The FAA has approved Teterboro Airport’s (KTEB) noise compatibility program (NCP), which the New Jersey airfield submitted last July. While that submission started a 60-day public review process, the agency noted that it received no comments on the program during that time.
The NCP issued by the airport consists of actions to be phased in over five years and the FAA was asked to review each item within 180 days. According to the agency, of the 33 measures submitted to minimize the impacts of aviation noise on and off the airport, 23 were approved, another four were approved as voluntary, three were determined to have no FAA action as a continuation of existing mandatory practices at KTEB, and three were not approved.
Among the unapproved measures are the implementation of offset approach procedures for Runways 19 and 6, as well as implementation of a published departure procedure for Runway 19.
Approved measures include the design and implementation of a centralized run-up pad; sound insulating for eligible dwelling units; maintaining a noise office, a public-flight-tracking portal, and a noise-complaint management system; and the establishment of a community planners forum.
The FAA also approved existing voluntary strategies, such as restraint from operations between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. and preferential runway use at night.
Business jet financier Global Jet Capital has surpassed $3.5 billion in financing to users of new and preowned aircraft, the company announced today. Founded in 2014, GJC said this amounts to about 200 aircraft transactions and noted that the $3.5 billion is a cumulative total, with its current portfolio hovering in the $2 billion range.
“Financing business aircraft can be inherently complex, but we’ve dedicated ourselves to finding ways to address client pain-points and to provide unique solutions,” said GJC CEO Vivek Kaushal. “In particular, our operating-lease product helps our clients minimize their capital investment and risk while receiving all the benefits of a dedicated business aircraft.”
GJC broadened its reach in 2016 by acquiring GE Capital’s business aircraft portfolio. Two years later, the company issued the first asset-backed security (ABS) funded exclusively by business jet operating leases and loans. It has since issued an aggregate of $3.6 billion of ABS notes and continued to grow through the pandemic.
“Reaching this $3.5 billion originations milestone is a testament to how we’ve built the business,” said Kaushal. “We strive to understand [customers’] needs and structure financing solutions to achieve their goals.”
Bell is in the final throes of the certification program for the 525 Relentless and anticipates certification of the super-medium, twin-engine helicopter by year-end, company executives said during a recent media day in Fort Worth, Texas. “We're making great progress towards certification. Our intent is to certify this year,” said Bell president and CEO Mitch Snyder. But he also caveated that ultimately this will be in the hands of the FAA.
Certification work on the 525's fly-by-wire system, an industry first for commercial helicopters, is for the most part complete as is most of Bell’s tasks under its organization delegation authorization, according to program director Derek Mookhoek. “Everything that's in our control…we're doing that, and we're running out of that work,” he said. The remainder involves certification flight tests, FAA review, and final approvals.
Bell, meanwhile, is continuing with its effort to have the helicopter certified for icing as type approval is granted, kicking off full-scale testing in Marquette, Michigan, last month. As for the initial results, Mookhoek said, “The systems are working great. Our challenge has been getting the weather to be able to go test.”
The helicopter manufacturer is not yet ready to name a launch customer, but Mookhoek said, "There are quite a few customers that we're talking to right now...and they're great conversations.”
Piper Aircraft recently integrated a Wilder Systems Agile Manufacturing Robot (AMR) to the M600/SLS production line, a move that the company said will enable it to boost production to meet demand. Full production handoff at the end of January was the culmination of a project that began in August and involved a series of milestones surrounding delivery, installation, calibration, and testing.
A 12-by-8.5-foot autonomous system, the AMR is used as a drill for the PA-46-600TP wings. It incorporates a light-duty drill unit, HSK-E25 tool holder, and programmable drill process, as well as a safety system monitored by Keyence Safety Scanners.
“As we’ve been manufacturing handcrafted aircraft for more than 85 years, we’re constantly finding new methods of increasing both product quality and manufacturing efficiencies to benefit our customers,” said Greg Spadaro, Piper v-p of operations and supply chain. “Additionally, we’re looking forward to now having the opportunity to train our assembly teams on the most advanced production tools and elevate their skills as aircraft production professionals."
