disbrow giving a run-down of all the division’s acquisitions and support.

HET’s umbrella includes Sky-Tec starters, Plane-Power alternators, Janitrol Aero heaters, Aeroforce turbocharger systems, and Fuelcraft fuel

autopilot, in partnership with EAA STC LLC, is now STC’ed for the Cessna 172 and 177. It’s based on TruTrak’s experimental-category DigiFlight II, offering two-axis control and tracking, but with safety enhancements. Priced at $5,000 US, it was on display in a Cessna Skyhawk.

Not to be confused with the TruTrak autopilot, Trio Avionics and The STC Group announced certification of their Trio Pro Pilot autopilot on July 19, approved for the Cessna 172, 175 and 182 airframes. Trio expects certification for the Cessna 177 and 195 and Piper PA-28 series to follow shortly.

Dynon’s SkyView HDX integrated instrument panel for the certificated GA fleet was seen in a Cessna 172 and a Beech Baron 58 at the show, with STC’s expected shortly. Offering touch-screen capability, flight planning, EFB and a Mode-S transponder for ADS-B, the equipment is priced at about $18,000 US with STC for the Cessna 172. Dynon’s D10A display had received approval for the Cessna 172 in 2016.

New Avionics Unveiled New avionics announced at the show were largely targeted at the lower end of the general aviation market, but not exclusively.

Significantly, the TruTrak Vizion

Garmin announced its own low-cost line of retrofit autopilots at AirVenture, the GFC500, targeted for lower-performance singles, and the GFC600 for high-performance singles and twins.

Both incorporate Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP), underspeed protection, overspeed protection, Level Mode, Flight Director and more.

Pricing begins at less than $6,000 US, ranging up to $23,995 US. The GFC 600 is already STC’ed in the Beech Bonanza A36 and Baron 55; the GFC 500 is expected to be certified in the Cessna 172 by the end of 2017, with Cessna 182 and Piper PA-28 approval to follow.

In other Garmin news, the company announced the GDL 52 and GDL 51 stand-alone portable SiriusXM radio receivers; the GDL 52 also incorporates ADS-B In reception. Also announced was the GDL 82 ADS-B datalink, a lower-cost UAT solution for US users below 18,000 feet, priced at an estimated $1,795 US. And Garmin announced that the G5 electronic flight instrument will soon be compatible with a host of older autopilots from Cessna, Century, S-Tec and BendixKing, with more to come.

Honeywell’s BendixKing division announced an exclusive distributorship of the MST 70B slide-in replacement transponder for the MST 67A transponder used in popular business aircraft.

The new transponder is reported to be the lightest and lowest-power Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast Out (ADS-B Out) compliant technology available today.

BendixKing was also showing its new AeroWave Text and Track portable device that connects to any smartphone, providing two-way tracking and messaging in remote areas via the Irdium satellite network. Priced at only $395 US at the show with free airtime, the economical Text and Track device generated considerable interest.

In conclusion, there are other airshows carrying more Business Aviation focus and larger shows in terms of economic turnover, but no other aviation event has the diversity and passion provided by EAA AirVenture. “We’ll always have Paris,” as Boggie said in Casablanca, but we also always go back to Oshkosh.

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SHOWCASE

Honda Aircraft attracted major interest at its display adjacent to the AirVenture flightline.

AIRCRAFT FINANCE

CASH IS KING

I

ASSET

It is estimated that 70 percent of the business and private jet purchases are made with cash.

ronically, in these recessionary times and despite predictions of a double dip global recession, cash buyers in the business and private jet industry have increased to the extent that the biggest competitor to banks and lenders offering aircraft finance now is cash. Some estimate that 70 percent of all purchases are cash purchases.

