Gulfstream Deliveries, Sales Soar in First Quarter

Business jet deliveries at Gulfstream Aerospace climbed nearly 31 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, largely due to G500 shipments, parent company General Dynamics reported today. The 34 deliveries in the quarter included 27 large-cabin and seven midsize jets, compared with 26 (19 large-cabin, seven midsize) in the same period a year ago. Seven G500s were handed over to customers in the quarter, with 17 in total delivered since the new large-cabin jet received FAA certification in July.

During an investor call this morning, General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic said order intake for Gulfstreams was “very strong” during the quarter and even outpaced deliveries, resulting in a nearly 1.5:1 book-to-bill ratio. “Backlog for the G650, G500, and G600 all increased in the quarter,” she said. “We’ve seen solid, but not overheated, demand for Gulfstream jets.”

Aerospace backlog stood at $12.168 billion on March 30, up from $11.375 billion at the end of last year. First-quarter revenues for the aerospace division, which also includes Jet Aviation, soared 22.7 percent from a year ago, to $2.240 billion thanks to higher Gulfstream deliveries and increased aircraft maintenance business. Earnings, however, fell $18 million from last year, to $328 million.

Meanwhile, Novakovic said the G600 is expected to get FAA approval by the end of June, with deliveries “on track” to start in the second half.

Jet Aviation Integrates Hawker Pacific Singapore

The Hawker Pacific operations at Singapore Seletar Airport have been successfully integrated into Jet Aviation, following its acquisition of Hawker Pacific in May 2018. The two companies operated adjacent MRO and FBO facilities at the Singapore airport.

As a single unified company, Jet Aviation’s expanded Singapore operation gains authorized service center status for Embraer and Dassault business jets, increases its available hangar space to nearly 20,000 sq m (215,278 sq ft), and more than doubles its headcount, now at 299 employees. Additionally, the move broadens the range of OEMs and aircraft types the location supports, while increasing its national aviation approvals to 19.

“We are delighted to see the two operations organized and functioning as one cohesive team,” said Louis Leong, Jet Aviation’s v-p of Asia and general manager at the Singapore facility. “It’s a big challenge to integrate two sites without disrupting customer services.”

Following the acquisition of Hawker Pacific by Jet Aviation almost a year ago, the company formed a new region in Asia-Pacific headed by Joe Reckling. Jet Aviation’s Asia-Pacific region now has more than 20 locations, including a regional MRO hub in Singapore, regional headquarters in Sydney, and some 1,100 employees.

Av8 Group Expanding Parts Inventories

Av8 Group’s AOG parts unit has acquired what it says are extensive parts inventories for Hawker 800A and Bombardier Challenger 604/605 business jets, according to the Houston-based company. Active expansion of the unit’s inventories continues through the acquisition of part-out aircraft and flight department inventories, it said.

Additional Hawker 800A inventory includes a large quantity of wheels and consumables, the company said. It also adds depth to its exchange pool with additional landing gear and TKS panels used by Av8’s MRO unit. Av8 Group CEO Yoel Arnoni told AIN the Challenger inventory was from an international operator and comprises “a wide variety of parts that would be required to keep an aircraft operating in a remote location.”

“These two inventories are really just the beginning of our efforts to expand the depth and support that our Av8 AOG parts unit can provide to our customers,” he added. “We are actively expanding to include other models of the Hawker and Challenger aircraft, as well as several Gulfstream models.”

Swiss ATC Convictions Draw Calls for Reg Changes

International air traffic controllers representatives are decrying convictions of controllers in Switzerland for operational incidents that caused neither damage nor injury, saying such legal actions will not improve safety. The representatives further urged Swiss leaders to adopt international standards surrounding just culture.

The most recent conviction, which came last month, involved a Skyguide controller at Zurich Airport. Saying it “regrets” the latest conviction, Skyguide stressed that it stands behind the controller in question. The air navigation services provider further underscored the importance of a just culture, which it said “is designed to ensure that mistakes that are neither intentional nor grossly negligent are not subject to disciplinary sanctions.” Skyguide also noted the controller’s employment “is not called into question by the conviction.”

After convictions in April and December 2018, the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations and the European Cockpit Association had expressed extreme disappointment and also stressed the importance of just culture. “Switzerland remains one of the few states that has chosen to deviate from international standards and recommendations,” they said.

Switzerland is beholden to a 1942 penal code that binds the court system in these cases, the organizations acknowledged and urged a review of the legal system. The U.S. National Air Traffic Controllers Association echoed those sentiments, joining the call for Switzerland to align with international standards that incorporate just culture principles.

