Qatar Executive Is First G500 International Customer
Gulfstream Aerospace announced the first international deliveries of its G500, to Qatar Executive, on Monday, following a delivery ceremony at its Savannah, Georgia headquarters. The Gulf-based VIP charter operator has taken two of the aircraft, as per the originally envisioned 2018 schedule. Qatar’s civil aviation authority validated the G500’s U.S. type certificate in October, three months after the U.S. agency gave its nod for the new large-cabin Gulfstream.
The aircraft will join five Gulfstream G650ERs already in service with Qatar Executive, Qatar Airways’ executive charter business. “Gulfstream and Qatar Executive have been good partners since we announced the G500 [in 2014] and their intention to be its international launch customer,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns.
Qatar Executive also has Bombardier Global 5000s, Global XRSs, and Challenger 605s in its fleet. In 2015, the charter operator placed a $1.5 billion order for up to 30 Gulfstreams, including 19 G500s, five G600s, and six G650ERs. Bombardier is known to be keen to sell the Global 7500 to the Gulf charter firm, but no official announcements to this effect have yet been made.
“Qatar Executive and Gulfstream share a special and strong relationship, one which has grown over the years based on confidence and mutual understanding,” said Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker. “This relationship emphasizes Qatar Executive’s commitment to provide an industry-leading product and service.”
ADS-B Out Eliminates RVSM Application Process
The FAA has enacted a rule to eliminate the requirement for operators to apply for an RVSM authorization when their aircraft are equipped with ADS–B Out. Proposed in August 2017, the final rule “recognizes the enhancements in aircraft monitoring resulting from the use of ADS–B Out systems and responds to requests to eliminate the burden and expense of the current RVSM application process,” the agency said.
“Continual monitoring enabled by ADS–B Out provides increased height-keeping performance data on an individual-aircraft basis and enables the FAA to identify poor altimetry system error (ASE) performance sooner, allowing quicker mitigation of any risk posed by poor-performing aircraft,” the FAA said.
Operators of ADS–B Out-equipped aircraft will be able to begin RVSM operations immediately when the new rule is effective on January 22. The RVSM application process itself will in effect be eliminated entirely after Jan. 1, 2020 when all aircraft intending to operate in RVSM and other controlled airspace must be ADS-B equipped.
The FAA estimates this ability to operate without filing an application will lower costs (estimated at $1,630 per aircraft for smaller Part 91 and 135 operators) and eliminate the delay caused during the processing of an application for authorization.
The number of new aviation mechanics entering the industry is improving, but it’s not enough to fill the gap of retirements and future needs, the Aviation Technician Education Council said in a recently released report. Based on data collected by ATEC, the report said aviation maintenance students choosing to work in non-aviation jobs dropped by nearly half from the previous year, to 13 percent. Meanwhile, 70 percent of graduating A&P students are taking the FAA mechanic exam, a 10-point increase from 2016 and 2017.
But ATEC said new mechanics make up only 2 percent of the population annually while 30 percent is at or near retirement age. ATEC said at the current pace and based on its model, the mechanic population will decrease 5 percent in the next 15 years.
According to ATEC, one solution would be to increase enrollment at AMT schools, where only one in two seats is currently taken, and recruit more female candidates. However, even doubling enrollments at aviation maintenance schools won’t be enough to fill rising demand for mechanics. Combined with Boeing’s projection of the need for 189,000 additional technicians in North America by 2037, ATEC said schools will have to increase their combined output by 30 percent.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has permanently restricted airspace over Pasir Gudang, Johor, near the ILS approach path of Singapore Seletar Airport. In a Notam (A4018/18) that became effective today, non-military aircraft are not permitted to enter the airspace that is set from 2,000 feet to 5,000 feet, unless given prior approval via fax by the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
This restricted airspace will potentially disrupt ILS approaches into Seletar, especially for those making missed approaches. “The restricted area being within a controlled and congested airspace will impact the existing and normal operations of aircraft transiting through the airspace,” the Singapore Ministry of Transport said in a statement. Both countries will meet on January 8 to discuss the matter, among other bilateral issues.
The move comes in retaliation against Singapore’s new ILS approach procedure into Seletar that is opposed by the Malaysian authorities. Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said last month that the ILS path would prevent development of tall structures in the Pasir Gudang region and is a “clear violation of Malaysia sovereignty and international law and standards.”
Further, he said Malaysia hopes to reclaim ATC control over the airspace from Singapore. Currently, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) provides ATC over southern Johor in an agreement signed between the two countries in 1974 and approved by ICAO.
The FAA is collaborating with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on an EZ Fly Aircraft and Demonstrator designed to help the agency develop policies that will make flying easier and safer as the industry is on the cusp of urban mobility.
The agency detailed the ongoing project during a recent meeting of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s Simplified Vehicle Operations Subcommittee at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, the association said. There, the FAA gave a presentation, “A Revolutionary Cockpit Concept Research Sponsored by the FAA Office of Policy and Innovation,” highlighting the project to a group of more than 70 government and industry leaders and researchers. The FAA launched the project about two years ago to demonstrate capabilities of simplified small aircraft operations to an average person and use that research to make piloting more intuitive.
