Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, provided a bonanza in business aviation activity to the area’s airports and FBOs. According to aircraft tracking provider FlightAware, for the five-day span from last Thursday before the contest through yesterday, the eight airports in the region saw more than 1,700 business aircraft arrivals.
Those airports included Scottsdale (KSDL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International (KPHX), Phoenix Deer Valley (KDVT), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (KIWA), Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR), Falcon Field (KFFZ), Chandler Municipal (KCHD), and Glendale Municipal (KGEU). KSDL and KPHX led the way in traffic, with 623 and 533 arrivals, respectively. Cutter Aviation told AIN it handled 481 aircraft at its KPHX location during that span, along with another 135 at KDVT.
According to TraqPak data from Argus International, there was an exodus of private aircraft following the game. From 9 p.m. local time Sunday until midnight, there were more than 900 departures, with KSDL and KPHX each tallying 243 during that period. Jackson Jet Center, also at KPHX, said it had 115 private jet movements in a two-hour span Sunday night.
This morning, Beta Technologies made a test flight of its six-seat, all-electric Alia-250 eVTOL at the Westchester County Airport (KHPN) in White Plains, New York. The flight, which was performed in cooperation with Blade Air Mobility, was the first of an eVTOL aircraft in the New York City metropolitan area. The Alia-250 flew alongside a conventional helicopter before pulling away for a second pass above the airport to highlight the eVTOL’s comparative quietness. Beta claims its noise profile is one-tenth that of a conventional helicopter.
In April 2021, Blade agreed to facilitate the purchase of up to 20 passenger-configured Alia-250s by its network of operators. Blade intends to deploy these aircraft on routes between its network of dedicated terminals in the U.S. Beta has also agreed to provide and install charging infrastructure at certain key locations.
“This is a historic moment for Blade, New York, and the urban air mobility industry,” said Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal. “This demonstration is a big milestone in our transition from helicopters to electric vertical aircraft, and we are pleased that our partners at Beta have designed the right aircraft with the requisite range, capacity, and noise profile for use in our key markets, including our home base of New York City.”
The FAA on Friday released an airworthiness directive (AD) that prohibits steep-approach landing and enhanced flight vision system operations (EFVS) on Bombardier Global 7500s until a mandatory calibration of the head-up display (HUD) is completed.
AD 2022-27-02 stems from a report of a lateral offset between the synthetic vision system and the actual runway that was observed on several Global 7500s, said the FAA, citing a mechanical misalignment of the HUD during manufacture as the cause of this offset. If not corrected, such an offset could create an incorrect airplane reference display on the HUD and lead to excessive deviation during landing. The agency warned that this could affect steep-approach and EFVS operations.
The FAA is calling for a revision to the airplane flight manual within 30 days of the effective AD date of March 17, while HUD calibration must be accomplished within 27 months. The AD references Bombardier service information. Bombardier originally communicated the issue to operators in late 2020 and issued a service bulletin to correct the problem in 2021.
According to the FAA, the AD has affected as many as 40 aircraft on the U.S. registry, but Bombardier said a large majority “have already proceeded to complete the required calibration procedures.”
The Naples Airport Authority (NAA) has released its draft noise compatibility program (NCP) update, which outlines various operational, land use, and program management approaches to address aircraft noise and noncompatible uses at Florida's Naples Airport (KAPF).
The noise study, NAA said, “provides a structured approach for airport operators, pilots, neighboring communities, and the FAA to evaluate opportunities to address community concerns regarding noise exposure while preserving safety and operational capabilities of the airport.”
Proposals in the draft NCP range from potential changes to various operational procedures into and out of the airport to implementing an enhanced voluntary “Fly Quiet” program and improving in areas such as zoning, soundproofing, and real estate disclosures, among others.
Noting that the draft NCP is part of an ongoing Part 150 noise study, the NAA is planning a public hearing and open house on March 9 to solicit input on the effort. Staff will be on hand at the open house to answer questions about the NCP and noise study, the first such study that NAA has undertaken in more than 20 years.
NAA said KAPF serviced 122,281 operations in the last fiscal year while remaining an “engaged, responsive partner to the community.” It further estimated the airport generates $781 million in annual economic impact.
FlightSafety Studies the Decision-Making Process of Go-Arounds to Enhance Training
Pilots can and should choose go-arounds when approaches become unstable. Now, FlightSafety International is working to determine what goes into pilots’ decision-making process and whether different choices should be made. Incorporating the results is what the company hopes will lead to better flight training, ultimately preparing pilots more effectively.
The city of Santa Monica has taken the next steps to shutter California's Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) later this decade with a recent city council approval of a process to review future potential land uses.
"This is the very beginning of a community process to reimagine the airport site, which accounts for an unprecedented 4.3 percent of the city’s land,” said Mayor Gleam Davis after the city council vote in late January. “We know this is an asset Santa Monicans care about and we want to work together to set goals and priorities to meet diverse community needs for the next several generations.”
The FAA in 2017 stunned the aviation community with the signing of a “consent decree” that ceded control over the airport back to the city at the end of 2028. City leaders have long pushed for the closure of the property.
