West Star Aviation is standing up an authorized Embraer base maintenance facility at its Chattanooga, Tennessee location with the addition of a leased 19,200-sq-ft hangar and a 7,000-sq-ft back shop. New LED lighting, fall protection, and remodeled office and lounge space are some of the features of the revamped facility. A fuel farm tank also has been added.
“We are delighted to be able to offer this upgraded additional hangar and shop space, providing our team and customers with the much-needed area to service even more aircraft and specifically for our Embraer customers,” said West Star Chattanooga general manager Steve Goede. “As an authorized Embraer base maintenance facility, the new space is a welcome addition for our Embraer operators.”
The dedicated Embraer facility is part of a larger expansion by West Star in Chattanooga, where it has started construction on more hangar and office space. When complete in June 2023, West Star will have a footprint encompassing 256,828 sq ft at the Tennessee airport.
Los Angeles-area business aviation hub Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) has completed the reconstruction project on Runway 16L/34R, the shorter of its two runways. This will add at least another two decades of life to the surface. The $13.1 million effort took six months to finish and saw the complete rebuild of the 4,000-foot runway, with the use of 100 percent recyclable materials for its base.
Additional safety enhancements to the runway and taxiway included the installation of 167 LED lights, enhanced signage and markings, and the addition of an engine run-up area adjacent to the runway. This is the latest in a recent span of infrastructure projects at the airport.
In a ceremonial first flight to activate the new runway, a 1979-vintage Cessna 152 from a local flight school, specially modified to run on the UL94 unleaded gasoline recently made available at the airport, was chosen.
“As one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, Van Nuys Airport is proud to provide our tenants and visitors with facilities that will enhance safety and efficiency for decades to come,” said Justin Erbacci, CEO of KVNY operator Los Angeles World Airports. “From offering more sustainable fuels and on-site solar power to investing in our airfield infrastructure, we are creating the most sustainable and desirable general aviation airport in the world.”
With nearly 300 towers installed, SmartSky Networks' air-to-ground (ATG) system is now able to provide high-speed airborne connectivity for 97 percent of business aviation flight routes in the continental U.S., according to CEO Dave Helfgott. The remaining towers to build out the full network of 330 towers are “edge cases” in remote areas, he explained, and include some that will add density to the network.
SmartSky is continually testing its ATG network with three of its own aircraft—a Beechcraft King Air B200, Cessna Citation Excel, and Cessna Skymaster. In addition to the Excel, supplemental type certificates (STCs) are available for installation of the SmartSky system in the Gulfstream GIV/GV and G450/G550 (Pentastar); Bombardier Challenger 601 through 650 (Duncan Aviation); and Embraer EMB-135/145 and Legacy 600/650 (StandardAero).
“There are a lot more STCs on the horizon,” said SmartSky president Ryan Stone. “We’re working closely with flyExclusive on their fleet and also Jet It. We’re trying to get all the popular models certified.” SmartSky dealers that develop the STCs will share them under license arrangements so other MRO facilities can install the system, Stone explained.
While the current SmartSky airborne hardware is designed for midsize and larger jets, SmartSky is developing the Lite system for smaller aircraft.
The Helicopter Association International (HAI) has formally petitioned the FAA for an expanded exemption to the requirement for properly functioning radar altimeters in helicopter air ambulances to cover both Part 91 and 135 operations due to the potential of interference from 5G C-band cellular service.
Specifically, HAI is requesting, on behalf of its members, an amendment to Exemption No. 18973 for relief from FAR 91.205(h)(7), 91.9(a), 135.160, and 135.179(a) to expand relief to operations conducted under Parts 91 and 135, including operations with night-vision goggles and night landings and takeoffs from unimproved or off-airport sites with inoperative or unreliable radio altimeters. Comments are due to the FAA by August 29.
In June, key U.S. government, wireless, and airline stakeholders agreed to a partial extension of the 5G C-band mitigation near airports by cellular companies Verizon and AT&T that was to expire July 5. However, this serves primarily the interest of mainline and regional airlines. Under a framework of continuing cooperation, operators of regional aircraft with radio altimeters most susceptible to interference will retrofit them with radio frequency filters by the end of 2022. Helicopter interests have long maintained that this does not address the potential of C-band interference at and around hospital helipads/heliports or while conducting scene work.
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) has been operating in Brazil for more than 20 years and David Caporali, JSSI’s v-p for business development in Latin America, sees the market as primed for expansion. “Latin America is a very fertile place for us,” Caporali said.
The company has 350 to 400 aircraft in its support programs throughout the region, out of 5,000 enrolled worldwide, and has seen a recent double-digit surge in business flying in Brazil and strong increases in Mexico as well. “Our presence in Mexico is very strong,” Caporali said. He called the expansion of business flying in Brazil “huge” over the last five years, driven by local demand in part generated by strong commodities markets. Approximately 60 percent of JSSI’s Brazilian customers operate jets, with the remainder in turboprops and helicopters.
Aside from the raw growth in flight hours, other factors are in play that make JSSI and the maintenance and ownership services it offers particularly attractive to customers in the region. “Brazilian operators are taking a much more professional approach to aviation recently," Caporali said, adding that the proliferation of this aviation professionalism was a result of the combination of wider adoption of operator best practices and the asset protection requirements of aircraft financiers.
Zürich, Switzerland-headquartered Daedalean—a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) software for aircraft—has opened an office in Phoenix. Joining its locations in Switzerland and Latvia, the U.S. office will serve the future of autonomous flight control systems in North and South America. Additionally, the company has hired industry tech and sales veteran Dr. Yemaya Bordain as president to lead the new office.
