Jet Support Services, a provider of maintenance assistance and financial tools for the business aviation industry, announced the launch of its JSSI PartsHub operation Monday during the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) in Las Vegas.

The digital platform gives customers easier access to parts and allows them to manage the procurement process from beginning to end. The system’s procurement portal is powered by the company’s JSSI Parts & Leasing operation, which supplies parts across all makes and models.

“JSSI has become the trusted one-stop source in the industry for hard-to-find material and lease engines, and our inventory position has tripled in the last two years. PartsHub unlocks the power of JSSI Parts & Leasing online,” said Ben Hockenberg, JSSI’s chief operating officer. “We set out to build something unique, not only to digitize the parts buying experience but to enhance it for our clients.”

Among the platform’s key features are direct access to more than 100,000 parts, relevant documentation and certifications, and “buy-it-now” pricing for instant purchase of high-turn parts. The system also provides comprehensive parts information, including aircraft applicability, alternates, and reliability data.

“As JSSI continues on its transformational journey through its use of technology and data-powered products, we challenged ourselves and our partners to design, develop and deliver a [business-to-company]-like intuitive user experience, built on a best-in-class ecommerce platform, which seamlessly connects to a fully API-enabled, cloud-based inventory and order management system,” said Serdar Yorgancigil, JSSI’s chief information officer.

The post Jet Support Services Introduces JSSI PartsHub at NBAA-BACE appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Textron Aviation announced on Friday that the Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 business jet will be outfitted with Garmin Autothrottles. Textron Aviation announced on Friday that the Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 business jet will be outfitted with Garmin Autothrottles. Designed to reduce pilot workload, the upgrade will be available starting in mid-2025.

The Garmin autothrottle system will be fully integrated with the M2 Gen2’s Garmin G3000 avionics suite, allowing it to manage engine performance and power “based on factors like altitude, airspeed, and aircraft weight.” Textron noted that the system also includes features that will prevent exceedance conditions and alert pilots if deviations occur.

“Adding Garmin Autothrottles into the Citation M2 Gen2 exemplifies Textron Aviation’s ongoing commitment to product investment across our entire product lineup,” said company senior vice president for sales and flight operations Lannie O’Bannion. “With its intelligent automation and streamlined operation, the integration of autothrottles in the aircraft provides pilots added precision and efficiency.”

• READ MORE: Textron Unveils Citation M2 Gen2, Citation XLS Gen2

The Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 was introduced in October 2021 at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, entering service in April 2022. The model has a top cruise speed of 404 knots, 1,550 nm range, and useful load of 3,180 pounds. Powered by Williams FJ44-1AP engines, the M2 Gen2 seats up to seven passengers and is capable of operating off of runways as short as 3,210 feet. In the cabin, it offers USB-A and USB-C ports at each seat, ambient accent lighting, illuminated cupholders, and an optional folding seat that can be converted for additional storage.

Textron Aviation reports that it has delivered more than 5,000 Citation-family aircraft to date.

The post Textron Aviation Adds Autothrottle for Citation M2 Gen2 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The IADA Foundation has awarded several scholarships and grants designed to support future leaders in the business aviation industry. The foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group affiliated with the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), offers the funding on an annual basis.

This year’s awards, valued at $5,000 each, included scholarships for six university students and grants for eight young professionals. Scholarship money goes to support the students’ college studies while grant funding goes toward education, learning, and leadership opportunities.

“These supersmart young business aviation pros and students who are building their business aviation resumes are the future of the resale industry, and the IADA team wishes them very rewarding careers,” said IADA executive director Wayne Starling. “We welcome their progress as they develop and hone their professional skills.”

• READ MORE: IADA To Award Business Aviation Scholarships to Students at 21 Schools

IADA business aviation scholarships, which take the form of monetary awards from $1,000 to $5,000, are designed specifically for students planning careers in corporate aircraft-related sales, marketing, finance, legal, and insurance fields. The foundation noted that applications are open to those attending colleges and universities that offer coursework in corporate aviation management, aerodynamics, aircraft systems, aviation safety, finance, business marketing, economics, and aviation business or management.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester or a graduate student with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applications open annually in June and close September 1.

Grants are awarded to young professionals employed by IADA members in the business aviation resale industry.

Further information is available at https://iada.aero/scholar.

The post IADA Foundation Awards 2023 Business Aviation Scholarships, Grants appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Wheels Up Experience (NYSE: UP) said it has closed the previously announced investment by Delta Air Lines, Certares Management LLC, Knighthead Capital Management LLC, and Cox Enterprises.

The investment agreement, which includes a $500 million credit facility to Wheels Up, combines the experience of Delta, the travel and tourism expertise of Certares, and the turnaround and restructuring knowledge of Knighthead. The announcement follows the selection last week of George Mattson as the new Wheels Up CEO.

• READ MORE: Wheels Up Selects George Mattson as New CEO

“This investment represents both an important source of capital for Wheels Up to support our strategy for financial stability, future profitability, and long-term growth on behalf of our members and customers, as well as a vote of confidence in our path forward from a group of investors with deep experience in the premium travel space,” Mattson said. “We look forward to working closely with Delta and our other investors to deliver best-in-class operating performance and an exceptional customer experience which, as we deepen our commercial partnership, will also enable us to provide a one-of-a-kind, seamless connection between private and premium commercial travel.”

The credit facility includes a $350 million term loan funded at closing from Delta, CK Wheels LLC, and Cox, and a $100 million revolving credit facility from Delta. Under terms of the credit agreement, a new lender may provide a $50 million term loan after the closing date, as approved by Delta, Certares, Knighthead, and Cox. The companies said they expect to complete a transaction for the additional funding “in the near term.”

“Wheels Up is an integral part of Delta’s portfolio of premium partners, and this deep relationship offers a significant opportunity to deliver compelling benefits to our customers that are unique in the travel space,” said Dan Janki, Wheels Up chairman and Delta’s chief financial officer. “This investment and new leadership puts Wheels Up on a strong path to future success.”

• READ MORE: Delta, Others Invest $500M in Wheels Up Bailout

WIth the closing of the credit facility, the lenders will receive newly issued shares of Wheels Up common stock representing 80 percent of the company’s outstanding equity at the time of the closing. After approval by Wheels Up’s shareholders, the company will issue additional new shares to the lenders, who ultimately will own 95 percent of its outstanding equity as of the closing, the companies said.

Wheels Up also announced a new structure for its board, under which Delta will appoint four directors, Certares and Knighthead each will appoint two, and Cox will appoint one. One Wheels Up executive will join the board, and two independent directors are expected to remain from the previous board, the companies said.

A number of strategic advisors assisted with the transaction, including Davis Polk, Jefferies LLC, Kirkland & Ellis, and PJT Partners. 

