Bombardier’s revenues climbed by 16 percent year-over-year in 2023, topping $8 billion, as it scaled deliveries to 138 Challengers and Globals, the company reported this morning. Further, the Montreal-headquartered business jet manufacturer expects deliveries to take another step up to between 150 and 155 this year, returning to levels not seen since 2016.

However, Bombardier expects most of that growth to come from its super-midsize Challenger 3500s this year, with Global deliveries remaining stable. Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel said this is purely a function of balancing production in the face of supply-chain uncertainties.

“While we have everything in place to achieve our objective, I want to highlight that our delivery profile for the year is largely set by the pace at which we receive parts from our supplier,” he said. “We are in an environment where we continue to play the cards we are dealt versus planning an ideal production schedule.”

As such, Bombardier projected revenues to grow to between $8.4 billion and $8.6 billion this year, with aftermarket also helping that bump. Meanwhile, Global deliveries are anticipated to expand in 2025.

As for 2023, deliveries were up by 15 units year-over-year, with Challenger shipments increasing by 13, to 63, and Globals by five, to 75. However, 2022 totals also included three shipments from the now-discontinued Learjet line.

With Las Vegas airports in full preparation for a surge of general aviation traffic this weekend for Super Bowl LVIII, AOPA is crying foul over the special event fees being levied on aircraft operators by local FBOs and the county airport authority. The organization, along with the support of numerous pilot groups across the country, is encouraging the U.S. Senate to support an amendment by Sen. Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) that would allow pilots access to public-use airports with “fair, reasonable, and transparent fees.”

Similar to the extra fees placed by Las Vegas’ airports and service providers on aircraft arrivals during the city’s recent hosting of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, special event charges this week at its airports will set operators back $750 and up into the thousands of dollars depending on the size of the aircraft. To AOPA, fees such as these are highlighting a growing trend among service providers.

The Clark County Department of Aviation—which operates the FBOs at Henderson Executive (KHND) and North Las Vegas (KVGT)—explained that the event fees will offset costs for additional staff and equipment required. During the Grand Prix event, the chain FBOs at Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS) noted that, in addition to increasing ground service equipment, they also brought in trained staff from other locations at a time when area hotel rooms were at a premium.

Pilots flying into Henderson Executive Airport (KHND) for Super Bowl LVIII might be able to take advantage of two new Honeywell guided visual approach procedures to the airport’s Runway 17R or 35L. 

Certain airplanes equipped with Honeywell flight management systems and signed up for Honeywell Navigation Services subscriptions can qualify to use these procedures. Eligible airplanes include the Bombardier Global Express; Cessna Sovereign and Citation X; Embraer 170/190; Falcon 6X, 7X, 8X, 2000EX EASy, 900EX EASy, and 900C/EX; Gulfstream G450/550/650/500/600 and GV; Hawker 4000; and Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24.

The KHND procedures are not IFR approaches, Honeywell cautions, and “no formal training or FAA approvals [are] required since this is advisory guidance only. However, you must read the briefing sheet prior to using the procedure.” A letter of authorization from the FAA is not required.

Guided visual approaches provide vertical and lateral guidance, with curving paths around terrain or obstacles, and must be loaded into the FMS from the nav database. While pilots can hand-fly the approaches, the use of autopilot is recommended, and the approaches provide shallow bank angles and relatively normal descent angles to the runway end for a stable approach experience. These procedures can only be used when pilots are cleared for the visual approach, in the case of KHND to Runway 35L or 17R.

The FAA Reauthorization Act was passed through the Senate Committee for Commerce, Science, and Transportation this morning after a contentious debate about raising the mandatory retirement age of commercial airline pilots from 65 to 67.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), who sponsored the amendment to raise the retirement age, said that raising the age would be a safe and effective means for combating a shortage of pilots in the industry. “I think each of us would rather have an experienced pilot in the captain’s seat than a younger, inexperienced pilot who maybe has not faced some of these situations,” she said. “What we do know is this: the pilot shortage is leading to a loss of air service across the country.”

Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) was among those who objected to Blackburn’s amendment. “This will have real consequences on air travel,” he said. “Raising the pilot retirement age will actually not get us more pilots in the air over the United States because it will have significant impacts on our pilots to fly internationally.”

Welch noted that the International Civil Aviation Organization's mandated retirement age is 65. Airline pilots over age 65 thus could be prevented from flying into international airspace per ICAO standards. “Bottom line, we’ve gotta get ICAO to adjust that if we’re going to adjust it here,” he said.

The bill now moves to a Senate floor vote.

A Robinson R44 Raven II crashed near the city of Lago Ranco in the Los Rios region of Chile on Tuesday, killing the former president of the Republic of Chile, Sebastián Piñera Echenique, age 74, who was flying the helicopter. Three other occupants survived the crash into a lake, the Lago Ranco, according to Chile’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC).

The Lago Ranco fire department, national police, and Chilean navy responded to the accident, which is under investigation by the DGAC’s investigation department. 

According to Chilean news company Clarín, a state funeral is being held today at the Hall of Honor at Chile’s congress in Santiago. Echenique leaves behind his wife Cecilia Morel and children Magdalena, Cecilia, Sebastián, and Cristóbal.

Some news reports called the helicopter a turbine R66 model, but the registration CC-PHP belongs to the R44 that crashed.

Swiss helicopter simulator manufacturer Loft Dynamics has opened its North American headquarters and virtual reality (VR) flight simulator training hub at a building adjacent to the ramp at Santa Monica Airport in Southern California. The full-motion Loft Airbus H125 VR flight simulation training device (FSTD) combines real helicopter controls, avionics, and switches with a VR view of the outside world to accurately replicate real-world flying.

Loft's FSTD costs a fraction of the price of a full-flight simulator and fills a niche for training helicopter pilots at a time when slots at traditional training centers are hard to find and much more costly. The Loft device can train pilots in maneuvers that are too dangerous to attempt in a real helicopter and a variety of realistic scenarios such as a medevac flight to a challenging location surrounded by vehicles and people.

The company also announced that the Los Angeles Police Department is buying a Loft H125 simulator for in-house pilot training. “Loft Dynamics’ sims use cloud-based software, allowing us to add new and applicable training scenarios regularly,” said LAPD Air Support division chief pilot Kevin Gallagher. “Additionally, the sim’s full-motion technology precisely replicates the motion of a helicopter in-flight, and the visual technology accurately simulates instrument meteorological conditions. These features are critical to providing our 50+ pilots, who fly around the clock, with the type of conditions and maneuvers they often encounter.”