NetJets has taken delivery of the 100th aircraft for its European fleet—a milepost that comes as part of the fractional aircraft provider's €2.2 billion ($2.36 billion) investment in its global fleet. The milestone aircraft is a midsize Cessna Citation Latitude, the delivery of which was marked with a celebration and water cannon salute in Cascais, Portugal.
“I am thrilled to be celebrating the further expansion of our European fleet with this latest aircraft delivery,” said NetJets Europe executive director Christian Luwisch. “NetJets is proud of its unwavering commitment to safety, service, and unmatched global access. This landmark achievement is a testament to all at NetJets continuing to deliver exceptional service and access to our owners.”
Globally, NetJets has more than 800 business jets in its fleet, ranging from the Embraer Phenom 300E light twin to the ultra-long-range Bombardier Global 7500. The company’s fleet investment calls for the addition of more than 130 business jets by the end of this year.
The FAA has approved a conversion plan for the East Hampton (New York) Airport (KHTO) to close as a public-use facility at 11:59 p.m. on May 17 and reopen as a private-use airport on May 19 at 9 a.m. After the conversion, it will be known as the East Hampton Town Airport (KJPX) and operate under prior permission required (PPR) rules, imposing curfews, a variety of other restrictions, and significantly higher landing fees.
Seasonal control tower operations will begin as usual on May 28, the Saturday before Memorial Day, consistent with tradition, and all navigation and weather aids are expected to be available. The conversion and the stricter operating rules are expected to reduce airport traffic by up to 40 percent.
Significant operating changes are expected to include “special procedures” for all IFR operations; a ban on aircraft with mtows of 50,000 pounds or more; phaseout of the sale of leaded fuels; nighttime curfews; and limits on aircraft with a noise signature above 91 EPNdB to one round-trip per day.
Prior written permission will be required for self-servicing of aircraft; touch-and-go landings, and certain other operations. Landing fees will be significantly higher and based on aircraft weight, with helicopter fees ranging from $300 to $750 and airplanes weighing between 4,500 and 50,000 pounds running from $300 to $1,750.
Airbus Helicopters, via its Helibras affiliate, has sold its third Airbus Corporate Helicopters ACH160, but first to be equipped with the new modular “Line Lounge” interior, to a customer in Brazil. The ACH160 is the premium variant of the new H160 medium twin certified by Brazil’s ANAC in September.
Line Lounge can be configured with bench seating for four to eight passengers or two forward-facing armchairs with a rear-facing bench and cabinet. The option also comes with several high-end interior features and finishes, including colors, leather patterns, metallic inserts and plating, and custom carpeting. Line Lounge is one of three interior configurations offered on the ACH160.
The multirole, intermediate-twin helicopter features 20 percent more cabin volume per passenger and 35 percent larger windows than legacy helicopters in its class. According to Airbus, the H160 makes extensive use of carbon-fiber composites in the fuselage and main rotor blades that enhance the helicopter’s corrosion resistance, especially in maritime operations. Power comes from a pair of Safran Arrano engines, and its Helionix avionics system incorporates a ground helipad-assisted takeoff procedure, vortex ring state pre-alerting system, and recovery mode to automatically regain stabilized flight.
Gogo Marches Toward 5G Launch
During the past three months, Gogo Business Aviation has been on a tear with the development of its 5G program. Despite a global environment that has created supply-chain woes, the inflight Wi-Fi provider remains steadfast that it will launch 5G in the second half of this year and that the program remains on schedule and on budget.
The Aircraft Electronics Association expressed “surprise” at Transport Canada’s lack of a “formal notice of proposed amendment” and failure to account for time allotted to complete equipment installation and approvals preceding the mandate requiring ADS-B in Class A and B airspace effective Feb. 23, 2023.
“The big surprise here is that, in all communications with the [Transport Canada Civil Aviation] since November 2019 [when the ADS-B program was placed on hold], the public has been told that no progress has been made on this file…and that regulatory action would be taking place and working groups were to be formed,” AEA said.
Further, the article contends that while most Canadian aircraft owners have already installed ADS-B systems that meet FAA requirements, they “will not work” with the satellite system being used by Nav Canada. “There seems to be an assumption that this mandate will not affect general aviation and that the vast majority of aircraft already have the required diversity system installed. This is not true,” the association added.
Although AEA concedes that this mandate seems a “done deal,” AEA, Air Transport Association of Canada, Aereospace Industries Association of Canada, and others “have jointly been in contact with [Transport Canada] and are attempting to put this on hold (again) and encourage proper consultation.”
