After receiving FAA type certification in late June, Daher said today it has delivered its 20th TBM 960 turboprop single. South Florida businessman Johnie Weems—who has owned three earlier TBM variants—took delivery of the milestone airplane at Daher’s aircraft division in Tarbes, France, and along with ferry pilot Margrit Waltz made the transatlantic flight to Florida.
In all, 17 of the 20 TBM 960s delivered thus far have gone to U.S. customers, with the remaining three going to European customers. Daher aircraft division senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert said demand is strong for the $4.57 million airplane. “We’re nearly fully booked for 2023, with a significant percentage of these orders coming from customers in North America and Europe,” he noted.
Key features of the TBM 960 include the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-66XT engine and Hartzell’s five-blade Raptor propeller, which are linked to the type’s dual-channel digital engine and propeller electronic control system. Other improvements include LED ambiance strip lighting on both sides of the overhead cabin ceiling panel and electronically dimmable windows.
For the fifth year in a row, there were no fatal business jet accidents in Canada in 2021, according to statistics recently published by the nation’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB). However, the TSB recorded 22 fatal air transportation accidents that killed 32 last year. This is up from 12 fatal accidents that killed 16 in 2020.
Eight of the 32 fatalities in 2021 involved commercial operations: one in an air-taxi accident of a turbine helicopter and seven in aerial work accidents. There were no fatalities involving airliners, commuter, or turbine air-taxi airplanes, nor in flight training. The remaining fatalities in 2021 were linked to privately registered aircraft on non-business flights.
The only turbine airplane fatal accident last year was the crash of a Rockwell Commander 690B operating as a private flight in which the sole-occupant pilot was killed. Shortly after rotation, the turboprop twin rolled into a left bank, continued to roll, and then impacted the runway in an inverted attitude.
The last fatal business jet accident in Canada occurred on Oct. 13, 2016, when a privately operated Cessna Citation 500 on an IFR flight at night lost control and crashed shortly after departure. The pilot and three passengers were killed.
Execujet Flight Services has reopened on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands with new leadership that includes Roy Romney as operations manager and Cromwell Freeman as operations supervisor. The pair bring a combined 50 years of aviation experience in nearly all operational roles and have worked together on St. Thomas for many years.
Execujet’s FBO had been damaged by the 2017 hurricanes, leading the company to move into a temporary facility as it planned a permanent home. However, the FBO had suspended operations in the past few months as that facility closed and has since relocated into a hangar where it will remain for the next 16 to 18 months while it completes work on its permanent facility.
The current location provides amenities including a pilot lounge with flight planning, two sleeping rooms, and an all-purpose room for guests. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with 24-hour on-call service upon request, the facility is next to a large, shared ramp for parking with 24-hour police surveillance. The Avfuel-branded FBO provides services that include fueling, U.S. customs and immigration pre-clearance, VIP and cargo handling, on-call maintenance, air and yacht charter connections, and concierge.
The FAA has issued a safety notice to advise pilots of the continued high number of TCAS alerts that started when flying approaches to Runway 16L/16R at Denver International Airport (KDEN) after an airport improvement project ended in 2004. The agency said TCAS II alerting algorithms are not designed to account for certain ATC separation standards, particularly visual and parallel approaches at high-elevation airports.
In June 2019, Denver Tracon implemented a 1,000-foot vertical offset during simultaneous operations to Runways 16L/16R to reduce the risk of collision if an aircraft overshoots the final approach course. While the number of resolution advisories (RAs) between converging aircraft has decreased, the overall rate remains at a comparable level because of an increase in RAs for aircraft once on the final approach course. Approximately 17 percent of operations select traffic advisory (TA)-only mode while converging to the final approach and about 20 percent of aircraft on approach switched to TA-only mode after receiving an RA.
These findings indicate to the FAA that there is a heightened risk of a midair collision because flight crews may be desensitized by nuisance RAs on final approach at KDEN. The agency said pilots should reevaluate their operating procedures in a TCAS II mixed-mode environment to consider loss of collision avoidance guidance with TCAS II in TA-only mode and the implications of TCAS II not returning to TA/RA mode during a missed approach/go-around.
Since adding to its authorized service center credentials through Embraer last year, Pro Star Aviation is seeing a robust business, especially servicing the Brazilian airframer’s light jets. “We’ve really hit the market pretty good with the Phenoms,” Pro Star general manager Sean Peterson told AIN.
The addition of Embraer to the New Hampshire-based MRO provider’s OEM service authorizations—which also includes the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24—is one of the ways the company is looking to continue growth. Pro Star is also an avionics and cabin management systems dealer and installer for Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, and Gogo. Avionics installation is a “big part” of Pro Star’s business, Peterson said, and includes the company’s “On The Fly” service in which it will travel to a customer’s site for avionics installation.
Located at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (KMHT), Pro Star operates from 74,500 sq ft of facilities, including 25,000-sq-ft and 15,000-sq-ft hangars for maintenance and avionics work. The company recently hired five technicians, pushing its employee count to 60, and efforts are underway to recruit five additional technicians.
Pro Star also develops STCs through its engineering department, which has an organization designation authorization and a designated engineering representative for electrical systems. Supporting that work and its maintenance activity is a 4,500-sq-ft machine shop with parts manufacturer approval, which it eventually plans to use for the manufacture of STC kits.