The post Wheels Up to Continue Operations After Closing Transaction with Delta, Other Investors appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Inventories of used aircraft appear to be growing as the overall market returns to a state of balance in which sellers and buyers have roughly equal influence, according to the International Aircraft Dealers Association. This represents a significant shift from the past year or so.

In its second-quarter report released Tuesday, the IADA said market conditions and the near-term outlook for business aircraft sales, leasing, and financing have improved compared with the first quarter. Following “exceptionally tight” supply conditions spanning more than two years, the group said, market watchers anticipate a general, favorable loosening.

• READ ORE: Business Jet Sales Up in 2022, IADA Reports

“Indications are that customer interest remains strong, with plentiful inquiries,” the IADA said in the report. “Macroeconomic and geopolitical factors aside, the current market and near-term sales outlook for business aircraft and related products and services is solid.”

For quarterly reports, the group surveys its more than 1,000 members, including dealers, brokers, OEMs, and providers of products and services. Members share their assessments of current and projected market conditions, and the results are aggregated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 representing the best conditions ever and 1 reflecting the worst.

• READ MORE: IADA, 4AIR Partnership Focuses on Aircraft Environmental Impact

Respondents said their outlook regarding the business aircraft sales market improved to an average score of 3.8 compared with 3.7 during last year’s second quarter. Their projection for business aircraft sales over the next six months averaged 3.6, up from 3.3, and their forecast for the business aircraft financing and leasing market rose to 3.3 from 2.7. The group projected 3.3 for the business aircraft insurance market, a new measure not taken during the same period last year.

Overall, the message from IADA officials during a live presentation of the report was that buyers’ options have broadened, encouraging them to spend more time shopping for aircraft with the features they want while feeling somewhat less pressure to purchase whatever is available.

Zipporah Marmor, IADA’s chairperson, said aircraft shoppers clearly feel less harried than they did a year ago. As a result, Marmor said “deals are taking a little bit longer, but we are leaning toward that balanced market.”

The post IADA Reports Shift in Business Aircraft Market in Buyers’ Favor appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If 2022 represented the return to normal, how would you describe the year ahead? I can think of four themes that will capture our focus this year. In many ways, they are continuations of trends that stretch back for years. However, with business and general aviation’s accelerated growth over the last three years, these things are now more urgent.

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SMS Mandate

One priority is the need for widespread adoption of safety management systems in business aviation, as in airline travel. Presently, Part 91 and 135 operators who offer commuter and on-demand operations, and some conducting air tours with various aircraft types, are subject to different requirements. While business aviation has a low accident rate—comparable to airlines—when there is an accident or incident in the business aviation industry, the ensuing corrective mandates don’t follow the same path as those for commercial air carriers.

This is because these operators aren’t required to have the same safety systems as the airlines. The FAA established the safety management system (SMS) requirements for Part 121 operators in 2015, giving them less than 40 months to develop and implement acceptable SMS programs, and by March 2018, there was 100 percent compliance. Yet, the FAA doesn’t mandate air medical services, air taxis, or on-demand flights to have the safety management systems, flight data recorders and systems,and safety-critical training practices that are required of passenger-carrying airline operations. While some operators have adopted SMS under the FAA’s voluntary program, it’s only a dozen or so out of more than 2,000 charter operators in the U.S.

But that is about to change. Long an NTSB most wanted list item, SMS requirements for air carriers operating under Parts 21, 91, 135, and 145 are currently under development and the FAA plans to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for these regulations in Fall 2023.

Sustainability

Fast-tracking the industry’s sustainability initiatives is another top priority, and in 2023, you can expect to see an upshift into another gear. One feature that makes this possible is the Inflation Reduction Act passed in August 2022, which took effect January 1, 2023, and gives sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) providers tax provisions to boost production. The IRA allocates a $1.25 per gallon tax credit for each gallon of SAF sold. To claim the credit, SAF producers must demonstrate that the fuel can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent as part of a qualified mix compared to regular jet fuel.

More broadly, the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies have set a Grand Challenge to boost research, development, and production of SAF. Their goal is to get to 3 billion gallons per year by 2030 and 35 billion gallons per year by 2050. That’s the same year the industry has committed to being net-zero in carbon emissions, but we have a long way to go.

In 2022, according to the International EnergyAgency, global SAF production was approximately 26.4 million gallons a year, or about 0.1 percent of all aviation fuel. The International Air Transport Association indicated in an October 2021 study that for airlines to reduce emissions to meet the 2050 net-zero goal, SAF would be needed to reduce up to 65 percent of emissions. It estimated that electric and hydrogen solu-tions would contribute 13 percent to the reduction, while more efficient operations and infrastructure would add another 3-percent improvement. The GA sector is playing its part, with various FBO chains boosting their capacity, and 2023 could prove to be a year in which SAFis not only widely produced but also widely available.

People in the Workforce

Another trend in sharp focus is the industry’s workforce challenge. While some sectors have been able to attract, recruit, hire, train, and keep talent, 2022 was a year in which the whole industry—business, commercial, general, and even military aviation—was prevented from hitting its stride because it simply couldn’t find the talent it needed. Indeed, it was acute at the pilot level, but manufacturers also felt it, struggling to find skilled workers to make critical equipment for aircraft. 

Depending on the state of the broader economy,some of the demand felt across the industry by people clamoring for air travel in 2022 might wane, giving us time to catch our breath. But, if the trends persist and travel proves to be a non-discretionary commodity, this could be an interesting year. As we’ve learned through thepandemic, successful recruitment is no longer about compensation but increasingly about flexibility. Companies wishing to grow will have to be creative to find the people they need to support their businesses.

Innovation

Finally, innovation remains a key driver. In 2021, a bevy of emerging aerial air mobility and future technology ventures became publicly traded companies promising to shake the industry up by late 2023 into 2024. However, progress toward certification has been incremental and arguably cosmetic. With investors tightening their belts amid a shakier economy, this year could be the make-or-break one for some of these enthusiastic upstarts. Progress will need to be tangible, or there could be fierce consolidation across players, at best. Regulators will also need to play their part. To be clear, the industry needs winners because innovation moves us forward, or as they say, a rising tide lifts all boats.

Plenty is at stake in 2023. At the heart of each trend are people like you and me, who have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions and move the industry forward. I encourage you to give your best efforts. See you at work!

This article was originally published in the February 2023 Issue 934 of FLYING.

The post Business Trends To Watch in 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] reported a first-quarter loss, which it attributed in part to unusual expenses in its commercial aircraft operations, and the general effects of supply-chain difficulties. However, the company said its businesses are performing well, with increased revenue and plans to boost production of certain aircraft models.

The net loss totaled $425 million, or 69 cents per share, compared with a loss of $1.16 billion, or $2.06 per share, a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter rose 28 percent to $17.92 billion from $13.99 billion a year earlier.

