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PUBLICATIONS
Vol.50 | No.3
$ 9.00
MARCH 2021 | a i n o n l i n e .c o m
After acquiring Learjet in 1990,
A eulogy for legendary Learjet
Bombardier quickly began developing
variants of existing designs such as
the Learjet 60, which rolled out in
May 1992. It introduced the Learjet 45
by Mark Huber in 1995, but that was the last clean-
sheet Learjet to enter production.
Bombardier announced February 11 that it When Bill Lear created the Learjet in the perpetually struggling company with inves-
was taking its iconic Learjet brand off life early 1960s, he envisioned a small, fast, and tor money and earnings from the stereo
support and ending its production. It is a simple airplane—a concept the marketplace eight-track tape player he had developed OEMs
sad end for the name long generically asso- embraced. His 20-series and the slightly for automobiles.
ciated with business jets as much as Coke is elongated 30-series jets that followed sold continues on page 30 Gen2 Citation CJ4
with cola and Kleenex is with facial tissues. briskly for more than 20 years, until long
More than 3,000 Learjets have been after he had left the company. Riding in the
unveiled page 12
Read Our SPECIAL REPORT
delivered since 1964 but only 11 were turned back of a Learjet once meant trips to the
over to buyers in 2020. In recent years, chiropractor and exercising bladder con- Avionics
moreover, production had been anemic and
the product line had shrunk to one model:
trol, but it also meant the ultimate in avia-
tion cool: speed.
Pilot app survey CitationJet avionics
the 75, an upgraded variant of the model 45, Bill Lear first came to the idea of the AIN surveyed readers to learn which upgrades page 22
which first came to market in 1998. Bombar- Learjet while living in Switzerland in the flight planning apps they use and the
dier, currently struggling under a mountain late 1950s. He subsequently set up shop features they consider to be most
of debt, said it will continue to support the in Wichita, where he took big risks during useful and helpful. Airports
Learjet fleet and offer upgrades—for now, the development of the Model 23, such General aviation airports
at least—but needs to focus on its more as skipping construction of a produc- page 20
lucrative Challenger and Global bizjet lines. tion prototype on soft tooling. He fed his under fire page 26
PRAETOR 600: CERTIFIED
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expectations, it exceeded them. Named for the Latin root that
means “lead the way,” the Praetor 600 is a jet of firsts. It is the
first super-midsize jet to fly beyond 3,700 nm at M0.80. The first
with over 4,000 nm range at LRC. The first with full fly-by-wire.
The first with turbulence reduction capability. The first with a cabin
altitude as low as 5,800 feet. The first with high-capacity, ultra-
high-speed connectivity from Viasat’s Ka-band. And all of this,
backed by a top-ranked Customer Support network.
Learn more at executive.embraer.com/praetor600
L E A D I N G T H E WAY
INSIDE this issue
JAMES HOLAHAN (1921-2015), FOUNDING EDITOR
WILSON S. LEACH, FOUNDER & CEO
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – Matt Thurber
NEWS EDITOR - AIN PUBLICATIONS – Chad Trautvetter
SENIOR EDITORS – Charles Alcock, Curt Epstein, Kerry Lynch
Gregory Polek – Air Transport,
Jerry Siebenmark
CONTRIBUTORS
8 10 David Donald – Defense Mark Huber – Rotorcraft
Jennifer Leach English
Gordon Gilbert
James Wynbrandt
David Jack Kenny – Safety
Richard Pedicini
PRODUCTION MANAGER – Martha Jercinovich
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – John A. Manfredo, Grzegorz Rzekos
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REPORT DEVELOPER – Ryan Koch
DIRECTOR OF VIDEO – Ian Whelan
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1 A eulogy for the legendary Learjet 35 TSO granted for uAvionix tailBeaconX AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – Nicole Bowman
8 Gulfstream G700 program reaches 1,100-hour mark ADS-B Out transponder MARKETING AND CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER – Lisa Valladares
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – Zach O’Brien
10 Rolls-Royce runs 100% SAF on Pearl 700 SALES ADMINISTRATOR – Cindy Nesline
CHARTER and FRACTIONAL
12 Textron Aviation unveils second-generation CJ4
14 Wheels Up to go public at $2.1B valuation DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES – Michele Hubert
12 With Catalyst progress, Textron sets plan ACCOUNTS PAYABLE – Mary Avella
for single-engine Cessna Denali first flight 25 New fliers boost Sentient Jet’s 2020 jet card sales ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE – Bobbie Bing
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flying over North Atlantic REGULATIONS and GOVERNMENT Michele Hubert Nancy O’Brien
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Editor’s Note: After writing the popular Torqued column in AIN for 16 years, John Goglia has chosen to move on to other safety-
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4 Aviation International News \ March 2 0 2 1 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m
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As We Go To Press
PW4000-POWERED the latter half of the year should see
BOEING 777S GROUNDED some improvement. Business aviation
Following Japan’s grounding of all MRO spending dropped roughly 15 to 25
Boeing 777s equipped with Pratt & percent in 2020, while the commercial
Whitney PW4000-112 turbofans, the sector experienced a 50 percent plunge,
FAA on February 21 said it would issue he estimated. While activity remains
an emergency airworthiness directive flat going into 2021, Foley said, “There’s
requiring immediate or “stepped up” hope that the second half of 2021 will
inspections of the airplanes in reaction help both sectors claw back more lost
DAVID McINTOSH
to a major engine failure aboard a ground, with business jet flight activity
United Airlines 777-200 on February 20. rising to well within 10 percent of
The order came as United Airlines, the normal and airlines improving to ‘just’
only U.S. operator of the airplanes in 25 to 50 percent off of normal levels.” Bombardier’s Learjet 75 Liberty variant entered the market late last year, but production for the
question, said it had grounded its fleet Learjet full line is winding down by the end of 2021 as part of a series of cost-cutting measures.
