Citing the rising tide of new Covid cases, spurred by the virulent Omicron variant and the fluid, uncertain situation it has created, NBAA has decided to postpone next month’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC). The four-day show, which was scheduled to begin in San Diego, California on January 18, is now slated to take place as a three-day event at the San Diego Convention Center on April 5-7.
SDC was canceled this year, a casualty of the continued disruptions of the initial Covid wave, and the 2020 show was ended mid-event amidst a flurry of pandemic-related national shutdowns as the virus was beginning to gain a foothold in the U.S.
“With the recent emergence of the Omicron variant there is a lot we are still learning about this virus,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “Moving the conference from immediately after the holiday season will provide us with a firmer understanding of this situation so we can ensure appropriate safety protocols are in place as we move forward with our exciting and dynamic 2022 events.”
Eve Urban Air Mobility today became the latest eVTOL aircraft developer to announce plans to go public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. The Embraer subsidiary said it has reached agreement to combine its business with Zanite Acquisition Corp. and seek a New York Stock Exchange listing in the second quarter of 2022.
Among the backers for the proposed merger/flotation are SkyWest and Republic Airways, which along with leasing group Azurra on Tuesday confirmed provisional orders for up to 500 of the Eve eVTOL vehicle. The four-passenger, electric lift-and-cruise aircraft is expected to enter commercial service in 2026 with a range of around 60 miles.
Embraer will remain the majority shareholder in Eve, with an 82 percent stake, based on its $175 million contribution to a $305 million public investment in private equity (PIPE) common stock (priced at $10 per share) that is also supported by $25 million from Zanite and $105 million from a consortium of financial and strategic investors also including BAE Systems, Bradesco BBI, Falko Regional Aircraft, and Rolls-Royce. The transaction is also backed by a $237 million cash contribution from Zanite Acquisition, founded by Directional Aviation Capital principal Kenn Ricci and Steve Rosen, co-founder and co-CEO of Resilience Capital Partners.
This story is from FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective, independent coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology, including electric aircraft developments and advanced air mobility.
McCauley Propeller Systems has completed wind tunnel testing of its C1106 propeller that equips Textron Aviation’s new Beechcraft Denali turboprop single. The powered wind tunnel testing was completed at Ruag’s facilities in Emmen, Switzerland. The Denali made its first flight in November.
The 105-inch, five-blade, constant-speed propeller from McCauley features composite blades and is full feathering with reversible pitch and ice protection. The wind tunnel testing provides McCauley key information on performance and aerodynamic characteristics in addition to data for the development of future propellers and aircraft concepts, the division of Wichita-based Textron Aviation said. Further, the testing contributes important experimental validation of the Denali propeller design.
McCauley said full-scale and model-scale tests were conducted to allow for back-to-back comparisons of operational and performance data. “Through investments in the latest technologies and innovative engineering, we are developing and launching the next generation of McCauley propellers and aftermarket solutions,” said McCauley v-p and general manager John Dandurand.
Following a one-year delay from the originally scheduled date, ADS-B requirements in Mexico go into effect on January 1. The delay was apparently due to aircraft equipment either not being readily available or not installed in enough aircraft of Mexican registry, as well as ATC infrastructure not fully in place. The ADS-B equipment rule mandates 1090-MHz Mode S extended squitter transponders, but AOPA said it will “continue to work on persuading the Mexican government to allow 978-MHz universal access transceivers” as allowed in the U.S.
Mexico’s ADS-B operational regulations apply similarly to those in the U.S., including in Mexico Class A, B, and C airspace; Class E airspace above 10,000 feet; Class E airspace over the Gulf of Mexico above 2,500 feet agl; within 12 nm of the Mexican coast above 3,000 feet msl; and within 30 nm of Mexico City International Airport from the surface to 10,000 feet.
Installed ADS-B equipment must be used at all times, and there is a process in place to allow operators to request permission in advance to fly with inoperative ADS-B equipment without time constraints, according to AOPA. Additionally, “Requests to fly an aircraft without any ADS-B equipment installed must be submitted at least one hour before departure.”
Technology, Relationships Set Flightsafety Maintenance Training Apart
FlightSafety continually advances its training through innovation and expert instruction. It has relationships with major manufacturers, companies and OEMs built over decades. Maintenance technicians training with FlightSafety enjoy relationships built over decades with manufacturers and companies. The result is the best trained technicians in the industry, keeping aircraft airworthy and safe, and reducing downtime.
A new variant of Russian Helicopters’ Mi-171 designed specifically for the needs of offshore energy operators has made its first flight. Test pilots Alexander Klimov and Vladimir Kutanin put the Mi-171A3 through an initial 15-minute test card that included short vertical maneuvers while turning and moving the helicopter in all directions at various speeds.
The development of the Mi-171A3 began in 2018. The latest helicopter fully complies with the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers standards and meets the increased requirements for promoting the safety of flights over water. The A3 is designed to carry up to 24 passengers, has a maximum range of 540 nm, and is designed to operate in extreme climates in a temperature range from -58F to 120F. It is equipped with a full suite of digital avionics and automatic flight control systems.
The project was underwritten in part with a $14 million investment from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. Russian Helicopters estimates the market demand for the new variant to be 100 units by 2035, according to Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russian Helicopters’ parent company, Rostec State Corp. The final assembly of the Mi-171A3 will take place at the Ulan-Ude aviation plant with fuselage components from Kazan Helicopters.
