Avfuel To Offer SAF Next Week at Jackson Hole Aviation 

Avfuel will make 7,300 gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available to turbine business aircraft operators at Jackson Hole Aviation on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The SAF demonstration is being held in conjunction with Jackson Hole (Wyoming) Airport’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new eco-friendly underground stormwater detention and filtration system on Tuesday.

“We’re committed to raising awareness on the viability of sustainable aviation fuel,” said Keith Sawyer, manager of alternative fuels for Avfuel. “Events like these show that the product exists, it is safe, it is simply jet fuel, and it provides a great benefit to our environment. By raising awareness, we’re hoping to garner commitments from more operators to use SAF and present those commitments to producers, in essence saying: ‘Here are our customers. The demand is there. We simply need the supply.’”

Avfuel sources its SAF from Gevo and blends it with petroleum-based jet fuel to meet ASTM D1655 standards. The Gevo SAF is created from corn starch and “the final jet fuel product burns cleaner, reducing carbon emissions released into the atmosphere,” Avfuel said.

Piaggio Pads Mx Business with $14 Million Deal

Piaggio Aerospace is continuing to build up its maintenance business with a recent contract valued at €12.6 million ($14 million) from Italian air navigation service provider ENAV to maintain four P.180 Avanti IIs used for flight inspection activities at national airports. Spanning seven years, the contract will provide integrated support for the Avantis, which rack up about 1,800 hours a year and are equipped to measure and calibrate airport navaids.

Importantly to Piaggio, the contract helps reinforce the company’s maintenance business as it strives to get on a stronger footing and searches for a buyer. “The agreement signed represents a further step forward in the turn-around process of Piaggio Aerospace,” said Vincenzo Nicastro, extraordinary commissioner of Piaggio Aerospace. “While strengthening the backlog of the Genoa factory-owned service center, it also confirms the unique expertise of the company in the airframe MRO domain, consolidated throughout decades of activities.”

The company entered extraordinary receivership late last year and this past spring announced it was accepting bids for a buyer. The Italian government gave important backing to the company this summer when it confirmed commitments for various contracts for €700 million ($798 million). That confirmation came with immediate contracts from the Italian Air Force totaling €167 million ($185 million) for engine maintenance and spares.

DOT’s Cert Committee Encompasses Spectrum of Industry

The U.S. Department of Transportation has selected officials representing a large swath of the aviation industry to make up its newly formed Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee (SOCAC). Born out of a directive in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, the 22-member panel takes on new importance as the FAA’s certification procedures have come under fire in the aftermath of the Boeing 737 Max crashes.

The SOCAC will advise the Secretary of Transportation on issues related to safety oversight and certification programs, including aircraft and flight standards processes, safety management systems oversight, risk-based oversight, and use of delegation. Announcing the committee’s membership, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said, “The committee’s input will help the department ensure that the FAA remains the world’s leader in aviation safety.”

The SOCAC comprises 20 voting members representing stakeholders and two non-voting FAA members. Members serve two-year terms. NBAA director William Ayer was named chair. In addition to the appointments of Ayer and NBAA director Shelly Lesikar deZevallos, the committee includes officials from the Modification and Replacement Parts Association, Pratt & Whitney, Aerospace Industries Association, Wing Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, Delta Air Lines, Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Gulfstream Aerospace, GE Aviation, National Air Transportation Association, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, United Airlines, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Garmin, Bell/Textron Aviation, and Helicopter Association International.

FAA Approves Elliott’s Standby Attitude Module STC

The FAA has approved Elliott Aviation’s STC for Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics’ MD302 Standby Attitude Module (SAM) as part of its Garmin G5000 avionics upgrade for the Cessna Citation Excel and XLS. The STC also allows for installation of the Mid-Continent unit in Honeywell Primus 1000-equipped Excels and XLSs, the Illinois-based business aviation services company announced this week. 

Mid-Continent’s MD302 provides attitude, altitude, airspeed, and slip information during both normal operation or primary instrument failure. It fits in less panel space than a standard set of two-inch mechanical attitude, altitude, and airspeed indicators. 

Elliott will offer it as an option in its future Excel/XLS G5000 installations. It currently has 17 of those installations scheduled.

“As leaders in the industry for the G5000 and G1000 NXi programs, we are continually pushing ourselves to find the best options for our customers,” said Elliott v-p of avionics programs and operational logistics Mark Wilken. “The MD302, or SAM, from Mid-Continent, gives operators the best and most reliable option for their standby system.”

Bell 505 Fleet Reaches 20,000 Hours

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X fleet has surpassed more than 20,000 flight hours, marking the fastest-growing accumulation of flight hours of any current Bell commercial platform, the Fort Worth, Texas-based rotorcraft manufacturer announced this morning. Bell has handed over 200 of the light single-engine helicopters to customers across six continents since the first delivery in 2017.