of 24 after consultations with Boeing GULFSTREAM TO EXPAND
and the FAA. Boeing, meanwhile, has APPLETON COMPLETIONS
recommended the grounding of all 69
of the airplanes in service and another
59 in storage “until the FAA identifies
Gulfstream Aerospace is adding more
than 13,000 sq ft to its completions
hangar at Appleton International Airport,
Bombardier to end Learjet
the appropriate inspection protocol.”
ONE AVIATION GOES
bringing the facility to 126,500 sq ft. The
improvements will include upgrading the
furniture finishing shop, consolidating
production, lay off workers
INTO LIQUIDATION completions back shops for improving by Kerry Lynch
With most of its salable assets already workflow, and enhancing the shipping
in the hands of other entities, the and receiving areas, as well as HVAC The ramp-up in Global 7500 deliveries led to systems operation in Queretaro, Mexico.
nearly six-year run of Albuquerque, New systems. Gulfstream expects the project a 3 percent year-over-year growth in Bom- “Workforce reductions are always very dif-
Mexico-based One Aviation came to to be completed in the third quarter. bardier’s business aircraft revenues to $5.6 ficult, and we regret seeing talented and ded-
an end on February 18 with an order by This follows a previous expansion of the billion, but the company is ending Learjet icated employees leave the company for any
U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Christopher Appleton MRO facility just two years ago. production by year-end, laying off 1,600 reason,” said Martel. “But these reductions
S. Sontchi to liquidate the company’s workers, and consolidating completions are absolutely necessary for us to rebuild
remaining assets. “I’ve lost confidence TECH MAHINDRA JOINS SPIKE’S activity in Montreal as it grapples with the our company while we continue to navigate
in management,” Sontchi said in SUPERSONIC BIZJET TEAM debt that it was left with after becoming a through the pandemic.”
converting One Aviation’s reorganization Spike Aerospace’s efforts to develop pure-play business aviation company. Bombardier stresses that it will continue
effort, which began in October 2018, the supersonic S-512 business jet are Bombardier president and CEO Éric Mar- supporting Learjet and announced a “Racer”
to Chapter 7 liquidation. Following an receiving a boost under a partnership tel said the decision to end production after remanufacturing program for Learjet 40 and
aborted Section 363 asset sale attempt, with Indian technology giant Tech a nearly 60-year history wasn’t taken lightly. 45 aircraft with a bundled set of enhance-
One Aviation received court approval Mahindra. Through the partnership, Noting that more than 3,000 Learjets have ments that will be carried out in Wichita.
in November to sell off the Eclipse Tech Mahindra will bring engineering, been delivered since the brand first entered While ending completions and Learjet
500/550 program to AML Global Eclipse optimization, and composites expertise the market in 1963, he said, “The iconic Lear- production work in Montreal, Bombardier
LLC, with Nautical Hero Group bidding to the low-boom Mach 1.6 jet. Tech jet has had a remarkable and lasting impact will still use its expansive Wichita complex
for assets related to Kestrel Aircraft. Mahindra’s Aerospace and Defense Group on business aviation.” However, he added, as a flight-test center and center of excel-
has provided engineering support to a “Given the number of new entrants in the lence for specialized aircraft. In addition, the
SURF AIR ACQUIRING ELECTRIC number of commercial, business aviation, light jet segment and the challenging mar- service center will continue to operate.
AVIATION PIONEER AMPAIRE and defense programs. Spike plans to ket dynamic, we need to focus our future In fact, Martel noted that services is one
Surf Air Mobility is acquiring hybrid leverage Tech Mahindra’s expertise efforts on our more profitable Global and area where the company will still invest, and
electric aviation pioneer Ampaire in a in composite airframe design, stress Challenger aircraft families.” he pointed to growth activities in Singapore,
deal worth more than $100 million. The analysis, and optimization. According Late last year, Bombardier said it planned London, Melbourne, and Miami.
private air travel company aims to have to Spike, the S-512 will be a low-boom, to announce aggressive steps to address its As for results, Bombardier delivered 114
hybrid aircraft available by 2024 for 18-passenger supersonic business jet. debt once it became a pure-play business aircraft in 2020, down from 142 a year earlier.
customers booking its scheduled and aviation company following the sale of its But revenues grew as Global 7500 deliveries
on-demand services. Ampaire co-founder STANDARDAERO TO BUY rail business—its last non-business aviation ramped up in 2020, including a record 16 in
Kevin Noertker will be president of a SIGNATURE’S ENGINE REPAIR BIZ unit—to Alstom. After the sale, Bombardier the fourth quarter alone. Bombardier deliv-
new Surf Air division called AMP. Ampaire StandardAero will acquire the engine was left with a $4.7 billion debt load, slightly ered 59 Globals during 2020, up from 54 in
is working to convert several aircraft repair and overhaul (ERO) business more than the $4.5 billion anticipated last 2019; 44 Challengers, down from 76 in 2019;
types to hybrid-electric propulsion, of Signature Aviation for $230 million. year, and significantly more than the $2.5 and 11 Learjets, down from 12 in 2019.