To celebrate the holidays, Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) is giving the gift of sustainability to its clients this year, purchasing enough carbon credits through partner Avfuel to offset several thousand tonnes of carbon emissions. This donation will offset as much carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere as approximately 70,000 trees would remove in one year, JSSI said.
“What better way to wish our clients a happy holiday season than to build upon our efforts toward creating a more sustainable future for flying?” posited JSSI chief revenue officer Francisco Zozaya. “Supporting over 20 percent of the world’s business jets through our suite of products and services, we have a clear, impactful opportunity to help realize our industry’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.”
JSSI’s carbon credit partnership with Avfuel provides clients with tools and resources to evaluate and reduce their net carbon emissions, including an online CO2 calculator to estimate emissions, the purchase of carbon offsets, and access to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The company’s maintenance program clients are also able to offset the carbon emissions associated with their flight hours through Avfuel’s Carbon Offset Program as a part of their JSSI monthly flight activity reports.
Each carbon credit purchased offsets one tonne of CO2 emissions through “direct investment in a selection of projects with a positive impact upon the environment.”
Five months after launching its Aviator membership program, charter broker PrivateFly is adding a new benefit to the program that offers a fixed hourly rate on a selection of popular long-distance route pairs from the UK, including to the U.S., Caribbean, and Dubai. The Extended Range fixed-rate pricing is intended to remove the uncertainty of fluctuating market pricing for clients looking to make longer trips that the London-based Directional Aviation company said is “a significant factor” given the current demand for private jet travel.
Under the Extended Range offering, flights for Aviator-member travel on ultra-long-range jets—such as the Gulfstream G650, Bombardier Global 5000/6000 and Dassault Falcon 7X/8X—between the UK and the U.S., Caribbean, and the Middle East will be priced at €13,500 ($15,207) per hour. And for flights between the UK and the Middle East on heavy jets—including the Bombardier Challenger 600 series, Embraer Legacy 600/650, and Falcon 900—the hourly rate is €11,700.
"It provides the reassurance of being able to avoid the uncertainty of open-market quotes, which can vary widely in the current market conditions,” said PrivateFly European managing director Marine Eugène.
An Aviator membership requires funds held on account and an annual membership fee of €10,000, which includes other benefits such as enhanced cancellation terms, “fly further" flight credits of up to 2 percent of funds deposited, premium catering, and inclusive de-icing.
The FAA has named Billy Nolen, a former airline captain who most recently held a leadership role with WestJet Airlines in Canada, to serve as associate administrator of aviation safety. He succeeds Ali Bahrami, who stepped down at the end of June.
Nolen, who will take the reins of the organization early next year, will lead a team of more than 7,600 FAA employees responsible for all aspects of aviation safety, including aerospace manufacturing, air carrier operations, business and general aviation activities, aircraft systems, and electric propulsion.
Previously v-p for safety, security, and quality for WestJet, Nolen brings a long airline background to the agency, including with Qantas Airways, American Airlines, and Airlines for America (A4A). While with American, he managed the carrier’s aviation safety action program and later was managing director for corporate safety and regulatory affairs. He also served as senior v-p for safety, security, and operations for A4A and later executive manager for group safety and health at Qantas.
NBAA welcomed the appointment. “We look forward to working with Billy in this new role and to his leadership across many aspects of business aviation flight safety, from our shared goal to promote implementation of safety management systems throughout the aviation industry to ensuring the safe rollout of innovative technologies like UAS and advanced aerial mobility,” said Doug Carr, NBAA’s senior v-p for safety, security, sustainability, and international affairs.
Jet Aviation Scottsdale Wins Top Flight Award for New FBO
AIN named Jet Aviation Scottsdale as the winner of the 2021 Top Flight Awards New FBO category. Jet Aviation’s FBO and hangar complex at Arizona’s Scottsdale Airport consists of an 8,500-sq-ft terminal and a 30,000-sq-ft hangar, which can accommodate aircraft up to the size of a G650. The FBO is the third at the airport and the new terminal features a large lobby, passenger and crew lounges, pilot snooze rooms, a conference room, meeting room, and weather and flight planning facilities. The new facilities were built using cost and energy-efficient construction practices, and the company plans to install solar panels at the site later this year.
People in Aviation
Nikolay Kolesov was appointed director-general of Russian Helicopters. He succeeds Andrei Boginsky, who has held this position since 2017 but has transferred to the United Aircraft Corporation as the deputy director-general for civil aviation and as the director-general of the Irkut Corporation. Kolesov had been the head of Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies since 2009.
Jet Linx promoted Scott Wilbanks to senior v-p of aircraft management sales. Wilbanks, who has 20 years of sales and business development experience, joined Jet Linx in 2014 in Atlanta as director of private jet card sales and most recently was v-p of regional aircraft management sales.
Jet East hired Patrick Moylan to serve as v-p of safety. A former air traffic controller with the U.S. Marine Corps, Moylan most recently was a senior associate at FBO Partners and also has served as senior director of health, safety, and environmental for Signature Flight Support and held several safety positions supporting the FAA’s Office of System Safety and NextGen.
Savback Helicopters named Stephen Mitchell head of sales for the UK and Ireland. Mitchell, who served in the Royal Air Force, brings 25 years of civil aviation sales experience to his new role, including with Sloane Helicopters, Auro Aviation, and JetBrokers.
Giuliano Donadio joined Traxxall as regional sales director for Latin America, including Mexico, seven Central American countries, and 12 South American countries. Donadio previously recently spent seven years in aircraft services sales in Sao Paulo, Brazil, most recently as an aircraft sales manager focused on Cessna Citation aircraft for TAM Executive Aviation.
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