Two More U.S. Airports Suffer Tornado Damage

On Sunday, two more U.S. regional airports were struck by tornadoes, making this the third such occurrence in the past several weeks. As scores of tornadoes ripped through the south from Central Texas through the Carolinas, causing several dozen deaths and millions in property damage, Monroe Regional Airport (MLU), in the northeastern part of Louisiana, and Lowcountry Regional Airport (RBW) in Walterboro, South Carolina, had tornadoes touch down.

At the Avflight FBO at MLU, the tornado destroyed a 10,000-sq-ft hangar, trapping four Cessna Citations in the wreckage. The nearby FBO terminal on the north side of the airport was undamaged, as were the remaining 80,000 sq ft of aircraft storage, the commercial terminal, tower, and fuel tank farms. Power was quickly restored and the airport reopened yesterday afternoon.

At Lowcountry Aviation, a 7,500-sq-ft hurricane-rated hangar collapsed when a Citation CJ3 parked on the other side of the airport was thrown approximately 500 feet into the structure, breaching one of the walls. The company’s 22,500-sq-ft community hangar, which housed a Gulfstream G280 and two King Airs, was unscathed, as was its terminal. Owner Marco Cavazzoni noted its Part 145 repair station and Part 135 charter business are fully operational, as are the FBO and ramp.

These latest instances follow recent tornado strikes at Jonesboro Municipal Airport in Arkansas and Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport.

Embraer Strikes Deal on Furloughs, Job Protections

Embraer reached an agreement with three of its unions that covers furloughs, reduced hours, and salary cuts in the short-term but job protections in the long-term for its affected employees in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Sindiaeroespacial, representing São Paulo aerospace workers, and the Union of Engineers in São Paulo approved the plan on April 10. Meanwhile, the Metalworkers Union from Botucatu, also in the state of São Paulo, approved the agreement earlier last week.

The result of negotiations between both unions, Embraer, and government entities, the plan is considered an emergency arrangement that began this week and will last between 60 and 90 days. Under the plan, some employees might be furloughed, while others might face reduced hours or salary cuts. Key to the agreement is that employment is guaranteed.

Working hours and wages for employees performing essential activities will not change, Embraer added. Those working from home will have their workdays reduced by 25 percent over 90 days. Furloughs will last 60 days. Affected employees are eligible for government assistance.

Embraer sent its employees in Brazil home on paid leave last month as it realigned essential operations and considered a longer-term plan. A limited number were recalled to resume essential operations, and those who have been able to work from home have continued to do so. Embraer is continuing to build and deliver business jets in the U.S.

Tamarack Produces Medical-grade Masks for Idaho Hospital

Active winglet manufacturer Tamarack Aerospace Group has begun producing medical-grade masks for its local hospital after learning it was running low on some personal protective equipment because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Sandpoint, Idaho-based manufacturer said. “We tapped into our resources to see where we could help meet their needs,” noted Tamarack president Jacob Klinginsmith.

Repurposing its additive manufacturing equipment and using CAD, Tamarack engineers have been 3D printing reusable masks designed by doctors in Billings, Montana, called the “Montana Mask.” Equipped with a small, industrial filter that Tamarack said provides equivalent protection to an N95 mask, the company has produced more than 60 of the masks for Bonner County General Hospital and said it will continue to do so until the need subsides.

Other employees have been sewing face masks, of which they’ve produced 50 so far. Both the sewn and 3D-printed masks have been distributed directly to the hospital. Additionally, Tamarack contacted its connections in Shenzhen, China, to help the hospital source 2,400 FDA-approved N95 masks.

Aspen Avionics Lowers Multi-display Pricing

Aircraft owners and operators looking to upgrade old instruments to modern glass avionics can now purchase a multi-display system from Aspen Avionics at lower prices and receive discounts on feature upgrades. A major change is that synthetic vision is available as standard, at no extra charge, for new installations of the Aspen Max series primary flight display (PFD) and multifunction flight display (MFD).

In addition to synthetic vision and previously included angle-of-attack software, the Pro Plus Max PFD now includes ADS-B-enablement capability for $10,995, which is $3,000 less than previous retail pricing, according to Aspen. Purchasers of multiple display systems will now get the external battery as standard, which means they can remove a vacuum-type backup system and use one of the Aspen units as a backup. 

Aspen Max displays can be installed with one, two, or three units, and they fit into existing instrument-hole panel cutouts, which simplifies the installation process.

Existing Aspen displays can also be upgraded to the latest configuration, Aspen said, “regardless of age or condition and receive the latest avionics glass technology, hardware, faster processing speeds and receive a new two-year warranty at the approximate cost of a steam gauge overhaul.” New prices for software upgrades include angle-of-attack, now $595 (previously $1,995); synthetic vision for non-Max units, now $595 (previously $1,995); and ADS-B enablement, now $595 (previously $795).

