FAA Greenlights Pfizer Covid Vaccine for Pilots, Controllers

One day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency-use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, the FAA on Saturday determined that pilots can receive the vaccine under the conditions of their FAA-issued airman medical certification. In addition, the agency said, FAA air traffic controllers subject to FAA medical clearance can also receive the vaccine.

However, these pilots and controllers “with medical certifications or medical clearances” must wait 48 hours following the administration of this vaccine before conducting safety-sensitive aviation duties, meaning flying or controlling air traffic. This waiting period applies after each dose—the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart for maximum effectiveness.

“The FAA anticipates taking no additional measures to ensure safety after the initial window for side effects closes,” it said. “However, the agency’s medical professionals will continuously monitor the initial distribution of the novel vaccine and documented clinical results and will adjust these recommendations as needed.”

Meanwhile, the FAA said it will evaluate vaccines from other manufacturers as they receive FDA authorization in the coming weeks and months and will advise pilots and air traffic controllers of any waiting periods required for those vaccines. The agency said it applies similar waiting periods after administration of other vaccines, including those for tuberculosis and typhoid.

Argus: Bizav Ops Continue Declines in November

The recovery of business aviation operations in North America and the Caribbean has flattened out, remaining down year-over-year by 16.4 percent in November, according to the latest TraqPak report from Argus. The data analyst added that it expects activity to slide a bit further in December. TraqPak monitors flight number-specific arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. 

All operational and aircraft categories experienced year-over-year declines in November with Part 91 large jet operations dropping the most, by 34 percent. Including all aircraft categories, Part 91 flights were down 24.1 percent. Part 135 and fractional operations fared better with decreases of 6.4 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively.

By aircraft category, light jet operations were down the least, by 11 percent year-over-year in November, with fractional light jets down just 1.6 percent. Counting all operational categories, flights of large aircraft were down the most, by 27.7 percent.

However, when compared with October 2020, large jets flown in Part 135 operations showed a modest 1.8 percent uptick. This was the only category to show improvement in the month-over-month comparisons. Fractional turboprop operations slid the most from October, down 22.7 percent.

Looking forward, Argus analysts anticipate operations will be down year-over-year overall by 18.5 percent in December.

Garmin Upgrades GTN Xi Navigators

A software update for Garmin’s GTN Xi series navigators adds a number of improvements, including a glide range ring, remote control of another GTN Xi’s radios, customizable dual concentric knob, and other custom features. The update is free, although dealer installation charges may apply, according to Garmin, and it will be available later this month.

The glide range ring shows pilots an estimated area, based on terrain data and winds, where the aircraft can fly after losing power. Wind information can come from SiriusXM, ADS-B In FIS-B, or as calculated from a compatible Garmin flight display. The range ring can be shown on the GTN NXi map or on G500 or G600 TXi flight displays when the TXi uses the GTN’s GPS as the HSI source.

A best-airport indicator, shown as cyan chevrons, points to a recommended airport based on distance from present location, runway length, wind data, and airport weather. The nearest airport list also shows a green checkmark next to airports reachable without power. 

The upgrade also allows remote control and tuning of radios on both GTN Xis in dual-GTN installations. This includes com and nav tuning as well as volume level setting and access to a new radios page that displays all com and nav frequencies and volume levels for both radios and allows active and standby frequency flipping from that page. 

FAA’s Dickson Warns ‘Disruptions’ Could Affect Safety

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson expressed concern that the Covid pandemic and other recent “disruptions” had diluted human capital from operators, commercial carriers, and OEMs with the potential to negatively impact safety.

“There have been a lot of retirements and there's been a lot of change, people getting laid off. Instability and unpredictability are the enemies of safety,” Dickson said during a webinar hosted by Helicopter Association International (HAI) last week. “You don’t like things to change. We’ve had a lot of change introduced into the system and a lot of disruption in a matter of months, sometimes weeks. The aviation system we had in February and March of 2020 is really not there anymore in the same way.”

Dickson said this change made it imperative that the industry and the FAA be even more collaborative when it comes to safety and identifying risks. The risks, Dickson said, “may not be the same ones that were here seven or eight months ago.” 

Also during the webinar, Dickson and HAI president James Viola called on helicopter operators to voluntarily adopt safety management systems and install crash-resistant fuel tanks, seats, and structures in legacy rotorcraft. Dickson reaffirmed the agency’s intent to develop a rule expanding mandatory SMS for more Part 135 and Part 145 operators and some PMA parts manufacturers by 2022. 