building on recently completed flight Signature’s ERO portfolio includes billion originally expected. With the strong performance of the
tests with its Electric EEL Cessna 337. Dallas Airmotive, H&S Aviation, W.H. Bombardier had already said that it did Global 7500, manufacturing operations
It believes the first of these programs, Barrett Turbine Engine Co., International not plan to invest in new aircraft programs alone in 2020 produced an 11 percent gain
which likely will include the de Havilland Governor Services, and International in the next several years. The measures Mar- in revenues, offsetting a 21 percent slide on
Twin Otter and Cessna Grand Caravan, Turbine Service. The deal, which tel estimated would help contribute to $400 the services side.
could be certified by the end of 2023. comes as Signature Aviation itself is an million in annual savings by 2023. Savings Martel was further encouraged by sales
acquisition candidate, is expected to this year are anticipated at $100 million. But activity in the fourth quarter and said it was
FOLEY: AIRCRAFT MRO BIZ close midyear. Based in Dallas, Signature’s the company will take a $50 million charge one of the strongest in years, with 43 gross
TO REMAIN FLAT IN 2021 ERO comprises engine overhaul in restructuring costs. orders. In addition, he was encouraged by
Aircraft MRO spending will remain facilities in Dallas and Portsmouth, The reduction of 1,600 positions will bring the newcomers to the market and said the
dampened in 2021, remaining on par with England, 10 regional turbine centers, Bombardier’s global workforce to about company is keeping a close eye on how that
2020 at least through the first half of one component MRO site, and two 13,000 by year-end. In addition to consoli- will shape demand. Even so, he anticipates
the year, according to industry analyst parts/distribution facilities. Combined, dating Global aircraft completion work in that 2021 deliveries will be roughly the same
Brian Foley. However, Foley, who heads the ERO employs 1,100 and generated Montreal, the company is reviewing options as 2020’s at between 110 and 120 aircraft,
his own industry consultancy, added $500 million in revenue in 2020. for underused space in Quebec and divest- and he noted that it will take the industry a
ing its electrical wiring interconnection few years to return to 2019 levels. n
6 Aviation International News \ March 202 1 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m
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News Briefs
In-person EBACE Cancelled,
Gulfstream’s Virtual Event Planned
G700 has checked This year’s in-person EBACE show in
off numerous Geneva is the latest casualty of the
development Covid-19 pandemic, with co-organizers
flight tests, with EBAA and NBAA announcing the show’s
five aircraft flying cancellation last month. Subsequently,
and 1,100 hours the associations announced a virtual
accumulated since event, dubbed EBACE Connect, on May
the first took to 18 and 19. EBAA and NBAA promised
the skies on an event that “will gather the industry
Feb. 14, 2020. around compelling speakers and valuable
content.” In addition, they will seek other
opportunities to jointly promote business
aviation throughout the coming year.
Gulfstream G700 program the shifting around of a few parts of the
test program but that the company has
been able to keep the flight tests and lab
Textron Aviation
Deliveries Mixed in 4Q
reaches 1,100 flight hours work on track to keep the program on its
intended pace. This includes folding in
remote work where possible.
Textron Aviation recorded a mostly lower
fourth-quarter 2020 with declines in jet
deliveries, revenue, and profit, although
by Kerry Lynch He noted that the program is its first it saw a slight bump in turboprop
involving development testing to make deliveries. Jet deliveries in the quarter
One year after Gulfstream Aerospace first Gulfstream further has flown a G700 sure the aircraft performs as expected, totaled 61, down from 71 a year ago, while
flew its new G700 flagship, the flight-test to Van Nuys and San Jose, California, as especially with new equipment such as deliveries of turboprops also totaled 61,
program has now accumulated 1,100 flight well as Chicago, to support sales and mar- the synthetic vision on the HUD. And up from 59 deliveries in fourth-quarter
hours and completed most of the devel- keting. During those trips, Miller said that then it moves on to company testing, 2019. Profit in the period was $108 million
opment testing in preparation for certifi- the company tested the avionics in a vari- which he characterized as the “dress on revenue of $1.6 billion, which was a
cation flight trials, keeping the aircraft on ety of different conditions and approach rehearsal” for the certification trials. decrease of $26 million and $169 million
track for market entry in late 2022. procedures “proving out the robustness” Miller estimated the program has com- versus the fourth quarter of 2019. Book-
The first flight-test aircraft flew on Feb. of the Symmetry flight deck. pleted most of the development testing to-bill was 0.87:1, down from 1.50:1 in
14, 2020, and Colin Miller, Gulfstream The G700 comes with a predictive and roughly half of the company testing the third quarter. Looking ahead, the
senior v-p of innovation, engineering, landing performance system that Miller with certification testing anticipated to Wichita airframer is projected to achieve
and flight, said that the G700 flight-test termed as a breakthrough and said is begin later this year. “Almost everything full-year revenue of $4.5 billion and
program “has continued uninterrupted designed to shield against runway over- on the airplane we’ve looked at least a 5.5 percent gain in profits in 2021.
ever since.” run and warns pilots to go around when once already.”
