Signature Makes a Splash in the Caribbean

Signature Flight Support has greatly expanded its FBO network in the Caribbean with the purchase of IAM Jet Centre and its affiliated companies. The BBA Aviation subsidiary will acquire bases at Barbados' Grantley Adams International, Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International, Tortola’s Terrance B. Lettsome International, and Jamaica’s Sangster International Airports. IAM, which was founded in 1989, is constructing the first FBO at St. Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport, which will also be included in the deal.

Signature will also take over IAM's VIP suite services in Barbados and Grenada, which will expand its Elite Class program to five airports in the Caribbean and the UK. It provides guests with luxury lounges and expedited transfers to commercial flights, allowing them to bypass the airline terminal entirely.

“Signature Flight Support’s purchase of IAM Jet Centre is a valuable addition to our growing network of Caribbean FBOs,” said Mark Johnstone, CEO of BBA Aviation and Signature. ”IAM has an established reputation for excellence in aviation passenger and ground handling throughout the region, and the addition of their five FBO locations complements our worldwide network, our strategic expansion into additional North American markets, as well as the growth of our Signature Elite Class VIP passenger services division.”

The purchase is the largest for Signature in terms of FBO locations since it acquired Landmark Aviation in 2016.

FAA, Industry Ready for ADS-B

As the U.S. aircraft fleet races to complete installations in advance of the 2020 deadline for ADS-B Out equipage, the FAA has been busy putting the final touches on a series of policies to facilitate the transition of airspace control via ADS-B. But still ahead is one key policy for business aviation: protecting the privacy of operators.

In the past month, the FAA has issued a policy for handling temporary degradation of GPS performance, an interim final rule on requirements involving sensitive missions, and a notice on preflight flight responsibilities. They followed an April release of a policy for unequipped aircraft.

The FAA, however, still must release a policy designed to protect privacy by enabling operators to separate an aircraft’s ICAO address from its registration number, as well as lining up a service provider to assign temporary call signs. “We’ve done some tests. It works,” said Jens Hennig, v-p of operations for GAMA, who gave an update on ADS-B implementation last week on the Equip 2020 working group activities.

But Hennig, who emphasized that “2020 is not the end, but the beginning of the ADS-B program” said much remains ahead. This includes the continuation of equipage, Hennig said, adding, “I still see us equipping into 2020 and maybe even 2021 as some of those operators realize the impact of not equipping.”

HondaJet Elite Gets China CAAC Nod

The HondaJet Elite has received type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Honda Aircraft announced today. This will allow HondaJet Elite deliveries to begin as scheduled in China later this year via in-country HondaJet dealer Honsan General Aviation Co., Ltd.

“Since we expanded to China, we have received several orders and have prioritized sales throughout China. We will continue to contribute to the maturity of the business aviation market with the HondaJet,” said Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino. “We are pleased our customers will soon be able to take delivery of their aircraft and are confident the HondaJet Elite will provide them with more efficient and comfortable travel.”

Honsan General Aviation CEO Dr. Cheng Qian added, “The HondaJet Elite is now certified in China, and we are thrilled to begin deliveries of the aircraft to our Chinese customers. The market here has reached a turning point and I believe the HondaJet will revitalize the aviation business.”

This adds to the HondaJet Elite’s approvals from around the world, including the U.S. FAA, EASA, Mexico DGAC, Brazil ANAC, India DGAC, Japan JCAB, and Transport Canada. More than 130 HondaJets are currently in service.

Steele Aviation Hit with Third Proposed FAA Penalty

The FAA has proposed a $533,320 civil penalty against Steele Aviation of Beverly Hills, California, for allegedly conducting unauthorized charter flights using pilots who lacked required training. The agency said this is the third civil penalty the FAA has proposed against Steele Aviation since 2017. In separate actions, the agency also suspended and later revoked the pilot certificates of Nicolas Steele, the president of Steele Aviation, and a pilot he employed. Both men have appealed the revocations.

In the most recent case, the agency alleges Steele Aviation conducted at least 10 unauthorized for-hire flights between Jan. 28, 2019 and Feb. 14, 2019 using a Hawker HS-125-800. The flights were “unauthorized because Steele Aviation did not have an air carrier certificate; used pilots who had not passed required annual knowledge checks, annual flight-competency checks, and undergone recurrent training; used an aircraft that was not on the operating specifications of any air carrier certificate; and did not have economic operating authority from the DOT,” the FAA contended.

