Foley: Bizjet Pricing Finally Appears To Be on the Rise

After more than a decade in which OEMs had little leverage to shore up pricing for business jets, the market is finally starting to turn and prices appear to be in the early stages of increasing, according to industry analyst Brian Foley, founder of Brian Foley Associates.

This marks a turn from the trend that came after worldwide business jet deliveries peaked in 2008 at 1,300 units. Deliveries have since plummeted, averaging about 700 units per year and leaving “the five principal builders—Bombardier, Embraer, Textron Aviation (Cessna and Beechcraft), Dassault Falcon Jet, and General Dynamics’ unit Gulfstream—fighting for sales from a diminished pool of buyers,” he said, providing little leverage on pricing.

But, according to Foley, “That’s all changing.” He called the “2020 blowout sales year” for preowned business jets an early harbinger for the market this year. “The number of used aircraft transactions have recently set all-time records, and the inventory to choose from has shrunk to just a third of typical levels. With few cream puffs remaining, buyers have nowhere left to go except to the new-plane showroom,” he said.

As a result, manufacturers posted book-to-bill ratios around 2:1 in their latest quarterly reports. “While some pricing pressures still remain, this has all of the hallmarks of morphing into a seller’s market,” he concluded.

Ampaire Begins Hybrid-electric Aircraft Trials in UK

Ampaire has launched demonstration flights of its hybrid-electric EEL aircraft between the UK’s Exeter and Cornwall airports as part of a series of government-backed trials to advance sustainable aviation technologies. The EEL is a modified Cessna 337 Skymaster with a front-mounted electric motor and conventional rear-mounted piston engine, a configuration that Ampaire said reduces emissions and operating costs by up to 30 percent.

The aircraft will fly between these two regional airports, which are 85 miles apart, using a combination of battery and piston power. Ampaire will be collecting in-flight data to monitor fuel savings, efficiency, and noise. Ampaire also heads a UK-based consortium created to explore regional electric aviation transport solutions.

EEL is being used by Ampaire as a research and development platform while the company develops hybrid-electric power systems for nine- to 19-seat regional aircraft, including for hybrid-electric conversions of Cessna Grand Caravans and Twin Otters. Ampaire views modifying existing turboprop aircraft with hybrid-electric systems as a first step to fully electric aircraft.

“We are pleased to see trials of innovative aircraft technologies that could improve the environmental sustainability of the aviation sector,” said Tim Johnson, director of the UK's Civil Aviation Authority. “The trials will enable the CAA to advance the safe and effective regulation of innovative services and products.”

Hill Helicopters To Offer Skid Gear Model

Hill Helicopters announced plans to offer its kit-built HX50 and certified HC50 turbine single helicopters with a skid landing gear option, in addition to the standard retractable wheeled gear. According to Hill, gear selection would not alter the price, which is currently listed at $679,000 for the kit.

The Hill skids will be made from composite and aluminum, with steel wear shoes, and include a wide skid heel that will aid landings in snow, mud, and loose gravel. To prevent ground resonance, the skids will be designed with vibration tuning. Hill said the skids are “slightly lighter” than the wheeled gear and are expected to decrease cruise speed by 15 knots, down to 125 knots. Either landing gear option works with the helicopter’s pop-out emergency floats, which are located in the aircraft’s belly.

Rugeley, UK-based Hill unveiled the five-seat HX50 in August 2020. It plans to initially offer it as a kit-built aircraft in 2023, with a FAA certified (Part 27) version—the HC50—following in 2026. The design features an all-composite, three-blade main rotor, retractable landing gear, ducted tail rotor, and a 500-shp turboshaft powerplant. Performance targets include a 140-knot cruise speed (retractable gear) and a maximum range of 700 nm.

Honeywell and InfiniDome Tackle GPS Jamming

Avionics manufacturer Honeywell and InfiniDome are collaborating on the development and delivery of GPS signal protection systems for commercial and military vehicles, including aircraft, urban air mobility (UAM) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and surface vehicles. InfiniDome’s GPS resilience technology mitigates the effects of GPS jamming and will be combined with Honeywell’s navigation sensors to provide the GPS signal protection solution.

GPS receivers can be affected not only by jamming but also by tall buildings or bridges that block the receiver’s view of the sky, so-called “GPS-denied environments.” As UAM vehicles and UAS proliferate, they require reliable access to the GPS network, and they will need “technology to readily handle signal disruption and maintain access to critical navigation and timing information,” according to Honeywell. “As more small vehicles take to the skies and roads in heavily populated areas, GPS signal availability must be maintained to provide accurate navigation, ensure safety, and protect property.”

InfiniDome’s patented technology is the only non-military GPS anti-jamming solution, according to the company. Its GPSdome thwarts electromagnetic interference “using null steering, a method of spatial signal processing to nullify communication jamming."

The Honeywell-InifiniDome solution is a combination of compact and lightweight hardware installed on the vehicle, as well as software and services. The companies plan to offer the commercial version of the GPS signal protection solution in the first half of 2022.

