AINalerts will not publish tomorrow and Friday in observance of the New Year's holiday. We will resume publication on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

Spanish Airport Goes on the Auction Block

If you have ever wanted to own your own European airport, now is your opportunity, with Spain’s Ocaña Airfield on the auction block.

Located less than 40 miles (60 km) from Madrid, the facility opened in 1962 and is restricted to public, uncontrolled general aviation use. The airport covers 94 acres and has two crossing runways of 4,200 feet (1,280 m) and 2,300 feet. It has nearly six acres (23,000 sq m) of paved ramp, three hangars; one of 20,100 sq ft (1,871 sq m), and a pair of 17,000-sq-ft structures; a main hall/terminal with offices, a restaurant, bar, and bathrooms; and a variety of smaller support structures. Also on the property is a 36,800-sq-ft, three-story “student dormitory building” with a swimming pool, playground, and gardens.

According to Spanish aviation authority SENASA, which is conducting the auction in a two-stage process through auction portal Escrapalia, sealed bids will be accepted until Feb. 4, 2022. The minimum opening bid is €1.06 million ($1.2 million) and a security deposit of 5 percent of the minimum bid must be given to guarantee a commitment to purchase. The bids will be unsealed on February 10, and the top three bidders will then compete in an online auction, which will take place between February 14 and February 17.

AINsight: The Appropriate Missed Approach

A missed approach is a possibility during any flight. The appropriate pilot response depends on the geographic location of the aircraft when the missed approach procedure is initiated and may not necessarily be the published missed approach procedure. A well-flown missed approach requires the pilot to have competency in the many nuances of a missed approach procedure.

Outside of simulator training, an actual missed approach is rare. The reason to “go missed” often is a surprise and adds to the high workload of an unexpecting flight crew during an approach. Thus, pilots should plan thoroughly and brief the missed approach prior to reaching the top of descent. When executing a missed approach, pilots must manage the aircraft and flight path to safely ensure terrain and obstacle clearance.

A missed approach at the missed approach point (MAP) is the least complex and the one practiced most in the simulator. The response to this scenario is to comply with the published missed approach procedure. A missed approach initiated prior to the MAP requires the pilot to continue to fly the lateral track of the instrument approach procedure to the MAP before beginning the turn.

A missed approach after the MAP involves additional risk. In this case, obstacle clearance is the responsibility of the pilot. A missed approach from a circling approach may be the most challenging. In this case, the appropriate missed approach may not be the published missed approach procedure.

AMAC Looks To New Markets with Gamit Acquisition

AMAC Aerospace has acquired UK-based Gamit, a provider of material and logistics support, technical services, and online digital records to MROs, airlines, and private and corporate aircraft owners. The deal gives Basel, Switzerland-based AMAC and Gamit access to new markets and services and improved efficiencies between the companies on mutual projects.

“We are excited to incorporate Gamit Limited into the AMAC Aerospace group of companies as it will give the group more aviation-related services that we normally have to seek from the wider markets,” said AMAC chief operating officer Bernd Schramm. “We will be integrating a strong team based out of the UK with about 100 years worth of cumulative experience.”

Utilizing an international supply chain network developed since 1990, Gamit’s work has included onsite technical support for passenger-to-freighter conversions, engine overhaul, and aircraft base maintenance. Continuing airworthiness maintenance organization and commercial end of lease are among other services provided by Gamit. Additionally, its web-based application called Roam helps operators manage aircraft maintenance records.

Sabca Morocco Plant To Build PC-12 Components in 2022

Pilatus Aircraft plans to take delivery of its first Moroccan-made PC-12 components late next year under an agreement with international aerospace structures specialist Sabca that is shifting some aerostructures work to a new factory in Casablanca. In August Pilatus had signed an agreement with Sabca, which has a presence in Morocco in addition to Belgium, covering the manufacture of PC-12 fuselage, wings, and flight controls, including installation of electric wiring.

Sabca, which will deliver the components to Pilatus’s final assembly line in Stans, Switzerland, expects to hand over the first fuselage and wing structure produced in Casablanca by the end of 2022. It is investing more than 180 million dirhams ($19 million) in a new 16,000-sq-m (172,000-sq-ft) factory that will house the PC-12 aerostructure assembly line in the Nouaceur region. The plant should initially generate 100 new jobs, with the expectation that it will grow over time. Sabca is collaborating with the Institute of Aeronautical Trades on training resources for the PC-12 program.

