AINalerts will not publish tomorrow and Friday in observance of the New Year's holiday. We will resume publication on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.

BJT Survey: Private Flying Set for Post-pandemic Climb

Fifty-eight percent of the respondents to the latest annual Readers' Choice Survey by AIN sister publication Business Jet Traveler said the Covid-19 pandemic has reduced their private flying, while 17 percent said they increased their private flying in response to the health crisis. Eighteen percent reported no year-over-year change in their flying habits and 3 percent said they flew privately for the first time due to health concerns during the pandemic. Looking to a post-pandemic world in 2021, 38 percent expect their private flying to resume at 2019 levels and 41 percent said they will fly even more.

Though the top-three reasons for flying privately remained static from the 2019 survey—save time, ability to fly into airports not served by the airlines, and more comfortable flights—the pandemic was on the minds of respondents this year, with health concerns coming in at a close fourth place.

Top aircraft attributes were range, economical operation, and cabin comfort and amenities. Preferred aircraft by category include the Pilatus PC-12 (turboprop single); Beechcraft King Air (turboprop twin); Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 (very light and light jet, respectively); Cessna Citation Latitude (midsize jet); Bombardier Challenger 350 (super-midsize jet); and Gulfstream G500 and G650/650ER (large-cabin and ultra-long-range jet, respectively).

Asked about what would most interest respondents, 28 percent cited supersonic business jets, indicating wide interest in this emerging category.

DCAF Sees Rise in Private Aviation Activity in Dubai

As Covid-induced air travel restrictions begin to ease, DC Aviation Al Futtaim (DCAF) is reporting an uptick in its private aircraft operations at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport. The company, a joint venture between German business jet operator DC Aviation and privately-owned UAE business group Al-Futtaim, provides FBO, MRO, and aircraft charter services.

DCAF credits the rise to several factors, including local government tourism initiatives, strengthening business activity across the wider region, and once-premium commercial passengers who are now looking to fly on private jets due to safety and health concerns.

“After the lockdown eased in May, we witnessed an increase in the number of charter inquiries and bookings,” said DCAF managing director Holger Ostheimer, adding that the initial push was simply people looking to return to their home countries. “As more countries started to open up their borders, we started to see more leisure travelers.” He noted that holiday destinations such as the Maldives are now trending upwards again, along with visitors from the CIS and Russia coming to the UAE for the winter months, and he is optimistic for the first quarter of 2021.

On the MRO front, DCAF saw an increase due to manufacturer requirements for inactive aircraft checks along with routine maintenance on airplanes that were grounded during the lockdown period, as well as return-to-service checks in preparation to resume operations.

New FlightData Feature Enables Automatic Reporting

Aerocor’s FlightData product (formerly CirrusReports) has added an automatic reporting feature to its cloud-based data analysis platform, allowing operators of light jets, turboprops, and piston aircraft to share data with three third-party data analysis providers. These include CAMP Systems engine condition and trend monitoring (ECTM); Boeing Distribution (formerly Aviall) for Eclipse 500s enrolled in Boeing Engine Intelligence (formerly ESP); and Savvy Aviation for aircraft enrolled in maintenance consulting services.

“Automatic reporting is a key enhancement to FlightData,” said Aerocor co-founder and president Gavin Woodman. “We know that it’s a hassle for our customers to manage multiple platforms for reporting aircraft data to program providers, so we’ve automated the process.”

To participate in the fully integrated data analysis process, from data capture to program reporting, aircraft must be equipped with the BlueMAX wireless data transfer device. Aerocor acquired BlueMAX earlier this year from Australian manufacturer Control-J.

EBAA: Brexit Deal Facilitates Continued Ops, Trade

The Draft European Union-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which sets the stage for the UK to leave the EU Single Market and Customs Union on Friday, outlines measures designed to ensure continued air connectivity and provide for a level playing field, according to EBAA. However, UK operators will no longer be considered as EU carriers and will lose certain traffic rights. 

In its initial guidance on the agreement published on December 26, EBAA said the draft was designed to limit disruption as much as possible. EU and UK carriers will be able to continue unlimited carriage of passenger and cargo between the EU and in the UK under the so-called 3rd and 4th freedoms. But onward carriage, the “5th freedom” involving routes such as Paris-London-New York, would be permitted only for cargo flights if a bilateral agreement is put in place.

The UK will no longer participate in EASA or participate in the EASA regulatory framework. The draft provides for recognition of future design and environmental certificates. This will facilitate trade, EBAA said, but it will not reduce administrative burdens. Existing design certificates remain valid.