• READ MORE: Airline Rapid Growth Plans Hinge on Boeing 737 Max

“We delivered a solid first quarter and are focused on driving stability for our customers,” said Dave Calhoun, president and CEO of Boeing. “We are progressing through recent supply chain disruptions but remain confident in the goals we set for this year, as well as for the longer term.”

Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes operations reported a 60 percent revenue increase to $6.7 billion from $4.2 billion, benefiting from higher deliveries of 737 and 787 deliveries, partially offset by 787 customer considerations. The operating margin (of 9.2 percent) also reflects abnormal costs and period expenses, including research and development.

• READ MORE: Boeing Slows 737 Max Deliveries Because of Parts ‘Quality Issue’

Boeing noted that the fuselage supplier for its 737 program recently told the company that methods affected certain fuselage fittings. While the resulting problems do not immediately threaten safety, the company said, correcting them will slow near-term production and deliveries. The company said it still expects to deliver 400 to 450 aircraft this year. Its plans  include increasing production to 38 aircraft this year and to 50 per month during the 2025 to 2026 timeframe.

For the 787 program, Boeing said it is building three airplanes per month and plans to increase production to five per month in late 2023 and 10 per month during the 2025 and 2026 timeframe.

Commercial airplane orders totaled 107 during the quarter, and the company received commitments from Air India for 190 737 MAX, 20 787, and 10 777X aircraft, and from Riyadh Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines for up to 121 787 airplanes.

Boeing said it delivered 130 airplanes during the quarter and its backlog reached 4,500 airplanes with a value of $334 billion.

The post Boeing Reports First Quarter Net Loss on Higher Revenue appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

While numerous reports leading up to Super Bowl LVII noted hundreds of private jets flocking to several airports in and around host city Glendale, Arizona, a new report indicates the actual number of chartered flights was down compared with last year’s big game.

WingX, a data company that tracks business aviation flights, said arrivals for the event declined by 25 percent compared with the 2022 game in Los Angeles, reflecting a decrease in Part 135 operations in the U.S. 

• READ MORE: Super Bowl LVII: Navy Fighters Flyover Details

The company reported that 2.5 hours before kickoff, 228 business jets were parked at nearby airports including Glendale Municipal Airport (KGEU), Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX), Phoenix Deer Valley (KDVT), and Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR). The number of parked aircraft fell to 67 19.5 hours after kickoff, WingX said.

According to the WingX report, arrivals totaled 562 for Super Bowl LVII, making it the fourth busiest for air traffic in the past five years. There were 752 arrivals for the previous year’s event in Los Angeles, and 356 in Tampa during 2021 when travel was more heavily limited by the pandemic.

The 2020 Super Bowl in Miami holds the record for business jet arrivals at 833. There were 569 arrivals for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta in 2019.  

WingX has not responded to requests for additional information and analysis, nor have the National Business Aviation Association or the Corporate Aviation Association.

WingX said global business jet activity is essentially flat now compared with a year ago but 12 percent higher than the same period in 2021. 

“Charter is the relative weak spot, coming off huge highs in the last 12 months,” the report said, noting that branded charter operations are down 17 percent compared to this time last year, though still 13 percent higher than in 2019.

The post Super Bowl Charter Traffic Plunged 25 Percent appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Bombardier said its revenue increased by 14 percent in 2022, driven in part by higher deliveries and a favorable mix of aircraft. The company also said it anticipates deliveries will grow by 12 percent to more than 138 aircraft this year, from 123 in 2022.

The company reported a net loss of $148 million, or $1.88 per share, for the full year compared with net income of $5.07 billion, or $50.54 per share. The company said adjusted net income, including continuing operations, only totaled $101 million or 74 cents per share. Revenue for the year rose to $6.91 billion from $6.09 billion a year earlier. 

Backlog totaled $14.8 billion, an increase of $2.6 billion from a year ago, reflecting “strong order intake and a steady demand profile,” Bombardier said.

• READ MORE: Bombardier Shrinks Q3 Debt Amid Strong Aircraft Demand

“The 2022 results we are presenting today are a resoundingly positive culmination of a strong year, and a testament to the team’s effort to execute in the fourth quarter,” said Eric Martel, Bombardier’s president and CEO. “We exceeded commitments across the board, be it on deliveries, our growing aftermarket business and profitability.

Martel also said the company repaid $1.1 billion of debt during the year with cash from its balance sheet and operations, giving it “the flexibility to be even more proactive and opportunistic going forward.”

Bombardier said it expects 2023 revenue to rise above $7.6 billion, driven mainly by continued growth in deliveries. The company said executives will further discuss its strategic plans during its Investor Day event on March 23.

The post Bombardier Reports Growth of Revenue, Deliveries in 2022 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Helicopter operations in and around New York could be restricted with the passage of the so-called “Stop the Chop” bill that seeks to ban certain tourist flights and allow people to more easily sue helicopter operators and their employees.

Aviation advocacy groups including the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Helicopter Association International (HAI) are calling on their members and others to contact New York Governor Kathy Hochul and urge her to veto the bill, which has passed in both houses of the state legislature.

“HAI is urging all New York members to contact Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office immediately to oppose a bill that would allow any person to bring an action against a helicopter owner and operator for creating an ‘unreasonable level’ of noise,” the helicopter association said in a statement.

“Senate Bill S7493A would allow anyone to sue a pilot, flight department, line service personnel, or company employee for alleged rotorcraft noise pollution by a flight operation in the state of New York even if the operation complied with federal law and regulations,” the HAI added.

Efforts to restrict or ban helicopters are not new to New York, especially in city boroughs like Manhattan and Brooklyn where people have long complained about the sound of low-flying helicopters making commuter, tourism, and airport-shuttle flights. 

• READ MORE: Blade to Become Largest Helicopter Passenger Service in Europe

Complaints have risen in the last few years in part because the growth of on-demand helicopter travel services—like Blade Air Mobility—has increased traffic. More people are also working from home, where they hear a lot more outside noise than they would in sound-insulated office buildings.

In the past it has been difficult for some city officials and politicians to lash out against an industry that serves tourism, business travel, and other markets that drive New York’s economic growth and upscale image. Today, demand for urban helicopter transport is especially strong, and many new companies are working toward launching eVTOL operations that would add significantly to rotorcraft traffic.

• READ MORE: Archer, United Plan Route Between Newark Airport, New York

“In New York, the general aviation industry is responsible for 43,200 jobs and more than $8.6 billion in total economic output,” said Brittany Davies, NBAA’s Northeast regional director. “This bill has a negative impact that reaches across New York and beyond, and we need the governor to recognize the true implications,” she added.

The governor has until December 23 to sign or veto the bill.

The post Aviation Associations Fight NY Legislation To Restrict Helicopter Flights appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Lawmakers want the FAA to explain why it has allowed certain airlines to continue using a pandemic provision that allowed their dispatchers to work remotely. Representatives Peter DeFazio, the chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rick Larsen, the chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, wrote to acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen on Tuesday seeking clarification on the matter.

