Pilatus Hands Over First High-density PC-24

The first Pilatus PC-24 with a higher-density, 10-seat configuration was delivered to a “customer in the western United States” late last month, the Swiss aircraft manufacturer said. According to FlightAware records, the twinjet—registered as N777NX—went to the Nevada Department of Transportation for executive transport, though Pilatus Aircraft would not confirm this, citing the customer’s request for confidentiality.

Pilatus received FAA certificate for the 10-seat “commuter category” configuration on December 7, according to the PC-24’s latest type certification data sheet. Seat pitch in the commuter configuration varies from 34 to 40 inches. Each seat features a quick-release mechanism to permit easy cabin reconfiguration, as well as a side storage compartment and cupholder.

“All of us at Pilatus are pleased to hand over this new PC-24 in the ten-seat commuter configuration,” said Pilatus v-p of general aviation Ignaz Gretener. “The PC-24 is the only aircraft in its category to offer this level of high-capacity interior for ten passengers. All seats are forward-facing, and internal cargo space of more than 50 cubic feet remains accessible in flight. We expect this configuration will prove very popular with both public and private operators requiring a cost-effective solution for frequent transportation of passengers as an alternative to sending them on the airlines.”

Gulfstream Offering Packages for Aircraft Makeover

Gulfstream Aerospace has developed new redesign packages to help its customers give their aircraft a makeover. The enhanced program provides a range of options that can be tailored to the owner’s needs and timelines. Key to the programs, Gulfstream will provide a dedicated designer to help the owners through the process, from planning to completion.

The Savannah, Georgia-based airframer has assembled three basic redesign packages. The Refresh package involves recovered seats and upper and lower sidewalls, along with fresh carpeting and exterior paint. This work can be accomplished in as little as 30 working days. The Premium package builds on the Refresh option, adding new veneers and countertops. Gulfstream is also offering a Custom package that adds to the Premium package with a new floorplan.

“No one knows a Gulfstream aircraft like we do,” said Derek Zimmerman, president of Gulfstream Customer Support. “From a refresh to a floorplan reconfiguration, our team can bring any vision to reality. An updated aircraft not only improves the customer’s overall comfort, it can increase the aircraft’s marketability.”

Gulfstream said the cabin upgrades can be lined up with other scheduled maintenance.

Avionics Sales Drop, but Retrofits Soften Landing

Worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales dropped 26 percent in 2020, to $2.22 billion, the Aircraft Electronics Association reported yesterday. That total was down almost $800 million from the 2019 record total of more than $3 billion. It also marked the lowest year-end tally during the nine years that AEA has reported avionics results.

Sales in the fourth quarter of alone were down 28.1 percent year-over-over year, to $563.7 million. However, that marked an improvement quarter-over-quarter as avionics sales slowly crept up from the second quarter’s $490.7 million. The third quarter was up 5.9 percent from the second quarter, to $519.7 million, and the fourth quarter marked an 8.5 percent improvement from there.

Retrofit sales helped drive those improvements, jumping 10.8 percent quarter-over-quarter in the third quarter and then 15.3 percent quarter-over-quarter in the fourth quarter.

Fourth-quarter retrofit sales reached $342 million, just slightly below the $345.6 million reported in the first quarter of 2020. Retrofit sales accounted for 60.7 percent of all sales in the fourth quarter and 55.9 percent for the year.

The latter half of 2020 provided a “softer landing” for sales. noted AEA president and CEO Mike Adamson. “Although 2020 year-end sales are significantly down from last year's all-time high, we see positive signs in the retrofit market, which means our members are keeping busy with avionics upgrades.”

Bombardier Partners with StandardAero in London, Berlin

Bombardier reached an agreement with MRO provider StandardAero to bring expanded engine and APU services for Challenger and Learjet customers at its London Biggin Hill and Berlin facilities. Under the agreement, StandardAero will have dedicated technicians available at both locations providing capabilities from engine borescope inspection to on-condition engine disassembly and repair, along with troubleshooting and repair of recorded engine squawks.

The agreement enables the facilities to provide a full range of services encompassing engine, airframe, and APU work, Bombardier said. It will offer all-inclusive pricing options for these services, the company added.

“This new collaboration leverages StandardAero’s industry-leading engine repair and overhaul maintenance capabilities with Bombardier’s own extensive support services on site to create the ultimate one-stop-shop for our customers,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive v-p of services and support and corporate strategy for Bombardier. “Through this agreement, our operators will benefit from the expertise and proficiency provided by both Bombardier and StandardAero.”