Reasons for this have varied enormously from deal to deal. In many cases, the clients have simply not needed bank finance because their personal wealth or balance sheet is strong enough. In many cases the bank finance was not available – during 2009-2010 liquidity in bank finance hit an all-time low and the amount of financiers on the market genuinely completing deals was extremely low. All the financiers were chasing the same deals where the Holy Grail tended to be an aircraft under 5 years old, a “safe” jurisdiction for the borrower with a strong credit and squeaky clean background checks, recourse finance up to 75 percent loan to value (LTV) and loan terms of 5-7 years. There are only so many deals that will fit this profile and in many cases the extra challenges such as issues on enforcement of security due to the residency of the borrower was enough for the credit committees to refuse the deal. Buyers had a limited supply of financiers and those not fitting the requisite profile found themselves faced with extremely high finance terms with the

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Aoife O’Sullivan takes a look at the shifts and trends of aircraft finance in corporate and private jet acquisitions

financier requiring recourse to other corporate and personal assets.

Buying an aircraft became much more than simply acquisition of an asset and required buyers to reconsider whether the acquisition warranted cross collate rising other assets.

For a corporate buyer already battling with the justification of aircraft acquisition to its shareholders, having to explain why other assets also need to be put at risk became a step too far.

The ongoing power play between bank and high net worth over how much information the bank needs versus how much the borrower is willing to impart remains a big issue on transactions – one of our clients chose to walk away from a lender because the due diligence process which had taken six weeks to that point was no closer to being finalized and by paying cash he had his aircraft delivered by the end of the week. His reasoning was that he did not want to lose the aircraft at the price agreed and if he needed to, he could approach the bank on a refinance.

The banks themselves have been restricted both by internal and external forces – capital adequacy and liquidity rules and regulations all conspire to the banks only being willing to lend on less risky transactions. The irony is not lost on financiers that in fact the less risky transactions tend to be those borrowers who don’t need loan or lease finance in the first place and are more than capable of financing the acquisition themselves.

One interesting case saw the borrower withdraw in the wake of the Bear Stearns and Lehmann’s collapse.

With the financial world imploding and in the midst of global bailouts, the perception of credit risk shifted from borrower to bank the borrower decided to go it alone rather than risk entering into a finance lease with a lender who may or may not remain in business. Other reasons included the volatility of the stock markets – clients have been more interested in investing in solid assets than relying on trading revenue. Committing to a 5 year dollar loan now requires careful hedging by borrowers to restrict exposure on any increase in the dollar value. Similar to the trend in increased interest in gold and silver investment, both corporate and private buyers have been looking to alternative arenas in which to invest.

Step forth the business and private jet market.

Aircraft Finance – The Trend to Date Aircraft finance in corporate and private jet acquisitions has typically followed a relatively straightforward route. The lender provides the loan or lease finance to the borrower and the security provided back to the lender ensures that the lender can under a default step into the shoes of the borrower or lessee and collect in all valuable contracts, records, insurance and income streams attaching to the aircraft. In an ideal world the lender

would be able to sell the aircraft, recover its loan and costs and any residue would be handed back to the borrower.

In all but a handful of cases, the highest LTV achievable was 80 percent and most if not all transactions were “with recourse” or, in other words, with additional security being provided by the borrower on top of security over the aircraft. To protect against a drop in values in aircraft, the lenders tended to look to additional security such as corporate and personal guarantees to reinforce the credit position of the borrower. In many cases the lenders were absolutely right to do so – aircraft values fell year on year between 2008 (when they were at their over-inflated best) to recently when values starting to show some green shoots on the increase. In the downturn, some of the worst examples saw up to 50% being stripped off the value of an asset – for a lender in at 80%; this would have created a very serious liquidity issue. Many banks had the foresight to include LTV testing in their finance arrangements which allowed them make a call on the borrower for cash to top up the loan to value ratio in the banks favor but this was of course heavily dependent on the borrower having the cash to top up the payments. The hey days were over and the global recession saw a huge departure from the market of all but the stalwart finance lenders in business aviation such as BAML, Crédit Suisse, GE, Société Générale, Investec and Deutsche Bank. With the onslaught of Basel III, European banks will come under increased pressure to only finance the more credit worthy deals.

For now however, the market seems to be regaining some confidence.

According to Marius Breitenbach of Execujet Aviation Trading AG, some young aircraft are currently increasing in value. The Global XRS, Falcon 7X and Gulfstream 5000 are all on the increase with demand for these aircraft remaining high. Buyers at the high end for larger aircraft remain robust. On the converse, converted aircraft have never taken a strong position in the market and any aircraft older than 10 years will suffer in value.