What’s more, the agency said Steele Aviation knew these flights were unauthorized because the FAA had taken enforcement action against the company twice previously for similar alleged violations that occurred in December 2017 and October 2018. Both cases are still pending.

Steele Aviation has until late August to respond to the agency. The company did not reply to AIN's inquiries for comment.

NATA Asks Members for Feedback on Illegal Charter

The National Air Transportation Association is reaching out to industry to collect information on illegal charter activity. As part of its Fly Smarter: Avoid Illegal Charter campaign, NATA has issued a survey in an attempt to build data and get feedback on how illegal charter is affecting the industry. 

Results of the survey, which NATA said takes five to 10 minutes to fill out, will be used to form strategies in future advocacy efforts. Responses will remain anonymous, the association added. “By working together as an industry, we will be able to put an end to illegal charter and the detrimental impacts it has on our industry,” NATA said.

The association has developed a website to provide tools and educational resources for both the industry and public to avoid illegal charter. The website provides an ability to check illegal charters, report suspicious activity, and learn about ongoing initiatives.

AsBAA: SAF Infrastructure and Supply Needed in Asia

The Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) is working with its fuel provider members World Fuel Services and Air BP to develop awareness of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as well as the infrastructure required in Asia for its adoption. The association plans to advocate for governments and airports to provide the necessary refinery infrastructure to enable renewable aviation fuels to be priced at more attractive rates when compared to traditional jet-A1 to ensure Asia is in line with global sustainability goals.

The message is in line with 2017’s Declaration of the Second Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels, which recognized that “states and industry have the primary role in SAF deployment and that public-private partnerships have been, and will continue to be, instrumental to SAF deployment.”

“Asia is just beginning to address sustainability in this context; however, there is an opportunity for Asian airports to evidence the viability of aviation biofuel, and for airports to address the current lack of availability and related costs which are the major limiting factors,” said Zhen Dong Wu, the organization's current chair. “With the right governmental support, AsBAA believes that Greater China and Southeast Asia have an opportunity to expedite widespread adoption of biofuels and take the lead in bringing environmentally friendlier options to market.”

Air Ambulance IFR Helicopter Rules Eased

Effective August 26, helicopter air ambulance operators without certain equipment will be permitted to conduct IFR departure and approach procedures at airports and heliports that do not have an approved weather reporting source. The rule was adopted following an earlier notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). The FAA received five comments in response to the NPRM, all of which supported the proposed amendment.

This rule applies to aircraft without functioning severe-weather-detection capability (airborne radar or lightning-strike detection equipment) when the pilot-in-command “reasonably determines” that the operation will not encounter severe weather at the destination, the alternate destination, or along the route of flight.

The rule further contains updates to address the transition from Area Forecasts that the National Weather Service currently provides to equivalent information from weather reports, forecasts, or any combination thereof. In addition, the rule amends the term ‘‘the published obstacle departure procedure’’ to ‘‘a published departure procedure.’’

Another issue the new rule resolves is the need for operators to apply for, or renew, temporary exemptions. Since the FAA established the requirement for air ambulance operators to use helicopters equipped with functioning severe-weather-detection equipment, the FAA has received 10 petitions for exemption from the requirement. Operators established in their petitions that an exemption would not adversely affect safety because they would not conduct operations if they expected severe weather.

UAS Used For Part 77 Airport Inspections in Washington

Seattle-based AeroTEC has completed proof-of-concept UAS surveys at two Washington state airports in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Aviation Division. The aerial surveys, which took place at Sunnyside Municipal Airport (1S5) and Prosser Airport (S40), were designed to assess the use of photogrammetry to evaluate runway obstacles as part of WSDOT Aviation’s 5010 airport inspections. UAS images were then used to create virtual models of the airports and were analyzed to identify obstacles in a predetermined area near the end of each runway as required by the FAA FAR 14 CFR Part 77.

By using this UAS-enabled photogrammetry technology, AeroTEC was able to provide WSDOT a runway obstacle report with a higher degree of accuracy and lower cost than traditional methods.

“Utilizing UAS to map airports and provide precision data in regards to obstructions around airports is just one of the many uses we envision,” said David Fleckenstein, director of WSDOT's aviation division. “This is a great first step in leveraging the technology to perform tasks that traditionally took a lot of time and effort.”