Aircraft membership and charter company Wheels Up canceled its second-quarter financial results release and investor call scheduled for today and instead announced an unspecified, short-term cash infusion from Delta Air Lines, which owns 20 percent of Wheels Up. It also said it is pursuing “strategic options,” including the offloading of its aircraft management business, which Wheels Up termed a “non-core” asset, to business aircraft fractional, charter, management, and maintenance provider Airshare.

The non-binding agreement for Wheels Up’s aircraft management business would triple Airshare’s current owned and managed fleet of 58 aircraft. According to Overland Park, Kansas-based Airshare, the deal is expected to close in the third quarter, “subject to customary approvals and closing conditions.” Last month, Airshare ordered 20 more super-midsize Bombardier Challengers.

Wheels Up has not yet released a date for its rescheduled second-quarter financial information and earnings call. In the first quarter, the company posted a loss of $101 million and burned through $222 million in cash reserves. Last year, it posted $555 million in losses. Pre-market stock trading initially reacted favorably to the news, but by midday Wheels Up shares were down about 34 percent for the day.

Aerocare recently refurbished an Embraer Legacy 600 for UK-based air charter firm AirX Group. Working with interiors specialist AeroVisto, Aerocare managed the removal of the interior and reinstallation of a new one. The company also painted the aircraft in a golden livery to match the look and feel of a Boeing BBJ at AeroVisto’s facility in Switzerland.

Working from photos of the BBJ design, Aerocare created a rendering of the golden livery for use on the smaller jet. To match the specific Mankiewicz paint of the original, the team liaised directly with Embraer to gain specialist approval for the required nonstandard paint system. Carrying out the work from its dedicated paint shop, Aerocare managed to deliver a near-perfect replica of the original. 

The removal of the existing interior also took place at Aerocare’s MRO facility before its shipment to AeroVisto in Switzerland. Aerocare created the updated interior in partnership with Parisian designer Champeau & Wilde. Once they completed the individual elements, Aerocare and AeroVisto coordinated their redelivery back to the UK for reinstallation in the aircraft. 

This Legacy 600 job is one of several successful contracts Aerocare has secured since making a major investment in its facilities, including widening the hangar doors to 22 meters to allow for larger aircraft types.

Canada is moving ahead with proposed rules to simplify minimum visibility data shown on instrument approach charts and change them from “advisory” to “prescribed.” In Canada, published approach chart visibilities do not prohibit operators from initiating an approach.

The new rules would essentially result in banning commercial operators from making an approach if the reported visibility is below published minimums, following rules in the U.S. and other ICAO member states.

Further, under current rules, operators calculate whether they can continue to the decision height (DH) or minimum descent altitude (MDA). “According to this calculation, the minimum visibility for an approach ban in Canada is less than the visibility published on the approach chart in every case,” said the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. “Consequently, it is likely that, once at the DH or MDA, pilots are not able to establish the required visual reference that will help them make a safe landing.

In its proposal, Transport Canada concedes that its approach procedures rules can be “complex” and do not follow other international procedures. “These rules have always intended to reflect Canada’s unique nature: a vast, sparsely populated country with remote communities that depend on aviation for the essentials of living,” the agency said.

Transport Canada will be hosting a Q&A session on September 6 to provide more information before the final draft amendments are published, tentatively next spring.

The Aviation Weather Center (AWC) is giving its website a new look with enhanced usability. Set to formally roll out on September 12, users can now view the site in beta mode. However, Jennifer Stroozas, a warning coordination meteorologist for the AWC at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told NBAA that the beta site is only in experimental form and should not be used for flight-planning purposes.

Stroozas noted the site was designed for improved mobile use. “Whether you’re on a mobile phone, a tablet, or a desktop computer, the site is expandable and optimized for that device,” she told NBAA. “We’ve also streamlined the menus to make navigation simpler and more intuitive.”

Some of the changes improve access to information surrounding weather conditions, pilot reports, and radar and satellite observations, along with Airmet (airman’s meteorological information) and Sigmet (significant meteorological hazard) alerts.

The revamped site includes airplane and helicopter icons. A click on the helicopter icon will provide lower-altitude information. The revamped site combines the graphic forecast for aviation (GFA) and helicopter emergency management services product into a single GFA interface.