That first aircraft has been used for necessary. The flight trials have further The aircraft, the largest in the Gulf- NetJets Buys Share in
envelope expansion, reaching as high been examining the performance of the stream portfolio with up to five living Sustainable Fuel Company
as 54,000 feet and Mach 0.999. Jake new dual head-up display (HUD) that areas and 20 windows the size of those NetJets has purchased a stake in
Howard, the lead test pilot for the G700 includes enhanced vision system and on the G650, will be certified to fly 7,500 WasteFuel, a company that aims to
program, noted the dive speed that synthetic vision. The enhanced vision nm and at speeds of Mach 0.925. Miller convert landfill waste into sustainable
Gulfstream must test to for the G700 is system will be given landing credit down noted that he discovered that once he aviation fuel (SAF). WasteFuel is currently
Mach 0.995. When asked about potential to touchdown and rollout, Miller said. flew the aircraft, he immediately forgot developing a plant in the Philippines that
supersonic testing, he said there was no As for the program schedule, Miller how large it was and called it responsive is scheduled to begin production by 2025,
“intent to intentionally” fly beyond that conceded the pandemic may have forced and predictable. n with full capacity to convert one million
speed in testing. tons of municipal waste into 30 million
In addition to high speed, the aircraft gallons of SAF a year. In addition to a 20
also has performed low-speed and stall percent share in the company, NetJets
tests, including with wing ice shapes. will also commit to purchasing 100 million
Throughout the flight regime the aircraft NATA pushes for greater role for general gallons of WasteFuel-produced SAF
has “performed remarkably well, flying over the next decade. That fuel will be
virtually squawk free” and is meeting per- aviation in vaccine distribution delivered to Los Angeles and distributed
formance expectations, Miller said. Mean- throughout the NetJets network.
while, the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 A small but growing number of Part 135 Some of this activity is already ongoing,
engines are performing “fantastically operators have jumped into the Covid-19 he said, pointing to Part 135 operations Preowned Bizcraft Transactions
well; they are extremely efficient giving vaccine distribution effort as rural commu- in Washington and Alaska to distribute See Late-year Boost
us great results for speed, range, and low nities continue to seek support. But much vaccines to Native American territories Aircraft valuation analyst Asset Insight
emissions,” he added. more can and needs to be done on the and remote regions. Another operator reported that preowned transactions in
Gulfstream has since added four more distribution front, said Ryan Waguespack, was participating in a beta trial with the the fourth quarter were up 34 percent
aircraft to the program, with the fifth and senior v-p of National Air Transportation Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver quarter-over-quarter and marked a 25
final flight-test aircraft flying in late Octo- Association (NATA), who added the group vaccines in Montana. Waguespack said percent increase in demand from a
ber. In addition, two more aircraft will be has been trying to connect operators with the VA is looking to scale these types of year earlier. Asset Insight’s AI2 Market
dedicated to interior testing and associ- state and local health departments. operations. Report characterized the quality of the
ated supplemental type certificate work. On February 18 NATA issued a call Beyond reaching remote regions, NATA for-sale fleet in the “excellent” range
The first of these two, Miller said, is in the to action to encourage operators to also notes that GA airports can play a role, and improved over the third quarter
late stages of outfitting. get involved and assembled a working he said, adding Arlington Municipal Airport and from 2019. Turboprops and midsize
The flight-test program has completed white paper, which notes that Congress in Washington has opened its airport as a jets marked the largest improvement
its “initial paces” in field performance in December appropriated $8.7 billion vaccine clinic site. NATA is advising inter- in quality of available fleet, while light
testing, demonstrating a full gross-weight for distribution and the Part 135 com- ested operators to reach out to their state jets posted a slight decline, it noted.
balanced field takeoff of about 6,250 feet munity is “uniquely positioned to assist and local health departments, as well as Pricing trends were mixed, however, with
with a typical landing distance of around outlying communities.” the VA, to discuss how they can help. K.L. light jets posting the only year-over-
2,500 feet. year increase in the fourth quarter.
8 Aviation International News \ March 202 1 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m© 2021 All Rights Reserved
YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
This is a milestone that many MRO providers never
reach, and we owe it all to our employees, partners
and customers like you. We look forward to providing
our customers with quality work, always, as we
embark on our next 15 years.
QUALITY. ALWAYS.
216.261.7119 | constantaviation.comRolls-Royce runs Pearl 700 on 100% SAF News Briefs
Gulfstream 2020
by Curt Epstein Deliveries Down
Gulfstream Aerospace finished the fourth
Rolls-Royce has successfully conducted quarter on a strong note, but aircraft
its first tests on a business jet engine Following deliveries for 2020 still slipped by 15.7
using 100 percent sustainable aviation successful 100 percent year-over-year, to 127 jets (105
fuel (SAF), it announced February 1. percent SAF large-cabin, 22 midsize). Gulfstream parent
The demonstration, conducted at the validation tests General Dynamics expects about 10 fewer
manufacturer’s facility in Dahlewitz, using one of its deliveries in 2021 due to the continuing
Germany, comes on the heels of a sim- commercial Trent pandemic and G550 production ending
ilar test using a Trent 1000 engine in 1000 engines, this year. However, sales were robust in
the UK. This latest experiment used a Rolls-Royce the fourth quarter, with a book-to-bill of
Pearl 700 engine that’s under develop- demonstrated the 0.96:1, and are anticipated to continue
ment for the new Gulfstream G700 and ability of its latest to rebound this year, especially in the
confirmed that the company’s current business aviation second half as business travel recovers.