We have seen some very interesting entrants into the aircraft finance mar-

ket in recent times. The corporate and private jet world has always sat some way behind the commercial carrier world in terms of finance offerings.

Japanese tax leases and even Irish s.110 structures are much more common in the airline world. In addition many financers struggle to understand the marked difference between financing commercial aircraft as opposed to financing corporate and private jets.

The paperwork can be very similar but the operation is entirely different. At a conference recently, one of the Irish lenders controversially told an audience of business aviation brokers and operators that he regarded financing an airline as a safer credit risk than financing a purchaser of a business jet.

Indignant eruption ensued but most interesting was this financier’s genuine lack of understanding of how the business aviation market works and why in fact it is arguably a much safer risk than airline finance. In fact, the two industries could learn a lot from each other.

Financing Airlines vs. Financing Business and Private Jets One obvious way of tacking the business jet market head on is to encourage lenders who traditionally only play in the commercial carrier market to open their doors to business and private jets. Their experience in structuring transactions and attitude to risk in aviation would be welcome competition for the few financiers currently available to us. I have set out below some key issues worthy of consideration for any new entrant into the market from the carrier world.

1. Who Repays the Loan – Borrower Profile ❍ The biggest difference between financing airlines and financing business jet acquisitions is who pays under the loan or lease. Unless the financier is lending to an operator, the profile of the borrower tends to be a corporate whose business is not in ferrying passengers around the world but who needs the asset to conduct its own business more effectively. An airline on the other hand relies on passenger seat sales to finance loans and leases.

With the corporate borrower in that case, the lender is assessing the credit profile of a business which is

entirely unrelated to the successful operation of the aircraft. The borrower’s ability to repay the loan is not heavily dependent on load factor, fuel prices and heavy competition from low cost carriers as is the case in the airline world. In addition the aircraft can be chartered out in return for income which can help to improve the borrower’s ability to meet on-going operating costs. So far so good for the business jet buyer.

2. Manufacturer Support ❍ Manufacturer warranties in business jet sales tend to last longer and are not as restrictive as in the airline world. These warranties add much to the value of the asset and can be very effective in reducing overall cost of maintenance on the aircraft for the first 5-7 years.

3. Transaction Structure ❍ Airlines typically lease their aircraft under operating leases from well know lessors such as ILFC, GECAS, Avolon etc. The lessor acquires the aircraft from the manufacturer and leases it to the airline in return for lease rent. Typically, the lessor will also work in payments on account for maintenance (known as maintenance reserves) to reduce the cost exposure on heavy maintenance items. Security deposits are common and in recent years, lessors have insisted that they be entitled to commingle and use these funds. The focus is certainly changing with the credit risk of some lessors in question but in general the lessors did well on the finance structure and on the ability to use lessee money in the course of trade. ❍ In the business jet world even where operating leases are involved, the lenders do not tend to ask for maintenance reserves or maintenance security deposits.

Some ask that the aircraft be enrolled on to care programs for the engines and parts but this is not the same thing as a lender taking cash on account of future maintenance events. A simple change that may help increase the credit profile of a borrower and also help the bank with their capital adequacy requirements?

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AIRCRAFT FINANCE

SPECIALIST

O’Sullivan is internationally renowned for her work in aircraft finance.

4. Maintaining Value ❍ Annual degradation in business jets tends to sit in the region of 4-6 percent. Commercial aircraft degrade at a much higher rate generally because they are used more frequently. Conversely however in business jet terms an aircraft that is older than 10 years tend to be perceived as past its sell by date. In the airline world the aircraft keep operating up to 20 years and more until they are sold, leased into third tier countries or sold for scrap. There is no reason why a well maintained business jet should not continue to be operated for the same period of time. There is a disparity between perception and demand in the market – manufacturers are under pressure to develop and sell new and better models every year to keep up with competition. A subtle shift in how manufacturers value their older aircraft and an increased offering on supporting the second hand trade would surely encourage more buyers. There is no mystery to why Airbus and Boeing keep reinventing the wheel on their sister aircraft – subtle changes to improve efficiency and load factor do not detract from the fact that they still manage to support the older aircraft currently in service.

