FlightSafety Offers Advanced Rejected Takeoff for G550

FlightSafety International has begun offering an advanced rejected takeoff go/no-go recurrent course for Gulfstream G550 pilots that reviews and reinforces the skills and lessons learned in its initial course. “In addition to gaining proficiency in the go/no-go decision-making process, this invaluable course gives pilots another opportunity to fly their aircraft in the safe environment of a simulator under the high stress and demands of an emergency return to the airport after takeoff,” said FlightSafety senior v-p of operations Dann Runik.

A four-hour simulator session will present pilots with up to 13 new scenarios in which they have to decide whether to continue or abort a takeoff. The course is also designed to help validate an operator’s specific takeoff briefings by testing them against a variety of airports, environmental conditions, and weights.

It’s currently being offered at FlightSafety’s learning center in Savannah, Georgia. Later, it also will be offered at the company’s centers in Dallas; Long Beach, California; and Wilmington, Delaware. Similar courses are being developed for the Gulfstream G650 and G280 that are expected to be available later this fall.

Pilatus Tests PC-12s with Autothrottle, EEC

Pilatus Aircraft appears to be working on an upgrade to its PC-12 turboprop single that entails a higher-power Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-67XP engine with autothrottle and a single power lever, as well as new five-blade Hartzell propeller with electronically controlled hub, according to public information available from the FAA, EASA, and Swiss civil aviation office. In fact, Swiss aircraft registry records show that Pilatus has been flying two experimental-category PC-12s with the -67XP engine and at least one with the new Hartzell propeller system.

An EASA PC-12 type certification data sheet from May 22 indicates that the European authority has already approved a new aluminum Hartzell hub. This hub “complies with the propeller airworthiness requirements when used only with the…PT6E-67XP series engine, whose electronic software is written based on inputs from Hartzell’s dynamic simulation models,” the EASA document states.

Meanwhile, the FAA published two special conditions for “auto thrust” and an electronic engine control system for the PC-12 on Thursday, meaning that Pilatus is nearing U.S. certification for the upgrade, which would ostensibly include the -67XP engine and new Hartzell hub/propeller system.

A Pilatus spokesman wouldn’t comment about any such upgrade, but said the company “frequently [flies] aircraft under experimental status as we test out various new features, components, and systems that may or may not eventually come to market.”

GAMA Teams Up with JSFirm To Showcase Job Opportunities

Online personnel search specialist JSfirm has teamed with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) to highlight industry job opportunities. Job seekers can find job opportunities on the GAMA website that were posted through JSFirm. The site enables searches by category, keyword, location, or company name. GAMA members can have their job opportunities highlighted on the GAMA job page. In addition, they will receive a 20 percent discount on JSfirm job advertising packages.

“We are pleased to join with JSfirm to help highlight the great jobs available in the general aviation industry,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “This is another addition to GAMA’s ongoing efforts to build the aviation workforce we need today and into the future.”

“Our distribution partnerships help sustain our industry by promoting job opportunities through industry-leading associations like GAMA,” said Abbey Hutter, manager of marketing and partnerships for JSfirm.

The partnership is the second such arrangement JSfirm has arranged in recent months as aviation organizations grapple with workforce shortage concerns. Helicopter Association International this summer formally rolled out its web-based aviation job bank in partnership with JSfirm. Announced during the most recent Heli-Expo in Atlanta, the HAI job page also provides a searchable, interactive database of thousands of aviation jobs posted through JSfirm.

Airman Security Threat Rules To Apply to U.S. Citizens

New rulemaking updates current FAA security threat disqualification regulations and consolidates them under a single regulation. In sum, those regulations provide that no persons, including U.S. citizens, are eligible to hold an airman certificate, rating, or related authorization if the TSA notifies the FAA of an adverse security threat determination. The new rules go into effect on October 18.

Heretofore, airman security regulations were promulgated under several different regulatory codes and, due to the wording and intent of previous rulemaking, did not cover U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals. This new rulemaking closes that gap by applying the security disqualification requirements to all FAA pilot certifications, regardless of citizenship status.

Additionally, this rulemaking requires that the TSA coordinate with the FAA to ensure that individuals are screened before being certified by the FAA. Thus, the FAA will not issue a certificate to a screened individual identified by the TSA as a security threat. The amended rules include a hearing and appeal process for U.S. citizens.

This final rulemaking is based on an FAA notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on July 23, 2018. Because there were no pertinent comments to the NPRM, it has been adopted with no material changes.