commercial and business jet power- powerplant, the Aerospace backlog at year-end stood
plants “can operate with 100 percent Pearl 700, to run at nearly $11.63 billion, compared with
SAF as a full ‘drop-in’ option, laying the on the unblended $13.349 billion a year earlier. Revenues at
groundwork for moving this type of fuel sustainable fuel. Gulfstream and sister company Jet Aviation
towards certification.” last year were $8.075 billion, down from
SAF certification is currently limited $9.8 billion in 2019. Corresponding profits
to blends of up to 50 percent with con- some time in the future due to a variety important step closer to enabling our for the division were $1.08 billion last year,
ventional jet fuel, depending on which of of factors including production levels and customers to achieve net-zero carbon down from about $1.5 billion in 2019
the several approved production path- the inability of some legacy engines to use emissions,” the company said.
ways was used. The SAF used in this test the unblended fuel, resulting in a need for With 18,250 pounds of thrust, the Pearl CDC Mask Req Includes
was produced by California-based World additional fuel infrastructure. 700 is Rolls-Royce’s latest business avi- Charter Operators, FBOs
Energy, sourced by Shell Aviation, and “Sustainable aviation fuels have the ation engine and uses a newly-designed The Centers for Disease Control and
delivered by SkyNRG. potential to significantly reduce the low-pressure system for an 8 percent Prevention’s (CDC) latest order requiring
Unblended SAF has the potential to carbon emissions of our engines, and improvement on takeoff over the BR725. masks while traveling extends to airports,
reduce CO2 lifecycle emissions by more combining this potential with the It offers a 12 percent better thrust-to- FBOs, commercial aircraft operations,
than 75 percent compared to conven- extraordinary performance of our weight ratio and 5 percent higher effi- including Part 135 charter operators,
tional jet fuel, but its adoption may be Pearl engine family brings us another ciency compared to its predecessor. n business aviation advocates are advising.
The order—which applies to those traveling
into, within, or out of the U.S.—calls on
applicable facility or aircraft operators to
do their best to ensure passengers are
NBAA cancels 2021 ABACE and other first-half events wearing masks before they enter a facility
or board an aircraft and monitor to ensure
A day after shelving this year’s in-person Regional Forum, scheduled for June 9. and security of our event participants have masks remain worn, NATA said. Further,
European Business Aviation Conference and These events join many other aviation always been a core value for the association, operators must provide notification of
Exhibition (EBACE) in favor of a virtual event, in-person gatherings that were canceled and that is central to our decision.” federal requirements regarding masks
NBAA cancelled its remaining in-person or postponed in the first half, ranging from NBAA already had replaced other events, and should disembark passengers who
events scheduled for the first half of the the Paris Air Show to Heli-Expo. As with including its annual Schedulers and Dis- refuse. Part 91 operations are exempt,
year, including the Asian Business Aviation EBACE, NBAA is planning options for virtual patchers show and International Operators as are crewmembers, when wearing a
Conference and Exhibition (ABACE) that was programs to replace the canceled events. Conference, with online forums. The next mask would create a risk to workplace
set for April 13 to 15 in Shanghai, China. Also “We are disappointed that we will be in-person ABACE is scheduled from April 12 health, safety, or job duty, NBAA said.
canceled were the 2021 NBAA Maintenance unable to offer a robust slate of in-person to 15, 2022, while the 2022 Maintenance
Conference, which was planned for May events in the first half of 2021,” NBAA presi- Conference is planned from May 3 to 5, Daher Steps Up TBM,
11 to 13, and the 2021 NBAA White Plains dent and CEO Ed Bolen said. “But the safety 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. K.L. Kodiak Training Efforts
Daher is bolstering its flight training efforts
with the appointment of TBM mentor
and factory demo pilot Wayman Luy to
the newly created position of director of
training and standards. In this role, Luy
is tasked with developing standardized
training programs for both pilots and
instructors and folding in tools such as
computer simulation, online learning, and
e-learning for the TBM series of high-
performance turboprops and Kodiak
utility turboprops. In addition, Luy will
be responsible for oversight of factory-
approved flight training organizations.
These include the U.S.-based Parkwater
Aviation, which offers training courses
and the world’s only full-motion simulator
for the Kodiak; SimCom Aviation
Training, which offers TBM courses
DAVID McINTOSH
and simulator training at centers in
Scottsdale, Arizona, and Orlando, Florida;
and, France-based Sim-Aero A.T.O, which
provides EASA-certified TBM training.
