StandardAero closed on the purchase of Van Nuys, California-based Gulfstream maintenance specialist Western Jet Aviation on Wednesday. The acquisition is StandardAero’s 12th since 2015 and adds significant Gulfstream airframe MRO capability, with more than 120,000 sq ft of hangar, shop, ramp, and office space on a 10-acre facility, nearly 100 personnel, and Western Jet’s avionics and interior shops.
The move also marks a return to the West Coast for StandardAero, which previously operated an MRO facility at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) but closed it in 2018. “When we departed LAX, we’d been looking for a location on the West Coast,” said Colleen Back, StandardAero senior commercial director, airframe, who is heading up the integration efforts for the acquisition. “Van Nuys is one of the busiest business aviation airports in the country, and this will add a large Gulfstream footprint to the company.”
Western Jet founder and owner Jim Hansen said the sale of the 24-year-old company is a bittersweet event for him but is excited about the opportunities offered by StandardAero. “After nearly 50 years in aviation, it was time for me to pass the reins,” he said. “We have accomplished so much at Western Jet, but it was also time to find the right partner to help Western Jet go to the next level. StandardAero is the perfect partner to help this company do just that.”
AINsight: Year of Reward for Patient Bizcraft Buyers
For the last two years, we have witnessed the cost of fast, unbridled growth that no one was prepared for. The FAA is struggling to keep up with basic functions such as aircraft registration filings, while pilot and mechanic shortages have raised salaries based on the supply/demand imbalance and even hangar space is a short-supply commodity.
These out-of-whack supply equations have not only raised the price of business aircraft but also allowed the sellers to dictate processes that are not favorable to the buyers, such as a limited right to inspect. This is compounded by critical supply-chain issues delaying the length of the pre-buys and all other into-service criteria.
The frenzy to buy from such a short supply created no reward for the buyer except for overpaying and stripping the process of critical pieces to capture a tax benefit.
So what is the reward that will come to those who are going to transact an aircraft purchase in 2023? Simple, there is no doubt among those of us that watch this market daily that the supply of aircraft is increasing, up by several percentage points over the last few months. This rising supply, which I believe will continue to increase, will add some immediate balance to a once very unbalanced market.
Sheltair has announced a partnership with sea turtle rescue charity Turtles Fly Too under which the FBO chain will offer fuel discounts for pilots engaged in turtle transport flights.
When the weather turns colder in the eastern U.S., sea turtles swept north by the Gulf Stream become stranded on beaches as far north as Cape Cod in Massachusetts. As water temperatures drop, these creatures become “cold-stunned” and are unable to survive unless they are quickly collected by animal rescue agencies and taken to local aquariums. Those facilities can soon become overwhelmed and the turtles must then be swiftly transported to southern aquariums where they are rehabilitated and released back into the ocean.
Turtles Fly Too has been finding space for these creatures on private flights heading from the Northeast down south since 2014, and hundreds have been saved by volunteer “Turtle Flyers” who donate their time, aircraft, and fuel. While some individual Sheltair FBOs have waived fees in the past for such flights, the partnership formalizes the fuel discounts at all of its locations.
“We’re thrilled that our FBO network is positioned to provide services to best support Turtles Fly Too and its mission,” said Lisa Holland, president and CEO of Florida-based Sheltair. “It’s a sentiment shared by our aviation family at Sheltair to want to see our oceanic neighbors survive and thrive.”
London-area Farnborough Airport, the UK’s only dedicated business aviation airfield, has smashed its annual aircraft movements record and expects the upward trend to continue this year, airport CEO Simon Geere said yesterday. Driven by sustained demand for business aircraft travel, the airport logged 33,120 takeoffs and landings last year—up from 26,007 in 2021 and 32,366 in its previous record year of 2019.
The 2022 tally gives Farnborough a 31 percent share of business aircraft movements for London-area airports, followed by Luton (27 percent), Biggin Hill (22 percent), Stansted (10 percent), Northolt (7 percent), and London City (7 percent).
Geere described last year’s performance as “impressive” and attributed the increase in movements to the “post-Covid bounce,” which saw travelers turn to business aviation in increasing numbers “and many for the first time.”
The post-Covid bounce is reflected in the change in mix of aircraft operations to the airport, he explained. “Charter flights saw a 4 percent increase in market share, from 16 percent of our movements in 2019 to 20 percent last year. In contrast, the number of flights classed as private and managed fell from 21 to 17 percent and 42 to 40 percent of the market share, respectively.”