Sitting atop the Piper aircraft line, the six-seat M600 sports a 600-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A turboprop and boasts a top speed of 274 ktas, 1,658-nm range, and standard useful load of 2,400 pounds. Equipped with Garmin G3000 avionics, the model was the first general aviation aircraft to be certified with Garmin Autoland.
Worldwide aircraft brokerage and private aviation consultancy JetHQ has opened an office in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Based at the Galaxy FBO at Addison Airport (KADS), the office staff will be led by Cole White, the company’s v-p of sales for the central U.S.
White is a former U.S. Army officer and minor league baseball player who also has experience in fleet planning, strategy, and market research for a major business aircraft operator. He will be supported at the North Texas location by v-p of marketing R.J. Miller.
While the team will be focused on young entrepreneurs and financial leaders in the area, they will also cater to the state’s oil and gas industry—companies that use the burgeoning Dallas-Fort Worth region as a base for long-range and international trips. JetHQ is also seeking to captialize on individuals and companies frustrated with the anemic level of post-pandemic service by the airlines.
The office will advise clients on the specific aircraft required to meet their stated mission goals.
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The European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) has an intermediate goal to reduce emissions by what percent in 2030?
Volatus Infrastructure has agreed to build a public-use, FAA-compliant electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vertiport at the privately owned, public-use Bellefonte (Pennsylvania) Airport (KN96) that serves the State College area, including the Penn State University campus. The vertiport—which eventually could have up to eight landing pads, each with a charging station—is expected to be operational later this year. It will initially operate as a single landing pad with one accompanying charging station.
“A project that started out as a way to get fans to Penn State games without sitting in traffic on Interstate 80 and State Route 322 has turned into what will become the center of an eVTOL ecosystem for the East Coast,” said Grant Fisk, Volatus Infrastructure co-founder. “We realized that Bellefonte Airport is within 90 miles of all the major cities, so it just makes sense to expand this location, which will lay the foundation for the eVTOL infrastructure ecosystem for the East Coast.” The airport is owned and operated by Marina Elnitski and sits on land that was one of the first U.S. airmail stops nearly a century ago.
According to Volatus, its modular design vertiports are scalable. The Neenah, Wisconsin-based company offers three main eVTOL infrastructure designs, including a vehicle-agnostic charging station, in addition to a dedicated app and maintenance programs.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has scheduled a series of webinars to collect feedback on the FAA’s notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to extend the requirements of the Part 5 safety management system (SMS) regulations to Part 135 charter and Part 91 air-tour operators, as well as certain manufacturing organizations.
Released in January, the FAA agreed to extend the deadline for the rulemaking from March 13 to April 12 at the requests of NATA and NBAA. Both organizations believe the extension was necessary to gather feedback on how Part 5 would apply to their members and, in particular, scale to smaller operators.
To be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow (February 3), February 7, and February 9, the 90-minute webinars will review the “why” of the NPRM, what it is intended to do, and how SMS can accomplish that mission. The webinars further will review major provisions of the proposal. “Your participation will help ensure a comprehensive NATA response to the NPRM,” the association told members.
A helicopter air ambulance pilot was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence while on his way to work, according to CBS News Colorado. The Elbert County (Colorado) Sheriff's Office said Aaron Fouquette had a blood alcohol level of 0.126 after he was pulled over for speeding and crossing the yellow center line after passing a sheriff's deputy's car on the evening of January 7. Colorado’s legal alcohol level limit is 0.08.
Fouquette, who was wearing his flight suit, told the deputy he was on his way to work at the AirLife Denver base in Hugo. Pilots for the base are provided by Air Methods.
Fouquette, who had last flown for the program on January 6, resigned from the company following his arrest. He was released on bond after being charged with suspected DUI and speeding and is due back in court next week. In statements to the media regarding the case, Air Methods stressed that it routinely screens employees for drugs and alcohol at a higher rate than federal law requires and has a variety of other safeguards that would have been employed had Fouquette made it to the base.
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