The Boeing 737 classic range is one of the bestselling ranges of aircraft of all time. Commonality in aircraft for airlines is preserved and the manufacturers encourage years and years of loyalty from the same customers. This market understanding is not apparent in the business jet world despite it being common knowledge that buyers tend to replace their aircraft every 3-5 years. All manufacturers would do well to review their approach to supporting the second hand market so that their involvement does not end when the white tails are moved off the ramp.

5. Operation of the Aircraft ❍ In airline finance, the airline tends to be both the borrower/ lessee and the operator of the aircraft. In many case the airline also conducts a lot of the maintenance in house. In terms of credit risk, a lot of focus is on one business being able to manage, operate and maintain the asset.

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❍ In the business jet world, the risk tends to be spread amongst the owner as the borrower, a professional operator and an MRO. An astute financier can find out very quickly through a process of audit and review of all parties where the pressure points are on a transaction – if the borrower has stopped paying for maintenance this is usually an indicator all is not well. The earlier the lender can step in to recover the asset or restructure the loan, the less the lender will suffer on costs. The lender will typically tie up all aspects by way of multiparty agreements with the operator, insurers, MRO and service providers to ensure that in an event of default, the lender can step into the shoes of the borrower and protect the asset.

The Future for Aircraft Finance We are seeing a subtle shift in business jet finance. The structures are becoming more sophisticated as clients are more willing to consider alternative means of finance or in some cases are obliged to consider them where cash and standard loan finance is not available.

Changes in lease accounting rules and in VAT regulation will cause a knock on effect in the way business jet finance is structured. Operating leases will no longer be recognized as “off-balance sheet” and so for those borrowers requiring a true off balance sheet structure, orphan and charitable trusts will become more popular. Finance leases should help resolve the VAT issue on ownership of business jets where the VAT can be reclaimed through a genuine corporate structure.

Financiers are cautious to re-enter the market and to some degree, this is to be welcomed. Aircraft finance should only be undertaken by financiers who genuinely understand the industry and who are structured to be able to withstand a dip in residual values. Fire sales by financiers do a huge amount of damage to aircraft values and the industry in general.

That said, the business jet industry still desperately needs financiers who are willing to consider supporting the less than AAA gold standard transactions. Demand for aircraft in

Europe, UAE, China and Africa remains strong but without the finance industry backing the sales on both for new and second hand aircraft, sales will stall. These regions are rightly or wrongly perceived to be a higher repossession risk mainly because of the difficulties in enforcement of security locally. A well-considered approach to these more challenging jurisdictions may even justify higher profit margins for the financiers willing to open their balance sheet. Other industry participants could easily support the foray by the financiers into new regionsthe insurers are well placed to support the private jet industry on aircraft repossession insurance; the professional operators can reduce repossession risk by remaining in operational control and possession of the asset at all times and the manufacturers can offer after sales and marketing support to the financiers.

✈

Aoife O’Sullivan Partner T: +44 (0) 7709 432350 E: aosullivan@theairlawfirm.com For further details please see website www.theairlawfirm.com The information and opinions contained in this document are for general information purposes, are not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice, and should not be relied on or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to particular circumstances. The Air Law Firm LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales.

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FROM THE COCKPIT

MINIMIZING RISK IN TRAINING OPERATIONS Training flights can be dangerous when confidence outweighs learning and maximumedge training becomes too realistic.

Capt. LeRoy Cook looks at the challenges and risks faced by pilot candidates

A

SKILLFUL

Regardless of how advanced technology is, aviation still very much relies on the professional pilots.

ll too often, we hear about an aircraft accident that took place during a training flight, a type of operation that one would think carries little risk. In a training scenario, there’s usually little pressure to complete the mission and a certain amount of flexibility is available. The two primary reasons these accidents occur are (1) no one on board understood the potential for harm when pursuing a course of action, or (2) the risk was understood, but the action was undertaken anyway because, it was thought, “we can handle it.”

Our propensity for training in simulators, rather than actual airplanes, would seem to prevent exposure to risky training in actual flight.