MRO Insider Adds Maintenance Oversight Feature

Aviation maintenance quoting website MRO Insider has added a feature called Virtual DOM that offers maintenance oversight to flight department clients. This includes squawk/invoice review by a team of experienced maintenance directors, including Thoroughbred Aviation president/founder Nathan Winkle.

“By teaming up with Nathan and his team at Thoroughbred,” said MRO Insider co-founder Andy Nixon, “we now provide an avenue for aircraft owner/operators to dramatically increase their confidence when submitting and receiving maintenance quotes through our online platform, including physical oversight of the project when requested.”

According to Nixon, Virtual DOM is another step in the company’s “continued quest to provide transparency and standardization” in the business aviation industry

“The Virtual DOM component allows owners and operators to leverage decades of actual directors of maintenance expertise to support the RFQ and maintenance project oversight,” added Winkle. “Our team of technical leaders coupled with the quoting technology offered by MRO Insider is the best way for owners and operators to save time and have peace of mind.”

India’s FBOs Face Headwinds

General aviation in India, projected just four years ago to see a thriving future, today is a cash-strapped industry trodden under the weight of taxes and an economic slowdown. Sandwiched inside this scenario are the two FBOs at the Delhi International Airport (DIAL): Bird ExecuJet Airport Services and Indamer MJets Airport Services. Contracted in 2016 by DIAL, a single campus to house the two FBOs was supposed to be ready by October, but a senior official told AIN the facility to be inaugurated is “temporary,” with no conference rooms and added amenities. 

Rajeev Gupta, managing director of Indamer, expects the permanent building to be ready by March 2020 based on a design supplied by DIAL. Two hangars to be shared by both the companies are under construction along with two ancillary facilities.

The joint FBO represents an investment of $9 million—initially expected to be $15 million—from each of the two concessionaires for the FBO terminal, lounges, hangars, fuel, and parking. However, questions remain about return on investment (ROI).

"With the industry suffering financially, who in their right mind would invest in a facility that will only lose money?” queried R.K. Bali, managing director of the Business Aircraft Operators Association. “DIAL has sold them a dream of a great future that would have 150 private jet landings and their ROI would be outstanding."

Utah Launches Rotor Career Pathway Program

A program that provides rotor-specific aviation classes to high school students through partnerships with industry, high schools, and universities has officially rolled out in Utah, according to an announcement today from Helicopter Association International. The Utah Rotor Pathway Program partners universities with local high schools to teach rotor-specific aviation flight training and technician classes where high school students learn basic ground school material and earn college credit. 

High school students will also have opportunities to work with industry partners through job shadowing, internships, and mentoring. Though it is in its initial stages of implementation, the program already has more than 40 members from 22 different program partners that in addition to universities include local operators in air medical and heavy-lift, as well as flight schools, tour operators, and local government agencies. 

Students at Cedar Valley High School in Eagle Mountain, Utah, will be among the first to benefit from the program and are teamed up with Southern Utah University and Utah Valley University.

Esposito To Leave Honeywell Aerospace

Long-time Honeywell Aerospace senior executive Carl Esposito is leaving the company to take a new role in the automotive industry, as senior v-p and president of Lear Corporation's E-Systems division. Esposito will join Lear, which manufactures automotive seating and electrical systems, on September 3, reporting to president and CEO Ray Scott.

Currently president of Honeywell’s electronic solutions strategic business unit, Esposito has had a nearly 30-year career with the company. In his most recent position, he leads a global workforce of more than 6,500, overseeing strategy, product development, and sales for the $5 billion business involving integrated electronics, software, sensors, navigation, safety, surveillance, and connectivity solutions.

He also has served as v-p of marketing and product management, v-p of avionics systems marketing and product management, and v-p of business and general aviation worldwide sales during his tenure with Honeywell.

"Carl will be an outstanding president of E-Systems during this time of accelerated industry growth and change,” Scott said. “He is a highly analytical and strategic technology business leader who will leverage his tremendous expertise in electronics, software, and connectivity to further enhance E-Systems' strong product platforms.”

Land, Taxi, Park, Then Rate FBO While You Wait

Don’t wait—AIN’s FBO survey is now open for year-round feedback. It takes only a minute, and you can do it while waiting for passengers, on the shuttle bus to/from the hotel or any other time that is convenient for you. Log on to www.ainonline.com/fbosurvey to rate your experiences at the FBOs you visit.