During the presentation, the FAA selected a non-pilot to take the controls of the demonstrator. The volunteer was able to conduct a series of maneuvers “because the interface has been designed to completely protect the aircraft; the simplicity of flying with limited or no training was immediately apparent and the minutes-old pilot quickly matched the skills of an experienced pilot,” a GAMA spokesperson said.
The agency has brought together internal experts to collaborate with industry to build on lessons learned and bring new ideas into fruition, the association added.
AW139 Crashes After Hitting Zipline in UAE, Crew Killed
An SAR-configured Leonardo AW139 crashed Saturday after clipping the world’s longest zipline on Jebel Jais Mountain in the United Arab Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. All four crew aboard were killed. Photos of the crash show the helicopter hitting the zipline and being consumed in a post-crash fire. The helicopter was operated by the UAE’s National Search and Rescue Center.
The accident occurred at 5:50 p.m. local time while the helicopter was en route to pick up an injured patient on Jebel Jais.
Jebel Jais is the highest peak in the UAE. The zipline is 1.74 miles long and positioned at an altitude of 5,512 feet msl. The summit of the mountain is 6,345 feet msl. The mountain is a popular destination for tourist and locals looking to escape the UAE’s extreme heat and is a frequent destination for first responders dealing with hiking injuries and auto accidents.
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is investigating. The UAE established the National Search and Rescue Center in 2013. More than 60 AW139s are operated in the UAE.
Dart Adds EASA To List of Bell 505 EFS Approvals
Dart Aerospace continues to expand the market for its Bell 505 Jet Ranger X emergency float system (EFS) with recent approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency. The EASA signoff followed similar approvals that came last year, beginning with Transport Canada in mid-February, followed by the Japan JCAB and U.S. FAA in subsequent months. Dart delivered the first system in April to the Japanese Coast Guard.
“We’re pleased to be given the green light to promote and distribute the EFS in Europe, where there is a consistently high demand for light Bell aircraft,” said Wesley Reid, product strategy and business development manager for mission equipment at Dart Aerospace. “The product is in service worldwide and we are confident it will have a strong reception in Europe.”
Offered for retrofit or factory installation, the EFS was developed in collaboration with Bell, Dart said. The EFS incorporates a six-pod, tri-bag design to provide greater stability without impeding egress. Designed with a custom-made lightweight urethane-coated fabric, the EFS also includes skid extensions, among other features. Dart said the EFS is the first of its kind on the market.
FAA Airport Construction Standards Get an Update
A new Advisory Circular, AC 150/5370-10H, updates the FAA recommended standard specifications related to materials and methods used for construction on airports. This AC became effective on December 21 and replaces the previous versions, dated July 21, 2014.
It is applicable specifically for the pavement and airport development projects serving aircraft greater than 30,000 pounds mtow. “Extensive technical and editorial edits have been made throughout the document based on comments received during several review periods,” the agency said.
Items covered in this voluminous 726-page document include general provisions, earthwork, flexible base courses, rigid base courses, flexible surface courses, rigid pavement, fencing, drainage, turf, and lighting used in airfield development for construction and rehabilitation projects on airports. The AC notes that for building construction “applicable laws and local building codes shall serve as construction standards acceptable to the FAA.”
The first chapter in the circular on “General Provisions,” is followed by 12 more chapters containing FAA-recommended and suggested standards for general construction items; site work; base courses; pavement types; surface treatments; fencing; drainage; turfing; and lighting; These chapters incorporate some three dozen major changes to the standards in the previous version of this AC.
Make Your Voice Heard in the 2019 FBO Survey
AIN’s FBO survey is open for year-round feedback, but the deadline to vote in the 2019 survey is February 8. The results will be published in the April issue. The survey takes only a minute, and you can do it while waiting for passengers, on the shuttle bus to/from the hotel or any other time that is convenient for you. Participants will be entered to win a $500 Amazon gift card. Log on to www.ainonline.com/fbosurvey to rate your experiences at the FBOs you visit.
Mandates a modification to the power sources for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. Prompted by a recent incident where it was found that a single power supply failure caused both the CVR and FDR to be disabled.
Requires incorporation of procedures in the airplane flight manual that allows the crew to stabilize the airplane’s airspeed and attitude for continued safe flight and landing in the event of loss of all air data system information provided to the crew. Prompted by several in-service incidents where this data was unavailable but was recovered when the aircraft descended to lower altitudes. An investigation determined that the root cause in these events was high-altitude icing (ice crystal contamination).
Requires a one-time detailed visual inspection of the tail rotor slider assembly for corrosion and conditions and, depending on findings, replacement or repetitive inspections. Prompted by a case where a tail rotor slider assembly was found fractured in service during a post-flight inspection. The bushing and the actuator rod included in the tail rotor servo were also found partially damaged. A subsequent investigation revealed that the failure was due to fatigue, initiated from corroded areas localized on the surface of the slider characterized by circumferential refinishing signs. The presence of circumferential finish signs is consistent with sanding operation accomplished on the fractured area of the slider. However, the AW139 maintenance manual does not contain instructions to apply sanding on the slider surface as this operation might remove corrosion protection of the part.
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