However, there are times when a simulator for the aircraft isn’t available, is not convenient, or it is felt that simulator training wouldn’t be as valuable as the “real thing”.

In many cases, after initial training, insurance requirements mandate a certain number of additional hours of “mentoring” under the tutelage of an experienced, qualified pilot.

Sometimes, these enforced hours produce opportunities to experiment and demonstrate the edges of the flight envelope – which can be a good thing, as long as the participants

94 - BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017

know what they are doing and don’t carry the experimentation too far.

However, such maximum-edge training can become too realistic, if restraint isn’t exercised.

Instructors need to know when the limits of safe flight are being approached during training, and when to step in to keep safety from being compromised. At the opposite extreme, delivering instruction while avoiding all abnormal parameters, merely lecturing or taking over the controls too early, leaves the student to find things out by experimenting on his or her own, later in the career path. A good instructor will take advantage of a “teaching moment” to allow the student to experiment under a watchful eye, but stop short of exceeding safety limits, keeping the flight always under control.

Risky Business Much of our flight training simulates hazardous situations, so students can learn how to recognize the onset of these potential threats and take corrective action to escape their danger. Some of the things we train for are aerodynamic stall encounters, engine failures, hazardous weather management, missed approaches and go-arounds and rejected takeoffs.

Upset recovery training is currently

fashionable (and fun) but it’s also important to prevent the “upset” from ever happening in the first place.

Breaking the accident chain is one of the instructor’s responsibilities, a primary reason for his or her being there. An inexperienced instructor, not quite sure how far to let the student go, may step in too early for effective training, while an instructor with more years of teaching might wait a bit before taking action, for added emphasis. But an older, experienced CFI will always take charge of a deteriorating situation to avoid disaster, having seen the consequences of going too far and not wanting a repeat. It’s in the middle ground, between inexperienced and experienced applications of proper caution, where the instructional failures are likely to occur, resulting in a bent aircraft or worse. Bad things happen when the instructor tries a little too hard to provide “realistic training”, without realizing the risk.

Under the guise of “training”, pushing the limits of an aircraft’s capability can sometimes go badly wrong. In 2004, two pilots flying a regional jet on a repositioning flight wanted to see how the aircraft would handle the rarified air at flight level 410, given its light weight. Unfortunately, they didn’t realize the narrow “coffin corner”

spread between Mach buffet and aerodynamic stall, and the possibility of engine failure; they allowed the aircraft to depart controlled flight, ultimately resulting in a double engine failure with inability to restart, and ended up with insufficient altitude to reach a runway. Both perished and the aircraft was destroyed, because no one took charge to minimize the danger of experimenting with the edge of the operating envelope.

When teaching primary flying, I’ve had students bring up the subject of spin training, as in “Do you teach spins?” No, I respond, I teach NOT SPINNING. If a student is fully backgrounded in recovering from stalls encountered from all normallyencountered phases of flight, a spin will never occur, because recovery will be made at the onset of loss of control. Lowering pitch attitude to reduce angle of attack always works, so long as the pilot is trained to take action.

On the other hand, approaches to stalls that are terminated with the first stall warning teach very little about the aircraft’s behavior if recovery is delayed. At some point, students need to see a complete, breaking stall, manifested by a loss of elevator control or the dropping of a wing.

Is this totally safe? No, but neither is having pilots flying around who’ve never seen what loss-of-control looks like and the panic that can result. The instructor’s responsibility is to manage the risk by initiating stalls only at a safe altitude and preventing a prolonged recovery.

Dangers of Overly Realistic Training In an effort to demonstrate the effect of asymmetric thrust resulting from an engine failure on the takeoff roll, I once allowed a piston-twin student to reach half of Vr speed before I suddenly brought one throttle to idle. As we headed for the runway lights at a 90-degree angle, it dawned on me that this was a very poor procedure. I was simply trying, with too much enthusiasm, to prepare the student for a bad event, and in doing so I nearly created one. In the future, I briefed the maneuver in advance, made the power cut at low speed only, and made sure to do the demonstration on a wide runway.