“We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to allow SkyWest Airlines and Republic Airways, under emergency authority, to continue the use of alternate aircraft dispatch centers, allowing dispatchers to work remotely, despite the potential safety risks,” the letter said.

Federal aviation regulations hold dispatchers to high standards. For instance, FAR 121.533 states, “The pilot in command and the aircraft dispatcher are jointly responsible for the preflight planning, delay, and dispatch release of a flight in compliance with this chapter and operations specifications.” Specifically for dispatchers, it also says they are responsible for flight monitoring, issuing necessary information for the safety of the flight; and canceling or re-dispatching a flight if they determine the flight cannot operate or continue to operate safely as planned or released.

Before the pandemic, dispatchers typically have worked in operation control centers that provide a physically and otherwise secure place of work. This also means staving off cyber threats, given the large amount of data passed on to aircrews. 

• READ MORE: Remote ATC Testing to Begin at Northern Colorado Regional Airport

In 2020, due to the pandemic, the FAA granted a percentage of dispatchers, including ones at SkyWest and Republic Airways, to work remotely. Per the allowance, no more than 20 percent of an airline’s dispatchers were to work from home and were only allowed to do so for six months. The letter said that the FAA later expanded the provision to allow up to 60 percent of dispatchers on any shift to work remotely through March 2023.

The lawmakers are now questioning why they have continued using that policy while, as they said, “many federal pandemic policies are ending or being scaled back.”

More bluntly, DeFazio and Larsen said, “The decision to allow dispatchers to work from home, in potentially unsecured conditions, raises significant safety concerns that the FAA must address.” Moreover, they appear concerned that the FAA may need to do their due diligence in providing proper oversight for remotely-working dispatchers.

“The FAA’s overreliance on the airlines’ self-reporting of operating conditions also presents significant concerns,” the letter said. It goes on to say that this is partly because “inspections of a dispatcher’s residence are conducted virtually, and potential distractions or safety hazards can be missed by the airlines or the FAA.”

The letter cites an incident on May 5 this year when Republic Airlines pilots could not reach a dispatcher working remotely while they were in a holding pattern for nearly 30 minutes due to bad weather and needed to plan a diversion. Separately, the letter shared that an on-site dispatcher was confined to her post for 12 hours, 2 hours beyond her duty day, per FAR 121.465, because a relief dispatcher, working remotely, could not access the company’s dispatch systems due to internet issues.

Looking ahead, the representatives have requested that the FAA, by December 12, clarify its policies to regulate remote dispatchers, in addition to insight into the quality of work being done. They also want to know if the FAA plans to make emergency authorizations permanent.

The post FAA Policy Allowing Airline Dispatcher Remote Work Under Fire appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Aircraft manufacturers have delivered 1,841 aircraft so far this year, representing an increase in deliveries across all segments, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) third-quarter shipping and billing report. 

The delivery trend also points to an increase in the overall value of the aircraft shipments, the association said in a statement.

Through the third quarter, piston airplane deliveries increased 8.8 percent with 1,012 units, turboprop numbers increased 7.3 percent with 383 units, and business jet shipments increased 1.8 percent with 446 units, according to GAMA.

Altogether, the value of airplane deliveries during that period increased nearly 4.8 percent, up to $14.1 billion. The helicopter market also experienced a demand increase, with OEMs shipping 137 piston helicopters—representing a 3.8 percent increase—and 439 turbine units, a 7.1 percent increase.

• READ MORE: Leonardo Search and Rescue Helicopter Completes U.S. High Altitude Trials

“Demand for general aviation aircraft remains hardy as our industry continues to strategically navigate ongoing challenges, which include issues with supply chain and workforce shortages within our industry and within global regulatory authorities,” GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce said. “Deliveries are converging on and, in some cases surpassing the levels, we were experiencing prior to the pandemic, which is a testament to the strength of our industry and the importance and utility of general and business aviation.”

Supply Chain Woes, Workforce Shortages

In recent third-quarter reports made by various OEMs, similar threads have emerged: persistent workforce shortages and supply chain challenges are preventing them from shipping more units.

Earlier this week, Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) said some of the constraints it faced were “affecting the availability of spare part inventories, delaying repair turnaround time, and increasing the quantity of back-ordered items.” Moreover, Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes Neto told investors those things would make it hard for the company to meet its 2022 goal of delivering 60 executive jets.

Similarly, Textron (NYSE: TXT), Bombardier, and Boeing (NYSE: BA) said the supply chain issues pinched their third-quarter revenue. 

• READ MORE: Embraer’s Q3 Revenue Dips Alongside Defense Demand

Important Milestones Ahead

“We must focus on training the regulator workforce and leveraging bi-lateral safety agreements between regulatory bodies to improve both certification and validation processes,” Bunce pointed out. “At the same time, our industry will continue to foster the momentum we have created on addressing environmental issues, which includes advancing technology that improves efficiencies of aircraft and operations; supporting the production, distribution, and uptake of SAF; and further developing hydrogen, electric and hybrid propulsion—all of which are important to meeting our business aviation commitment of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Leaders Meet With Senators To Discuss Future Technologies

His sentiments match that of other aviation leaders who, during the third quarter, urged lawmakers and other stakeholders to do all they can to improve the regulatory process for certifying emerging technologies and improve sustainable offerings for the industry or risk disruption.

In September, JetNet CEO Greg Fell issued a call to arms on Sustainability during the JetNet iQ Business Aviation Summit in New York City. “We must be leaders in adopting sustainable aviation fuels and carbon offsets,” Fell said during one of the event’s sessions.

The post Aircraft Deliveries Up in Q3 Across All Segments: GAMA appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Earlier this year, FLYING spoke with Eric Zipkin, CEO of Tradewind Aviation, to take the temperature of the charter jet market. During that interview, Zipkin shared how his Connecticut-based company was adjusting to shifting work-from-anywhere trends and increasing demand for private aviation. In early March, Tradewind Aviation announced that it was ordering 20 PC-12 NGX turboprops from Pilatus to bolster its fleet.

• READ MORE: Tradewind Aviation Orders 20 PC-12 NGX Turboprops

Since early spring, however, the world has changed. The global economy has been awash with the ripple effects of the Russian-Ukraine conflict that began at the end of February. That crisis is still playing out. So far, it has affected the fuel market by sending prices surging. It has also affected aircraft ownership and insurance premiums; and losing Russia from the marketplace as the world emerged from the pandemic has caused various supply and demand challenges that may also contribute to a global recession. 

Throughout this time, however, the increasing adoption of private aviation as the preferred means of travel for those who can afford it has not waned. At least, that was Zipkin’s sentiment when FLYING caught up with the business owner and operator in October.

