Global business aircraft flying edged up 2.2 percent last month from a year ago despite an 11.3 percent drop in Europe, according to Argus International.
In Europe, activity was “sluggish,” Argus said, as operations involving large-cabin jets plunged year-over-year by 28.4 percent in January. Meanwhile, midsize jet activity declined by 10.1 percent and light jet flights were down by 5.8 percent in Europe.
In North America, activity increased by 1.3 percent year-over-year, thanks to a 12.7 percent jump in fractional activity and a 4.4 percent gain in Part 91 operations. This buffered the 5.7 percent decline in Part 135 flights in North America.
Large-cabin jet flights in North America continued to increase, up 6.8 percent in January from a year ago. Turboprop flights increased by 2.5 percent while midsize jet operations remained even and flights by light jets were off by 1.8 percent.
Meanwhile, operations strengthened by 16.1 percent in other regions last month. Large-cabin jet operations led this increase, up by 35.7 percent, followed by turboprops at 17.1 percent and light jets at 10.6 percent. Midsize jet activity, however, was down by 6 percent in January in regions including Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America.
As for February, Argus is projecting that activity will soften by 1.1 percent in North America and European activity will decline by 16.8 percent over the same month in 2021.
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has released an update on its investigation of the Jan. 31, 2022, accident involving a U.S.-registered Bombardier Challenger 604. The twinjet suffered substantial damage attempting to land at London Stansted Airport.
After flying an ILS approach to Runway 22 during a strong crosswind (300 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 24), the AAIB said, “The aircraft flared after which it floated above the runway at about 10 feet agl for several seconds. [It] then diverged off the runway and rolled left, as a result of which the left wingtip made contact with the grass. The stick pusher activated at some point, causing the aircraft to bounce onto its nosewheel.”
After aborting the landing attempt, the aircraft diverted to London Gatwick Airport, where it arrived without further incident. There were reports that the aircraft left behind a trail of debris on the runway at Stansted. There were no injuries, but the damage to the left wing and forward fuselage was severe enough that the aircraft was determined to be a total loss.
According to the AAIB, the investigation is nearly complete and the final report looking into the accident is expected to be published later this year.
Today marks the 50th year that NBAA has held the International Operators Conference (IOC). “It’s about where we are today and where we’re going to be tomorrow,” NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen said this morning at the opening session of IOC 2023.
“NBAA exists to foster an environment to allow business aviation to thrive in the U.S. and around the world,” he added. “And the airplanes, they don’t know national boundaries, they just know to fly. It’s for us to figure out how to let that inherent strength of the aircraft be able to operate in a very complex world. The way we do it is by sharing our knowledge, sharing our passion. Fifty years of IOC, 50 years of coming together, 50 years of depending on people. The NBAA staff, the volunteers, our members, and our board all collectively recognize the responsibility we have to foster an environment that allows business aviation to thrive.”
This year’s IOC features sessions ranging from dealing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to mission planning, regional reviews, safety management systems, oceanic operations, deep water ditching, sustainability, and security.
Today's opening session included a keynote by Hillwood Aviation president and CEO Matt Byrd, who is also an NBAA board member. He recounted his experiences flying for the U.S. Air Force and as a pilot on the Thunderbirds demonstration team.
Satcom Direct has validated its dual-dissimilar satcom capabilities on its Gulfstream G550 testbed during daily flights and on a transatlantic flight from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Melbourne, Florida, in January. The dual-dissimilar setup consists of Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple Ku- and Ka-band antenna systems mounted together on the vertical fin of the G550.
The Ku-band Plane Simple antenna is available now, while the Ka-band system is set for entry into service in the fourth quarter. Running a dual-dissimilar satcom system adds significant additional bandwidth to and from the aircraft for both passengers and flight crew. On the nearly 10-hour transatlantic flight, there were 40 devices tapping the connectivity for video streaming, flight crew needs, entertainment, and many other applications, according to Satcom Direct.
“We know that aircraft owners are already installing more than one connectivity solution on their aircraft to satisfy the growing requirement for consistent data for passengers and crew,” said Satcom direct founder and CEO Jim Jensen. “As Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple antenna series is the industry’s first network-agnostic connectivity solution, we can add real value for our customers choosing the dual-dissimilar option. Our cohesive offering future proofs the aircraft for software and satellite advancements, making staying connected much more convenient, cost-effective, and simple.”