Another potential trap I encountered was in teaching an instrument takeoff, with the student’s view-limiting device in place. While a confidence builder, the ITO really has no place in testing standards or practical flying. It involves aligning the heading indicator precise-

ly with the runway centerline and holding the heading with no deviation until liftoff speed is reached. If the pilot is good, it can be done – but not if a crosswind is thrown into the mix and the student isn’t briefed to respond to the instructor’s “I have the controls” call. Only a wide runway saved the day.

Twin-engine training has long required a demonstration of Vmc, which calls for placing the airplane into a situation fraught with peril. The student is supposed to learn that, as speed deteriorates, rudder is no longer capable of opposing the asymmetric thrust produced by takeoff power on one engine while the other propeller is windmilling at idle. Carried to extremes, the aircraft can roll over on its back and split-S for the ground. The instructor needs to be fully in the loop, briefing the student carefully on the procedure’s risks and making sure power is reduced on the operating engine at the first sign of uncontrolled yaw or any other departure from controlled flight. A safe altitude is mandatory. But, although it is tempting to only teach Vmc demos at very high altitudes, doing so reduces the available horsepower that creates Vmc yaw, forcing the aircraft to fly slower in an attempt to demonstrate. A singleengine stall is worse than any Vmc encounter. Again, the instructor must manage the risks.

Training in instrument flight using a partial panel, or no panel at all, is, in part, designed to teach a student the danger involved with loss of power to the primary flight instruments. Early on, I learned not to allow an inept student to fly too long with the instruments covered. A normal spirally-stable airplane will take matters into its own hands within about 45 seconds, as the student tries to use his own internal gyros unsuccessfully. A visual recovery is sometimes late in coming, resulting in a G-load build-up at speeds approaching redline. Spatial disorientation demonstrations deliver a valuable lesson, but one that has to be managed carefully.

Whenever an accident happens during an instructional flight, we always have to wonder “where was the instructor?” Sometimes it’s a matter of trying too hard to do a good job, or overconfidence in one’s ability to save the day before the crunch comes. I’ve been guilty of trying to finish a training objective in the face of deteriorating conditions, when the flight really should have been called off.

Whether receiving training or delivering it, never be afraid to voice concern and halt the procedure. If there’s any doubt, there IS no doubt.

✈ BART: SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - 2017 - 95

LIMITS

In 2004, an aircraft was destroyed as a result of pilots’ curiosity about operating the airplane at 41,000 feet.

SAFETY SENSE

PROS DON’T HIDE

Damage to aircraft by ground equipment caused a 12-inch hole in the fuselage that forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing.

Michael R. Grüninger and Carl C. Norgren look into the faults and risks

P

MISHAP

Northwest Airlines’ Flight 1411 experienced cabin decompression during climb in 2007 and made an emergency landing.

ilots and ground staff work closely together. Ground staff provide essential services on the ground. Pilots rely on these services for the safety of flight.

ment door on the right hand side of the fuselage. The puncture was around 12 by 5 inches and showed signs of an impact damage from the outside.

A Loud ‘Pop’

A Broken Down Belt Loader Further investigations with the handling company responsible for loading the aircraft in Syracuse revealed that the belt loader had broken down during the loading process. This had immobilized the vehicle. The ground crew attempted to push the belt loader by hand. But when the crew realized that they could not move it, they used a tug to push the belt loader away from the aircraft. As the tug could not pass under the aircraft, the ground crew approached the belt loader, which was positioned on the right hand side of the fuselage from the front of the aircraft, and pushed it backwards and away from the aircraft. Scratches and paint marks on the belt loader and on the bumper of the tug matched. The force required to push the belt loader aside caused the tug to leave tire marks on the pavement.

Northwest Airlines flight 1411 from Syracuse, NY, to Detroit, MI, was firmly established in the climb passing FL100. The Douglas DC-9-31 was still performing its duty reliably despite having accumulated more than 83,000 hours since leaving the Douglas factory 38 years earlier in 1969.

As the aircraft passed FL200, a loud ‘pop’ interrupted usual operations.

Both pilots felt a sudden decrease in pressurization. The crew reacted immediately and donned their oxygen masks. Then, they initiated an emergency descent. The commander decided to divert the flight to Buffalo, NY, where they made an uneventful landing.