“Since we last spoke, people have continued to fly private, writ large, whether for personal reasons or business,” Zipkin said, adding that there are some caveats. “People’s travel patterns are moving slightly back to where they were before. Whereas people would be much more willing to travel in the middle of the week for leisure because they could be remote or weren’t expected to be in an office, that’s changing a little bit.”

• READ MORE: Are Aviation Businesses About To Face Headwinds? Not So Fast

What he shares is consistent with a return to office initiatives many companies have been pushing and business travel trends that FLYING reported in September. For instance, WingX said that during August, operators in North America traveled just 1 percent more than they did in 2021—a possible indication that while activity was still robust, it may have reached the top. In that report, WingX said business jet activity fell 4 percent by late August, and charter activity decreased by 8 percent. So far, that trend has held through November, though there were some slumps in October, WingX reported Friday. 

No Slowdown in Business Travel for Tradewind

For Tradewind, Zipkin explained that business travel demand appears to be still robust. 

“People are still taking advantage of being able to work remotely, which means they’re spending maybe long weekends in Nantucket, but the center of gravity is shifting back towards the workplace,” he said.

Additionally, Zipkin said people who have acquired a taste for private aviation because of its privacy, efficiency, and convenience, compared to commercial airline travel, have had a hard time returning to the airlines. It’s similar to what Éric Martel, president and CEO of Bombardier, told investors in August: “With every passing month of airport and flight schedule disruption, business [aviation] travel becomes a more appealing option.” 

According to Zipkin, even as the pendulum swings back to more time in the office, customers are now more likely to tap into business aviation when they have to go on business trips. Also in Tradewind’s favor is its ability to offer that option to corporate customers at an affordable price point, Zipkin reasons, even as the broader economy slows and companies start to cut costs. 

“What you’re seeing is the small, mid-size companies realize that to take advantage of private aviation, they don’t have to do that in Gulfstreams—they can use a Pilatus,” Zipkin explained, and points to this as one reason why demand—at least for Tradewind—hasn’t waned. “We allow people to have all the benefits of business aviation at one of the most efficient prices. In terms of value proposition, the PC-12 is about as good as it gets.” So, while he believes there is a high probability of a recession, Zipkin said people who use private aviation tend to be more insulated. 

Pilot Shortage the Big Challenge

The biggest challenge ahead is finding pilots, especially for business aviation. Zipkin makes the case that airlines, attempting to regain pre-pandemic flight levels, have ramped up pilot recruiting by offering lucrative pay and benefits, making it hard for private aviation to compete. To address this challenge, Tradewind has positioned itself as a partner in JetBlue’s pilot gateway program, which at least ensures a stream of pilots will still flow through the charter company before possibly moving on to the larger carrier. 

Positioned for the Future

Tradewind is also trying to stay balanced in meeting demand, Zipkin said. In the broader economy, during the pandemic, many companies mistook a spike in demand for their goods and services as a structural shift. In turn, they ramped up their capacity, only to discover that they got too large too quickly. For a charter company, that could be costly, as it would mean expanding a fleet too much or hiring too many people. 

By contrast, Tradewind has taken a measured approach instead of overextending itself, Zipkin told FLYING, adding that the company has focused on the customer experience to encourage loyalty, even if things slow down. 

“This is a long game,” Zipkin said. “There are a number of places out there that are playing the short game to grow, but we’re in the service business, and if you don’t provide service each and every time, you’re done.”

The post Tradewind Aviation CEO: No Slowdown Here appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Becoming an agricultural pilot wasn’t something Emily Daniel envisioned for herself. As she tells it, she always wanted to be a meteorologist—even today, as she and her husband, Austin, run Wings Aerial Applicators, a crop-dusting business based in New Jersey—so this wasn’t part of the script, or was it?

“Long story short, I’m a third-generation pilot, and my grandfather was actually a crop duster,” Daniel tells FLYING from her office in New Jersey. At the time, she says they’re harvesting cranberries, and she’s waiting for the next available dump truck, so she has an hour to talk. Speaking of her familial history, aviation has always been in her bloodline. In his time, her grandfather used Piper J-3 Cubs and Boeing Stearman biplanes.

“He bought a brand-new Piper PA-25 Pawnee back when you could buy them new,” Daniel explains proudly. So, her grandfather taught his kids to fly, and though her father didn’t go into the family business, he at least began teaching Emily to fly when she was 14. So, fate would have it that growing up in New Jersey, there was only one other large crop-dusting business in town, and she took a job there.

“I was working there and didn’t really think I liked it. Then once I saw it, I fell in love with the work,” she says. “So, I had the ratings and just worked my way into the airplane.”

That’s where she also met her husband, Austin. Together they purchased his family’s nearly two-decade-old business, which consists of a crop dusting operation, and a cranberry farm.

“Austin’s dad started the farm, and he and I took it over a few years ago. We’ve been trying to grow everything, so it’s been a wild ride.”

What’s the Crop-Dusting Business Like?

For the Daniels, it’s a big and complex business. They have four aircraft: a Weatherly 620B, an Air Tractor AT-400, an Air Tractor AT-502, and a Piper Pawnee PA-25-235. Daniel says she’s been crop-dusting for the last five seasons. They used to have time in the off-season to “just kind of hang out,” she says, “right now our business is slowly becoming fully all-year round.”

The spraying season includes spraying crops with crop protection products—insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers—and planting various seeds between April and November. In October and November, her farm harvests cranberries, and they consolidate much of the heavy aircraft maintenance in the winter.

“We tear all the airplanes apart,” Daniel says.

There are also state contracts to prevent or reduce the spread of mosquitoes, which has been an extended part of that industry since the early days.

Daniel says she flies the Air Tractor 502, one of the more prominent purpose-built crop-dusting aircraft. There are also the Thrush series by Thrush Aircraft and the Grumman Ag Cat, following the Grumman naming tradition of using the ‘cat’ suffix in aircraft names.

She explains that the industry has made a concerted effort to reshape its public image to reflect more accurately the sophistication of the aerial agriculture business and its tools of the trade. For instance, it’s no longer called crop-dusting. Instead, the more appropriate label is “aerial application,” and pilots are “aerial applicators.”

“A lot of people get into aerial application thinking it’s just really cool flying, but it’s so much more than that,” Daniel says. “We’re applicators first—whether or not I’m in an airplane or on the ground, the airplane is just a vessel for application.”

That’s important to note because, in addition to being a competent pilot, aerial applicators need to take a battery of tests to earn certifications to spray chemicals like pesticides. These certifications are state-specific, though there is some crossover. They also have to meet the requirements of Part 137, which allows for low-level aviation operations.

Plus, Daniel says, they need to study the crops for their differences.

“A lot of people don’t realize you have to know these things before you can just hop in a plane. For example, you need to know the difference between beans and hay so that you don’t put the wrong product on the field, and it’s hard for people that don’t come from an agricultural background.”