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The FAA temporarily shut down a significant swath of airspace over northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan at noon yesterday to “support Department of Defense activities.” The closure followed a similar action taken over Montana Saturday night and was related to the shootdown of a third unidentified object over the U.S. and Canada within a 72-hour period. The Great Lakes area airspace reopened late yesterday afternoon; however, a Canadian TFR remains in the immediate shootdown area over Canadian waters.
U.S. Northcom commander Gen. Glen VanHerck said that after the original China spy balloon incident earlier this month, the U.S. Air Force reset “velocity gates” on several of its radars to better allow it to detect slower-moving objects and different altitude blocks.
Yesterday morning, two F-16s from the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 148th fighter wing took off to conduct the intercept. One of those aircraft dispatched the object with an air-to-air missile.
Over the weekend the Pentagon said it was continuing to search for wreckage associated with the shootdown of two other objects, one near Deadhorse, Alaska, on Friday and the other in the Canadian Yukon on Saturday. All three of the recently downed objects were intercepted because they were cruising at altitudes between 20,000 and 40,000 feet and presented a hazard to civil aviation. The FAA issued a TFR for the area around Deadhorse on Friday.
UK business aviation gateway Farnborough Airport has partnered with British car manufacturer Aston Martin to enhance its guest experience. As part of Farnborough’s brand collaboration program, its customers will be whisked to and from their aircraft via a chauffeured Aston Martin DBX707 SUV, furthering the upscale experience it provides.
The airport will also host a display of the vehicle—which the automaker describes as the world’s most powerful luxury SUV—on the approach to its terminal. “At Farnborough Airport, one of our ambitions is to become widely recognized as an aspirational travel brand,” explained CEO Simon Geere. “We are therefore delighted to be collaborating with such an iconic, highly desirable brand as Aston Martin, with which we share excellent synergies, to deliver an enhanced and discerning customer experience.”
Located 40 minutes from central London, Farnborough has been recognized as the top-rated private aviation facility outside of North America for more than a decade by AIN readers.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
In the following TAF, what is the meaning of -FZRAPL? KDFW 301500Z 3015/3118 35012KT P6SM OVC008 FM301600 35015KT P6SM OVC011 FM302000 35013KT P6SM -FZRAPL OVC015 FM310000 36011KT P6SM -FZRAPL OVC022 FM310300 01010KT P6SM OVC013
A. Light freezing rain and light ice pellets.
B. Light freezing rain and moderate ice pellets.
C. Light freezing temperature, light rain and light ice pellets.
Global helicopter services company Bristow Group has reorganized its leadership team to align with its main services of government and offshore energy. “The new structure leverages the strengths of our leadership team and better positions the company to deliver on our long-term strategy for diversification and growth in both new and existing markets,” said Bristow president and CEO Chris Bradshaw.
Under the reorganization, government services and energy services will each be led by a dedicated COO. Key personnel changes associated with the realignment include the appointment of Alan Corbett as COO of government services, Stuart Stavley as COO of offshore energy services, and Samantha Willenbacher as senior v-p of key accounts.
Corbett’s portfolio includes existing operations, new business, and emerging markets such as the search-and-rescue sector. He will retain responsibility for Airnorth, as well as the Humberside Airport. Stavley will oversee Bristow's oil-and-gas operations worldwide, in addition to operational shared services such as safety, standards, supply chain, and fleet management. Willenbacher will work closely with offshore energy customers to ensure Bristow is effectively meeting current and future requirements.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published a rule to enable wireless communications for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the 5,030- to 5,091-MHz band. It now seeks comment on whether measures are necessary to facilitate such communication on flexible-use wireless networks. Comments are due by March 9.
Currently, the UAS industry primarily operates under unlicensed and low-power wireless communications rules or experimental licenses. “It is past time that we assess the availability of wireless communications resources for the increasingly important remote-piloted aircraft activity we rely on today,” said FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel. “The FCC must ensure that our spectrum rules meet the current and future needs of evolving technologies such as unmanned aircraft systems.”
The proposal also seeks comments on whether current FCC rules for flexible-use spectrum bands are sufficient to ensure the coexistence of terrestrial mobile operations and UAS use or whether changes to these rules are necessary to prevent or mitigate interference and performance concerns. Also, the FCC proposes a process for UAS operators to obtain a license in the aeronautical VHF band to communicate with ATC and other aircraft.
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