Texas FBO Earns Top Honors in Annual AIN Survey

American Aero FTW at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport earned the top spot in the AIN 2020 FBO Survey, the results of which were released this morning. AIN readers rated the FBO with an average score of 4.76, out of a possible 5, for its facility, which opened in 2017. It narrowly edged out Pentastar Aviation at Michigan’s Oakland County International Airport and Wilson Air Center’s flagship location at Memphis International Airport (4.75).

Rounding out the top 5 percent were: Jet Aviation West Palm Beach; Sheltair Tampa; Global Select (Houston Sugar Land Regional Airport); Henriksen Jet Center (Austin Executive Airport in Texas); Business Jet Center (Dallas Love Field); Wilson Air Center (Tennessee’s Lovell Field Airport); Base Operations (Page Field, Fort Myers, Florida); and Meridian (Teterboro Airport).

Outside of North America, Farnborough Airport, that was recently sold to Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, retained the top spot which it has held for more than a decade, with a score of 4.67. Other international standouts this year were Universal Aviation at London Stansted; Grafair Jet Center (Stockholm Bromma Airport); Jet Aviation Amsterdam; London Jet Centre (formerly XJet, London Stansted); TAG Aviation Geneva; MJets FBO (Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport); and Execujet (Australia’s Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport).

FAA Proposes Noise Standards for Supersonic Aircraft

In a move that brings the reintroduction to civil supersonic flight closer to reality, the U.S. FAA is proposing new noise standards for certification of supersonic aircraft. Announced on Monday, the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) would address a key stumbling block for bringing such aircraft to market: the lack of noise standards for civil supersonic aircraft other than the Concorde.

“There is renewed interest in the development of supersonic aircraft, and the proposed regulations would facilitate the continued development of airplanes by specifying the noise limits for the designs,” the agency said in the NPRM, adding that manufacturers have been indicating a need for reasonable, achievable standards for more than a decade.

While not yet scheduled for publication in the Federal Register, the latest NPRM will be open for comment for 90 days from the date it is published. The proposal would establish subsonic landing and takeoff cycle standards for supersonic airplanes with an mtow no greater than 150,000 pounds and a maximum operating cruise speed of Mach 1.8. This category of aircraft would constitute “Supersonic Level 1,” accommodating most of the current development activity, the agency said. 

According to the FAA, this proposal would provide a means to certify the aircraft for noise for subsonic operation domestically, but does not change the current ban on the creation of sonic booms over land.

IS&S Autothrottle Certified for PC-12 in Canada

Transport Canada granted STC approval to Innovative Solutions & Support’s ThrustSense standalone autothrottle system for installation on the Pilatus PC-12, covering both legacy and the latest NG models. Previously, ThrustSense was approved by Transport Canada for installation in PC-12s equipped with IS&S’s NextGen integrated cockpit. The new STC covers standalone installations of the autothrottle system and its IS&S controller hardware and software.

The PC-12 standalone STC includes IS&S’s integrated standby unit (ISU), which can replace an existing standby instrument. The autothrottle has no clutch and uses a linear actuator to move the throttle lever. Power and speed are controlled based on the airplane’s pilot operating handbook values, including takeoff, climb, airspeed hold, landing, go around, and other modes. The ISU computer uses proprietary software to determine the throttle positions needed to prevent over-temp, over-torque, over-speed and hot start conditions for engines that do not already use an electronic control system. 

Installation of the ThrustSense autothrottle is available at any PC-12 service center, according to IS&S. In January, IS&S announced that it signed an agreement for installation of the autothrottle on new-production aircraft, although it didn’t indicate which manufacturer had selected the system.

NBAA Event Addresses Flight Ops Mission Readiness

Flight departments are taking advantage of downtime due to the coronavirus shutdowns to conduct training and prepare for busier times while also maintaining readiness in case emergency trips become necessary. The steps some flight departments are taking were highlighted during NBAA’s News Hour webinar yesterday—"Maintaining Flight Department Readiness"—which was recorded for those who couldn’t participate.

“The situation is fluid and evolving,” warned moderator Jo Damato, NBAA v-p of educational strategy and workforce development, and she noted that the information shared with attendees was specific to March 31.

VF Corp chief pilot Brad Self explained that his flight department stopped operations on March 16, but the company is maintaining flight crews and technicians on standby. “They’re doing basic functions on the airplanes,” he said. “We’re going to come up with a plan to stay current if this keeps going on.” Otherwise, he and his team are working on internal projects and communicating remotely via the Zoom platform, including using AviationManuals for updating flight operations manuals and other flight department documents.

“Before the outbreak, we were moving at a high operational pace,” said Aflac aviation services director James Stone. The company operates two aircraft, but once the stay-at-home recommendations took hold, no more travel was scheduled. “Right now we’re in a wait-and-see mode,” he said. “We’re officing from home, and maintenance and flight crews are on standby.”

