Dassault, Mitsubishi Tops in AIN Product Support Survey

For the second year in a row, Dassault Aviation held the top spot in the 2020 AIN Product Support Survey for business jet manufacturers, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America maintained its crown as the best in the turboprop category.

French airframer Dassault recorded this year’s highest combined overall average of newer and older jets of 8.3 out of a possible 10, based on results of AIN’s survey of aircraft operators, pilots, and maintainers. Gulfstream Aerospace came in second for a second consecutive year based on its large-cabin jet combined overall average of 8.2. That leaves Embraer in a tie for third place alongside Gulfstream’s mid-cabin offerings, each with a score of 8.1.

On the turboprop side, Mitsubishi’s out-of-production MU-2 continued its dominance in the combined overall average ratings of newer and older aircraft, holding the top spot once again with a 9.0 average. Product support for the Pilatus PC-12 came in second with an average score of 8.0, while the 7.5 overall average for Textron Aviation King Air support put it in third place among turboprop OEMs.

For this year’s survey, there were 687 respondents who rated 2,063 aircraft broken down into 141 models. The minimum number of ratings required to include a manufacturer’s aircraft in the final results is 20.

Signature Expands European Network with TAG FBO Buy

Signature Flight Support expanded its European network with the acquisition of the two TAG Aviation FBOs in Switzerland, it announced today. Marking the global service provider’s first entry into the Swiss market, the deal includes the former TAG FBO at Geneva International Airport, a market long coveted by Signature. The move signals the end of TAG’s more than half-century run as an FBO operator at Geneva.

Located in the airport’s general aviation terminal, the facility includes three private passenger lounges, two crew rest areas, and an eight-seat conference room. As the airport sits astride the border between Switzerland and France, both Swiss and French customs clearance are available on site, along with dedicated fueling capability. During the winter, deicing is available in-house.

The purchase also includes the location at Sion, which includes a private terminal and hangar complex with on-site Swiss Customs.

“Europe continues to be an area of strategic opportunity for our global business,” said Signature CEO Mark Johnstone. “TAG Aviation’s tenured presence in Geneva presented an excellent means to enter the second busiest general aviation market in Europe, and its operations in Sion are a source of valuable seasonal traffic. We look forward to building on the extensive reputation for service excellence that TAG Aviation has cultivated.”

Emergency First Response Could Boost Urban Air Mobility

Emergency medical service (EMS) providers could benefit as early adopters of eVTOL aircraft, according to experts speaking in an NBAA webinar on Friday. This type of application, they argued, could also help to build public acceptance of the new technology, especially for urban air mobility operations.

The event was held on the same day that China’s EHang announced plans to use its 216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) for firefighting. Webinar attendees also heard from startup Jump Aero, which is developing an eVTOL specifically for use by first responders.

According to Yolanka Wulff, co-executive director of the Community Air Mobility Initiative, EMS missions using eVTOLs will generally not need as much new infrastructure as applications such as air-taxi services. In her view, new airspace infrastructure is probably more of a challenge overall than ground infrastructure, and she urged the industry to try to enlist the support of state and local officials in pushing for progress on this front.

Wulff said building support for EMS applications with public officials will be helped by the fact that they have the potential to aid the wider community. “It has a clear public benefit,” she stated. “Everybody understands when a medevac helicopter flies overhead that there is a public benefit.”

Austin-Bergstrom Intl Sees Secondary Runway Closure

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has extended the closure period for its secondary 9,000-foot Runway 17R/35L, which began on June 6, through the end of October. An airport spokesperson told AIN that the initial contracting process took slightly longer than anticipated to implement, necessitating the change in timeline from the original early September completion date.

The $10 million airfield electrical and pavement improvements project, paid for with a combination of FAA AIP grant and airport funding sources, is expected to span 27 months and will update aging runway lighting and signage to increase circuit reliability and repair runway and taxiway pavement to address findings in a 2015 pavement condition study. Additionally, to adjust for the shift in magnetic variation, the airport’s two parallel runways will be renamed to 18 and 36, requiring changes to signage and surface painted markings.

One beneficiary of the extended runway closure is nearby privately-owned Austin Executive Airport. General manager Jodie Kaluza reported that she has seen an influx of new business aviation customers who wish to avoid the extensive taxiing required to reach the FBOs when using Bergstrom’s primary Runway 17R/35L.

EASA Issues Covid-19 Op Recommendations for Airports

With the Covid pandemic causing drastic disruptions in air travel, ground service providers have felt the impact, particularly in Europe, leading some of those businesses to scale down or cease operations entirely. As a result, EASA has issued a Safety Information Bulletin with recommendations for airport operators to ensure the safety and regularity of services.