Inspection of the aircraft after landing revealed a puncture in the fuselage approximately 2 meters forward of the forward baggage compart-

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At some point during this ‘push maneuver,’ the tug made contact with the fuselage of the aircraft. Metal shavings from the contact between the tug and the aircraft fuselage were found.

Fit for Purpose The ground handling manual of the contracted ground handling organization clearly stated that vehicles were not to be used for purposes other than those for which they were designed. The tug was designed to pull baggage carts, aircraft stairs and the like. Using a tug to push a stalled belt loader was a blatant violation of this rule.

Experimenting with Creative Solutions The broken down belt loader was a non-normal situation for the ground crew. Not having trained for this scenario and without laid down procedures to guide them, the ground crew simply improvised to complete loading under time pressure and to allow the aircraft to depart. Trying to push one vehicle with another vehicle is

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SAFETY SENSE

not a maneuver they had been trained for. It cannot be found anywhere in the operator instructions of the tug or the belt loader. Being creative and experimenting with new applications for existing vehicles is a recipe for disaster. It is not a professional attitude.

The Safety Zone According to the procedures of the ground handling company, there was a 5 foot safety zone around every aircraft within which only designated ground equipment was allowed. Tugs were not designated for operation within the safety zone. Hence the creative use of the tug clearly contravened established regulations.

PERIL

Aircraft ground damage is dangerous; yet, unreported damage is even more alarming.

Silence When the tug impacted the aircraft fuselage, the ground handling supervisor decided against reporting this occurrence to his supervisor or to the operating crew. The ground crew supervisor realized that a mistake had been made, but chose not to report this mistake to his manager. He also did not inform the flight crew. He reportedly advised his ground staff ‘don’t say anything’. The ground crew intentionally attempted to cover up their actions.

They had knowingly violated the rules in an attempt to get the belt loader removed. This initial violation resulted in damage to the aircraft.

Had they reported the damage to the aircraft, they would have had to explain why they had violated the rules in the first place. This would

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likely lead to disciplinary action. They decided to attempt to cover up the damage to avoid any disciplinary sanctions.

From the outside, the damage looked like a ‘harmless’ dent in the fuselage. The consequence of this ‘harmless’ dent once the aircraft started to pressurize was obviously not clear to the ground crew. They thought nobody would notice and a few flights later the origin of the dent would be impossible to trace.

The decision of the ground handling supervisor to keep quiet about the fuselage damage put the aircraft and its 95 passengers and 4 crew at risk.

Just Culture From the moment the ground supervisor decided to use the ground tug to push aside the belt loader he was acting against the rules. This was the first step to creating a serious flight safety risk. Even if his employer had established a culture based on ‘just culture principles’, his actions would have caused disciplinary action. In a ‘just culture’, honest mistakes do not lead to disciplinary action as long as they are reported.

Using the tug to push aside the belt loader was a conscious violation of an operating rule and as such would have been sanctioned even if he had reported it to his manager.

The accident occurred during the maneuver which was prohibited by operating regulations and was performed intentionally and knowingly.

The damage itself could have been tolerated in a ‘just culture’ environ-

ment, would it not have been the result of an intentional decision to violate operating procedures.

A professional would not have put himself into a situation which he needs to get out of by hiding it.

Cornered and Selfish The ground supervisor violated the rules intentionally and caused a damage to the aircraft. He knew that he had put himself in a corner. He didn’t know how to get out of the situation without harming himself and opted for denial.

By looking after his own self-interest and looking away from the damage he did, the ground supervisor created a real flight safety hazard. Had he reported the damage to the pilots, he might have faced disciplinary action, but he would have protected the lives of those trusting him. Luckily, nobody perished this time.

✈

Michael R. Grüninger is Managing Director of Great Circle Services (GCS) Safety Solutions and Capt. Carl C. Norgren is a freelance contributor to Safety Sense. GCS assists in the whole range of planning and management issues, offering customized solutions to strengthen the position of a business in the aviation market. Its services include training and auditing (ISBAO, IOSA), consultancy, manual development and process engineering.

GCS can be reached at www.gcs-safety.com and +41-41 460 46 60. The column Safety Sense appears regularly in BART International since 2007.

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