AMAC Takes On VIP 747-8 Refurbishment, New Mx Projects

AMAC Aerospace has signed a contract to reconfigure the cabin and update the interior of a Boeing Business Jet 747-8. The contract was among several new projects the VIP completions and MRO specialist has taken on recently.

To be completed at AMAC’s facility in Basel, the 747-8 work will also involve a 72-month-check that is conducted in parallel with the refurbishment. AMAC will upgrade the aircraft with the latest technology, including the installation of a Ka-Band system and updated in-flight entertainment.

Other recent projects include an annual check on a privately-owned Boeing BBJ that is to arrive in Basel shortly. Another BBJ recently arrived for a six-month check, and AMAC recently provided AOG support on another BBJ. In that case, AMAC sent a team to Geneva within 24 hours of the request coming in to return the aircraft to service immediately. Meanwhile, AMAC began work on a Bombardier Global 6000 in February, including a 30-month check.

“AMAC Aerospace’s maintenance projects will remain constant and challenging in 2020. We are continuously expanding our client portfolio and we are looking forward to new ambitious projects,” said Alexis Ott, director of maintenance sales and key account management.

While this work has been ongoing, AMAC received ISO 9001:2015 recognition for implementing and maintaining quality management systems.

With CARES Act Passed, Industry Looks to What’s Next

In the wake of the $2 trillion relief package passed last week, aviation advocates are continuing to work with lawmakers for further assistance for aviation businesses, particularly those that did not qualify for direct assistance marked for air carriers and other specified organizations.

The bill provided upwards of $80 billion in loans and grants for certain parts of the industry such as air carriers, including Part 135 operators, and maintenance providers, among others, and includes $10 billion for airports, with $100 million set aside for general aviation facilities. It also included billions more in general assistance. Implementation still needs to be sorted out, and some stipulations leave open questions, including a possibility the Treasure Department could take a stake in certain companies. In addition, there are stock buy-back and other limitations.

While pleased about the aviation provisions, NATA said it is discussing possible additional assistance in future relief bills. “The bulk of the relief provided by the act aimed as aviation was written with commercial airlines in mind and, thus, imposes a number of conditions on the federal assistance that aviation businesses might find untenable,” NATA said.

Despite these concerns, aviation organizations largely lauded the package, AIA president and CEO Eric Fanning said it provides “a blueprint to aid."

West Star Completes 24-year C Inspection on Falcon 900EX

West Star Aviation established a new company milestone, completing its first 24-year, fourth C inspection on a Falcon 900EX. Completed at the MRO provider’s facility in East Alton, Illinois, the inspection encompassed most of the areas of the aircraft and included an in-depth inspection and repair of the winglets, nose and main landing gear, and engine, West Star Aviation said. The work was accompanied by interior and avionics updates, along with a custom exterior paint job.

“With more than 925 years of collective Falcon experience, West Star completed 39 C Inspections in 2019 and we look forward to increasing that number this year, as well as conquering new milestones as we continue to grow,” said Eric Kujawa, v-p of Falcon product development for the company.

The East Alton facility is one of West Star Aviation’s four major MRO centers, with others located in Grand Junction, Colorado; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Perryville, Missouri.

Duncan To Host Cabin Disinfection Webinar

To help combat the spread of Covid-19, Duncan Aviation will host a free webinar on Friday, April 3, on aircraft cabin disinfection methods, as well as the steps the company is taking to protect the health and safety of its employees and customers. The seminar, which will be held at 2 p.m. CST, will feature Duncan’s critical resource master specialists Rob Weyant and John Simms, and Aviation Clean Air sales consultant Vince Restivo, who will discuss available aircraft cabin disinfection services and field questions from the online audience.

The first topic to be examined will be the disinfection process Duncan has developed for aircraft cabins on arrival and departure at its main MRO facilities. The company uses Aeroclave units to mist a disinfectant that will kill viruses but doesn’t harm finishes and avionics throughout an aircraft fuselage. In the next few weeks, this process will be implemented and available for scheduling through the company’s avionics satellites or at a customer's home location.

The second method will be Aviation Clean Air’s ionization system, which is installed in an aircraft and provides clean air while continually sanitizing aircraft surfaces throughout flight. According to the company, it presents a longer-term approach to helping limit the spread of viruses, while keeping passengers safe and aircraft flying.

Free AIN Webinar: How Bizav Can Survive Covid-19 and Thrive

Join us on April 7 at 12:00 p.m. EDT as AIN senior editor Charles Alcock moderates a webinar panel with General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce, EBAA secretary-general Athar Husain Khan, and Duncan Aviation COO Jeff Lake about how the business aviation industry can not only survive the Covid-19 crisis, but thrive in the aftermath. Register now. You can also submit questions for the panelists ahead of the webinar.