However, the reuse of airport property will require substantial technical reviews, public outreach, and planning, the city acknowledged. City staff outlined a multi-year community planning effort to develop a roadmap. The city envisions authorization for closure in 2028 with the adoption of a plan for the new use in the timeframe of late 2028 to 2033.
The UK’s Air Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has released its findings regarding a series of cabin heating duct failures aboard Leonardo AW189 helicopters. In a report released earlier this month, the AAIB examined a failure aboard a search-and-rescue-configured AW189 on a flight from its base at Lydd Airport in Kent on Jan. 7, 2022.
According to the AAIB, the duct “failed in flight, releasing fragments of duct insulation material into the cabin and cockpit, causing respiratory irritation to the occupants. The aircraft landed safely. Similar heating duct failures had previously occurred in several of the operator’s other AW189 aircraft.” Leonardo subsequently issued a service bulletin (SB) to make the installation of the existing duct “more robust” as an “interim solution.”
Leonardo told AIN it “is rapidly progressing to complete the new heating duct design to make it available soon. Meanwhile, an SB update will guarantee the necessary level of installation robustness before the new installation is available.” The SB requires duct inspection and modification.
An examination by Leonardo found the duct failure was due to “nonuniform adhesion on the bonding surfaces between the rigid and flexible duct sections. The collapse of the duct led to fragments of the duct insulation being discharged through the cabin in the cockpit heating vents.” In one case, it also resulted in smoke in the cockpit, triggering an emergency landing.
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Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, a 10-minute drive from downtown, “has become a unique and powerful economic asset for greater Toronto,” according to a report published by PortsToronto and authored by University of Toronto professor Dr. Richard Florida. “Its role has become even more important to the ongoing recovery of the city…in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the report notes.
The report says the 83-year-old airport is projected to have added about $3 billion to Toronto’s economy in 2022, up from $2.1 billion in 2019. That amount is expected to grow to nearly $4.8 billion by 2025.
Much of this input is derived from general and business aviation flights. “Because of its downtown location and short travel times, business travelers who fly into Billy Bishop Airport can easily attend a morning or even an afternoon or early evening meeting and be home that same night,” said Florida.
Meanwhile, PortsToronto said in its latest master plan, “Our goal is to optimize the airport as a general aviation airport…yet balance operations with the interests of the community and the protection of the environment through initiatives that will mitigate the negative impacts associated with airport operations.” For example, hybrid or electric aircraft using the airport are exempt from landing fees.
Enstrom Helicopter announced this morning that aviation industry veteran Todd Tetzlaff is joining the company as its president. He replaces Matt Francour, who is retiring in April.
Tetzlaff began his aviation career at Enstrom’s engineering department 30 years ago, designing its T-T strap installation, which is still in use. He subsequently held engineering positions at Boeing and Raytheon Aircraft, where he worked on the Hawker 4000 program. He returned to Enstrom in the early 2000s as the flight-test engineering manager before joining Gulfstream, where he most recently served as a project certification specialist. He holds a B.S. in aircraft engineering technology from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is an FAA-licensed pilot with commercial helicopter and private pilot single-engine authorizations.
Francour called Tetzlaff the perfect choice to lead Enstrom into this new era,” adding that “he not only brings extensive aviation knowledge and experience, but also a deep love for and history with the company.”
Tetzlaff said he was drawn back to Enstrom by new owner Chuck Surack’s commitment to “moving the company forward” with plans for full glass instrument panels, crash-resistant fuel systems, new interiors and paint options, and longer-term product upgrades.
People in Aviation
Duncan Aviation promoted Jonathan Heiss to airframe service sales representative in Battle Creek, Michigan, and Robert Suarez transitioned to an aircraft sales and acquisitions broker within the organization. Heiss joined Duncan as an intern in 2006 and has held roles including as an airframe technician, lead mechanic, quality assurance Inspector, and, most recently, project manager. Suarez began his career at Duncan in 2016 and joined the aircraft sales team as a market research analyst in 2021.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) promoted Alyssa Sleight to director of safety. Sleight previously served as assistant director of safety and programs manager for the ACSF’s various safety initiatives, including the Aviation Safety Action Program. In her new role, she will assist members to enhance and improve their operation with flight data monitoring and safety management systems.
Wheels Up subsidiary Air Partner appointed Rommel Dones director of charter sales, based at Los Angeles International Airport. Dones has more than three decades in the international cargo market, having most recently worked at Navitrans Global where he spent six years doubling as director of its charter division and regional sales manager of the U.S. West Coast.
Aviation Maintenance Professionals hired Tru Pham as v-p of marketing and branding. Pham has more than 15 years of experience in private aviation with a blended background in sales, marketing, FBO management, and ownership services.
Alton Aviation Consultancy expanded its presence in the Middle East with the opening of an office in Dubai. Raffi Kasparian was appointed to head the company’s Dubai office as managing director; Mabel Kwan, previously managing director of investments at Changi Airports International, joined Alton as managing director in the Singapore office; and Ronan Murphy, previously v-p of strategy and planning at AMCK Aviation, joined as director in Dublin.
Jet East appointed David Crowder general manager of its newly established Statesville, North Carolina MRO facility. Crowder began his aviation career in 1988 as an aviation maintenance technician with American Eagle. From there, he accepted a position with Stevens Aviation as general manager before eventually being hired by Jet East.
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