Aviation services provider ASL Group, which is now the exclusive general aviation aircraft handler at Belgium’s Liege Airport, on Friday unveiled its new $8 million (€7 million) general aviation terminal (GAT) following a nine-month construction project.
Under an agreement signed with the airport in 2019, ASL built a 2,700-sq-ft (250-sq-m) terminal, which includes a reception area, in-house police and customs service, conference rooms, pilot lounge with work area, a flight training center, and bathrooms with no-touch fixtures. A large rooftop terrace overlooks the airport and surrounding area, while the glassed-in multifunctional space on the second floor can be used for meetings and receptions.
The entire building was designed for sustainability, employing an eco-friendly wood support structure, with thermal and acoustic insulation. Floor heating maintains a base temperature that can be quickly altered in any room through a building automation management system. Rainwater is recycled, and an on-site micro treatment plant will take care of any wastewater, while sensors detect occupancy in every room and monitor natural light to increase or decrease the contribution of light fixtures.
Those environmental features continue to the 22,650-sq-ft hangar, which can accommodate the latest ultra-long-range business jets. The facility was initially slated for completion in summer 2020, but a company spokesman said the construction timetable was affected by the pandemic.
With the surge in demand for private aviation, a new technology-based company—CrewBlast—was launched to streamline crew staffing. The company aims to connect operators with qualified pilots and flight attendants via the CrewBlast app, which is available in iOS and Android versions and works globally.
Pilots and flight attendants register with the app and when an operator needs staffing, a “Blast notification” is pushed to all the crewmembers. This enables available qualified crew to respond immediately to these needs.
The company noted the record industry growth fueled by the pandemic but said business aviation often faces labor shortages. Staffing has always been challenging given regulatory requirements such as mandatory crew rest and other constraints. This can make staffing difficult to keep pace with the needs of private aviation customers, the company said.
“The old way of staffing just wasn’t working well for the aviation industry,” said CrewBlast president Timothy Griffin. “We knew there was a better way to do it by harnessing technology. Everyone carries a phone today, so that means we have a direct line to our entire database of personnel at the push of a button.”
Griffin added that the nascent company last week crewed a flight in need of last-minute pilots in less than 10 minutes. “That is what we are striving for.”
Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI) plans to bring the Grumman Albatross amphibious twin back into production and has selected the Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PT6A-67F turboprop engine for its modernized version, the G-111T. Grumman produced 466 of the amphibious airplanes, powered by two nine-cylinder Wright Cyclone radial engines, between 1949 and 1966. AAI intends to restart production of the modernized G-111T, which will also have a glass cockpit, at its home base in Sydney, Australia,
“We are delighted to be playing a role in the modernization of the G-111T aircraft, which has such an illustrious history,” said P&WC v-p of general aviation Nicholas Kanellias. “The PT6A-67F engines, each with 1,700 shp, will provide the G-111T with superior performance, greater range, and…reliability and dependability.”
According to AAI chairman Khoa Hoang, the G-111T will be the only new-production, large transport-category amphibious aircraft for passenger, cargo, and utility missions. “Because of its ability to land and take off from both land and water, the G-111T is ideal for use in inland rivers, ocean rescue, mountainous terrain, and tropic river basins,” he said.
AAI, which bought the type certificate for the Albatross in May 2016, is pitching four G-111T versions: combi passenger/cargo; medevac; aeromedical; and search and rescue.
With Covid infection rates again on the rise in Europe and some countries again contemplating lockdowns, EBAA announced today that it is postponed its annual two-day AIROPS conference by two months. Originally slated to take place on February 8 and 9 at the Event Lounge in Brussels, the symposium, featuring an exhibition, practical training opportunities, and educational sessions, has now been moved to April 7 and 8.
According to EBAA, AIROPS brings ground handlers and airport and FBO representatives together to do business with trip planners and operators. The organization noted that it has gotten off to a good start in terms of exhibitor and sponsor participation and has received encouraging feedback from the market that people are ready to meet again, discuss the industry, and do business.
“We want to ensure that the event exceeds your expectations and delivers the best value,” EBAA said. “The latest wave of Covid-19 infections makes this increasingly unsure, and hence we have decided to shift AIROPS 2022 to later dates.”
As SmartSky’s nationwide coverage grows, immediately available SmartSky hardware locks in benefits for customers
SmartSky Networks is accelerating access to its patented, next-generation ATG network with in stock hardware ready for installation and its customer-focused Early Arrival program. Since the successful commercial launch at NBAA-BACE 2021, demo flights on the live network continue to showcase its best-in-class connectivity experiences.