Aspen Avionics has released a new and FAA-approved software update package for the EFD1000 Pro Max primary flight display and MFD 500/1000 Max multifunction displays that adds compatibility with select Garmin, Trio, and BendixKing autopilots. The software release also updates the status of the Evolution E5 dual electronic flight instrument, and it now meets the FAA technical standard (TSO) order for electronic flight instruments. Owners of the previous E5 software version can upgrade to the TSO’d version for $995.
The software for the EFD1000 Pro Max allows integration with Garmin’s GFC 600 autopilot and selected altitude support for Trio and BendixKing AeroCruze 100 autopilots. For the MFD500/1000 Max displays, the software adds extended runway centerlines as a free upgrade, though installation may cost extra. Customers who want the Pro Max v2.12 software unlock for the GFC 600 upgrade can buy it for $1,995.
Other features included with the v2.12 upgrade include all basic autopilot output functions, IAS hold and Garmin’s Electronic Stability & Protection with no external air data computer required, altitude and airspeed preselect, GPS data routed through the Aspen display to the GFC 600, flight director command bars on the Pro Max, and vertical speed preselect target settable on the Aspen display.
Business jet fractional provider Flexjet is donating 23 flight hours that will be auctioned or raffled this weekend at the Naples Winter Wine Festival to benefit the Naples Children & Education Foundation. This includes 15 flight hours in a Flexjet Bombardier Challenger 300 as an event raffle and eight hours in one of the super-midsize jets as part of an auction getaway to St. Barths.
Flexjet is also once again a corporate sponsor of the annual festival in Southwest Florida that supports the foundation, which provides financial assistance to organizations focused on child advocacy, early learning, education programs, and healthcare to children in need in Collier County. The annual festival features auctions, raffles, and fine food and wine, and has generated nearly $244 million for 50 organizations serving 300,000 children since 2001.
“We are proud to once again be the festival’s partner in improving outcomes for underprivileged and at-risk children in the Naples area,” said Flexjet chief marketing officer Lauren Florian. “Particularly since this year’s festival follows so closely on the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, we look forward to a successful festival that provides the community with the support it needs for full recovery.”
Vision Aircraft Records has launched software that provides aircraft owners, brokers, consultants, and stakeholders with secure access to maintenance records. According to company president Mark Leeper, this software features its Secure Managed Aircraft Records Technology (Smart) product and allows users to search, share, and manage all of their aircraft maintenance records in one place.
“By leveraging our proprietary Smart system, aircraft owners are able to manage their aircraft maintenance, handle transactions easily, make better decisions about their fleets, and remain compliant with FAA regulations at all times,” he said. The system also helps to minimize operational costs, streamline maintenance, increase efficiency, and reduce litigation risks, Leeper added.
The company’s digital logbook system, which allows users to convert paper-based maintenance logbooks to digital records, is now securing and managing close to $1.5 billion in aircraft logbook value. Its digital system is also compliant with FAA Advisory Circular AC-120-78A.
French engine maker Safran is progressing on its goal of reducing its carbon footprint by partnering with solar energy companies Réservoir Sun and Idex to install solar panels at 17 of its locations in France.
The photovoltaic (PV) arrays—which will be installed primarily on vehicle shade structures in parking lots—will cover approximately 1.9 million sq ft and will generate 39-gigawatt hours annually for use at the facilities, making up an average of 15 percent of its yearly requirement.
Installation will begin with the company’s nacelles industrial unit in Gonfreville-l’Orcher, which is first in line to receive the modification in June. The first phase of installations is expected to be wrapped up by 2025 and, when completed, the planned array at Safran’s aircraft engines plant near Paris will be one of the largest self-consumption PV systems at any industrial site in the country.
The company intends to extend the program to another 40 of its sites in France in the second phase of the program. Safran is also looking at its international operations with installations completed or expected at its sites in Australia, Belgium, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore, Thailand, Tunisia, and the UK.
Overall, the French OEM is committed to reducing its Scope I (direct) and Scope II (indirect) emissions by more than 50 percent by 2030 (using 2018 as the baseline).
Photo of the Week
Baywatching at sunset. Rudolf Winter, the operations manager at Montreal-based flight department JPL-AIR, snapped this photo on January 15 at the approach end of Runway 10 of the Princess Juliana International Airport (TNCM) in St. Maarten. “It was the last commercial flight of the day—a Boeing 737-800—arriving right at sunset,” he explained. Thanks for sharing this beauty, Rudolf!
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