In addition, AWS is adding more Canadian core airports.

Newly issued FAA Notice 8900.66 outlines the requirements of agency personnel responsible for monitoring, conducting, and overseeing revised certification testing procedures for aviation maintenance technicians.

Recently the FAA issued its final rulemaking to overhaul aviation maintenance technician school and testing regulations under FAR Parts 65 and 147. As a component of this overhaul, the agency is replacing the practical test standards (PTS) with airman certification standards (ACS), as the basis for obtaining maintenance certification.

The FAA said the ACS, which adds task-specific knowledge and risk management elements, will result “in a comprehensive presentation that integrates the standards for what an applicant must demonstrate to pass the written, oral, and practical tests for a certificate or rating."

To allow each school to train its students under the curriculum aligned with the ACS, the FAA used the PTS as the testing standard until July 31. Starting August 1, the FAA began using the ACS to conduct mechanic certification tests.

The FAA notice contains an overview of the regulatory changes, guidance for the agency and other personnel in applying those changes, and how to manage special circumstances that arise during the regulatory transition process.

Organizers of this year’s Air Charter Expo (ACE 2023) say they expect record numbers of exhibitors for the September 12 event at London Biggin Hill Airport. The UK-based Air Charter Association (ACA), which runs the show with Business Air News, announced today that 70 companies have already committed to exhibit, including aircraft operators, manufacturers, and aviation service providers.

Among the aircraft already booked to appear on the static display are the Gulfstream G650ER, Dassault Falcon 8X, Embraer Praetor 600, Cessna Citation M2, and Leonardo AW139. The ACE 2023 conference program will cover topics such as market conditions for passenger charter services, sustainability, cargo air charter demand, net-zero emissions aircraft technology, and an introduction to the ACA’s broker qualification program.

“Air Charter Expo is unique with its one-day format and, once again, the conference and exhibition take place at London Biggin Hill Airport,” said ACA chairman Kevin Ducksbury. “Last year’s event was an enormous success and we are excited to build on that momentum to make ACE 23 a truly memorable event for exhibitors and visitors alike. Booths are almost sold out already and the conference program will once again set the agenda for addressing important issues in our industry.”

Chauncey Frank Webb, 76, a long-time corporate pilot and former naval aviator, died on July 21. Webb had a career spanning more than five decades flying helicopters and airplanes. Born Oct. 22, 1946, in Bay City, Texas, Webb became interested in aviation in his youth and would hang out at the airport, asking to wash airplanes in exchange for rides.

After graduating from Sam Houston State in 1969, Webb attended Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School to pursue his passion for flying. He earned his wings and reported in October 1971 to the Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 7, known as Sea Devils, a unit dedicated to combat search and rescue with missions in North Vietnam.

In 1979, he turned to civil aviation and flew S-76s for a private owner, Warner Communications, and American Express, where he also flew the Gulfstream IV and V. Leaving American Express in 2003, he flew a Dassault Falcon 900 for a real estate investment company principal for the remainder of his years.

Webb is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jane, daughter Genny Drash, son-in-law Wayne Drash, and grandchildren Emma and Billy Drash.

Those wishing to honor Webb can donate to the EAA Aviation Foundation (designate Young Eagles). A celebration of life is planned for October 3 in Marana, Arizona. Contact CFWMemorial@gmail.com to RSVP.

Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 full-scale prototype of its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft was involved in an incident during untethered flight testing at Cotswold Airport in the UK on Wednesday. In a 6-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the UK-based public company said that no one was injured during the remotely piloted flight.

"Our flight test program is designed to establish the limits of the aircraft's performance, and the incident occurred during an uncrewed test of the aircraft's maneuverability during a motor failure test scenario, which is a key requirement to progress to crewed operations," Vertical said in a statement. "We are working closely with the relevant authorities."

A spokeswoman for the company told AIN it would not be making any further comment at this stage. It remains unclear how the consequences of the incident might impact flight testing as part of Vertical’s objective of achieving UK and EASA type certification for the aircraft by late 2026.

The incident comes almost a week after Vertical Aerospace issued a report on the first half of the current financial year. The company told shareholders it has cash reserves amounting to £89.7 million ($114.8 million) and is set to spend £80 million over the next 12 months.