LABACE, which organizers postponed until November in the hope of the pandemic’s passing, will now happen only next year on the traditional timetable, from August 9 to 11, Brazilian business aviation association ABAG said yesterday. The association canceled the 2021 edition of the São Paulo fair, Latin America’s largest business aviation event, “due to global and local uncertainties…principally those related to new variants of Covid-19.”
ABAG told AIN that LABACE 2021 sales had been going well despite a late start, with 50 new exhibitors expressing interest and more than 20 contracts signed. The association had planned pandemic-related adaptations such as swapping the air-conditioned tent for an open hangar, canceling in-person panels, and limiting the public to invitation-only. Brazil’s advancing vaccination rates also raised optimism, but the encouraging signs proved insufficient.
The 2019 show marked Brazil’s recovery from its longest recession, and LABACE 2021 had been getting a boost from the long-awaited government approval of fractional aircraft ownership, the strength of the dollarized agribusiness market, and new clients driven to private flying by the pandemic. ABAG also canceled LABACE 2020 due to the pandemic.
AINsight: ‘Build It and They Will Come’
How can we build our talent pipeline in business aviation? For starters, we need to rethink the long-held belief that every corporate pilot must have 3,000+ hours total time. We also need to find ways to appeal to younger pilots—before they head to the airlines.
One way to accomplish this is for Part 91 flight departments to take a cue from the airlines and develop an ab initio training program. That means that your organization brings in a low-time pilot with little to no experience. And, in turn, your team gives him or her training and mentoring to ensure they become competent, proficient captains over time. It’s akin to “Build it and they will come.”
How doable is it to hire a low-time pilot? Many aviation leaders say it’s impossible, putting the blame on insurance underwriters. But I spoke with Kyle White, an aviation practice leader from Marsh McLennan and ATP-rated pilot, who explained that certain departments can bring on a low-time pilot. It's thanks to an insurance authorization in the pilot warranty—informally referred to as “chief pilot approval.” So it can be done.
To build our talent pipeline so that they’ll come, we need to rethink how and when we bring new people into the industry. One way is to recruit pilots who are less experienced, but nonetheless passionate and willing to learn.
Jet Edge Adding 27 Super-Large, Super-Mid Jets To Fleet
A little more than two months after receiving a $150 million credit facility from investment firm KKR, Jet Edge International has announced that it is adding a mix of new and used jets to its fleet—16 Bombardier Challenger 300/350s and 11 Gulfstream G450s—through transactions valued at $200 million. The Van Nuys, California-based aircraft charter, management, and brokerage company said the aircraft, acquired with the help of the KKR funds, will be part of the fleet that supports its AdvantEdge hybrid ownership program, which was announced in June.
Jet Edge CEO Bill Papariella said the fleet additions come in response to record growth in the first half of 2021 and demand for the company’s AdvantagEdge program. “Mid-2020, our senior teams saw availability as a gating item post-vaccine rollout and knew we had to get ahead of the curve via our new AdvantEdge program, which sold out within 90 days of announcing the new product,” he said.
Acquired through the open market, the additional jets bring the number of aircraft in JetEdge’s AdvantEdge fleet to 74. They are less than 10 years old on average and will receive new paint, interiors, and improved cabin technology such as Gogo 4G wireless streaming, Bluetooth-controlled sound systems, and updated USB charging ports. Deliveries began in July and are expected to conclude by December 15, according to Jet Edge.
Nextant Offers Free Fusion Software Upgrade for CL604s
The FAA has approved Nextant Aerospace’s upgraded software supplemental type certificate (STC) for Bombardier Challenger 604s with Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics. Nextant—which is making the upgrade available at no charge to operators of Challenger 604s with Pro Line Fusion—said the STC provides added capabilities to enhance safety and pilot awareness, as well as saving time for pilots and operators.
Specifically, the upgrade includes FMS-calculated thrust and V-speed and FMS-predicted performance similar to the Precision Plus mode that existed on the earlier Pro Line 4 avionics. These calculations had to be manually done with original Pro Line Fusion installations. Also included in the software update are a new FMS vertical situation display, European Aeronautical Telecommunication Network Baseline 1 CPDLC, and RNP 0.3 approach functionality. Validations of the STC from EASA, Transport Canada, and other regulators are underway.
For the past two years, certification engineers from Constant Aviation have been working with Collins and the FAA on the software upgrade. Nextant is also working on an FAA Flight Standardization Board Operational Evaluation for training requirements that will support Part 135 operators upgrading to Fusion v2 software.
In addition, the FAA approved Nextant’s Fusion Integrated AutoThrottle compatibility with the Fusion v2 software, ensuring the system remains operational on Challenger 604s post-upgrade.