The Pathway for Pilots

To be an aerial applicator, you only need a commercial license, and there’s no check ride. Operators put pilots through graduate training that allows them to work their way up the smaller piston aircraft before attending turbine transition school. It includes studying various systems, time in a simulator, and some flight familiarization training that consists of the standard stalls, takeoffs, landings, and emergencies. Despite the fact the industry has been seen as a time-building job, for those who want to make it a career, the opportunity is there, especially since businesses are willing to invest in their pilots, she says.

“It used to be kind of a time-building job but has shifted to a career. I can tell you from the owner’s side, it’s an investment in every pilot I put in the airplane, from the cost of training to insurance,” which Daniel says can be tens of thousands of dollars. 

Improving Safety

As for the association that represents the industry, the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) has been around since 1966 and represents close to 1,900 members in 46 states. Its duty includes representing the interests of small business owners and pilots in that industry. According to the association, these include “professional commercial aerial applicators who use aircraft to enhance food, fiber and bio-energy production, protect forestry and control health-threatening pests.”

The NAAA also provides safety training for aerial applicators. It developed the Professional Aerial Applicators’ Support System (PAASS) to educate pilots about safety, security, and drift mitigation. And, its Self-regulating Application & Flight Efficiency (SAFE) program allows aerial applicators to attend fly-in clinics and have their aircraft professionally analyzed for spray pattern uniformity and droplet size.

What’s Next?

Is crop dusting under threat from new technology? Daniels says, not likely, and puts it into perspective. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of February 2022, there is a total of 895.3 million acres of farmland across the country. The average farm size is only 445 acres. Of that, 347 million acres are used for crop production. 

“Aerial application, running at full speed, only treats a fraction of that,” Daniel says. She’s right. According to the 2019 NAAA Industry Survey, the industry only treats about 127 million acres annually, so there’s a long way to go. The survey also shows the technological strides being made to improve safety. These include GPS swath guidance systems, onboard weather measurement systems, STCs [supplemental type certificates] for night vision goggles, and more.

As for Daniel, who says she never thought she’d work as a pilot when she was younger, her skills as a crop duster may open up new opportunities. .”I think I would like to do some fire-bombing in the future. The firefighting industry is quite a bit different. You do have to attend the ground school and take a check ride. I’m halfway there.”

The post Pilot Runs a Crop-Dusting Business appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The airline industry has experienced a trying year. Surges in passenger demand, staff shortages, and bad weather created flight delays and cancellations during peak travel times. 

American Airlines had its share of these challenges yet still reported profitable quarters. In fact, during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on October 20, American’s CEO Robert Isom eagerly cited a third-quarter net income of $483 million from record quarterly revenue of $13.5 billion. Isom claims this sets a new record for any quarter in the company’s history.

• READ MORE: Major Airlines Rake in Record Q3 Revenues, Still Short on Workforce

Despite talks of an impending recession, the airline continues to execute its plan to pay down approximately $15 billion of total debt by the end of 2025. It also opted to make key investments, such as its October 31 announcement to form a new partnership with Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. This collaboration provides cadets a career pathway resulting in an aviation degree and restricted airline transport pilot (R-ATP) certificate at 1,250 flight hours. On October 24, American also announced a new partnership with Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) that provides aspiring aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) with a direct career path to the airline.

Brokers Don’t See Buyer’s Remorse

When it comes to how aircraft charter and brokerage businesses are faring, data compiled from industry organizations, such as the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), provide some indications. At the 2022 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), IADA Chair Zipporah Marmor expressed optimism after publicly releasing their third quarter numbers.

“The collective sentiment of IADA members is that traditionally heavy fourth-quarter volume will be driven by the phase-out of 100-percent bonus depreciation in the U.S., airline cutbacks to smaller cities spurring first-time buyers, and cash available for most aircraft purchases,” she said.

Pointing to the organization’s 2022 Third Quarter Market Report, IADA’s executive director Wayne Starling reiterated the membership’s optimism despite what’s happening with key financial triggers. “Our buyers and sellers are somewhat immune to current increases in interest rates. Over 60 percent of our transactions are paid in cash,’’ he noted in the IADA report.

• READ MORE: What Would a Recession Mean for Aviation?

Factors outside the U.S. could slow down this buying activity, according to Marmor. “Obviously, from the international perspective, stability in Europe and Asia are wildcards for the future. However, used aircraft sales were strong in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter outlook is encouraging,” she said.

Paul Cardarelli, vice president of sales at JetNet, echoed IADA’s view of a solid buying momentum. “Inventory of business aircraft has gone up 4 percent with extremely limited quantity,’’ he told FLYING.   

JetNet reports 10,800 light jets in service, with 520 of them for sale. Medium and large jets have 263 and 321 on the market, respectively. Cardarelli said the fourth quarter is historically busy, as buyers take advantage of bonus depreciation. “The fourth quarter will be pretty robust again,“ he noted.  

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many first-time buyers looking for options outside of airline travel, Cardarelli said. “Some of that demand has been satiated,” as airlines are beginning to restore their operations to somewhat near normal levels, he said. Cardarelli added that “demand will continue to be strong” but will not exceed what we saw in 2021, once OEMs begin to catch up on new aircraft deliveries. 

An Entrepreneur’s Perspective

Small business entrepreneurs face different potential economic stresses, according to Alfredo Diez, founder and CEO of Global Atlantis Group, and who also runs Atlantis Flight Academy and SkyJet Elite, a Part 135 jet charter operator.

The charter market continues to grow, according to Diez. “One of the signs of growth is percent of inventory,” he said. “The pre-pandemic ratio was about 30 percent of inventory. Now, it’s between 2 and 3 percent. Demand is not a problem; it’s more about finding the right inventory to operate our flights.” 

A recession likely won’t result in a significant decrease in his charter business revenue, he said.

On the flight training side, the Spanish-born entrepreneur  also expressed confidence that this segment will maintain an unprecedented pace, thanks to the ongoing pilot shortage.

“The airlines keep hiring at record levels, and Boeing’s commercial outlook supports a steady stream of new hires for the next eight to 10 years,” Diez noted. He added that many countries affected by the pandemic are opening up again, and this is allowing him to grow his large base of international flight cadets.

Diez recognizes that while the U.S. aviation market is solid for the time being, a strong dollar means a greater financial strain on those living in other countries and wishing to train here. 

“We depend on resources primarily from family members supporting their aspiring son or daughter,” he said. “This will adversely affect them, so we’re always looking for ways to help finance their career dreams.”

The post Most Aviation Businesses Aren’t Worried About a Recession, for Now appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On August 3, 1921, a Curtiss JN-6 “Jenny” took off from the now defunct McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, and headed to the nearby town of Troy, where an infestation of catalpa sphinx moths threatened to destroy a grove of catalpa trees. The trees were valuable for their wood, which made good railroad ties, telephone poles, and fence posts. 