Helicopter services company PHI Aviation recently opened its Asia-Pacific (APAC) headquarters in Perth, Australia, to oversee bases in that country, as well as in New Zealand and the Philippines. The move comes after the company shut down its regional headquarters operation in Nelson, New Zealand. However, the company said it would continue to operate its New Plymouth base in that country. Cory Latiolais will take on a new role as PHI's COO for APAC.
PHI’s global headquarters remains in Lafayette, Louisiana, and its London office supervises the company’s operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company has operated in Western Australia since 1980, with current bases in Broome and Karratha servicing the oil and gas industry. The Broome base recently celebrated its five-year anniversary and is home to seven aircraft and 95 employees. Since its opening in 2017 through June 2022, aircraft based there have flown more than 21,700 hours transporting 90,885 passengers on 4,972 offshore flights.
Significant accomplishments for the base include supporting energy companies Inpex and Shell, operation of all-weather search and rescue (SAR) medevac aircraft with full-time crews, and integration of the Leonardo AW139 to assist with the distribution of Covid vaccines to remote communities. The company has also consolidated its base operations into one large hangar from several smaller ones and introduced a SAR cadetship.
The FAA has approved special operating conditions for the Boeing-Leonardo MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter for the U.S. Air Force. The helicopter is based on the civil version of the Leonardo AW139 medium twin. This design feature incorporates a 2.5-minute all engines operating (AEO) power restricted for use at helicopter operating speeds below 60 knots indicated airspeed and hovering out of ground effect (HOGE).
This power is referred to as 2.5-minute HOGE utility power (HUP), which is greater than the transmission power limitations associated with takeoff and AEO. Use of the 2.5-minute HUP is not part of, or combined with, a takeoff operation.
In September 2020, Boeing applied for a supplemental type certificate (STC) for performance envelope expansion of the AW139. The AW139 helicopter as changed is a medium twin-engine 14 CFR part 29 transport category B helicopter with a 15,521 pounds mtow with seating for nine passengers and two crewmembers.
Last year, a senior USAF procurement officer said at a Senate hearing that the addition of defensive systems to the aircraft necessitated the granting of three STCs from the FAA. The granting of this latest STC paved the way for Boeing to deliver the first of four MH-139A Grey Wolf test helicopters to the USAF earlier this month.
Air bp has introduced an all-electric refueling truck for customers lifting jet-A1 at Brisbane Airport (YBBN) in Australia. The refueler uses Lithium-ion batteries and digital charging mechanisms, making it the first all-electric hazardous goods vehicle and refueler approved for use in Australia.
It can carry approximately 16,000 liters (4,227 gallons) of fuel and is able to operate for a full day after an overnight charge. According to Air bp, the electric refueler will reduce its operation and maintenance costs versus trucks that run on diesel.
The vehicle was manufactured in partnership with electronic power systems provider SEA Electric and Refuel International, which manufactures and supplies specialized refueling vehicles, equipment, and support services to the aviation industry.
This announcement builds on Air bp’s experience in launching the world’s first electric refueler in 2002 at Long Beach, California, and its introduction of the first generation of electric hydrant dispensers at Brisbane airport in 2005. Similar electric hydrants are still in operation at Australia’s Darwin and Perth airports.
Air bp said it intends to introduce the all-electronic refueler at other airports where it has a presence.
People in Aviation
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has added Katherine Nettrour as v-p of finance, Simone Perez as senior director of civil aviation, and Steven Jordan Tomaszewski as senior director of national security space. Nettrour has more than 15 years of experience specializing in accounting, operations, and treasury management, having previously worked as a CPA and a staff auditor at Arthur Andersen. Perez previously served as a professional staff member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where she was focused on legislation advancing the safety of the National Airspace System, ensuring funding for airport infrastructure and enhancing regulatory oversight. Tomaszewski joins AIA from The Aerospace Corp., where he provided objective technical advice to senior Department of Defense executives in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. He is also an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve assigned to the National Reconnaissance Office.
Air charter broker Zela Aviation has hired Eleni Charitou as a charter and marketing executive and Markos Kallias as business developer and ACMI executive. Charitou has more than 20 years in the aviation industry having worked for international airlines and VIP private carriers, including Air France for 13 consecutive years, Falcon Aviation Services, HH Private Office Abu Dhabi, and Etihad Airways. Kallias has previously worked in customer service for Jet2, flight operations for Flightworx, and also as a project coordinator for the UK Civil Aviation Authority, focusing on Eurocontrol projects and airspace modernization initiatives.
GPMS—a provider of helicopter health and usage monitoring system Foresight MX—has appointed Tom Benson to its board of directors. Benson has more than 25 years of experience developing and directing high-tech hardware and software projects, and leading companies focused on monitoring, collecting data, and developing and delivering maintenance management solutions to the business aviation industry. He was most recently the chief strategy officer at Camp Systems and before that served as executive v-p and general manager at Amstat.
Metro Aviation has hired Roxanne Fawson in a newly created role as customer communication center compliance manager. Fawson will visit communication centers annually, in conjunction with operational needs, and share feedback and best practices to help each center improve its operations and workflows. Her previous experience includes serving as a 911 dispatcher for 15 years and for 14 years with the University of Utah’s AirMed program, where she worked as a flight coordinator, flight center supervisor, and the program’s communications center safety committee representative.
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