Jefferies: Preowned Market Continues To Shrink
Available business jet inventories continue to plunge with the number of preowned jets for sale falling 43 percent from August 2020 and 7 percent from last month, according to a new report by analyst Jefferies. Significantly, younger aircraft are even less available: the inventory of in-production aircraft or those less than seven years out of production fell 51 percent.
In all, 1,008 business jets have been available for sale this month, Jefferies said, citing Amstat data. This compares with 1,089 available in July and 1,767 in August 2020. Including all vintages and models, the number of jets for sale dipped to 4.1 percent of the active fleet this month, down from the 5.8 percent one-year average.
Heavy jet inventories are down 36 percent year-over-year while light/medium availability has declined 45 percent.
Cessna Citation available inventories saw one of the biggest drops, down 61 percent year-over-year to a total of 93 units, representing 2.4 percent of the active fleet. The available inventory of Embraer jets dropped 59 percent year-over-year to 35 units, while Dassault inventory levels were down 43 percent to 32 units. While 95 preowned Gulfstreams were available for sale in August 2020, that number has fallen to 58 units this month, a 39 percent decline. Bombardier inventory also fell 39 percent year-over-year to 78 units.
AOPA Foundation’s You Can Fly Program Grows Nationwide
The AOPA Foundation You Can Fly High School Aviation STEM Curriculum is gaining traction throughout the country as some 300 educational institutions in 44 states have incorporated it into their 2021/2022 course offerings.
That marks a 50 percent year-over-year increase in the number of participating schools and a 22 percent increase in the number of states where the curriculum is taught. In the 2020/2021 school year, the curriculum was offered at 200 institutions in 36 states with 8,000 students participating, AOPA reported.
“We are thrilled with the excitement surrounding aviation STEM programs and with the rapid expansion of the AOPA Foundation You Can Fly High School Aviation STEM Curriculum,” said AOPA Foundation You Can Fly executive director Elizabeth Tennyson.
The curriculum provides pilot and drone pathways and teaches the principles necessary to pass FAA knowledge tests. Since the curriculum is funded through donations, the AOPA Foundation offers it to schools for free, a move that enables it to reach populations underrepresented in aviation.
In fact, during the last school year, an estimated 45 percent of teachers and 55 percent of students participating in the curriculum came from schools classified as either mid-high poverty (meaning 50 percent to 75 percent free and reduced lunch) or high poverty (greater than 75 percent free and reduced lunch), AOPA said.
Mumbai-based Vman Aero Services aims to be among the first companies to enter the general aviation aircraft leasing market in India since the establishment earlier this year of a framework permitting these types of transactions. The International Financial Services Center Authority (IFSCA) announced the framework at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Ahmedabad in India’s western state of Gujarat.
Vman Aero has signed for an Airbus Helicopters H125 that it intends to dry lease to a customer by year-end, company CEO Vishok Mansingh told AIN. It also signed options for four more of the light single helicopters that can be exercised by March 2022.
“We can now provide economical leasing solutions to the general business and helicopter segment in India that international lessors are wary to look at,” said Mansingh. He added that being based in India and knowing the market well would help Vman Aero to monitor any defaulting companies.
“One of the biggest challenges in general aviation [in India] is access to leased equipment at a reasonable cost,” he added. The H125, said Mansingh, has potential in India for multi-role missions, including passenger/VIP transportation and aerial work.
However, going forward, Vman Aero plans to add larger aircraft to its leased inventory, according to Mansingh.
Aerobility, a UK-based charity offering disabled people the opportunity to fly, is celebrating the arrival of its fifth aircraft, a two-seat Grob G109B self-launching motor glider. The group will be operating the aircraft within its charity fleet and also marketing it.
“Aerobility exists to change lives through the magic of flight,” said the organization’s CEO, Mike Miller-Smith. “We are very proud to present this new aircraft type, which will deliver magic to its owners whilst the proceeds will support disabled aviation.”
Founded in 1993 in Blackbushe, England, the charity fleet operates from two additional facilities—in Tatenhill and Liverpool. Nearly 1,000 disabled people per year are participating with Aerobility, according to Miller-Smith.
Additional aircraft are set to join Aerobility under the auspices of Project Able, a UK government-backed program launched last year with the goal of repurposing 60 military training aircraft for civilian use. Aerobility will adapt eight of these aircraft to enable them to be flown by disabled people. Each of the adapted airframes will help around 2,600 disabled people take to the skies yearly with Aerobility.
Photo of the Week
Clean n’ shiny. Daryian Tabor, the sales marketing coordinator at Omni Aircraft Sales, took this and other photos of this just-detailed Daher TBM 850 at Riverside Municipal Airport (KRAL) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a gift to its new owner. The turboprop single was acquired for the client by Omni Aircraft Sales and is now managed by Omni Air Transport in Addison, Texas. Thanks for sharing, Daryian!
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