As for a level playing field, the draft includes protections of passenger rights and issues such as ground handling, slots, and fuel taxation.

App Improves Traxxall User Experience

Traxxall has seen a surge in users from its redesigned app so that it replicates the desktop experience. Since introducing Traxxall 360 last March, users have rapidly made the transition to the new app.

“We’ve been tracking app usage,” said Traxxall president Mark Steinbeck. The old app had about 250 users but the new app now has more than 4,000 active users, which is about 35 percent of the overall Traxxall user base. “It’s been well received,” he said. “We want everything on our tablets and phones. The pandemic helped spark some of that.”

Traxxall has also added new features, and the Traxxall user base has been growing at 50 to 60 new customers per month, he said. “Most go right to the app and are not messing with the older platform.”

Aircraft operators these days want to go paperless, Steinbeck said, and Traxxall facilitates that by allowing maintenance signatures in the app so there is no need to print documents and sign them physically. However, the app does allow printing. Or the document can be saved in pdf format for emailing or storing.

A recently added feature is the checklist function, which allows users to create their own checklist templates. A checklist can include a signature requirement to confirm compliance. After completion, checklists are stored in Traxxall’s documents section, providing an audit trail and history.

Lee Aero, Peregrine Partner on STC To Combat Covid-19

Colorado-based aircraft engineering and certification firm Peregrine Avionics has partnered with Lee Aerospace of Wichita to offer Aviation Clean Air (ACA) system installation data and STCs for the Cessna Citation Excel, XLS, and XLS+. In testing, ACA’s NeedlePoint Bi-Polar Ionization technology has been shown to be 99 percent effective in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes Covid-19—as well as other infectious diseases such as H5N1 (Bird Flu), H1N1 (Swine Flu), and Staph.

“After developing STCs for other aircraft with Peregrine, we are pleased to incorporate this health protection ACA system in our own company’s aircraft,” said Lee Aerospace president Jim Lee, who provided the aircraft for this STC. “This system implements a layered defense for protecting aircraft passengers and crew by supplementing cleaning procedures with an active, always-on system that provides continuous, effective neutralization of harmful pathogens.”

In addition to the Citation Excel/XLS/XLS+, Peregrine has developed STCs for installation of the ACA system on the Gulfstream GIV/GIV-SP, Bombardier Challenger 600 series, and Dassault Falcon 50 and 900.

Austrian Operator Orders Five Airbus H135 Light Twins

ÖAMTC Air Rescue has agreed to a firm order for the purchase of five H135s from Airbus Helicopters as part of the Austrian company’s fleet modernization program. The first H135 is scheduled to be delivered in early 2022.

"Our demanding missions require the most modern helicopters available for enhancing our capability for critical missions,” including night operations, said ÖAMTC CEO Reinhard Kraxner. “We have been operating the H135 for more than 20 years, and we look forward to benefiting from the advantages that the Helionix version brings. The reduced pilot workload combined with the four-axis autopilot will be a valuable asset on board for our crews that rescue patients often in challenging environments.”

ÖAMTC’s fleet comprises 28 of the earlier variant of the light twin operated from 17 permanent bases and an additional four during winter months. In 2019, ÖAMTC flew more than 20,000 missions—an average of 52 a day.

Flight School Organization Plans Live Event

The Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) announced it will hold its upcoming annual International Flight School Conference as a live event. The three-day 2021 edition will be held in Orlando, Florida, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel starting on March 3.

FSANA president and CEO Robert Rockmaker told AIN he has received encouragement from the group’s membership to go ahead and stage the conference, which normally attracts hundreds of visitors, as an in-person event rather than virtual. Currently, it is scheduled to have more than 25 multi-track education sessions and an exhibit hall with up to 30 exhibitors, launching with a preview day on March 3 that will include an attendee reception, a pair of afternoon sessions on mentoring and flight school accreditation, and a welcome dinner.

“For 2021 we have increased the number of education tracks to meet the increased demand for additional content in the ever-changing world of flight training,” said Rockmaker. “Anyone in the business of flight training should attend to team, network, and meet supply chain partners and others who interface with their industry.”

He added that social distancing will be observed and attendees will be seated in accordance with current government guidelines. If held as scheduled, the event would be one of the first live aviation industry conferences to take place in the span of a year.

Photo of the Week

Sun sets on 2020. This photo over the Alps at sunset, taken by TimeAir managing director Martin Prazsky while at FL410 on the way from Milan to Prague in a Nextant 400XTi, is a perfect depiction as this difficult year finally comes to an end. Thanks for sharing, Martin! The whole team at AIN also wishes everyone a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year.

If you'd like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.