John Macready, an Army test pilot who flew fighters in World War I, was at the controls. In the rear cockpit was Etienne Dormoy, a research engineer with the Army Signal Corps who had modified the Jenny for this experimental assignment.

As Macready skimmed the treetops, Dormoy turned a crank on a metal hopper bolted to the side of the fuselage, releasing lead arsenate dust. After six passes, the job was done, the grove was saved, and an industry called “crop dusting” was born.

• READ MORE: Thrush Launches Firefighting-Convertible Cropduster

That industry, now known as agricultural aviation or aerial application, moved along an interesting path to advance from Macready and Dormoy’s 150-hp Jenny with a 32-gallon hopper to modern machines like the Air Tractor AT-802A, whose turbine engine generates 1,295 hp—enough to lift the load induced by its 800-gallon hopper.

While this tale of evolution in some ways resembles that of other aviation segments, like airlines, business and military aircraft, it is sprinkled with watershed moments worth particular attention.

Dusting Catches On

Crop dusting grew rapidly following the Troy, Ohio, experiment, with many pilots adapting existing aircraft for the task. Huff-Daland, an aircraft company that supplied trainers for the military, in the early 1920s designed a biplane especially for crop dusting, which they nicknamed The Puffer. The company formed an agricultural division called Huff-Daland Dusters, and began commercial dusting operations with its specialized airplanes in 1925, according to the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA).

At the time, the company’s fleet of 18 aircraft was the largest privately owned fleet in the world, according to Delta Air Lines. Huff-Daland, through a number of acquisitions, grew into Delta Air Service and, by 1945, officially became Delta Air Lines.

Enter the Stearman

The end of World War II created a breakthrough for crop dusters for a couple of reasons. First, the enormous surplus of Stearman trainers, many in like-new condition, meant they could get reliable, robust aircraft at low prices—from $250 to $875, the NAAA said. Because all of these surplus aircraft had to be modified for agricultural use, specialized companies formed to outfit airplanes with dusting and spraying equipment. This brought a degree of standardization and efficiency that helped accelerate the industry’s growth.

The 1950s: New Models, Rising Standards

A team at Texas A&M led by aircraft design legend Fred Weick built the AG-1, a prototype monoplane crop sprayer, in 1950. The following year, Leland Snow, who later developed Thrush agricultural aircraft and founded Air Tractor, rolled out his first design, the S-1. By 1953, Piper was building the Pawnee. These aircraft all shared the distinctive raised cockpit, sloped nose and low wing that became standard for ag-plane design. Indeed, industry insiders often draw parallels between the AG-1 and the latest Air Tractor.

Just as the template seemed to be set, though, aviation giant Grumman introduced its G-164 Ag-Cat, a radial-engined biplane, in 1957. It was the first agricultural airplane from a major manufacturer and it significantly raised standards for reliability and safety.

A Fragmented Industry Comes Together

In 1966, new federal regulations under Part 137 imposed new restrictions on agricultural aviation. This and a number of other factors, from the subdivision of farms into suburbs to the release a few years earlier of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring—a book that criticized pesticide use—helped drive independent-minded crop sprayers to form the National Agricultural Aviation Association, or NAAA, in late 1966.

Turbine Power Arrives

While Pratt & Whitney unveiled the first PT6 turbine engine in 1957, almost 20 years passed before the powerplants turned up on the noses of ag aircraft. According to the NAAA, the first example to fly in the U.S. was the Turbo Cat, a converted Ag-Cat that took to the air in 1976. It was about 60 percent more productive than the piston version and marked the beginning of a turbine ascendancy in crop spraying.

GPS Replaces Flaggers

Remember how expensive GPS technology was at first? In 1993, when it became commercially available, many people in agricultural aviation recognized its potential but felt the price tag, often tens of thousands of dollars, would deter most operators. However, within a year, 25 percent of the industry was using GPS, the NAAA said, mainly because it increased accuracy by a huge margin just as environmental concerns were focusing more scrutiny on crop spraying. Before GPS, workers would stand in the field with flags on long poles to guide the airplanes. They would have to lower the poles at just the right time so the airplane would not hit them.

Unlikely Pop-Culture Phenomenon

In 2013, Disney released Planes, an animated film along the lines of the 2006 film, Cars, about Dusty Crophopper, an agricultural airplane that dreams of air racing. With a sequel the following year, in which Dusty takes up aerial firefighting, the franchise arguably gave agricultural aviation its most notable screen presence since the 1959 film North By Northwest.

What About Drones?   

As agricultural aviation looks to a future of expected growing populations and shrinking farmland, it is clear that efficiency, sustainability, and cost will affect how ag pilots operate. Unmanned aircraft systems have been part of crop spraying for years, but it remains unclear how far their roles might expand and whether they will remain largely as pilot aids or lead to levels of automation that begin to squeeze pilots out of the business.

The post History of Agricultural Aviation Reveals a Series of Turning Points appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Wipaire Inc. said it delivered its 150th set of Wipline 13000 floats to Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) this month. The aircraft services company, based in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, said the floats, built for the de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, are designed to perform well in rough water and with heavy loads.

“Achieving the milestone of delivering 150 sets of Wipline 13000 floats is validation of their durability and reliability, as well as the popularity of the Twin Otter airplane. We genuinely appreciate Trans Maldivian Airways’ partnership with us, said Wipaire president and CEO Chuck Wiplinger. “Every Wipaire employee takes pride in the design and manufacture of these floats and the commitment of TMA to choose Wiplines for their fleet,” he added.

The large 13000 float was certified in 1992 and gave transport companies a way to carry more people longer distances on a single flight. When equipped with these floats, the de Havilland Twin Otter became the go-to floatplane platform for Trans Maldivian.

“We grew tourism in the Maldives through seaplane operations. Wipaire has been a reliable supplier through this journey. We celebrate the delivery of the 150th set which are installed on our 59th Twin Otter,” said Stanley Ranjit, chief commercial officer for Trans Maldivian Airways.

Wipaire has designed and manufactured a range of aircraft floats for more than 65 years, including models made to fit aircraft from the Piper Cub to the Twin Otter. The company also offers maintenance, avionics installation and repair, custom interior design and installation, and exterior paint refinishing services, and has engineered more than 100 supplemental type certificated modifications.

• READ MORE: FAA Issues Emergency AD for de Havilland Otters

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The FAA has awarded the University of North Dakota $2.5 million to develop a new pilot training program for veterans.

The Vets 2 Wing (V2W) program will provide a pathway for former military personnel to become commercial airline pilots—and help alleviate the current and projected global pilot shortage. Moreover, the program will complement the GI Bill’s flight training provision, which funds tuition and a portion of training costs through UND’s Part-141 four-year degree.

To qualify for funding assistance for advanced training, veterans must have their private pilot certificate, UND said. Currently, the program has about 100 veteran flight students enrolled, and aims to recruit another 40 students from the wider university, as well as 15 new students.