Viasat’s ‘No Speed Limits’ Internet Available for G280

Viasat has made its Ka-band in-flight connectivity (IFC) service available on the Gulfstream G280 super-midsize business jet, the satcom provider announced on December 10. The addition comes following Viasat’s July removal of connectivity speed limits for business aviation.

 “In working with Gulfstream to equip their G280 aircraft with our certified equipment, we can enable their customers to have a premium IFC experience,” said Claudio D’Amico, business area director for Viasat business aviation. “In fact, Gulfstream customers flying with our new 'no speed limit' service plans typically experience speeds greater than 40 Mbps.”

G280s equipped with Viasat’s Global Aero Terminal 5510 can communicate with Viasat’s ViaSat-1, ViaSat-2, and KA-SAT satellites that provide IFC connectivity from California to the Mediterranean. The terminal will also be compatible with the next-generation satellite constellation, ViaSat-3, which will complete the company’s global connectivity once the system is launched and operational.

Gazprom Mulls New Bizav Airport, FBO at St. Petersburg

With an increase in its business in the St. Petersburg-area, Russian natural gas producer Gazprom looks to establish a new business aviation airport and FBO at the Levashovo military airfield. According to some estimates, the company plans to spend as much as $300 million on the project.

It will include reconstruction of the airport, as well as building necessary infrastructure such as a passenger terminal that could initially accommodate 100 people per hour, with expansion possible as needed in the future.

The new airport is not be positioned as a direct rival to nearby Pulkovo Airport, as it will be primarily focused on serving the needs of business aviation. Located 11 kilometers away from Gazprom’s headquarters, it would also be a base airport for Gazpromavia, the company’s corporate airline.

Launch of the new airport could provide a major impetus for the development of St. Petersburg’s business aviation sector. Currently, the Moscow region accounts for most of the business aviation flights in Russia, but it is hoped that the building of the new airport, which is expected to be commissioned next year, will alter that equation.

Honeywell Builds on Forge Applications

Honeywell continued to add capabilities to its Forge end-to-end flight management platform, including enhanced network monitoring and more individual features that extend beyond aircraft-based services. Rolled out earlier this year, Forge evolved from Honeywell’s GoDirect and is designed to provide operators with a holistic approach to managing a flight, integrating functions from connectivity to flight operations, navigation databases, and maintenance. Honeywell has gradually been building up the capabilities for Forge since.

Available now, the latest enhancements include network monitoring to enable users to find network threats and vulnerabilities with their cabin connectivity service. The service, available through a GoDirect software package installation, is integrated into the Forge dashboard and can be accessed through a network monitoring tile. In addition, Honeywell Forge customers will have access to Performance-Based Communication and Surveillance (PBCS) monitoring while using FANS data link. Other new functions include greater ability for users to manage their accounts, including access to the account and customized dashboards and configurations.

Honeywell further introduced three Forge “Experience Plans”—Elite, Comfort, and Office—for cabin connectivity. Elite is designed for heavy connectivity use. The Comfort plan provides an “at-home” experience on aircraft, with the ability for video streaming on all devices. Office offers lower throughput needs for business use, including email and teleconference video.

Silver Air Adds Phenom to Fleet

Silver Air Private Jets has added a Phenom 100 to its West Coast-based charter fleet. Newly renovated with an updated interior and in-flight entertainment, the Phenom builds on Silver Air’s short-range offerings with a 1,100-nm range, the company said during NBAA-VBACE.

The addition comes at a time when the charter operator has seen growth in the number of new private flyers, the company said, noting it has worked to ease the process for these new flyers through its Simplified program. Under this program, Silver Air’s team of private jet advisors work directly with flyers to explain about private travel, help select the appropriate aircraft, and provide charter quotes.

The Phenom joins a fleet ranging from light to large-cabin jets that include Boeing, Gulfstream, Dassault, Bombardier, Embraer, Cessna, and Hawker/Beechcraft models. Wyvern Wingman certified and IS-BAO Stage 2 compliant, Silver Air operates bases in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Florida.

Correction: A C-17 depicted in the December 13 AINalerts Photo of the Week is based at the Joint Base in Charleston, South Carolina. AIN had incorrectly identified the military designation.

Dassault’s New Falcon 6X Rolls Out in Bordeaux

The new Falcon 6X business jet made a spectacular entry during a virtual roll-out ceremony held at Dassault’s final assembly facility in Bordeaux in France. The company is ready to start flight testing early in 2021 as it aims to get the new aircraft into service by the end of 2022. It says the 6X has the widest cabin yet and will offer plenty more in terms of performance, comfort, and safety.