Construction is beginning on two vertiports designed to accommodate eVTOLs in the U.S. Midwest. Davenport, Iowa-based Difco has begun building a vertiport in Rock Island, Illinois, while Volatus Infrastructure plans to erect an eVTOL terminal and charging station at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Dubbed the Corporal Jason G. Pautsch Vertiport, the Davenport facility will support eVTOL and helicopter traffic and offer a corporate hangar for lease, refueling services, executive pilot lounge, prototype visual navigational aid beacon, and RNAV approach and departure procedures. From there, rotorcraft could serve cities such as Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and East Moline, Illinois. Difco partnered with Hughes Aerospace and Five Alpha on the vertiport, which will be home to an unnamed existing aeromedical program.
Meanwhile, Volatus said its $500,000 project is a partnership between the company, the airport, and the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp. Plans call for an eVTOL terminal with amenities, landing pad, and vehicle-agnostic electric charging station. “Volatus is able to provide an infrastructure solution at a price point that will grant greater access to the eVTOL industry,” said company co-founder Grant Fisk.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) virtual reality-based initiative, introduced about seven months ago for its flight training program, is already yielding results in terms of training time, costs, student preparedness, and confidence. Speaking during the recent Air Charter Safety Foundation Safety Symposium, ERAU College of Aviation assistant dean and chairman of the flight training department Ken Byrnes said early results of the university’s use of virtual reality (VR) in its flight training curriculum have shown a 28 percent decrease in training time to solo.
The university has also found that students who have already undergone the VR training are “very prepared” for flight, have significantly better radio communications skills, and have much lower anxiety as they begin training, which Brynes noted is an important factor in the student’s receptivity to instruction.
After years of “dabbling” with VR, Embry-Riddle rolled out its formal PILOT (Pre-flight Immersion Laboratory Operations Training) curriculum on August 28. Noting how the university has continued to increase in size, Byrnes said it also “continues to expand what we do and how we do it, how we do it safely, and how we build the next generation of aviation professionals.”
ERAU uses VR training to enable students to practice each maneuver, as well as for preflight checklists and ATC communications.
An aircraft is flying in straight and level flight with constant airspeed. If the aircraft turns while keeping altitude constant, additional thrust is required to keep the speed constant. What is the reason for this?
A. The aircraft loses lift, so the pilot needs to pull on the controls to get the lift back to normal. Therefore, more thrust is required to compensate for this.
B. The aircraft needs additional lift, which requires an increase in the angle of attack, and total drag increases due to the additional induced drag. The thrust is needed to counteract the increased drag.
C. The kinematic effect of the relative wind airflow is reduced in the turn, the additional thrust is required to keep the lift equation constant.
D. The aircraft may be allowed to slow down, if the speed is always kept above the stall warning margin and the pilot recovers at the first indication of the stall.
West Virginia International Yeager Airport (KCRW), the state’s only international gateway, will inaugurate its new general aviation U.S. Customs facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow. The $4 million facility was funded equally between the airport and the state infrastructure fund. Construction of the 5,000-sq-ft structure, which is connected to the airport-operated Capital Jet Center FBO, took 14 months due to material supply disruptions during the pandemic.
It will normally be staffed from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays but can also provide after-hours clearance by appointment. Previously, customs clearance at the airport was conducted by appointment only.
As a gateway, Yeager, which has a 6,700 runway, offers no air traffic congestion or taxiway traffic, and there is expected to be little to no wait for international clearance. “We expect several hundred international flights to clear customs at KCRW each year,” said airport director and CEO Nick Keller. “In addition, flights that may not be destined for our state now have the option to stop at KCRW to quickly and conveniently clear customs and use the services of our FBO.”
The FAA has opened an application process for funding to build, repair, update, replace, or relocate contract towers. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the agency can provide $20 million in grants annually for five years for eligible contract tower projects. No airport match is required for this funding.
The grants can also be used to construct a certified remote tower, the FAA said, adding that it is “looking to award projects that align with the President’s greenhouse gas reduction goals, promote energy efficiency, support fiscally responsible land use and transportation efficient design, support development compatible with the use of sustainable aviation fuels and technologies, increase climate resilience, incorporate sustainable pavement and construction materials as allowable, and reduce pollution.“
Currently, 156 airports are eligible to apply for the Contract Tower Competitive Grant Program, the FAA said. Private companies rather than FAA controllers staff contract towers. The agency contracts for the services. The deadline for submission of applications is May 16.
“This funding will allow airport sponsors to build or repair their facilities to meet safety standards and be environmentally friendly and sustainable,” said FAA associate administrator of airports Shannetta Griffin.
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