In cases where the ground handler has ceased services or where certain services are no longer available, this should be communicated to aircraft operators by all means possible, including Notams. They should liaise with the national aviation authority to ensure the continuity of service with regard to the expected traffic demand and coordinate with the service provider on a return-to-service plan.

Unused or inoperable ground service equipment should be removed from areas that affect flight operations and aircraft servicing, and service providers should check all such equipment before it is returned to service. Use of equipment and vehicles by those who do not have proper apron driving authorization should not be permitted, and any personnel who are allowed unescorted access to the apron should receive refresher training in regard to safety and operational procedures, as well as be briefed on any new modifications.

Airports are also encouraged to work with their ground handlers to ensure the establishment of staff well-being programs.

One in Five S-92 Helicopters Parked

While the offshore helicopter market is showing signs of recovery, 39 Sikorsky S-92s, comprising 19 percent of the global market, remain parked. Among the active fleet, flying hours are down 27 percent. Those are among the findings from the most recent “S-92 Fleet Census” from Air & Sea Analytics. 

The report notes that offshore helicopter services companies Babcock, Bristow, CHC, and Lider are returning aircraft to lessors against the backdrop of one-quarter of the world’s mobile offshore oil rigs being scrapped since 2015. Nevertheless, Air & Sea Analytics director Steve Robertson said, “Relative to other [oil field services] segments, we’d argue it’s [the S-92] one of the best performing over the last 12 months.” But he acknowledged that many owners and operators are “having a rough time.” The largest concentration of based S-92s continues to be in the UK, with 41, but of that number only 29 are active.  

Nevertheless, glimmers of hope remain. GECAS helicopter leasing unit Milestone Aviation is adding to its S-92 fleet, already the world’s largest, and finding placements for them. The overall count of heavies and super-mediums has increased slightly, from 214 to 224, a function of increased deliveries of the latter to offshore operators. The report found that “super-medium units continue to be delivered and find work in the market.” And at least two operators, Cougar and Chevron, are increasing their super-medium fleet size.

European Charter Provider Caters to Athletes

As athletic competitions and professional sports leagues begin to resume in Europe, private jet charter operator KlasJet has seen an uptick in usage and, as a result, is focusing on perfecting the travel experience for teams. KlasJet is aware “that a professional athlete’s nutrition must strictly align with a designated regimen at all times,” the company said, and to that end, it has introduced specialized flight menus catering specifically to the needs of sports teams, developed in coordination with each team’s own sports medicine doctors along with its Italian sports charter specialist partner That Aviation.

“BC Žalgiris has already taken this opportunity,” said Paulius Motiejunas, team director of the Lithuanian basketball club. “We have incorporated the unique menus into the team’s routine and can safely say that we are fully satisfied with the outcome.”

KlasJet also assures its athlete clientele fast and convenient check-in and security procedures, and kits of personal protection equipment are supplied onboard the aircraft. “We are always eager to identify the requirements of our customers and find methods to exceed their expectations,” noted Rita Domkute, CEO of Lithuania-based KlasJet, which operates several Boeing 737s. “As a company, we are rather privileged to have such a strong partnership with competitive and highly experienced professionals, as well as all the resources necessary to support the demanding lifestyle of athletes.”

Astronautics RoadRunner EFI Approved for Medium Bells

Rotorcraft Services Group (RSG) has received FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for installation of Astronautics’ AFI4700 RoadRunner electronic flight instrument (EFI) on Bell 412/412EP/412HP/412SP/212 helicopters. Similar STC validations from EASA, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s AFAC are expected shortly.

RSG is an authorized Astronautics dealer and installer. The retrofit is approved for single-pilot IFR operations and enables localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches and Rnav with capable GPS while interfacing with multiple aircraft sensors. The EFI is night vision system compatible and is upgradeable with field-loadable software. Synthetic vision and helicopter terrain awareness and warning system (HTAWS) are the next planned enhancements to the instrument.

“The RoadRunner EFI as an easy-to-install upgrade solution. Operators can quickly replace aging electromechanical instruments with a modern, more capable system in the time it takes for a regularly-scheduled maintenance visit,” said Greg Plantz, Astronautics vice president of sales and business development.

The RoadRunner EFI also is FAA STC approved for installations in Leonardo A109/AW119 helicopters, with validations from EASA and Brazil’s ANAC. India’s DGAC has validated the installation in the A109E.