As predicted earlier last year, Embraer Executive Jets finished 2022 strong, delivering nearly half its yearly output of business jets in the fourth quarter alone. The Brazilian airframer handed over 50 private jets in the fourth quarter and 102 in total for 2022. The tally, in line with its earlier guidance of between 100 and 110 business jet deliveries, exceeded Embraer's 2021 delivery total by nine aircraft.
For the year, the OEM delivered 66 light jets, including 59 Phenom 300s (31 in Q4) and seven Phenom 100s (two in Q4). For its midsize jet offerings, the company shipped 21 Praetor 600s (11 in Q4) and 15 Praetor 500s (six in Q4). Embraer showed year-over-year improvement across its entire product line, besting its 2021 deliveries by three Phenom 300s, one Phenom 100, four Praetor 600s, and one Praetor 500.
The manufacturer does not disclose the order backlog totals for its individual divisions, but between its business jet and commercial jet units it reported a firm order backlog of $17.5 billion at the end of 2022.
AINsight: Making Hay while the Sun Shines
The “gig economy” is alive and well in business aviation. Case in point: the typical going day rates for contract pilots are between $1,800 and $3,500. And qualified Gulfstream G650 pilots can earn up to a whopping $4,500 per day.
What’s more, there are equally lucrative side-hustle opportunities for maintenance professionals, schedulers, and flight attendants.
With contractor rates at an all-time high, one can make a great living working full-time for their employer while earning extra income on their vacation days, hard days off, or paid time off. The challenge for these hardworking professionals is being rested and prepared when arriving back at their “day” job.
But working a side job is not for everyone. For example, those people who are already well compensated are often the last ones who want to work on their day off. And, for many, company policy prohibits employees from working for another aviation employer. This is often due to inherent risks to the company and to the contractor, which is a whole other topic!
A group of enthusiasts has formed the Classic Lear Jet Foundation to restore Lear 23-003—the third one built and first delivered. The group plans to move the jet from where it has been deteriorating on a ramp at Bartow Executive Airport in Florida to Wichita for a full restoration. Plans call for flying S/N 003 as a “living flight history program,” according to the foundation.
Discussions began a year ago about the possibility of acquiring and restoring 23-003, and the first meeting of the foundation took place in July. The foundation obtained non-profit status last year.
Rick Rowe, a former Learjet demo pilot who has logged more than 9,000 hours in various models from the 35 through the 60, is leading the public relations efforts for the foundation. “I’m in awe of [the restoration of the B-29] Doc,” he said. “Now we’re doing a similar thing. I’m so excited about it I can’t believe that I’m getting to be involved in a project like this.”
A team of foundation board members and volunteers from Wichita-based supporters are traveling this weekend to Bartow to begin disassembling 23-003. A welcome-home event is planned in Wichita on February 28. Donations can be made on the foundation's website and volunteers and sponsors are welcome.
Aviation software specialist Comply365 was selected to provide its cloud-based document and compliance management platform to aircraft charter provider Wheels Up. Noting that the platform streamlines operations, Comply365 said employees in nearly every Wheels Up department are using its mobile application to manage operational documents and records.
“As we’ve expanded our global operations and grown our fleet and services, the need for a unified system that easily tracks and manages compliance and operational content across our group became vital,” said Michael Vargo, senior v-p of operations at Wheels Up. “We needed a simple way to distribute documents to our flight and operations crews, gather data from them, and capture and report on compliance across our enterprise. Comply365’s mobile solutions will simplify and unify these processes, providing greater efficiencies for us as we keep growing.”
Comply365’s mobile app enables pilots, flight attendants, and other operational team members to obtain the most updated content with revision control and automated syncing. The platform provides the ability to search across all manuals at once, use tags to filter documents, and add personal annotations, bookmarks, and highlights.
Wheels Up can distribute all document types based on the user’s needs, Comply365 said, adding the platform includes automated compliance tracking and reporting.
Safran this week completed ground tests with a “more electric” variant of its Tech TP turboprop technology demonstrator. The project, which is exploring new propulsion options for future regional fixed-wing aircraft, is being led by the French aerospace group's helicopter engines division and is based on its Ardiden-3 family of turboshaft engines for super-midsize rotorcraft.