NTSB: Bryant’s Pilot Disregarded Training

Celebrity allure met aviation safety culture and the pilot threw his training out the window. So concluded the NTSB yesterday in issuing its long-awaited probable cause finding in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash of a Sikorsky S-76B that killed retired basketball legend Kobe Bryant and eight others near Calabasas, California.

The NTSB found that pilot Ara Zobayan conducted the flight significantly counter to his training likely in an effort to please his celebrity passenger and deliver him to his final destination, even as weather progressively deteriorated during the Part 135 VFR flight. Zobayan, an 8,500-hour IFR-rated pilot, had logged just 75 hours of instrument time and all but 68 hours of that was simulated, the NTSB found. And although the S-76 was equipped with an autopilot, Zobayan did not use it as he attempted to climb through a cloud layer as terrain and ceiling began to converge.   

“The probable cause of this accident was the pilot's decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which resulted in the pilot’s spatial orientation and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s likely self-induced pressure and the pilot’s plan continuation bias which adversely affected the pilot’s decision-making, and Island Express Helicopter Inc.’s inadequate review and oversight of the safety management processes,” the NTSB concluded.

Part 147 AMT School Rule Sees Significant Changes

A revamped Part 147 regulation governing aviation maintenance technical schools in the U.S. will update language and standards that are more than 50 years old, while aligning schools’ curriculum with mechanic Airman Certification Standards, freeing them from FAA curriculum approvals. Those and other changes to Part 147 were the topics last week of an hour-long webinar hosted by Helicopter Association International and presented by Aviation Technician Education Council executive director Crystal Maguire and Blue Ridge Community College professor of aviation maintenance technology Fred Dyen.

Under the new final rule, publishing of which is called for by March 27, the regulator will now assess a program’s quality based on student test performance and, in the case of nationally accredited schools, will defer oversight of all educational elements to the Department of Education. It also will more easily allow schools to provide off-site training, including online, as well as establish competency-based programs that don’t have any seat time or credit hour requirements.

“So now that we take away seat time and credits…[students] have to have a certain knowledge that can be demonstrated through oral and written tests, they have to have a certain skill level and that can be demonstrated through a variety of projects or actual hands-on tasks,” Dyen noted.

United Unveils Plans For eVTOL Airport Shuttles

United Airlines today said it will use eVTOL aircraft to carry up to four passengers to and from its major hub airports. In a joint announcement with its regional partner Mesa Airlines, the carrier said it intends to acquire up to 200 of Archer Aviation's all-electric model, which the California startup expects to gain certification and enter service in 2024.

The deal's value of up to $1.5 billion implies a unit price for the eVTOL of $7.5 million. However, confirmation of the order and deliveries remains contingent on the aircraft achieving FAA type certification and having started commercial service. Founded in 2020, Archer said it intends to operate the aircraft itself, along with unspecified partners.  

Also, Archer Aviation outlined plans today for an anticipated $1.1 billion share flotation through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Atlas Crest Investment. The $1.1 billion target for the amount of capital raised through the SPAC deal includes $600 million in a common stock PIPE (public investment in private equity) commitment backed by United Airlines, Stellantis, Exor, Baron Capital Group, the Federated Hermes Kaufmann Funds, Mubadala Capital, Putnam Investments, and Access Industries. Atlas Crest chairman Ken Moelis and Archer’s initial financial backer, Marc Lore, have committed to injecting $30 million in the new company.

F/List Acquires ACC Columbia’s Bizjet Seat Division

Aircraft interiors specialist F/List has acquired ACC Columbia’s upholstery operations in Erfurt, Germany, enabling ACC to focus on business jet MRO services while expanding F/List’s capacity and strengthening its service network in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region. The financial terms of the deal, which took effect on February 1, were not disclosed.

In addition to the acquisition, F/List will partner with ACC for cabin refurbishments. “We are very happy and proud that we have found a company, i.e. F/List, that has agreed to take over our employees and thus our ACC Columbia-Interior facility in Erfurt,” said ACC managing director Nils Janssen. “We felt very comfortable in the negotiations with F/List at all times and look forward to expanding our cooperation.”

ACC provides maintenance on Bombardier, Citation, Embraer, Falcon, and Gulfstream jets from its base in Hannover, Germany. It also operates a site in Cologne. According to F/List, which operates eight locations in Europe, Middle East, and the Americas with 900 employees, the Erfurt site specializes in seat upholstery services and is of “strategic importance” because it will generate additional capacity for processing orders faster and more efficiently.

UPS Extends A300 Service Life with Primus Epic

Outdated flight management system technology has been very inefficient for UPS's Airbus A300 pilots working from a limited airport database. So the freight carrier has invested in a cockpit modernization with Honeywell Primus Epic avionics that it believes will keep obsolescence at bay at least until 2035. Plus, there are several safety improvements, too.