“Our Bell 505 operators rely on the aircraft to perform from the beginning of each day to when their mission is complete,” said LaShan Bonaparte, program director for the Bell 505 and 429 models. “Logging more than 20,000 flight hours is very impressive for an aircraft in service less than three years. This achievement is a testament to the Bell 505’s performance and our customers' confidence in the aircraft.”

The five-seat 505 features a dual-channel Fadec Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine and Garmin G1000H glass-panel avionics. The helicopter has a top speed of 125 knots, a useful load of 1,500 pounds, and maximum range of 306 nm. Earlier this summer, Bell received FAA type certification authorization to increase the performance information service ceiling of its Model 505 light single to a density altitude of 22,500 feet.

New NBAA Committee To Tackle Emerging Technology Issues

NBAA has established a new committee to focus on a spectrum of emerging aviation technologies, from unmanned aircraft systems and electric propulsion to urban air mobility, unmanned traffic management, and commercial space, among others. The association is soliciting applications for membership in the Emerging Technologies Committee, adding it is, in particular, looking for participants with experience in the development of these technologies, integration of them into the U.S. National Airspace System, support of associated infrastructure, and training. NBAA is encouraging manufacturers, software developers, operators, and other interested organizations to apply.

“NBAA is excited to launch this new committee to support developing technologies that represent significant growth opportunities for its member companies,” said NBAA director of air traffic services and infrastructure Heidi Williams. “The aviation professionals who make up this committee will help drive the future of aviation safety and policy.”

The committee will be tasked with developing insight to enable NBAA to better advocate on behalf of the industry on standards, rulemaking, and other policy initiatives. Additionally, the committee will provide educational and training sessions.

“This committee is an opportunity for innovators in aviation to influence consensus standards and regulations that will allow for safe integration of new technology into the NAS,” said Brad Hayden, president and CEO of Robotic Skies and chair of the new NBAA committee.

AMAC Touts Its MRO Side

Completion centers often rely on VIP aircraft MRO and support services as part of their business models, and AMAC Aerospace is among the most active in this space. In fact, the Basel, Switzerland-based company said it recently completed a trio of ADS-B Out installations—on two privately owned B737s and one Airbus A319—among a slew of other non-completion projects. Orders for three more ADS-B installations are also in hand.

Meanwhile, AMAC completed major maintenance projects on an additional two BBJs (one a head-of-state aircraft) and an ACJ319. The BBJs underwent a heavy maintenance check and a base maintenance check, respectively, and were returned to service on schedule. The ACJ319 underwent major maintenance and a landing gear overhaul. All three bizliners also received minor unspecified interior modifications.

Additionally, AMAC announced new maintenance contracts for two Airbuses—an ACJ340 and ACJ318—for unscheduled maintenance and minor cabin refurbishment, respectively; a BBJ C-check and ADS-B install; a Gulfstream G450 for an expedited pre-purchase inspection; and G550 C-check with Service Bulletin compliance, corrosion treatment, and minor interior modifications.

AMAC’s mobile repair squad has also been active. The company reported responding to a pair of AOG service requests this month, one from Zurich, the other from Africa for a Gulfstream GIV. The company sent a team to Africa within 24 hours, where work was underway at press time.

JetSolution Attains ISO Nod, Tackles Airport Closure

Hong Kong’s JetSolution Aviation Group has attained the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system standard, awarded by SIS Certifications, the group announced. The certification is in the scope of aircraft transactions and financing; air charter operations; aviation and legal compliance advisory; and aircrew placement for business aviation.

Meanwhile, the business aviation consultancy and charter company was able to navigate the challenging period of the August 12 week, at a time when the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) was closed for flights periodically as pro-democracy protesters flooded the terminals. In response, the Hong Kong Airport Authority activated the flight rescheduling control system to implement full control with limitations over the flight departure/arrival slot system. During that period, the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre (HKBAC) was the only appointed agent to apply for business jets runway slots.

“As a responsive and resourceful charter service provider in Hong Kong, we worked and communicated with HKBAC seamlessly to secure time slots for our clients, especially for intensive business travelers with urgent flying needs who may have found it almost impossible to depart during that hard time,” Wu said. She revealed that an IPO team's commercial flight was disrupted, and they switched to a business aircraft to complete the trip.

Tales from the Flight Deck: Grappling with Grief

Pilots are keenly aware about physical issues that might ground them from flying, including vision problems, cancer, and heart trouble. But mental and emotional issues can also cause problems if brought onto the flight deck. One of them is grief—the human response to losing someone or something we cherish. But even though they’re often unwilling to admit they need help coping with grief, pilots don’t have to do it alone.