Its technology demonstrator includes a more powerful electrical motor generator that is integrated with the Tech TP propeller and accessory gearbox. This device comprises an electrical machine, an electronic power converter, and associated controllers.
The main objective is to drive the propeller electrically, enabling new operating modes such as taxiing and in-flight auxiliary power, without using power directly from the aircraft’s main turbine engines. This is expected to deliver an 18 percent cut in fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions.
Projections for the TP Tech engine’s performance are based on an analysis conducted by Piaggio Aerospace using a virtual testbed for a 19-seat commuter airliner. The intention is that it would be operated using an updated throttle lever design integrated with the full authority digital engine and propeller control computer.
Ground testing at Safran’s Tarnos site in France is part of the European Union-funded Clean Sky program to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in aviation.
Following the collapse of an arrangement to go public via a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Opa-locka, Florida-based charter operator Verijet is turning to the private-equity market. Former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is joining its board, “accompanied by significant private investment,” Verijet co-founder and chief experience officer Allison Kane confirmed.
The operator, which provides charter services in the Southeast, Northeast, and West Coast with a fleet of 19 Cirrus SF50 Vision Jets, recently entered a nonbinding letter of intent for a business combination with the SPAC New Vista Acquisition Corp. to go public. But within weeks of the announcement of that agreement on February 1, New Vista Capital opted to liquidate the SPAC, which was led by Muilenburg.
“We determined that liquidating New Vista Acquisition Corp. and returning the investor capital plus interest was in the best interest of our shareholders,” New Vista said. “Partly due to rapid change in capital market conditions, namely the rapid increase in rates, revaluation of growth companies, and the persistently challenging go-public environment, the team decided that it was in the best interests of our shareholders to return their capital.”
Kane said Verijet’s plan “has always been to either go the [private equity] or SPAC route with the New Vista team,” and added that the company has decided to move forward with the private-equity path.
Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) is about to make aviation history as the first general aviation airport to have beer brewed in its terminal. St. Nicholas Brewing Company, a micro-brewery/restaurant, established its third location in the airport’s terminal building, which opened last summer. The structure was designed to resemble the airport’s original 1950s-vintage hangar.
The restaurant—just steps from the ramp—features a 30-foot-long bar, indoor seating for 75, and an outdoor patio that can seat 50. Next week, it will begin sales of its “Wheelz Up” IPA, which will be the first brew completed from its on-site brewery located at the front of the terminal.
On February 23, the St. Nicholas Brewery will hold the official “tap release" for the beer, described as “full of citrus aroma, flavor, and juiciness.” Brewmasters James McCoy and Carl Bundy will be on hand for the event with airport manager Gary Shafer as the guest of honor.
Safran Helicopter Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have signed an agreement for the joint development of an engine intended for the future 13-ton Indian Multi-Role Helicopter and its naval version, the Deck Based Multi-Role Helicopter.
The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2022. Under the terms, HAL will take part in the design, development, and production of some of the engine’s core components. The availability of an indigenous engine is in line with India’s policy of achieving self-reliance, including in defense technologies.
HAL and Safran will continue to work on the development of the joint venture in the coming months. Both partners also agreed on conditions for transferring manufacturing rights for seven critical forgings and castings to HAL, further enhancing indigenous content in the Shakti engine for the Dhruv and Light Combat Helicopter programs.
Safran Helicopter Engines CEO Franck Saudo said his company is “happy to once again support HAL, our partner for decades. While this program will bring many advanced technologies to the Indian aerospace ecosystem and to HAL, it will also provide the Indian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art solutions.”
Photo of the Week
Pretty bird. Kevin Malutinok—a partner at business aircraft sales, management, and services firm Strategic Air Services—sent in this image of his company’s Dassault Falcon 900B, S/N 115 and registered as N90TK, at the company’s Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS) headquarters. We love the trijet’s impressive ramp presence! Thanks for sharing, Kevin.
Keep them coming. 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.
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