10 Aviation International News \ March 202 1 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o mFLIGHTSAFETY
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Textron Aviation’s
Cessna Citation Jet Aviation Finalizes
CJ4 Gen2 is the Hawker Pacific Integration
first upgrade to its Jet Aviation has finalized its integration
decade-old CJ4. with FBO/MRO chain Hawker Pacific,
improvements which it acquired in 2018. All of the
include new skylights former Hawker Pacific locations are now
in the lavatory and Jet Aviation branded with the exception
aft cabin. of the joint-venture Shanghai Hawker
Pacific Business Aviation Centre, which
will retain its existing name. That joint-
venture operates a large FBO/MRO
Textron Aviation unveils wirelessly control cabin lighting, window
shades, and temperature from their mobile
devices. In addition, each seat features a
at Hongqiao International Airport, as
well as a smaller passenger facility at
nearby Pudong International Airport.
second-generation CJ4 USB charging port. Textron Aviation senior
v-p of customer experience Christi Tanna-
hill noted the improvements were made
Vista Global’s Charter
Operations Finish 2020 Strong
by Jerry Siebenmark based on “collaborative conversations with Vista Global experienced double-digit
our customers. And we are proud of the increases in new memberships and
Textron Aviation is refreshing the cabin of In the main cabin, new side-facing seat- partnerships that led to these results.” bookings at its charter operations VistaJet
the largest of its Cessna Citation CJ fam- ing options include a single folding seat, a This is the first upgrade to the CJ4, which and XO in 2020 and expects continued
ily of light jets, the CJ4, the manufacturer fixed two-place couch, and a folding two- began deliveries in 2010. More than 320 of the growth this year. VistaJet recorded a 29
announced February 9. The CJ4 Gen2 is place couch for additional storage of pas- single-pilot twinjets are in operation today. percent year-over-year gain internationally
equipped with enhanced features includ- senger belongings. Enhanced lighting in seat Absent from the improvements is an upgrade in new memberships last year, with
ing new folding airstairs with a lower step pockets, cupholders, and along the sidewall to the airplane’s avionics, such as the addition Europe accounting for 43 percent of new
to the ground, step lighting, and handrail; and floor are standard. Two CoolView sky- of synthetic vision to its Collins Aerospace memberships, followed by North America
added seating options; new ambient light- lights—a first for a Citation—provide natural Pro Line 21 cockpit or replacing it with the at 25 percent, Asia at 18 percent, and
ing; and a galley with improved storage. light to the lavatory and aft cabin. A new lava- Garmin 3000 avionics package. The Wichita the Middle East at 10 percent. Vista’s XO
The CJ4 Gen2 has received current tory vanity and sink are available through the airframer noted that based on feedback from on-demand platform also saw a 2020 surge
interior certification under its Model 525C Premier Collection design option. its customer advisory board, the priority for in new memberships that was three times
FAA type certificate, and deliveries of the Cabin improvements are capped off by upgrades in the CJ4 Gen2 were “generally higher than in 2019. XO flight hours were
$10.75 million jet will begin this quarter. an upgraded wireless cabin management focused around the experience in the cabin.” also 6 percent higher year-over-year. The
In addition to the improved storage, new system (CMS) that comes with a media “In addition to aircraft performance, the company said it is confident of “further
features in the galley include an optional server capable of streaming preloaded cabin experience is a critical element to significant” membership growth in 2021.
high-power outlet with a pull-out surface audio and video files, accessing SiriusXM [customers] selecting the aircraft,” added
for a coffee maker, as well as additional, Satellite Radio and providing moving Textron Aviation senior v-p of sales and FAA Seeks Noise Input
extendable stone countertops. maps. The CMS also allows passengers to flight operations Rob Scholl. n The FAA is seeking comment on a number
of noise research projects that the agency
has undertaken and has released results
of one such study, the Neighborhood
Environmental Survey (NES), which
With Catalyst progress, Textron sets plan versatility of this engine; the Catalyst can found an increased level of annoyance
be installed in a wide spectrum of aircraft from aircraft noise. Broadly, the research
for single-engine Cessna Denali first flight applications with vastly different technical is exploring three main themes: effects
architectures.” on individuals and communities; noise
Textron Aviation expects the first flight of Catalyst will power the Denali. Next in the ground-test campaign is taxi- modeling, metrics, and environmental data;
its Cessna Denali turboprop single later this “The engine started flawlessly on the first ing the testbed with the Catalyst, which will and, reduction, abatement, and mitigations.
year now that GE Aviation has announced attempt,” said Catalyst product line leader include running various power-manage- The multi-year NES accumulated responses
another milestone in its Catalyst engine David Kimball. “It reached ground idle in a ment scenarios. That will help to determine from more than 10,000 people living
development program. GE said its Euro- stable and predictable manner without any the engine’s performance, operability, and near 20 airports across the country. In
pean flight-test engineering team has now intervention, and the fully integrated engine responsiveness to Catalyst’s full author- contrast to earlier surveys, the NES results
fired up a Catalyst engine hung on a Beech- and prop control system worked seam- ity digital engine and propeller controls- “show a substantially higher percentage
craft King Air 350 flying testbed in prepa- lessly. This not only demonstrates progress enabled pilot inputs, explained GE Aviation of people highly annoyed over the entire
ration for ground testing. The clean-sheet within the program but also showcases the staff test engineer Jiri Pecinka. range of aircraft noise levels (i.e., from
A Textron Aviation spokeswoman con- DNL 50 to 75 dB),” the agency said.
firmed to AIN that it had recently received
a flightworthy Catalyst engine and was ASL Establishes Frax
looking forward to first flight of the Denali, Program with Vision Jet
which originally was expected in 2019. Belgium-based ASL Group has taken
“We anticipate the Denali making its delivery of a Cirrus Vision Jet G2 that will
official debut in 2021 as the development be used to establish a fractional share
program ramps up, and we look forward program. Based at ASL’s headquarters in
to seeing another innovative creation— Antwerp, the jet will be operated under
designed and built by our talented work- the company’s recently restructured Blue
force—gracing the Kansas skies when the Sky Club membership program and as
Denali takes flight in the second half of the its first fractional airplane, with plans to
year,” the spokeswoman said. add more. “Not only do we welcome this
With delays in the Catalyst program, aircraft as the newest member of our
Textron Aviation officials had previously fleet, but we are also very excited to be
declined to specify a timeline for the first launching our new fractional ownership
GE Aviation’s European flight-test engineering team with the Catalyst flying testbed. flight of the Denali. J.S. model through our exclusive Blue Sky
Club,” said ASL CEO Phillippe Bodson.