Being Prepared Goes Beyond the Requirements

Simply meeting a regulatory minimum is not enough. Pilots must be trained to excel and command their aircraft with calm confidence. Proficient is capable. Prepared is unshakeable. Pilots and their passengers shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security that checking a box is the same as being prepared.

MRO Insider Platform Adds Reviews of Maintenance Providers

Maintenance quoting software provider MRO Insider has released an upgrade that will allow any aircraft operator with “meaningful feedback” to post public reviews of service providers listed on its platform. According to the company, the new feature is available to all operators and is currently not tied to any maintenance requests made through the MRO Insider network.

The number of people seeking reviews before purchasing a product or service from a company continues to increase and is the reason behind the addition of the public reviews, said MRO Insider co-founder and president Andy Nixon. Providers listed on MRO Insider will be issued QR codes unique to them to solicit the reviews.

Nixon added that the company will review, verify, and approve all reviews submitted through the system for “transparency and fairness.” “We aren’t interested in belligerent customers or competitors using our platform to be vindictive or spiteful,” said Nixon. “We want to uphold an honest and transparent network and do that by posting accurate, fair, and informative reviews for users looking to use a provider for the first time.”

A future upgrade will allow providers to respond to the reviews.

NBAA-BACE To House Owner/Single-Pilot Ops Pavilion

NBAA is expanding its outreach to the owner/single-pilot operator segment with a new pavilion that will be housed at Las Vegas Henderson Executive Airport during its annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) this October. Staged for the first time, the Owner/Single-Pilot Operator Pavilion will be located within the NBAA-BACE outdoor aircraft display at Henderson.

“Owner-pilots are not just a key part of the business aviation community—they’re innovators, thought leaders, and groundbreaking entrepreneurs,” said Andrew Broom, NBAA senior v-p for strategy, marketing, and innovation. “This pavilion is more than just a place to gather, it’s a new platform for fostering deeply shared peer connections, to everyone’s benefit.”

Broom added that NBAA is partnering with owner-pilot groups on the initiative. The pavilion will house sessions tailored to the single-pilot turboprop and jet operator community. Textron Aviation will kick off a series of sponsored presentations at the pavilion on October 12 with a full schedule to be released closer to BACE. The pavilion will also provide space for networking opportunities.

In addition to the pavilion, NBAA continues to host its Single-Pilot Safety Standdown in conjunction with BACE. That event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. October 11 on the eve of BACE at the Las Vegas Convention Center. National Transportation Safety Board vice-chairman Bruce Landsberg is among the scheduled speakers.

NY/NJ Helicopter Traffic Draws Fresh Fire

Civil helicopter traffic is under fresh attack in New York and New Jersey, with public officials there moving to shut down heliports and otherwise significantly reduce flight operations.

In New York, an attempt by the town of East Hampton on Long Island to prevent special VFR (SVFR) activity at East Hampton Airport (KHTO), a move directed at limiting helicopter traffic, has been blocked via a temporary restraining order issued July 30 by U.S. District Court Judge Gary R. Brown. A final ruling is expected this fall. The town board has until September 20 to extend the contract of FBO Sound Aircraft Services or move to close the airport. If East Hampton closes, helicopter traffic there is expected to shift to the privately-owned Montauk Airport (KMTP). 

Meanwhile, the New York City West 30th Street heliport (KJRA) is the latest target of the Community Board 4’s (CB4) Waterfront, Parks & Environment Committee (WPE), which is pressuring the facility’s owner, the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT), to either significantly restrict operations or close it permanently.

And in New Jersey, bills introduced into the state legislature last year that restrict and/or ban civil helicopter traffic are garnering fresh support. A5514/S478 instructs the state transportation commissioner to create “rules and regulations to reduce the noise generated by helicopters at airports, heliports, and helistops licensed by the state.” Another bill, A5515/S479, would ban heli-tourism.  

Embraer Targets Fleet, Special Missions with New Post

Embraer has created a new position within its business jet unit to oversee fleet and special missions sales, the Brazilian airframer announced today. The new position, to be filled by former Gulfstream executive Mark Van Zwoll, was established because of “the continued adoption of the Phenom and Praetor product lines by the most prominent names in the charter and fractional segments,” Van Zwoll said. That includes the Phenom 300MED, an air ambulance version of its Phenom 300 light twinjet that Embraer unveiled last August.

“As the market recovers and strengthens, we must have an industry expert focusing on sales for potential fractional and charter customers, as well as the Phenom 300MED,” said Embraer Executive Jets chief commercial officer Stephen Friedrich. “We are confident that [Van Zwoll is] a seasoned leader and more than qualified to oversee and support the sales team during this opportune time.”

Van Zwoll, who will be v-p of fleet and special missions sales, has 15 years of business aviation experience at Gulfstream Aerospace, where he most recently was the G450/G550 program director.

AIN Events: Building a Sustainable Flight Department

AIN is hosting four one-day, in-person regional conferences on sustainability at the modern flight department. Attendees will learn about aviation’s contribution to carbon emissions and the reductions due to the Covid pandemic; regulator/government roles in minimizing aviation emissions (CORSIA, carbon credits); making sense of carbon offsets; building to LEED standards, and much more. Locations in New York, Texas, Florida, and California. Register today