NBAA Webinar Explores Covid-19’s Impact on FAA Registry

An NBAA webinar yesterday explored how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the submitting of documents on aircraft transactions to the FAA Civil Aviation Registry. Since the emergence of the virus in the U.S., the FAA has shut down physical access to the public documents (PD) room at the regulator’s offices in Oklahoma City, limiting the ways to get registry documents filed with the agency to traditional mail or electronically, according to the webinar’s two panelists—Scott McCreary of McAffee & Taft law firm in Oklahoma City and Chris Younger of GKG Law in Washington, D.C.

All documents that are mailed are also subject to a 72-hour quarantine, further delaying their processing and filing, they explained. Even those documents filed through electronic means are seeing slight delays in processing, the panelists said. Before the closing of the PD filing room, those involved in closing an aircraft transaction would immediately have confirmation of a filing time because they were physically on-site to do that with the FAA.

And that confirmation “would be the trigger for the release of funds and documents,” McCreary said. “So now we’re having to wait a bit of time after documents are submitted before we have the confirming filing times.” He emphasized that deals are still closing, but said the process is just taking longer.

FAA Supersonic Proposal Drawing Environmentalist Ire

While comments on the FAA’s proposal to establish noise standards for supersonic aircraft are not due until July 13, the notice of proposed rulemaking is already drawing opposition from environmentalists. The agency announced the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in late March and officially published it in the Federal Register on April 13, saying that given the interest in the development of supersonic aircraft, the proposed standards “would facilitate the continued development of airplanes by specifying the noise limits for the designs.”

NBAA called the proposal the “next step in the development of innovative airframe and powerplant technology that will benefit the aviation industry.” However, the Center for Biological Diversity reiterated its belief that enabling civil supersonic aircraft to fly would be disastrous for the climate.

“The current reduction in air traffic, and the cleaner air we now breathe, should be reasons for the Trump administration to adopt measures to protect people and the climate from conventional aircraft, not excuses to pave the way for super-polluting supersonics,” said Clare Lakewood, climate legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The center cited concerns that supersonic aircraft would burn five to seven times more fuel per passenger than standard aircraft and pointed to an International Council on Clean Transportation study concluding that supersonic airplanes would emit 96 million metric tons of carbon pollution every year.

Global Jet Capital’s Bob Fox Flies West

Robert “Bob” Fox Jr., the aircraft maintenance manager for Global Jet Capital for the past three years, died March 19 at the age of 61. Born in Manassas, Virginia, Fox had an aviation career that spanned more than four decades.

An aviation maintenance technology graduate of Spartan School of Aeronautics, Fox began his career with Piedmont Aviation in 1978. He spent the next 35 years at Piedmont, which later became Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation and then Landmark Aviation, working his way up to director of maintenance at Landmark. He served in that capacity for eight years. In 2015, Fox launched his own consultancy, Fox Aviation Resources, specializing in project management, and stepped into his position with Global Jet Capital in 2017.

“Bob will be deeply missed, and not just for his dedication, leadership, and keen problem-solving abilities, but for his sincere kindness, willingness to help, and love for his family and friends,” said Global Jet Capital CEO Shawn Vick. “Our paths crossed more than 15 years ago, and I have many fond memories of Bob. All of us at Global Jet Capital admired Bob’s passion for this aviation industry and send sincere condolences to his family.”

He is survived by his wife, Kricket, daughters Hope and Stephanie, and three grandchildren, Savannah, Gabriel, and Mason.

FAA Issues Jet Fuel Biocide SAIB

The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) cautioning about the use of aviation fuel biocides such as Kathon FP1.5 and Biobor JF. They are used to eliminate microbiological contamination in aircraft fuel tanks, and in engines and aircraft where they are approved, the OEM’s Aircraft Maintenance Manual will include the correct method of application and dosage.

According to the SAIB, several recent instances showing adverse engine effects after biocide application has been noted. While two of the events were the result of overdosing the aircraft fuel system over the recommended amount of biocide, one event caused a reaction even with the prescribed amount. The FAA told AIN, “Evidence suggests that Kathon FP1.5 biocide may deposit trace amounts of material on fuel system components when blending procedures are not followed, or under certain other conditions.”

At this point the agency is not prohibiting the use of the products, but “additional investigation by the aviation community is continuing regarding the solubility characteristics of this biocide additive.”

As a result, DuPont, which makes the Kathon additive, has recommended immediately discontinuing its use for aviation applications, and GE Aviation has removed it from its list of approved fuel additives while testing continues. The FAA has not had contact with the manufacturer of Biobor regarding any limitations on the use of its aviation fuel biocide.

What Happens If Air Traffic Controllers Can’t Work Due to Covid-19?

One knock-on consequence of the Covid-19 emergency has been some disruption to air traffic control services. It's just one of many considerations that business aircraft operators are having to take account of at the moment, and AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber has been following this story.