Noting its background in metallic and composite aerostructures, Sabca CEO Thibauld Jongen had said the agreement “marks the beginning of the collaboration between Pilatus and Sabca” and added, “This selection by Pilatus underlines our know-how and the competitiveness of the region.”

Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Moroccan minister of industry, trade, and green and digital economy, meanwhile, had called the partnership a major step in furthering the aerospace ecosystem in Morocco.

Jet Aviation Delivers its First 787-8 VVIP Completion

Jet Aviation handed over its first Boeing 787-8 with a VVIP cabin interior completion to an undisclosed customer. Finishing the work on schedule, Jet Aviation took delivery of the green Boeing 787 at its completion center in Basel, Switzerland, in October 2019.

The company installed a low-weight, quiet cabin that was conceptualized by an external design studio and included a number of complex features engineered and produced in-house, Jet Aviation said.

“The exceptionally low cabin noise Jet Aviation achieved on this aircraft is the culmination of long-term collaborative research and development between us, universities, OEMs, and partner companies,” said Enrique Garrido Bosch, completions program director for the program. “Our customer was particularly delighted with his environment of calm. We are very excited about the possibilities for further innovation to develop and shape sound experiences.”

Jet Aviation was able to keep the aircraft under target weight and maintain its schedule using its existing EASA supplemental type certificate (STC) for certifying interior installations on Boeing 787s, added Jeremie Caillet, senior v-p of regional operations EMEA. The STC was the first of its kind for a completions center, he added.

Learjet Was Turning to Final Approach before Fatal Crash

All four occupants aboard a Learjet 35A were killed Monday night when the aircraft crashed as it was completing a left turn for a visual approach to Runway 27R at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, California. It struck a residential area about 1.5 miles east of the runway threshold and burst into flames. Metar weather reported just before the 7:15 p.m. accident included three statute miles visibility in mist and light wind.

The twinjet, N880Z registered to MedJet, had taken off from John Wayne Santa Ana Airport 16 minutes earlier. Two pilots and two nurses were aboard, returning to base after transporting a patient to Santa Ana.

According to FlightAware, the flight climbed to 11,000 feet. At 7:08 p.m. the tower cleared the flight for an instrument approach to Runway 17. Two minutes later, the crew canceled the IFR clearance asking for a visual approach to Runway 27R. A visual approach was approved and the aircraft cleared for a left-hand traffic pattern. The crew then requested the runway lights be turned up, to which the controller replied that “they are at 100 percent now."

The NTSB said the aircraft was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, but not a flight data recorder. 

Sherwin-Williams Gives Digital Peek at A/C Color Combos

Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings has rolled out its web-based Aircraft Color Visualizer to enable aircraft owners, paint shops, designers, and other interested parties to digitally visualize color combinations on various aircraft types.

The interactive tool provides options on six models ranging from kit aircraft to heavy jets that can be customized with any color in the Sherwin-Williams library. Pre-designed schemes can include one base color and up to three accents in both solids and metallics. Customers can switch between designs and spin the aircraft to see them from different angles.

Sherwin-Williams said the visualizer is not intended to replace aircraft paint scheme designers but rather enhance color selection capabilities for designers and aircraft owners.

"Offering our customers this highly specialized online tool reflects our commitment to innovation beyond paint and coatings,” said Julie Voisin, Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings global marketing manager. “The Aircraft Color Visualizer tool will not only serve as inspiration for customers and designers, but it will also ease the color selection process for them. We're excited to see how customers will utilize the full breadth of our color palette in their unique creations."

RBI Hawker Adds AW139, AW109 Blade Repair Approvals

Leonardo Helicopters has appointed RBI Hawker Australia as a rotor blade repair service center. With the approval, the Brisbane-based facility is authorized to offer OEM-approved helicopter rotor blade repair services on the Leonardo AW139 intermediate twin and AW109 light twin from its 1,000-sq-m (10,764-sq-ft) maintenance facility.

The approval from Leonardo follows the facility’s Part 145 maintenance organization approval from the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority in June and as a customer service facility for Bell in July.

“This service expansion demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality OEM-supported rotary blade repair services to both government and commercial Leonardo helicopters operators in the region,” said Jet Aviation v-p for northeast Asia Ian D’Arcy. “We look forward to working closely with Leonardo Helicopters to provide the quality customer service and support that operators have grown accustomed to expect from RBI Hawker, both in the Middle East and Australia.”

RBI Hawker is a joint venture between Hawker Pacific Airservices, a Jet Aviation company, and Bell.