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LEASING & LENDING SOLUTIONSWheels Up to go public at $2.1B valuation News Briefs
JSX To Continue Operations
by Chad Trautvetter at John Wayne Airport
JSX will continue to operate its hop-on
Wheels Up soon will be a publicly-traded service at John Wayne Airport (SNA)
company on the New York Stock following an Orange County board of
Exchange (NYSE) thanks to a definitive supervisors vote to strike language from
agreement announced February 1 with leases with FBOs there that would have
special purpose acquisition company prevented JSX from using their facilities
(SPAC) Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle for scheduled charter service. The board’s
Corp. The transaction, which is expected action follows JSX’s December 14 filing of
to close in the second quarter, values the a lawsuit seeking to continue operations
private aviation firm at $2.1 billion. at SNA. Later that month, a federal judge
When completed, the transaction will issued a temporary restraining order
provide Wheels Up with $750 million in permitting JSX to continue operations at
cash to fund operations and support new the airport. The legal flap began when the
and existing business initiatives. Wheels board approved new lease agreements
DAVID McINTOSH
Up will trade as “UP” on the NYSE. in September between the county-
“We believe this will allow us to realize owned airport and ACI Jet and Clay Lacy
our founding goal of democratizing pri- Aviation that prohibited JSX from leasing
vate aviation, through our membership Wheels Up is “just getting started” on opportunities to grow even larger. space at ACI for its operations there.
model, suite of products and benefits, and
by bringing the shared economy to private the past 18 months. Hinting at more to In addition, L Catterton, the largest HAI Cancels Heli-Expo 2021
aviation through our app,” said Wheels come, Dichter told AIN, “We’re just get- global consumer-focused private equity The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed
Up founder and CEO Kenny Dichter. ting started.” firm, will be a minority shareholder of another aviation gathering—Heli-Expo
He said the deal will help bring more Aspirational was formed and is led Wheels Up. 2021, which was slated for March 22 to 25
capital for further growth at Wheels Up, by experienced consumer investors, SPACs—commonly known as “blank in New Orleans. Helicopter Association
which has already acquired four private including chairman and CEO Ravi check” companies—can speed up the ini- International (HAI) made the “difficult
aviation operators and services, including Thakran, a private-equity veteran and tial public offering process from up to two decision” to cancel the show on January
charter operator Mountain Aviation, over former group chairman of LVMH Asia. years to about four months. n 20 after most rotorcraft OEMs said they
would not exhibit due to the pandemic.
“While some in our industry have urged
us to carry on with the show, the majority
Rival bidders join in $4.7B FBO chain before selling it to Signature,
could still weigh in with an offer of its
own, this new combined cash offer—if
have recently expressed discomfort with
the logistics involved in business travel
at this time,” the association said. “HAI
bid for Signature Aviation consummated—would give Blackstone
and GIP each a 35 percent ownership
stake in Signature, while Cascade would
appreciates hearing from our diverse
VTOL community, and we are grateful
for the honest feedback that we’ve
by Curt Epstein increase its share from 19 to 30 percent. received from our members, exhibitors,
As with the previously accepted offer, the attendees, and other stakeholders.”
The bidding war over Signature Aviation, co-founder Bill Gates’s personal fortune deal is subject to legal review and the
the largest FBO chain, is continuing to and has a nearly 20 percent stake in Signa- approval of at least 75 percent of Signa- GrandView Opens Denver Base
unfold with the latest offer of $4.7 billion ture. When Signature accepted the $5.50 ture’s shareholders. Following the delivery of additional
coming from a partnership of rival bidders. per share GIP offer, the FBO operator Signature Flight Support has more Phenom 300s and new bases in Atlanta
Last month, Signature’s board agreed noted that it would continue to review than 200 locations worldwide, and the and Scottsdale, Arizona, last year, charter
to a $4.6 billion bid from GIP that edged offers, leading the two bidding groups to deal also includes its Epic Fuels subsidi- operator GrandView Aviation opened
out a previous offer from the Blackstone join and improve the offer to $5.62 a share. ary, as well as the company’s engine repair its sixth base on February 1 at Denver
Group and Cascade Investment, the lat- While the Carlyle Group, which had business that Signature Aviation has been Centennial Airport. This is the first of three
ter of which manages much of Microsoft owned the former Landmark Aviation attempting to unload. n planned expansion bases for the Baltimore,
Maryland-based Part 135 operator this
year. GrandView COO Jessica Naor said
the company expects to open a base in
Boston and another base in an as-yet
“undisclosed location” this summer as it
pursues a plan to become a nationwide
operator. Grandview’s other bases are
located in Austin, Texas, and Chicago.