In a bid to attract new jet card memberships, Baltimore-based Part 135 operator GrandView Aviation is adding a new benefit to its Altitude Plus membership program by offering access to fixed prices on 70 of its most popular routes. This represents a savings of up to 15 percent on rates that will increase after the first of the year. New members that sign up for Altitude Plus by January 1 will be able to access those rates throughout 2023, avoiding the rate increase. The benefit is also applied to existing Altitude Plus memberships.
The fixed rates are subject to specific airports and aircraft availability with 14 days advance notice prior to departure. They do not include federal excise taxes or deicing charges. Altitude Plus members pay a $150,000 deposit that covers a two-year period and automatically receive a 10 percent discount on flight charges and earn rewards such as a $200 catering credit for every flight day.
“As other private jet operators suspend new jet card sales or curtail benefits, GrandView is actively selling new memberships offering major new benefits,” said GrandView COO Jessie Naor. “By providing a fixed menu on our most popular routes at significant savings, we expect strong demand for flights from existing members and a significant increase in new jet card memberships.”
Following its investigation of 18 flight-related incidents and accidents on runways under construction, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has issued a recommendation that Nav Canada publish notams with graphic depictions of runway closures so the information communicated about these hazards is more easily understood. Currently, notams in Canada are published only in text format and do not include graphics, “which can hinder the effective communication of information,” the study concluded.
The events at airports in Quebec and Nunavut examined in the investigation occurred when the width of the runway was reduced, rather than the length, to allow for construction work without closing the runway. The TSB also expressed concern with the adequacy of regulatory surveillance of airports undergoing construction activities.
“Our investigation revealed an important systemic issue: the lack of Canadian standards or official recommended practices to be followed during airport construction,” said TSB chair Kathy Fox. “This lack of operational safety standards can leave pilots without sufficient visual aids to clearly distinguish the closed parts on the runways.”
The investigation also found issues with the safety management systems (SMS) in place at the airports under review. Despite the fact that all these airports had an SMS, the investigation identified that they were “not effective at proactively managing the risks” associated with construction projects.
Charles Schneider, a software engineer who co-founded MyGoFlight in 2010, died on Friday after being in an aircraft crash the previous day near McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, the company confirmed on a Facebook post. Another occupant onboard the aircraft survived but was injured.
Schneider, who served as CEO of MyGoFlight, had been traveling on business in a Cirrus SR22 piston single when the aircraft crashed at 9:20 a.m., the company said, adding the cause of the accident is unknown. According to AOPA, the CAPS ballistic parachute was deployed, but the aircraft crashed and was destroyed in the accident.
Schneider—who had a background that included leadership roles at companies such as Booz Allen & Hamilton, Oracle, MDC Holdings, and Builder Sourcing—co-founded MyGoFlight after obtaining his pilot license and deciding he did not want to use paper charts, the company said. Instead, he decided to use a computer but had a difficult time keeping it on his lap. Shifting to an iPad, he determined a need to secure it and, MyGoFlight said, “Our first product, the iPad Kneeboard, received so much attention and demand, a business was born.”
The business has since expanded to numerous mounts, cases, cradles, flight bags, luggage, anti-glare glass, and into the first certified head-up display for general aviation.
With an expanding fleet, charter operator Jet Edge is expanding its transcontinental program for Reserve members flying in its Bombardier Challengers. Under a previously announced effort, Jet Edge is expanding its fleet of Challenger 300- and 600-series and Gulfstream IV/SP and G450 jets that will be outfitted with new interiors, avionics, branded livery, and in-cabin features.
Last week, the Van Nuys, California-based Part 135 company marked the 25th of 35 new Challenger and Gulfstream deliveries, with another 10 deliveries expected through May 2022. With the deliveries, Jet Edge is expanding its coast-to-coast program for Reserve members to include flights on its Challengers at prices starting at $39,900. It also is expanding the transcontinental program to include non-coastal hubs such as Las Vegas; Salt Lake City; Bozeman, Montana; Aspen, Colorado; Nashville; and Scottsdale, Arizona.
“Our Reserve member base has continually asked us to extend our coast-to-coast offering to our Challenger aircraft, as well as develop a larger transcontinental footprint, and we are delivering an enhanced program for [Challenger] flyers that complements our Gulfstream program,” said Jet Edge chief commercial officer Jonah Adler.
HAI, USHST, and VAST Win Top Flight Award for Safety
AIN's 2021 Top Flight Award for contribution to aviation safety went to the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team, Helicopter Association International, and the Vertical Aviation Safety Team. The trio followed up their “56 Seconds To Live” safety video with a companion course that focuses on unintended flight into instrument meteorological conditions. The one-hour scenario-based training course teaches pilots to recognize situations that can lead to unintended flight into instrument meteorological conditions and stop a flight before an accident occurs via sound aeronautical decision-making.
City: Santo Domingo-Las Américas International Airport
State:
Country: Dominican Republic
Event Date: December 20, 2021
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