Bordain joins Daedalean after more than seven years as global sales director at Intel, where she architected and grew the global adoption of Intel’s product offerings addressing safety in the aerospace industry. Also at intel, she managed industry-leading advances in partnership with top global OEMs, including Lockheed-Martin, Collins Aerospace, Indra Sistemas, and Mercury Systems.
“Bordain brings her strong technical and domain expertise in a winning combination with the aerospace industry-wide relationships and deep knowledge of the ecosystem. Landing this accomplished and talented executive to lead the Phoenix office shows the priority, dedication, and commitment to Daedalean’s strategic development in the U.S.,” said Daedalean CEO and founder Dr. Luuk van Dijk.
Daedalean employs a team of more than 90 people with expertise in machine learning and computer vision, aviation-grade software engineering, flight testing, safety assessment, and certification. Avidyne is working with the company on PilotEye, an AI-based see-and-avoid system for aircraft.
Delaware-based MRO provider Summit Aviation has added the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to its OEM-authorized customer support center certificate, the company announced yesterday. This authorization builds on its certification as a customer support center for legacy S-76s in 2013, followed by expanded authorization for the support of S-76D helicopters in 2016.
The Greenwich AeroGroup company noted that it has serviced S-92s since 2016. “We are extremely pleased to include the S-92 helicopter to our current certificate,” said Summit v-p and general manager Ralph Kunz. “This authorization, along with our recent EASA certification, opens the doors for us to serve even more S-92 operators.”
Founded more than 60 years ago, Summit Aviation offers aircraft maintenance, modifications, avionics, engines, mission equipment integration, paint, FBO, sales and leasing, field training, flight testing support, and over-the-counter part sales. The company is also a factory-authorized service center for Bell, Blackhawk, Cessna, and Raisbeck Engineering, and it is a Department of Defense-approved contractor.
NBAA’s Local and Regional Group Committee is planning to hold quarterly meetings with state and regional business aviation associations to increase communications between the organizations. "It’s vital that our respective associations speak with a singular voice on national issues, as we’ve seen recently with matters like ATC privatization,” said Steve Hadley, NBAA’s senior director of regional programs and Southwest regional representative. At the same time, Hadley added that NBAA would like to better support these groups on their regional issues.
NBAA held the first such meeting in late May, focusing on the resources it had to support the groups as the business aviation community attempts to emerge from the pandemic. “The past couple of years have certainly been challenging to navigate,” said NBAA Local and Regional Group Committee chair Kyle Eiserer, who is the owner of Airside FBO. “Some groups remained active [during the pandemic], but others are just now coming out of hibernation, in a sense. It’s really important for them to have the latest information and resources available.”
Another focus is on workforce development, and Eiserer noted that regional groups can provide insights and new ideas that could help at a national level. “Getting out in front of up-and-coming generations is so important,” he said.
It’s Not Easy Being Green, but AIN Can Help
Join AIN in Chicago on August 30 for a free, in-person Sustainability Forum to learn about how to develop a sustainability plan for your corporate flight department. Topics to be discussed by industry experts will include sustainability legislation and industry goals, benchmarking current sustainability efforts, sustainable aviation fuel, and offset programs such as carbon credits and book-and-claim. A wrap-up will feature an OEM’s initiatives that enable corporate aviation to achieve the carbon-neutrality goals set for the next decade. Register today—lunch will be served and seating is limited.
Bombardier EcoJet Could Help Usher in Greener Bizjets
Bombardier’s engineering teams have been given the freedom to explore a wide range of technologies in their quest for sustainable aircraft. The eye-catching blended wing design of its EcoJet technology demonstrator models may also prove to be a template for new business jets that could run on hydrogen and other new propulsion systems. Incremental reductions in carbon emissions might even come sooner than expected as proven new technologies are introduced to Bombardier’s family of private aircraft.
Requires inspecting the horizontal stabilizer lower skin and associated bonded doublers and bonded stringers, repairing any area with corrosion beyond allowable damage limits, and incorporating revisions to the airworthiness limitations section in the aircraft maintenance manual or progressive maintenance program. Prompted by corrosion of the horizontal stabilizer lower bonded skin assemblies.
Requires amending the aircraft flight manual to introduceinstructions for flight crew to safely operatetheairplane with inboard slatsremainingretracted. Prompted by a report of a failed extension of inboard slats during landing phase, which was not indicated to the flight crew by the crew alerting system. The retracted inboard slats position was, however, correctly depicted by the flight control system synoptic.
Requires replacement of certain main landing gear (MLG) and nose landing gear (NLG) electro-mechanical actuators. Prompted by reported occurrences of corrosion on the MLG and the NLG actuator attachment lugs, underneath the anti-rotation pads. Subsequent investigation revealed that extension and retraction of the landing gear results in fretting between the anti-rotation pads and the actuator attachment lugs. Over time, this can damage the surface protection and lead to corrosion of the attachment lug areas underneath the anti-rotation pads. If not detected and corrected, this condition may lead to crack propagation at corrosion spots, followed by fracture and consequent failure of the attachment lug, possibly resulting in unintended extension of the landing gear combined with the loss of the regular extension/retraction functionality.
Requires making a temporary revision to the airplane flight manual to include an "Advisory BLEED LOOP FAULT (A) Non-Normal Procedure" to prevent takeoff of an airplane with an active bleed air leak annunciated while on the ground. This AD also prohibits the installation of any sensing element that may have insufficient salt fill as a replacement part. Prompted by disclosure letters from the supplier of overheat detection sensing elements that reported a manufacturing quality escape in which some of the sensing elements were manufactured with insufficient salt fill. Since these sensing elements are used by the bleed air leak detection system for temperature detection in the event of a hot bleed air leak, insufficient salt fill can result in an inability to detect hot bleed air leaks that can cause damage to surrounding structures and systems.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
AINalerts is a publication of AIN Media Group, 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