Earthquake Damages Philippines Airport

Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga province, Philippines, was badly damaged after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Monday, but the Metrojet Engineering Clark MRO facility there appears to have suffered only minor damage, officials reported. Located 80 km (50 miles) outside Manila, the airport has been closed indefinitely after the earthquake struck at 5:11 p.m. on April 22.

The passenger terminal building, which was refurbished and expanded in 2016, had its ceiling blown off and glass panels in the air traffic control tower broken. According to Jim Sydiongco, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the agency is assessing the extent of the damage. The two runways, configured for simultaneous parallel operations, are also being checked for cracks.

Metrojet, meanwhile, said its hangar appears to have only a few broken windows but a thorough construction engineering analysis is underway. The facility was designed to withstand an earthquake up to 8 on the Richter Scale, the company said, adding, “Our team will keep monitoring the current situation to ensure potential risks are under control and mitigated.”

Six flights were canceled on the first day and 40 on the second at CIA following the earthquake. CIA is an alternate to Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Cutter Installs Performance Upgrade on HondaJet

Cutter Aviation recently completed an advanced performance modification group (APMG) upgrade on a HondaJet HA-420 at its Phoenix Sky Harbor service center. Honda Aircraft had rolled out the APMG modification option in October at NBAA 2018, offering a package that would enable operators of the original HondaJet to upgrade their aircraft performance and incorporate the latest technologies.

The APMG package includes the extension of the horizontal stabilizer, removal of vortex generators on the tail and winglets, elimination of the mid-aileron fence, as well as Garmin G3000 avionics software updates that enhance safety and situational awareness.

As a result of the package, aircraft takeoff field length is reduced 443 feet to 3,491 feet, forward baggage capacity is doubled to 200 pounds, mtow is increased to 10,700 pounds, and a range is extended by about 100 nm to 1,437 nm.

“I was impressed with the APMG HondaJet performance numbers when I was first sent example charts for takeoff, landing, and weight and balance,” said Taylor Butterfield, a HondaJet pilot at Cutter, which is an authorized service center for Honda Aircraft. “I ran a few scenarios that we fly on a frequent basis. The APMG package gives the HondaJet even more flexibility with payloads and typically allows us to utilize shorter runways for a given mission.”

Caverton Selects Heli-One for S-76C++ Mx

Heli-One Canada has signed a multi-year MRO agreement for Lagos, Nigeria-based offshore operator Caverton Helicopters’ Sikorsky S-76C++ fleet. The agreement includes maintenance support of the medium twin’s airframe, components (including dynamics), avionics, rotor blades, and rescue equipment.

“This agreement will ensure that Caverton will be covered for all planned and unplanned events at a predictable cost,” said Heli-One president Eddie Lane. “We have great turnaround times and innovative repairs for the S-76, helping Caverton reduce aircraft downtime and for them to continue providing key services for the Nigerian region.”

Caverton Helicopters’ fleet also comprises light singles and medium twins from Airbus, Bell, and Leonardo, providing offshore transport, as well as medevac, search and rescue, and maritime and coastal surveillance. It is a unit of the Caverton Offshore Support Group. “By utilizing Heli-One’s maintenance program, we can plan for predictable maintenance budgets, covering both scheduled and unscheduled events, maximizing our aircraft’s availability,” said Caverton Helicopters technical director Sean Ward.

FAA Broadens Maintenance Schools Proposal

Some three and half years after the FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the regulations governing the curriculum and operations of certified aviation maintenance technician schools, the agency has issued a supplemental NPRM that would expand the scope of that proposal to allow competency-based training (CBT) and satellite training locations and eliminate the national passing norms specified in the quality of instruction requirements.

The modified proposal is based on the FAA’s response to the nearly 325 comments submitted on the original proposal published on Oct. 2, 2015, that aimed to modernize and reorganize required curriculum subjects and revise the curriculum requirements to include an option for schools to use a credit-hour curriculum as an alternative to an instructional-hour curriculum. The agency proposed these changes because the existing curricula in some areas are outdated.

After analyzing the comments, the FAA agrees with expanding the scope of the proposal. In addition to allowing schools to deliver their approved curricula using a CBT program and to permit satellite training locations for these schools, the agency proposes to replace the current national passing norm requirements with a standard pass rate that would apply to all schools. CBT and satellite training locations would be voluntary provisions. 

Comments on the SNPRM are due by June 17.

Count on AIN for Full Coverage of EBACE

As ever, you can count on AIN for full coverage of EBACE 2019. Our team will publish three of our award-winning daily EBACE Convention News editions at the show on May 21, 22. And 23. We will also have comprehensive real-time reporting of all the top news at AINonline.com and in our daily e-newsletters. If you are an exhibiting company that wants to share news or propose pre-show interviews and briefings please contact show editor Chad Trautvetter.