Severe Pilot Shortage

Earlier in the week, FAA administrators joined North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven at UND’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, where they spoke to veterans and announced the award. Sen. Hoeven, a member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee, played a key role in securing the funding from the FAA to support the program.

Through funding we’ve secured, we are establishing a new veteran pilot training program w/ @UofNorthDakota called “Vets to Wings” to help meet the demand for new commercial airline pilots, while better supporting veterans who want to pursue this career. https://t.co/hXazyCpWfZ

— Senator John Hoeven (@SenJohnHoeven) October 6, 2022

“Our nation is facing a severe pilot shortage,” Hoeven said. He added, “We need a new generation of qualified pilots to help ensure continued access to safe and reliable air service, which is vital to our economy and quality of life.”

A Second Wind

The funding, earned through military service, will open the door to an in-demand career, UND president Andrew Armacost said.

Paired with GI Bill funding, the program provides a “second wind” to ensure veteran flight students complete training, Robert Kraus, dean of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, added.

• READ MORE: Is It Time to Revise How the GI Bill Supports Veterans’ Flight Training?

“I hope we can use this program well to improve services for all our veteran students,” said Elizabeth Bjerke, associate dean of the aerospace school, who also participated in the FLYING mental health roundtable earlier this year.

UND administrators, including former military members, were selected to oversee the program. 

“It was great to be able to put together the right administrative research team to work with these students,” Bjerke said. “They also are going to be serving as mentors.”

• Watch: A FLYING Roundtable Discussion on Mental Health and Aviation

This news follows another major award geared to veteran flight students at the university. In January $300,000 in scholarships awarded to 25 veterans by the Ray Foundation to start their aviation career at UND, beginning with training toward a private pilot certificate.

The post UND Receives $2.5 Million From FAA to Support Veteran Flight Students appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Extra Aircraft is opening a U.S. operation at the DeLand Airport (KDED) in DeLand, Florida, to increase support for its large contingent of North American customers. The announcement came from company founder Walter Extra, an industry pioneer who has been designing and building aerobatic aircraft for more than 40 years.

The new division, Extra Aircraft USA, will provide factory-authorized maintenance and spare parts services for all Extra owners based in North America. It will also be the receiving point where company staff members will perform pre-delivery checks on new Extra aircraft entering the continent from the German factory. 

AOG and Spares Support

“I am very pleased to continue our success in the USA and announce this new Extra facility for our North American customers. We will provide AOG and complete spares support from DeLand backed up by the factory in Germany,” Extra said. “We will also grow our service offerings for scheduled maintenance such as annual inspections and the 1,000-hour inspection as well as unscheduled maintenance,” he added.

The company named Duncan Koerbel, a longtime aerospace executive and aerobatic pilot with 1,000 hours in Extra aircraft, as general manager of its new U.S. unit. Koerbel will work with Walter Extra’s sons, maintenance manager Eric Extra and production manager Marcus Extra, “to position the new factory-direct model to support the fleet well into the future,” the company said.

“It is safe to say I have a working knowledge of our customer base,” Koerbel told FLYING, reflecting on his six years of aerobatics competition and working through the ranks, from primary to advanced, of the International Aerobatic Club.

A T-34 Mentor to an Extra 300S in the Championships

He said his first experience with aerobatics came in a T-34 Mentor while he was working at Beechcraft in the 1980s. He was hooked, but had to wait a few decades until what he called “a unique set of circumstances,” which included his children graduating from college, allowed him to get serious about competing.

• READ MORE: Extra Aircraft Secures FAA Certification on Extra NG

He said he looks forward to flying his Extra 300S to the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships, which begin this Sunday in Salina, Kansas.

Extra began building aerobatic aircraft in the 1980s and through years of development gained the rare distinction of producing machines that are essentially off-the-shelf contest winners. Pilots who are serious about competition tend to fly Extras.

“We have an excellent order backlog and continue to be pleased with the demand for our new NG as well as the 330SC which was just flown to its eighth world championship in Poland,” Marcus Extra said. The new operation in DeLand “will allow us to be even closer to our customers.” he added.

Eric Extra said the USA facility will be operational late this year to support the delivery of the next Extra NG and begin spare parts and maintenance operations.

“We have initially leased hangar facilities in DeLand but are exploring a purpose-built option for the long-term future. Marcus and I are excited to continue to grow the company our father founded forty years ago,” he said.

The post Extra Aircraft Opens New Facility in Florida appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Just 10 years after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified the Gulfstream G650, and eight years since the G650ER was announced and certified, the private and business jet maker announced yesterday that the 500th Gulfstream G650 and G650ER customer delivery was made at Gulfstream’s Appleton, Wisconsin, completions facility.

‘The G650 and G650ER are undeniably iconic’

The G650 platform has been a mainstay in the industry. In 2014, the National Aeronautic Association awarded the G650 program the Robert J. Collier Trophy, one of the most prestigious industry awards. It beat out other nominees, including the StratEx Team; the Embraer Legacy 500; the F-16 Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Team; the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee; the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1; and the Aurora Flight Sciences Orion UAS.

In a statement, Gulfstream CEO Mark Burns said, “with an incredible 500 delivered, persistent demand, and a host of industry accolades, the G650 and G650ER are undeniably iconic.” 

Burns is correct. Between the G650 and the G650ER, the fast-flying business jet has set more than 120 city-pair world speed records, including polar and westbound around-the-world records. The platform is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce BR725 engines that allow the G650 to fly 7,000 nm at Mach 0.85 or 6,000 nm at a high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90. The G650ER is capable of flying as far as 7,500 nm at Mach 0.85 and 6,400 nm at 0.90. According to Gulfstream, both aircraft can go even faster to achieve a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925. They can cruise as high as 51,000 feet and are FAA and EASA certified for steep approaches.

In July, Gulfstream said the platform’s EASA certification for steep approaches followed the FAA’s from 2019. For those permissions, pilots had to demonstrate the aircraft’s ability to fly 5.5-degree approaches into airports like London City in the U.K. and Lugano, Switzerland. To underscore the demand for the business jet, at the time of that announcement, Gulfstream said there were 480 G650s and G650ERs in service then.

Demand Still Strong

With the pandemic accelerating the switch to business jets, General Dynamic, the parent company of Gulfstream, said at the end of 2021 that it experienced its strongest year in sales since 2008, mainly attributed to the G650 platform that customers purchased.

• READ MORE: Gulfstream Gets FAA, EASA Signoff on Software Fix for G500 and G600

Even as Gulfstream plans to roll out its new flagship G700 and ultralong-range G800 aircraft, Burns said his company would continue investing and improving the G650 and G650ER models. Last week, the company announced its progress in bringing the G700 and G800 to market after its new Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines achieved EASA certification. 

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