The offers for Daher Makes First Kodiak
Signature Aviation Delivery in France
continue to Daher has delivered a Kodiak 100 to
mount, with the Héli-Béarn, marking the first delivery
latest totaling of the utility turboprop single to a
$4.7 billion, from French customer. Based at Pau-Pyrénées
a consortium of Airport, Héli-Béarn will use the airplane
private equity for skydiving operations. In skydiving
firms that had configuration, the Kodiak 100 is equipped
previously with a sliding door and has a capacity for
submitted rival up to 15 skydivers. With a climb capability
bids for the of nine minutes and 30 seconds to 12,000
company. feet, the airplane can fly an average of four
rotations per hour for skydiving operations.
14 Aviation International News \ March 202 1 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o mtraining (EBT) programs. This is the
future of flight training—train smarter,
not harder.
Evidence-based Training
According to the European Union Avi-
ation Safety Agency (EASA), “EBT is a
methodology that identifies areas for
improvement and allows re-prioritiza-
tion of training topics to enhance the
confidence and capability of flight crews
to operate the aircraft in all flight regimes
and to be able to recognize and manage
unexpected situations.”
CAE announced in January a new data
source for its Rise Training System. By
teaming with The LOSA Collaborative,
CAE customers can tailor their programs
based on findings from line-oriented
safety audits (LOSA).
LOSA is a proactive safety program that
uses peer-to-peer line observations to col-
lect data under non-jeopardy conditions.
LOSA data is rich; it is one of the most
reliable methods to collect data from rou-
tine line operations. In doing so, it is one
of the best sources to measure and assess
flight crew performance as it relates to
CAE has developed the Rise Training System to improve training using line-oriented safety audits, which collect data from routine line operational complexities and threat and
operations but under a non-punitive framework. error management (TEM) skills.
According to The LOSA Collaborative
founder and CEO Dr. James Klinect, “Evi-
Business aviation training programs are dence-based training is all about using
operational data gathered from programs
like LOSA to adapt training to the real-
slowly adapting to advanced practices world challenges that pilots face daily.
The curriculum becomes dynamic and
more effective than simple maneuver and
by Stuart “Kipp” Lau check training.”
EBT is flexible and allows the oper-
Airlines around the world have long require the completion of a standard set challenge, it’s the same series of stalls, ator to customize training rather than
ditched maneuvers-based training pro- of unrelated maneuvers—year after year steep turns, approaches, and V1 cuts simply checking a box. Klinect added,
grams in favor of more progressive com- —to satisfy a regulation. that vary little depending on the vendor.” “EBT results in more realistic training
petency and evidence-based programs. A decade ago, the NBAA Safety Com- That pilot, now flying for a large fractional based on operator needs instead of reg-
In business aviation, most training pro- mittee began to document some signifi- operation, enjoys the challenges of tai- ulatory requirements.”
grams are better suited for a 1960s How- cant issues with training at business and lored training scenarios afforded through Using LOSA data to support the devel-
ard 500 piston-twin-engine aircraft than corporate flight departments including: his company’s FAA-approved advanced opment of EBT scenarios provides greater
today’s G650 or Global 7500 business (1) Part 142 training centers transitioning qualification program (AQP). Now, as an value to the operator by recognizing just
jets. Safety advocates from the NBAA are from teaching to checking, (2) the Part example, he says, “we fly steep approaches how resource-intensive training can be.
making a strong push to move away from 61.58 proficiency check is often repetitive to the London City airport and more chal- Klinect said, “EBT works by building resil-
those “cookie-cutter” maneuvers-based and predictable, and (3) there is a need to lenging flights into and out of places like ient competencies and enhancing TEM
training standards and proficiency place greater emphasis on risk awareness, Eagle, Colorado, which builds confidence performance across a number of situations
checks and would like more operators to aviation decision making, and scenario- and skills.” in what has become an ever-decreasing
adopt a scenario-based training philos- based training. Some training providers and busi- training footprint for operators.”
ophy that can be tailored to better fit a One former corporate pilot expressed ness aviation operators are beginning to CAE’s Rise program was originally
specific operation. his frustration, saying, “There’s no real embrace competency and evidence-based established to allow instructors to
Innovation in business aviation training assess pilot competencies using live
systems has been slow. Long recognized data during training sessions. Instruc-
for being early adopters of advanced avia- tors can identify proficiency gaps using
tion technologies such as synthetic vision evidence-based methodologies. The
systems, training is one area where busi- Rise program provides training data to
ness aviation lags the airlines. Over the the operator to further evolve its train-
years, there have been some glimmers of ing syllabus. Adding LOSA as an infor-
hope, such as more advanced data collec- mation source closes the gap between
tion systems in full-flight simulators, but training and operational data and cre-
this is lost if the training program cannot ates a more impactful EBT experience.
support or adapt to real-world analysis
and findings. Advanced Qualification Program
“Box checking” training events date Fractional giant NetJets is in the final
back to the 1950s—with only a slight stages of fully implementing its advanced
refresh in the 1970s with the addition of AQP for all fleet-types. According to Net-
crew resource management (CRM)—and Jets, it is the first private operator to
provide little value to the operator or pilot NetJets is implementing an advanced qualification program that will be used for pilot training gain FAA approval for AQP. AQP was ini-
in terms of safety. These training events in all the aircraft types in its fractional-share fleet. tially implemented on NetJets’ Cessna
16 Aviation International News \ March 202 1 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o mYou can also read
